Being a native Bay Area person, I always heard about the burrito wars in San Francisco's Mission…read moreDistrict. Over the years I've found myself drawn to the other contender in the Mission way more than El Farolito, so I decided it was time to head back to try this legendary burrito shop. Getting to this location is super simple as we took BART and got off at the 24th Street Mission BART station and from there it's a very short walk of less than a block to get to El Farolito. Walking into the shop one is just slapped in the face with the beautiful smells of the carne asada cooking on the grill right by the door-it's wonderful. It's a modest place that you can definitely tell was built many years ago,so no overly modern amenities-this place cares about the food, not the ambiance. We ended up going with a couple of super burritos of Carne Asada ($11.25) & a regular burrito of Al Pastor($10.25) & also added two tacos one with Al Pastor and one with Carne Asada($4.75) They had beers at $4.75-so we grabbed a couple of Modelos. First the tacos-they were just ok,the tacos were crunchy and I don't know kind of gave Taco Bell vibes. Burritos though-that's a whole different animal. The burrito was so well made from the chew of the tortilla to the seasoning of the carne asada to the perfect balance and mix of all the other ingredients.I judge a burrito harshly if the mix isn't right and you don't get every ingredient in every bite and the mix at El Farolito was flawless. The price point was pretty impressive as well. In closing, El Farolito has always been in the mix as one of the top burrito spots in the Mission, and I can say with confidence that it's in my Top 2 in San Francisco currently. It's an incredible burrito and a true "must-visit" spot when visiting San Francisco. P.S. Just a slight heads up when visiting , it's not the safest neighborhood in the world, so just keep your head up when visiting-this is a place one visits for the food experience not the ambiance.

I called ahead to place my order because I saw the line was massive and figured calling in advance…read morewould save me some time. After waiting about 30 minutes, I assumed my order would be ready when I arrived. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. They don't actually prepare the order ahead of time you still have to wait in the long line, then pay and apparently have the order made afterward. Honestly, what is the point of calling ahead if you're still required to stand in the same line and wait? I understand that they may be busy, but the whole purpose of calling ahead should be to make the process quicker and more convenient. The food may be good, but the ordering process was frustrating and completely defeated the purpose of calling ahead. Two stars from me based on the experience.

Got here at 8 pm on a random Sunday and it was super packed. Not easy to get a table here, but it's…read moreMexican food, so eat it anywhere. Heard good things about this place from friends. Pretty big menu, if you're in the mood for Mexican this place got you covered. I ordered the birria tacos, and to be honest, best tacos I've had in a while -- and I've lived in San Diego and frequented Mexico for food, so I feel like I got a good grasp on quality tacos. A definite recommend.

Review #1,092 Posted on 7.23.26…read more We stopped in here on a whim last Saturday the 18th. I found this spot on Yelp after the 1st place we wanted to go to for lunch had a line about a block long. This spot had super good ratings and was also close by. We were so happy we ended up here. There was a few places left to sit inside, and the World Cup semi finals were on too, a good game 6-4 England over France. The cooks were going crazy in the back when goals were scored, it was a fun dining experience. The food here was excellent, the chips were so fresh and crispy, salsa really good flavor and tasted great also. My chile verde was super tender and flavorful. I also tried my kids shrimp quesadilla, and it was great too. Food came out super fast and they still have people there to help you out with bringing the food out and take away dishes, etc. It's a order counter type, then you sit and wait for your food. Tips are in order here when you order as they do wait on you somewhat after you're sat. I would come back here 100% and recommend this spot for good Mexican food.

Enjoyed my quesabirria and consume on the side with a mango margarita with taijin rim…read more Plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. Salsa bar by the counter. Staff friendly. Will be back.

After my sister's wedding, my other sister and I were hungry before the reception so we came here…read moreand enjoyed a little snack. Really worth it honestly! They have really good salsa here and I loved that they had a keto option for the tortilla on the taco by making a cheese shell. Everyone in our party really enjoyed the food and we all left satisfied. The staff were friendly and helpful, and the place was relatively clean inside. They had really delicious salsa we still can't get over, really worth going to! There is a ton of parking on the street the restaurant is on, it's just on a steep hill so hopefully you get close parking!

La Taqueria is and always has been THE BEST BURRITO IN SF (in my very humble opinion)…read more I get it; that statement, about any particular taqueria, can get ppl super *up in arms* ...and I respect it. Nonetheless: This is my story, and I'm sticking to it. And, it seems like -- in the years since I identified this as my favorite, circa 2004 -- other folks are too, cuz this place has *exploded* in popularity! Omg. The most recent time I stopped by to eat was prob 2024 and even just since then -- such as last Friday when my eldest and I came by -- we could not believe the line...all the way down the street and around the block! (Hey it's well-deserved, so I guess it is what it is.) LASTLY: I think one of the key factors that makes their burritos SO good (besides the quality of ingredients & recipe, etc) is the EXCLUSION OF ANY RICE!! [i.e: no cheap *filler*]. Carry on, La Taqueria folks...

Hands-down, best Mexican food in the area You have to try…read morethe super tacos I need to return soon enough

After some sightseeing and walking out of Balmy Alley, we walked into Taqueria Vallarta for…read more dinner. It feels like a hole in a wall place, nothing fancy, nothing touristy, sort of divey, very functional! Don't expect cleanliness. That said staff is very polite, very sweet, very efficient with a bit of a language barrier. Food: good food, tasty, and a very vast choice. No salsa bar, the hot sauce is not really hot. Quick service, fresh stuff. Service: kind staff ...they don't rush you when you're not able to get across what you want due to a language barrier. Ambience: basic not trendy, not fancy, very-very functional!! At our table of 3 adults and two kids: we ordered a plate with 3 chicken tacos, a grilled veggie burrito, a vegetarian with cactus plate, and a burrito with french fries in it also vegetarian! Coke. Good food, worth a try!

The customer service was ok Lady at register a little rude…read morewhen asking for chips with our meal The carne asada tacos were awesome Great flavor and taste The shrimp tacos are cooked fresh so a little wait and so good Lots of seating inside and some outside

Got recommended to come here by someone who is from SF and it was listed as "best burritos" in…read moretheir list of recommendations. LISTEN!! he was not lying, this burrito was one of the best burritos I have EVER had. You can tell all the ingredients inside are authentic and made fresh, everything from the Al pastor taco to the fresh avocado and rice + beans inside. We were also given some tortilla chips with this order and paired it with guava jarritos -- already dreaming of coming back here. There was a beautiful mural painted on the inside by the seating area that wrapped around the restaurant as well as a self serve bar for any toppings you may wanna add on your tacos etc. very friendly staff, I highly recommend giving them a try. I split the burrito because it was HUGE! And sooo worth the price.

I'm always looking for a great Carne Asada burrito…read more An instagram foodie gave a shout out to Guadalajara and I just had to try. I got a regular burrito and it's a good size and filling. They also gave a lot of meat. The only thing is that without the salsa I poured on the burrito, the steak didn't have much flavor. Looking forward to trying more Mexican restaurants :)

This restaurant caught my attention as I was looking for a restaurant in Mission neighborhood. It…read morehas almost perfect ratings both at Yelp and Google Maps. A lot of people mentioned about the service, the mole, and birria. I am a big fan of birria tacos so I decided to give it a try. Because I would be coming from Philadelphia, I called to see if they have a reservation. Jose, the owner, who answered my call was super friendly and nice. He said that there's no reservations but he promised to secure some seats for us because the week prior they were really busy. At that point I knew that the service would be excellent. When I got there Jose and staff were super welcoming as if we've known each other for a long time. He gave 2 small plates of rice, red enchilada sauce, green enchilada sauce, mole with chicken tinga, and birria. Everything is super flavorful and authentic. It transported me to Mexico because I could taste the homemade cooking in it and the passion and love in preparing this amazing food. They take pride in the quality of their cooking. Both the chicken tinga and birria meat are tender and fresh. You can order the food at the touch screen at the counter. You can select your preference for the filling. My friend asked to separate the meat from the tortillas and separate consommé. Jose gladly accommodate her special request. Definitely above and beyond service. They provide complimentary chips and salsa. The chips are fresh and thin with 2 green sauce and two red ones. The staff warned us that the red onesie are hot. The salsa is very fresh and homemade. The mole sauce has a flavor that I can't find anywhere else. I could taste the chocolate but not very sweet. It's very unique and delicious. The red and green enchilada sauce are also phenomenal . Not too salty, yet light and packed with flavor. Their birria tacos are now one of my top ones that I've ever had. Very flavorful and not salty. Definitely recommend it. Guacamole is also a good appetizer because it is very fresh. The restaurant is clean with seatings at the front and back of the restaurant. I still cannot forget the taste of the enchilada sauce that blew me away. I left my heart in Cocina Mamá Cholita. Thanks you for a memorable dinner.

Service was absolutely amazing. Establishment was very clean and organized…read more Some of the best free chips I've ever had. Super thick and light, and the sauces are yummy. The green enchiladas platter was tasty as well. The birria tacos were decent and okay.

probably go to street taco spot in mission! open late and also the tacos are decently priced. the…read morecarne asada is a classic and my favorite cause of how crispy they come out and smaller chunks! the side sauces are gooood

TLDR: recommend the lengua and horchata. They take Zelle. Cash preferred…read more Details: Great value! Come early around 8pm. It says they open the 7pm but they're not ready till much later and we were told to show up around 8pm to be first in line. The lengua tacos are fantastic! The horchata is also good. I also had the pastor and carne asada. The pastor was better than the carne asada but even then neither stood out. It was nice to support their entrepreneurial spirit. I like that the early crowd is Latino locals, and that the later crowd (assumed) gets after bar crowd. It really services a wide San Francisco scene. Limited seats. Don't expect to sit down.

Decent tacos but better burritos…read more Dishes (ranked by best): -Super burrito -Al Pastor taco -Birria taco ($4.75) Logistics: -accepts cc -some indoor seating -street parking only

Got a burrito here that tasted like something I could've made at home. Was it terrible? No, but it…read morewasn't good neither. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. Maybe the burrito isn't their strong suit. Either way, it was meh.

Loved the food here! Like the best of a Mexico City simple-in-decor hotspot. Just came back from…read moreCDMX, so I know what I am comparing. I cannot sing the praises of this place enough and am worry that you all will ruin it by going. But I've got to give credit where it is due. Plenty of varieties of seafood dishes but it's the al pastor negro that I loooooooove! My friends dragged me here and I'm so glad I came, even though I never did when I use to live not too far away. Now, I live 30 minutes away and have to drive far over a highway to come but it's so worth it! Bravo! Gracias, Chefs Hector Ordaz y David Pacheco and Manager Norbeto Granillo (it's on their business and catering card). You can tell they take PRIDE in this taqueria!

I just came here and orders chips and salsa $4 I got chips with a tiny scoop of pico.... I laughed…read morewhen I saw it.....that's not salsa..I also got al pastor tacos which was like chicken or something not from a trompo or pineapple or anything Al pastor like. And carnitas had no flavor. M