Dos Pinas
Category: Restaurants [Edit]
Neighborhood: SOMA251 Rhode Island St
(at 15th St)
San Francisco, CA 94103 (415) 252-8220
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 8:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sat 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
114 reviews
Neighborhood: Mission
"The food here is truly wonderful (and 1664 on tap!). It's very expensive but I thought it was worth it. In particular there is a fresh salt…" read more »
124 Reviews for Dos Pinas
Never even been in this place but it is damn good. My company gets food catered from here sometimes for our meetings and I have to say it is the best catered food that we get. The mini burritos are perfect in size. I get about two and some chips and salsa and I am satisfied. The chicken burrito has a really good marinade I don't taste at other Mexican joints. Maybe someday I'll actually go to the restaurant and eat.
This place is pretty fucking fantastic. Cheap beer on friday, nachos that are bigger than your moms purse, and burritos that could feed 10 starving children.
Really kids, what's not to like about Dos Pinas? Oh yeah, that one chick who works there who never has a smile on her face.
HERES TO CHEEP BEERS!
I work near here and go once in awhile for lunch. The food is pretty good. I usually get the cheese enchiladas and the sauce is worth going back for. The menu has good variety and the decor is cute.
My problem is it's usually busy and combined with the way too lound Mexican music the sound can be a little unnerving. Also it's pretty dark inside so they try to keep the doors wide open at all times which is bad for 2 reasons. 1. Birds fly in which is not the mosy sanitary thing ever and 2. if it's cold outside it is just as cold inside.
For those worried about $ there are several well priced specials to take advantage of every week.
Food - Fine. Nothing great, but it's palatable if you're looking for basic mexican food.
Ambiance: between the long lines of 2nd generation dotties waiting anxiously to place their orders (hello, people, 2.0 notwithstanding, the boom is over - GO HOME ALREADY)... and the obnoxious, too-loud mexican polka music (ewww)... being inside this place is, for me, torture. I NEVER stay inside this place to eat --- but it's the only taqueria near Potrero - so I order, pickup and eat in the peace and quiet at home...up until recently, anyway
Last night I got the phone number from the website and called, only to learn they don't accept phone calls anymore - you MUST order online. WTF???? I hate ordering online - it's slow, complicated, and honestly, I prefer dealing with a human over a machine when it comes to food that I'm going to put in my body.
The system they have for online ordering is badly designed - it FAXES your order to the restaurant... and with the racket inside that place, they don't hear the phone ring. Besides that, there's no option on the website for picking up your food immediately - it's broken out into 30 minute intervals.
So last night I reluncantly used their lousy online ordering page, waited the normal 10 minutes, went down to the place to pick up my food, only to see my fax order sitting on the machine, unnoticed and unread, and a feeble excuse from the cashier that "It's not supposed to be ready until 8:00" I suggested to her they change their policy and start accepting phone calls .... and had to sit in that awful room, dealing with the 2.0 dotties pushing, shoving and generally annoying me at every turn, waiting while they prepared my food - which was, as I mentioned above, fine, once I got it home.
If they don't start accepting phone calls for take-out, I'm done here.
This is a great place to come for lunch, except that it's usually way too crowded at lunch. The line to order often extends past the salsa fridge and the condiment counter and silverware table - and cuts off access to the pick-up counter. This makes standing in line very annoying. No matter where you are in line, someone wants to squeeze past you to get their napkins, or silverware, or salsa, or food... or whatever. Poor, poor planning.
Plus, you can't see the menu unless you're right at the counter, so it seems like people, despite having spent five minutes or more in line, haven't had enough time to look at the menu.
Despite that, I still come. Regularly.
They're not stingy with the guacamole, the food is always tasty, and they're not rude. The prices are reasonable, the atmosphere is friendly and open, and I never leave feeling like I shouldn't have come.
If you want a good hearty burrito, then that's your place to be.
I love there chicken with guacamole wrapped in sun dried tomato wrap.
I think for the price it's great!!!
Also, they offer $2 coronas too on Fridays I guess.
check it out guys!!
cheers
FQ
Great place for a wet burrito and to get your sauce on!
Friday's are the days to go.... $2 Corona's need I say more?
Back in the days when I worked in the SOMA, this was one of the lunch staples. This was the joint that introduced me to Dave's Insanity Hot Sauce. My favorite sauce: Hurtin' Habenero -- just the right amount of hot with a bit of sweet. Stay away from the INSANITY SAUCE unless you're a masochist-- so hot it'll make you wanna slap your momma!
Back to the food...
Favs: Carne Asada soft tacos and the Fork andKnife burritos (it' s not on the menu -- just order it).
Pretty bland, mediocre stuff. That's why they offer so many hot sauces not prepared by the restaurant itself. And I never trust a "Mexican restaurant" that also serves burgers. The owner's highest aspiration must have been to create a Mexican TGI Fridays. Also they don't have actual tequila in their margaritas, it's agave wine.
I did like the out-of-place, old KFC sign.
I've been here a few times with my coworkers during lunch and I thought the food was just OK. I had two little chicken tacos and also a Santa Fe salad...nothing too exciting here...
Awesome place to relax after work, especially on Fridays with their $2 corona special. Street-style tacos are very authentic tasting and, with a futbol game often on, you might even feel like you're on vacation in a bar at Guadalajara or Puerto Vallarta. It's located on the cusp of PH and Fashion Square, not SOMA, easy access from downtown 10 line. My only gripe is that it's not open enough hours. PH, and many would agree, needs a late night Mexican joint.
Watch out for the hotsauce. I poured this "insanely hot" bottle on my carnitas taco like it was ketchup and paid dearly for 20 minutes straight.
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This place is just down the hill from my work and we come here often for lunch. I always order the street fish tacos. Be sure to ask for them grilled otherwise they'll bring them to you 'Baja Style' (beer battered and deep fried). I always opt for the healthier version. The atmosphere takes you to Tijuana or Ensenada for an hour...it's very festive. Oh, and Friday is $2 coronas! You can't beat that!!!!
Around the year 2000, I used to get these fantastic crispy tacos from Dos Pinas on weekday evenings. Unfortunately these tacos are no longer on their menu and the other items I've tried are just awful. The tacos and burritos are flavorless and the agua fresca seems watered down. Definitely some of the worst Mexican food I've had.
It's been a long while since I came here for dinner. I remember the burrito as being above average, but nothing spectacular. No reason to yelp.
Today I came back for breakfast and had a stunningly delicious venice wrap, bundled up nicely with egg whites, spinach and black beans (a sub for bacon bits). They were totally up for making the egg whites without oil, and I couldn't believe I was only charged $4 for all this breakfast goodness.
You can't go wrong with dinner, and you definitely can't miss the breakfast.
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Yes, yes, and more yes. The Guac is awesome, I love the tacos here, and they have great beer specials on Friday. There is outdoor seating, tons of hot sauce, great music, lots of items on the menu, and everything tastes good here. What's missing? Hmmmmm. Oh. I know! I know!
Yes Ryan?
Margaritas! (cue "tada" sound) Yup...no margaritas at a Mexican restaurant is like watching a Nascar race where no one spins out, crashes, bumps fenders, or flashes an off-toothed smile. They have attempted to counteract this problem with agave margarita flavored wine thingys which taste like the super sugary pre-mixed powder crud you buy at the 5 and dime.
Alas, the food is awesome but the lack of tequila goodness robs them of the 5th star.
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Very decent mexican food. We (me and my lazy ass) can't complain how close it is to my house...like a block away. It's probably the only mexican joint in P Hill.
I had the pollo enchiladas...it was good. Now look around the walls. There's like hundreds of bottles of hot sauce (ok perhaps I exaggerated), but somehow I have the *hottest* bottle on my table. hot-tay...burn a hole through my tongue. My boyf said..."if you think it's hot...um i'm not even gonna try."
Dos Pinas offers pretty much everything that I would want from a good taqueria/cantina. It's fast and fresh, they have both greasy/cheesy as well as more healthy options on the menu, they have baja style fish tacos, and they even serve a mushroom & garlic quesadilla, which is one of my all-time favorites!
That said, I've ordered the same thing every time I've gone there, which was the salad wrap! It looks humongous, but since it's mostly lettuce inside, you can polish it off no problem! Like a salad inside a burrito! They add just a touch of creamy lime dressing, avocado, black beans, tomato, and cotija cheese. It's so good!
There's a lot of parking, too, right outside on the street (the 90 degree angle type!) but it fills up quite quickly at lunch time! I also see a lot of people w/ coronas every time I swing by, too, so it may even be kind of a "party" place! Awesome! Lastly, the prices seem pretty fair-not necessarily mission taqueria cheap, but still a pretty good deal for what you get
PS: tired the fish tacos, they're money!
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Be advised that the chicken tortilla soup had a piece of what might have been pork in it, so observant Jews and Muslims might want to avoid it. There was also something that might have been beef, so the same warning is extended to Hindus and Sikhs. Those concerned with the well being of cows and pigs but not chickens and devotees of religions endemic to the middle east and central and south asia should probably stick to the tacos.
It's kind of dark despite the colorful interior and the woman at the counter was kind of rude too, but they they make a decent burrito, have soccer on TV, and have $2 corona special on fridays.
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For a place that definitely serves non-authentic mexican food this place is pretty good. And without a doubt it serves the best tacos in the Potrero Hill district. But then again the Potrero hill district is lacking in good mexican food options (or a large number of great restaurants for the most part . But then again, overall for what it is Dos Pinas is a pretty good place to eat. I would recommend their fish tacos, fish burritos, and chicken mole burrito
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For like 6 bucks I got the biggest burrito I've ever seen in my life! After eating it for lunch, I didn't eat again for the rest of the day I was so stuffed. The taste also blew away anything we have in my home city of Seattle, WA.
Surprisingly fresh and good salad. I like the vegetarian items and the salsas they put out. They have some insanely hot jarred ones, but that isn't my thing.
Decent burritos
I ordered whole wheat burrito with chicken, guacamole and black beans. Liked the black beans in the burrito. Overall burrito was decent, not amazing. Didn't care much for the taste of the two salsas that they stock the place with (like the salsas at taqueria pancho villa much better). Nachos chips were also ok, not extraordinary.
Love the fact that there is parking tho! And the burritos are pretty good sized!
Hot Damn Man! Can you say Baja Style Fish Taco? Oozing with that
cilantro lime slaw. A huge hunk of perfectly battered, not too greasy
deep fried fish. Try this on for size, $ 2.95. I think I fell off my chair but can't really remember because I was delirious. That Mother of all taco's was so good that I drifted off into another world.
Average mexican food with cheap Corona's on fridays!!!! The service isn't bad and there is plenty of parking. The menu is pretty consistent with other mexican restaurants and I usually go for the taco's, burritos and nachos. Though since it is just average mexican food I come here only when I am in the area. Or when I want to get drunk cheap on a friday.
My friend mentioned that he might be going there tonight, so I figured I might as well review it, while I'm procrastinating. I don't know why it didn't get rave reviews as the times I've been there have been fine. Of course, I've only been there a whopping two times, but I enjoyed the fish tacos, the chicken quesadilla, the chips, all the pico de gallo salsa, limes, and agua fresca. I thought the atmosphere was fine, maybe a little too frou frou for a Mexican food place, but whatever. It's weird to see white people behind the counter taking orders. Since I'm from LA, Mexican people actually run Mexican food restaurants. Well, that and everything else. I'm headed up there in a couple of weeks. I'll probably go.
I lived around the corner from this tacqueria when I lived here in SF. The food was always really good, but I thought it was a little expensive for a taqueria.
The homemade frescas (and horchata) are amazing, be sure to order it along with your meal. The platters of food are pretty big, but I was really dissapointed with the fish tacos the last time I went there. The fish tasted like the oil hadn't been changed in a while (sort of rancid tasting) and NOTHING like the ones that I have had at Rubio's in San Diego.
I really like the black beans, the rice and the salad here, as well as the enchalatas. Also, they aren't open very late at night either :(.
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We went on a Friday night around 6ish and we beat the rush. Cool place with bright decor. They had decent tacos. I had the carne asada & chorizo. The chorizo was my favorite hands down. I also shared among 4 people the Charlie's Nachos....they were HUGE! We didn't finish it. The margaritas were disappointing.
Festive interior, nice location. Surprisingly bland food. Keep driving up 16th, Mexican food lover.
Sure it may not be authentic, but it is very good. Amazing burritos and who can complain about a $7 nacho place that is large enough for a couple of people to eat. Plus, they even have half pitchers of beer for those days when you really don't need to drink too much at lunch. There can be a bit of a line at lunch but it is worth it.
Dos Pinas is delicious, fresh and fast mexican food and is a great place for lunch. Lots of seating options from a bar that extends around the entire wall, to long tables with bar stools, to a couple of booths in the back. They also have a prodigious hot sauce collection that extends round most of the restaurant which is worth purusing. I recomend the scotch bonnet sauce and the hurtin' habenero sauce, both of which are not too hot but very tasty.
One of my favorite dishes here is the chicken chile verde quesadia (super it to get some guac and sour cream), if your with a friend just split it and ask for an extra plate when you pick it up at the window. Other recommendations, California taco plate, and the Santa Fe salad is awesome.
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Uplifting, playful decor, sweet and efficient staff, and damn good burritos (whole wheat tortillas, whole black beans, excellent guacamole). An inexpensive dinner option should you find yourself po' in Po-Hill.
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The carne asada is lacking, nothing special or anything. I did really enjoy their fish tacos, as other reviewers have mentioned. I would have given this establishment 3 stars as the decor is really fun and inviting, and the food is consistently decent, but the service is so bad I do not know if I will return.
The price is right, but I don't feel like being made fun of in Spanish after I place my order. The cashiers do this, along with roll their eyes when you bring to their attention that they messed up, ask for something additional, or basically exist within 5 feet of them.
The cooks are friendly when you go to the kitchen window, but the attitude of the cashiers/front-of-the-house staff completely overshadowed how good those darn fish tacos were.
I did happen to find myself here on a Friday...and had a $2 corona and 2 fish tacos...one grilled, one deep fried. I have to say they were pretty darn tasty. Very fresh tasting and not greasy at all. Most everyone else was just drinking so i didnt see how other items looked. I would go back if i was around...wouldn't go out of my way though. Good to note: you order with the cashier and pick up in the kitchen window. I didn't realize that. I sat at the bar for about 5 mins...the cashier directly in front of me and she never mentioned that---i thought she was the bartender. So i think the service was fairly awful...and i never did get the chips that i ordered. For food i would give it a positive...but because the service was so bad the overall experience i have to give it a neutral
It wasn't Mission quality, yet it was better than anything in the Outer Sunset. The sealed chips were a nice touch. However, the fishy tilapia, flavorless carne asada, and lukewarm agua fresca were purely passable. The locale is easy parking and they aren't super crowded. But, I'm not sure it's worth it to go across town.
The decor is cute. Al pastor and pollo asada are good, but the carne asada is bleh. Really bleh. Doesn't taste grilled at all. It's like it was a big roast that was then chopped up and the meat is devoid of flavor. The "spicy" (their billing) chorizo lacks flavor as well and certainly isn't spicy.
I love a good carne asada burrito now and again and I can't get one at the closest taqueria to my house. Luckily it's not too far to the mission.
Where's the taco truck parked again?
This place has a very cantina feel, and I think that's the best approach to take: if it's Friday and you got your work done early, head over, get some chips and salsa and start drinking your $2 Coronas. But for an ordinary lunch, it's not that satisfying. I had the fried fish burrito, and Eric C is right: they basically took fish 'n' chips, replaced the chips with rice and beans, and wrapped it inside a tortilla. Granted, it is humongous, but there's no real sauce or flavor in it, just massive carb overload. Drizzling salsa over the end before each bite alleviates the problem somewhat.
So yeah, fun, dark atmosphere + merely adequate food = drinking establishment, not lunchtime favorite.
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My favorite thing to have a Dos Pinas is their Baja Burger. Basically it's a hamburger with all the fixings inside a flour tortilla. It is so big you could feed two people or eat it all yourself. They used to have awesome smoothies but they don't anymore :(
Ive ordered the Chicken Chili Verde both times have been to Dos Pinas, and both times they have fucked up my order. In fact, they fucked it up twice the last time. Thats a 3-2 fuck up ratio. Not a good stat guys.
But I gotta say, the Chicken Chili Verde is damn good and the Crispy Fried Fish Tacos have been pretty hard to say no to.
The salsas are good, the chips suck ass, and what is this "Tequila Wine" nonsense?
Lesson: when you're this close to the Mission, trust what you know. Potrero Hill/SOMA isn't really known for its Mexican food now is it?
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Dos might just be my fave Mexican lunch spot in the city. Been eating here at least once a week for years now. It's Hard to spend more than a $10 bill there on lunch and the food is great - i recommend the Carne Asada, Al Pastor, and Carnitas tacos (i call it the triple play), or the Santa Fe Salad. The guacamole is rocking, and I hear the burritos are pretty good too.
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