Since my hubby is a burrito connoisseur, I had to have him try the Al Pastor Papi Burrito. If you've read my previous reviews, you already know I always mention how my husband has never met a burrito he couldn't finish. I ordered the tacos al pastor, and they were delicious. The meat was flavorful, well-seasoned, and exactly what I was craving. The experience really depends on what time you go. I work near the restaurant, so I'm able to walk over before the lunch rush. When I go early, it's easy -- walk in, order at the register, and sit down to wait for your food. But I've also gone a little after lunch and it was super busy. The service is okay, but honestly, the food makes up for it. If you want to avoid the rush, I definitely recommend going before 12 p.m., especially during the workweek. I can't speak for the weekends, but before noon is definitely the sweet spot. read more

Since moving up from San Diego, I've been looking for solid Al pastor. And this the closest things I've had to San Diego. I'll do you one better and say this place has the best Al Pastor in the Bay Area. Ordered an 1.) Al pastor burrito, "Tijuana style". Meaning no rice and beans. Comes with melted cheese, avocado, cumin, lime, cilantro and your choice of red or green salsa. And 2.) crispy queso tac. Melted cheese on a tortilla, onion, cilantro, and your choice of protein. We picked shrimp (they were huge). And a strawberry horchata. Everything was delicious. Spent about $28 and was able to split the meal with the wife. Plenty of food to feel satisfied before going out with friends for drinks. Al pastor is cooked and Cutt from a trompo(a rotating spit). Salsa complimented it well. Cheese is melty and everything feels like it's incorporated versus just throwing pre cooked ingredients together. Strawberry horchata was unique and good. More on the sweeter side and likely will try the ube when I come back. Inside had a small area to eat. Maybe a total of 8-10 tables and chairs. You walk up on the left which feels kinda cafeteria style before you order at the register. They also have a large screen projector, we came in during the World Cup 2026, so they had games playing. I'm happy for the owner. I've followed them since they were a food truck, happy they success follows since they are able to get a brick and mortar. so well deserved. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Tijuana Style Burrito - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Run, don't walk. These shrimp tacos are some of the best I've ever had, and I've had A LOT. No, seriously--like a concerning amount. Like, I might have a problem and should probably get checked out because I might eat them all after payday. So again, run! Also, the red sauce is not for the weak. Fr, it'll put hair on your chest. I suggest putting it on everything, and you can thank me later. And if you can't handle the heat, the green one is just as good of a backup. Overall, 5 stars. Will be back next paycheck! read more

Finally got to try this place. Got a shrimp burrito to go. Not bad. Shrimp is really sauteed & flavorful unlike other joints out there serving bland over-cooked shrimp. Only one complain tho - paid $21 & change and that's not including the $3 tip so expected a much larger burrito. The size is barely the length of a pen. Also they give a meager 5 pieces of tortilla chips w/ a super junior sized hot sauce. Really stingy. Still hungry afterwards. I hope they take this seriously, b/c that by itself will drive a lot of customers away. For myself, it's a debatable whether I will return. 3 stars soley for the taste. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Shrimp burrito to go. Notice the scant pieces of chip that's included. - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

FOOD 3/5 The tacos were beautiful but okay as far as it goes for me for taste/flavor. Al pastor is my favorite type of taco so I was hoping to add this to my list of places that have great Al pastor. The only place there was pineapple was the little slices on top of the taco. The seasoning was meh. I would have loved for the meat to have been marinated with the pineapple's. That would've taken the taco to the next level. DRINKS 4/5 I got the ube coconut horchata which was different and delicious. They had a strawberry horchata I was curious about too but this was a good choice. SERVICE 4/5 The staff were cool and I got my food fast AMBIANCE 4/5 The music was fun and went with the decor of the place, very fun and lively. It's a cool place to have tacos and hangout. Definitely a family friendly/trendy environment. All in all I'd come here again for the drinks but not so much for the tacos....although I am curious about how their carnitas taco is. read more

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I ordered: Carne asada burrito bowl For how big a portion it was and how filling it made me, it was one of the few times where I didn't feel overly bloated or oily from finishing a burrito/burrito bowl. Fair for its price, it had a lot of meat and veggies. The beans and rice were perfect and they included avocado. It was a simple sit down eatery, but I'd love to go again. read more

Al Pastor Papi - carne asada burrito bowl - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Excellent tacos, with lots of meat and sauces. Fast. Seen a bunch of local cops eating here - pegged it as legit, since these guys know where to get cheap and tasty grub! read more

Nice new Mexican spot near Union Square! Bunch of good veggie options - i got the al pastor cauliflower burrito which I enjoyed! Only drawback was some of the rice and beans were undercooked / hard. The chips and green salsa that came with the burrito were great too. Service is good , it's a walk up order spot but they'll bring the food to your seat. Nice bright decor livens up the space inside. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Al pastor cauliflower burrito - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Good burrito? Yes. $20 good? No. A little small too. Good ingredients, but again, $20? For a burrito? Not coming here again. Cenote tastes pretty similar, a little cheaper and bigger. read more

Came here for some tacos. I got the Al pastor since that's what their special I assumed was. The Al pastor was delicious! I STRUGGLE finding taco spots that I like and I usually steer away from them for this reason. But their tacos were delicious and very generously portioned. Had a Michi as well which wasn't bad but the tacos were the highlight. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Al pastor tacos - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

I've been a fan of Al Pastor Papi since day one when they were serving out of their food truck, and seeing them open their own brick and mortar location feels like a proud moment for all of us longtime supporters. They took over the old Chipotle in downtown. We ordered tacos and horchata and, no surprise, everything was absolutely delicious as always. Miguel, the owner, took our order and even brought the food out to us. He's the greatest and his service is always warm and genuine. If you want dessert, they have a Lobos Ice Cream pop up inside, which is the perfect sweet treat to finish your meal. Al Pastor Papi continues to deliver incredible food and even better vibes. I can't recommend them enough. read more

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Al Pastor Papi has great philanthropy and I believe the owner is genuinely a good person. The fact that they were willing to feed families who receive SNAP benefits says a lot about where their heart is for the community. Because of this I wanted to give them a visit after a long time. Let's say things have changed a lot both good and bad. First the good, they're no longer a food truck and have a storefront near Union Square now. Love the growth for them. The bad however is ever since the pandemic their recipe kept changing for their Al Pastor burritos and orange hot sauce. It progressively got blander, and blander. It felt like the soul of their food no longer exists and what's left is just a shell of what they use to be. It's become mid now and the easiest comparison to just your ordinary taqueria with pink branding. It's sad because I loved Al Pastor Papi and would go out of my way to follow their food truck and eat there before their storefront, but each visit became more disappointing each time and its gotten to the point where I probably will go elsewhere if I am craving Al Pastor. I hope you find your spark again and looking forward to when it does. read more

It's nice to have Al Pastor Papi back! I got their pineapple fresca, an al pastor cauliflower vampiro taco, and an al pastor crispy queso taco. The fresca was refreshing, especially because it was so humid in the city. It complemented the citrus notes of the pork. Plus, its sweetness was needed to balance the heaviness of the crispy queso taco. Which, by the way, definitely lived up to the name. The shell was super crunchy and it was loaded with cheese. And the pork was smoky with a nice char from the grill. I really enjoyed the al pastor cauliflower. The cauliflower, for the lack of a better term, al dente. It had a good crunch, without it being fried, and yet soft after the initial bite. And it was packed with smoky and spicy flavor from their marinade. And I really liked their salsas! The red-orange one was thick with a good kick of spice. I'm normally not a salsa verde person, but there's had a nice acidity that cut the fattiness of the pork. Service was great! Even though this was the lunch rush, both in person and online orders, the gentleman who took my order took the time to greet me and engage in some small talk. And there's lots of tables to accommodate different group sizes. I'm glad there's life coming back to Union Square, and Al Pastor Papi is a part of that vibrant energy. They're a great addition to the area. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Al pastor cauliflower vampiro taco, Al pastor crispy queso taco, pineapple fresca - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great food highly recommend this place for authentic mexican tacos. I thought the central valley had good tacos but this place just proved me wrong. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Al pastor tacos, asada tacos and crispy cheese taco - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Went here for lunch with some coworkers on a Thursday afternoon. The line wasn't too bad. They have inside dining. The service was great. The guy who took my order was really nice. I got 1x chicken taco w/corn tortilla (I think it was corn). They overload it with meat so it's hard to eat without it all spilling out of the tortilla. It was good though. I just wish they had salsa to put on it. It came with some time of sauce but it was lemon tasting. It was so hot that day that I got the strawberry horchata. It was too sweet for me. I heard the matcha horchata was good so I might try that next time. Also, I got a grilled chicken bowl to go. It was good as well. I would come back here. read more

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Great burrito! I got the Al pastor burrito with everything. I'd recommend getting both salsas as they are both unique and flavorful. I wasn't a fan of the marinated meat but when you add the salsa it is a delicious option. read more

Had a layover in San Francisco and wanted to try some local tacos before my flight back. I looked up spots near me and found Al Pastor Papi. The menu looked good so i decided to try it and was not disappointed. Located near a lot of shops and bars near the St. Francis District of San Francisco Al pastor papi definitely stands out. After looking over the menu in person I chose the carne asada tacos (a personal favorite of mine) and the chips and two different types of house made salsa. If you're like me and don't like spicy then the red salsa won't be for you but the green salsa is delicious. The staff pretty welcoming and suggested the cucumber lemonade. When my order came up I was surprised how much meat was packed onto my tacos and how flavorful it all was. The overall aesthetic is modern but overly imposing which is nice. I usually stay in this area when in San Francisco so I may have just found my new taco spot. Will def try something different next time read more

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The carne asada tacos are top tier . I preferred the asada over al pastor but my boyfriend really liked the al pastor tacos he said it was the best tacos ever . Service was also very nice and the restaurant is cute . read more

I heard good things about this spot, so I had to get me some Al Pastor! I went in thinking it's another Taqueria but was pleasantly surprised! I ordered a Pastor and a Asada taco and they were deeelissshhhhh! The Pastor has that BBQ char from the Trompo and the seasoning is perfect. The Asada was great too, tender real charrred steak diced, you can see/taste the quality. The food comes out fairly quick for what seems to be cooked to order, the decor is clean and modern. This is definitely one of the better Al Pastor I've had in a while! read more

Al Pastor Papi - Pastor and Asada tacos - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

We stopped in on Valentine's Day as a last minute option because we didn't make any reservations anywhere as we are from out of town. The tacos were AMAZING! The meat was perfectly seasoned and juicy. Not dry or crumbly. My husband ordered the food pictured. I ordered a Gringa Carne Asada w onions and cilantro and a Vampiro (not pictured). The food was not heavy, not greasy and did not upset my stomach at all as sometimes you would expect when food is too greasy. The tacos were about $8 each or so. We each ordered two and that was enough! The atmosphere inside was casual, reminiscent of Chipotle. Music playing in the background. They offer aguas frescas, beer, soft drinks, and also have merch for sale. T-shirts are $30. You order at the register and they bring your food to your table but you won't have someone waiting on you the rest of the meal. Definitely worth the bang for your buck! read more

Al Pastor Papi - Gringa Al Pastor and Crispy Queso de Asada.We ordered it plain, no onion or cilantro. - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

If you want to be put into a food coma (in a good way), definitely order the Al Pastorta! Ginormous sandwich good for two or just one very hungry person. Staff were very friendly and helpful when we needed to switch to takeout last minute. Plenty of seating inside and great decor. If you're in the union square area, don't miss this place! read more

Al Pastor Papi - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Honestly, the best shrimp taco that I've ever consumed. As a SoCal native I'm pretty much a taco connoisseur. Al Pastor Papi is the only thing I've had since moving to the bay that makes me want to go again and again and again. Tortas are bussin. Salsa's are bussin. No notes. read more

The Alpastorta (lucky name) was a solid choice. It was little messy to eat due to all the ingredients, but I liked the sweet side and the overall combination of ingredients. (Just be prepared to spend about $20.) Staff was friendly and helpful in navigating all the options. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Alpastorta - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

I saw a few recommendations to visit this restaurant & I'm glad I got the chance too, the food & service was amazing. Everyone there was so friendly & kind. I also love the ambiance of the restaurant it's definitely a vibe. :) I loved the al pastor tacos, I actually ordered them twice this week lol. They were so good & flavorful. I let some of my coworkers try them too, & they loved them! Definitely will be & have a few returning customers. They do have a dessert section with horchata ice cream & cannoli's on Fridays & Saturdays so definitely try that out as well! :D read more

Al Pastor Papi - Al Pastor Tacos. - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We drove 50 miles based on their inviting Insta posts to try their al pastor and ... it was worth it. Amazing tortas and burritos. Nice fun ambience as well. read more

Delicious food, great people! Love eating here with the family. The carne asada burrito was amazing, and my kids love the kids burritos. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Was so excited they opened up a spot finally after closing down the food truck. Came here on a random Wednesday after 5 PM, nobody was in the restaurant. I ordered a burrito a couple of tacos and a Horchata. Burrito was all right nothing special came with Costco tortilla chips. The cheese tacos I remember them being crispy the Al Pastor being really good marinated a lot of flavor and can't forget about their orange Ish salsa. It really went well with the al pastor. Well, unfortunately, the tacos were really soggy and not very good the meat was very tough. The Horchata, it did not taste like Horchata and I've had you know several different kinds from different regions and this was just not it. Not even like there previous horchatas from their truck tasted like this. I really wanted to love this place even though it's right in the downtown and has no parking but unfortunately I will be going back. It's just not the same anymore. Comment on the service was all right just didn't want to give me extra salsa, even though I ordered quite a few things and only got one orange salsa and one green salsa. Also, the restaurant was pretty clean, even though it's in downtown area read more

Al Pastor Papi - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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decent tacos but probably not the best you could find. average service and speed. wish they had a radish and salsa bar read more

Al Pastor Papi - al pastor taco - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Overall great experience. I ordered the award winning burrito with carne asada, refried beans, and spicy salsa, and it was absolutely delectable outside of the ridiculous amount of diced onion included (I think I probably removed a 1/4 cup from my burrito after a few particularly onion-heavy bites). The burrito was perfect after removing most of the onion. Spicy salsa was described as a 7-8/10 in terms of heat, and I'd say that was accurate. A present but pleasant heat!! Service was spectacular. My burrito was hot and ready in 2-3 minutes after ordering. ¡¡Gracias Papi!! read more

I missed the truck, like losing a beloved relative. Though the brick and mortar hasn't lost a step. My only regret is that it took so long after they opened before I got myself in here! We got a bowl and a burrito and both were generous in size and packed with fresh, exquisitely prepared ingredients. If there was a Mt. Rushmore of burritos this bad boy would be up there. Though let me also mention that I tried something new this time: strawberry horchata. Holy s$+t! I came by mid afternoon on a Saturday and there was barely enough left to make me a cup, and thankfully no one beat me to it, because it was otherworldly good. I tend to prefer to original, so ordinarily I would pass on a flavored horchata, but knowing how well these folks handle flavor, I had to try it out. So not pass this up, and by this I mean all of it. Come by and get one of everything and just eat all week, but you really need to try the strawberry horchata if they have it made. read more

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Good food got the burrito place is tight knit. Service was good. Nice area down town. Would come back read more

Al Pastor Papi - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

I had high hopes for this place, and for their horchata. Honestly their horchata was so bad I gave one to my friend and I threw mine away after I took this picture. It has a funky sugary after taste to it. Like stevia or something that's hard to swallow. The taco was good, but not $8 good. The meat is standard. Not sure what the hype is. The cheese is standard too. The mango lemonade was way too sweet. 3 stars for average. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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solid al pastor. plenty of seating inside, order at the counter. got one vampiro, one gringo. liked both. read more

Al Pastor Papi - menu - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got the al pastor burrito bowl and it was amazing. Generous protein portions and the spicy salsa was fabulous. Fun inside- would love to bring my family here. The manager/owner even made the rounds to check in on all tables. Well done. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Fun bench. - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Walked into this spot on a Friday afternoon -- not busy at all. Only one person sitting down and me in line. Ordered two tacos to-go, paid, and stepped outside while waiting. About 8 minutes later I came back in. There were a few more people, but still far from crowded. Here's where things went wrong: I watched the cashier hand a to-go container to the only guy sitting down. A few seconds later, that same guy brings the container back, clearly realizing it wasn't his order. And sure enough, it was my food they had just given him. He had already gone through it. The cashier looked at me, shrugged, and tried to pass it back to me like nothing happened. When I asked, "Are you really just giving me food someone else touched?" the response was basically, "I don't think he touched it, sorry." Look -- mistakes happen, but when the place is this empty and staff can't keep track of a single order, that's rookie-level service. In a post-COVID world, handing me food that another customer rifled through is unacceptable. The tacos themselves? Decent. But service like this kills the experience. read more

I've been following Al Pastor Papi for years and so this review is for the new brick and mortar location on O'Farrell. Walked over to the location from 7th and Mission. Ordered a burrito, vampiro taco (nopales) and a matcha horchata. I've only had tacos from this place, so I wasn't surprised by the quality and flavor - it's consistently good! Nothing is underseasoned. The menu has descriptions of items. The salas are some of the best. If you're accustomed to super burritos, this burrito may seem small to you. The quality of ingredients and flavor are the stars of this menu. I ordered a prawn burrito and was pleasantly surprised to find that the prawns had a unique flavor: pastor! I'm thankful for the option to add refried black beans, because it's not common in Mexican restaurants that I frequent. The ratio of meat to other ingredients in the burrito is balanced. I'm not sure if the flour tortillas are homemade, but this burrito made me feel like they were. It was soft, chewy, and perfectly browned. Lastly, the matcha horchata was great! Nice, green, and cinnamon-y. The location is about 2-3 blocks up from the Cable Car turnaround and to the left, across from a ramen house. They take tap payments, nice lighting, bathrooms, and adequate seating. Staff and owner are very nice! read more

gotta be one of the worst burritos in SF. $20 for a hypertension salt bomb. pastor was tough and had zero hints of pineapple. new name is salt papi. read more

I came here for lunch on a weekday. The portions are huge, the food comes out quickly, and the food is tasty!

Lawd, those tacos were fire! I had tried their truck once at a foodie event and honestly wasn't that impressed. But I decided to give them another shot at their new storefront on O'Farrell and they did *not* disappoint. I ordered two crispy tacos: one al pastor and one chicken. The meat was grilled perfectly, with a nice charred finish and super juicy, not dry at all. I'll definitely be back. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Crispy Al Pastor Taco - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California

Got two Pollo tacos here before a warriors game (if you haven't done this before, highly recommend visiting Spark Social food trucks before the game for food options). I was pretty disappointed by the tacos as there wasn't much flavor and the chicken was dry. They had two containers of sauce on the table outside of the truck. Both were sticky and one was basically empty. read more

Al Pastor Papi - Food Trucks Near Me - San Francisco, California