Came here with some friends for my birthday dinner! I got the following: (7/10) Chips & Guac - they refill the chips! Nothing too special (7.5/10) Quesabirilla tacos - 2 tacos for all the taco dishes, crispy outside and flavorful meat I made a reservation ahead of time on Yelp but there was plenty of seating on a Friday night. The interior is pretty dim though. Service was great, checked in multiple times, refilled waters. They also provided churros and flan as a birthday dessert on the house, which was pretty good too! I paid a little over $160 for 6 people (no alcoholic drinks) including tax and tip. read more

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Food was subpar, fish tacos were pretty good. Salsa was good along with the chips. I didn't think it was anything special but it wasn't crowded and service was great. Server was really helpful and attentive. Ambience was really cute and I could see it has a good drinking place. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had an awesome group dinner experience here last Friday! A group of 6 of us wanted to catch up over some tacos and maths and Buena Vida was recommended to us - we are so glad it was! We easily got a reservation for the group and were treated generously and attentively by Frankie and the top notch staff. Everything was tasty (especially the chips and salsa... the habanero mango salsa was a crowd pleaser) and we had an awesome time. We will be back! read more

Friendly staff, terrible food. The salsa had the taste as if it was kept in the fridge open. I ordered ceviche and didn't even finish it. It tasted off and was not fresh. :( I really hate to leave a bad review but I also hate being wasteful. read more

They were closed and dark at 6pm last Friday. Doesn't look like they are in business any more. But they took my online order and charged my credit card though, and have not responded to a request for a refund. AVOID. (update 12/7). Buena Vida Cantina refunded the amount of my order, but not the online tip... read more

The place was cozy and had a nice set up. Food was definitely great plus the staff assisted us was spectacular. read more

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I came here for a work luncheon and we sat outside in the parklet. I would've preferred to be inside but it was a nice day. We ordered drinks and appetizers for the table. We had esquites, guacamole & the trio dip (2 of each) for both sides of the table. I thought that each appetizer was really refreshing and good. My favorite would probably be the esquites. It was creamy and crunchy and paired well with the homemade chips. Everyone ordered their own dish and I got the flautas. They were tasty but a little bland. I would love to try another main the next time I come in. I feel like this would be a fun lounge to hang out in with some friends before a night out. Our server was a bit quirky but they made us feel at home. We ordered desserts and had plenty of left overs and they asked if we would give our uneaten food to a homeless man, which we were totally comfortable with. Their selfless act definitely left an impression on all of us. I would definitely venture back here. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - FLAUTAS - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing Guacamole. Large portions. A little pricey. I went last winter and it was very cold inside the restaurant. read more

Made reservations for 4 for a Tuesday night, arrived at the restaurant and they were CLOSED. No sign, no lights, door locked. Google showed them as open, so no idea what happened. Very annoying, as we came over from the East Bay. Lost our business to an excellent Pakistani restaurant around the corner on 5th. read more

I had not heard about this spot until recently when I was in the neighborhood with a friend and she suggested going here. They were about to close in 20 minutes, but we stopped in to see if we could still get a quick bite. They were gracious enough to let us sit down and order our fish tacos. The tacos were so delicious. The beer battered fish was crispy and perfectly cooked. I would love to go back here and try some of their other tacos. Also, I love that they give you a whole flight of different hot sauces. Being a hot sauce girly that was like heaven for me. Each one was so different and so spicy. I loved it ! read more

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I had lunch here for a work outing. Most of us didn't even know of this restaurant. I guess they re-opened recently. The place is pretty big & has indoor & outdoor seating. There's a bar inside. The place was decorated nice. They had colorful flags streamed across the room. The chips come with 3 varieties of chili sauces. One was a habernero sauce. They all were good. The guacamole was good too; but, I thought it was quite small for 5 people. I literally could've finished off the guacamole by myself! The food was really good. I got the Baja Fish Tacos. An order came with 2 and it was a decent amount. It was tasty & there was plenty of fish. It's not fried to the point where you have more batter than fish. Everyone liked their dish & most couldn't even finish it. The portions are pretty good size. Our waiter, not sure if he was the manager, was "Carlos". He was great! He told us about the restaurant, their other locations, & that they catered events. He was super knowledgeable, helpful, & nice. I would come back here again! read more

Buena Vida Cantina - BAJA FISH TACO - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Went here around 12pm on a Thursday and it was basically empty. We sat outside because it was a really nice day. Service was great! The guy always checked on us and seemed very happy. The food. Ummmm wow. Everything was amazing. I ordered the salsa trio, LOBSTER AND STEAK TACO and the quesabirria taco. Salsa trio: the salsas had a kick but it wasn't too spicy. The chips were amazing! It had seasoning on it, was thin and tbh it's one of the best taqueria chips I've ever tasted. It's a must have! Quesabirria taco: had 2 layers of tortillas and the outside was crunchy. Full of meat and it was tender af! Dip it into the sauce.. you won't regret it! Lobster and steak taco: it was filled with meat but difficult to eat since the tortilla was wet, so I had to use a fork and knife to eat it. Also for a $19 taco, I expect it to be more worth it? It was good but not my fav esp for that price. Overall, definitely going to come back to try more things! read more

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Over the past year this restaurant has gone through lots of changes, in my opinion the food quality, portions, and service have become inconsistent and the flavor of the food and salsa bland. Buena Vida is frequently closed on Mondays or throughout the week even though their website and hours listed say they are open. Bar and table service are slow, to the point where i don't sit down and have a drink and order food here anymore, I'll just use the website to order to-go, but even this process seems cumbersome now. Today I paid for chips and salsa trio + an extra green salsa for $9 , I received three green salsas in the smallest container and a half bag of chips; the super burritos I ordered we're bland and smaller than normal, all I could taste was the tortilla and sourness from the chunks of avocado. I was out the door with two small-super burritos, half a bag of chips, 1.5 shots of green salsa, all for $45 before tax/tip/online ordering fee/other fees. I really liked this place back in 2023, but this year something is off. I'll give this place a break for a few months and try again. P.S. The three stars are for my memories of prior visits. read more

I have been twice, once for lunch and once for dinner, and can confirm- great food, AMAZING STAFF, with indoor or outdoor seating. By far my new favorite place for Mexican- next time, I'll try the margaritas. I got the salad with Carnitas and it's a big serving - more than enough to split or save a bit for later. The carnitas are not greasy, not dry but instead perfect. My table mates had tacos and and between that, my food, and the chips and dip we all ended up taking stuff to go at the end of the meal. Don't consider this place a 'mission burrito' counter- it's got far more options and honestly some of the best staff I've seen at a restaurant in a long long time. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Mex-Chop with Carnitas - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had the best time coming in to Buena Vida Cantina for dinner with friends! The staff was so nice and so helpful to our group. We all thought the food was super good too! The bathrooms are very clean as well. read more

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Would give zero stars if possible for terrible customer service. Really disappointing since we planned to try out this place for an upcoming work event. We came at 4pm on a Friday evening and were immediately turned away by the female bartender saying "we're not open. Try again in 10-15minutes". The sandwich board sign was outside, door was open, lights on and several people drinking and eating at the bar. I wonder why we walked in thinking the place was open!! Needless to say we took our business elsewhere and will not be recommending this place to host our work event. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Clearly open for business with customers, but we were turned away. - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

We recently booked a private event and everything was AMAZING! 5 STAR service and food was delicious. Staff was very attentive and professional. Gaby at the bar and Tito were very professional and friendly. David was the chef who prepared all the amazing food and kept checking in to ensure everyone had plenty to eat. We highly recommend this cozy and fun restaurant to anyone who's looking to have some great food and drinks. 5 stars all around read more

Fabulous service & recommendations by staff. The chips are a must have made fresh in house. If looking for a refreshing drink go with the Witch Water!! Loved the space, high ceilings and overall ambience. I'll add pictures of the favs from our table. read more

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In town for a work event and had few opportunities to eat out. My friend and I came in for lunch on our arrival day and shared the guacamole with was super delicious and the pumpkin seeds definitely added a nice touch! I went with the street tacos plate which bring three small tacos of your choice. Definitely very filling and very tasty. Will definitely recommend as a lunch spot. read more

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Had a team dinner a couple of nights ago. Overall not impressed, for the price they are charging here I was expecting something outstanding. Their tacos are just ok, but for $10-12 a single taco, I expected better quality. The chips & salsa are over-seasoned. Their tacos looked like a bad impression of an authentic taco, trying to be a high end taco. Tacos should be kept simple, good seasoned meat, fresh tortillas, spicy sauce of your choice plus a simple combination of cilantro, onions and lemons as toppings. read more

We live right across the street from Buena Vida, and finally got around to trying it. The storefront is a bit tucked away, so on a rainy day, it was hard to see the restaurant/tell if it was open. However, once you open the door, you enter a really vibrant and cheerful atmosphere. We were greeted by one of the owners, and he was super nice and sat us down pretty quickly. We started with the chips as well as the guac (here, we messed up, didn't realize guac also came with chips). The salsas were absolutely amazing; the green one was my favorite, as it had a really nice tang with a bit of spice. The yellow/habanero one was quite spicy, and the red one had a real smokey flavor that was awesome. Really recommend getting the chips and salsa! The guac was good as well, with a very heaping portion, but nothing too special. We got three tacos: the baja fish, the al pastor, and the campechano (carne asada). The baja fish was quite strange; they used salmon instead of white fish (as it says on their menu). Not sure if they just ran out, but salmon doesn't really work in a fish taco, and I wish they had given us a heads up about this. The coating was also not super crispy. The carne asada was decent, but a bit too chewy and stringy for my taste. The al pastor was really good though; super tender and juicy, with nice flavors. Decent pile of pineapple as well! Will definitely stop by in the future! read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here on a Thursday so it wasn't packed. My friend and I decided since it was a warm night we wanted to sit out in the patio. We did get our drink order taken promptly and got our drink served as well too, but they totally forgot about us!! We were waiting for someone to take our order for 40 minutes. The one time I got a servers attention I asked to move inside in hopes they would pay attention more to my table. (Also mosquitos started to bite me outside) once we got moved inside it took them another 10 minutes to take my order after me flagging down the hostess. When I was able to take my order and receive my food it was hot and delicious! I enjoyed all the food I ate and it hit the spot. They had sauce for everything we ordered which was really great. Later on a server had asked me if I was doing okay and if I needed anything, I had asked for some food to go to take to my boyfriend. As I'm finishing up my food I had asked to order some dessert and the server was trying to me she already called last orders but I was not even informed. She did eventually go to the kitchen and ask if they can make my dessert to go and they agreed. Overall the food was really good but the service was not really there for me to come back. read more

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We used to live right next to Buena Vida and loved this place for both takeout and a dinner out with friends. We were disappointed to learn they no longer have their 4 (or 5?) for $20 deal on tacos. Their tacos are delicious (order the shrimp, carnitas, quesabirria tacos). Recently, we ordered a spicy burrito from them - they then proceeded to charge us for the hot sauce with no warning. I don't love being charged for hot sauce without a heads up, especially when the prices are already decently high. That said, the food is good and the ambiance is fun & lively at night! read more

Came here for HH and left somewhat disappointed. They have increased their prices and their portions are tiny, and service could be significantly improved. My friend, wife, and I asked for a table outside on the parklet - the girl that showed us our table didn't wipe our table down (we later saw other waiters wipe down other people's tables due to residues of the nearby trees), and we got our plates after our first entree, where as other people who showed up after us got their plates right away. Here's what we ordered - - Mole wings 2/5: $7 - 3 tiny wings smothered in sauce. If this is HH price I can't imagine full priced wings - Flautas 2/5: $7 - 4 pieces of tiny deep fried flautas, bland and overly oily - $5 street tacos: carne asada, cochinata, tinga, pastor, carnitas - 3/5, the tacos were tiny, like the $1 tacos you buy on the streets in LA, but it's a $5 "special" - HBIC marg - 4/5, great amount of spice, good marg, wouldn't pay the $17 standard price but for $8.50 felt it was priced right - Fly Like Paper - 4/5, like a Paper Plane but with tequila. Good drink We paid over $90 for our food and one round of drinks with not so great service. Won't be coming back anytime soon. read more

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So lovely to find such a gem near everything in San Francisco! We walked to Macy's afterwards and the couple we ate dinner with went to Oracle Arena. The food was delicious! We had tacos (great variety and good portions) and the other couple both had the birria plate. However, we all enjoyed the cocktails the most. The variety of margaritas allowed us to try a few each, and since it was happy hour, we indulged... Ambiance was cozy and the service was friendly while attentive. We will be back, probably every time we are in that part of the city. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Chips and salsa with margaritas - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have been here a few time for taco Tuesday or just to grab lunch on a random day. Recently I discovered that the have a Groupon deal which is amazing and worth it check it out. Recently I have been obsessed with there watermelon margaritas. The margarita actually has junks of watermelon instead of watermelon purée very strong for sure or maybe I'm just lightweight. I have tried their chicken ring tacos and the chicken rice bowls during lunch. And they are great options and a little healthier. The salsa trio is great app to get started with plus the yellow on is super spicy and goes great with my tacos. This place is great for drinks and tacos will be coming back and with a Groupon. read more

Taco Tuesday 4-9PM, and Happy Hour 4-6PM Tues-Friday! The deals are in my photos, and the food here is so good! Solid margs, good music, amazing birria tacos, and excellent service! This is my go-to happy hour spot! Dog friendly (within reason)! read more

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I came here for a merchant and political community event--hence the photo of D-6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. Btw, if you're in D-6, vote for Matt! The chips are the best I've had. The fluffiness and oil content are spot on. The ceviche is delicious. Sauces are good. Everything else I had is average, and I wouldn't order it. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Supervisor Matt Dorsey. - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

I came here with some friends for a happy hour / Taco Tuesday after work. At first we were the only ones there but we read some good reviews so we decided to give it a shot. They had a lot of great deals - half off cocktails and margs, as well as plenty of discounts on food. The margs were pretty good. My favorite was the HBIC, a strawberry marg which with a little kick. Beware the hot mess is actually spicy!! The mojitorita was also pretty good. The mezcal shots went down pretty easily but BEWARE IT'S STRONG (42%). Food wise, the chips were good and paired with three salsas. Only the spicy salsa is free for happy hour though. The tacos were a bit on the smaller side so not sure if it was worth $4 each. But otherwise, our waiter was super great! She was super sweet and peppy, just an overall delight to talk to. Everything also came out pretty quickly. Overall, I had a blast at Buena Vida and would come again. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - HBIC + Hot Mess - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came last week for HH, it's a good to know that their HH goes until 9pm. I came with a group of 5, sat outside in the parklet and thank goodness they had heaters. It was a typical chilly SF night, we were really grateful there were heaters in the parklet. We all ordered a variety of things from their HH menu. A couple of margaritas, cocktails, beers and tons and tons of tacos because taco Tuesday and also empanadas. Their tacos are street tacos, small, flavorful and loaded. The drinks were really good but the empanadas were the ones that really shined through. They only offer veggie empanadas but don't let that turn you away, TRY IT! I took away one star because service was quite slow and the waiters were not very efficient or thoughtful I.e., brought us our food but did not clear out empty plates and glasses. Did not bring utensils until we asked. We sat outside and the tables are tiny, like having coffee at a cafe in Paris tiny - maximizing our space would have made our dining experience more enjoyable. I guess just things that are etiquettes but they somehow forgot about it. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

I wish we took pictures but the food was SO good, we completely forgot. We ordered the chicken flautas and guacamole as appetizers. Both were incredible! For entrees we all got a variety of tacos. I have to say, this is the best Mexican food I've had in a while. The food is authentic but has a twist as well. Atmosphere is wonderful. (See pics. We had a very late dinner so place was nearly empty). The cocktails are also to die for! We will absolutely be back here! 10/10! read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Nothing but highlights. -They have green and red micheladas. -They have drag brunch every second Sunday of the month with a pre-fixed menu. -They have amazing food and drinks. -Great for groups! -People with children have not found this place yet. 5 stars all around. I hope the drag brunch goes far! We need fun stuff like this in the neighborhood. read more

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We wanted a reservation for lunch while attending a conference at the Marriott Marquis, and chose Buena Vida. We showed up on time, and it took a few minutes to be seated; this is not a large place, but they were thinly staffed the day we visited. We chose the queso fundido starter (with the chorizo add on), the watermelon salad, a carnitas burrito, and a single al pastor taco (because good al pastor is my barometer for Mexican places). It took quite a while to get the food; again, the runner was hustling, but they were definitely thinly staffed. They brought our mains, but no side taco and no queso. When we asked, the server said "hold on, it's coming" and ran off. I wish he'd stayed; there's no point in getting an appetizer after the main courses. The salad was delicious; chilled cubes of watermelon and beets, with chopped Serrano peppers, and large chunks of queso fresco in a lime juice based dressing. It was excellent. The side taco was less successful; the tortilla was clearly handmade, but the al pastor was not tender, and appeared to be cubes of very lean pork loin that were sautéed with some spices and pineapple. Perhaps "faux pastor" is a better label for it. I do not recommend ordering it. The burrito was good, and featured an outstandingly large portion of carnitas. The meat was a bit drier than I'd prefer, but the freshly made guacamole in the burrito made up for it. It was pretty big; I couldn't finish it. Subtracting a star for the poor meal timing, and another for the sub-optimal meat prep. read more

Happy hour. Mexican Cantina. 4 - COCHINITA PIBIL Marinated slow-cooked Pork Shoulder in Banana Leaf 5 - CRISPY CARNITAS Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder, Salsa Verde, Red Onions, Pickled Fresno Chilis 4 - EL JEFE Flour & Corn Tortillas doubledecker-style Black Bean Purée, Spicy Ground Beef, Cheese, shredded Lettuce, Diced Tomatoes, Cream, Guacamole 3 - QUESABIRRIA Harris Ranch Brisket, Cheese, Pickled Onions 3 - EMPANADAS Roasted Mushrooms & Oaxaca Cheese, Habanero, Cilantro, Mignonette 3 - FLAUTAS Rolled Tortillas, Shredded Chicken or Veggie, Chipotle Sauce, Lettuce, Crema, Queso Fresco 5 - QUESO E' TORTILLAS House-made warm Cheese Dip with House-made spiced Tortilla Chips. 4- MOLE CHICKEN WINGS (Happy Hour only) ++Spicy cocktails ++Location Overall, "as good as it gets." read more

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I would have given this restaurant 5 stars but I need to make an impact. Our server Miguel but says Peter E on the receipt. Anyway we were told that 4/22/25 was his first day working (no problem) everyone has a first day experience, however, he heard and brought items we discussed amongst each other and got wrong the items we told him. I ordered 2 guacs for the table, he brought 3 and 3 orders of trio salsa. I assumed the things we didn't ask for were free. Nope he charged and got my order wrong. Tip: someone with more experience should shadow new hires at least for a week. I will never visit again! read more

Had a great Saturday brunch at Buena Vida Cantina. The skinny margaritas were tasty. Also ordered the salsa trio, burrito bowl with carnitas, and the Carnitas, Pastor, and Tinga tacos. Prices were a little higher than expected but everything we ordered was delicious and fresh. The service was great. The restaurant is very pretty and spacious inside and also has a few tables outside. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Burrito bowl with carnitas - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I will start by saying, Angel made this a 5 star experience for us from the time we walked up. We got a little lost on our walk so we arrived right before closing but he welcomed us with open arms. We had my niece, a toddler with us and he not only provided us with exceptional service but he also made her day by giving her an adorable pineapple cup. We got drinks, appetizers and the 5 for $20 mix and match taco platter. Every single thing was delicious, fresh, and came out super quick. We had our server who was also the bartender help us choose what tacos and lets just say he knows what he is doing! This was probably the best dining out experience i'd had since covid. It was clear that he didn't hate his job which is so refreshing! We will definitely be back to try more things and support this dope spot! read more

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Ordered their birria torta from their brunch menu and it was tasty! The consume was flavorful and they weren't shy with the amount of meat. My bf had the chilaquiles with birria and enjoyed the dish. This place is a bit pricey for Mexican food. Service here was friendly and pretty quick. There's also a bar here and would like to try their drinks if I come back again. read more

Buena Vida Cantina - Birria Torta - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The food was surprisingly good -- I really enjoyed the quesabirrias (served with a very nice juice!) and the honey mole wings were delicious with a nice bit of crunch, crispy-ness to them. But subtle. The waiter was fun and my one complaint was that the tacos were each $10.... but would come again! read more

I was in San Fran with my best friend on vacation and we stumbled upon this place on Yelp and were happy to see it was only a few blocks from our hotel. We came here for my birthday for drinks and had a snack. I don't often see queso on menus, so that was a must have. The portion was huge and it was so delicious. We also had a couple of tacos that were equally as amazing. It was so good that we came back the next day! The cocktail menu was great, with lots of variety. The bartender was able to make pretty much anything we wanted too. Our service was incredible. Everyone was so personal and friendly and made it more of an experience than just a dinner. The only thing that sucks about this restaurant is that it's not in my hometown! read more