Papalote Mexican Grill

The Mexican food I had delivered to me at this restaurant was really good. The bean and rice burrito filled me right up . I was full at the end of my meal. This restaurant had a great selection of vegetarian options available. I highly recommend this restaurant. I give them 5 stars ⭐️

Ordered through To Good To Go, showed them my order swiped, and they said they didn’t have any food. The workers called their manager but offered no compensation or food. Not how it works! Asked if they can make me some burritos but they refused, even though it’s entirely their fault. A regular business would have done everything to not inconvenience the customer when they themselves are out fault, but not here. Wasted a trip out here, food definitely not worth full price.

Good burritos in a no frills counter without any real indoor seating. My biggest complaint is that the burrito and chips are in the same bag so there’s nowhere to put the foil wrapper as you eat it. Also the chips were pretty stale.

The food was OK. The service was great. Very limited dine-in options with only a small stand-up bar-type counter.

This place is really close to my job, and I was hesitant to try it because it only had 4 stars. I walked in today, ordered a carne asada burrito. It was good! Also best salsa I’ve had in the city so far for a burrito.

This is the only google review I’ve ever left. This place is both life changing and affirming. I’ve been getting the super burrito 3x a week for years (and I’m in the best shape of my life). Never been happier or healthier.

I thought it was a little pricey until the large portions arrived making it a very reasonable cost. The place isn't accessible friendly since its all high tables stool seating. Surfaces were also a bit on the dusty, could use a little cleaning side of things. While the food was very tasty - flavorful, well made - if I ever go back it'll be a take out order.

One of the best Mexican restaurants in San Francisco. This place was highly recommended by a number of friends and I can see why. The food and price are very hard to bear. The carne asada burrito was perfectly done. The mole tofu also was fantastic. The hot sauce they give you is also incredible. I'll definitely return just to pick up a bottle of that before going home.

Spectacular food. Wonderful vegetarian options. Unique and delicious menu items. Perfect for takeout. Thank you!

Came here recently to claim a DoorDash deal ($8 off $20 or more), and tried the al pastor nachos. The dish itself was very tasty. In particular, I thought the pastor had a nice char to it, a nice roasted flavor with hearty chunks of meat, the ratios were balanced, and all the accompaniments were all pretty fresh (guac, salsa, etc.). My issue is with their pricing scheme. Before any discounts, the super nachos are $18.25, plus a mandatory 4.5% surcharge (set by the restaurant, not the city), which I feel is steep. After taxes, that's over $20 for a plate of nachos, and in a town with no shortage of high-quality taquerias, that's just higher than most of the competition for what I would argue is comparable quality food. The other problem I have is with their salsa. Every dish by default comes with chips and a tiny 2-oz. cup of their (also very tasty) salsa. The quality is also excellent, and has a roasted tomato flavor to it that is unique. However, they are very stingy if you want extra (I suspect because this is what they are known for, and it's quite popular). My giant plate of nachos, for example, didn't include salsa by default (other than the tiny cup that comes with the side of chips). I don't think it's appropriate to charge an extra $0.50 per 2-oz. cup if you are ordering a normal meal. A lot of other taquerias have full-blown open salsa bars with unlimited salsa for free, regardless of what you order. I can understand charging someone who is just ordering an extra side of chips and salsa, but if I'm already paying $20+ for the main event, I think a reasonable amount should be included. So, the reason for the lower rating is that I feel they are nickel & diming their customers. I get that everyone is being squeezed right now, but there's a lot of competition in this segment, and Papalote stands out for its higher-than-average prices in relation to what you get in return. Also, this isn't food related, but they are currently to-go only at this location, as I sit here in Sept 2024, and I'm not sure why that's the case. I'd like an option to dine-in, without a take-out container.

I had a very bad interaction with the two men at the cash register when I ordered a burrito today. I have been ordering from Papalote for more than 16 years now. I asked for chicken, beans, cheese and sour cream. The cashier asked what kind of beans and I said pinto. When I got home, the burrito had tomatoes and onions. I called and the cashier told me the menu indicates all burritos come with tomato, onion and cilantro. So I drove back to Papalote with the burrito and asked for another one without tomatoes and onions. They told me no. They said I should have asked for no onions and no tomatoes ... he said all burritos have tomatoes and onions unless you tell them not to put those ingredients on the burrito. He said there are no build your own burritos at Papalote and that's that. If I wanted a burrito without tomatoes and onion I had to order another one and pay for it. I was very disappointed as I have ordered my own burrito here for the last 16 years. I told them this has never happened before and that I was going to write a review because I don't think it's right. They were definitely snickering a bit about being 'right'.

If there's one thing that stands out at Papalote, it's definitely their salsa. It's thick, rich, nutty, and spicy, and you can never have enough to go with their tortilla chips! Good thing they also sell it by the jar! For my entree, I tried the Naked Burrito, essentially a burrito bowl that came with refried black beans, lettuce, pico de gallo, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, jalapeños, and a choice of meat. I had the chile verde, made of tender chunks of pork cooked in a tangy tomatillo sauce. Another highlight was their mole sauce, a thick, creamy, smooth blend of peppers, spices, nuts, and cacao, which had a complex sweet and savory flavor. Overall, the flavors here were all on point, featuring the best of Mexican cuisine!

The waiter was attentive and considerate, and also specially introduced the history and eating methods of each dish. The experience was great!

tldr; I got some fresh, sizable tacos here that totally justified the price I paid. Fresh and delicious flavors. Underrated IMO recs: Get the chips and salsa -- the salsa is so delicious. price: ~$12/pp Papalote is a mostly takeout/delivery spot in the NOPA neighborhood with an impressive menu boasting some quality ingredients. It's still possible to dine in by using their standing bar, but ask for napkins before you eat. Came here looking for a light bite and ended up leaving super satisfied and surprisingly stuffed. I ordered the shrimp tacos, described as cooked in butter and white wine with mushrooms, and was not disappointed. The shrimps were super bouncy, and the cooks were able to modify my order to use spinach tortillas, which was also really nice. The price of two premium tacos was a little more than a burrito, but they were also huge, and I would totally order them again. Papalote is the spot to go to if you're looking for a casual, affordable, and wholesome meal. :)

We tried several items for take out and we really enjoyed them! The pollo burrito was delicious and the steak tacos very flavorful. The price was also very reasonable and fair, especially given the quality of the ingredients. We also love their salsa! We will try other items next time.

Update to my previous review, things have not improved an iota. The staff continues to make mistakes or skip things entirely like adding chips to a large order, or an entire paid pint of salsa, these things are never caught until leaving the restaurant, so the restaurant benefits, and the customer is literally left holding the bag. What the heck is management doing to disincentivize them to be so lax?

Yummy burritos. Papalote has especially good vegetarian options. I particularly like the burritos with mole sauce.

Delicious burritos! My favorite is the soyrizo burrito and I also get the mole tofu burrito. A little on the pricey side if you add the toppings but they're worth it. Very filling and hearty. Great vegetarian options here too!

This is a Mexican spot located off Fulton and Masonic. It's quite busy in terms of parking. There's no seating inside. The staff and service was quick (food ready in 10 minutes). I ordered a carne asada burrito that comes with rice, beans, and pico de gallo. The burrito also comes with a handful of chips (emphasis on literally just a handful) and papalote sauce which is a thicker consistency, mildly spicy salsa that I was using for the chips and to add to the burrito. The burrito itself was decently sized, but it did feel like it was loaded more with rice and beans than protein. Flavor wise, it was good, but slightly underwhelming/not as comparable to other burritos I've had before. Overall, a decent spot to check out if you're hungry and in the area.

More expensive than most of sf. 18+ for a super burrito. Most other places do around 15-16 w/tax and even that's expensive but it's manageable. Worse is they charge for salsa here You can avoid

Just ordered food to be delivered with Uber Eats, my entire order was wrong. The pescado burrito was supposed to be super, I received a tiny burrito with a very small amount of salsa and fish, nothing else. No beans even? So weird. The nachos were also supposed to be super, they had nothing but a minimal amount of cheese, nothing else. Checked my receipt, I was charged for what I ordered. Why is the quality and service of this location so much worse than the original on 24th??? So disappointing. Never again.

My burrito was ok but felt my visit and purchase could have been better. They charge for more salsa (ouch) i liked the location close to USF across from Lucky market and next to a Starbucks.

Do not eat the chips from this location. They leave the chips open when they spray the prep surfaces with cleaner, and the chips often get sprayed. They taste like bleach or some other cleaner. I've raised this with the crew multiple times, but they never correct it. Burritos are fine, but steer clear of the chips.

I had a similar experience at Papalote last September but I let it go. Everyone's entitled to an off night. After picking up tonight's order, it was more of the same: Halves of our burritos were individually wrapped like sad limbs thrown haphazardly into a bag with loose chips as a bottom layer like packing peanuts. It'd go a long way to slice the burrito in half then neatly roll it in aluminum wrap and tuck in the ends. How about some individual wax paper bags for the housemade chips? They also forgot the side of guacamole. They've really cut back on the proteins as my prawn burrito ($19.45) had 2 halved shrimp and was mostly crammed with Spanish rice and thin lines of guac and sour cream. So much for upgrading it to "super". My son makes food magically disappear but "it's alright" was not a ringing endorsement of his chile verde super burrito. Disappointing.

I got a super al pastor burrito which was sadly just mid-sized (it was not baby-sized as I have come to expect from being spoiled by other places). Flavor-wise it was all there - it certainly satisfied my Mexican food craving that day, and they even put pineapple in the al pastor! I do wish they included more than one type salsa though. I wish Papalote could be a new go-to for me but after tax and tip it came out to be $18 and change which is quite steep for one burrito!

Wow. I used to love walking here to get a tasty, freshly made burrito. That has definitely changed. The meat is over salted, lettuce was somehow thrown in the burrito (which probably points to laziness in cleanliness of the ingredients, and everything tastes old and chewy like roasted tire. I'm not sad. I'm just disappointed. I expected better. I was greatly let down. Oh, and the size of the quesadillas are like half a quesadilla at double the price. It's just overpriced and bad.

The salsa tastes like fish. Not sure why, it's been like this for years ever since the pandemic. It's obvious they store the salsa next to the fish and it tastes like fish and it's absolutely disgusting

This place is one of my regular go-to takeout spots. I order from here at least once every two weeks. Although the Mission location is more convenient for me, the food quality at this Fulton spot is way better. I always order the carne asada super burrito with Spanish rice, whole wheat tortilla, and black refried beans. The steak is always so tender and delicious! I've also ordered the chile verde pork burrito and al pastor burrito a couple of times before, but sometimes the pork can be a bit dry. My favorite is definitely the carne asada, which has been consistently tasty. I'm also obsessed with the bean and cheese dip (mainly for the cheesiness). I prefer this location vs Mission because this spot absolutely hits the nail on the head with the bean to cheese ratio. Every order also comes with a free serving of chips and Papalote's special roasted tomato salsa.

Sadly, I've had my final Papalote burrito. This was my go-to place but wow have things gone way downhill even since my last visit a few months ago. I was the only customer, walked up to place my order. There were 5 people working. My burrito cost over $18. I stood there as I waited for them to put my steak on the grill but instead everyone was watching a video on their phone. When the guy started my burrito, instead of putting a fresh piece of steak on the grill, he took the upside down bowl off an old piece that had been sitting there, very dry and burnt looking. He chopped it up and placed it on top of not yet melted cheese. It's hard to justify coming back. Plus, the place looks a shambles. If you have an open kitchen line, it has to be spotless. You can't make food after being on your phone. I am willing to pay for food that seems overpriced if it's made with pride. But this isn't a fair exchange.

Worst Mexican food in the city, $15 dollars for 2 of the worst tacos I ever got served

When I entered the store I could already tell I was making a mistake. The place was dirty, messy, and uninviting to customers. Made me think this was just a commercial kitchen to make salsa? I hope they are focusing on something there because the food was obviously not a priority. Carne asada was way over cooked and in large chunks making it very chewy and unevenly distributed throughout the burrito. Even then the meat and guacamole were very sparse and the burrito mainly consisted of rice and terrible pico de gallo. Not a good burrito.

Yummy food. I like Papalote (kite) for their shrimp burritos, and tacos. Not too many places make this combo and this is one of the closest place near me without me having to trek over to the Mission every time. Slightly pricier but definitely worth it for me. I only get food to go so not much ambiance but service is nice and efficient.

$78 on 3 things.. lol idk pretty mediocre Mexican food. No real limes offered for tacos. When you ask you get lime juice instead.

I am glad that Papalote still has a place in my life. It used to be my go to spot to manifest a lovely afternoon. - when I used to live nearby - years ago. I used to pick up a massive fresh fish burrito and pay for extra salsa - and just indulge - it was the best. I haven't had a fish burrito here in awhile, but recently Papalote has been my husband's go-to spot - when we arrive or leave the city. And they deliver - both literally and figuratively. Our food always arrives quickly and their burritos are fantastic for fueling a busy evening or a mellow drive. And honestly - that salsa is what keeps on bringing us back. It's fantastic and we've even started buying it at the grocery store near us - so we can recreate a lil bit of the Papalote magic at home. Trust.

Second time ordering, burritos are huge! All ingredients tastes fresh and is throughout the entire burrito. Love their chips sauce- spicy and sweet- it's great. Both orders were delivered fast- Will use them again.

Solid Mexican food but nothing special. The chicken quesadilla was good. The Spanish rice wasn't the best, but the carne asada tacos were good, okay meat but great pico de gallo. Extremely quick service, orders done within five minutes or less so would go here if in a rush but not if you have time.

I visit Papalote infrequently, but it is always a great tasting burrito. Not to mention, I love the vegetarian and vegan options

Right around the corner from work. Good Tacos! Will be back! They make milkshakes too....i asked if their milkshakes bring the boys to the yard but they were unable to determine. Friendly Staff!

Papalote is a very convenient spot for USF students. It is on the corner of Masonic and Fulton and it is very hidden because of its small building. I went in today to get to get lunch and I decided to get a Carne Asada Burrito Bowl. They charged me $13.50 for the meal and automatically charged me $0.50 for a bag, when I would have appreciated being asked before hand because I didn't need a bag. The meal in itself was nothing special. I loved supporting this small business, but it wasn't anything crazy or filled with flavor. The only thing that I felt was extraordinary was their salsa! That was extremely good and is really the only reason why I would go back. In addition to the meal, I was given tortilla chips. It was given a large brown bag but I was underwhelmed to see 5 tortilla chips in the bag (picture included). This was genuinely embarrassing to me. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place, but I did love their salsa!

Very yummy burrito spot! Authentic no frills just delicious flavor. Got the chicken and carnitas burrito and were full for hours. Their salsa is homemade and the best. Definitely the best part! If you are craving a good takeout burrito definitely check out this place.

Hole in the wall, if you blink you'll miss it. That usually means they have good food. This was my first time trying and I'll definitely go back. I got the carne asada burrito...it was good, and a good size. The game changer for this place though is the salsa they give you with the chips. This salsa has a late kick of spice, that is just right. Had I known about the salsa before hand, I would have added on my burrito.

I ordered delivery two days ago for a soyrizo burrito, veggie quesadilla & chips+salsa. The only perceptible flavor was SALT. The quesadilla was so salty it was inedible. The burrito had so little guacamole (which is an additional charge) that I thought they'd didn't add it until I found two little pieces of brown avocado. Same for pico de gallo--maybe a teaspoon. The rest of burrito was stale rice and super salty soyrizo. I love eating local, but I ordered chiplote after I had to trashed this $45 (!!) order. Appalling. PS: chips were good and salsa was OK, though not traditional pico, it tasted more like bottled salsa. t

Meh...a take out joint mainly for convenient delivery orders serving lukewarm, stale food even if you wait for your order, even if it's right after they open at 11am, which makes one wonder how long the chewy precooked meats are left on the grill to keep warm

Papalote has the best burritos ever. I quite literally dream about them. Yes the place has no seating and parking, but this is SF! Luckily there are bus stops right near by and the panhandle park is just a couple of blocks away to enjoy your lovely burrito.

I order from Papalote at least once a week, it's fantastic. Just stopped in on my way home to grab a burrito and had to order in person and definitely wish I hadn't. Simply the strangest human interaction I've had in 5 plus years with whoever was "working" the counter. I was inside for less than 30 seconds and they legitimately made me feel like I was in the wrong for being there and trying to place an order. I'd fire this person yesterday.

Extremely underwhelming in flavor and dry. Ordered 3 burritos - soyrizo, tofu mole, and grilled veggie. The soyrizo was salty but little other flavor for the other ingredients. Tofu mole was packed with nicely good tofu but there was little flavor. The veggie was mostly zucchini and no other flavor. All 3 burritos were large but there's no joy in eating a lot of flavorless food. $11 each felt like a rip off. Pro: their orange sauce and hefty portion of tortilla chips were excellent. However, even this was ruined by the fact that they put the chips on the bottom of the bag and crushed them with 3 heavy burritos. Who does that??

it was a total bummer. The service was like super slow and they didn't even pay attention to us. And don't even get me started on the food, it was like meh. The flavors were so blah and the dishes, let's just say they weren't very authentic. I gotta be real with you, I wouldn't really suggest this place if you're looking for some legit Mexican grub.

Papalote has been my go to for almost 10 years. Not all restraunt are perfect. But I am giving up on this business! I'm so tired of my food tasting like POISON. Literally time after time, my food always taste like fabuloso. The chips mainly. Honestly I looked past it soo many times. I continued to support this small native businesses for years. Tonight was the final straw. My veggies in my burrito taste like CHEMICALS! I thought I was crazy until I came on here and seen other reviews about people saying their food taste like chemicals (from their Fulton location). I am not crazy. This has been far too many times! I am upset thinking back on every time I've tasted this and still continued to support this business. (I usually door dash from both locations). Are you guys not reading your reviews ? There is also no email contact other than an accountant. This is manager / standard of quality issue and not the person's fault of working the front counter. There are reviews complaining about this 11months ago..... on both Yelp and door dash. I'm super upset about all of this. No one wants to keep re-eating poison. Get it together.

This is an "ok" place but, no parking, no seating area, no bathroom, staff kind but not too friendly, is sort of expensive considering other places a burrito or plate is cheaper and better ($20 for a flavorless burrito). A co-worker recommended me this place, warned me previously the salsa tasted like fish which I didn't care since I like fish anyway. THE GOOD: Personally, I love their salsa and the refried beans (black or pinto). The BAD: I ordered the "pollo asado burrito" and when I could finally found it in that world of rice, I tasted a flavorless, dry and definitely frozen (for long time before and the worst quality they could get) chicken. To me, the salsa is never enough, when you ask for more they hesitate to give you one more. THE UGLY: Since there is no seating area you have the choice to go across the street where is the Fulton 'Lucky' Market, seating area and expect the unexpectable. I'll give them another chance, hoping the asada or shrimp is better, I'll never order chicken again ! NO WAY.

Tastes good but pricey compared to other top Mexican restaurants around the city. A regular carne asana burrito + sour cream & cheese comes out to $15. And $3.75 for a (small) side of rice.

Arguably, a tofu burrito is not the best way to judge a Mexican restaurant but I was hoping ot to be good. It was a bit in the bland side which was unfortunate. And made doubly so because of the brown rice. Salsa was good though! Is come back and try something else. It's looks promising!

I'll give 1 star for the people working there as they were so delightful. I used to eat there regularly about ten years ago when I lived in the neighborhood. I was back for a visit and oh my god, I couldn't get over how much the place changed. The inside was filthy looking, the walls dirty. I was skeptical to order but tried being optimistic. Much like other reviews, my nachos tasted like cleaning supplies it was disgusting. I couldn't put my finger on what I was tasting initially and then realized it was chemicals. These used to be my absolute favorite nachos in the whole wide world. Feels like the end of an era; I will never go back.

This place is great. The prices are a little higher than most burrito places because the chef beat Bobby Flay on Bobby's 'Throw Down' show. So they earn the right to charge a premium. The key to this place is their house made blended salsa. It's so good they were able to go to market with it in a few different salas varieties. It is the salsa that makes these burritos stand out head and shoulders above others. We go here about once a month. They have two types of Tofu, which is good for my vegetarian wife. They also have a very nice simple grilled chicken that I like a lot. They allow you to upgrade to 'super' with Cheese, Sour Cream, and Guac for $2.50. Pretty $teep. I just pay for the Guac and skip the rest. They offer different types of wraps too. I like the spinach tortilla and the wheat. They USED to have a good deal with buy 10 burritos get one free. But, they switched to a new club that is difficult to use and unclear what you get from it. I'll try to look into the details and report back with a clear update to this post. Overall this place has great food and great staff working hard to get it done fast and right. I gave 4 out of 5 stars because of cost, not the food or the service. It is a burrito that we get to 'treat' ourselves. It's not your typical super simple cheap fast burrito from the mission. It's a pretty big step up.

So cool Mexican spot. Food ready in 10 minutes. Great place for the whole family, will definitely come back again.

I ordered the 2 fish tacos for pickup and a burrito. the 2 fish tacos were packaged in a ball of tinfoil and soooo soggy and smashed. it was just mush. And the burrito had hairs in it....

Been here a ton of times , and never had a bad meal. Was running around , and wanted to grab lunch so placed an order for a Carne Asada Burrito. As always the food was ready when I arrived , and off I went to park the car in GG park as to chill while having lunch. Inside my bag was some yummy salsa and fresh chips , plus a nice steak wrap. The burrito was flavorful , and fresh and the chips that came with the order just hit the spot. This shop is very busy so I know everything is freshly made, plus the persons who expedite have always been pleasant so it's easy to recommend. btw , parking can be tight but I can normally find a place for the car on the North side of the street, or just up a block to the West. Plus there is a Lucky across the street , and a Starbucks at the corner in case you need either a caffeine fix , or some random item from the market.

Papalote is alright. We tried the pollo burrito $10.50 and the chorizo con huevo burrito $11.50. The chorizo breakfast burrito was kinda one note since the chorizo and eggs were all mashed together. It was also very greasy as can be expected with chorizo. The pollo burrito was also okay. The chicken did not stand out. At the same price point, I can probably get a fully loaded Chipotle barbacoa or chicken burrito lol. If these burriots were priced at a dollar or so less, I would visit here more often. After sharing one soda, tax, "healthy SF" tax it comes out to be about $14 per person. We dined in and got the popular salsa and chips. The salsa was alright. It reminded me of a Spanish bread tomato salad that was thrown into a blender. If you like the salsa a lot, then you can get the jarred salsa at local grocery stores and markets.