Frijoles

At Frijoles, the meal gets built at the counter, one decision at a time. The order is a sequence of small choices — white wrap or whole-wheat, the protein, which of the three beans, the hot and cold counter items, and then the sauce that pulls it together — and the kitchen runs the same logic whether the result lands in a burrito or a bowl. That format is the whole proposition of this Fresh Mex counter on Portage Road. The menu is short enough to read in one pass, and the work happens in how a table assembles it.

The signature first order is the Taco Trio: three tacos built Baja style with pico de gallo, shredded cabbage, and a White Lightning sauce, or American style with cheese, romaine, and a chipotle lime. The burritos run from the everyday Build Your Own up to The 'Big Meat,' a double-meat wrap carrying rice, any or all three beans, cheese, and two sauces. The specialty burritos are where the kitchen shows its hand — a Pineapple Pork built on pinto beans, cabbage, pineapple salsa, and a Sweet Guajillo; a Chipotle Chicken on black beans, pico, and chipotle lime. There is a Taco Bag that swaps the tortilla for Doritos, chips with house-made guacamole, and a Jarritos to drink. The named sauces do most of the steering.