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I've had a lot of burritos in this fair city, and let me say that El Castillito is the best of them all. Better than Cancun, Pancho Villa, or even El Farolito. Yes, I went there. I usually get the carnitas. It's huge, delicious, and gives me that special tingly feeling all over. I'm not talking about the la tourista tingles. I'm talking about love.
This place is consistently great! The cooks are so friendly and seem to care about the food they're making. I always see them chopping up fresh ingredients and it comes through in the flavor. AND, one of the cooks always draws a funny face on my quesadillas (5th star for that!).
The Food:
Fish tacos: AWESOME!! Fish never tastes fishy. Huge portions.
Al Pastor tacos: Delicious!
Suiza quesadilla: Almost too good - in an indulgent kind of way :)
(Tip: ask for fresh avocado instead of guacamole in burritos and quesadillas)
Carne asada - no "bad pieces", not dry.
Shrimp platter (I forget what it's called) is really flavorful and fresh and the shrimp are usually cooked perfectly (still juicy, not tough), although one time they were slightly overdone. It's the most expensive thing on the menu, but worth it.
I'm pretty picky about Mexican food - this place tastes like the owner and employees care about making great tasty food.
I learned the other day that they use all organic free-range meats, which is why they taste different. That's certainly admirable on their part, but it's no excuse for the meat tasting tough. Don't use certain products unless you know how to use them to get the most taste out of them.
The Little Chihuahua on Divis. gets this right.
I don't really see the big deal about this place. The burritos are good, but nothing special. Maybe… Read more »
Sometimes it feels redundant rating some places in SF because they have been written about so many times, but I'm not sure this place deserves 4 stars...3 might be a bit more fitting.
I had a Carne Asada Torta...the meat really wasn't good. Lots of gristle and I could taste cinnamon in the marinade way too much. The chips probably came from Costco. BUT! They salsa verde with avocado saved this place. That stuff was great!
All and all, a decent taco joint. Not a place to go way out of your way for though.
When my friends and I want some FREAKING BOMB BURRITOS, we always come here, and I always order the super carne asada burrito. It is SO DAMN GOOD. Hooray for free chips too! And don't forget to look at the cool mural on the ceiling.
I love this place so much. Make sure you're going to the right one, there is another taqueria down the street - this one has the plain yellow "TAQUERIA" sign!
(And check out the Yelp photos ... there's one of the carne asada burrito just begging you to take another bite.. ooooo food porn)
This place is bomb!! Close to my house too. Mmmmmmm! Love the green salsa.
Best vegetarian burrito around: Veggie QUESADILLA on whole wheat, black beans, with everything on it (yes to jalapeños). $5.35 after tax.
Grab a few salsas (don't miss the green one) and you're good to go. Awm nom, amazing!
Seriously.. this place still sucks. I did give them another try today and still agree with the 1 star.
They don't hold back on the salt or the heat at this hole in the wall taqueria. The tacos seem relatively expensive ($2.89 for meat tacos with cilantro & onion, $3.29 for fish tacos) but they do give you more meat than average. There's a salsa bar (the whole roasted peppers aren't that spicy but they're really good; the green salsa is way too salty; the smoky looking red salsa is extremely spicy)! The al pastor is cooked on a vertical spit and shaved off (drool). In addition to tacos, they have burritos, quesadillas, seafood plates, tortas, fresh juices, breakfast items, etc. Meat choices: carne asada, al pastor, pollo, chorizo, carnitas. Where's the cabeza, lengua, etc.???
* Al pastor taco: Finely chopped, fatty, tender marinated pork explodes with delicious flavor...but it's also very oily/greasy. The meat is served on two chewy corn tortillas, with onions, cilantro and hot sauce (optional)
* Fish taco: Small pieces of mild, tender white fish, lightly coated, appear to be pan fried (yay, it's not deep fried). The coating on the fish was too salty but the salsa and lettuce helped. The fish taco features two corn tortillas, onions and cilantro.
I believe free chips are included.
The ambiance is suitably dumpy/gritty with a jukebox, painted ceiling, their awards and ATM. They even capture all the action on a security camera (bonus points).
Cash only.
This place is close to my house, otherwise I don't know if I would have ever picked it, since it appears on the outside to be a basic taqueria with nothing superfantastic to offer.
I have only had the burritos here, so I cannot honestly speak for anything else, but the burritos are numma numma. The employees are super nice, and you can call your order in which is easy and awesome.
While I prefer Pancho Villa, El Castillito is a good go-to for a quick but yummy burrito.
Delicious, fast, reasonable and filling; exactly what I wanted.
My favorite place for a refried bean burrito and at a dirt cheap price.
Conveniently located and never extra crowded, this taqueria has some of the tastiest salsa in their bar as well as fresh ingredients, friendly servers and tasty horchata.
Best burrito I've had so far. their prices are higher than i'd like,but that's my ONLY gripe.
Tried it again... and it really dropped off on quality. Chips were no good, neither were the salsas. Meats were totally dry and overcooked. And the beans tasted bland and old.
I won't be going back.
Very decent meats and sauces. The wet burrito is friggin ENORMOUS. I'll be back...
I knew I should have walked farther and gone to Taqueria Cancun or Pancho Villa instead, but I was encouraged by the fact this place has a 4 star average and is so close to my place. Ah well, lesson learned.
Got the super burrito al pastor. The meat was greasy and the rice and guacamole were not very good. They also use cheese slices instead of shredded cheese - wtf? Everything was just way too salty. No acidity at all, not even in any of the salsas. Just salt and more salt.
Also kind of expensive at over $8 for a burrito. I'll stick to going to the taquerias in the Mission from now on.
Despite being pricey for $7.50, I get a NICE, FAT, JUICY & LUCIOUS piece of Carnitas meat in a Pesto Tortilla.
I'm talking about my Super-Burrito, you "Degenerate Freaks"!
Very confusing and altogether disheartening to see nearly 400 reviews for a place that gets an average rating of 4 stars yet turns out to be pretty mediocre?
Folks, ya gotta get out more for actually decent mexican food...At any price!
No self respecting Mexican tacqueria can ever be dishing up canned items but Castillito apparently has no self respect...You can actually taste the canned tomato sauce on their shrimp dishes which boggles the mind really....How can you even screw up guacamole?...It didn't nearly resemble/taste like it wasn't premade...Fresh amigos, fresh...Say no to canned goods!
I like the fact that they have this sorta central american looking interior, complete with the sort of fly traps you'd find...I know peeps also seem to be impressed that they grill things but that appears to only be a substitute for a microwave.
I don't want to see piled up meat that had been cooked at some unknown timepoint to simply stick on the grill and give the impression it's 'fresh'...I wasn't expecting Niman Ranch cuts of meat but the gristle being marketed as Carne Asada is pretty scary...I'm still wondering when the ill feelings are going to set in from what I ate
I'm not a Tacqueria snob either because all you have to do is see how well Pancho Villa or Farolito...Tlaloc or even Cactus are also terrific with fresh ingredients.
I wouldn't set foot in this place again.
If you've ever tried to substitute a grilled cheese sandwich for a tortilla when making a burrito you know that it can end in disastrous results. You may have even given up on the idea of the grilled cheese burrito entirely!
Thank goodness the mad geniuses at El Castillito found a way to make the grilled cheese burrito. Eureka! It's a true marvel of modern science!
Their secret is slapping the flour tortilla on the grill and then putting squares of cheese on the tortilla before they fill it up with more fat and carbs! What you get is a nice toasty tortilla with a ring of cheese hugging the rice, beans, and meat. Delicious does not even begin to cover the way it feels to bite into this thing.
A word of warning: Stay away from the vegetable burrito. The frozen veggie mix they seem to use is unappealing at best and burrito ruining at worst.
The carnitas and the carne asada are both really good and for the love of the vengeful burrito gods be sure to go super and treat yourself to some sour cream and guacamole.
Thanks to the grilled cheese burrito I have to wear draw string pants.
The quality and selection here leave much to be desired. The meet tastes over cooked, the salsa looks old, and the tortillas are nothing special. It is authentic style, but just because something is authentic doesn't necessarily mean the execution provides a pleasant meal.
They exist in prime real-estate, and perhaps they are resting a bit on their laurels.
Dinner for 2 for under $10, well until they raised their rates a bit and now its $11 something, but still a great deal. Fast, consistently delicious. Love the location and the folks who work there they are always friendly and fun!
Its my staple taqueria. And don't skimp on the the salsa bar! The green salsa is amazing!!
whoah. really amazing, authentic mexican. the burritos and quesadillas are perfect. great chips and a pretty extensive salsa bar.
i know it's a hole in the wall, but it was pretty dirty when we were there. hence the missing star.
My god. One of the things I was looking forward to in moving back to California was good Mexican food. Little did I know that I'd find such a great spot in a short amount of time.
Everything I've had here is good: the carnitas, carne asada, and chicken are served in giant portions and extremely well seasoned. Cilantro is packed into each burrito, along with a serving of chips and salsa. The cooking staff is extremely patient and forgiving, which is a big plus considering all the characters that walk / saunter / fall into the restaurant. Finally, the location's great -- right off the J and a stone's throw away from the N.
One thing I can't emphasize enough: the portions are huge. If you eat an entire super burrito, be sure that you can handle a busted gut for a few hours afterward. After I finished my carne asada quesadilla last week, I felt like I just received a late-term immaculate conception.
still the jam. Quesa de Castillito with steak will shock you like an electric eel. Perfect for me when I take the evil J home cause it stops basically in front of the spot.
El Castillito is to mexican fare, what seeing Fugazi for free in Dolores Park when I was like 19 or 20 was to me =epicness personified
i only take off one star because they are of the evil "cash only" persuasion which pisses me off,… Read more »
To the drunken cow who projectile spat cheap Mexican beer onto me this evening while I finished my delicious burrito at El Castillito, I have some words for you: You are a waste of flesh, saggy as yours is. I was so shocked by your outrageously rude behavior-- not only did you spit all over me, but you did not apologize. You do not belong out in public, let alone in a restaurant.
Ugly old bitches aside, Ben and I enjoyed a lovely Mexican meal at this fine establishment. It was cheap, too. I got a huge vegetarian burrito with refried beans and extra guacamole. It was too big to finish and I wanted to take it home, but the rude cow also managed to get beer on my leftovers. Ben got a steak quesadilla that he said was "awesome." I agree with Aaron C. on the ambiance. It's definitely non-existent. Next time we'll get our grub to go and avoid the crack whores.
The regular fish taco which was about $3.50 was pretty good size and filled with fish chunks. It was delish.
It's a relaxed atmosphere and cheerful workers. It's awesome for our late night light snack post-vball games.
Had a regular carne asada burrito with black beans and it was ok. Jaw ran into two pieces of grissle which were ejected. Salsa bar is very good and fresh. All there salsas were tasty. The al pastor meat looked really good on the roteserie spit. May try them out next time. I would go back only to knock two birds with one stone. Safeway is next door with ample parking so if I find myself in need of a Safeway run and hungry I would consider. But if craving only a burrito I will make the trek to el Farolito on 24th.
i want to be a vegetarian, or at least a pescatarian. one of my all-time-favorite meals is extremely spicy thai papaya salad, i actually enjoy tofu and spending two months veggie in southern india was a pleasure but then.....
oh el castillito, look what you do to me?! i'm no bastion of moral fortitude but its certainly not food that leads me astray or at least not until......
quesadilla el castillito with chicken and fresh avocado - try one and i promise you, its over. i'm sorry my poor feathered friends:(
Holy Smokes---this place will knock your socks off. It is a hole in the wall, but this hole in the wall feeds me and my roommates at least twice a week.
Everything is amazing...but I beg you to try the #19 Quesadilla de Castillito. This is the motherload of quesadillas. In fact...it looks like a burrito. Get it and you will never forget it...or think of quesadillas the same way.
The staff is also so endearing and nice. They roll those burritos like no other. They roll so fast and so well, you really need to know what you are ordering when you go in.
When I walk in...I just think HOLLER, SHOT CALLER, 20 inch blades on the impala....then I order the #19
Serving size is a little smaller than the average, but very flavorful. Price is somewhat higher, but worth it for the taste. Always fresh.
One word: CHICKEN.
Okay so usually I'm the Carrrrrne Asada type of girl BUT here I get the chicken. Something about it is addicting. that sauce?? just delicious. I've also had the torta which is one of the best ive had in the city.
Yum yum yum. Oh yeah and the cook flirts with me like allll the time. So girls beware. he's harmless tho
If I were to invite you on a trip to Puebla, Mexico, and we were on a mission to search for a tasty delicious burrito one evening in between eating a tasty tamale for lunch and creamy flan for dessert, we would probably walk into a place not unlike El Castillito. This has to be one of the best, cheapest places in the city to get a REAL GOOD BURRITO. This place is sort of evil because it's on my way home from work and has definitely contributed to an additional 30 minutes of cardio at the gym. I took my family of 6 here to give them a "taste of San Francisco", and we all ate for $30.
The guys behind the counter are really nice (don't be intimidated if you can't fire off your order in Spanish, or even in English -- I've seen plenty people point and grunt with great results). They have a great selection of tortillas (tomato, spinach, wheat, reg), salsas (SUPER good tomatillo), and meats (spicy chicken anyone?).
Don't be fooled by the also-good-but-not-as-great Casa Mexicano next door. Just keep walking up Church to the alluring yellow sign of El Castillito.
Rarely do I feel like my stomach is going to explode from eating too much. Went in with a SAVAGE hunger, so I ordered a veggie burrito. By the time I was done, I felt like I was going to keel over. It was the most delicious pain I have ever felt! Awesome!
The veggie burrito costs four dollars and twenty two cents and weighs like two pounds. It's kind of good. The taste is okay, but you're just working your way through it and you're like "oh my God why am I still eating burrito." Then you poop out a pound of burrito out your butt the next morning and that's also not very much fun.
I think I will try the tacos next time. One thing that is awesome is their salsa fresca. It has all sorts of peppers and garlic in it and actually somehow tastes kind of meaty and I'm hoping that's not because there were actually chunks of finger inside of it.
The only thing worth eating here is the vegetarian quesadilla. Seriously. It is absolutely amazing. My partner in crime and I have been on a veggie quesadilla binge ever since we discovered this place.
Castillito has my vote for best burrito in SF, for sure.
The Al Pastor is a MUST.
Wet burritos are a close second.
Worth the VERY out of the way trip on the way home when I get a hankering.
I get it. It's tasty. But I have this rule.
Look, it's just the way I am.
No. No. It's not like that. It's not you. It's me.
Look, do you want to hear the rule, or what? Are you going to let me talk?
Ok.
If your chorizo makes me shit magma within a half hour, there's something wrong.
No. It wasn't just the once.
I was ravenous, so when my friend first suggested the quesadilla, I ignored him. Aren't quesadillas just skinny little tortillas with cheese? He insisted I'd like it, so I gave it a try.
Turns out the quesadilla here is actually a huge San Francisco-style stuffed burrito (packed with cheese, rice, beans, the works), but grilled on oil so that the tortilla is crispy and somewhat browned. It's substantial. And it's great.
They are always friendly and their kitchen is clean!
I LOVE their fish burrito, and they make the BEST salsa verde in San Francisco!
I only go there for fish burritos and I have NEVER been disappointed!
I hate sitting in and smelling every tweaker in the city! but it is a good place for take-out!
Oh lordy...absolutely AMAZING Mexican!
Their burritos are sooo tasty, they make the 'buds dance :o)
Their salsa is so flavorful, it's not like the typical salsa you get from Mexican places where they just chop tomato, onions, and cilantro, throw it in a bowl and CALL it salsa.
No. El Castillito does this PLUS garlic, peppers, some zesty something-or-other, and it's just a 4 star on a 5 star scale for Salsa. Yum.
My bf always gets the #16 The Quesedilla Suiza, and it's SO good! It's full of meat, cheese, sour cream, salsa, and it's like a flat burrito (that's how THICK their quesedillas are!), but grilled, so the outside is crispy!!
I, of, course, get the veggie, but it's the tastiest damn veggie I've had yet!
Be prepared, it's cash only, I found out the hard way a while ago, and had to go next door to Burgermeister to use their ATM that charges $2.00..bleh.
For a delicious, filling and inexpensive meal I go to El Castilito for the veggie tacos. I really like their selection of salsas too.
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Castro
Category: Mexican
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