El Metate is a fantastic neighborhood joint serving delicious Mexican food. I've had their burritos before, which are tasty, but the real stars here are definitely the plates, especially the birria. It comes out piping hot with a generous pile of stewed, glistening birria, rice, your choice of beans, escabeche, cilantro, onions, and a stack of warm corn tortillas. I always go with refried beans, and I especially appreciate the escabeche as it is a must for me. Everything tastes fresh and delicious, and I love mixing and matching ingredients to create different bites with each taco. The birria itself is incredibly flavorful and cooked just right, tender but still holding enough of its shape so it does not just fall apart. Especially post-COVID, I really appreciate taquerias and Mexican restaurants that have kept their salsa bars open, and Metate's is great. There are several options spanning different spice levels and flavor profiles, but my favorite is the cucumber salsa because it has the perfect balance of freshness, spiciness, crunch, and acidity. Every order also comes with a side of their house made chips, which I love because they are a mix of corn and flour, which have such a unique puffy texture and, of course, they pair perfectly with all of the aforementioned salsas. The horchata is good if standard, but still a great way to wash everything down. The staff are friendly, and the place is fully self-serve, with ordering at the register, self-serve water, salsas, and napkins, plus bussing your own table when you are done. read more

El Metate Restaurant - Birria Plate w/ Horchata - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great service, very authentic Mexican cuisine, I just move to San Francisco and it was hard in the beginning to find a good authentic Mexican food. This place has everything, I been here many times, if you are looking for a very authentic vibe (don't expect a fancy/gourmet meal) this place has the flavor, aroma and texture. Unfortunately I didn't take pictures (I know I should). read more

A co-worker told us to try this lunch spot. Glad she suggested it because it's going into our rotation. Sidewalk seating outside and a spacious dining area after you order at the counter. Pretty large and varied menu. I opted for the chicken flauta plate. Received two dishes for the salsa bar. I picked the medium hot salsa and the pickled jalapeno and carrot sides. Plate came out shortly thereafter. Came with refried beans, Mexican rice and three large flautas covered in guac, crema, and pico. Their complimentary chips were unusual but good- like a combo of fried corn and flour tortillas... really good with different colored chips. Food was good, counter service was fast. We'll be back! read more

El Metate Restaurant - The great tasting chips - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came starving, left super satisfied. Nachos were phenomenal. Real cheese, guacamole, the works. Chicken was juicy and tasty too. Love the refried beans, flavorful and not too heavy. read more

El Metate Restaurant - Nachos are so satisfying. (Beans on the side) - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Everything I ate here was so flavourful! I got the taco plate and the rice, beans, guac and meat were all on point! The bistec is really good and unique but the al pastor is even more delicious. I also really like the ambiance and decorations in the place, you can tell a lot of thought and care has been put into this establishment. Apparently their tortillas are homemade and they certainly tasted like it! read more

El Metate Restaurant - Taco plate with Bistec and Al Pastor - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have liked El Metate in the past but just ordered via DoorDash a burrito and a pint of guacamole. The burrito was delivered with chips, but there was no pint of guacamole. This is a rip off and I expect to be refunded and apologize to. read more

Extensive menu inside with plenty of seating. The birria taco was not very flavorful - consume was thin and watery. The meat was lacking spices. Had a bite of burrito as well and it was underwhelming read more

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Friendly and quick service, full salsa bar, free (delicious) chips with meal, and delicious food! It was my first time here with a group of friends and the chicken mole plate was delicious! It was a bit too salty and I was craving lots of water afterwards though... The plate came with 6 tacos which was a surprise and came out fresh and hot! Would definitely consider coming back again and trying their fish torta and carnitas torta because my friends said they were amazing! read more

El Metate Restaurant - Chicken Mole Plate Special - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Cozy vibe and one of the best Mexican restaurants on the Mission! I appreciated their rotating specials that change for each day. The staff was very kind and offered their personal recommendations on the menu. Service was also quite fast. I would highly recommend trying this place for Mexican cuisine in SF! 5/5 - Super Chicharrón y Carnitas Tacos. The chicharron and carnitas duo for this dish made it the star of the show for our meal. The texture combination provides a well balanced crunch and tenderness from the meat that left us wanting more. With the onion, pickled vegetables, and cilantro toppings, this dish provides an amazing combination of flavors and would highly recommend trying if it is available on your visit! 5/5 - Birria (burrito). The meat was perfectly seasoned and did not taste too dry or too wet. The birria wrapped in a warmed tortilla was very tender and was not overwhelming in spice. Salsa, sour cream, and guacamole also tasted very fresh and complemented the birria well. Generous portions! 5/5 - Chips and salsa. HIGHLY recommend getting their roasted salsa with their warm chips complimentarily offered with your meal. Great start to the meal and is a very popular sauce option among guests at the time for both the chips and main course! read more

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The chipotle salsa alone gets them 5 stars. All those amazing colorful flavorful homemade salsa does, as do the chips which were freshly puffed in house and not out of a bag. Pozole was excellent and filling, and the veggie tacos were full with all kinds of goodies, though the refried beans could use some more spice and flavor. The salsas more than made up for it though. read more

Ordered a carnitas burrito which was filled of rice , barely any meat also they are crazy expensive $25+ with a drink for a burrito !!! The place looks cool tho , workers too but it's more just the food / price . read more

El Metate Restaurant - Carnitas burritos more like rice only crazy !!!! - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Their super grilled chicken is my new go-to. Nicely grilled chicken with nice sauces and filling ratio inside. Service is quick and responsive, staff always helpful. Ambiance is casual and neighborhood-y, but there are some murals and decorations around, so trad maximalist? I usually sit outside though for that fresh air and those salsas are still hitting. They'll also only serve the special fried flour tortilla chips when you dine-in, otherwise they give you only corn tortilla chips-fresh, not from a giant bag! read more

The dream is truly dead. Salsa containers that look as they have been spit in, empty and mislabeled, water jar left unfilled, dismissed when asked to fill it. My dine in experience was a plastic bag while others got a plate. The beans, meat and rice were as dry as sand, I was charged for cheese even though it was included on the menu item. I've been eating here for ~15 years. I was given a handful of tortilla chips and 3 chicharrones that a baby could eat and cry because they are still hungry. It breaks my heart but I will just never eat here again. $20 dollars that I just had to get up and throw out because of how gross it was. They say it's because of inflation, but me and my abuela could make this for $3. 9:38 PM update, I've got it coming out of both ends. read more

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Food: 5/5 - Great bang for your buck and a wide range of options from tacos to quesadillas and burritos. Service: 4/5 - Food came out very fast though you have to order in person before finding seating on the other side of the restaurant. Ambiance: 5/5 - Very cute restaurant. Stunning paintings and lots of seating. Open on 3 pm on a Saturday so considered it a hidden gem. Might be overwhelmed by the food options and slightly concerned about the cleanliness of the sauce area when looking on the ground. Also didn't like that you left your dirty places right next to where you refill water. But it definitely was a restaurant I'd come back to again and one of the few spots in the Mission where outside, I thought it was safe, calm and lovely to walk around. The bus 27 on Bryant Street is right outside too! read more

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El Metate is a good place to go to.... They customize the food if you're vegetarian. The hosts are kind and attentive. The food is delish! read more

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It's such a cute decorated place inside and out. I like that it's giving old school home town vibes. The staff is very friendly and the food comes out so quick. The chips are soft and melt in your mouth. I don't know how to explain it but they were so good. All their salsa's were very tasty and the green is my favorite. The Al Pastor was bursting with flavor and very juicy. I didn't give it a 5 because it was a small portion and a little expensive. There wasn't much rice and beans in my burrito and my burrito was very skinny. There are SOO many places to get burritos in the mission that cost less, give you more, and taste just as good. Definitely somewhere I would go to for a once in awhile treat simply because of that Al pastor. read more

El Metate Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I Doordashed two steak tacos with add-on guacamole. The steak was flavorful and the corn tortilla was great! They gave a good amount of filling. There were also pickled carrots and a bag of tortilla chips on the side. read more

Tasty comfort food in an area spoiled for choice when it comes Mexican fare. I tried the carnitas torta, which is served with side of soup, and the steak nachos. The meats were well seasoned, and the carnitas in particular were a standout, extra juicy and succulent. I would return for the torta alone! Each dish was just shy of $15, which is pretty good value considering the amount of food you get. They also have a salsa bar and complimentary chips. Overall, this a solid choice if you are looking for something a little more local, and a bit easier on the wallet than some of the more "well known" joints. read more

El Metate Restaurant - Steak nachos. Tasty, well-seasoned meat and good value at $14.50. - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is a decent spot for some quicker Mexican. We got the plates and it came with a decent sized portion. I enjoyed the mole as it had some good flavor. It is a order at window and serve to table or take out. They have outside and indoor seating. read more

El Metate Restaurant - Beef Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is such a lovely little spot! Super friendly and fast service! I had a burrito and was very satisfied (:

El Metate opened up in 2002 when I was living only a couple blocks away, there were not nearly as many restaurants on Bryant at the time, so it was nice to see the neighborhood energy come in and the colorful paint on the exterior of the building. I moved away from the neighborhood, but have been coming back since covid. I came for the nachos and trying up the different items on the menu. Things I love most about this place are: - Lots of meat choices that can be added to tacos, tortas, burritos, plates, salads and more. The meat flavors are tasty too. - The prices are inexpensive for the Mission - Spacious interior with room for large groups - Nice little sidewalk tables - Excellent salsa bar with pickled veggies, cucumber salsa, etc. - Parking is not difficult - Friendly and fast service. What else could you ask for? Check it out. read more

El Metate Restaurant - Two tacos and chips - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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If you are vegetarian, keep reading. Otherwise disregard this review please. Ordered take out knowing that this is not the most veggie friendly spots (no complaints, just an observation) I have tried my fair share of taquerias in sf for my go to veggie burrito. The food to me was not very memorable. The first bite didn't really spark any joy. Since I ordered take out, cannot comment on the ambience. So if you are trying to experiment , in search of a spot for great veggie burrito - this ain't it. read more

Yummy burrito with great service! The space is very personal and authentic! The burrito is enough to share and I LOVEEEE the salsa bar they have. read more

El Metate Restaurant - Grilled chicken burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I love the pozole and the menudo here. Tonight I got Chicken flautas To go. $15. Great portions. Best salsa bar in the city. Nice vibrant interior and seating outside. Convenient location. They serve bottled beer and have desserts. What else do you need? read more

El Metate Restaurant - Chicken Flautas to go - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

What a gem of a mexican food restaurant hidden in a quiet suburb area of the mission. The building is so rustic and colorful on the outside with the bright yellow walls and cute vibrant tables and chairs along the side- this paired with the delicious food makes for a very happy meal. Going to claim these are the best tortas in the city- filled to the brim with ingredients and soft, crunchy bread it's making my mouth water thinking of it- definitely worth checking out. Also great tacos and salsa bar that has plenty of sauces if needed, although their food speaks for itself and is saucy enough with plenty of flavor. Lots of seating inside and quick friendly service, cute authentic mexican decor and food. Will travel from the other side of the city just to eat here when craving a taste of Mexico. read more

El Metate Restaurant - taco plate- al pastor, shrimp and fried fish (left to right) - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Get the watermelon agua fresca!! So refreshing, not too sugary, and huge portion size. The salsa bar has delicious variety - faves include the roasted tomato and cantaloupe fruit salsas. The chicken red mole plate was generously sized and very filling and satisfying. Festive atmosphere. read more

Maybe the best burrito I've ever had. It could be the atmosphere helping but damn was that good. Kind service, really makes you feel at home. read more

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$17.75 for a burrito (how is this even possible. Who made that decision ?! Absurd) compared to less than half that at Farolito and probably twice as good. My thought is Metate is sadly Going out of business and they are trying to make as much money as possible before they close shop . So sad. read more

Quick and fast service. Got the chicharron and carnita burrito. The chicharron was evenly distributed and crunch. There was a good ratio going on between chicharron and carnitas and the rest of the ingredients so you got all of it in every bite. Tortilla was soft. Ate in the restaurant and got salsa/chips with it and salsa was good. Easy to find a spot to sit and wasn't too crowded on a Sunday afternoon. The watermelon agua Fresca was perfect to balance the savory meal. Super refreshing I feel like it's mandatory to get a beverage when you're getting a burrito read more

El Metate Restaurant - Chicharron Y Carnitas Burrito - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is fabulous! We liked everything, from the decor to the service to the delicious food. My friend got pozole and i got chile relleno. Everything was scrumptious. Like most Mexican joints they give you a lot of food, enough for lunch the next day. They offer salsa in cute little ceramic dishes, not those awful plastic things that take up space in the landfill. Kudos to them for that. This is the only place i've seen that does that. They have beautiful decor, lotsa little Mexican things on shelves to look at and art all around. The whole experience is enjoyable. The one drawback is that it's a ways away from BART, so you can take MUNI or walk (or ride bike). That's why i had never discovered it and it's been around for some time. But it's totally worth it. read more

El Metate Restaurant - Mexican ceramics adorn the place. - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friend June and I working on a huge project and we decided to stop for dinner. She suggested this restaurant and how she had been coming here for years. Everyone so nice, place super clean and the food AMAZING. We had the shrimp plate. Chips and Salsa super fresh. I will bring my friends here for special treat. Was so hungry forgot to take more pictures LOL. Thank you! read more

El Metate Restaurant - SOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD and So fresh! - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Well I had a burrito and it was not great. the contents just seemed like one big mush! It has such good reviews I would be willing to go back and order something else. read more

Purchased a champurrado during the day of the death celebration and it was terrible. It was so watery and tasted so bad, not sure whos recipe it is but they need to trash it read more

They have the basics here and they do them very well. I like this place a lot it's probably my favorite Mexican spot in the mission because I don't feel sluggish and nasty after eating food here. It's slightly pricier than other spots but I really prefer coming here for burritos or steak quesadillas when I'm in the mood and know I can always expect the same quality. The inside is a cute little vibe, it's usually on the colder side for me to sit in but I run very cold normally. Great spot highly recommend. Even better if you order takeout ahead of time and then you don't need to wait as long. read more

Nice workers and good ambiance although the way to the back area to sit definitely confused me at first very tasty chips and salsa. I ordered a super burrito sin cheese with pollo con salsa roja read more

Good food great location, servers and cooks were great got to speak to one of them named rogelio, made it easy for me to understand the menu and gave me suggestions. 10/10 spot, 10/10 service read more

El Metate Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here for dinner with a few friends on a Friday evening! This place is more cafe-style, so you order at the front and find a table. They give each person a small, complimentary basket of chips. They have a variety of different salsas to choose from (all self-serve)! I got the Taco Plate with 2 chicken tacos - the chicken was very flavorful! The portion size was generous. A couple of my friends got burritos - they mentioned that the burrito could have a bit more meat, but were good overall. The prices are reasonable and the menu is extensive! The interior also feels very cozy - would recommend! read more

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Gonna keep this one short as this establishment is not even worth my efforts. Menu Item: Carne Asada Burrito. Taste: Basic, no bold flavors. Texture: Undercooked rice, non-descript meat that could be pork, chicken, or beef if you close your eyes. Value: Absolute Rip-off. Thinnest burrito ever. So thin they could wrap the tortilla around it an extra layer. read more

El Metate Restaurant - Carne Asada burrito so barely filled there's like a empty wraparound layer of tortilla. - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Delicious food, very reasonable prices, huge portions, fast service, a good variety of salsas, interesting interior. And unlike most other Mexican restaurants, they have Pozole! It was hearty and delicious; and I was not even hungover! read more

El Metate Restaurant - Pozole! - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

I have not had a better burrito in SF. I highly recommend for an authentic experience with a beautiful salsa bar, amazing food, and that tortilla was to die for. read more