What’s good here: El Burrito

Pamela Nadolski is the manager of El Burrito, a Mexican restaurant housed in an old diner in Five Points. She’s worked there 8½ years.

What’s good here?

“Everything has its own little following. People who come in generally order the same thing every time. ... The most popular are the deluxe chicken burritos, a chicken burrito with beans, rice, cheese, salsa, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and your choice of hot or mild salsa. ... Also the chicken salad. Chicken with mixed greens, tomatoes, hot and mild salsa and topped with our famous cilantro vinaigrette.”

What’s in the famous vinaigrette?

“I can’t tell.”

When are you most crowded?

“Friday lunch.”

Seating?

“We have 12 seats inside and 32 outside, so it’s pretty small. It gets pretty packed.”

Who eats there?

“Everybody from the college crowd up to elderly. I’d say most of the time the lunch crowd is a mid-30s professional crowd.”

What’s the story of the building?

“We think it was built in 1938. It was an old Toddle House, what they had before Waffle House. So it used to be a diner.”

When did you start there?

“I was in college, and I needed a job. I just walked in, and I’ve been here ever since. ... I manage it now.”

Music?

“We have music seasonally. Bluegrass out back (behind the restaurant). We had it three times in the spring, and we’ll have it a few times this fall.”

Vegetarian friendly?

“Yes. Everything starts off vegetarian, and you can add meat to it.”

Why popular?

“Our food’s good, the staff’s friendly. Ninety-five percent of our customers are regular customers. Some eat here twice a day; some eat here three times a week. ... Most of the time they order the same thing. Sometimes they have a second favorite, but we know their first.”

— Megan Sexton

WHERE: 934 Harden St., Five Points

PHONE: (803) 765-2188

HOURS: 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Closed Sundays

MENU: Burritos, tacos, salads

PRICES: $4 to $10