Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
money on dinner here only if everyone at the table consents to a price limit; those
small-plate meals can add up if you're ravenous.
THE MISSION
When I'm undecided about what I want to eat or I'm with someone who wants
to get to know the real San Francisco, I lead them here, where no-frills Latin joints
hang loose with a string of bohemian cafés and relaxed restaurants. There's some-
thing for everyone, and little of it is overly fussy or exclusive.
$
The facilities at primo taqueria
El Farolito
55
(2779 Mission St., at 24th;
%
415/824
-
7877; Sun-Thurs 10am-3am, Fri-Sat 10am-4am; MC, V)
are unpre-
possessing to say the least: chipped red and yellow diner tables and mirrored beer
ads. It needed renovation a generation ago. The food, though, is incredibly fresh,
and, for that, there's usually a line out the door and a 20-minute wait for some of
the Mission's best Mexican. But the burritos! They're simply more massive than
you'll be able to contemplate, let alone actually finish. Seriously—expect a true
foot-long, 4-pounder for a mere $7.75, stuffed with your choice of meat (
carne
asada
is popular; tongue or brains less so). Avocado is scooped right out of the
fruit and onto your meal, and meats are constantly re-marinated even as they're
being served, but be warned that burritos here have slightly more beans in them
than some Mission rivals. Most orders come with free chips and salsa. Plan to eat
here, because the juices in which the meats marinate can cause tortillas to go soggy
after an hour or so; you won't finish, anyway. The homemade
agues frescas
(sugary
fruit drinks) are a sweet midnight kick. It's open until the wee hours (last orders
at 2:45am) every day.
$
The much-celebrated taqueria
La Cumbre
555
(515 Valenica St., at 17th;
%
415/863
-
8205; daily 11am-9:30pm; MC, V),
which began life in 1967 as a gro-
cery before catching wise that custom-made, overstuffed burritos were its true bag.
This place has fed the city since then, long before mega-chains like Chipotle and
Qdoba stole its shtick. In the never-ending battle for the Mission's best burrito, La
Cumbre's name is almost always at the top of the list.
BusinessWeek
reported that
this original store and its brother in San Mateo together took in $2 million in
2004. Customers line up at the counter, order, and then register shock when
they're handed burritos the size of fresh fire logs for $5.50 to $9. I can't seem to
break myself away from a burrito habit here, but you might also try its homemade
caldo
soups, each made to order. If you don't know Mexican fast food, there may
be no better place to become acquainted. There's little chance you'll be able to fin-
ish everything, so don't plan to make a taco crawl by combining with a trip to El
Farolito. San Francisco residents take their burritos
very
seriously, so I'm actually
worried that I'm going to take some flak for just mentioning these two. I think
they're at the top of the heap, but for reviews of well over 500 establishments
around town, delve into the burrito universe being explored at Burrito Eater
(www.burritoeater.com). Its e-mail newsletter?
The Intestinal Apocalypse Monthly.
$-$$
The fish dishes of
Weird Fish
(2193 Mission St., at 18th;
%
415/863
-
4744; www.weirdfishsf.com; daily 9am-10:30pm; AE, MC, V),
while not weird in
the traditional sense, are all comprised of swimmers that have been sustainably
