The Mission burrito is a San Francisco invention and the argument about who makes the best one is a local sport. There are two camps. One says La Taqueria, which leaves out the rice and sears the tortilla. The other says El Farolito, which puts everything in and hands you something the size of a forearm. Both camps are right about something.
What is a Mission burrito, exactly?
A large flour tortilla, steamed to make it pliable, wrapped in foil, filled with meat, beans, salsa and usually rice, cheese, sour cream and guacamole. It was born in the taquerias of the Mission District in the 1960s and is now the default American burrito. The two things that distinguish it from a burrito elsewhere are the size and the foil, which lets you eat half now and half later.
Which is better, La Taqueria or El Farolito?
La Taqueria at 2889 Mission Street is the critics’ pick and the only San Francisco burrito with a national award — the James Beard Foundation gave it an America’s Classics award in 2017. Its burrito has no rice. The argument is that rice is filler and leaving it out gives you more meat, more beans and a better ratio. Order it dorado, which means the wrapped burrito goes back on the plancha until the tortilla crisps. It is the better-constructed burrito.
El Farolito at 2779 Mission Street is the people’s pick. Its super burrito has rice, and it is bigger, cheaper per ounce and open until three in the morning. Plenty of people who live here prefer it, and not only at two in the morning. It is the better value.
If you only have one burrito in you, go to La Taqueria. If you are feeding teenagers, go to El Farolito.
How do the main Mission taquerias compare?
| Taqueria | Address | Order this | Roughly |
|---|---|---|---|
| La Taqueria | 2889 Mission St | Carne asada dorado, no rice | $12–16 a head |
| El Farolito | 2779 Mission St | Super burrito, al pastor | $12–15 a head |
| Taqueria Cancún | 2288 Mission St | Burrito mojado with carnitas | $11–14 a head |
| La Vaca Birria | 2962 24th St | Birria burrito with consommé | $14–17 a head |
| Papalote | 3409 24th St | Carne asada, for the smoky salsa | $13–17 a head |
| El Gallo Giro truck | 23rd St at Treat Ave | Carne asada tacos, weekdays only | $3–5 a taco |
Should a burrito have rice in it?
This is the whole debate in one question. Rice makes a burrito bigger and cheaper to produce; leaving it out makes it denser and more intensely flavoured. National food writers almost always side with the no-rice camp, which is why La Taqueria wins the awards. A large share of people who actually live in the Mission order rice anyway. You can settle it yourself for about thirty dollars by buying one of each and sharing both.
Where are the best tacos, as opposed to burritos?
Different answer. El Farolito’s tacos get more unanimous praise than its burrito does — order the al pastor or the shrimp. The El Gallo Giro truck at 23rd and Treat does the best value tacos in the city at roughly three to five dollars each, but it is a weekday lunch operation, open about 10am to 5pm, so it does not work for dinner. El Tonayense runs a small fleet of trucks at rotating corners; the one at 14th and Harrison has been the reliable one lately, but check before making a trip because individual trucks come and go.
Is this a good meal with children?
Very. Taquerias are fast, cheap, noisy and completely unbothered by a messy toddler, which is more than can be said for most restaurants in this city. A kid will rarely finish a whole super burrito, so order one to share, or ask for a quesadilla, which every shop on this list makes. Most of these rooms are counter-service with a handful of formica tables and no high chairs, so a stroller parked by the window is normal. If you want to eat outside, buy at La Taqueria or El Farolito and walk ten minutes to Dolores Park.
Cash or card, and how long is the line?
All of the shops above take cards now, though several were cash-only within living memory and a card reader occasionally goes down. Bring twenty dollars in cash and you will never be stuck. Lines at La Taqueria and El Farolito run out the door at peak lunch and dinner but move quickly — these are assembly lines, not restaurants. Fifteen minutes is a long wait.
One thing to know before you go
Nick’s Crispy Tacos, which people still recommend, closed its long-running Marina location and its current status is unclear; we are not listing it as open. And there is more than one El Farolito — eight or so across the Bay Area. If someone tells you to go to “the original”, they mean 2779 Mission Street.
Prices and hours were checked in September 2026 and can change, so confirm before you go. We take no payment for inclusion.
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What is the best burrito in San Francisco?
La Taqueria at 2889 Mission Street is the most decorated choice. It leaves out the rice and sears the wrapped burrito on the griddle, and it won a James Beard America’s Classics award in 2017, the only San Francisco burrito shop to do so. El Farolito is the popular counter-argument: bigger, cheaper by volume and open until three in the morning.
What is a Mission burrito?
A large steamed flour tortilla wrapped in foil around meat, beans, salsa and usually rice, cheese, sour cream and guacamole. It was created in the taquerias of San Francisco’s Mission District in the 1960s and became the template for the American burrito.
Should a Mission burrito have rice?
It depends which side of the city’s longest food argument you are on. La Taqueria leaves rice out on the grounds that it is filler and dilutes the ratio of meat to beans, and national critics generally agree. El Farolito and most Mission taquerias include it, and plenty of locals prefer the bigger, cheaper result.
Where are the best tacos in San Francisco?
El Farolito’s al pastor and shrimp tacos are the most consistently praised, and the El Gallo Giro truck at 23rd Street and Treat Avenue does the best cheap ones at roughly three to five dollars each, though it only runs on weekdays from about 10am to 5pm.
Do Mission taquerias take cards?
Yes, all the main ones now do, though several were cash-only until recently and a reader occasionally goes down. Carrying twenty dollars in cash means you will never be caught out, and the street trucks are more reliably cash-friendly than card-friendly.
Are San Francisco taquerias good with young children?
They are among the easiest places in the city to eat with small children: fast, inexpensive, loud enough that nobody notices a toddler, and used to strollers. Order one burrito to share or a quesadilla, and consider taking it to Dolores Park, about ten minutes’ walk from both La Taqueria and El Farolito.