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"There are lots of taqueria's in SF, so it's hard to tell one from the other... this place was sliding nicely into a four-star rating after I…" read more »
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As per the other poster below me, Azteca has now become Chilanga. It's the same owner, but apparently, he decided to go high end. If you're still looking for an Azteca-ish fix, he also owns the taqueria up Church (by Burgermeister) that has the same menu.
As for Chilanga, it's all organic/free-range and the prices have been adjusted accordingly. I just got the filet mignon tacos... 3 tacos and a coke = $15. However, they are damn delicious and even their salsas seem to be upgraded. The salsa verde seems to have much more depth of flavor (maybe they're using organic tomatillos too) and the red sauce has a little of that smokiness I love.
Anyway, time will tell how this spot will do. I'll have to revisit it a few more times before I pass judgment. For now though, I'd recommend those that loved Azteca to check it out.
I lunch here a lot and I usually get the Enchilada plate. You get some free chips with your order and the taste is pretty good. I really like their spicy chicken.
The burritos are well sized, and they have tofu options if you are a vegetarian.
They also have Mexican Coke, you know the kind without Corn Syrup, it is sweetened with sugar and actually in a glass bottle. I get one everytime.
I'm going to take a wild guess and assume this place is owned by the same people who own La Tortilla on Castro Street. There's nothing like cheap Mexican food amid all the overpriced fare in the Castro. In fact, that reminds me of a story.
Two-and-a-half years ago, I visited a friend who lives in Washington, DC. At the time, she lived in Dupont Circle, which is Washington's version of the Castro (or West Hollywood, which itself is L.A.'s version of the Castro). After hearing from many many many Washington people that if I was OK with the Castro I would be OK with Dupont Circle, I noticed something: Although Dupont Circle looks a little bit like the Castro in terms of the sheer number of gay men walking around, there's a huge difference between the two neighborhoods. In the Castro although many restaurants are overpriced, you can find cheap places to eat like Azteca and La Tortilla. In Dupont Circle, not so much. It's just overpriced.
Anyway, so I'm glad this place is here. The food is decent, and it's cheap. As in really cheap. It's not Mission good or Tenderloin cheap, but it is in a rather relaxed part of the Castro.
Just wanted to mention that the Azteca Taqueria has closed and a new Mexican place will be moving in. From the sign (which is all that there is so far) it looks like it will not be a Taqueria but I could be wrong. I believe it will be called Chingala.
Good burritos.
Very friendly.
Large portions, decent taste... fun counter crew... fair prices...
Not the best in the area, though...
I eat here alot cause of the location. At par with most Mexican food places in the city, but walk down to the mission if you want another star or two.
*BEST TOFU BURRITO ON THIS PLANET*.
Even now, as an East Bayer, I will cross the bridge and spend several loopless moments trying to find parking in the crowded Castro just to enter this tacky little Aztecan cafeteria and hear,
"wha kinna bean?"
Although a woman of variety, I always get the same thing -- the Azteca Burrito with tofu (of course), which is this huge, African-phallic-like mass of yummyness topped with cheese, sour cream, and enchilada sauce. To take it over the top I ask them to put in some sauteed mushrooms, and I like to suffocate it even more with offerings from their fresh salsa bar. The thing about the tofu at Azteca - unlike most Mexi restaurants that offer tofu - is that their tofu is still moist. It's not bursting with flavor because it's not marinated, but there's enough going on in other flavor arenas to satisfy your taste buds. With a tofu burrito, texture is more important than flavor. Most places grill/fry/ their tofu which lends to a lot of dryness if not done properly.
Side note: I have brought many a Meatarian here and all have agreed that Azteca tops their list. Even my picky Latino boyfriend rates it as #1.
I went here last night, and was very pleasantly surprised. I hadn't been here for 4 or 5 years, so I remembered nothing about it.
I'm not vegetarian, but I have a lot of people in my life who are. I was amazed to re-realize that they have more options for different vegetarian burritos than they have for meat burritos, so it's a really vegetarian friendly establishment
I'd never had spicy guacamole in a burrito before, it's pretty good :)
I schlepped myself all the way to the Mission after work today with the hopes of a) meeting up with my friends b) retrieving my left-behind-at-a-friends' rear blinky bike light and c) (while I was there!) feast on a burrito!
As I was crossing the don't-look-back-now point (you know, you already missed the turn to go straight home, might as well keep going), I realized that I decided not to bring my bike lock with me today. It's like a law of physics, I swear.
So, I couldn't find my friends where they said they'd be (Makeout Room), the friend who has my blinky wasn't home (damn!) and the place I wanted to get a burrito from (La Taqueria - Mission @ 24th) was closed! CLOSED? Lame.
So I decided to ride back toward home and pick something up near the 'hood. Decided to stop here, at Azteca, which I was glad I did. I hadn't been there in about 2-3 years, probably. They let me put my bike inside while I ordered. There was some confusion though, since the other customers were leaving I asked if they were closed (I dunno, La Taqueria closed at 9pm) and the nice man said "Oh, no! We're open until 11pm every night! Even if it's slow!" Now that's good business.
Contemplated sticking to veggie only but ordered the carnitas super burrito, black beans, wheat tortilla (duh) and freaked out a little when the huge, fatty chunks of pork were folded into the pillow of goodness. I told myself it would be OK, but when I got home I ended up plucking out a fair amount of the chewy bits. Oh well, it still hit the spot, and their salsa bar had good pickins. Nice and spicy with fresh cilantro, went well with the chips.
5 stars for service - thanks, nice dude!
3 stars for food
4 stars for atmosphere (although I took to go, its pleasant inside and they let me bring in my bike - extra kudos for that)
I'll def come back again (sooner than another 2-3 years!)
Awesome tortas. The veggie burritos are good, and prices are great. I love that this place is consistently good.
I come here a lot because it's so close to home. There are plenty of other taquerias to chose from, but I keep coming here because it's a good experience most of the time.
I wish they had a better way of keeping their food hot. Sometimes food looks dried out, but that's not the case always.
Overall, they get my thumbs up.
[UPDATE: I decided to boost Azteca one star up because my boyfriend and I started to mix salsas in our cups (as their sign recommends) to create unique flavors. It is damn delicious and fun. Also, there's never a mariachi singer screaming in my ear as is the case at other Mission taquerias, so I've come to appreciate its relative peace. I still wish they had a better way of keeping their food hot though.]
(+)
- nice, cozy, comfortable dining area
- friendly, cheery staff
- big vegetarian menu, so your coward veggiehead friends have no excuse
- big plates
- big burritos
- reasonably priced (10 bucks will get you everything you could possibly want)
- fresh salsa bar
(-)
- no avocado option for burritos
- although friendly, staff rather absentminded (asked to eat in, packaged to go)
- a bit stingy on salsa cups
- chips dont taste fantastic
- burritos come with lettuce if you ask for the works (i FUCKING HATE LETTUCE IN BURRITOS)
Good place if you like burritos. I come here for lunch during work days. Usually order the azteca burrito, which is hella large for $5.95 and they drench it with some kinda chili sauce. The meat and other ingredients are fairly fresh. You also get free chips and your choice of salsa at the counter. The drinks make your order hit the $10 mark, but that's how it goes. On this street, there's red jade, chow's, miyabi's and this one, so it's a great area to have lunch, depending on your mood and who you're going with. It's also a clean street, which seems to be getting rare in the mid to upper market street areas.
3.5 Pretty good. Consistency was good in all my 5 spaced-out(time wise, not stoner-wise) experiences except once the al pastor was a little too fatty. Many taquerias fuck up al pastor and chorizo with too much salt, or no one orders it so it is nast, or it can be overcooked as well. What is consistent here is that they always distribute your ingredients in and roll your burritos perfectly. The spicing is ALWAYS just right for me and a few other taqueria heads in my posse.
I will repeat my belief that in this and many other eateries, usually, if you feel skimped on or there is no sign of romance or passion in the making of your item, it is because you don't tip well or you smell or someone just doesn't like your face. If you don't tip well, I think the latter 2 of you myself!
Hmm... you are difficult to read.
On the one hand you make one mean burrito. Not many stock poblano, and even fewer stock cactus. Your Azteca burrito is awe-inspiring, like a Super burrito but edible by fork only. Spinach tortilla? Praise.
But... no, I'm just *asking* about the cactus burrito, I don't want to... no, no, poblano... ok, well I see now that you just dumped the burrito I wanted. I guess it's loud in here. This mixup does not bode well for your future.
Difficult. Three, or four? One lost burrito does not a bad restaurant make. I'd edge on the side of caution, seeing as how the only reason I rejected this cactus I see out-of-hand is that it looked like week-old Chinese leftovers--soggy and faded. These are not good signs for your future.
These are not things that are, but things that might be... for you, at least.
Inexpensive, huge burritos and free chips? I'm down. Their veggie burritos are delicious, but if you suck at eating burritos with your hands, make sure you get it wrapped in tin foil.
Azteca Taqueria is owned by the same guy who owns El Castillito (on Church near Safeway) and La Tortilla (on Castro St.), two other San Francisco taquerias. All three make their flan differently. The flan at Azteca Taqueria is excellent. Azteca taqueria's flan is boiled, the one at La Tortilla is baked in an oven and has a lot of caramelized sugar in it (and the top is of it is nice and cooked) and the flan at El Castillito (also baked in an oven) has some cheese in it. Try them all! Azteca Taqueria's flan has a really smooth and delicate mouthfeel and it fees so delicate in your mouth. It is similar to yogurt or a custard in texture, but thicker in consistency.
Azteca Taqueria has one of my favorite taqueria employees working there, the Iranian guy who used to live in Mexico and speaks perfect Spanish (and English and Farsi too). A lot of people mistake him for a Mexican I think. He is always so helpful and polite and he always puts a smile on my face. He is so enthusiastic about Mexican food and it makes for a good time. He is happy to be working where he is working and he is happy to be in San Francisco talking to different people and it is contagious and makes me happy too.
I go there very often during lunch time and I find it very clean, fast and good. I am not vegetarian but their vegetarian tacos and burritos are my favorite dishes. The best part is the Service. Staff is always welcoming and make sure I have a great experience. Ultimately, it is hard not to find a good taqueria place in the neighborhood so service is what makes the difference among them all. Azteca so far is my favorite place for Mexican food in the area
I used to come here all the time about 10 years ago! I am so sad to say, I stopped by a few days ago and got a chicken en salsa roja to go and I got sick out of it. Not a pleasant experience. I won't go back. Too many great taquerias in SF to waste your time getting food poisoning from this one.
The same menu has Casa Mexicana on the other side of Market and the same owners, yet their are differences between the two. At Azteca you will find delicious refried black beans, while at CM only pintos get this additional fatty treatment. But the hot salsa is way better at Casa Mexicana, and for me that is usually CM's trump card, along with its better dining room. However, they both have the same supplemental salsas so if you skip salsa at the counter and work from the salsa bar, both will provide approximately the same meal, and both are better than El Castillito.
I would see Azteca in the day time. In the night time. Curiosity finally led me here. What was hidden behind those doors was kind of worth the visit. Two big carne asada tacos and a cold drink to satisfy the biggest of appetites . cheap?yes. Satisfying? yes.
mmm.. these aren't the typical tacos you find in other mexican restaurants so, just a little heads up.
3.5 stars.
I'm new to the neighborhood and after a long day of moving, I was starving and looking for a late dinner (10pm) and Azteca totally came through for me!!!
The veggie burrito was wrapped in a spinach tortilla and had the perfect ratio of rice/beans/veggies. I was very impressed!! It was a clean burrito with no sloppy mess all over my mouth and fingers, a major plus for me.
Azteca will definitely be my go-to burrito place from now on!
This place pretty much is the same as Casa Mexicana except with a different name. I don't get why they're so close together. Yet the meat here was tougher than the meat I had at Casa Mexicana, so minus one star from my Casa Mexicana rating.
I love the prices, the super veggie burrito, the beer is not that expensive. My boyfriend and I ate lunch here for $11 and I got a beer with my lunch. Great place to get a delicious and filling lunch in SF!
Cheap and fat.
NO, NOT ME, YOU BASTARDS.
But the burritos were actually quite good, especially the super veggie variety. I had a great time trying to inhale it in the twenty minute time frame our evil parking meter allowed. Don't park illegally, or the lovely DPT scooter man will ticket your ass faster than a bullet. It's enough to ruin anyone's big fat burrito lunch.
I got a burrito here while waiting to meet up with a friend nearby. When he showed up, I asked him how the burritos were, and he said it was the exact same as Casa Mexicana, and I thought to myself, "Well, that sucks but at least I can just copy & paste the review."
Thankfully, the burrito wasn't nearly as bad as Casa Mexicana's. It was still mushy, which bothers me, but Azteca did get the ingredients right, with lots of cheese... and I didn't have to repeat myself! The spicy chicken had plenty of spice to it, and also had a twinge of sweetness to it, which was actually pretty good.
While this was definitely better than Casa Mexicana, it's still a distant second to El Castillito, which easily reigns supreme in the Duboce Triangle Burrito Wars.
Edit, seven hours later: My insides feel funny, and I doubt it was the granola bar.
My friend would probably shoot me if I gave Azteca only two stars, since it's her favorite burrito place EVER (she makes trips from the east bay to eat here).
But let's be honest, it's definitely a disappointment.
Okay burritos: 3 stars
No lengua (what kind of taqueria is this?!): -1 star
Seriously. A burrito with lengua is that good.
Mmmmmm, did somebody say burrito goodness sure to pep up your day?? If they did, they must be talking about Azteca! I like to keep it simple. With that said, I know the real taste of this place without all the fancy cover-ups. I love me some bean and cheese action, but when I'm feeling especially saucy, I go for the carnitas...they NEVER disappoint. My friend is a big fan of the chicken mole burrito...yes, you read that right, they make a chicken mole burrito. They use brown rice, which I was skeptical about as I am a Mexican food purist, but I have to say that it is quite delicious and tastes almost like the O.G. mexi rice. When choosing the salsa for your burrito, be sure to pause a moment before you say "throw on the pico" and check out if they have the delicious green salsa or even the red. They bring the heat so beware...but if you are one with my philosophy, the spicier the better, you won't leave disappointed...I make no promises regarding the pleasure level of your bathroom experience the next day. Best to have handles to hold on to, you're in for a bumpy ride. Ah, and those blessed adult wipees really help stifel the fire, if you catch my drift. word.
Decent place for a burrito after working out at 24 Hour Fitness on Market.
Smile at the older gentleman who works the register and get unlimited free chips.
Open til 11 on weeknights, this place is a treasure simply decorated with Frida Kahlo staring back at you from various parts of the place.
Brown rice , friendly staff, always sure to clear the grill before placing your vegetarian meal up there for the cooking, you can't go wrong with Azteca.
Their mushroom quesadillas can't be beat though they have turned me onto nopales as well.
Long day?
Tough gym workout and needing some but not too many carbs?
Azteca's the affordable place to go, time and again.
Plus free chips! Various free salsas. Good times, alone or with friends.
I work at Castro and Market, and every lunch I find myself at Azteca.
Their prices are cheap, their food is delicious, and it lasts me all day.
I'm a vegetarian and love all of the options they have for me...
Especially the Tofu Ranchero Burrito.
Its a cream dream, my friends.
Recap: The food is great, is made quickly, and is next to nothing to get a full belly.
One of the best mexican joints in the city, and I'm a pretentious asshole when it comes to south-of-the-border dining. Go for the cochinita pibil, mayan tamales, or the breakfast burritos (which I've usually hated). Or you know...for some chips.
And they have cactus fruit. Couldn't get more badass.
It's obviously no Taqueria Can-Cun, but Azteca can make burritos happen good and cheap in the Castro.
The staff is friendly and the menu is comparable to any other burrito joint in a 5-square-block radius, but my favorite part is that they use brown rice. (I know, I know, if you're going to eat a burrito as big as your head, you might as well go all out. . .but the brown rice makes me feel a tiny better about the indulgence and is tasty!)
Decent place for burritos!
This place is a waste of space. I like burritos... and unfortunately, there aren't too many options in the Castro. Although enticing by its aroma of grilled meat and the bright, cheery sign above its doorway, Azteca seems like it should be good. Alas, it isn't.
San Francisco is spoiled with so many taquerias that it shouldn't give you the excuse settling for an Azteca burrito with bland, chewy meat and mediocre salsa. If you have to stay on Church, I suggest walking to El Castillito a block up/west of Safeway. Bueno.
McMexican as far as ordering and ambience goes - but the taste is pretty damn good.
Number of times visited: 1
where else can you get burritos for under $6! and they're huge.
I got the breakfast burrito with mushrooms and scrambled eggs and added some steak in a spinach tortilla. Only able to eat 1/2.
Lime agua fresca- not too tart, not too sweet. it was just right.
they just ran outta shrooms after me, so my bf got eggs and cactus with pork. they gave him a MONDO amount of pork. almost unrollable. He ate it all.
Mike got the super burrito with shrimp, and that was super JUICY with all that guac and sour cream. Finished it.
Ben got the breakfast with chorizo. He finished it too.
Conclusion:
good burritos for an excellent price
friendly service
great selection of homemade salsas
refreshing agua frescas
Carnitas burrito was quite tastey!
Horchata was good too...
no complaints from moi!
Other than the late night variety; no Mexican food joints are going to receive more than four stars in San Francisco from me.
This place has very delicious and consistent food.
The price is on the wrong side of unbelievable, but hey; when in Rome - right?
Their vegetables are FRESH - mostly, and that really sets them apart from the crowd.
Okay, let me explain why this ain't gettin' five stars:
The proprietors of burrito shops here in Nor-Cal hail mostly from the Yucatan Peninsula. While that's fine, I have been utterly spoiled by the fact that I grew up in San Diego, where most of the taquerias hail from Mexico proper.
The carne asada is much more well done up here and ripped of their juices.
The guacamole here is flat, with no spices or tomatos.
Sour cream tends to be over used and mixed in with other sauces.
The cheese is sharper and melts way worse here.
Rice. *sigh*
I defy you to find a place in San Diego that puts rice in your burrito without requesting.
Every place here stuffs a bunch of cheap, over heated brown rice in their burritos.
Oh, they will leave the rice out if requested, but then they still get the proportions wrong.
It's not this place or any in particular - it is EVERY JOINT UP HERE.
A tragedy to be sure.
I'd like to say that the resulting difference is akin to Italian and Sicilian food.
Sadly though, it's more like the difference between French Cuisine and English bar food.
Truly, the taquerias up here are Megadeth, and those in San Diego are Metallica.
Some prefer Megadeth - and you rock on.
But come on, we know where the real double bass kick is at.
I do like Azteca more than most though.
Thanks for reading!
We got so much free stuff!
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