Garaje
Mexican restaurant · South of Market
475 3rd St, San Francisco, CA 94107
Highlights
Zapatos, burgers, tacos, and extensive beer list; casual vibe
Zapatos, burgers, tacos, and extensive beer list; casual vibe
"Garaje does a few things well: there’s great beer options, it’s a good place to kick back and watch sports on TV, and they serve the only affordable late(ish)-night eats worth having in this part of town. As for the food, you’ll probably enjoy it, especially paired with the excellent beer. It’s basically Mexican from the school of San Diego, meaning they’ve plumbed the depths of what one can stuff french fries into and tested the vertical limits of piles of guacamole on top of everything else. The best options are the zapatos, or pressed cheesy burrito-type things, stuffed with guacamole and—you guessed it—more french fries. Everything besides the zapatos comes down in the category of okay, but not great. The tacos seem to believe, in their little tortilla heart of hearts, that if they were just filled with more stuff, at some point, they’d be good. We’re sorry, tacos, but this is not true. More is not more. So, should you go to Garaje? For sure. As long as your plan is to wash down an avocado-meat-french-fry concoction with a killer IPA, while watching a Warriors game. We’ll be back for exactly that purpose. Food Rundown Zapatos Our favorite thing on the menu. Basically a pressed Mexican hot pocket. We vote for Cali steak because the steak is well-cooked, and you want some fries in there. Tacos In a word...polarizing. These are gigantic, piled high with meat, vegetables, and guacamole. So much guacamole. They are nothing like the tacos you’ll get in a Mission taqueria, but we don’t begrudge them that. Carne Asada Fries Basically the tacos on top of a pile of fries. With melted cheese. Not bad, but we didn’t find ourself housing the whole thing. Cheeseburger A solid burger, but doesn’t pass the In-N-Out test. Said test being, “price adjusted, would you rather eat this than a double-double?” Most burgers don’t pass the In-N-Out test. Doesn’t mean they’re not worth eating." - Max Child
"Head here for a “zapato,” or a flour tortilla filled with any number of proteins and refried beans, jack cheese, and salsa, then pressed until golden, kind of like a flattened burrito. Fillings span a range of inspirations — think everything from fried chicken to crab cakes to carne asada. The vibe is distinctly grungy but the beers are cold, the food arrives fast, and it’s less than a half-mile from the ballpark." - Paolo Bicchieri
"Garaje is an unexpected mashup of tacos and burgers with plenty of beer on tap. The “zapatos” are a flour tortilla filled with carne asada, beer-battered tilapia, or buttermilk fried chicken, topped with refried beans, jack, salsa, and pressed until golden, kind of like a flattened burrito. The place doesn’t look like much from the outside and nearly every menu item is $20 or less." - Paolo Bicchieri
"The casual Mexican restaurant in SoMa serves really good zapatos, a riceless burrito stuffed with jack cheese and fillings like steak, fries, and pico de gallo. In order words, beeline to Garaje if you want a flavorful, hearty meal that’ll keep you going for more than nine innings. Other things you can order: burgers, tacos, and carne asada fries. They also have a phenomenal beer list, a line that moves relatively quickly, and plenty of small tables for you to sit at while you drink your pint." - lani conway, julia chen 1
"Garaje in SoMa has a mixed menu of things like fast food-style burgers and tacos with interesting fillings like beer-battered cauliflower, but we gravitate to the zapatos. They’re griddle-pressed burritos with cheese, refried beans, avocado, salsa, and your choice of meat. Pair them with any of the craft beers from their list and you’re set. If you don’t want to spend approximately $8,000 on food at a Giants game, come here first." - Julia Chen 1, Lani Conway, Will Kamensky
