The Tenderloin can be diverse in many ways; the good, the bad and unfortunately the "butt-ugly"! But for a Mexican restaurant in the Tenderloin, the $7.99 carne asada super burrito is really top notch and can give many taquerias in the Mission district a definite battle. All the key ingredients including the meat are really tasty and flavorful. As I was enjoying my meal, I was watching soap opera on the restaurant's television. I did shed tears in watching the program, but shed joy in my burrito. The restaurant serves other items, including the carne asada over French fries. I might try that on my next visit. The staff was nice and friendly. Oh yeah, cash only and close on Sundays, read more

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At first I was surprised to see that our favorite Vietnamese lunch spot had changed to a Mexican/Salvadorian restaurant, but after having eaten there today I am thrilled to have this wonderful new place within walking distance of my office! They didn't change the decor from the previous ownership (read: sparse atmosphere of a typical TL Vienamese restaurant), however the place is now VERY clean, which was a necessary improvement. Olivos is family-owned and you are greeted warmly and personally - in our case by the son, then later by the father, Jose Guardado. Our lunch was awesome, and so much food we took half of it home. Go light on the chips & salsa and save room - you'll thank me. Pupusas - I nearly did a little dance upon seeing these on the menu, I love them so! We shared a cheese pupusa, and a pork & cheese pupusa as an appetizer. If you don't know what these are, they're like a cornmeal pancake filled with meat &/or cheese - so delicious! We were told that they are becoming "known" for their pupusas, and I can see why! $3.50 for 2 salad-plate sized pupusas Menudo - I had to try this soup as I had been hearing about its restorative properties and had been wanting to taste it. OH MY YUM. Rich tangy broth with big chunks of tripe, no hominy. Served with lime, chopped onions, and chile flakes. My friend is Mexican and her mother used to make Menudo, so from her experience she can attest that it was excellent, too. Pho, watch out, I have met Menudo and I love it! $6.95 for a bowl, 1/2 soup & 2 pupusa special for $7.95 Fish Tacos - HUGE PLATE - 2 fish tacos with a ton of fish, only slightly battered with cornmeal, so well cooked and spiced and not greasy. The presentation was nice and the taste was delicious. Served with beans (your choice of what kind) and rice. $9.95 for a huge portion It's right across the street from Brick, and is the anti-Brick - big portions, not expensive, no atmosphere to speak of. I like both for different reasons. Run don't walk to check out this little gem of a restaurant. read more

Olivo's - Menudo & Pupusas - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

I probably should've tried their popular carne asada fries. Instead, I had their two item combo (approx. $8 - a great value for the amount of food you get) and chose their chicken tostada and chicken enchilada - comes with rice and choice of beans. It was nice that the server got our order in before the large group next to us, so our food came out relatively quick. Even though the food looked enticing, the flavors were a bit bland to me. I was a disheartened that they charge 99 cents extra for more tortilla chips - perhaps they do this so folks don't camp out here to fill their bellies for near free. As for ambiance, the lighting in the sparce dining room is a bit harsh - flourescent...they do have a TV to keep you entertained. read more

Olivo's - combo plate - chicken tostada and chicken enchilada - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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It's not always easy to find a solid burrito but Olivo's delivers. For under $9 you can get a burrito almost the size of your forearm. The tastiness factor is high, ingredients are good, and the folks that work here are nice. I'd definitely walk the extra blocks to come here over Pancho's on Polk (bleech). read more

My friend really wanted carne asada fries. After some Yelping, she found Olivo's. The only other place where I've had carne asada fries was Rigoberto's in San Diego. Olivo's fries were alright, but I prefer Rigoberto's. When we walked in, the waitress was pretty rude to us. She didn't even acknowledge us. After we seated ourselves, she walked over and her attitude completely changed. She was now smiling and being very polite. I can understand why she was rude in the beginning since she was the only waitress working and the restaurant was packed. We ordered the carne asada fries and soft shell fish tacos. The portion of fries was huge! They were topped with guacamole, ooey gooey cheese, jalapenos, onions, sour cream, and of course, carne asada! Only downside: the fries were pretty greasy. I'm guessing they are freshly made on site. The fish tacos weren't bad. I believe they used tilapia and sauteed it with onions and red bell peppers. They each come with huge slices of avocado, too! Overall, the food was decent and the employees are really nice. The waitress was really bogged down so the chef ended up bringing my tacos out and he was really nice too. We waited a pretty long time for our orders to be taken and again for our food to come out, but it was lunch time so it was understandable. The waitress apologized multiple times for the wait, which I really appreciated. 3.5 stars! If I do come back in the future, I'd love to try the pupusas since Yelpers have raved about them. Btw, cash only. We only noticed after we sat down, and by then it would have been rude to leave. Luckily, I had some cash on me!! read more

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One of the few or only good restaurants (especially that isn't somehow a rip off) that I know of in my part of town (Cathedral Hill-Van-Ness/Geary-California-Polk Gulch) I've been living in unintentionally for 26 years. Their larger than average (but not too large) homestyle Carne Asada super-burritos ($10.50) are really authentically refreshing and unusually well balanced, and all the interior ingredients consistent in their distribution throughout (instead of being clumped semi-separately throughout). Addictive. Tasty unpretentious well-prepared food. However, if I could, I'd give it four and a half stars, just because I'm sure there are plenty of similar restaurants in the city (none or few of which I could afford) that are better than or as good as this, just either not in my neighborhood, or hopefully more likely: not that I'm unaware of, yet. read more

I can't believe it took me this long to dine at Olivo's, despite my living so close. I'm typing this review after having gorged on a delicious carne asada burrito (the meat is so good) and two cheesy pupusas. I can't even wait to go home before praising Olivo's and their friendly staff. I will be here more often. More than that, I plan on singing praises for this place to everyone I know. Dining here is a joy. The food is fantastic and the prices are low. Come here immediately. read more

Olivo's - Carne asada burrito and two pupusas. So good! - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

This is a simple salvadoranian restaurant, CASH ONLY! Upon seeing the menu, the prices were maybe a dollar more than I expected. The food portions were BIG and the quality of the pupusas was ! I ordered the carne asada fries and two pupusas. The food came out in less than 5 mins and was made fresh to order. The carne asada fries were topped with tons of beef and cheese. The potatoes were a little less crisp than I prefer, but they were hot and fresh! I give this place a solid 4. Not life changing, but very good with nice serving sizes. read more

Olivo's - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Everything I've ever ordered from here is so fricken good. The tacos, burritos, pupusas, nachos, seafood soup, rice&beans... you cannot go wrong with Olivo's. I'm from San Diego and I miss really great Mexican food and Olivo's delivers 100% of the time. The portions are right, price is right and the service is always super home-y and friendly. I love this place! Order from them right now!! Support the small family owned business that does food hella good!! read more

I just got back from San Diego last weekend, and ever since experiencing my first California Burrito, I had to have it again. Apparently it's only a San Diego thing though. Until now. I did a little Yelp research on California Burritos in the Bay area. I came across this little gem, and to my surprise it was just 5 blocks from me. How did I not know about this?! The burrito was absolutely spot on comparable with the ones they have in San Diego. They also offer the famous Carne Asada fries here too. French Fries and Mexican food together just FIT. It's miraculous. I plan to get my San Diego friend to visit me here soon and see for himself. No more trips to the sketchy, dirty Mission for me (sorry if that offends you)! I have all I need in a Mexican restaurant RIGHT HERE! Yum. read more

Olivo's - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food and the service was very good. Or food was ready in about 15 minutes. My date had the steak burrito which was very flavorful and huge. He also had 2 papusas on the side which he couldn't eat because he was so full. I had the papusa special with rice and beans. Prices were affordable and service was friendly. Would definitely come back again. read more

Olivo's - Pork and cheese papusas with beans and rice for $10, can't beat that! - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

I live across the street and never come here. I came in a few days ago and got the burrito. Decent prices..the burrito was huge...friendly counter person (actually she was really funny) Salsa was really spicy and yummy. The only sad part was all the sour cream and guacamole goodness was on one side of the burrito. Will be back! read more

Came here just for the Carne Asada fries and it feels much like SoCal. I'll have to go back for the California Burrito, another SoCal favorite. I'm not quite sure if I went at a slow time, but they literally sliced the potato when I ordered. The guacamole was also made right when I ordered so I know I didn't have food that was just lying around. Their menu looks quite extensive so I know I'll be coming back for more! read more

Olivo's - Carne Asada Fries togo - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Went by on a Thursday 12pm and was closed during usual business hours. No sign stating why. Is the restaurant still in business?

Comfort and tasty food, fresh to order, big portions and affordable! I usually order the plate with 2 pupusas (I choose loroco and cheese, fried pork and cheese) with rice and beans, SO good and for $10! I always have leftovers. The burritos are nice too! Friendly staff and good vibes :) read more

My favorite item in the menu is pupusa i remember first time going there in the beginning of 2020 i wanted to go back the other times but it was close i dont know why even i try calling them they dont pick up. read more

I am completely blown away by the service here. Cash only place, okay, that's fine. We ordered a burrito and was told it was a minimum of 10$ to eat here. Weird, when I'm paying cash, that I have to pay 10$ minimum. (sharing my burrito with my co-worker) We asked them to cut the burrito in half. We were told that we would be charged an additional 2$ to share our burrito with each other. Ummm Excuse me???? You are going to charge me to share my burrito with someone?? I don't think so!! On we went, to find a taco spot that doesn't treat us like tourists. Business must be booming for you to treat people like that. The obviously don't need my patronage. That's okay by me. There are dozens of other places that are worth my money. I work one block away from this place, but will gladly walk further for better / Honest service. read more

Ive always walked by this place for years and never gave this place a shot until the other day. Since i didnt want to eat something really heavy i decided to give the nachos a shot. After taking the food home i thought that the food would be a mess but it wasnt. The box didnt shake up at all and everything stayed in its place. The nachos was pretty damn good. Not super greasy fried chips like alot of other places or super sauced that all the chips were soggy. I tired many Taquerias in the area and i would have to say this ranks easily at the top for nachos. Next time i come back ill for sure check out the other items. read more

Olivo's - Super nacho - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place is really good the pupusas are delicious the decor needs some help lol but besides that they are friendly and it's a good place to stop for some pupusas read more

Olivo's - Carne Asada and enchilada combo yummy - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Best chile rellenos I've ever had. Seriously, even better than the ones I ate in Cabo and Mazatlan! Nicest staff and fabulous food. read more

Olivo's - Best chile rellenos!! Seriously, even better than the ones I ate in Cabo and Mazatlan! - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Loved the pork papusa! They were fast and friendly and the prices were very reasonable. It is cash only but worth it. The guy working the counter was chatty and welcoming and happy to make a recommendation for me. I enjoyed the savory pork and cheese papusa and the fluffy yellow rice. The chips and salsa were tasty too. 2 Bean and Cheese burrito were hits but the chicken burrito was declared "thumbs down" - at least I ordered right! Check them out for fast Salvadoran and Mexican food and great prices! read more

Came here as a first timer and received HORRIBLE SERVICE. Will not ever return to this establishment. Right off the bat the lady was rude to our party of 6. Made a really bad deal when we asked if chips and salsa were free.. when we were only inquiring. Ok... didn't know we couldn't ask questions. You do realize being in this industry requires good customer service? read more

The pupusas are good ( order pork and cheese yum!) and the yuca with chicarrones is so delish as well. remember is cash only read more

Olivo's - plate of 2 pupusas + fried yuca with chicharrones - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Used to really enjoy this place. Food is good, but the waitress decided to treat us disrespectfully this time. We were 2 people at 7pm on a Saturday night in this empty restaurant, and we only wanted one burrito. The waitress wanted to impose a $15 minimum charge on us, claiming it was how their restaurant worked. We said we've dined here multiple times and no one has ever told us this. It's not written anywhere on the door or menu. No restaurant has ever done this, and tip covers whatever service they provide, so why does it matter how much we order? She claimed that previous occasions, no one bothered to say this, and ordering only one item for two people doesn't cover the cost of her three workers.... Well if we weren't there, no food would've been ordered anyways, and no revenue would be generated, so it wouldn't make a difference. We left because we were shocked at this apparent "minimum charge" that was never in place before, and we're never coming back. read more

Bad service, mediocre food. Stopped in on a Saturday to disappointing results. The food was unremarkable and overpriced for what it was. I wouldn't have gone back based just on that. What really sealed it was how absolutely unpleasant the person at the counter was. No, it was not my privilege to be there. No, it shouldnt be a burden to you as the person taking orders to actually have to show some decent customer service. Dumpy interior to match. read more

I had the pupusas (one cheese/black beans and other cheese/pork), arroz y frijoles (black beans). I was uncertain about how it was going to be because of some of the more recent reviews but I was not disappointed. The food tasted like it was made by a Salvadoran grandma, in other words, exactly as I'd expect. The rice tasted similar to my own abuelita's and the beans actually had flavor unlike many other places that only have burrito's. One reason I like this place is because it actually has food options and is not a burrito place under the name of Mexican food. However, the burrito my friend got was huge and she said it was great! The salsa was a bit spicy. Don't expect a bougie experience here, it's more of what I would say is authentic of what this kind of place should be. If you want to expand your Latin food palette, come give it a try! read more

Had their bisteck con papitas & tried their 2 pupusas (loroco con queso and queso). Came here with my family while on vacation after reading great reviews. Came hungry, left stuffed! Very friendly & made sure our party was not lacking anything. Small place, but good food! read more

Olivo's - Had bisteak con papitas... - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

They charge a $15 min. just to eat in. Kind of ridiculous. Bad start. Can't give a good rating: mediocre asada fries read more

These 5 star reviews are fake. The food here is absolutely terrible. I could've bought a frozen burrito from Trader Joe's and it would've tasted better than this. Like seriously, how could anyone give this place anything above 2 stars? Burrito and tostada was burnt and super dry, refried beans tasted like they were from a can and the rice was super bland. Terrible food. At least the lady at the counter was nice. read more

The only pupusas I'll eat on this side of town! The salsa is pretty awesome too! 10/10

This place may be tiny but wow does their food pack a punch! We had a large group for lunch and they accommodated us easily. Their service was excellent and very upfront with us. Our waiter communicated well with wait times etc. This is a great and tasty place to have a meal. read more

Sometimes a little spot you can just walk right by, in the blink of an eye, can be the worthiest place to try. Olivo's food is great! Especially if you're hungry... I was in need of a somewhat fast, low profile place to grab a casual bite with a friend in honor of his birthday. I was treating so, in this particular case, low budget, high food ratings were the two things that stood out to me the most, and the fact that there was an actual dining area, that was very modest, yet immaculately clean. I was super hungry, I wanted everything on the menu, but eventually opted for just one thing. Between the mouthwatering Salvadoran options and Mexican fare, it was a tough call, but I decided to order the Two Pupusas plate. One Bean & Cheese, one Cheese & Vegetable. My friend ordered two tacos, which were gone from his plate in a matter of seconds... From the chips, to the salsa, to the fresh tasting dough from their handmade Pupusas, to even their amazing slightly spicy Saurkraut (not sure what it's referred to in Spanish); I was thoroughly satisfied. Life was good while I was here dining at Olivo's. The leftovers were just as incredible the second time around too. Enjoy! read more

Unimpressed. Came because of the good reviews but didn't care for the food. Salsa was runny and a bit spicy for me, the chips had almost no flavor. Ordered the house special catnitas plate. Carnitas were dry and over cooked, guacamole wasn't very good. Tortillas, beans and rice were ok. There was a terrible smell while i was eating, it smelled like piss. It didnt seem to be the people eating near by, not sure if it was the food or a stench left on the chairs? Very unappetizing. Cost almost $15 (well $17 if you count the atm fee) and i didn't finish my food or wrap it to go. read more

Olivo's - Doesn't taste as good as it looks - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

Two items Combo with Beef burrito, chicken enchiladas, refried beans, rice, & salad - Very delicious & good price!! For sure will come back to try their pupusas. read more

Olivo's - Mexican Near Me - San Francisco, California

After wanting Mexican food for the past few days, I figured I'd check Yelp for a decent Mexi place close to the hood (not the Mission) to get some carne asada. What did I find? Carne asada fries. I figured I'd go check out what all the hype was with these carne asada fries. First, cash only at this place. No cards. No checks. Just cash. A couple of girls who were in here when I arrived had to scrounge up some change in their car to pay for their bill. Come prepared with cash! Also, don't wear anything nice (or anything that needs to be dry cleaned). I was hit with the greasy smell as soon as I stepped through the door. Nonetheless, I (along with my Gap t-shirt and my North Face fleece) left smelling greasy too. Now for the food. Not the cheapest of all Mexican food places, but definitely not going to cause major damage to your wallet. I got the carne asada fries con queso, sin guacamole, onions, jalapenos, etc., etc., etc. It just seemed like too much! So just meat, fries, and cheese. Along with the salsa that I got with my free chips. The serving was huge!!! It was a whole plate of carne asada fries! No wonder I got weird looks from the employees! (Don't forget, I'm a 4'11", very petite Asian girl...and I came by myself.) It was pretty yummy, although my body can probably only handle it once or twice a year. Can you say "heart attack on a plate"? I finished almost half of it. The lady at the front asked me if I didn't like it. I told her I loved it, but it was just too big. (Also, the cook in me wishes they used cheddar instead of whatever cheese they used--mozzarella?) I say, come here whenever you feel like it. I've lived in the neighborhood for about two years...have passed by this place almost on a weekly basis and it's not too crazy busy. Try the carne asada fries! Bring someone with you too! read more

Yelpers are fucking rabid. You treat carne asada fries like it was the biggest crack rock in Modesto because when I went to Olivo's today, the chef came out of his kitchen and asked why so many people came in and asked for carne asada fries. Yes, it's not embarrassing *at all* having to tell the sweet oompa loompa like short order cook senior that you are part of a fatty fat fat social network group on the *coughcoughinternetcoughcough* The carne asada fries were pretty good. The cheese was a little too melty and a bit too many onions on the guac for my taste... but even mediocre carne asada fries trump chump ass nachos any day. mmmm. I also got un typo of each pupusa: queso, queso con frijole y queso con pork..... i don't remember the word for pork. Damn you Mr. Vernalde and 3 years of High School Spanish!?! Donde es la biblioteca? Es proximo aqui? Gracias! Hasta semana! The only other Spanish I know fluently is Spanish mass. Padre nuestro que estas en los cielos, santificado sea tu nombre, venga tu reyno. *screw you, mom... get out of my head Jesus!* While I was waiting, the lady at the counter even gave me an impromptu Spanish lesson. (Which I give her mad props for. It takes a lot to reach out to a sad sad Asian girl and teach her how to say "More sour creme please"... "Mas nata agria, por favor!". You really don't know how handy that is to me (Answer: Immensely!) But I'll stick to English. Still, gracias para la comida. read more

I was basically brought up by an El Salvadorian nanny named Lydia (Hottie, too bad i was like 3). By the time I was 4 or 5 she was making me papusa's. When I went to college, I was taking classes at USC and basically living on Vermont and 30th at a friends place around the corner from Campus. His family was El Salvadorian and I ate there almost every night. Over the past couple years I've heard about Olivo's from friends, found it on Yelp, and finally thought I'd give it a try. QuickNote: Olivo's was on Market x 1st for 15 years and in their new location for 2 years. Its just on the N. Edge of the Tenderloin, and the S. Edge of Nob Hill. Great Location. What I love about Olivo's is its family owned and operated. So love goes into every dish. Jose the chef and his wife Antonia (who takes care of the front of house) were wonderful, they laughed with me even though I'm just a white kid from the west side who purports to know what El Salvadorian food is actually about. The least I can say is I have a good idea. Their son Frank asked me if I've ever had Carne Asada Fries (which were on my plate), and of course I said I've never even heard of them, but they were off the hook. I was taking about 1/3 home and he said they are fresh cut and cooked and may not reheat very well. I gave it a shot with a touch of canola oil and they fried up med-brown and incredible). We had a split of 2 papusas, side of black beans and those Carne Asada Fries, and these pounds will not shed without a good, long session of something. Beverages are well priced (Sodas $1, 12oz Beers $2-3, 32oz beer $5). Meals are all around $10. Breakfast $6, Burrito's $6. A guy came in and ordered a burrito (obvioulsy a student) and he asked $5 (even though they are $5.95+)? And jose says... um yes $5. Nice. So... I will be back.... and I will be back for the Carnitas! By the way... I hate to say it but... Jose and Antonia's Papusas were better than anything i had in my youth. Thats why they are getting a solid 5 stars. CASH ONLY read more

Carne asada fries in SF?! Bf and I were so hyped up to finally get our hands on carne asada fries in the city that it ended up in a big disappointment. I've never had a chance to experience it down south (SD), but from how my friend's have raved about how good it is there, I hope it's nothing like this. - Carne asada fries: piping hot soggy fries with an OD of cheese, fresh onions (yuck), jalapenos, sour cream, guac, and pieces of steak. I was only able to handle a few bites before I felt a little queasy from the overly cheesy mess (Artery clogging, fo sho!). Luckily, a can of Pepsi came to my rescue and washed it all down nicely. - Chicken Super Burrito: nothing to rave about. It came out really simple, but it was flavored mediocre at most. Rice, chicken, fresh onions (ugh!), guac, sour cream. I needed to use the spicy salsa that came with our chips to accompany it to make it more flavorful. This restaurant looks like it only consists of a small hallway upon walking in, but they have additional seating in a room to the left. Service was pretty quick and efficient. After my carne asada fries experience here, next vacation food stop...SD! read more

Easily the best Mexican/El Salvadorian restaurant in San Francisco and without question, the best pupusas I have ever eaten! I stopped in on a Tuesday evening after a pretty rough day and immediately felt relaxed. It was like I was back in New York and my parents were whipping up some of their home cooking - except that my parents aren't Mexican, but you know what I mean. The stuff that makes everything better. Simple, unpretentious, authentic, delicious. I ordered a chili relleno and a couple pork & cheese pupusas. In my foodiest dreams (that's right, foodiest), I could not have imagined a more prefect preparation of these dishes. The El Salvadorian-style rice and pinto beans were served exactly as expected and the chili relleno was a nice, meaty poblano stuffed with the salty mexican cheese you'd expect and fried just right - crispy and not at all greasy. The pupusas were thick, hearty and stuffed with just right amount of cheese and pork. Their crispy outside and chewy inside was right in every way! Just thinking about them is making my mouth water. Also of note: the salsa! As soon as I sat down, I knew Olivo's would be awesome. You know why? Because all truly authentic Mexican and El Salvadorian restaurants have awesome, super spicy salsa...and they serve it with a plastic spoon! That's how they roll at Olivo's. Yeah baby. A few other points: - The chips are crap - as is the case at most good, authentic places of this sort. I find that places with good chips have crappy food. (Chevy's anyone?) - The place is ugly inside. The fake wood paneling and odd art (a poster of El Salvadorian money?) is not much to look at, so bring a pretty dinner companion and focus on her/him and the food. - They don't accept cards. Cash only. - Beer is $2.95! I feel quite certain that I'll be a regular here. I can't wait to try the menudo. read more

My arteries are clogging as I write this, so if I keel over and die before I finish, you'll know why! My Last Will and Testament is in my Safe Deposit box. Blame it on the Carne Asada Fries. ONLY in San Francisco can you find a Mexican / Salvadorean restaurant in a sea of Vietnamese restaurants. After having some Carne Asada Fries at the San Jose Flea Market, my roommate was dying to try the version from this place, another great find from Yelp. In case you've been under a rock, these an "Irish" version of nachos. Instead of chips, fresh French Fries are covered with steak, cheese, guacamole, sour cream, jalapeno, and onion and cilantro upon request. I like them so much better than regular nachos, as I'm not crazy about beans. I think I may have found a new staple! But, I am trying to lose weight, so this would be a treat. I also bought some pupusas. They were great, but only because of the hot sauce that comes with the meals. I don't think that pupusas is traditionally served with hot sauce, but it works here! Not the best in San Francisco, as I wanted more filing, but still a good deal at $3.75 for two. The Carne Asada Fries are not on the menu, but they knew I was Yelper because that seems to be the only way people find out about them. It's nice to think that this can possibly only exist to us Yelpers. Note that Olivo's is CASH ONLY! read more