Mexican Food in San Francisco (2025)
La Taqueria
Mexican restaurant · Mission
Mission landmark where dorado-style burritos and tacos draw daily lines. Recognized as an America’s Classics winner by the James Beard Foundation and praised by local critics for its enduring community presence.
Californios
Fine dining restaurant · South of Market
Chef Val Cantu’s intimate tasting menu reframes Mexican cuisine with seasonal Northern California produce. Awarded two Michelin stars and consistently cited by major outlets as a singular fine-dining experience rooted in Mexican heritage.
El Buen Comer
Mexican restaurant · Bernal Heights
Homey Mexico City cooking from chef Isabel Caudillo, a La Cocina alum. Handmade tortillas, guisados, and rich moles earn regular love from the San Francisco Chronicle and neighborhood regulars.
La Palma Mexicatessen
Mexican restaurant · Mission
Molino and tortilleria since 1953 powering the Mission’s tortillas. Come for masa, huaraches, and burritos; lauded by the San Francisco Chronicle for standout burritos and foundational neighborhood role.
Nopalito
Mexican restaurant · North Panhandle
Seasonal, sustainably sourced Mexican cooking from the Nopa team. Carnitas, totopos con chile, and horchata anchor a menu the Michelin Guide continues to recommend to locals and visitors.
La Oaxaqueña
Mexican restaurant · Mission
Late-night destination for Oaxacan tlayudas, tamales oaxaqueños, and mole. Featured by SFGATE for its giant, crunchy tlayudas and celebrated by locals as a Mission standby.
Taqueria Los Mayas
Mexican restaurant · Inner Richmond
Inner Richmond favorite for Yucatecan specialties—panuchos, salbutes, and cochinita pibil—on house-made tortillas. Noted by The Infatuation; tied to a nearby sister wine bar championing Mexican wines reported by the Chronicle.
Al Pastor Papi
Mexican restaurant · Union Square
Beloved trompo al pastor returns as a downtown brick-and-mortar through the city’s Vacant to Vibrant program. Covered by the San Francisco Chronicle; expect classic tacos, tortas, and bowls made for a quick Union Square lunch.
El Metate
Mexican restaurant · Mission
Mission stalwart known for lightly fried fish tacos, skinny super burritos, and friendly bustle. Recently praised by The Infatuation; still a go-to for quick, satisfying plates and aguas frescas.
La Vaca Birria
Mexican restaurant · Mission
Mesquite-grilled meats and halal beef birria in handmade blue-corn tortillas. Named on the Chronicle’s best restaurant lists and discussed widely for its bold birria, grilled asada, and salsas.
