“First stop in San Fran. A mission burrito at La Taqueria,” John Zannis, president of CLNS Media Boston Sports Network, posted on the social media platform X, along with a video of a line down the street from the once locals-only, now Michelin-rated and James Beard award-winning trendy spot located at 2889 Mission Street.
The year after the Beard Foundation named them a “classic,” La Taqueria had to pay $600,000 in labor violations and penalties, mostly for unpaid overtime, sick leave, and health care costs, after workers filed complaints with San Francisco’s Office of Labor Standards Enforcement and the California Labor Commissioner. That didn’t stop the hipsters from lining up, though, as they somehow justify it in their little virtue signaling heads.
Like a lot of people who spent most or all of their lives in San Francisco, I’ve been going to La Taqueria as long as I can remember, first with my dad and my Uncle Louie and later with boyfriends and besties. My favorite times, however, are those solo sunny, warm midafternoon weekdays when I walk right up to the window, order a super carnitas or a super carne asada taco — no sour cream, add avocado — and grab a seat outside.
The fresh tortillas are crisped just enough to hold the stuffing together (the white paper wrapping also helps), the meat is succulent, and the addition of pure, smashed avocado brings a California creaminess. I’ve never waited because I don’t go on weekends when tourists from all over the globe line up for hours.
I know La Taqueria is more famous for its burritos, but I’m not a fan. I find them a little dry (especially “dorado style” where they brown the flour tortilla to a crisp). The other thing La Taqueria is known for is that they don’t put rice in their burritos (owner Miguel Jara rejects rice as a filling). Despite Zannis and the Jara claiming La Taqueria has the best “Mission style burrito,” it’s actually unique, and not “Mission style” at all.
Legends abound about where the “Mission burrito” started. Some say Febronio Ontiveros created it in 1962 at his grocery store on the corner of 20th and Folsom streets to feed a group of hungry firemen. He piled meat, beans, rice, sour cream, salsa, and guacamole on several layered tortillas before rolling them into the now-famous cylindrical form.
El Faro claims to be home of the “super burrito” (an oversized version of the Mission burrito with added fillings), though La Cumbre also makes that assertion. Wherever it began, a true Mission burrito is a steamed flour tortilla filled with rice, refried beans or whole pinto beans, meat, and pico de gallo, all rolled into a bursting tube and wrapped in aluminum foil. Make it “super” by adding sour cream, cheese, and guacamole.
A former food critic’s take on what ‘best’ means
I spent years as a food critic for Northside San Francisco magazine and the Marina Times newspaper, and I was doing articles on “the best” tacos and burritos more than a decade ago — La Taqueria made the list. Still, it wasn’t my favorite (for reasons stated above).
Which brings me to another point about “best of” lists — it really depends on what you like in the first place and whether you want a burrito or a taco, because not all taquerias (or trucks) make both well. For example, I prefer refried beans, not whole or black; I want the option for rice, and a taqueria gets big bonus points for serving soft tacos with tripe (cow’s stomach), especially honeycomb tripe (fried, crispy but not hard).
The perfect tripitas street taco comes from the El Tonayense truck (which took first place for street tacos in my article a decade ago). If you’re a fan of offal, they also offer lengua (beef tongue) and cabeza (beef head). For $3, you get two layered corn tortillas, onions, and cilantro drizzled with their family recipe salsa verde (they also make a spicy salsa roja).
I’m not a fan of their burritos because they don’t have refried beans (again, personal preference comes into play). Fun fact: most restaurant refritos are no longer made with lard but rather cooked down with onion and garlic, low and slow, and then smashed (or immersion blended for a creamier texture).
El Farolito has locations all over the Bay Area and beyond, but my go-to for decades has been the Mission District location, which opened in the 1980s. Unfortunately, it’s right next to the 24th Street BART station, where drugs are dealt and consumed, and stolen goods are sold on the sidewalk. Kudos to the workers at this outpost for remaining calm and friendly even amongst the chaos. Note: CASH ONLY.
One of the best representations of a Mission burrito, El Farolito had my favorite chile relleño burrito for years — I see that face you’re making, but don’t knock it until you try it. Step one: Make a classic chile relleño, a tender poblano pepper stuffed with jack cheese, coated in egg batter, and fried until fluffy. Step two: roll it inside a tortilla filled with beans, rice, and salsa.
Yes, it’s rich. Yes, it’s wrong on so many levels. Yes, it’s craveable. But the last few times I’ve ordered one at El Farolito it was horrible — the chile was hard as a rock and the cheese inside it wasn’t melted. They still make a delicious burrito (I’ll stick with grilled chicken or vegetarian from now on). One thing I love is that they give you slices of avocado on the super (I skip the sour cream as always).
My new favorite chile relleño burrito in the city is at La Corneta (pictured above), which also has the tastiest rice (a tomato-based Spanish rice with peas and carrots) and one of the tightest wrapping jobs. La Corneta has two locations I go to, one at 2834 Diamond Street in Glen Park (friendlier and cleaner) and one on Mission Street between 23rd and 24thstreets (they also have locations in Burlingame and San Carlos).
La Corneta was also the first taqueria I found when I was a vegetarian, which highlighted which menu items are totally free of animal products. The chile relleño burrito features creamy refried beans, that tasty red Spanish rice, and a tender chile filled with molten cheese (I leave out the lettuce).
For a “clean”, simple burrito with some of the best refried beans in town, head over to the inner Sunset for a boiled chicken burrito at Gordo Taqueria on Ninth Avenue near Lincoln (other locations include Geary Avenue and Clement Street). Boiled chicken, you say? Yes! It’s delicious, shredded and simmered in tomato broth with onions until juicy and tender (they have grilled chicken like every other taqueria if you must).
Ask for a regular (10-inch) spinach tortilla, which has beans, rice, pico de gallo, and meat (I add guacamole), or, for larger appetites, get the super (12-inch) tortilla, which includes two slices of cheese. I also love their crispy bean-and-cheese taco: a fresh corn tortilla fried with cheese on top and your choice of toppings (I keep it simple, like Gordo’s in general, with only refried beans, cheese, and a hefty amount of their standout salsa verde).
For a down-and-dirty burrito, with or without meat, I love Pancho Villa in the Mission at 3071 16th Street and Valencia Street (they also have their original restaurant, El Toro, and El Cafetazo Café, both in the Mission, and a second Pancho Villa in San Mateo). The Mission location is cavernous, bustling from 10 a.m. until 10 p.m., and outfitted with hard-to-grab, uncomfortable leather strap seats without backs (probably so you don’t get too comfortable and overstay).
At Pancho Villa, you’ll find one of the larger menus (much more than tacos and burritos), and while there’s nearly always a line, it moves quickly with an expert line of assemblers. One of the best deals in town: a regular burrito with your choice of meat, rice, beans, and salsa is $11, while a super (cheese, guacamole, sour cream, lettuce, tomato) is $16 and big enough for two. You can also make it make it “mojado” by smothering it in a savory sauce and topping it with cheese.
For small appetites, order a baby burrito for $9.50. And yes, they make a pretty good chile relleño burrito, and even one with tofu. Don’t forget a side of cebollitas — whole green onions charred over the open flame.
For a solid burrito and the best avocado salsa in the city — it was a revelation when I had it for the first time — head to El Castillito on Church Street just off the N Judah line and across the street from Our Lady of Safeway (Church and Market streets). When El Castillito opened nearly 25 years ago, it was the incentive I needed to do my grocery shopping at the craziest Safeway in town (other than the Webster Street one, which has since closed).
Meat choices at El Castillito are limited to carnitas, chorizo (no thank you), al pastor, grilled chicken, and grilled beef. My friend swears by the al pastor — marinated pork shaved off a spit and crisped on the flattop — but I usually go vegetarian and drown it in that velvety avocado sauce.
Sometimes you’re looking for one thing and find another. Such is the case with Belmar-Lagallinita Meat Market (2989 24th Street between Alabama and Harrison streets).
We were in the Mission wanting hot, fresh chicharrónes (crispy, puffy, fried pork rinds) and stumbled upon Belmar-Lagallinita early on a Saturday morning. Opened in 1965, it serves the community as a caterer, butcher shop, grocery store, and restaurant.
In the back, you’ll find a butcher shop and those fresh, crispy chicharrónes, along with a woman making fresh tortillas. Don’t expect fancy, but do expect fresh and friendly. Go to the register and place your order, pay, and grab a card table if you can while the tortillas are prepared for your meal.
I am a huge fan of menudo (beef tripe soup), and a steaming bowl costs just $10. My friend enjoyed the blue corn tortilla soft taco with carnitas (the tortillas are a little thicker than average). I tried their specialty — cencina, or salted beef strips — on a regular corn tortilla. The meat is just salty enough, grilled to order, and can also be taken home by the pound.