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    El Farolito

    4.0 (832 reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 9:00 am - 2:45 AM (Next day)

    El Farolito Photos

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    EL FAROLITO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Loud
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Steak and Shrimp Burrito (Super)
    Fanuaea L.

    For as long as I've known, El Farolito and Taqueria Guadalajara has had this longstanding rivalry due to them being literally across the street from each other and they have been staples in the neighborhood for years. Growing up, my family and I frequented to Taqueria Guadalajara- but this all changed for me in the past few years. El Farolito always has flavorful food, good portions, and is reasonably priced. This specific location of El Farolito is my favorite because of its proximity to other businesses I go to and the customer service is great. I either get a shrimp burrito or steak quesadilla, but today I decided to get a steak and shrimp burrito as a treat along with chips and a pina jarrito. They serve you rather quickly, and I'm not lying when I say that El Faro has some of the best Mexican food in San Francisco.

    Carnitas tacos
    Bill P.

    Order: Carne asada, pastor, and carnitas taco: there is heaping amount of meat for each taco. Carne asada and pastor were very flavorful that paired well with the onions, not dry. Chips: it costs 75 cents and tasted like an old batch that has been out for a while. didn't have much of a crunch to it. There are booth style seats for dine in, but parking is difficulty in this area. Food came out quickly in less than 5 minutes on a Sunday. You do have to ask them for sauces, and green sauce is the best. This place is open until late at night, well lit during the day. solid burrito joint that is a little a bit beat up inside giving it some character.

    Caldo De Res
    Elizabeth L.

    I love their caldo de res. Comforting and delicious! It's what I always get when I come here and I always have extra for leftovers. Soup includes potato, carrots, squash, and corn with a side tortilla, rice, cilantro, onions and the beef is tender.

    carnitas (deep fried pork) super burrito $12.25
    Jeff H.

    Grilled chicken super burrito $12.75. They recently up the price of super burritos by $0.50 since July. Somehow El Farolito keeps making the list for people's top five burritos on Reddit and other sites. I don't disagree. The reasons I like coming here are because they are solid, chefs are visible making your food, open late, salsa bar, dorado style if you ask, nice cashier staff and a less formal dining experience. There are much better looking food elsewhere, but El Farolito makes it work with their flavors and speed. Good job my friends at El Farolito.

    Michelle M.

    It's definitely a hole in the wall place that has been around forever. They're open late night and the burritos are heavy and yummy. Parking can be tough and the neighborhood is sketch so be aware. Service was fine the food came out fast. They have a whole assembly line going.

    Lanze A.

    Famous for a reason. Always consistent. You can't go wrong on anything you order, lots of meat no matter what. Everyone in SF knows El Farolito and all their locations. A local classic, not a tourist trap, even set up like a cafeteria.

    Carolina L.

    Felt nostalgic so I wanted to head out to my growing up part of SF. The Excelsior district and the Farolito is still there. Not many things are sadly and the Mission is not popping like it once was due to crime and other changes. Glad this place is still here! Honestly the colors inside this restaurant are not appealing and it's dirty they don't pick up after customers as quick or wipe down the tables properly. It's expensive, I long for the days where tortilla chips were included in your meal. Now you gotta pay 75 cents to get a small basket of them. Anyway food is still good, they are not at all stingy with avocado slices and non of us got sick from the food. I can't say I'll go back but it was nice too.

    cabeza Super Burrito
    Raymond L.

    First of all, I prefer this location because there's more street parking and the area is a lot less congested with street traffic. The way to go is to not takeout if possible, especially if you want a wet burrito. It comes out all hot with melted cheese and enchilada sauce. I ordered a cabeza wet burrito this time and didn't want to reheat it when I got to my destination. l got here around noonish but the crowds was too terrible as opposed if I went to one of their other locations it would have been packed. This location is a lot more busy towards the evening. This is the place to go if you want decent size burritos that are huge but don't skimp on the ingredients.

    Tostada
    Eleisha M.

    Grabbed dinner here. It is set up cafeteria style, where you order at the counter and wait for your number to be called to pick up. I went with a tostada and a chicken quesadilla. The tostada was crunchy with the right ratio of bean to toppings. The quesadilla was so cheesy, the cheese pulled when taking the pieces apart, flavor was spot on it was even good as leftovers. Tucked into the strip on Mission, easily walked by, make sure you stop. The staff were friendly and helpful making the food as ordered.

    Regular Burtito extra chicken and black beans
    Shawn S.

    This is my goto Taquaria if am in the excelsior area. their burritos are so good. Gotta try the guacamole sauce and pico makes everything even better. The horchata and melon is really sweet and should be always ordered to go with the nachos or any food you order. Prices are usually the same or close to what you pay in most Taqueria and you can pay using card, apple pay, or cash. Usually the afternoons, or late night is the best time to order your food or less busy and you can still find a table. Though even if busy you can expect to get your burrito or super nachos in 5 minutes or less. The guys here are nice, never had bad customer service problems, I sometimes use " habla español o English. Solo español por los amores eheheheeh," still even if you're not able to speak Spanish I always feel positive vibes here and the good ol' jukebox makes everything better. The only minor thing I have is the parking area here still needs improvement or finding a spot where the bus, uber, and delivery trucks are not in the way. Sure you can find parking at safeway, take the bus, uber, but would be nice if I could find a spot for my car sometimes. Overall am very happy this store is still here and the Super cburritos and Super Nachos are still Top Notch. Now if only Uber or Door Dash had you on the list so my work crew could taste Real Burritos not that Tacobell or frozen enchiladas.

    Proof I was there. I even tipped the guy.

    Terrible service. When people don't care about customers, it's a good indication they care little about those customers' food. So I do NOT trust bad service. First time at this excelsior el farolito. I've been going to the mission one for over 20 years. Even went to South Bay one. Today the table had green salsa on it. No problem. Found a new table. But the issue started when I told the guy I had chemotherapy yesterday & can't use community salsa (doctor's rules). I asked if I can have the chef put the salsa verde from his stash in the taco directly. Cashier guy says "oh mija, my sister went through that I pray for you." But he tells me they "only put the hot salsa on tacos." Ok I need the green mild one. Now I see chef putting the damn green salsa on a burrito. So I ask him for his non-communal salsa verde. He already wrapped my tacos so I asked if he can put it in a little cup. He says no, go to salsa bar. I told him I can't go to a communal salsa bar. Showed my damn bald head, I have a dumb ass mask on and said I can't today. I gave him a Little cup and kindly asked if he can put his green salsa in, but he says no. Go to salsa bar. Then cashier comes up and says, "he would have to go ALL THE WAY back in the kitchen (15 steps) to get your salsa." Mind you there are two people at register ordering. Not 10 or even 4 people in line. It would take 10 seconds out of this man's day to get me non-communal salsa for my safety. The one I took for my son is out all morning and to the afternoon with people Picking at it. I get it. It's not that serious. I'd eat it if I could but I can't per the nadir chemo rules. It is what it is. Not end of world but But it was a strong indication they did not care about me. Now I wonder what happens when they drop something on the floor. So I'm NEVER going back to any of them. I'd suggest you think twice. La Taq has best burritos. El Farilito was my place for tacos. Not anymore. Bye. PS I had even tipped the guy prior To all this and he said "thank you mija!!" Yeah right.

    How much I spend for a burrito, torta and tacos.

    Food was super plain. The only thing that had any kind of flavor was the red sauce. Hella disappointed and I spend 60$ Shrimp was super over cooked. The meat had no flavor.

    Wet burrito
    Joyce S.

    Super busy but quick and organized services. Order at the counter and food will be deliver to your table. Utensil and napkins at the counter. My go to is grilled chicken suiza but the wet burrito caught my eye. Grilled chicken super burrito covered in enchilada sauce. Super heavy but so good. I kinda regret ordering a wet burrito cause I can't pack the left over. Best to order it when I'm super hungry or split it w/ someone. Meter parkings. Credit card accepted.

    Super burrito with carne asada & no beans

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    4 months ago

    Have loved El Farolito my whole life! The staff and energy feels like home. And the carne asada and carnitas are so delicious!

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    2 months ago

    Got the breakfast burrito and it was delicious. The food was very good. I will definitely come back.

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    7 months ago

    Today's order turned out very disappointing, all the tacos and burritos are sooooo bland and no lard flavor

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    3 months ago

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    8 months ago

    Perfect burrito. I have never had a bad time here. Would recommend to anyone. Great salsa too

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    4 months ago

    The best burritos, my family has been going there for years. Just went last week and it's still the best.

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    Page 1 of 21

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    El Farolito

    El Farolito

    4.2
    (5.8k reviews)
    2.4 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)
    2.9 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)
    2.3 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 Farolito - mexican - Updated August 2026

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