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    El Faro

    3.3 (178 reviews)
    InexpensiveMexican
    Closed 7:00 am - 7:00 pm

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    EL FARO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Divey
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - El Faro

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    Bettina C.

    An SF Classic That Never Misses! El Faro the real deal. If you're in San Francisco and haven't had one of their iconic burritos, you're seriously missing out. This place is a local legend--and for good reason. The Burritos: Massive, flavorful, and packed with love. I went with the carne asada super burrito and it was everything I hoped for--juicy meat, perfectly seasoned rice, creamy guac, and just the right kick of spice. Every bite felt like a celebration of authentic Mexican street food. A True SF Staple: El Faro has been holding it down for years, and it shows. The vibe is no-frills, fast-paced, and full of character. It's the kind of place that locals swear by and visitors dream about long after they've left. ‍ Sharing the Love: I was so happy to introduce my daughter to this gem. Watching her take that first bite and light up was a full-circle moment. It's more than just food--it's a taste of the city's soul. Must-Try: Whether you're a first-timer or a longtime fan, El Faro a must. Affordable, authentic, and unforgettable. Don't leave SF without it!

    This is the first mission burrito in San Francisco. We saw news article about potential closing so a friend and I stopped by one afternoon. The place is not right on Bart line so there are a lot less customer inside. This also means you get a seat without having to push through the crowd. The food is like a typical mission burrito, large and flavorful. The place is also clean with great staff. Highly recommended.

    Carnitas super burrito satisfies even The Incinerator
    Jennifer O.

    El Faro has stood the test of time, "serving the first retail burrito on September 26, 1961." When Kennedy was President! And in this town that grinds down the best restaurants through large rent hikes and changing consumer tastes, I salute El Faro for serving up tacos and burritos to generations. My son loves this spot because the burritos are enormous and stuffed with the goods. He's had both the carnitas super burrito and the breakfast burrito, both gargantuan. It's almost the size of his shoe! I was less impressed with the agua fresca. We had the "Jamaica" flavor and it tasted like watered down high fructose syrup. Pork enchiladas were good, had a faint but distinct taste of cinnamon in the roasted pork that was interesting. I liked it, never had pork seasoned that way before. Service was alright, maybe they had a busy lunch rush and were tired. They also open **early at 7am, those ladies work hard! I didn't see a place to run credit cards and there's an ATM placed right before the window so it could be cash only? Luckily, I had enough. Recommend anything that has their delicious roast pork!

    Jennifer Nicole G.

    AMAZING food, and service and super clean! I've been coming to this restaurant for YEARS and every time I visit the food is precisely as good as the previous visit! The papusa is made fresh to order and comes out quickly considering. And it's SO yummy. Don't know if I like the pork and cheese or the cheese better, both insane! I've literally came here my entire life and have since moved away but this is my first stop every time I fly in. All I can say is try it! Best burritos in town!!!

    Look at the Giant shrine while in line
    Juan V.

    There has been a long debate about the Mission style burrito birth place. It has been two burrito places which steak( stake) their claim to the original Mission Style burrito . In my old neighborhood if you went to Mission High or lived in the Mission Dolores or Valencia street area and around Mission street corridor you would say it was La Cumbre on 16th and Valencia. If you lived on 20th street side past South Van Ness and beyond and went to John O'Connell High School ( the only other regular Public High School in the Mission) you would say El Faro on 20th street and Folsom. This debate (since the schoolyard) has existed for decades but one thing is for certain that the Mission style burrito has gone nationwide and both La Cumbre and El Faro style has been influential in setting it off. I came back to visit the original El Faro with memories about their glory days and good memories of the neighborhood . Then there is bad news about three robberies happening at El Faro within a week. I had to try their chicken burrito once again since it's been a while. The chicken super burrito has chunks of boiled meat and came with beans, cheese , guacamole and rice. The boiled chicken pieces were tender and had good flavor mixed with the other ingredients inside the tortilla. What came first La Cumbre or El Faro is more of a friendly question and a neighborhood competition Between two restaurants in San Francisco who pioneered and influenced the burrito style straight out the Mission

    Carne asada taco
    Daniel M.

    Great taco ! Tasty and delicious. Service great! Spacious dining. Good atmosphere with the locals dining during their lunch breaks. I just went here for a quick snack and got one carne asada taco. that taco was really great.

    Interior
    Kristina M.

    Very friendly staff, historic as the first retail burrito in SF, and the super breakfast burrito was AWESOME and very reasonably priced for the size. I really enjoyed the decor inside, especially the mariachi costume on display and the tile murals above the menu. The burrito itself was STUFFED with meat and beans, plus the salsa was absolutely excellent. The pico is very smooth, but balances it out very nicely.

    Burrito chorizo with potatoes
    David C.

    Best service, fast! And best breakfast burrito I've ever had. Reminds me of Mexico, service is good and prices are affordable less than $13

    Pork and chicken Taqueria Taco
    Angela Y.

    I stopped here on a Friday afternoon with a taco craving, and El Faro did not disappoint! I ordered two taqueria tacos (one chicken, one pork), which came out to be about $9 total when paying with card. The staff here was very friendly and made sure to confirm which toppings I wanted and offered extra hot sauce for the road. The inside is pretty simple with a long counter and no seating. The taco price felt a little on the higher side, but I don't eat tacos too often so it was worth it to me. The meat was tasty and well-seasoned overall, but the chicken was a little on the dry side. I absolutely loved their corn tortillas - that was my favorite part of the taco. Overall, I'd definitely stop by when I'm in the area!

    Steak Burrito
    Christina H.

    I love this Mexican Restaurant, people that works there are nice and good at what they do especially catering, also I saw the drinks and food it looks so yummy, I have a huge Burrito couldn't finish I will try their drink next time cuz this place is Bomb and Amazing Vibe

    Inside

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    1 month ago

    Best breakfast burrito I have ever had: Breakfast burrito with Chorizo. Delicious, authentic, fast and not too greasy for a good price.

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    7 months ago

    Contents of super burrito: beans, salsa, unmelted cheese, meat, Price, $17. Free chips

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    4 years ago

    Great food , been going since high school, service is always great, the place give a good vibe

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    2 years ago

    menu prices need to be updated. got a carne asada super burrito and it turned out $15.80, ppl were nice tho

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    El Farolito

    El Farolito

    4.2
    (5.8k reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    El Farolito
    Carne asada super burrito w/ red salsa
    Carne asada super burrito w/ red salsa
    Chile relleno super burrito

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    Chile relleno super burrito
    Taqueria Cancun

    Taqueria Cancun

    4.0
    (2.3k reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    Hands down the best thing I ate in San Francisco! It was not only delicious but enough to fill me…read moreup for the entire day. I ordered the carnitas burrito and my husband ordered the carne asada one. We also asked the guys for a salsa picante and their house made one delivered! The ingredients were tasty, well seasoned and fresh. Service is quick, food and ambiance are no frills and cash only. I think about this burrito daily and am willing to travel across the country to get it again. Not to mention, but this is a Mission style burrito in the Mission! This is the only way to do it and I now totally understand the hype.

    Stopped by here with some friends for dinner after we had happy hour. Walked in, and luckily, there…read morewas no line. A few people were already in there eating, and we know this place is good, as a few others in our group and I have been here multiple times. The Taqueria is typical of any other, with bench-style chairs for folks to sit on, a water station, and workers cooking it up in the kitchen. I wasn't too hungry, so I grabbed a Super Lengua Taco, while my friends grabbed burritos, we ended up grabbing 3 complimentary chips and guac/salsa with our order and the food came out pretty quickly. When I saw my Taco I forgot how much they stuffed it and wow, two of these would've filled me up just like a taco; there was so much Lengua that it kept falling off after every bite. The flavors all came together and I scruffed down the whole thing after about 6+ bites! Definitely a place to come to if you're looking for a full meal, or something to snack on!

    Photos
    Taqueria Cancun
    Carne Asada tacos
    Carne Asada tacos
    Pupusa @colorful.eats

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    Pupusa @colorful.eats
    La Taqueria

    La Taqueria

    4.1
    (5.2k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Got here at 1030am on Wednesday, and I was already 6th in line. The line picked up more around…read more10:50 so if you come 15 mins before opening, you should be fine. I got my food about 10 mins after ordering. I went with what was popular. The Dorada (toasted) super carne asada burrito was great, but I wish it was more toasty. It was softer than it looked and I assumed that was because they are frying it in lard ? But overall solid and great burrito. I thought the tacos are slept on here. Both asada and lengua tacos were incredible. Tortillas were really fresh and yummy, and they stuff it with a lot of meat (). Would come back if I was in the area and got there within 15 mins of opening. Not sure if I would wait for it tho.

    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...

    Photos
    Our drinks and extras menu. Out of tangerine, now serving watermelon.
    Our drinks and extras menu. Out of tangerine, now serving watermelon.
    Temporarily out of beef head and beef tongue. If you want it crispy please ask for it.
    Temporarily out of beef head and beef tongue. If you want it crispy please ask for it.
    La Taqueria

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    El Faro - mexican - Updated August 2026

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