What do you eat in San Francisco if you are starving, and you want something quick, fast and filling? Ask any one who lives here and they will point you to the closest taqueria!

San Francisco is home of the burrito – that foil-wrapped flour tortilla shaped like a torpedo, or sometimes called a bomb, stuffed with – after the Spanish rice and beans – the meat and extras of your choice. If you don’t speak Spanish, then take your dictionary because ordering from the menu can get you anything from yummy pollo asado to lengua. Burritos can be found in many forms and flavors, from authentic and simple to trendy and hefty – and no visit to San Francisco would be complete without having at least one, or two.

Each taqueria has it’s own reputation to uphold. Some are known for their salsas. Some are known for their asado, or whether or not they give you a choice of what kind of beans you want. Some make traditional tacos – with just a choice of meat and maybe some salsa or onions to go with it, while others pile the layers on so that you need to use your chips as a scoop to eat up the yummy flavors. In quite a large number of taquerias, if you order a Taco Vegetariano, you’ll get enough food to last you through the afternoon. It’s quite possible that the line cooks feel sorry for people who don’t eat meat, so they make up for it in rice and beans and cheese and whatever else they have in front of them.

It used to be that chips came along with your order, but more and more taquerias are asking that you pay extra for an order of chips. This has taken some getting used to, but when you consider that tacos can cost as little as a buck fifty, you can’t really gripe too much at the extra seventy-five cents. The little containers of salsa can still be had as an inclusion – Mexican style fast-food can be eaten without chips but there is no way you can have it without salsa!

There are, literally, over 150 taquerias in San Francisco. Here are a few that we’ve tested out, in alphabetical order:

Azteca, 235 Church near Market

Azteca is an old stand by for cheap, filling, and good burritos.

Casa Sanchez, 2770 24th @ Hampshire

I was expecting that Casa Sanchez would serve up some really great food, mostly because I like their chips and salsas that can be bought in the local grocery stores. But I was a little disappointed in the actual taqueria.  They are one of the only taquerias I’ve been to that have a back patio, with lots of seating.

Chavo’s, 595 Bryant @ 4th

This is a lunch mainstay for the neighborhood, which used to be full of dot.coms, but is now full of, hmmm, other things.

Cuco’s, 488 Haight @ Fillmore

Is a small taqueria with an El Salvadorian flair.

El Metate, 2406 Bryant between 22nd St & 23rd St

Everytime I drove by this taqueria I would tell myself that next time I’m going to stop and check it out.  The week I finally made the effort to get there, I went twice! Once for a fish taco and the other time a fish quesadilla. I was not disappointed. The fish taco was fresh, crusty, spicy, fried snapper tucked into a tortilla with lettuce, rice, and tomatoes. (Make sure you squirt the lime all over the taco). The quesadilla had the same style of fried fish tucked into a gooey cheesy loaded tortilla. I definitely liked the tacos more than the quesadilla, but both were good.

El Taco Loco, 3274 24th @ Mission

I have always been curious about this one. It sits right off the corner of Mission on 24th , next to the Mexican dive bar that I’ve always wanted to slip into for a beer – if I wasn’t a girl. There is a vibe that  women aren’t welcome … The dark bar always has the music blaring and some shady characters playing pool. Anyway, I went to El Taco Loco on a Saturday morning after not having much sleep the night before. All the tables were full – with Latin men. It’s like they moved from the bar to taqueria in the morning. Everyone had a big bowl of Menudo sitting in front of them. I ordered my Vegetarian Taco and was happy with it. It was typically filling for me with the side of chips and a pile of lettuce and sliced tomatoes on the side.

Gordo’s Taqueria, various locations: 1233 9th Avenue @ Lincoln, 2252 Clement Street @ 24th, 5450 Geary @ 19th, several in the East Bay

Gordo’s has multiple locations, which would raise flags in any other kind of cuisine, but not here. They’ve got yummy taco’s and burrito’s and if you’re not in The Mission, Gordo’s is a great choice.

La Canasta, 3006 Buchanan Street @ Union

This is one of the best taquerias on the north end of the city. The owner is always nice and the food has always been good. The place is tiny and ‘to go’ only, but if you are brave, you can sit on a bench outside the shop to eat your lunch. I say brave because it can be windy here and things can blow away. They also have Mexican Coca-Cola and since the family is from near Veracruz, they’ve got Grandma making Conchita Pibil!

La Cumbre, 515 Valencia @ 16th, T: 415.863.8205

A San Francisco original with a great reputation although the place has seen better days. Yummy vegetarian tacos, although a bit pricey. The hours that this place is open are erratic at best, so don’t be disappointed if it is closed when you get there. To order go to the back of the restaurant and work you way forward towards the cash register (this is typical in SF taquerias).

La Palma Mexicatessen, 2884 24th, T: 415.647.1500

Stick your head in the door of this corner store and you’ll know you’re in the right place. This very chaotic place is a Mexican version of a take-out deli. Part grocery, part deli counter where you can buy everything from carnitas to stacks of handmade corn tortillas. The handmade tortillas are not only made fresh in front of you, they grind their own corn to make the fresh masa. Take a number when you walk in the door and get in line. You really have to be comfortable communicating, or trying to communicate, in Spanish. Although the other customers are extremely helpful if you need advice. The only sign I saw in English was the one that told your to mind your kids while they are in the store!

Mijita, One Ferry Plaza, Number 44 – Ferry Building. T: 415.399.0814

Down to earth and simple eats, the tacos at Mijita are yummy, but they aren’t cheap. Mijita features Niman Ranch meats and a very short menu of tacos, antojitos, and otras cosas (other things). Mijita’s owner, Bay Area Chef Traci Des Jardins, cooks from her roots, using local seasonal ingredients. This is a great place to grab a bite if you are at the Ferry Building. Average price is about $4 per item.

Nick’s Crispy Tacos, Polk Street @ Broadway, T: 415.409.8226

Nick’s has a yummy, upscale, yuppified, crispy kind of tacos and burritos served in the chandeliered decor of Harry Denton’s Rouge bar. Not exactly a taqueria kind of place, but if you’re shopping for antiques on Russian Hill, hey then, why not? $2.50 (Tacos) – 6.50 (Quesadillas and Burritos)

Pancho Villa Taqueria, 3071 16th St @ Valencia, T: 415.864.8840

It’s crowded – and once you’ve eaten there you’ll know why. Burritos are the specialty here but for those who need just a nibble the tacos can’t be beat. Simple yet hearty Mexican food at more than reasonable prices won’t hurt your wallet.

Papalote, 3409 24th St.@ Valencia, T: 415.970.8815

It was Cinco de Mayo and my friend and I was in the mood for salsa! We headed on over to the Mission and walked around to see where the action was. Papalote is a high-end taqueria with reasonable prices, good people, and GREAT food. We had fresh snapper tacos, which came two to a plate, piled with lettuce, fresh salsa, guacamole, and sour cream. And the fish was perfect. Prices range from $2.15 – $9.50 with most items in the $4-5 range. Yum!

Taqueria Cancun, Misson near 20th Street

Taqueria Cancun is a colorful spot and if you hit it on the weekend, you just might get serenaded by a wandering minstrel. This taqueria has been written up by every guidebook ever printed, but even so, it is still worth a stop if you are exploring the neighborhood.

Taqueria El Ablaze, 1654 Haight @ Cole, T: 415.864.8608

Giant burritos, quesadillas, tacos and adjurers freesias, this place has all of the San Francisco-Mexican staples. Good and filling food. Lively painted interior.

Taqueria El Faro, various locations: Mission @ 24th Street, 2950 24th Street @ Alabama, 2399 Folsom @ 20th

Watch the burritos being made while you move down the long line to place your order. This original taqueria boasts to having made the first burrito in San Francisco in 1961.

Taqueria Vallarta, 24th Street @ Balmy

Stroll down Balmy Way and take in the murals before catching a bite to eat at one of the good taquerias in San Francisco. This one comes highly recommended by locals and travelers alike. You can get both kinds of burritos here – rice and beans plus all the extras, or meat based burritos. Right in the heart of the barrio of The Mission there is a sense that you are some where else … and they stay open until 3:30 AM on Friday and Saturday nights! (Photo at the top of the page is from this taqueria.)

Victor’s, 214 Townsend St. @ Third St, Open: M – F: 9AM – 4PM, Sa & Su: 10AM – 4PM, T: 415.957.1129

When I worked in China Basin, this taqueria was a weekly, at times daily, lunch standard. Close to CalTrain and PacBell Park and down the street from SFMOMA and Yerba Buena.

Spanish to English

riz = rice

frijoles = beans

pollo asado = grilled chicken

lengua = tongue

asado = grilled

pollo = chicken

queso = cheese

Taco/Burrito Vegetariano = vegitarian taco/burrito

burrito = traditionally a large flour tortilla that is slightly steamed, and filled with any number of ingredients – almost always rice, beans and meat, and extras can include anything else (cheese, quacamole, sour cream, lettuce, …) Usually ends up being very large and upon finishing the whole thing, expect to fall into what is known as a ‘burrito coma’.

taco = In San Francisco tacos are usually made with two soft corn tortillas that are first slightly heated on the grill, then layered (side by side, but mostly overlapping like a ven diagram) and then covered with whatever ingredients you ordered. Every taqueria in town makes their tacos differently. Those crunchy taco shells are rarely found in a real taqueria.

quesadilla = (kay-sa-dee-ya) If you want one of these you have to know how to pronounce it! This item is basically cheese inside of a grilled tortilla. Usually made from one large flour tortilla, laid on the grill, covered in cheese, folded over (making a half moon shape), grilled a little longer, flipped over and grilled a little more, then plated and usually cut into a few manageable slices that you can eat with a knife or fork, or with your hands, depending on whether or not you got it stuffed with a lot of ingredients.

Is your favorite San Francisco taqueria not on this list? Add it by telling us about it in the comments!

 Loading ...

ShareThis

Similar posts that you might like:

• >> My La Cascada Addiction
• >> Tasty Fruitvale Taco Trucks
• >> Cactus Taqueria
• >> Survey 6: Favorite Taqueria?
• >> Photo Of The Day: Orange Mission Day