A BOMB ASS BURRITO IN THE TENDERLOIN?!?!?
Amidst all the Vietnamese and South East Asian Restaurants in Little Saigon lies El Castillito, an unassuming taqueria where you can get one of the BEST burritos in SF! For the price of one bowl of pho, you can get a GIGANTIC burrito enough for 2 meals. Skeptical? Yup, I was too...
Over 2.5 years ago, when first I moved to the public sector, some of my co-workers raved about this taqueria in the TL. After having an awful case of food poisoning, I was weary of taquerias especially one that was located in the TL. Plus, back then I wasn't an avid Yelper, so it didn't even dawn on me to Yelp it. So while my co-workers would grab a burrito at El Castillito, I would go to Saigon Sandwich at the corner to grab a banh mi.
FAST FORWARD 2.5 YEARS...
I owed one of my friends dinner and he wanted a burrito, so after a quick Yelp search it led me to El Castillito. It was close to my work and with an overall 4 Star Rating, I thought I give that a shot. As per Yelper's recommendations, I got an Al Pastor Wet Super Burrito (burrito smothered in a red chili sauce, topped with melted shredded cheese, sour cream and slices of avocado). It came with free chips and salsa. The total was just ~$7.50! I had to carry the heavy box with two hands so my clumsy self wouldn't drop it. I later get a text from him saying, "Where did you get that burrito? It was the BEST burrito I've ever had!" Ok, now my suspicions were alleviated.
This was 2 weeks ago and since then I've come to El Castillito twice for their Lengua Burrito. I get it with no beans and with avocado. For just $6.04 (including tax), I have two mouth-watering, coma-inducing meals.
Pic: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RF-ciAQlmV2BO4lVvmfrkg?select=sa_3eNwjrk5asAn2gyZo8Q
The burrito is GIGANTIC with a 70/30 ratio of lengua to rice. Packed inside a warm, soft freshly grilled flour tortilla skin is lengua SO soft that it melts in your mouth like buttah and is perfectly seasoned to bring out its natural rich beefyness. The seasoned rice is al-dente, yet soft and the accoutrements of pico de gallo and cilantro gives the burrito moisture with a burst of freshness while the thick slices of avocado add a layer of butteryness.
Being a muscle, lengua can often be tough and chewy. If cooked properly, lengua should be soft and more tender than a fine filet mignon. So, lengua is normally my go-to meat to test how well a taqueria can prepare and cook their meat. The braised lengua at El Castillito BEATS the one from El Farolito, Pacho Villa, El Toro, and Taqueria Guadalajara; just to name a few. And it's second best to the lengua at La Taqueria which is much pricier at smaller portions. So, if you're a lengua fanatic like myself, you MUST try the lengua burrito at El Castillito!
The tortilla chips are nothing to rave about as they taste store bought, BUT make sure to grab several containers of the Salsa Verde--it's like liquid crack! The salsa verde is fresh, rich and creamy from the small bits of avocado and adds a nice, mild kick to your burrito.
SOME THINGS TO NOTE:
*CASH ONLY (there's a Wells Fargo ATM next door)
*Closes everyday at 10 PM
*The area is sketchy so try to find parking on Golden Gate or on Larkin where there's more foot traffic. Even though Hyde is just a block down, it's a lot MORE sketchier.
Huge, mouth-watering burrito BUSTING with meat at the seams? CHECK!
Liquid crack salsa verde? CHECK!
Dirt cheap prices? CHECK!
Don't let the location fool you (like it did me), El Castillito is truly a hidden gem in the TL! read more