A spicy chicken burrito bowl and a soda at Burrito Bros in Aviano, Italy. Besides burrito bowls, the restaurant serves tacos, quesadillas and burritos. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)

Entrepreneurial intuition is the backstory for Burrito Bros, a restaurant in Aviano, Italy, that U.S. personnel in the area are finding ideal for satisfying cravings while beating the lunch break time crunch.

Lucia Rigo, an American-Italian born and raised in Aviano, owns and operates the eatery with her three siblings. They noticed the lack of local burrito places, so they started their own.

“I knew in my heart that ... if I missed burritos and tacos and whatnot so much, someone else must as well,” Rigo said.

Given that service members from the base make up the majority of the restaurant’s customers, her gut feeling is proving correct.

Count me among those who were excited when Burrito Bros opened in September, because lunchtime burrito bowls were something I missed from my stateside duty stations. My first visit came within a month of the restaurant’s inception.

To keep things simple, the menu is limited to four main items: burritos, burrito bowls, three tacos or a quesadilla. All the ingredients are made fresh daily, Rigo said.

For my most recent meal at Burrito Bros, I chose the barbacoa quesadilla and a burrito bowl as I prefer to mix ingredients together.

Airmen assigned to Aviano Air Base order lunch at Burrito Bros in Aviano, Italy, on Feb. 18, 2025. Since opening in September, the restaurant has provided a welcome option for U.S. personnel. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)

Lucia Rigo and her brother check the food line at Burrito Bros Feb. 18, 2025, to make sure everything is fresh and ready for customers. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)

Ordering any main item means deciding whether you want rice and beans and then choosing a meat option: ground beef, barbacoa, chicken or spicy chicken.

For the bowl, I went with a blend of spicy and grilled chicken on top of white rice and beans topped with pico de gallo, corn salsa, guacamole, tomatoes, lettuce and shredded cheese.

Upon first bite I was unsure of just how spicy the chicken would be. I considered it to have more of a smoky, sweet taste than a spiciness. But apparently opinions on that vary, as Rigo said others have told her they found the level of heat a bit over the top.

A pleasant surprise was in store with the quesadilla. The amount of cheese in the tortilla blended well with the barbacoa. After the quesadilla was cut into four triangles I didn’t have to worry about the meat falling out when I grabbed it, as the cheese held the two sides together.

Also, the tenderness of the meat and deft balance of flavors ended up giving me more of an appetite for the quesadilla than I had expected.

To wash it all down I settled for a soda, but beer and water are also available.

Burrito Bros in Aviano, Italy, shares a building with a gas station near Aviano Air Base. (Brian Erickson/Stars and Stripes)

Overall, I’ve found Burrito Brothers to be a quality place for a meal that is reminiscent of Chipotle in the U.S. And with the impending closure of the Subway on base, those looking for fresh ingredients and fast service will probably find this place even more attractive.

During my visit, about half of the customers ordered their food to go, while I was among those who sat down at a table and took in the busy scene at Burrito Bros, which shares a building with the San Marco Petroli gas station.

Rigo said that’s just the balance they’re seeking. Depending on how busy the place is, it is possible to get there, order and get back within 30 minutes.

“We’re just trying to give people something they missed and do it in a convenient and easy way,” Rigo said. “Come whatever time you want, grab and go or have a seat.”

Burrito Bros

Address: Via Pordenone 44, Aviano, Italy

Hours: Monday through Saturday, 7:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Closed on Sundays. Online orders, 11 a.m.-9:50 p.m.

Prices: Burritos, burrito bowls and tacos, 10.50 euros; quesadillas, 5-7 euros; certain toppings add 1-2 euros to the price; beverages range between 3.50 and 10 euros.

Information: Phone: +39 3450 84 6684; Online: burrito-bros.order.app.hd.digital/menus; Instagram: burritobros.aviano