El Farolito

4/9/2016

Oh man, I always come here at 3am after an entire night out, but it's still as good at 8pm when I finally came here recently for a real dinner. I still love the fact that you can line up in front of the cooking station and see your food being made - the steak being grilled and chopped up, the cheese slowly melting and oozing into your burrito, the smells wavering around the restaurant...

Come here for a no-nonsense, no-frills, straight up carne asada burrito that will not disappoint.

4/11/2016

I got to meet up with a friend I have not literally seen in years.  With that being said, when we met up, she had suggested we go get some food. This is where we ended up.  I had nto ever heard of this place before, but when she told me what it was about, my mouth ended up watering.

First of all, let me warn you- the parking here is beyond a joke.  On a weeknight, it isn't so bad.  On a weekday, good luck- they have some traffic prick blocking off the area and then you are screwed.  i think you are better off taking a cab, walking, or dropping in via parachute.  This alone is what prevented me from giving this place 5 stars.

There was some scaffolding out front so be careful what store you enter.  We were lead in by the line and the smells of cooked meats.  I had no idea what to get or what to expect so I told her I will eat whatever she was eating.  She told me that the burritos here were some of the best in the nation.  I was looking forward to it.  Also she said they were big.  Coming from a man who puts 2-3 Qdoba burritos down at once, I had high expectations.

This place was cash only, but 2 burritos and 2 drinks didn't even cost $20.  Nice value!  The place is narrow, so you have to be aggressive in terms of looking for a table.  Thankfully we got one right up front.

A few minutes later our food was ready.  It was a great time, catching up, and trying these humungo burritos.  I liked mine a lot.  I didn't even put salsa on it- I just scarfed it.  I still don't even know what I ate that night- except it was large, filling, and tasty.

It was good enough I tried going back a few days later in the daytime for lunch.  And then that traffic nerd virgin prevented from getting me to my final destination.  How dare you get in the way of my food.  I really wanted El Farolito that day for lunch, not McDonalds.

If you are unfamiliar with this place, give it a shot.  Hell, if I wasn't staying in Concord at the moment writing Yelp reviews I would probably be on my way now to get another one of those burritos I have no idea what was in it.

It was good enough I didn't even get a picture of it...

4/9/2016

Pro-tip. Go next door to the El Farolito bar. You can order food and alcohol at the bar from the restaurant. You will be served immediately. Skip a 30 minute wait.

See my review of the El Farolito bar.

4/6/2016

Another must while in SF, I really enjoyed their al pastor.
Service was nice and they really work the crowds well.
Best item here is the quesadilla, great value, tasty cheese and when you spruce it up with the salsa from their salsa bar you have a cheap and filling meal.
The store is pretty small and run down, count on a long line and a hard time finding a place to sit.
Cash only but they have an ATM around the corner, tasty treat while in SF.

4/6/2016

Where else does one go for food before a redeye but El Farolito?

Brace yourself- It's chaotic and it'll take time to get your food. Know this, but don't let it stop you from going.

Went around 8:30pm on a Sunday. Probably took about 30-40 minutes from the moment I stepped on line until I got my order. While I wasn't in much of a rush, those who were did not have a good time (a person ahead of me started screaming at the poor employees because she had yet to get her food... as if she was the only one waiting and as if the folks weren't working hard enough already). Luggage in tow in the small space, I was constantly in the way, but I persisted and patiently waited for what some consider the best Mexican food on either coast. Very glad I did.

The wait is a bit tortuous as the line curves around the front window where you can see every order being made. It was fun to watch the production line- it was clear they know what they're doing and they do it well. Everything looked sinfully delicious. After much debate, I ordered a super burrito with carne asada. Generous portions of every single ingredient that work incredibly well together. You can taste every element -- the flavorful carne asada was enveloped by the perfectly seasoned rice and beans, held together by huge chunks of avocado (each burrito gets at least a half an avocado), cheese, and sour cream. Three or four servings easily (or one, if drunk). I swear it was the size of a large child.

Cash only. Know your order when it's your turn.
Grab a number (in the meantime, get yourself some salsa/guac- it's self serve), and wait until your number is called. It's like the lottery, except you always win.

4/5/2016

Famous for their burritos and quesadillas, you'll have to squeeze through to get you're order. Be prepared to bus your own table as well. Their food was delicious and filling and I definitely recommend you try it at least once, but the dining experience leaves a lot to be desired.

This is a CASH ONLY establishment.

Take out is the way to go with this joint

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  Delicious and greasy. This is not a health kick dish. More like latenight drunk food

  Delicious and greasy. This is not a health kick dish. More like latenight drunk food

3/25/2016 Updated review

Al Pastor Super Burrito has certainly changed my perspective of El Farolito. The pork flavor really shined through and brought a great sense of comfort. I hear the chicken is even better so I will definitely be back to give that a shot as well.

Portions continue to be massive and great for the price in comparison to La Taqueria

My only gripe is that they don't spread the ingredients evenly across the burrito

Overall Thoughts

See you soon El Farolito!

3/18/2016

I grew up in San Francisco and when I first had this, I was thinking to myself, where have you been all my life. Probably because I don't hang out in the Mission too often. WOW it was amazing. I got their **SUPER BURRITO with Carne Asada. It's FREAKEN amazing! So much flavor. Made with soft flour tortilla prepared with rice beans (I ALWAYS say without, extra rice instead), fresh, tomato, onion, cilantro, salsa, cheese sour cream and avocado. It was 2am when I had it the first time. But I went back during the day and it was still as DELICIOUS as I remember!

The only bad thing is that its pretty dirty, I mean that homeless comes in and out. I just take it and go. Fast services. Eat it somewhere else.

3/8/2016

There wasn't a wow factor for me when I ate it here, but I must say that their burritos were huge!

The line and the wait weren't bad at all. I ordered the breakfast burrito, and it came out in about 10 minutes. The only thing I thought about my burritos was that there was way too much rice in my burrito and not enough meat.

There's some sauce near the register to pour on your food. I tried two of the three and I thought the spicier salsa tasted great on my burrito.

Good bang for your buck.

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  Breakfast burrito

  Breakfast burrito
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4/4/2016

I really love the Super Quesadilla Suiza with carnitas. The meat is juicy and flavorful and the quesadilla is plump and filling. For about $8, it's fairly priced for SF.

That said, El Farolito is so dirty that even Yi Z., a girl who once lived in a third world country, finds it unbearable at times. Due to the volume of customers at night, you have to stalk other patrons to get a table that is never cleaned. Ladies, do not put your purse down either. When I thought it couldn't get any dirtier, I headed to the restroom and I was blown away (not in a positive way). I definitely regretted not using the restroom at the dive bar we were at earlier.

There must be other good Mexican places nearby. I'm tired of waiting in a long line in the cold SF wind for this experience.

4/5/2016

Oh el farolito.

The one I see after my drunken shenanigans, but don't worry, I come here when I'm sober too. It's just THAT good.

Besides that they close late at night, their food is cooked to perfection. I personally am not a fan of Mexican food or am really picky about it so I'm thankful to find a Mexican joint this close to me. My favorite dish of their's is the carne asada super quesadilla  OMG it's heavenly.

The quesadilla is cooked nice and crispy and the steak marinated nicely. Making every bite bursting with flavor. I also love their hot sauce.

My cousin got the steak burrito and that was delicious too! But I still highly recommend the quesadilla for that crispy tortilla. This is my go-to Mexican joint. When I'm craving a late night snack I'm always there!

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  Steak burrito!

  Steak burrito!

4/3/2016

The line wasn't too busy on an early Friday afternoon. I was not super hungry so I got a regular carnitas burrito.

Still it was huge--big enough to feed two average appetite people. On my first bite, I could taste the deep fried meat and it wasn't as pleasant as other carnitas experiences I've had. Good thing I had some creamy green salsa to cover it up. I've had many a burrito in California and I didn't get what the fuss was about with this spot unless I had ordered the wrong thing.

But fast forward to after a night of drinking, and man that leftover burrito was delicious! I wished I had grabbed more green salsa too. So I think I know why El Farolito might be so popular after all. ;)

Cash only. Staff is busy but friendly and speaks English.

Would I return? Maybe, I still want to try a super burrito.

2/21/2016

Tried the carne asada regular burrito. Wasn't hungry enough for what awesomeness the super burrito might have been, but was glad to see it has avocado in it.

Solid all-around on flavor, size, and price. Per the recommendation of another customer, I tried a bunch of the salsas and enjoyed the salsa verde (which I was told has avocado in it?!). I'm definitely coming back to try some of their other options.

PS. I've been to nearby competitor La Tacqueria - El Farolito wins in my books.

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  Carne asada regular burrito with a dab of salsa verde

  Carne asada regular burrito with a dab of salsa verde

1/26/2016

In the middle of the Mission District is an oasis. And it serves chips and salsa. While there are countless bars around the district, El Farolito is the area's main watering hole if you will and I promise you, it's not a mirage. El Farolito has 4 Yelp stars because it's affordable, the portions are large, and the food tastes amazing.

Tip: Boba Guy's is right down the street and I'm in love with their balls. But they close their legs..doors..at 9 so keep that in mind.

1/22/2016

El Farolito is definitely a gem of San Francisco and lives up to the hype. After many night outs in the city, this was my first time surprisingly at El Farolitio. My impression of this place is the definition of divey (hole in the wall, small restaurant) and it is great that it is open late at night. This is also cash only place. I could imagine this place being a 'go to' spot after hitting the bars or clubbing.

My friend and I went here late at night after a concert, there was still a good amount of people here. You don't come here for the cleanliness, you come here for the food. I had the Al Pastor Super Burrito and my friend got the quesadilla, and both were huge! It was so big that I saved some for the next day and ate it for breakfast and lunch. It also so good that I didn't really need to add sauce. I highly recommend this place if you are a foodie and have a love for mexican food. El Farolito will be the first thing that comes to mind after a night out in the city.

1/30/2016 Updated review

Best place in San Francisco for burrito!!!!

Crazy hectic line but totally worth it. Always so fresh and HUGE portion. I can never finish but happy to have left overs.

This is the spot to be after clubbing or a night out. It's not my favorite to eat there because of how jam packed it gets but I'll put it with it if I'm hungry.

So many good sauces and quick service. CASH ONLY!!!

The only reason why I didn't give them 5 stars is because they mess my order up here and there. I'm pretty simple when it comes to burritos and they usually leave my sour cream out or accidentally add beans even though they read their order to me confirming it.

3/23/2016

You walk by and wonder if the food is good, or if people actually eat here...but I am telling you, YES!!! This is a must try! We came in at prime lunch time and the line was to the door, did not take longer than 5 minutes before I was placing my order. You get to watch them work while you wait in line. Husband found us a spot in the limited seating, so make sure your ok with eating on the go if necessary.  They do service beer, so enjoy yourself. The food has so much flavor and really really is more than enough for the price. I ordered way too much!! Super steak nachos are yum, taquitos were ok, make sure to add salsa! ****TIP**** this place is CASH ONLY! !!

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  2 super burritos and the steak super nachos!!

  2 super burritos and the steak super nachos!!
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  Steak super nachos

  Steak super nachos
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  Taquitos

  Taquitos
• See all photos from Kimberly P. for El Farolito

3/23/2016

Hanging around the mission a bit lately I kept walking past this location everytime I got off Bart. Well the other day my friend and I decided to grab dinner here before checking out a movie at the Alamo Drafthouse. The line was almost to the door and the place was bustling with people working and eating. I ordered the super burrito with steak. The wait was quite a bit long for this one. It took almost 15 minutes to get my food, but it was worth it. The burrito felt like a small baby I was holding. It was hefty and they did not skimp out on the meat and ingredients. It tasted fresh and I enjoyed every bite. The spot is in the mission, so this is definitely a more rough part of town. The place is a hole in the wall, so expect as much. Our table was clean overall and like I said I enjoyed it and would definitely stop by again if I'm in the area and want some Mexican food!

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  A look into this delicious monster

  A look into this delicious monster
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  A hefty super burrito with steak

  A hefty super burrito with steak

1/27/2016

I was starving and this place is open much later than all the food places near SOMA on a weekday, so I had to come try this place out especially since it is located right next to bart.

My friend recommend the super quesadilla with the green sauce and I have to say that I loved it! The sheer size of the quesadilla was impressive and the green sauce was sooooo addicting. Looks like I've found my new favorite super quesadilla!

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  Super quesadilla

  Super quesadilla

1/7/2016

I've tried El Farolito a handful of times, at the Excelsior and South City locations. Those few times, I wasn't impressed with their super suiza, compared to La Guadalajara's quesadilla.

Just a few days ago though, I came in with my mom and gave it another shot. I was satisfied to say the least. The tortilla was warmed to toasty perfection, the cheese was nice and melty, and as a whole, the dish wasn't too messy - just the right amount of grease. My boyfriend and I always preferred Guads' suiza to this one because of the generous amount of avocado, but I gotta say I was happy this time around.

The employees here were friendly and there was lots of seating, though it was busy for lunch. Do note that this location is CASH ONLY and extra orders of chips will cost you $0.65.

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  Carne asada super suiza

  Carne asada super suiza