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Orale Orale
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
113 Sacramento St(between Drumm St & Davis St)
San Francisco, CA 94111
Neighbourhood: Financial District
(415) 291-9772
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 7 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
356 reviews for Orale Orale
Review Highlights
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"The chips and salsa are really tasty too." In 51 reviews -
"And, most importantly, the carne asada is flavorful." In 31 reviews -
"Lots of other plates and burritos are available." In 58 reviews
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356 reviews in English
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Review from Rachel E.
San Francisco, CA
3/23/2012
I can't believe it has taken me this long to check out this restaurant since it's so close to the office!
A few coworkers and I decided to get food from Orale Orale for lunch today. At about 12:45 the place was packed with a line out the door. We got in said line before realizing the (no-wait) line for take-out is on the right, the table service line is on the left.
I ordered the shredded beef burrito with whole wheat tortilla. The woman at the register was not super friendly, but she gave me a number and very shortly after that my food was ready.
Now, I'm a California girl born and raised and I know my way around a burrito, so believe me when I say that this was a TASTY one, full of goodness like guacamole and sour cream (which they did not try to charge me extra for).
At $7.67 (including tax and whatever other charges the city of SF imposes on food establishments these days) for tasty lunch in the FiDi I'd say this place is a bargain.
Looking forward to many return visits and getting my hands on some of those chips! -
Review from Dolph M.
San Antonio, TX
4/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Average, reasonably priced, standard-fare "Mexican."
I honestly didn't find anything to either rave or complain about. -
Review from Peter M.
San Francisco, CA
3/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Does what it says on the box. Americanized Mexican, shredded lettuce, refried beans, tostada salads, etc.
Showed up early (11:45), waited about five minutes for a table and was seated with chips and salsa. Shared the tostada and tostada salad with someone else and it was pretty good. Thursday is apparently carnitas day so you can get carnitas on your food instead of the standard chicken or ground beef options. Highly recommend this!
It was fast, the waiters were friendly, and the food was pretty good. I'll be back when I want to slip into a food coma in the afternoon. -
Review from H P.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2012
I visited Orale Orale on a whim. I was just passing by and saw that they served Mexican. I happened to be in the mood for a burrito so I figured I would check them out. It ended up being one of the worst customer service experiences ever. The lady at the counter didn't even acknowledge me until I stood at the counter for literally 5 minutes. She just continued to look down until I spoke to her. When I asked her about the menu (they have several choices for burritos) she acted as though she didn't understand me or she didn't want to. And if she did in fact have a language issue, i would have been totally fine with that had she been pleasant about it.
As for the food, I have to say it wasn't totally bad but only "so so". I got the Carne Asada with a side of chips and salsa. The burrito itself lacked a bit of flavor but was still decent. I was hoping to enhance the flavor with the salsa. However, the salsa ended up tasting like plain tomato sauce. I literally pictured a big jar of plain Prego behind the counter as their source of this stuff. Thank goodness I got my food to go. I happened to love salsa and had a substitute at home. And as for the chips, they were a bit stale.
In closing, I have to say that I don't normally leave Yelp messages but I really value customer service. As a consumers, we at least deserve decent service. It would be nice if Orale Orale paid closer attention to this future forward. -
Review from Barbara K.
San Francisco, CA
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good service with a friendly waiter for the table service, but my food was pretty basic and not very tasty. I had the crab enchiladas which is a house specialty served only on Fridays. I figured since it was a special dish that I've never seen offered anywhere else, I'd try it. I was not impressed. I got a piece of shell in the filling which did not help, but really, the flavor was the bigger problem. It was more fishy-tasting than I was expecting, with the consistency of finely mixed tuna fish, and served in some kind of tomato-y sauce/seasoning which didn't compliment it well. I found myself enjoying the side of beans and rice more than the enchilada. The complimentary chips were bland. Beer wasn't served cold enough either - The chilled glasses were a nice touch, but the beer got to that almost-at-room-temperature range rather quickly, and I was not lingering over it. Boo! The salsa was spicy hot which was the best thing I ate there. My boyfriend liked his entree, so I MAY try again with a different item, but I'm in no rush.
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Review from Ranjani S.
Dublin, CA
2/28/2012
If it weren't for the supremely strong margarita, I'd probably avoid this place. That, and also the fact that a lunch with a drink,including a tip comes up to only $20!
It tends to get packed during lunch hours, so you might want to walk in a bit early if you plan on eating in. The cheese enchilada was a little too bland for my taste. I've eaten better and I've made better. I'll come back to try the remaining stuff only because I loved the margarita! -
Review from SJ H.
San Francisco, CA
4/13/2012
I've been going to Orale Orale for almost fifteen years now, so I guess you could say I'm hooked. The service is extremely efficient, if not overly friendly, and if you avoid the lunchtime crush, it's really not a bad place to sit and enjoy your meal. If I had to choose a single highlight of the food, though, I would say it's the rice and refried beans that come with almost every menu item. Even if you don't usually like refried beans, like me, there's something about theirs that make them irresistible (hint: I think it might be lard). All I know is, I keep coming back for more.
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Review from Kev M.
San Francisco, CA
3/6/2012
Their lack of a numbering system during busy take-out ordering times means that you ordered something that 5 other people waiting also ordered, so when they yell out, 'chicken burrito', a group swarms on the burrito and snares it before you, even when you know they came in after you.
I don't want to fight over the burrito, just use numbers or names for the order... -
Review from Arthur C.
2/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've spent a lot of time in San Diego where Mexican restaurants are like McDonalds. Their cheap and everywhere. You can get a burrito for $5 and its stuffed with cheap greasy beef. Many of the Mexican restaurants in San Francisco are more true Mexican food. But Orale Orale sort of reminds of the good old fast food Mexican. Its a little more expensive (about $8) but its quick and easy. The meat they use is actually pretty good. Its juicy and flavorful. I got the carne asada supremo, which came with guac/sour cream which is essential to any burrito. The tortilla they use is a little flimsy and tends to fall apart as it gets soggy from soaking up the grease and juice.
The service was great. Caters to a lot of lunch time office workers so it gets backed. Theres are separate lines for take out and seating. They workers are fast and friendly which was a big plus to this place. They seem to have only one type of salsa and some store bought tapatio as their hot sauce menu so that was a little disappointing. Other than that the food pretty fresh but it could be cheaper. -
Review from Honest Y.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 4/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've been coming to this place for years. I live in the neighborhood and I always try something new. But if you are going here for the first time you must try the crispy beef tacos, they are to die for! They have really good homemade salsa too. So good!!
1 Previous Review:
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2/19/2011
I get chicken flautas. Delicious every time! Great chips and salsa.
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Review from Erika C.
3/25/2012
I used to eat here pretty frequently. They have a mean wet seafood burrito. I love wet burritos. I don't eat Mexican food very often, but I don't think I've ever seen a burrito with white sauce anywhere else. There are few Mexican spots that do it for me, this is one of them.
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Review from Norris T.
For a satisfying burrito supremo or maybe just a baby burrito for a light lunch this place has it. I always prefer to go here for a sit down lunch since they give free chips/salsa for eat in customers. The carne asada and pollo burritos are a solid 4 star choice but if you come on thursdays you should definitely opt for "carnitas day". If you arrive around noon expect a wait because the other fidi workers know how good this place is too.
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Review from Mariah B.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012
this place is not too shabby. It's good enough because it's close to my work and it isn't Rubios (nothing wrong with Rubios, but it's a chain).
I've had an array of different items here, but I would say the best I had was the shredded beef tacos. They were not too bad, but not the best. I would eat here again when I'm craving Mexican and I don't want to walk further than a block -
Review from maritza p.
San Francisco, CA
2/21/2012
Oh my gosh, this place is so yummy, now this is Mexican food. I love this place, have gone to lunch several times and never disappoints. The margaritas as just off the hook, one will make you feel good.
I absolutely recommend this place. -
Review from Josh Z.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/19/2012
This place grew on me after a while. It gets a bit too crowded during the lunch rush, but it's downtown and sit down. The staff is hilariously nice and the food is good. Everything is above average for enjoyability (sodas are small, but I drink a huge amount of soda). The food is good and consistent, a good place for boisterous lunch conversation. With all the amazing mexican in SF it's hard to say the place is perfect, but for the location it's great.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/30/2007
Good for a financial district burrito. All the ingredients were decently made, but there was no… Read more »
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Review from Reggie A.
San Francisco, CA
1/6/2012
This is a great little spot acrsoos from the Banana Republic in the Financial District.
The servers are great guys. They are quick and entertaining.
The salsa is amazing. One of those you want to take home and eat for the next week. I also love the crab enchiladas but you can only get them on Fridays so keep that in mind.
Oh ya....the chimis are to die for too!
All and all a great little mexican spot that is very fair in price! Be prepared to wait a few minutes for a table but it's worth the wait!
ORALE!!! -
Review from Norman L.
Dublin, CA
1/9/2012
I ordered the Burrito Supremo with ground beef for $5.50. The size of the burrito was good, but tasted a bit plain. It also felt like the burrito was going to fall apart while I was eating it; the food wasn't packed very tightly in the burrito I guess.
Atmosphere: The restaurant has a seating area for dine-in only customers and a separate line for those ordering food to go. The food was prepared faster than I thought considering the dine-in area was packed with more people awaiting tables, maybe about 10 minute wait. -
Review from Gerard C.
Oakland, CA
4/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came in for lunch and got the seafood enchiladas. The beans and rice tasted very generic. They were not bad, just generic. The seafood enchiladas tasted good. The seafood tasted fresh, though a little dry. The cheese sauce that it was smothered it was a little bland, I would have liked it to taste a little bolder. The chips and salsa were good. I felt the dish was reasonably priced. Not sure if I would come back again though as I am used to a different style.
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Review from Rachael K.
Saratoga, CA
11/26/2011
Occasion: Breakfast with co-workers
What I Had: Breakfast burrito ($4.25)
Food Review: Their breakfast burrito includes scrambled eggs, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, rice, whole beans, and chorizo. Albeit a rather small burrito (about 1/3 the size of a Chipotle burrito), for $4.25 and a medley of ingredients, it was a good deal. The chorizo was delicious, but I didn't like the lettuce in the burrito mostly because I am of the belief that breakfast burritos almost by definition should have no lettuce.
Service Review: (Co-worker picked it up)
Venue Review: The venue is small but homey. They have plenty of seating with wooden tables and chairs and the restaurant may be small, but certainly not claustrophobia-symptom inducing.
Overall Impression: I'd definitely grab a breakfast burrito from here again, but next time I'll ask for no lettuce. Other than that, it's an okay burrito for a good price. -
Review from Pam C.
Saint Louis, MO
4/27/2012
Stumbled upon here by accident and had the seafood burrito supremo. It was excellent- it was so delicious, I couldn't stop myself from eating even though it was full. The queso sauce smothered on top of it was amazing. Great price for a great, generous sized burrito.
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Review from Blake W.
San Francisco, CA
11/23/2011
WHAH? I can't believe I have never reviewed this restaurant. It's my favorite spot to eat downtown, and it isn't even close. It's not fine dining and it isn't fancy, but if you are looking for a tasty, fresh lunch, and possibly a margarita, you can't miss with Orale. Alex, one of the owners, is such a great guy and he runs a great ship. He knows his regulars (there are a lot of them) and he treats us all like regulars should be treated. I have found myself heading to Orale for lunch even if I have the day off and have no reason to go downtown--that's what I am talking about.
The salsa is spicy and delicious, and the mexican standards are all delicious. I'm actually heading there now....yum. -
Review from Thao L.
Manhattan, NY
7/13/2011
Once a week, I let myself cheat. Today, I wanted to have mouth sex with an enchilada plate.
It was ok, cheap for the fidi. It was pretty busy, with all the take out orders and dine in patrons. They were quick with the take out orders though, so major points for that.
So....As I was leaving I asked if I could have some jalapenos.
Lady looks at me, looks down, looks at me.
"UH..."
me-*????*
"You have to pay!"
WTF?! You were just going to give it to me, then you tell me to pay--FOR JALAPENOS? Is it really that serious, (ok i'm making it serious)? I'm sure if I was eating there, no one would have issues with getting some stupid peppers.
Damn you, lady, you jalapeno nazi!
Lastly, damn I ate too much of the beans............... -
Review from Mack L.
9/23/2011 1 photo
Salsa is fresh and good. Chips are also good with some salt added.
Ordered the crab enchiladas for the friday special. Tasty but a bit eatery underneath. Had my food in about 2 minutes. Good thing?
Good beans and rice with the dish.
I was a little hungry still after the Enchiladas so I ordered single crunchy chile verde taco. It was very good.
I would eat here again and I liked the food, but I did not like the rushed feeling I got as they tried to turn over lunch tables. I understand it, but I didn't like it. -
Review from Angela L.
7/24/2011
FOOD:
1.) Chicken Super Burrito = hm... it was cold. But they warmed it up again. And... it still just didn't taste that good? I'm sad to say it.. bc they were nice and I wanted to like this place. BUT maybe if I go back here, I'll get the enchilada combo that my friend got. That looked pretty good :)
SERVICE:
Good good. They give chips and salsa while you wait. :) Half order togo and half sit down. hehehe
ATMOSPHERE:
Just a regular kinda small place. Near where a lot of companies are, so there's that funny bizzy bizzy lunch rush of working professionals at 12pm on the dot. lol. Well attired sheep.]
13 -
Review from Misha T.
8/12/2011
I randomly met one of their employees by the ferry building who assured me that their food was pretty tasty. I ordered with super seafood burrito thing which was perhaps a mistake for a first review but I was feeling fishy and indulgent.
It came out in a tray with this white cream sauce over it and really ended up just being a little too rich with all the ingredients kind of mixed together in a way that made it hard to differentiate what I was eating. Maybe I should go try something less crazy but that seafood thing wasn't my thing. -
Review from Jing T.
San Francisco, CA
10/4/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is solely for their Burrito. Pork Burrito Supremo, more specifically.
Okay, so I brought this onto myself. I waited too long before grabbing lunch, and was too famished to trek over to Rico Mex or Chipotle. I was also forewarned by fellow Yelpers, but I thought, "how can one REALLY mess up a burrito??"
Well, the way this burrito is wrapped leaves rice and beans on one end, and mushy mayo-esque sauce with lettuce on the other, separated by a BIG clump of braised pork meat smack in the middle. Never figured out how to eat it. But I was so starving that I ate half of it!!
::fast forward to 1 afternoon meeting later::
I was still hungry, but something told me not to open up the foil wrapper. I ultimately regrettably had to toss the other half before the end of day.
Although I found the pork decently meaty and pretty yummy. The burrito just did NOT work. They need to 1) slice up the pork meat; and 2) ease up the drippy mayo-sauce - too watery! also, 3) what's up with the scallions?! and lettuce!!
I'm going back to Rico Mex, even if I have to drag my malnourished body. Ole!! -
Review from Spenser T.
San Mateo, CA
2/17/2012
I had the breakfast burrito ($5), you get what you pay for. The burrito was super cheap and big, 2 stars, I'm pretty easy to please. It was also produced for me very quickly, another star. It did not taste good, no more stars. If you're in a hurry before work or need something to fill your belly after a late night out, this place is exceptional, if you want good food, head somewhere else.
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Review from Evelyn S.
8/4/2011
Came with a couple of my co-workers and this place is PACKED during lunch. We came around 11:40, and probably got seated around 11:50. By the time we left at around 12:35, there was still a lot of people waiting to get a table!
Food: It was nice to have chips and salsa (for free!) since the beginning of service. The salsa was spicy, but I liked it. Chips were a bit too stale for me. I got a pork burrito supremo, and when they say supremo, they MEAN supremo. That burrito was HUGE, and definitely served as 2 meals for me. The pork was just okay. I liked how they added guac in it, but I've definitely had better burritos before.
Service: Fast, fast, fast! Waiters are always available, and food came out pretty fast -- I guess they have to considering they're so busy all the time!
The only thing I really didn't like about the place was the DIFFERENCE in price with take-out and table service. I understand that having table service is a bit more expensive because of the manual labor, but why do they have two separate pricing for the food?? I don't think the portions are different either, so I think that's a bit too ridiculous. So I would probably recommend to take-out and eat somewhere else, to save yourself a couple of bucks! -
Review from Bobby A.
Dublin, CA
11/1/2011
VERY basic down and dirty Mexican food. My grandparents are from Mexico, so I have grown up eating authentic cuisine from basic tacos to enchiladas verdes to awesome chili rellenos. This place is not up to par.
Had two carne asada tacos, which come with rice and beans and guacamole on the taco. Not sure what others are talking about here, but the carne asada was tough and did not have much flavor. Guacamole was creamy and did not taste fresh. Refried beans also did not have much flavor and the rice was not your standard orange Mexican rice (which gets its color from tomato or El Pato sauce). This rice was yellow.
For slightly higher prices, go to Mexico DF on Steuart and get some very flavorful tacos and FRESH guacamole (you can even get it with shrimp and bacon). -
Review from Mister P.
San Francisco, CA
10/29/2011
Best salsa in the financial district! Caveat emptor: it's spicy. Essentially, the experience is pleasure spiked with pain.
Going into a big sports/camping weekend, I'll stop by Friday after work and pick up a large container of their salsa* and big bag of chips. Does life get any better?
They always have the giants game on TV during baseball season. This is helpful when there's an away-game that starts early in the work day. At 5:01pm I can duck in and catch a few of the late innings while enjoying a bottle of suds with chips, salsa*, and guac. In fact, life does get better than as described in the previous paragraph.
Bonus: the guy that runs the place knows his Giants baseball (a heck of a lot better than I do). He will call your BS, so you better know what you're talking about.
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*Did I mention it's the best salsa in the financial district? -
Review from Jennifer C.
Newark, CA
CRAB ENCHILADAS! Only available on Fridays! It's about $12. Pretty generous portions of crab. The enchiladas are topped with aurora sauce (it's like a white cream sauce). The sauce was too creamy for me, which kinda killed it a little. It's not bad though, if you like that kind of thing.
I tried a bite of my co-worker's shrimp chimichunga and it was SO good. Shrimp, cheese, onions, and bell peppers in fried tortilla.
Each dish came with a side of rice and beans. The beans were way too cheesy. It was like 50% cheese, which I don't prefer.
The free chips and salsa were great! The salsa is spicy, just the way i like it! -
Review from Michael J.
Oakland, CA
6/18/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Very cost-effective. No frills, but good authentic'ish Mexican food. Usually well frequented, which is usually a good sign.
The beef tacos were awesome. -
Review from Joon L.
CA
3/31/2012
So happy this place is next to my office. But it's really busy on most of the days. Hope the new Chipotle doesn't put this place out of business.
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Review from Ynot T.
San Francisco, CA
9/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
Garbage! I can't believe the line is this long for this place. My first experience here I was met by a roach that crawled out a napkin. The server just say omg and acted as if nothing out of the ordinary had happen. So I boycotted this place for a while before finally returning since our Mexican place over by the Ferry building closed down. What can I say, when you're desperate..you do drastic things. I believe in second chances so I gave orale orale the benefit of the doubt after my boycott.
So I go here with my boy B the other day and I ordered the seafood burrito. This was the crappiest burrito I ever had. The thing was watery and leaking inside. The seafood was non existent? How many times did you cut up that shrimp before you put it into the burrito. I seriously think I only received half a tiger prawn. These fools cut it down to half an inch cubes. Come on, I'm paying almost $10 for my burrito and you dupe me with this mess. I'm never coming here again! -
Review from Jared W.
San Mateo, CA
6/13/2011
Had a hankering for a quesadilla today so popped on over to Orale. Got the chicken quesadilla which I thought was very good. Not too cheesy and the chicken was well seasoned. Plus, the thing was massive. It came with salsa, guacamole and sour cream although I would have preferred a scoop of rice and beans as well, but you have to order those extra, along with the chips.
On the plus side of having to order extra, they give big portions. Even the $1.00 small bag of chips is larger than you'd get at many other Mexican places. The side of beans and rice was large enough for 2.
Went just before 12 noon and there were people out to the door, however that line was for sitting down and the line for takeout had no one in it and I got my food right away.
My meal (without a drink) was about $12 and I would just skip the sides of rice/beans/chips next time which would bring that down. Would be nice if they gave you just a little of each with your meal.
All in all, I thought it was very good and I noticed they have breakfast burritos which means I'l be going back to see if they do that justice. -
Review from F. P.
San Francisco, CA
8/18/2011
The burritos here are huge. Different prices for dine-in/take-out. I got the seafood burrito to go but it instead of it being wrapped in foil, it was placed in a sealed container b/c it's poured with some cream sauce ... which I would actually have preferred to do without.
Not a bad option near work ... but nothing to write home about.
Also, other than a small container of hot sauce, no real condiment bar (salsa, lime, etc.). -
Review from Jared L.
San Francisco, CA
3/18/2011
Hit or miss. The chile verde burrito and the enchiladas verdes were just OK. Pretty bland but OK. Which is about what you'd expect for the only Mexican place in the financial district. No I will not count stupid Rubios, fucking La Salsa, or the place on Kearny. I'd sooner count Jack in the Box because they have better tacos. Even though El Faro is next to that, I'm not counting it either because it's so ghetto and craptastic.
Anyway, the other day I ordered a super carne asada burrito from Orale and was actually impressed. It's So Cal style, lots of lettuce and rice. But it also had a crapload of juicy seared steak, and that steak was well marinated. You could taste the citrus! They didn't fuck around on the guac, and it was actually good. Real lard tortilla, grilled. The thing was huge, and I demolished it without pity or regret. Only $7 too. Ya can barely buy a hot dog and a coke for that around here.
So if I'm going to work in this urban deathtrap for a few more years, I might make Orale a more regular thing now that I know they can do something well. -
Review from Julie L.
6/8/2011
Yummy Mexican food near work that isn't expensive. I like the chips and salsa already provided on the table. Service isn't too bad either, you get your food in a decent amount of time. Trick is to go there early so you don't need to stand in line. This place gets really packed between 12-1:30p!
My fave dish so far is the "Orale's Surf & Turf." It comes with carne asada and four huge shrimps, rice and beans. Choice of corn and flour tortillas. This is SO YUMMY! A bit heavy for most people at lunch, so I usually eat half and save the other half for later.
If you work nearby, this is a great place to go for Mexican food. -
Review from Jeff C.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Closest place for a good burrito not named Rubios in the Embarcadero that is not $$$$. I usually sit down to eat on my late lunch breaks here. The service is top notch in the dinning area. I had the Carne Asada burrito supremo (usually) and fish tacos. Both were very good. The chips and salsa are addicting like a crackhead feigning for crack. The carne asada was good. Better than the food truck across my building, so that's another reason why I come here. Do yourself a favor and come here anytime before or after 12pm...
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Review from Kameron K.
San Francisco, CA
5/23/2011 4 Check-ins Here
This place is awesome to catch up mexican, homestyle food if you are in the FiDi.
Only problem, its freakin packed and there isn't much seating. Suggest coming before the 12PM rush or after 1:30PM. Seats are hard to come by and can only seat small parties.
Suggest the tacos and enchiladas. It doesn't say on the menu it can be made with pork but you can ask. Pork is the best ones.
You can also get it to go, but the line is always long for both take out or sit down.
The chips and salsa are also really good.
The atmosphere is very loud so its hard to have a good conversation.
