Standing in a line that snakes back to the entrance of the Chilango restaurant in London’s financial hub, Beth Norden eagerly awaits her weekly roasted pork belly burrito. Norden, a 22-year-old intern at the Red Cross, likes the quick service and buzzing atmosphere. “There are so many different food choices in London, but I love Mexican—it’s something different,” she says. “And it fills you up.”
Norden is among the growing ranks of Britons with an appetite for burritos. A handful of young restaurateurs have introduced stuffed flour tortillas into the U.K. culinary mainstream by stressing the fun or exotic nature of Mexican fare. Fast-casual eateries like Chilango, Tortilla, and Benito’s Hat are expanding in London and other nearby regions where beans are usually served on toast and the Cornish pasty is the handheld food of choice.
