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It’s been called a “Cylindrical God.”
The San Francisco Mission-style burrito even has its own six-section Wikipedia page — a text which documents everything from “eating style” to “politics and culture.” It’s distinguished from other burrito types partly by its bountiful and harmonious collection of ingredients, partly by the aluminum foil that typically envelops it and “partly by sheer size.”
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New York is home to a specific type of pizza, while Chicago offers its spin on the hot dog. Philadelphia is known for the cheesesteak. Cities around the world — consider Istanbul and its döner kebab to be another prime example — provide their own valuable additions to the handheld food spectrum.
The Mission-style burrito is San Francisco’s contribution. It’s customizable and portable. Protein, cheese, rice, beans, avocado, sour cream and salsa have all been options to fit snugly inside supersized flour tortillas at city taquerias since the 1960s.
Originally a popular meal for farm workers and miners in rural California, the burrito was urbanized here. The assembly line production process of taquerias like El Farolito — the Mission District magnet (shown below) that’s remained open for takeout orders during the pandemic — is ubiquitous in the Bay Area and increasingly common around the world.
Bay Area taquerias have loyal followings and a discussion about which joint makes the best “urban food log” can escalate into a heated debate, as can comparisons to other regional burrito styles — such as San Diego’s younger California burrito, which originated in the 1980s and contains french fries.
“In San Francisco,” author Calvin Trillin wrote for The New Yorker in 2003, “the burrito has been refined and embellished in much the same way that the pizza has been refined and embellished in Chicago.”
The Athletic already broke down the best spots for Chicago-style pizza (and other foods) in the Windy City. Now, it’s the Bay Area staff’s turn to examine our local specialties. Our taqueria recommendations aren’t limited to burritos, but the cylindrical god does dominate the conversation.
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Be forewarned that disagreement is an operative word in burrito banter. To this day, there remains no consensus about which taqueria served the original. La Cumbre at 16th and Valencia Streets claims it was “the birthplace of the Mission-style burrito” in 1969, while El Faro at 20th and Folsom Streets insists that it served food logs to San Francisco firefighters in 1961.
More recently, burrito battles have shifted to the national scale, where they’ve received analytical attention normally reserved for baseball from advanced stat gurus. FiveThirtyEight conducted its “burrito bracket” in 2014. The No. 1 overall seed, determined by the site’s Value Over Replacement Burrito (VORB) rankings, was El Farolito. The champion of the NCAA Tournament-style 64-burrito field ended up being La Taqueria, which is located at 25th and Mission Streets only a block from El Farolito.
FiveThirtyEight’s exercise was fun, but it’s time to highlight other Bay Area powerhouses. (By the way, La Taqueria is closed during shelter-in-place, but make sure to order a burrito dorado style — crisp and golden brown from the griddle post-wrap — when it reopens.)
As a disclaimer, our compilation is not meant to be all-inclusive. It’s simply a sampling of our staff’s go-to spots. There are certainly countless other deserving taquerias across the Bay Area, and we encourage you to post about your favorites in the comments section below. If you plan to order take-out or delivery from any of the taquerias listed below, make sure to call ahead of time to ensure availability.
San Francisco
Taqueria Los Coyotes (Mission District)
3036 16th St. (between Mission and Valencia)
I’m not a California burrito guy. I’m not a fan of all the gunk — guacamole, sour cream and cheese — that takes away from what I love and what Los Coyotes gives me every time. A fresh, beautiful tortilla, incredible carne asada, just enough rice, black beans and spicy pico de gallo. That’s it. No gunk. Every bite is dry and perfect. If you’ve got the right ingredients, I don’t want any gunk getting in the way. I’ve tried other burrito spots in the Mission, some of them quite famous, but Los Coyotes’ carne asada is just flat-out tastier. I can’t explain why.
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Things are a little quieter at my favorite restaurant these days. Not much of a line. Obviously, the tables are all gone. But they’re still always busy at the grill, making the burritos (yes, they serve California burritos, too, just not to me), tacos and everything else — for the wise people who are ordering delivery. You should, too. — Tim Kawakami
El Farolito (Mission District)
2779 Mission St.
3409 24th St.
This is a popular one, with multiple locations in the City, and you can’t argue with the value. The super burrito — carne asada is the go-to choice for most — costs less than $10 and it’s massive. The salsa options are strong here as well. If you’re out with some friends in the Mission and need a good, quick option to soak up what you may have imbibed, El Farolito will not disappoint. — Steve Berman
Taqueria Cancun (Mission District)
2288 Mission St.
Despite being the No. 1 overall seed, El Farolito didn’t win the burrito bracket discussed above because it was upset in the first round by … Taqueria Cancun. Now, the fact that these two powerhouses were pitted against each other in the first round was that bracket’s biggest injustice. Both burritos are so good (and they’re related because Taqueria Cancun’s owner originally worked at El Farolito) that only a showdown in the Final Four would’ve been appropriate. — David Lombardi
A world elite burrito (and my personal favorite): The carne asada super burrito from Taqueria Cancun at 19th and Mission, SF. The flaked tortilla puts this one over the top. pic.twitter.com/SJXmsVKjiF
— David Lombardi (@LombardiHimself) April 18, 2020
Papalote (multiple locations)
1777 Fulton St. (NoPa)
3409 24th St. (Mission)
I used to frequent their Fulton Street location when I lived near Alamo Square Park and this is definitely more of a quality-over-quantity kind of taqueria. The prices are on the steeper side: $10.95 for a regular burrito, $13.45 for a super. One can also devour Papalote’s burritos in one sitting fairly quickly without falling into a coma that lingers for the rest of the day/evening.
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But the ingredients are excellent — from the meat they cook to order to the salsas, which they sell at grocery stores throughout the City. There’s almost a creaminess to their salsas, thanks to the expeller pressed canola oil, and they’re so delicious that they’re tempting to eat straight out of the jar with a spoon if you’re out of chips or any other food options (Papalote’s salsa might be my all-time favorite topping for eggs). — Steve Berman
La Gallinita Meat Market (Mission District)
2989 24th St.
If a burrito’s protein quality is of paramount importance to you, this is your spot. It’s a butcher shop that serves burritos on the colorful, tree-lined 24th Street. They’ll take your order at the impressive meat counter in the back, and you can take your burrito on a stroll to nearby Balmy Alley, known for its block-long collection of street murals. — David Lombardi
The City Taqueria (Lower Pacific Heights)
1836 Divisadero St.
As a rule of thumb, burrito quality worsens significantly once one crosses north of Market Street. These final two taquerias are the exception. At The City, order the succulent shrimp-and-steak super burrito and you won’t be disappointed. — David Lombardi
El Castillito (Duboce Triangle)
136 Church St.
Like The City taqueria, El Castillito cooks its meat to order, and that’s a dealmaker. So is the large load of al pastor, which grills prominently on a spit — proper presentation for pork based on the lamb shawarma initially brought to Mexico by Lebanese immigrants. — David Lombardi
East Bay
Tacos Uruapan (Hayward)
29950 Huntwood Ave.
Growing up in Hayward, I can’t remember many bad burritos. Just about any shopping center taco shop or Mexican grocery store can make you a pretty good one. But for the last 10 or so years, Tacos Uruapan has been my favorite. It has the classic story of starting out as a taco truck and having enough success to open a restaurant. (There’s also a second truck location at 27601 Industrial Blvd.) The portions are out of control here. A super quesadilla fills you up the way a super burrito might at other places and the super burritos are borderline shareable — my in-laws do usually share one burrito per two people when they order and occasionally my wife and I will share one if we both want the same thing. I’m always more of a super burrito with carne asada type of guy, but their wet burritos are really good, too, and they also make a quality California burrito for any San Diego transplants. They’ve got a great salsa bar, too, that pairs well with some excellent fresh chips. They remain open for takeout with online or phone ordering available and delivery from DoorDash. — Jimmy Durkin
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Taqueria Senaida’s (Hayward)
150 Tennyson Rd.
Just down the road from Uruapan, Senaida’s has long been a local favorite. In full transparency, I never went there all that often, but it was the most popular among my high school friends. It’s unique as a drive-thru burrito shop that almost always had a line stretching out to the street. There’s no dining room here anyway, so it still works as a spot to drive by and grab a burrito. It’s located right next to Hayward’s drive-thru COVID-19 testing center, so beware that there are some street closures nearby. — Jimmy Durkin
La Mission (Berkeley)
1255 University Ave.
My go-to spot for burritos especially after late-night A’s and Warriors games. You have to get it fajita style with grilled peppers and onions. The chicken tortilla soup is also the best in town and great for those cold winter nights. — Robert Bermudez
Taqueria Los Pericos (Dublin)
7473 Village Pkwy.
Just good, authentic, no-frills Mexican food, which is not as easy to find in the Tri-Valley compared to a lot of other regions in the Bay. If you’re looking for a spot with a wider variety of tortillas than meat options, this isn’t the place for you. But if you want a filling, flavorful, consistent burrito, check out this little spot near I-680. I grabbed an al pastor super burrito on Wednesday night, less than an hour before close. At some places that can be a gamble, as the meat might be a little dry by that time, but that wasn’t a problem at Los Pericos. And this burrito was heavy on the meat, light on the rice. They also threw in two containers of salsa and a generous helping of their homemade tortilla chips (which are great) with my order, but that wasn’t much of a surprise. During normal times, when they aren’t limited to takeout only, they have a salsa and chips bar where you can serve yourself as much as you want. — Steve Berman
If you’re in the neighborhood, want to support a local business, and like massive super burritos, check out Los Pericos in Dublin – one of the spots we at @TheAthleticSF are highlighting in a future story about local taquerias. pic.twitter.com/NtMUeS59Fh
— Bay Area Sports Guy (@BASportsGuy) April 18, 2020
Peninsula
Pancho Villa Taqueria (multiple locations)
365 S B St. (San Mateo)
3071 16th St. (San Francisco)
I’ve had better burritos and tacos. But I’m not sure if I’ve had more consistently great burritos and tacos. And that’s a big deal when you eat about 100 burritos a year, like I did in my younger, thinner prime. When you don’t have a lot of money, do you want a burrito that has the potential to be an A+ but also a B-? Or do you want an A- or A, every time?
I choose the A- or A, every time. The San Mateo one was my go-to for years, even if it’s surrounded by other outstanding places, like Los Primos at the end of B Street, which makes the decision difficult.
(Also, don’t bother with the Yelp reviews. They’re from a bunch of entitled goofs complaining about Grubhub orders. Be skeptical of all Yelp reviews in high-rent areas, really.) — Grant Brisbee
Tacos El Jarochito (Menlo Park)
3360 Middlefield Rd.
A tiny taqueria in front of a grocery store by Redwood City’s Fifth Avenue corridor, El Jarochito won’t charm you with its looks. No, it’s the carnitas and the al pastor that you’ll remember. Crunchy, greasy, cheap and delightful. — Eno Sarris
Gabriel & Daniel’s Mexican Grill (Burlingame)
250 Anza Blvd.
The food is excellent. The wait can be challenging. Last year, I waited an hour for my lunch, with two exhausted, cranky kids, as one overwhelmed line cook/cashier/server/prep cook worked as hard as I’ve ever seen a person work. I had never gone back to give an extra tip after an hour-long wait, but I sure did that time.
Forget the wait, though. Prepare for it. Just do a Google image search for the place to check out what might be the prettiest casual food in the Bay Area, if not … anywhere? Literally anywhere? It almost makes you feel bad to eat it, and it’s definitely worth the wait.
Also, the oddest detail might be the location: It’s at a driving range. A literal driving range, under the same roof as the pro shop. So go hit a bucket of balls and get the most beautiful flautas in existence. Which is a normal sentence to me, at least. — Grant Brisbee
Taqueria San Bruno
1045 San Mateo Ave.
If you’re ever flying in to or out of SFO and need an immediate burrito fix, this taqueria nestled among auto repair shops right under the airport’s takeoff path will not disappoint. The plump burritos may be the heartiest in the Bay Area. — David Lombardi
South Bay
Tu Mero Mole (San Jose)
2041 Woodard Rd.
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I love cheese. I mean, who doesn’t? To me, though, the mark of a truly great burrito is one that doesn’t necessarily need cheese and/or sour cream because the meat is seasoned to perfection. That’s what you get at Tu Mero Mole, which I visit at least once a week (and shudder when I think about how much money I’ve spent there).
I remember recommending this place to former Sharks goalie Alex Stalock a few years back after I saw him sitting outside of a freakin’ Chipotle, and he thanked me for it shortly after his first visit. — Kevin Kurz
Taqueria La Bamba (Mountain View)
580 N. Rengstorff Ave.
I miss the old location, which was essentially a shack located a block away from the current one. But that cozy place was razed to make way for a condo complex, so La Bamba moved to spacious new digs. The good news is that the burritos still pack a serious punch. — David Lombardi
La Victoria Taqueria (multiple locations)
131 W. Santa Clara St., San Jose
140 E. San Carlos St., San Jose
291 N. 4th St., San Jose
1415 N. 4th St., San Jose
5015 Almaden Expy., San Jose
26953 Mission Blvd., Suite F, Hayward
Home of the Orange Sauce. That’s all you need to know. The San Carlos Street location is right next to San Jose State, so I visited that one pretty frequently in college. And the Santa Clara Street location is in the heart of downtown and a very popular late-night spot. Both of those are typically open until 3 a.m. on the weekends, with San Carlos location open late every night during normal times. The burritos are solid on their own and definitely good for soaking up a few beverages, but the Orange Sauce is what sets La Vic’s apart. It’s spicy. It’s sort of creamy. It’s absolutely delicious — and the secret family recipe is vegetarian and vegan-friendly. Don’t leave without plenty of sauce for your food and a to-go bottle to keep in your fridge at home for whenever you need it. — Jimmy Durkin
(Photo of the grill at El Farolito: David Lombardi / The Athletic)
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