La Taqueria

The Best of the BEST. There is no doubt about it.
A landmark in San Francisco since the late 70s.
Hands down the best burrito, tacos, and quesadillas in the city. I've been coming to La Taqueria since I've been a child. Quite frankly, this place has been very consistent when it comes to making excellent food with quality products.

When it comes to the burrito, I enjoy it simple. There is no need for sour cream or guacamole.
I usually order 2 regular burrito de carnitas (pork)
Meat, beans, tomato, and the iconic salsa verde.

Here's the kicker when you order the tacos, you have to go SUPER de Carne Asada y doradas (Fried). These tacos are absolute fire! I repeat ABSOLUTE fire! Sour cream and guacamole are a must on these bad boys! Thank me later.

I love the simplicity in the corn quesadillas. Tortilla and montery jack cheese and a slap of pico de gallo.
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The service here is remarkable. I love going to places where people know me for loving their food.

The dining room is awesome it's family vibish with long tables and bench seats. And if you're lucky, you might catch the Mariachi come by and play some slappers.

Overall, I would rate this place as my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE food establishment in San Francisco. This is the ultimate San Francisco dining experience.

* date visited: 09.01.2024
* ordered: carne asada taco and carnitas taco

while these are definitely very big tacos, they're a bit pricey at $4.95 each. the tortillas are stretchy and chewy but overall, i felt the carne asada lacked flavor and was over powered by the salsa and beans. surprisingly the carnitas was a bit saltier and had a stronger flavor in my opinion. these were not bad but i think i do prefer street tacos with just onion and cilantro :)

seating is very limited but we were lucky to get a table. also live guitar performances which is fun but definitely made it a bit hard to hear.

Overhyped in my opinion.

What I liked - The chorizo taco was really good. The horchata was great too!

What I didn't - the chips were way too toasted and hard. The guacamole and salsa was good. The steak here wasn't good at all. It was missing that grilled, fatty taste you expect from carne asada. It tasted boiled and warmed up. My steak burrito was lacking flavor. Our steak taco was the same, lacking.

Overall, the ambience was nice and the staff was good too but it lacked that flavor I was expecting. Overhyped.

$17 & change *cash price.
1 Carne asada super taco
1 Carnitas super taco

Good? Yes.
Delicious? Yes.
Meets the hype? No.

Order outside.
Pay inside. Pay more with credit cards.
Take a seat.
Get up, grab your food.
No water station. No chips. No salsa bar. Can't see the kitchen ingredients from outside. Napkins and green sauce on the very clean tables.

Carne asada was tender and flavorful. It was also better than Carnitas.

I had a cup of yogurt and some fruit for breakfast. After the tacos I was 85% full. I would eat there again, except if there was a line. Too many good and delicious taco joins in the mission that are less expensive.

La Taqueria serves the iconic Mission burrito--the simplest version made of meat, beans, and pico de gallo wrapped in a flour tortilla, and the "super" featuring the addition of cheese, sour cream, and avocado. For the choice of meats, I tried the Carnitas (shredded pork), Carne Asada (grilled beef steak), and Pollo (shredded chicken), each of which was delicious and flavorful in its own way! Distinctively, the burritos here weren't filled with rice, allowing the flavors of the meat and beans to stand out. I'd highly recommend ordering the burritos "dorado" (golden), and the wrap will be griddled to a nice golden brown.

In addition to burritos, La Taqueria also serves tacos (imagine that!), built on two corn tortillas with meat and the other toppings. Ordering a taco "crispy" gets you one crispy griddled tortilla on top of a soft tortilla for a pleasant textural contrast!

Delicious! I came on Juneteenth and it was packed - I think it was around 1 PM and the line was a little ways down the block. We probably waited 15ish minutes to order. I got a super carnitas taco (I had a big breakfast earlier so wasn't super hungry) and a side of chips and salsa. The inside looked really packed but some intense watching allowed us to find someone leaving from a table after a few minutes.
Everything was delicious. The meat is seasoned excellently. Toppings are nice and fresh. I've never really had sour cream on my tacos but it was good! The chips and salsa were delicious as well - chips were fresh and not too greasy while the salsa was also very fresh and flavorful. It's definitely worth the wait!

Classic mission burrito. They don't mess around. A little more expensive than I expected but that's inflation I guess. Carne asada was fresh!

Small popular Mexican joint on the tail end of the Mission, street parking only so good luck.

We came around lunchtime and there was a decent line of people to be served. There's no waitlist, just wait in line to take your order outside and then proceed to pay inside and wait for an available table to free up. The restaurant was bustling to say the least for every table was occupied, elbow to elbow. However, the line went fast and we were waved down by staff to an available table within minutes.

This was my first time here and I usually order a burrito to use as a baseline when comparing other Mexican restaurants I've been to, so I ordered a carne asada super burrito el dorado style. El dorado style you ask? They lightly fry the outside of your burrito to make the outside a bit crispy, similar to the bottom of a fried gyoza! Didn't know this was a thing until my friend ordered it and I must say it gave a fried taste that was surprisingly pleasant. The taste of the burrito was above average but the content inside was very mushy, like I just bit into a scoop of mash potatoes. I didn't have a problem with it but different characteristic from other burritos I've tried.

Overall, above average Mexican food and will comeback to try the rest of their menu.

Came here after our hike leader recommended it. I had a super (cheese, guacamole & sour cream) carnitas burrito, grilled, and it was delicious!

Busy place, though worth the wait - we waited in the "dine-in" line and were able to sit down & enjoy our burritos together after a short while.

As a Bay Area girl born and raised, I've heard mixed things about La Taqueria. Yet, I've always had it in my mind to try. After a day at the beach, my companion suggested we grab lunch at La Taqueria since I'd never been.

We came on a Sunday, Cinco de Mayo, at peak lunch hours. To our surprise, there was a short line, and we were able to find a table! Lines and wait times can vary. The restaurant is relatively clean and it's nice there's a handful of tables available. The process as of 2024 is to order outside, pay inside, take it to-go, or find a spot yourself to sit. The workers try their best at efficient turn-around and we got our burritos quickly.

So, my mistake was not ordering it Dorado style, which I now want to go back to try! I had a Carnitas Regular Burrito and added Avocado. Honestly, the burrito was underwhelming. The carnitas was juicier but the fact there was no rice in the burrito made me feel like they could've packed it more with ingredients. The avocado was fresh and creamy but again, I felt like it was skimped. The salsa provided was spicy and paired well. My companion had a Lengua Super Burrito. We both were satisfied but thought the flavors were lacking and preferred other spots.

Many come to the Mission District for Mexican food. La Taqueria is boasted highly of, but in my opinion it was quite average. You can find them off Mission Street with limited parking and a line out the door. If I do come back it'll be to try their burrito dorado style!