This restaurant is a welcome change in the area filled by sit down restaurants that charge an arm and a leg. Lets dive into the food though! I got the Al Pastor burrito and was given the option of whole beans/fried beans and hot or mild sauce. I went with fried beans + mild and the burrito was size of two Iphones ... it was huge! Filled with beans, cheese, rice, protein! I'm talking the real deal. Worth the price! The seating area is clean and you have options of high tables or regular ones. Yes you can order to go like I did and they are pumping your orders out. Support this business: absolutely! read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Burrito to go with green sauce - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Let me just start with this: a burrito costs $20... They have indoor seating, but it seems like most people take it to go. You order at the counter and they bring you the food. The staff are very friendly and the food comes out decently quick. However, $20 for a burrito of that size is insane (my hand is bigger than the burrito). The taste was okay, nothing special. I got the al pastor burrito and was hoping there would be small pieces of pineapple in it (I swear the menu said with pineapple), but there wasn't any :( Definitely not worth the price. read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

We liked the vibe! The Al pastor tacos hit! Staff was friendly. What else do you need?! Going back for a burrito tomorrow. read more

The Aplastora was to die for. The orange sauce in the side was delicious. The service was quick and the place was clean, and the staff was very friendly. The location is also very convenient to Union Square. read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - The Aplastora - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Really solid Mexican food near union square. The interior is modern and clean. Small side of chips comes with the burrito. Great meat - very tender and flavorful. Would stop by again. read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - TJ style Al Pastor Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

This spot does not disappoint! The street tacos have 2x meat, excellent meat to $ ratio. The Pastor is seared well and seasoned tasty, chunks of pineapple and the usual suspects of onions, cilantro. Green n red sauce both good! I've also had the Carne Asada here and it's very good, like real steak diced up. They have Micheladas too! The food comes out quick even with a crowd, the decor is clean n brite. They have a side bar with Mangonadas? Overall a great spot, no parking, so u gotta walk it... this joint is becoming my go to spot for some quick tacos !! Delicioso! read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Pastor and Asada - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I love Mexican food, so I decided to get some lunch at this grill. I got the burrito al pastor and opted for spicy, which is most definitely was. It was delicious! This cute place is decorated with lots of color and the food is outstanding. Order at the counter and they will bring it to you. Now I'm hungry again! Enjoy! read more

Last time I was here, it was a chipotle! So the Food was good. Torta was soft; carbs to protein ratio was proportionate. Sauce added more flavor to the meal. Friendly service. A little pricey, but it's in the heart of downtown SF. Thank you! read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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When I first entered, my eyes were drawn towards the rotating spit of pork. Just feels so much fresher when it's cooking all the time. That meat is definitely the star here! Tacos al Pastor de Trompo: The signature dish does not disappoint! Cut fresh on the rotating spit like it's shawarma, but it's pork and much better spiced. Served on a simple corn tortilla with cilantro, onion and some pineapple. Simple so the meat can shine! Crispy Queso Carne Asada Tacos: Looks like a quesabirria, but no consomé to dip in. The carne asada was nicely grilled for a snappy texture. Not overly spice, so the steak could really shine. Vampiro w/ Grilled Chicken: Like a regular taco, but with cheese melted inside the tortilla first. It was nice, but not sure if it's worth it since it's a small diameter tortilla so that much cheese. The chicken, however, was the sleeper hit. Heavily spiced and grill firm. Held it's own against the famous al pastor. Tijuana Style Burrito w/ Al Pastor: I've always felt that rice was a needless filler in a burrito, which is already wrapped in a big carby tortilla. As for the beans, I was could take them or the leave in burritos; usually prefer them on a plate dish more. So this Tijuana style burrito was perfect for me! Just the good stuff. And it seemed they didn't skimp on size, just overloaded it with the delicious rotisserie pork pastor. So pleased with this! Strawberry Horchata: It's like a strawberries & cream drink and absolutely delicious. Pairs perfectly with the heavily spiced mains. read more

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Really solid Al Pastor tacos. Can definitely taste the achiote. Walk up and order some. They're $5 each but they overload with meat so two is a complete meal for $10. Great corn tortillas. Highly recommend. read more

Food truck turned brick & motar, Al Pastor Papi finally opened up a permanent location in the heart of Union Square. I love that they're opening in downtown, as we need more affordable food options and foot traffic. Previously Chipotle, they are located across the street from Hinodeya ramen and next door to Bartlett Hall. You will find the store as some of the interior and exterior walls and bright pink - just like the color of their food truck. They offer Mexico City style tacos specializing in al pastor - but also have other protein options available. We had the regular taco w/ al pastor, vampiro w/ carne asada, and a crispy queso taco w/ al pastor. The vampiro and crispy queso tacos tasted similar to me with the melted cheese in between. The taste difference between the two was the carne asada and al pastor, but I think I preferred the crispy queso taco w/ al pastor. I tried a bite of my bf's regular taco w/ al pastor and it was surprisingly good - I expected it to be bland, but the al pastor flavor was on point with a subtle sweetness from the pineapple. Can't wait to come back and trying out the Alpastorta. Definitely a wonderful addition to the downtown area! read more

I think fewer stars because I was expecting to be amazing, but my pastor was charred which affected the flavor. The nopales were very citriusy so hard to eat a lot of. Also, I went with my kids who didn't like anything. Maybe it was an off day? I would probably try it again, because of that. read more

Leo who? In the city, it's Papi. Al Pastor Papi. Food truck turned brick and mortar, Al Pastor Papi has opened his first permanent space. But, the owner has been in the industry for decades as the co-founder of The Mission's Papalote. Some may remember he beat Bobby Flay in a burrito battle back in the day. And, he's also a DJ (DJ Mr. E). Current soft opening hours are Tuesday-Saturday, 11 am - 3 pm. Grand opening with extended hours coming mid-July. Takeout and indoor dining only. Delivery through DD is in the works. M E N U CDMX, Mexico City style tacos with al pastor cooked on el trompo, tortas, burritos, salads, and lunch bowls. Other proteins: Camaron, pollo, asada, nopales (cactus) with more veggie options to come. No tap water, only bottled water for purchase. F O O D * Taco de Al Pastor ($4): https://tinyurl.com/mvhx7vf5 Flame kissed, the tender al pastor is shaved from the trompo and along with the pina, there was a nice savory sweetness. * Vampiro: Corn tortilla w/ asada, melted jack cheese, onions, cilantro ($5) My fav of the three, the asada was flavorful with smoky charred edges. The crispy, melty cheese gave it a delicious texture contrast. * Gringa: Flour tortilla w/ al pastor, melted jack cheese, onions, cilantro ($8): https://tinyurl.com/mrxrnktr - Add camaron (+$3) Similar to the vampiro but with a flour tortilla, the gringa is more substantial with a sizeable cheese skirt for a salty bite. The camaron was quite overcooked tho but it's only the soft opening. Papalote is known to have some of the best salsas in the city, and they offer two creamy ones here, a verde and a rosa one. Wish there's a habanero ones for those who like it hot! S E R V I C E Fast-casual, friendly and prompt. A M B I A N C E Great 90s hip hop and r&b playlist with about 8 tables and communal table. P A R K I N G Driving here is a def no...take Waymo or public transit. Overall, if you find yourself in the Union Square and need some grub, come see papi...Al Pastor Papi! read more

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Pre-pandemic, I came to this food truck and loved it! When I read that they were getting their first brick-and-mortar location near Union Square as a part of SF's Vacant to Vibrant program, I knew I had to come before the lines began getting too long. The interior is very cute--it's slick, smooth, and I love the plant walls on both sides of the inside. Foodwise--you cannot go wrong with anything. Fantastic burritos and alpastortas. Very filling and lots of meat--more than I expected and more than they needed to put in there, but they did that for us. Banana horchata was very sweet, my partner thought it tasted like a "banana milkshake." The burrito was also very large and came with a few chips. We devoured everything. Meat is grilled and cooked to perfection, very well-seasoned and flavorful but not overly-salty. There's more tables inside than I expected. They already run a pretty popular delivery service through Doordash. We went after 1pm on a Friday afternoon and though we didn't wait to order, there were no open tables! Service was very good and efficient and friendly. Re. getting here--don't drive. Please don't. It's walkable from BART for you East Bay folks and very accessible via Muni Metro and a few bus lines and of course cable car (also by foot or bike.) read more

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This is the spottttt!! So fireee! We loved everything we got from here . We ordered a little bit of everything. We got 4 queso crispy tacos 2 pastor and 1 asada & 1 shrimp. Each set of tacos came with 2 salsas 1 green 1 red , both were bomb!! The queso crispy tacos were a good size and absolutely delicious! My daughter and her friend got street tacos. He had pastor and asada . She ordered 2 asada . We loved our food! We can't wait to go back! Next time I want to try the quesabirria tacos , they look heavenly. read more

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The best Mexican food I've had in a while! We ordered the Al pastor taco, Shrimp taco, and the Asada and Surf and Turf crispy queso tacos. They all were 10/10! I also got the ube coconut horchata and it was delicious and actually had the Ube flavor. There's a good amount of seating inside and I enjoyed the music they were playing. read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Ube coconut horchata, Al pastor taco, Shrimp taco, Crispy Queso Asada taco, Crispy Queso Surf n Turf taco - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Today my travels took me to San Francisco. Al Pastor Papi just opened near the hotel. I figured let's give them a shot! Initially walking in, Hispanic pop music is playing somewhat loud, but not to loud you cannot talk. You walk up to the register and order from a. Laminated menu. It is small but sufficient. Prices are decent for being in San Fran where you are in the city of being over charged lol. You can eat here without breaking the bank. I went with 2 pork and 1 chicken taco. They came with onion, cilantro, and red or green salsa. I went with medium, green. The food was brought out to my table after about 6 or 7 minutes. The chicken was very flavorful. I love the tortillas they use (small but halfway between crispy and soft. The cilantro was abundant but not over powering. The chicken itself was seasoned nicely but slightly dry. With the salsa that wasn't an issue though. The pork had the same topping and delicious. Again slightly dry but ok with salsa. Overall the food was delicious and reasonably priced for SF. Slightly dry meat was remedied by the salsa. Very nice taste to their food! If you are nearby check them out!!! read more

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I was here because there was Lobo's ice cream available on Friday's and Saturday. I started with the OG Cannoli. It was chocolate ice cream, horchata ice cream and a freshly made canoli. While there I also tried a Carne asada crispy queso taco. The taco was very flavorful. Infact that was the best thing I had here. I should have had more tacos. I also went for a strawberry horchata. That was a good drink. But I think I should have gone with a regular horchata. read more

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The name sake El Pastor burrito was: greasy but fucking delicious. Value was not great though.

Came on a Saturday afternoon and there was a small line. Food came out quick though. Got the al pastor and the carne asada, vampira style. Both had a generous amount of meat that was well seasoned. Great tacos overall. Definitely worth trying if you're in the area. read more

SF has been gifted the treasure of Al Pastor Papi and the whole town is sleeping on their good luck. This place is a very short walk from Powell Station BART, so East Bay tacos aficionados don't be afraid to make the trek. Incredible tacos. My husband had a burrito and he has been raving about the pastor. The red and green salsas are creamy, a tad sweet, and so tasty. The highlight tho -- STRAWBERRY HORCHATA. So complex, tasty, and delicious. We all fought for a sip. Very friendly staff. Nice seating. I will absolutely be back! read more

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This was so gasssss, I'm still thinking about it. I forgot to grab salsa for my tacos and guess what? Didn't even need it. The meat was that flavorful--juicy, tender, with just a squeeze of lime and boom: flavor explosion. Melt-in-your-mouth levels of goodness. Service was quick, chill, and super helpful. The vibe was pretty cute in there. Whether you're hanging out or just need a fire lunch stop, Al Pastor Papi is it. I will be giving them all money for taco cravings until further notice. read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Vampiro, quesa taco, al pastor de trompo - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came on a Saturday afternoon, no line and quick service. Restaurant has a quick eats vibe with long tables and music playing. Ordered shrimp tacos, crispy surf and turf and an Al pastor gringo. All of the meats were very tasty. Loved how the crispy tacos used freshly fried tortillas, as did the chips. Would come again. read more

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This small spot in union square was great right before attending a concert in the area! The service was quick and the tacos were so yummy. I think the prices were also pretty decent. I got two pollo tacos and loved them. Thought there was a decent amount of meat, which is always good. Would highly recommend stopping by! read more

I tried the carne asada quesadilla its called something diffrnt but i forgot what its called...anyways hellla good fasho smackinnnn And i tried the pastor tacos again smackinnn i doubled back to the register and nocked down 2 more. Fasho will be comming back read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Carne asada (quesadilla) al pastor taco - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of the best taco spots I've tried in the U.S. -- truly top-tier quality across the board. I'm originally from Mexico and a huge foodie. I've had tacos all over Mexico City, Querétaro, and Guadalajara -- and Al Pastor Papi is easily one of the most authentic and high-quality spots I've come across outside of Mexico. The pastor is the clear standout -- incredibly flavorful, perfectly crispy, and deeply authentic. But it's not just the meat: the tortillas are fresh and high-quality, the cheese is rich and well-balanced, and the salsas are absolutely on point. Every ingredient complements the next -- nothing feels like an afterthought. If you're serious about tacos, this place is absolutely worth the visit. read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great service , tasty food , a break from the day like the ambiance I will continue eating here always . read more

Meat portions are very good and taco was superrrr filling. Meat was a little on the rougher end, but the flavors were amazing. The Al pastor specifically was tough, but had a great char to it. Defiently eat the tacos with the salsas!! read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Carne Asada Taco - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Generous portions and enough variety for anyone! Nice staff and chill atmosphere. Need to try the drinks next time read more

Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill - Al Pastor Bowl - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Tasty $5 street tacos loaded with lots of meat. Good value (for the area) but a fountain soda is $5 which is crazy for soda. I caved because it was the kind of machine that lets you customize your soda with vanilla or cherry. Will return. read more

Food was quick and other customers around me seemed to like their food. Good selection and even had some sweet stuff.

I had the Al Pastor tacos, and they were delicious. Glad I found this place, and hope to come back soon.

Stopped to eat here on a layover and it did not disappoint. Great food and quick service.

Amazing food & customer service! Definitely traditional tacos & very flavorful. Would highly recommend. Tried a variety of different options & would definitely drive up to the City for another delicious bite. read more

Al Pastor Papi started as a humble food truck and has grown into a valued family business that continues to serve our community with so much heart. Their food is absolutely amazing, full of flavor, freshness, and love in every bite. You can feel the passion and care that go into everything they make. What really makes this place special is the owner's dedication to giving back. Even during hard times, they're supporting local families and showing what it means to lead with compassion. I love supporting businesses like this, ones that not only make incredible food but also look out for the people around them. Please give Al Pastor Papi Mexican Grill a try! You won't just be supporting a great local restaurant; you'll be supporting a family that truly gives back to our community. read more

I don't typically leave reviews, but this place deserved one. I am originally from San Diego, CA but is now between MS and VA for work. I was in San Francisco for a conference about a month or so ago and decided to stop here because of the close proximity and lack of good Mexican food on the East Coast. I was not disappointed whatsoever. The food was delicious! I got three tacos and ended up back in line for a fourth. Customer service was also excellent. The gentleman who helped at the register was very helpful and kind. Jennifer, who brought over my food, was so personable and suggested local recommendations for things to do during my stay. I appreciate that she always referred to me by name when she checked in to see how I was doing. I used to be in Customer Service a long time ago, and things like this leave a great impression. I even told her I'd be back the next day and I was, and I'll definitely be back the next time I am in San Francisco! read more

The Al pastor queso tacos were so good and the chicken burrito was also fire. The guy in all their tik toks was there and he was super nice. Cool place with nice bathroom. If anything just wish they had a water jug cause that red salsa is spicy but good read more

Ordered a crab taco today. Had barely any crab in it from the TikTok videos I seen. More cheese than anything. Strawberry horchata over hyped. Save your money and go to el patron! read more

Wow. That was an amazing burrito. I think I got here during a soft open. I predict long lines here soon. Good luck!

So excited for Pastor Papi's new location! Delicious food and great service with a smile. Marley recommended the refried beans for the award winning burrito and it hit the spot. Washed it all down with a matcha horchata-- yum! read more