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    El Metate Restaurant

    4.0 (1.3k reviews)
    ModerateMexican
    Open 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

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    EL METATE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - El Metate Restaurant

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    Carnitas burritos more like rice only crazy !!!!
    Ralph L.

    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 .

    Caly T.

    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

    Chicken Mole Plate Special
    Susan Z.

    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!

    Beef Birria Burrito
    Jed O.

    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!

    Ria T.

    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.

    What the food should have contained.
    Brandon M.

    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.

    Seating area
    Anne W.

    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!

    Chips and the many salsas!
    Me Iz S.

    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!

    Steak nachos. Tasty, well-seasoned meat and good value at $14.50.
    John N.

    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.

    Beef Enchiladas
    Becca H.

    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.

    Two tacos and chips
    Rebekah T.

    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.

    Grilled chicken burrito
    Lohgan S.

    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.

    Chicken Flautas to go
    Vic P.

    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?

    taco plate- al pastor, shrimp and fried fish (left to right)

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    2 months ago

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

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    5 months ago

    I order super nachos de carne asada and there wasn't even any I was so piss it was mostly guacamole and sour cream and refried beans.

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    Ask the Community - El Metate Restaurant

    Do they have whole wheat tortillas?

    Yes, also Tomato, spinach and sometimes chipotle

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    Taqueria Cancun

    Taqueria Cancun

    4.0
    (2.3k reviews)
    0.6 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
    (5.1k reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    line is long here so be prepared to wait. wait to order. wait in another shorter line to pay. then…read morewait again outside to pickup. they have it down. the whole ordering/paying process. just follow along. dont block the other businesess next to it when youre standing in line. be courteous you must get the burrito el dorado style which is a toasted wrap, has a great crunch and unique. i wonder why more places dont do this? that's what theyre known for here. the meat quality was great, I got no chewy pieces. tried both the carne asada beef and carnitas pork. carnitas is done differently here, reminds me more of a tuna softness. i liked it.

    There was a line when we arrived, but the staff kept things moving quickly. The bigger challenge…read morewas actually finding a table, especially since we came with a group of four. Despite how packed it was, the restaurant was clean, the atmosphere was lively, and everyone working there was incredibly friendly. I ordered the burrito while my friends went with a variety of tacos. After trying both, I actually think the tacos are the stronger option. The burrito was flavorful and packed with a generous amount of guacamole, but it was very sloppy. With all the delicious juices from the meat and veggies and no rice to soak everything up, it fell apart pretty quickly. Thank goodness there is a single restroom in the back, which came in handy afterward to wash up. The tacos, on the other hand, were btter balanced and held together much better while still delivering plenty of flavor. The prices were also very reasonable considering how popular the place is.

    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 Metate Restaurant - mexican - Updated July 2026

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