In a dining city as influential as San Francisco, the restaurant hype machine works overtime. Whatever is new and shiny gets a lot of noise, whether it’s a grand opening, a food trend, or a chef hotspot. That often means ignoring hundreds of neighborhood favorites, long-timers, and the little guys. But we’re tired of long lines and the need to make months-in-advance reservations all the time. With this new column, No Reservations, we’re out to highlight underrated eats in the Bay Area where you can get a fantastic meal when you want it—the ones that have slipped off our radar or never got our deserved attention to begin with.
In this first installment, we’re starting with tacos. This is California, after all, so a superb taco lies around most bends. In San Francisco, La Taqueria reigns supreme. No one disputes its greatness. Since 1973, this James Beard-award-winning eatery has been the ultimate example of famed Mission-style burritos — their carnitas rival the best anywhere. But that title brings long lines. And let’s be honest: With a line that snakes around the shop and never lets up, it’s not the easiest stop for locals. The reality is excellent tacos abound across the Bay Area.
And there are so many varieties — fish and meat? Baja or Yucatecan-style? Birria or al pastor? Plant-based or lard? Korean, Indian or Filipino fusion? It’s tough to say that any single taco shop is the best of all measures. With that in mind, we tried to focus on a few “greatest hits” across all genres of taco in SF, narrowed down with a few ground rules: no taco trucks (they deserve their own article), and only places with handmade tortillas and house-made salsas.
Barrio, North Beach
Severely underrated, Billy Riordan and chef Tim Milojevich (who’s cooked in Mexico and SF) opened this chill neighborhood bar in mid-2018. They nail service, have 10 local beers on draft, and serve everything from ceviches-of-the-day to Yucatan quekas (long stuffed tortillas.) When you see it on the specials board, try the huitlacoche quekas. Though it’s Barrio’s tacos that truly shine, served on house-made blue corn tortillas. Move from classic Yucatecan cochinita pibil (banana leaf-roasted achiote pork) to “junk food” bacon cheeseburger tacos, meltingly good with Kraft Singles cheese.
Chuy’s Fiestas, The Mission
Follow the mustachioed, neon green blow-up cactus into cactus mural-lined Chuy’s Fiestas. This humble, low-ceilinged shop sits next to John O’Connell Technical High School, so it’s frequently full of students and locals of every stripe. You can find tacos here for under $3.50 and can watch them hand-press tortillas every weekend. This is my number one stop for barbacoa tacos, wrapped in one regular and one lightly fried tortilla. Their incredible birria tacos are also worth a visit, a flavor explosion of tender, juicy meat.
The Taco Shop At Underdog’s, Sunset
In 2008, co-owner Doug Marschke wisely brought on Russian Hill taco legend Nick Fasanella (of Nick’s Crispy Tacos fame) to his Irving Street sports bar. Nick’s are arguably the city’s best fish tacos; the Baja style ones reach fried-fresh perfection. Go “Nick’s style:” a crispy corn tortilla wrapped in a soft tortilla, smothered in Monterey Jack, pinto beans, pico de gallo, and guacamole.
Padrecito, Cole Valley
One of SF’s best upscale Mexican spots since it opened in 2013, where creative tacos reach their pinnacle (perhaps only rivaled by the Mission’s long-timer Lolo’s creative jicama “tacos”). At Padrecito, expect the smell of freshly pressed masa and a deep agave spirits selection. The restaurant also serves killer chilaquiles and notable goat barbacoa tacos, but the stars are the cornmeal-fried calamari tacos buried in chicory slaw, or duck confit enmarmalada tacos layered in refried black beans, chicories, dry jack, and seasonal marmalade, like strawberry-morita chile.
Taqueria Cancún, The Mission
The bright yellow signs will lead you into one of SF’s decades-old burrito classics that’s typically line-free. They have three SF locations, but I find their OG Mission St spots to be best. Make sure to try their beloved Burrito Mojado (Spanish for “wet burrito,” aka drenched in sauce and melted cheese), or go “lighter” with a super taco where you can choose traditional meats, from lengua (beef tongue) to al pastor (marinated pork).
Taqueria Vallarta, The Mission
The colorful, bustling space draws in regulars for the massive burritos (including wet burritos and a menu of vegetarian options), but I head here for tacos. The taco bar is upfront, so order there, dress your taco with salsas and onions, then pay at the back counter. You’ll do right by all manner of meats, but I dub the tender, meaty chunks of beef lengua (cow tongue) a top Bay Area pick for lengua tacos.
Garaje, SoMa
In a funky-cool SoMa garage (hence the name), this place is lined with Ducati and Goodyear signs, intimate booths, and communal tables, offering one of SF’s best $6 burgers alongside a changing board of craft beers and wines. Their tacos are also popular, smartly served on La Palma tortillas. There’s something for everyone: fried cauliflower and other interesting vegetarian options, multiple seafood tacos (from Thai prawns to seared wild ahi), alongside carnitas, steak asada, and other more traditional offerings.
La Oaxaqueña, The Mission
Oaxaca is my first love in regional Mexican food (not to mention mezcal) and travels there are nothing short of magic, from Oaxaca City’s cobblestone-lined streets to mole. La Oaxaqueña has been a humble hole-in-the-wall and Oaxacan staple since 2008. Call ahead to make sure that they’re open and serving the menu items you’re looking for since they can have limited availability and service hours. Their tacos aren’t the best, by any means, but they’re one of few anywhere serving classic Oaxacan chapulines (grasshopper) tacos, alongside venison and ostrich tacos.
Taqueria Sinaloa, Oakland
I know I said San Francisco, but honestly, I couldn’t help but include some Oakland stops — they are worth a trip across the bridge just to experience them. With greats like Cholita Linda, Cosecha Café, and a stream of taco truck excellence, I could fill an entire article with just Oakland-based taquerias, so choosing a select few to feature here was no joke. And I’m going to break my rule and include one truck because this Fruitvale legend is arguably Oakland’s best for more than 15 years and they have a permanent, covered seating area, striking that middle ground between truck and eatery. Taqueria Sinaloa kills it with $2 tacos on heavenly tortillas and carnitas, plus sweet-savory al pastor. Sinaloa, Mexico, is known for its seafood (mariscos), so seafood tacos abound, but the meats reign.
2138 International Blvd, Oakland
La Guerrera’s Kitchen, Oakland
This East Bay newcomer specializes in food from the state of Guerrera. Sold at markets by mother-daughter team Ofelia and Reyna Barajas since 2002, their brick-and-mortar opened mid-2019, thanks to trailblazing La Cocina. Chef Ofelia’s tamales are rightly popular. The neighboring Aloha Club dive bar turns out margaritas on a shared patio, which makes this an ideal spot for enjoying lard-free tacos, like barbacoa or puerco enchilado (pork sirloin marinated in chile guajillo sauce with pineapple).
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