Exit Sloppy's, enter Bearitos

Somebody pulled a burrito switcheroo in Hillcrest. 86 Sloppy’s Burritos, sub Bearito Republic. Allegedly, Sloppy’s owners decided to move to Utah, and the Bearito crew flipped the place over and changed up the concept, albeit slightly.

Most of the decor remains, and the Mission-style assembly-line burrito protocol got to stick around. The new name references the nineteenth-century California Republic, but it’s easier to think of Bear Republic Brewing (tasty Racer 5) or those bear t-shirts that grace the chest of every other sunburnt tourist. Either way, it fits, since their specific burrito ethos is still more NorCal than San Diego.

The new owners got cutesy with the menu names, and the “bearitos” sport noms de guerre like “Get Down” and “Goldilocks.” Beef and chicken compose the entirety of the meat selection. Fake chicken, tofu, and “pulled pork” are the veggie options.

The “pork,” which contains zero pig, is actually pretty cool. Somebody had the neat idea to stew unripe jackfruit in a sweet barbecue sauce, and its toothsome, tangy character is quite the novelty, and perhaps better than any of the meats!

Dolled-up burritos boasting pineapple and alternative salsas face a crushing uphill battle, since it’s hard to do better than any given ‘Berto, and most diners aren’t asking for a change. Still, Bearito Republic is on the whole better than Sloppy’s (that little bit of extra variety), even if a shade more expensive.

Also, the Boylan’s Soda fountain is out, replaced by Batch. Try the “Snozzberry” soda, for sure. A nickel to anyone who can guess the actual flavor.