I’m not much of a morning eater, but I do like a good breakfast burrito now and again — especially on a road trip. Unlike a plate of bacon and eggs, you can eat it in a car, although I don’t recommend doing so while driving.

I’ve never had two breakfast burritos in one sitting, but there’s a first time for everything, certainly as pertains to Friday Food Fight.

My driver was otherwise occupied, so I lit out on Tuesday morning to make two stops at places five blocks apart in downtown St. Pete — Southern Grounds on Central Avenue and Red Mesa Mercado in the Edge District. I was worried about parking, but I needn’t have. There were plenty of spaces available in the 10 o’clock hour.

I brought my burritos back to the FF Lab + Photo Studio™. 

SOUTHERN GROUNDS

No surprise, the last day of March gifted a gorgeous morning — 75 degrees, breezy and bright. Southern Grounds is a Jacksonville-based chain that has been open in St. Pete for about nine months. I called ahead with my order, parked right in front, and popped inside.

I was pleased to see nearly all of the tables occupied by young folks eating, talking, working on their computers. I’m pretty sure I was the only senior in the joint. After a short wait, I grabbed my Breakfast Burrito ($16.05) and dashed.

RED MESA MERCADO

At 10:30 business had slowed down to … me. I ordered my Southwest Bacon Burrito ($11) — one of several types on offer — at the window under a vast covered patio and waited less than 10 minutes to pick up my grub.

Then it was back to the lab. Bonnie helped me set up the photo table, which included clippings from a rose bush she’d just bought.

Red Mesa Mercado

The burrito came in a simple paper wrapping, with no sauces or other frills. It was a beige lump, so I cut it in half for its photo session.

The flour tortilla was pliable and tender, the scrambled eggs soft the way I like them. Add in cheddar cheese, bacon (which makes everything better) onions and plenty of green peppers for crunch and it made for a balanced, delicious breakfast burrito that was easy to handle and not messy in the least.

Southern Grounds

This one came in a takeout box and was fancier than the one at Mercado (see lead photo). The burrito was considerably plumper than the competiton’s, but still held together well.

The finely cubed fried potatoes were a welcome surprise. The eggs were a little past soft and the cheese had begun to congeal. The menu says the burrito contains sausage, but I tasted cubettes of steak, which gave it a pleasant hint of smokey flavor. I sampled the three sauces, but prefered to eat it as-is.

And the Winner of the Epic Breakfast Burrito Battle Is …

Red Mesa Mercado.

This decision required some beard-stroking. It was that close. I’d gladly eat another of each — or both, for that matter. I enjoyed savoring them side by side. For the record, I made decent headway but did not come close to finishing both.