Restaurant Review: Wake and late

It was early Sunday morning in Los Angeles and I had just finished a cat feeding in Koreatown. With the morning still ahead of me, I figured I might as well take advantage of being out and try a new breakfast spot. A quick Google search for the best breakfast burritos in Los Angeles led me to Wake and Late.

One review I skimmed mentioned that the burritos were small for the price but very tasty. I figured it couldn’t be that bad, so I decided to check it out for myself.

One of my favorite things about Sunday mornings in LA is how quiet the city is, with barely any cars on the road. You can get almost anywhere in under 20 minutes — a drive that could otherwise take up to 45 minutes (or more!). There’s no creeping through endless traffic lights or sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic questioning all your life choices. LA traffic is definitely a patience trainer. Sometimes I lose my cool, but most of the time I’ve learned to just accept it and go with the flow… or lack thereof.

I hadn’t done much research on the restaurant beforehand, so I arrived with very few expectations. The first surprise was the location: Wake and Late sits in one of those commercial plazas that typically feel more practical than charming. It’s not exactly the setting you imagine for a trendy breakfast burrito destination. But stepping inside, the vibe shifts. The interior is clean, minimal, and spacious, with a polished coffee-shop aesthetic that feels intentional and modern.

The menu follows that same minimalist philosophy. There are essentially two burrito options: the breakfast burrito and the “Juarez.” You can choose different protein options, but overall the food menu is pretty limited.

I decided to order the Juarez because the short rib birria immediately caught my attention, and it isn’t available as a protein option for the breakfast burrito. It also has a beans-and-cheese base, which appealed to me since I’m not the biggest fan of tater tots stuffed inside a breakfast burrito. In hindsight, though, I almost wish I had gone with the classic breakfast burrito.

Garlic crema, pickled onions, and blistered chiles

Flavor-wise, the burrito delivered. The birria was rich and savory, and the accompaniments — garlic crema, blistered chiles, and pickled onions — were bright, fresh, and clearly well thought out. Unfortunately, the portion size was where things fell short.

The burrito itself was small. Not just modest — small. It was skinny, flat, and noticeably light on fillings. I finished it in about eight bites, which is not exactly what you’re hoping for when ordering a breakfast burrito.

Because I tend to eat a larger breakfast and taper off during the day, I was still hungry when I finished. I scanned the menu hoping there might be sides — maybe some tater tots or potatoes — but there were none. With such a limited menu, there also wasn’t much opportunity to supplement the meal with anything else.

In the end, the original review I read turned out to be spot on. Wake and Late delivers on flavor, but the portion size leaves something to be desired. I’d still be curious to try the breakfast burrito someday — it does look a bit more substantial in photos — but when I’m craving a big, hearty, satisfying breakfast burrito, this probably won’t be my go-to spot.