Burrito-Ville's unique style makes it local favorite

About 28 years ago, Justin W. Denton ate his first burrito. The simplicity of his burrito-influenced business called Burrito-Ville can be seen in the staff's uniforms consisting of a T-shirt, witty marquee postings and names for their creations and how the eatery came to be.

"I grew up in Chicago and ate burritos there. And then moved to Southeast Missouri, eventually. They didn't have burritos here," said Denton, owner of the establishment. "That's really what happened."

Denton graduated from Jackson High School and attended Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, Ill. He transferred to Southeast Missouri State University, where there were no burritos, and graduated with a degree in agriculture business.

Danny DeGuire with a spread of food options from Burrito-Ville on Thursday in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

Denton moved back to Chicago and worked in his father's office, but later decided to "go back to the burrito thing."

Burrito-Ville celebrated its 13th anniversary Wednesday. It moved twice before settling at its current location, 913 Broadway in Cape Girardeau. It recently underwent a renovation to "finally change it over from a Dairy Queen," housed in the building years before.

"It follows a little bit what I was eating at in Chicago -- not fancy, not new," Denton said of what sets Burrito-Ville apart from chain restaurants.

Burrito-Ville's ingredients feature fresh black beans and pinto beans along with a favorite avocado. They are used to create a joint effort of food creations consisting of influence from Denton's favorite burrito stops and some of Cape Girardeau locals' creations, such as Dirty Fries and the Matt James burrito.

The Matt James burrito is named after a Jackson High School graduate who played football at Southeast. It consists of steak, ground beef, chicken, mozzarella cheese and melted queso.

"That was the burrito that he ordered all the time, so we named it after him," Denton said.

There are no contests or rules to getting a menu item named after you, but it would have to be good, he said.

Another favorite is the Preggo Burrito, which is exactly as it sounds.

"It's a burrito inside a burrito, hence the preggo," Denton said, noting that, as with the Matt James burrito, "it's for the non-vegetable eaters." It is full of chicken, mozzarella cheese, queso, beans and rice.

A staple of many Southeast students' diets, the restaurant experiences a decrease in business when school is not in session, but Burrito-Ville keeps its door open thanks to locals who keep coming to get their burrito fix.

Denton said the fact that Burrito-Ville is more personal keeps its relationship with locals strong.

Plans are to expand the front of the building to include a deck and seating area, which Denton hopes to complete in the spring or next summer.

adowning@semissourian.com

388-3632

Pertinent address:

913 Broadway St., Cape Girardeau, MO