One day in SF and want to go to an amazing taqueria!!

[crystalrae]

I am having lunch in SF and want an awesome taqueria. I want the awesome hole in the wall kind with just amazing food and good salsa! Where do I go???

[virtualguthrie]

I recommend telling us more about what your looking for. LIke many other posters have said you will get many conflicting answers and all the taquerias excel at different items.

Taqueria San Jose probably has the best Al Pastor tacos and decent salsa.

El Farolito is pretty good all around, is definitely a hole in the wall kind've dive although I don't really find that to be an important criteria. Definitely a burrito spot with great salsa verde. The Al Pasto, Carne Asada and grilled chicken can be very good but consistency is an issue here and at many taquerias.

Pancho Villa is one of the better all around Taquerias with one of the best salsa bars and a good selection of freshly grilled meats. It's a little on the pricy side but I would say it's a textbook example of the San Francisco Taqueria

A lot of people like La Taqueria, I can't bring myself to go there because it seems to expensive but I've heard the meats are good there.

La Cumbre is probably the best Carne Asada burrito with a decent variety of salsas.

Taqueria Cancun is known for the veggie burrito and they put fresh avocado in their burritos which is a nice touch (so does Farolito)

I would skip the El Tonayense taco trucks, they used to be decent but I've had some pretty bad tacos there. If you're really looking for tacos I would head to El Grullense in RWC or get rec's for the taco trucks in Oakland.

OK, best of luck, I hope you're not totally confused after reading through this thread.

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Taqueria Cancun
2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

El Tonayense
3150 24th St, San Francisco, CA 94110

La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Pancho Villa
3071 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103

El Tonayense
2598 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA

[artychokeasana]

Is El Grullense on El Camino Real in RWC? Or is it across from the Costco?

[ML8000]

El Grullense has several locations in RWC with slight variations, like El Grullense Grill, EG Restaurant, El Grullense E&E, etc. I assume they're all owned by the same people. One is across from the RWC Costco.

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El Grullense Grill
768 Woodside Rd, Redwood City, CA 94061

[virtualguthrie]

There's a bunch of them and they're all a bit different. I like the older locations with the pared down menu, my favorite is the one on El Camino @ Sequoia Station which ironically enough used to be a taco bell.

[artychokeasana]

I've long beened confused by the number of El Grullense's in the RWC area-thanks to you both for helping to clarify.

[anthonyrza]

I wasn't impressed when I sampled the Al Pastor at San Jose- dude didn't even slice it off the spit. I prefer El Farolito's version- more char. Taqueria La Cumbre for Carne Asada. The Carnitas at La Taqueria is generous and GOOD- but nothing spectacular. El Gallo Giro for Carnitas...or cross the bay bridge to Guadalajara or Tacos el gordo.

[Windy]

La Cumbre is for carne asada burritos though, not tacos. And La Taqueria for anything bland; the chicken is good.

Taqueria San Jose's al pastor isn't as good as El Gordo's, but it's the best I've found in the city. (Ask them to slice it off the spit). Also the place has been scrubbed superclean lately. They also have inexpensive carrot juice pressed to order.

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La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

El Gordo
4201 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601

La Cumbre
28 N B St, San Mateo, CA 94401

[Robert Lauriston]

La Cumbre changed a lot in recent years.

[Windy]

I've been there. The carne asada burritos are no different from when I first ate them 20+ years ago except, except they cost more.

[Robert Lauriston]

I was never into their carne asada. The carnitas used to be great but the last time I went in they were average and they no longer had the unique hot sauce.

[mariacarmen]

Yeah, to me, La Cumbre's carne asada used to be good and flavorful, but now it's bland.

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La Cumbre
28 N B St, San Mateo, CA 94401

[ML8000]

I think they stopped seasoning/salting the beef before grilling it. I'll order if I see them cooking it right then and salt it myself.

The pollo asada is very good however and it's my usual order if I'm there. The charbroiler grill makes a differnece.

[artychokeasana]

I went to Le Cumbre about 6 years ago soley because Calvin Trillin had mentioned in an essay that it was his daughter's favorite taqueria. Given her lineage I figured she was probably on to something-meh. I thought it was very average and kinda grimy.

[Robert Lauriston]

La Cumbre was one of the best burrito places in SF 30 years ago. I think they were the first to do carne asada and the first to offer black beans.

[Andrew H]

La Cumbre used to be where you went after getting tired of El Toro. LC was the gold standard for a long time in the mid 80's. It has the wonderful revolutionary Burrito Mama painted on the wall. Its not as good as it used to be but still decent.

Has anyone been to Tlaloc? Its related to the outstanding east bay Taqueria Cancun.

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Taqueria Cancun
2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

La Cumbre
28 N B St, San Mateo, CA 94401

El Toro
113 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, CA 95448

[mariacarmen]

Tlaloc on Commercial? it's decent, tho very Americanized, in my opinion.
There's a Taqueria Cancun in the East Bay? i only know the 3 here in the City...

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Taqueria Cancun
2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[ML8000]

Cancun Taqueria in Berkeley is not related to Taqueria Cancun in SF...different name order, places.

Cancun in Berkeley grows it's own organic produce locally and use Niman Ranch meat. it is a bit Americanized, excellent salsa choices however.

[escargot3]

Tho I'm often more interested in "more traditional" cooking, in this case, I think that Cancun is a fabulous and welcomed addition to the taqueria scene, with their great meats, lottsa veggies, and attention to flavor and organic foods. I especially love the addition of nopales as a side dish.

[Robert Lauriston]

La Cumbre predated El Toro by over a decade. When they remodeled in 1972, it was the first taqueria in SF. Before that, the model was like La Palma, where a grocer or butcher would sell food to go. El Faro, which served the first Mission-style burrito in 1961, was at that time a grocery store. La Cumbre started out as a meat market.

Tlaloc, the Berkeley Cancun, and Chilayo have the same owners and share a farm.

http://sabormexicano.com/

[scarmoza]

My favorite Mexican menu in San Francisco is currently El Huarache Loco. (I"m still mourning the loss of my queridos, Marta's @ Jay n' Bees, y tambien Mi Lindo Yucatan.) El Hurache Loco is a mobile kitchen that sets up at the Alemany every Saturday and Sunday. I usually order the Consumé without meat (it's not vegetarian at all though) but everything on the menu is delicious. If you go on a Saturday (morning to early afternoon) the Farmers Market will be going off at that location. Sunday is the Flea Market.

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El Huarache Loco
100 Alemany Boulevard, San Francisco, CA 94110

[vulber]

taqueria vallarta has the best and cheapest (excluding competitors' happy hour tacos) tacos in SF at $1.50 a pop, my friends from san diego will often say that it's the only place in SF that can compete w/ southern california tacos

[artychokeasana]

Naming a Best Taqueria is like the 5th rail of San Francisco dining...people are very loyal to their taqueria of choice you might even say intractable. My favorite taqueria is and always has been La Coroneta in Glen Park. Their steak and prawn burrito is pretty terrific, LC used to qualify as a hole in the wall but in recent years they have expanded to the Mission, Burlingame and San Carlos-a mini empire really.

[Ruth Lafler]

That's 3rd rail -- I have no idea what a 5th rail would be, but 3rd rail refers to the rail that carries electricity powering the trains in systems like BART. Since it's electrified, it's dangerous, even deadly, to touch. Thus the expression "3rd rail" for an issue/topic that is dangerous to touch upon.

[artychokeasana]

I meant third rail-thanks for the correction.

[ML8000]

You will get a million different answers and there's websites dedicated to the search.

I'd skip the taquerias and go to a taco truck, like El Tonayense near the Best Buy at 14th/Harrison or Spear St/Folsom. Carnitas, al pastor are good.

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El Tonayense
2598 Harrison St, San Francisco, CA

[mariacarmen]

good call.

[escargot3]

had the spicy chicken the other nite before going across the bridge...it was really excellent.

[ML8000]

I usually get a torta, either al pastor or carnitas. The grilled onions and peppers gives it Italian beef sorta vibe but the salsa and meat is definitely Mexican. I'll have to remember the spicy chicken...sounds like it would be perfect as a couple of tacos for a snack.

[mariacarmen]

you're going to get a million answers to this. My favorite is La Taqueria on Mission and 26th. Their carne asada is awesome. For hole-in-the-wall, there's Taqueria Cancun, which I don't like but others here like a lot - also on Mission, between 18th and 19th. I also like El Buen Sabor at 18th and Valencia, and Pancho Villa, on 16th between Mission and Valencia.

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Taqueria Cancun
2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

Pancho Villa
365 S B St, San Mateo, CA 94401

Sabor
72 N Almaden Ave, San Jose, CA 95110

[Civil Bear]

I'll second La Taqueria. Great carne asada burritos and tacos, fantastic guacamole, and the salsa verde in the plastic squeeze bottles is the best in town.

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La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[LadyBeretta]

Everytime I return to the S.F. area, La Taqueria is a must! The carne asada anything is great! The agua frescas are soooo refreshing!

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La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[Robert Lauriston]

Nothing against La Taqueria, but it's at the other end of the spectrum from a hole in the wall or a taco truck. It was on the SF Chronicle's top 100 restaurants list for years, and consequently became the most popular place for tourists and people who don't know the neighborhood. They get away with charging twice what some other places do.

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La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[Civil Bear]

So what is the definition of a hole in the wall? The setting is the same as most other Mission Street taquarias (except that La Taquaria is typically full). Yeah, the prices are higher than the $2 tacos found at most taco trucks in SF, but the quality and flavor are also higher.

[Robert Lauriston]

I don't think La Taqueria serves anything that tastes as good as Taqueria San Jose's al pastor.

The burritos are where they really gouge.

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La Taqueria
2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[Civil Bear]

SJ's al pastor certainly has it's fans, as it has been written up almost as much as LT. For me the flavor of the orange liquid (grease?) that runs off of it is off-putting, but that is just me.

[ML8000]

Are tacos up to $2 at taco trucks in SF? Wow, they're still $1.25 in Oakland.

Any way, LT's taco's are large, use quality ingredients but are on the bland side....that's my biggest criticism but it's still good. I have a couple of friends that like LT so if I'm with them I go, no complains, just not the first choice. I think LT was one of the first to Californicate tacos...no lard in beans, etc. Oh well, not a bad situation with so many good taquerias.

[Civil Bear]

Wow, that is the first I have heard anyone use the word bland to describe La Taqueria. For me the flavors are fresh and bright, and the carne asada & salsa verde are anything but bland.

[ML8000]

Really? I've been saying it for a long time. A google search finds a few...even here:

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/3710...

[Civil Bear]

Ah, good find. I must have missed that thread since I didn't join Chowhound until 2006...

[ML8000]

I didn't join until '06 either...I just googled; LT, San Francisco and bland. Any way, LT is fine, just not my top preference. The fact there's almost a fight any time burritos and taquerias are bought up is a good thing...because it means we're spoiled stupid with choices.

[Ruth Lafler]

They put beans on tacos? Blasphemy!

[Robert Lauriston]

For al pastor, my favorite is Taqueria San Jose. Their chorizo is very good, too. For other meats, I'd go somewhere else. Conveniently located next to 24th St. BART.

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Taqueria San Jose
2830 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110

[MandalayVA]

THIS, although I'd add the carnitas to the list.

[Robert Lauriston]

Carnitas is one of the meats I've found disappointing at TSJ, though my longtime favorite for carnitas is gone, so I have no other suggestion.