San Francisco isn’t famous for tacos. But these are the ones worth defending 86%
By Sara Deseran75%
7/21/2026, 1:00:00 PM
BS Summary: This article contains 32 faulty reasoning types, including Halo Effect, Hasty Generalization, and Appeal to Authority, with Anecdotal as the most egregious example at 27.7% saturation with 381 hits. Analysis detected 3,362 faulty-reasoning hits from 1,375 analyzed words, generating a BS Score of 78.1% and a BS Rank of 86% (2,957 of 19,908 articles). This article is worse (more manipulative) than 85.20% of the article peer group.
When my friend Arturo Gaona, who grew up in Mexico City and is a fiendish taco connoisseur, moved to San Francisco a few years ago, he was surprised to find that the city has a conspicuous blind spot.
It was difficult — perhaps impossible, he feared — to find the kind of tacos he grew up eating.
He wasn’t looking for modern takes like Tacos Oscar’s charred broccoli with peanut-árbol salsa or Loló’s panko-fried shrimp with tropical relish on slices of jicama.
Nor was he looking for crispy-cheesy quesabirria, fried-fish tacos, or even the delicious, overstuffed little beasts at La Taqueria (which are essentially a category of their own).
He was searching for the tacos that define everyday eating in CDMX.
The ones demolished in a few bites, often while standing.
The straight shooters, consisting of nothing more than meat, cilantro, onions, salsa, and corn tortillas.
Gaona, it turns out, isn’t the only one who has thought SF’s taco scene comes up short.
The prevailing opinion has been summed up by Reddit user @Hbake: “The worst taco I’ve had in Oakland is better than the best taco I’ve had in SF.”
A baffled Gaona asked me why San Francisco — surrounded by better taco towns, including San Jose — felt like a taco “black box.”
I have my theories.
Maybe it’s because, while the city’s Hispanic population is growing, its Mexican population declined between 2014 and 2024.
Maybe it’s because we’ve always been a burrito town.
It’s definitely because, due to costs and permits, running any kind of food operation here can bleed you dry.
So when Gaona challenged me to name the city’s best tacos, I realized I needed to do my research — and he, as my witness, needed to come along for the ride.
Where we started
We ventured to a dozen spots, from popular taquerias to under-the-radar trucks.
Our journey confirmed one thing: Relatively speaking, it’s a pretty good time to eat tacos in San Francisco.
In the past few years, there’s been a renaissance of street food in the Mission, giving rise to tromperos serving legit tacos al pastor, something the city previously lacked.
Some places we visited were disappointing; most notably; Taqueria Vallarta, once a reliable go-to for aggressively fluorescent-lit, grime-time tacos.
This time, it was a sad show of suadero that was beef-jerky dry.
A couple of Mission-based trucks, Tacos Santo Toribio and Antojitos Mexicanos Jovanni, were good enough for the drunkies but not destinations in their own right.
Here is a roundup of the ones we deemed best.
Some gems were surely missed (please let me know in the comments; there could be a second round), but our survey found that while SF will never be CDMX — and, sure, maybe not even Oakland — it has tacos worth defending.
What makes a great taco
According to Gaona, tacos should be “simple but not careless.”
That means properly seasoned meat, a quality tortilla, and good salsa — the latter holds half the weight.
“You can forgive the meat if the salsa is really alive,” he says.
And just like in Mexico City, you have to know the strength of each place.
“At home, I’ll go to certain taquerias if I want bistek or costilla or chuleta,” he says.
“If I want suadero, I’m going to go somewhere else.”
What to know before you go
Though prices fluctuate, the tacos at these spots cost an average of $4 to $5.
The tortillas are mostly store-bought second thoughts (when they’re not, take note), and salsas tend to be similar.
Mostly there will be salsa roja made with árbol chiles, some creamy and emulsified, and some not, alongside the ubiquitous tomatillo-based salsa verde.
When you find something different — and we did — get excited.
The city’s best tacos are clustered around Mission and 21st streets, so you can easily organize your own crawl.
Make sure to pay attention to hours, because few are open daily.
Where to find SF’s best tacos
Honorable mentions:
El Gallo Giro
This beloved, daytime-only, family-run truck has been open since 2002 and is worth a visit.
When we went, the carnitas were crispy but had clearly been sitting on the plancha for a bit.
The asada was gristly in a good way.
Mostly, there’s something to be said about a place that provides a community gathering spot as well as totally tasty sustenance. 23rd Street and Treat Avenue, Mission
Tacos del Barrio
Two childhood friends from Mexico City opened this spot three years ago in the former Roosevelt Tamale Parlor.
Interestingly, they serve al pastor negro, a version of the dish that’s trending in Mexico City and features a rub of charred aromatics.
The birria was undersalted, but the carnitas won Gaona’s approval: “They took me to some spots I know back home.” 2817 24th St., Mission
The runners-up:
La Palma Mexicatessen
Most people think of tortilleria La Palma as the place to get Mexican provisions like beans and masa.
But you can also order a carne asada taco and take it out to a table on the sidewalk.
Wrapped in foil, it’s a delightful mess of chewy chopped steak, an excellent emulsified árbol chile salsa and — unlike the majority of taco spots that rely on store-bought — a quality house-made corn tortilla. 2884 24th St., Mission
Leo’s Tacos Truck
With 16 locations, mostly in Los Angeles, Leo’s excels at one thing: al pastor.
While some spots finish the marinated pork on a plancha, this one — like the best in Mexico City — carves it directly off the trompo, resulting in perfect layered slices of burnt-orange achiote and pork.
It’s all topped with an appropriately generous chunk of pineapple.
Refreshingly, there’s a habanero salsa; it won’t kill you, but go easy.
Lincoln and Great Highway lot
Autentica Comida Latina
When Andrew McCormick, chef and owner of Early to Rise, tells you to try his favorite taco truck, you get yourself over to NoPa.
The generous amount of tender cabeza at this truck is tops, making it a perfect snack after a show at The Independent.
Rumor has it the managers of The Little Chihuahua come here instead of eating their own tacos: shade thrown. 6 to 9 p.m. at Fell and Divisadero; 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. in front of Emporium Arcade Bar
The best of the best
Bonita Chilanga
This truck, which seems to be pretty off the radar, was a real discovery.
Not because it sells birria ramen; nor because of the tender lengua tacos or the nicely done carne asada.
What sets this place apart is the array of thoughtfully made, self-serve blended salsas, which are a cut above.
There’s a classic salsa verde and a pretty, orange árbol and tomato.
But the real highlight is the brick-red salsa made of árbol, guajillo, and — yes — coffee, which makes for a spicy condiment with a pleasingly bitter bite. 21st and Mission St., Mission
El Rey Taquiza Artesanal
This 4-year-old taqueria is owned by Pepe Valadez, who spent time working for the Kimpton Hotel group, meaning he knows operations.
It was so good that Gaona and I returned a second time.
The “traditional” tacos are served with corn tortillas that are handmade to order, something rarely found in San Francisco.
You can also get them “Tijuana-style,” with a good dollop of guacamole.
The asada — always a benchmark for quality — is properly and finely chopped, with crispy little edges.
The poc chuc, a citrus-marinated pork that comes courtesy of the Yucatán, is also delicious, as is the suadero.
2491 Mission St., Mission
El Gran Trompo Regio
Though Tacos Al Charro — a popular and comparably good stand that doesn’t get cooking until 10 p.m. — has its avid fans, this truck rolls up earlier and remains Gaona’s favorite for al pastor.
One sign of quality: the sides, which include grilled onions, jalapeños, and fuchsia-pink pickled onions spiked with habanero.
As they say, size matters — at least, when it comes to a trompo — and this one is plenty thick, with fresh pineapple on top.
Gaona always asks for extra. 20th and Mission streets, Mission
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