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El Farolito
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
2779 Mission St(between 23rd St & 24th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 824-7877
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 10 am - 2:30 am
Fri-Sat 10 am - 3:30 am
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Late Night, Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
2094 reviews for El Farolito
Review Highlights
-
"But the carne asada super burrito was so delicious." In 77 reviews -
"Quesadilla Suiza + Horchata = crazy delicious." In 140 reviews -
"The salsa bar is super good too I loved the green salsa." In 58 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
2092 reviews in English
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Review from Connie C.
5/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best. Burritos. In. NorCal! I've tried their burritos twice. Once at this location and once at the Alemany location. This one is conveniently located next to a Bart station, so East Bay people, you have no excuse of saying this is too far.
They serve generously sized burritos, with a wide range of meat choices. My favorite would be cabeza. Yeah, the head. It's very flavorful and tender if you can get around the idea of eating odd parts of the cow. I ordered a super burrito with cabeza with no beans. That creamy avocado, mixed in with the juicy & tender meat, add the warm rice, and you get the best hangover meal/drunchies. I love how their tortilla wrap isn't overly thick, to the point where I'm only biting into the tortilla and none of the stuffing. They have this cilantro sauce that goes really well with the burrito! (It's green, I'm not too sure what it is, so I'm making an educated guess)
The bad thing about this location is that it's very narrow at the walkway and it's usually so packed that you might not be able to dine there. Otherwise, very quick and friendly service, great foods, gimme gimme gimme!!! -
Review from Virginia Y.
Baltimore, MD
5/25/2012 1 Check-in Here
Carne asada burrito
Yelping around to see what the best place to get spanish food was, I discovered El Farolito. i was around the area so I stopped by to check it out. It was a little hole in the wall offering a great variety of burritos, tacos and much more. I got the carne asada burrito and it was huge!! The meat was very tender. Don't forget to add guacamole and salsa to your burrito for more flavor!! -
Review from Chelsea J.
Seattle, WA
5/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
El Farolito is the best burrito I've ever had. Definitely worth a visit to the Mission in my opinion. I'm no burrito connoisseur but I know I liked it!
The place is very casual and cheap. $6 for a chicken burrito with yummy fillings including avocado, rice, grilled chicken, and pinto beans. Salsa verde and a red salsa are served on the side. Bottled beers are $3 each and they have several Mexican beers to choose from.
I can't wait to go back when in San Francisco. I'd heard about this place for awhile and it was worth the wait! I think it's cash only if I remember correctly. Many small businesses in San Francisco are cash only so be prepared.Listed in: Favorites, San Francisco Favorites
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Review from Samantha L.
Sacramento, CA
I visited El Farolito on a Saturday night and the line was about 10 people long. It moved by pretty quickly though. The menu has just about everything you'd expect from a Mexican restaurant. The restaurant itself isn't too big, but big enough. The whole process is pretty quick. Order, pay, get your salsa, grab a table, wait for your number to be called, eat your food and go. We probably were there a total of 20 minutes or so.
My boyfriend and I decided to share:
-Chips ($0.50): pretty plain, but I thought they were good. They were crispy and I just wanted something to eat right away. The salsas are pretty good- and spicy!
-Super Suiza Quesadilla (about $7): this came as two huge pieces. It was filled with plenty of meat (we chose al pastor/marinated pork), avocado, sour cream, salsa, and a fair amount of cheese. I liked that it was cheesy, without being overly cheesy. The tortilla was nicely grilled and this one order was plenty for both of us. (They also have a "Quesadilla para dos", for about $11. I can't even imagine how humongous that must be.)
Overall, I have to say that the food was tasty, the price is fair, and it's open late. I'm a fan. -
Review from Christine K.
San Francisco, CA
5/21/2012
Holy mother, I have experienced the best carne asada super burrito in SF and it lies here in the Mission!
Granted, I still have a lot of burrito joints to try and will happily keep de-throwning these proclamations, but for now... El Farolito is the king of the carne!
It was flavorful, HUGE, and just packed full of delicious super burrito goodies- sour cream, guacamole, refried beans... hell, even the rice was delicious and flavorful. Yes my friends, this is the way burritos should be experienced.... for like $6.50 and feeling like you're going to keel over from the deliciousness of it all.
Alas, this would totally be five stars if I didn't have a bite of my hubby's cabeza super burrito. The meat was alright, but definitely not as flavorful. My sister seemed to love her carnitas. Nachos were just alright. Frescas were good.
The place was packed on a Saturday afternoon, but the crowd comes in waves. Definitely worth hitting up if you're in the neighborhood. Mmm.. carne asada!
Given the fact the super burrito is almost the size of my forearm, I would say share... but who am I kidding? You know you want it all for yourself... or saved for your leftover midnight snack. :) -
Review from Nelson Q.
Came here drawn by the 2000+ Reviews with the 4.5 star average. (I DON'T GET IT!?!?!)Place was packed, and we were lucky to snag a FRICKIN' FILTHY BOOTH. We had to go up and grab napkins and push the garbage from the previous table to the side.
My test of a taqueria is to "go for the guts" no, not your standard carne asada, tripas(beef intestine) so we ordered two of those and patiently waited in the dirtiest taqueria I've ever been to. Wifey got up to use the restroom and came right back out- it was that bad! Rubbish all over the floor and none of the employees cared to clean the tables or the floor the entire time we were there, place also smelled like dirty mop water and started to give me the heebie-jeebies....
Got our tacos, ate them as fast as we could(They were pretty solid!) and got the F out!...ALOHA!!!!
YELP 365 CHALLENGE-(240/365) "Clean Much!?!?"Listed in: YELP 365 CHALLENGE
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Review from Sherry L.
5/25/2012
Not the best burrito I've ever had, but it's pretty darn good. I guess I expected it to be amazing and it was just okay. Don't get me wrong, it was an enjoyable burrito but the hype definitely didn't help its case.
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Review from Jenn B.
5/15/2012 2 Check-ins Here
BEST DRUNK FOOD EVER.
If you stumble in at 1 or 2AM, be ready to wait in line and see other "messy" people inside.
Actually, I should probably broaden my statement because I've eaten here sober, too. The burritos and quesadillas are the most San Diego-like mexican food that I've found in SF. It reminds me of home, so El Farolito will always have a special place in my heart. We almost always get the "quesadilla para dos" for $10 and in reality it's more like "quesdailla para tres o quatro" because the thing is monstrous. -
Review from Moraia W.
San Francisco, CA
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
El Farolito, you will always have a place in my heart. Oh, how you remind me of high school and late night drives at 1am trying to find cheap, greasy, artery-clogging food. Even though I am an old fogey now and can't hang with the young'ns anymore, and even amidst the slew of newer, cleaner, and snazzier Mexican establishments, you are still my first taqueria love. Carne asada super burrito, quesadilla suiza, super nachos, tacos, I don't care. I want it all, with a liter of green sauce on the side please!
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Review from Candace Y.
Elk Grove, CA
5/15/2012
The food here is solid, but you do have to accept that seating is scarce and tight. There will also be a line that leads you from the door to the register. ALong the way, you can see meat being grilled and plates of delicious food being assembled on the other side of the glass partition.
By the time you reach the register to order, you'll likely have changed you mind a couple of times, based on the last delicious item you saw being prepared.
It's a sort of run-down place; however, that's part of the charm.
The food is pretty darn good, though.
It's one of those "hole-in-the-wall" places that you tell your friends about when you're grabbing a quick dinner before going to dance in that cool jazz club down the street. The food here is fresh (you get to watch them preparing the meat), hot, and generous in portion.
Warning: Beware of ordering multiple dishes "to try" unless you have enough people to help eat them. the servings are large. Some are massive.
They only take cash, so be prepared. No ATM, no plastic of any kind accepted.
A burrito "al pastor" (marinated pork) is enough to put a smile on your face and fuel you up sufficiently for the rest of the day's activities. -
Review from rachel g.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2012
First time to a taqueria in SF so I didn't know what to expect. We went after work one evening and the line was short and moved quickly.
The menu was great, a huge selection of burritos, enchiladas, nachos, and quesadillas. I got the super burrito with chicken it came filled with rice, beans, sour cream, avocado, cheese, etc. It had to be nearly 5lbs. My boyfriend and I each got out own and will share next time.
Seating was limited and the mariachi band that came in was a bit loud so we took ours to-go. Burrito was amazing and affordable ($6.50) Next time im trying the suriza quesadilla. -
Review from Rouzbeh N.
Walnut Creek, CA
5/17/2012
Best Mexican FOOD EVER ON EARTH!!!
the prices are cheap and the food is amazing. Quesadilla is amazing, you can taste the melted cheese, meat.... it's out of this world! -
Review from Umesh T.
El Sobrante, CA
Heading to the birthday bash of two friends just a couple of blocks away, I was famished, almost borderline stark raving hungry, as I was heading up from the 24th & Mission BART station. That is when I happened upon El Farolito. Having never been there, it still rang a distant bell in my head and I remembered why: almost every other two-and-a-half yelper seemed to swear by it. With an empty stomach and a wallet that wasn't all that either, I homed in on the hallowed grounds.
With a fairly long but fast moving line along the kitchen counter separated by glass panes I made my way towards the cash counter. I decided on three grilled-chicken tacos, an aguas fresca(s?), and an optional basket of chips for two quarters.
Unfortunately they don't have camarones or pescado tacos even though they have quite a few shrimp entrees. *sad face*
The tacos arrived soon enough; the tortillas were bigger than the usual taco truck servings, and came with pretty generous mounds of chicken on them. The tacos were pretty good, but based on just the three chicken tacos and chips&salsa I had, I think El Farolito is on this side of overrated. The chicken was tasty and so were the salsa but I have been to two taco trucks that tasted way better than this.
I would hop in from time to time should I pass through but I wouldn't make a bee line for it.
And by the way, I have no idea why the "Yelpy Insight" seems to suggest that vegetarian will like this place. I don't think so!!! -
Review from Daniel D.
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
It's Cinco de Mayo and we can't find a good Mexican restaurant in downtown Oakland around 1045pm that wants to feed the craving...
A good friend recommends EL FAROLITO in the Mission..
and we're on our way to Daly City.. the Mission is on the way...
*looks up on yelp app & begins to dream of burrito heaven*
We make a quick stop at the nearby Chase to get some CASH.
That's right, it's CASH ONLY people. Don't get to the front with no cash.
Now that's embarassing!
It's probably like 11pm and even though Mission isn't swarming with people, there are only a few tables in the front of restaurant open. We hopped in line, luckily there were only a few people in front of us.. stopping us from reaching burrito heaven..
My GF and I both got carne asada burritos and since it was Cinco de Mayo, I one-upped myself with a chicken quesadilla. While we waited for a table, we loaded up on salsa at the salsa bar. We opted for the jalapeno-avocado salsa and the roasted tomato salsa. Both have decent heat, perfect for drowning your super burrito.
So a nice gentleman brought us to burrito heaven when he dropped off the food at our table. It wasn't the biggest burrito but it was just right. We opted for no beans in the burritos which made them less heavy presumably. The rice was almost magical. It was truly authentic and delicious. Overall it was one of the best burritos I've ever had in my life. I don't know how I managed to eat my whole burrito, but heaven was definitely reached. Just know that after heaven is food coma land!
What's awesome is this place doesn't close until 3am, which can also be considered bad because if you were hungry at any time before then, that means you might contemplate coming here. Either way, it'll be a good call. Awesome, authentic Mexican food. -
Review from Joyce C.
Updated - 5/5/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I came here last night after a night of going out in Mission. We got here before the crowd showed up. SCORE! I ordered the super suiza quesadilla - flour tortilla and carne asada. My friend got the same thing but with a spinach tortilla instead.
The quesadilla is suppose to come with cheese, meat, avocado and sour cream. When I first started eating, there was all of the above minus the sour cream. I didn't really notice anything off till I was about half way through the quesadilla. Then the avocado disappeared too. WTF? I looked at my friend's quesadilla and hers was oozing with sour cream and avocado. WAIT A SECOND. WHERE'S MY SOUR CREAM? I LOVE SOUR CREAM. I opened up my quesadilla, and yea, no more avocados! and 0 sour cream! WHATTTT! OH HELL NAW. I'M ABOUT TO SMACK A BEECH.
Well, okay in reality I did nothing and just sulked :( SHOULD'VE JUST WENT TO LA VICS IN SJ :((((( WHAT A WASTE OF CALORIES.
...but I'll come back ONE MORE TIME. and that's gonna be the make it or break it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/2/2012
Having lived in SD for 5 years, I always crave Mexican food after a night of drinking. The Bay Area… Read more »
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Review from wolfy w.
San Francisco, CA
5/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Tacos are really hard to mess up and a test to measure how good some of there other offering are the basis to judge for me.
Start with a good grilled corn tortilla, then construct the taco with various meats and finally garnish to finish. Some say soft, others say crispy (classic gringo style I say!) So I order both! The soft taco was filled with mucho carnitas and mild salsa, thumb up!! Next was the crispy taco filled with my fav, beef tongue and a little shredded lettuce and hot sauce and your on the way to a happy tummy. -
Review from edward k.
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here finally after seeing the 7x7 list and hearing so many people rave about this place. My friends and I came here on a Sunday afternoon right after cinco de mayo. It was surprisingly not very crowded as we assumed a lot of people would be needing that greasy sustenance from all the drinking the night before.
Anyways, I got the super carne asada burrito and I have to say, it was ginormous. What I love most about this place is the fresh avocado they throw in the burrito and the cheese that melts in the burrito. The carne asada was tender, flavorful and was in every single bite. I wolfed down that burrito like there was no tomorrow. I will be back here again to get other items such as carnitas and their quesadillas. Also, it is so damn cheap! I got the burrito, chips and coke for $9. That is freaking amazing! -
Review from Denny P.
Daly City, CA
5/13/2012
Went around 10 or 11, the food was solid, but i have had better.
Got the wet super burrito, the sauce was pretty watery, which was a disappointment as all the other ingredients were so fresh and tasty.
Also just a heads up, place is run down pretty bad, it would benefit from being remodeled.
I'll go again because of proximity and value im sure, i hope it'll make me a bigger fan. -
Review from Eric S.
South San Francisco, CA
5/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is my go to burrito place!! Food is really tasty and the price is good. I love their carnitas(pork) super burrito.They offer wheat, spinach or regular tortilla.
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Review from Kathy Y.
partying in SF + midnight munchies = el farolito.
People from SoCal bring quesidillas back. I don't know how great it is once it gets down there... but it's pretty darn amazing the night of. I usually get a super suiza... mmmm yum. This place has been reviewed enough so I don't have to jibber on anymore. -
Review from Katrina L.
San Francisco, CA
5/8/2012
We had a large order so my friend called ahead and put the order under my name. Apparently calling ahead doesn't work because they don't seem to start your order until you get there. I guess for what it is, I shouldn't expect superb service, but still, I was not a happy camper when I had to wait in a long line to tell them I placed an order by phone and then have them begin working on the order! Also they didn't take note of my name but only the items ordered, but since I wasn't the one that placed the order I had to call my friends to figure out which order was ours.
Food wise: Nachos here are excellent! Tacos not so much..in my opinion. -
Review from Edris R.
San Francisco, CA
4/28/2012
Best mexican place in the mission. Hands down. No real need to say anything else. If you go elsewhere, you risk getting really crappy mexican food.
The prices are very reasonable. I usually stick with super burrito or nachos. I am not a big fan of their carna asada meat. I really like their grilled chicken (make sure you ask for grilled chicken vs. regular chicken). Their al pastor (pork) is pretty good too.
Next on my list is to try their quesadilla suiza. Every time I see someone with one of those, my mouth salivates. -
Review from Jim S.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2012
Y'all are only saying this place is the best because it's open until 4AM. Be honest.
Solid joint, no doubt, but, c'mon... there's better taquerias in the city. -
Review from Mister T.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2012
Four words that will change your life: Carne Asada Super Suiza.
You are welcome -
Review from Adena B.
San Francisco, CA
4/30/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went in and had the vegetarian burrito.
Wait! Wait! Before you boo and hiss and throw rotten tomatoes at me, understand that I DIDN'T KNOW I was supposed to get the carne asada burrito. OK? I'm sorry, damn!
No worries, though. Arnold stylez: I'll be back. -
Review from Mike B.
New York, NY
Updated - 5/13/2012
Update: giving it back the stars. The carnitas continue to be extraordinary! Previous misfires must've just been a blip.
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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12/22/2011
Something's off...on 2 recent visits, the rice was clumpy, the meat was unusually (and overly)… Read more »
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Review from Jason N.
5/14/2012 1 photo
Yes, I came here stone sober. Twice. For lunch. Mr. Pollo down the street was closed (awww) but Farolito's beacon beamed me in... after all, over 2000 satisfied reviewers cannot be wrong, right? Right. Unlike most reviewers (who favor the burritos) I got the enchilada plate with pork (see my picture- the first of 300+ photos to feature enchiladas!). The red sauce, avocado, sour cream, cheesy pinto beans and whole roasted jalapenos from the salsa bar more than did the trick, and provided a carbo/protein load to fuel a day of logging nearly 30 miles on my bike scaling the best of San Francisco's hills and coastline. I didn't get hungry again for SIX HOURS. I would come back in a heartbeat. And did.
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Review from Chanelle N.
Pittsburg, CA
4/18/2012
This is one of those restaurants that makes up the culture of the Mission district. It's right in the center of it all too. From lunch time to late night this is must go!
The food represents how authentic Mexican food should taste like. And some delicioso options too. I always get tacos from here. They are soooo yummy. The burritos are huge - so filling. The cash only option does kinda suck, as I hardly ever have cash. The bathroom is kinda raunchy so be prepared if you gotta pee after all those beers!!! -
Review from Amanda C.
4/20/2012
Pretty good burrito. BUT, I'm sorry San Fran, your best burrito tastes just like our chain, Dos Toros, in New York (just to be fair, it's run by two guys from San Fran).
But anyway, $6 is a great price to pay for a good burrito. I also got the horchata which tasted JUST like bubble gum. Really weird but whatever. The thing that surprised me most with this burrito was that you could actually taste the flavor in the rice, something I've never experienced outside of my mothers/grandmothers cooking.
Either way, good burrito, but I wish this burrito snob bs would be put to rest: now New York has a great contender so HA! -
Review from Tim P.
San Diego, CA
Had the SUPER BURRITO CARNE ASADA! Tortilla was soft like silk! Inside it had rice, beans, salsa, sour cream, cheese, avocado, and carne asada. Fillings inside made it like a wet burrito (not like enchilada style) so the ingredients were mixed together rather than compact and separate.
50 cent chips were thick, with a solid crunch; perfect to scoop up any filling that dropped out of the burrito!
Restaurant itself is tight and the bathroom in the back was sketch, but it's all good! Will definitely come back to see what else is good on the menu! -
Review from S F.
Santa Clara, CA
5/17/2012 1 photo
Great food at midnight. You can't go wrong with a super burrito with the works after a few drinks gives you the munchies.
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Review from Ryan A.
Pasadena, CA
4/14/2012
First time or millionth time in San Francisco? You have to go to the Mission District for great Mexican food. I came to EL FAROLITA and ordered a CARNE ASADA BURRITO with a JAMAICA. Best. Burrito. Ever.
The line moves fast, the staff is very welcoming, the prices are fair, and most importantly, the food is delicious! Don't go to a fancy sit down Mexican restaurant; come here, to El Farolito--a small, hole-in-the-wall that serves up great food! -
Review from Vivian H.
5/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
This was the last stop on a nighttime tour of the mission, and since our last bar was shut down early by the cops, we made it here before the crowds descended upon this little eatery. My friends got super suizas... delicious, and we weren't even really drunk so it's NOT that. Problem is that there were a huge difference between the two suizas.. one was chock full of fillings and one wasn't. Which made one girl very very upset (see Joyce C.) lol. And this place is a dirty spoon so don't expect much with cleanliness here, but there IS a functioning bathroom!
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Review from Tina A.
4/3/2012
I'm surprised I haven't yet reviewed El Farolito. I discovered this place several years ago and still visit it to this day. I'm afraid of trying any other place in the Mission for fear it won't compare to my beloved El Farolito.
I always order their super veggie burrito, which comes with rice, beans, and all the fixings. I can assure you it tastes equally good whether you're intoxicated or sober. ;) -
Review from Julia S.
4/1/2012 2 Check-ins Here
(+)
- shrimp quesadilla
- fast service
- huge portions
(-)
- cash only
This place is kind of small and doesn't look like much but of the two times ive been there its always been packed. Inside is not that big, but have always been able to find a spot to sit. Only had the shrimp quesadilla here because its so damn good.
This past visit we got there around 2amish and the line was out the door but not too bad, and was moving along quickly. I ordered two shrimp quesadillas for me and my friends, total was about 18 bucks which I thought was kind of expensive... almost 10 bucks for one! Guess thats the cost to get a taste of their delicious juicy shrimp. Food goes great with their green sauce. Portions are also huge, half the quesadilla is already super filling for me so its good for sharing.
Got my food within 10 minutes or less of ordering, when we wanted napkins the guy brought it over to us immediately. Both times I walked up to ask to wrap up my quesadilla to go, the guy did it quick status. Fast service.
Great place for drunk munchies. Definitely will be back, must try other menu items! -
Review from Josselin A.
San Jose, CA
4/25/2012
It seems most of the reviews are for the late-night crowd, but we went there around 3pm on a weekday and it was still lively. Typically, people get the burritos but I got the Alambres con Camarones, and what came out was a beast. There was so much meat, so much shrimp, and so much veggies and peppers just convoluted all in front of me; it was glorious. My girlfriend had a burrito, which she said was "okay." My only problem is that the bums of SF come right on in and pester you about giving them food or giving them some change. The place will get packed and the decor seems like it's an old McDonald's, but that's the damn point. Personally, certain restaurants should just be rated for their food and their food only, and this is one of them.
JJ -
Review from mike g.
San Francisco, CA
5/22/2012
I just don't get why my friends, who don't live in the mission, keep saying that el farolito is good. I have never had a good burrito hear. If you like bland rice, and a lot of cheese and not much else, this is the place for you!! I know everyone is wasted when they come here, but this is SF, There are sooo many decent and or just plain good places for cheap, This is not one of them. If you want a very sub par burrito right by the bart, that is open til 3am, this is your place!!!!!
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Review from Zack P.
Gardiner, MT
4/17/2012
Oh man! This is a burrito! We hit it at the perfect time. No line. It had been so long since I last had Chorizo. I like most of the new fastfood burrito chains, but nothing is like El Farolito. A giant densely delicious log of nutrients. Right next to the BART station too. I could see myself popping into the city just for this and then heading back out.
I think I also ate here like ten years ago and it hasn't changed. -
Review from Alex K.
Seattle, WA
4/21/2012
Fantastic mexican food. The fully loaded quesadilla suiza is only about 6 bucks and is a giant plate full of cheesy and meaty goodness. I was honestly surprised by how much steak there was in the dish (most places tend to go easy on the meat). The soft flour tortilla was also delicious and felt exactly like it should: freshly baked and still 5% doughy.
Wow. -
Review from Nii M.
Blaine, MN
5/13/2012
This place is bomb! Especially at 2:15am after a crazy night in the mission! Although at that time of night there will be a line out the door since everyone else knows it too!!
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