San Francisco Serves Up Handheld Heaven Best Burritos in San Francisco
Written By: Alex Terwilliger Best Burritos in San Francisco
We Californians are lucky to live in a place with such an abundance of superior Mexican food. Perhaps most notable are our burritos, which attract food obsessed tourists from far and wide. A few years ago one enthusiast even created a bracket to score the top burritos in the country, the winner hailing from none other than San Francisco. If you want to rile up some San Franciscans, asking where to get the best burrito in the city is a surefire way to open the floodgates of passionate debate. From the uber famous and Food Network Featured classics, to the less well known, off the beaten path gems, here’s our rundown of the top contenders for the prestigious title of Best Burrito in San Francisco. Best Burritos in San Francisco
Taqueria El Farolito
Step out of the dimly lit bars, and into the bright fluorescent lights of El Farolito, king of the late night burrito. El Farolito is where the masses flock after a night of downing cocktails in the Mission. In fact, it’s not uncommon for the lines late at night here to rival those during its lunch rush. Choose from classic meat fillings (carne asada, al pastor, lengua, and more) and don’t forget to order it “super, ” with cheese, sour cream and avocado. The burritos here are customizable, large and consistently satisfying. Cash only.
2779 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.824.7877
La Taqueria
With its red neon sign and double arched entryway, this iconic storefront is synonymous with pure indulgence. Those in the know will use off menu lingo such as requesting their burrito “dorado style” (grilled until the outside is golden and crispy), and with a side of salsa roja (green sauce is available in squeeze bottles on every table, but salsa roja is available by request only). All your favorite meat fillings are offered here; order a combination of two if you can’t decide (one of them should be the carnitas). Sit at a communal table, roll up your sleeves and sink your teeth into this juicy beast while enjoying the live Mariachi music. Cash only.
2889 Mission St
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.285.7117 Best Burritos in San Francisco
Garaje
Not your classic taqueria, Garaje deems itself a dive bar meets gastropub meets garage hangout. You’ll often hear locals raving about Garaje’s burger, but their Mexican specialties are just as worthy of praise. “Zapatos” are flour tortillas stuffed with unique ingredient combinations and then pressed in a similar style to a panini. Order the Cali Steak, filled with skirt steak asada, jack cheese, fries, avocado, pico de gallo and refritos. Order the Rolls Royce for the same thing plus plancha prawns. Best Burritos in San Francisco
475 3rd St
San Francisco, CA 94107
415.644.0838
The Little Chihuahua
This mini chain of restaurants is perfect for those looking for an experience that’s slightly elevated compared to your standard burrito joints. With a focus on sustainably sourced ingredients, it’s refined enough to be a casual date spot, but decadent enough to satisfy your most ravenous burrito cravings. Try one of their specialty burritos, like the fried plantain & black bean burrito with cheese, roasted red bell peppers, rice, sour cream, smoky chile salsa, and pico de gallo. Order a side of chips so you can sample every salsa from the serve yourself salsa bar.
292 Divisadero St
San Francisco, CA 94117
415.255.8225 Best Burritos in San Francisco
Papalote Mexican Grill
As noteworthy as the Papalote burrito itself is the famous roasted tomato salsa that’s served alongside it, also sometimes referred to as their “special sauce.” This salsa started out as a tribute to the owners’ father’s famous salsa, but quickly became a legend of its own. The stuff now has its own website, and is sold in supermarkets across the Bay Area. The burrito to order here is the Triple Threat, with prawns, chicken, steak, rice, beans and pico. Snack on a pickled jalapeño from the jug on the counter while you wait for your order.
3409 24th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
415.970.8815 Best Burritos in San Francisco
Gordo Taqueria
A ways away from the part of town where the Mission Style burrito was born, this contender has locations in the Sunset and Richmond districts, bringing top notch Mexican to some otherwise burrito deficient sections of the city. Best known for their super carnitas and chile verde, the burritos here are extra generously sized. Pull an expert move and get someone to share one with you, allowing you room for a quesadilla appetizer. Gordo also has multiple locations in the East Bay, so you’ll never be too far from your next monster burrito.
1239 9th Ave
San Francisco, CA 94122
415.566.6011 Best Burritos in San Francisco
Bayshore Taqueria
Definitely off the beaten path, and maybe flying the most under the radar of the contenders on this list, Bayshore has a slew of devotees who claim it to be the biggest sleeper in the burrito game. Located directly off of the 101, Bayshore makes a great pit stop for those commuting in and out of SF by car (or en route to or from SFO). Order the super burrito with carnitas, the veggie fajita burrito, or better yet, come in for one of their guest chef curated specials. Follow Bayshore Taqueria on Twitter and Facebook to hear about upcoming guest chefs.
300 Bayshore Blvd
San Francisco, CA 94124
415.285.1100
San Fran’s Bomb Burritos By the Bay
