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Mon-Thu. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 a.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m.
"SOOOO good! I love this place. The food is great and the staff is friendly. Their burritos are reasonably priced and they are HUGE! I…" read more »
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What to do when you know Fernando:
-Peek the line wrapped out the door down Mission..
-Point and laugh at them as you walk by.
-Stop, because your buddy is telling you to get in line...hah
-Head to Fernando, order up a super suiza and chips and then turn around and laugh at everyone waiting in line.
-Gracias, Fernando! El Farolito is the spot for late night munchies and after bars/clubs sobering agents
What to do if you do not know Fernando:
-Say: "damn this line is F*cK** long...
-Wait in line and just hope that someone comes along soon so that your not the last person in line...*cuz that does feel weird...
-Wait some more as people like me walk right on by.
-Mutter something under your breath, but dont have the nerve to say anything.
-Get a bomb super suiza in the end.
Either method works and to be quite honest, is well worth it.
Pretty yummy for norcal mexican!
Though, if i stumbled upon this place down south, i'd be mad about the rice and beans in a burrito.
If i had to compare it with something, it's like a yummier chipotle.
Burritos are delicious! Suiza Quesadillas are delicious! Green sauce is delicious!
One of my favorite taqueria joints. The burritos and suiza quesadillas are rich in flavor. They are huge and they pack it with a lot of avocado, sour cream, and cheese.
One set back is that if you insist on getting more than one item and plan on eating it within the next day, you'll get sick of it. Yes, I've done it. But only because it's so good!
Of all the times I've been here, the staff has always been real nice. I even came here once when they had a live band. Ok, it was just a lady playing the guitar. Still, what other taqueria does that?
Oh yeah, SALSA BAR!... with jalapenos for you to pick from!
Their shrimp burrito is totally win. Oh. My. Goodness. Hits the spot every time.
This place is fantastic.
Amazingly good quesadilla suiza.
Amazing good carne asada burritos.
And it's cheap!
Woooo, i loves me some yummy food.
Heaven on Earth?? Quite possibly!! Although I haven't tried any of their more exotic meats (cow head, cow brain), the basics do just fine for me. The super suiza is the best quesadilla in the city. The mixture of meat, cheese, avocado, sour cream is just awesome. The super carne asada burrito is bombtastic as well. To top it off, this place just doesn't give u packaged quacamole, its actual slices of avocado!!! You can get a super burrito and a super suiza for a moderate 11 bucks! Can't go wrong with that!! I highly recommend this place to satisfy your mexican cravings, as well as a late night, after bar snack.
I dream of this place in my sleep.
*nom nom*
I'm not even a steak burrito guy (usually chicken) but the carne asada super at this place is my new favorite! Best burrito ever. The meat is cut up and not chewy at all. Great flavor!
LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE THIS PLACE!
Excellent service. Excellent burritos. Excellent quesadillas (IN FACT MY FAVE!!!). Excellent price. AMAZING salsas that are put out so you can take as much as your heart desires. The chips are perfect too! Not too oily and only 50cents. But if you order a whole bunch of burritos and quesadillas like my friends and I do, the manager (the register guy) tosses in a chip or two for you for free. The aguas frescas are poppin! Real fruit and always fresh *yummmm
Parking is reasonable. It's SF, what do you expect.
The place is reasonable too. Kinda small, but you can always take it to go. It's always packed so be ready to wait a little bit.
Holy Giant Burrito! This place was fantastic -- I really can't say enough good things. It's open till the asscrack of 3 or 4 am, the food is delicious, the portions are ginormous (even for my vegetarian amigo), and the service was fast. I had the Suiza quesadillas, which were actually too much food for me.Then, while we're waiting the few minutes for our food, this ridiculously loud Mariachi music starts piping through the speakers, making the experience complete for us. I'll be sure to go back again when I'm in town.
The only downside would be the disgusting state of their bathroom -- I'd try to avoid it at all costs, but it's what you'd expect from a dive.
Quesadilla Suiza.
Thanks to this tasty creation, I think I have gained 5 pounds in two nights. Evilly delicious, it truly is the perfect late night indulgence. It's filled with sour cream, cheese, avocado and of course MEAT! How I lived this long thinking I was happy and complete without having this creation in my belly is beyond me, but now that we've met. Oh Daddy!
Came in here to grab a burrito before a 49er game. I'm still blown away at how cheap this place is for the quality of the food. The burritos are obscenely cheap, large, and great! I'm down.
Been here once and had a carne asada burrito and it was delicious. My friend lives down the street… Read more »
Jesus does exist, and he lives in this burrito.
We shouldn't have been out; I am a responsible adult and my wife has adult responsibilites. But there we were a couple of tequilas and a few beers more than we should have indulged in land ooking for something sate our boozed up cravings. El Farolito how can I say thank you?
That grilled chicken taco made me a better man, able to look at my wife without feeling guilty for insisting on that last shot.
In the end this place serves up some super tasty Mexican food for a great price. I have been here in desent hours and had various items on the menu one of my favorites being the ceviche on a hard taco. I don't get down to the Mission much any more but this place remains one of my favorites
EVERYTHING HERE IS A-F*CKING-MAZING. THE END.
The al pastor just bursts with flavor & spices, without being overpowered by them. And all the meats have the delicious charred crust on the outside. Absolutely perfect. My mouth is watering just writing this review.
First of all, i love mexican food but i'm not very picky with what i eat. I'm the kind of person who thinks all burrito's taste the same. And i'm sorry to say but this burrito wasn't any different from other burrito's i've tried. I'm not saying it in a negative way, it was super delicious but the dish that stole my taste buds were the NACHOS. My roommate got the super nachos with chicken in it and it was like an orgasm in my mouth! the chicken was so tender and juicy with a POW of flavor and the chips were crunchy and well, i can go on and on and on. but you get the point right? And i love that they are open late!
The Eek! is the sound you will make when you see NOT ONE, BUT TWO Rats running underneath your feet, while digging into a " tasty Burrito".
" Uh sir, you have 2 rats on the floor"
" Gracias, amigo." He says to me.
I was a fan for many years. The burrito is GREAT. But a vermin problem, while you're dining in, while 50% of the customers shrug it off , just blow my mind, and make me lose my appetite altogether.
NEVER AGAIN.
" Why does my pollo have whiskers coming out of it. ?"
Short and Sweet:
BEST BURRITO EVER!!!
Open until 3am, even if the line is out the door, the food is worth it EVERY TIME!!! I've been in debates that nearly turned physical with certain individuals claiming that San Jose right across the street had the best burrito in town....WRONG!!! San Jose has nothing on El Farolito! And I love the guy who is always there at the register, he rules!
So full, from a quarter of a burrito.
Stop your belly aching about the 50 cent chips. I've seen you fill up water cups with their free salsa bar. That my friends is worth more than fifty cents. I'm just sayin. I'm a heat junkie but seriously? C'mon!
The burritos here are as good as the reviews say. Excellent ratios, distribution and flaky tortillas. Hot all the way through with melty cheese and succulent avocados. Damn good salsa - ended up needing another beer before we even got the burritos they had such a nice kick.
Cheap too! Especially when you consider it's 2 or 3 meals. Nice diverse crowd, friendly and efficient staff. I will be back.
Best Mexican joint in the city, hands down. Always have had a great experience here and having grown up eating El Farolitos, nothing else compares.
Since I don't live in the area anymore... I still think its worth it to haul my butt all the way out there for an AWESOME carne asada burrito.
I've ordered the quesadilla and veggie burrito. Don't remember anything special about it, sorry.
However, Farolito does gets plus points for being so close to 24th and Mission, where I find myself loitering on most nights.
My hubby and I grew up in the bay area and unfortunately we had to move to the east coast 6 years ago. We STILL rave about this place and their suiza! It makes us so mad to find nothing but Chipotle out here!
This restaurant is legendary. My good friend Paul K. (Not to be confused with the restauranteur) took me here one night after binging on choral music. it does not make sense that this restaurant is as good as it is. But that's simply part of what being legendary is all about.
Aw, but back to the legend... people often describe the experience of eating the food here in terms of a taste bud orgasm. I am not kidding when I say this is some of the tastiest food in the entire city... and one of the best values in the city.
It also has a legendarily bad health inspection score. Everybody knows this. The line out the door, sometimes obstructing the the entrance of nearby buildings, is comprised of individuals from every walk of life, each of whom knows that El Farolito usually gets in the 60s for its health. But, if you read the health inspection report, you'll actually realize that most of the things they're faulted for really would not concern too many people.
There are more "preppy" taco shops, where the food is almost as awesome. These are also taco shops that you probably take your parents to instead. El Toro, for example, would be a good taco shop to take mom and dad to. but when you need food, and you're concerned about *your own needs*... and you're not afraid of the awesome diversity of folks that live in our city... you go to El Farolito.
1. come hungry with a buddy
2. order any combination of the following: Carne Asada (Super) Burrito, Suiza quesadilla, carrot juice, horchata, coke in a bottle, negra modelo and, yes, chips.
3. pick up some salsa - they are all good, including the green salsa that is very well spiced and seasoned, not rocket fuel heat like some places
4. wait at your table for them to bring it out, try to remain calm
5. Enjoy!
---
1. If you are not happy after following the above, I am very sorry - you should be.
2. Why don't all local spots have a sink that is separate from the bathroom, no door handles to contend with and easy to just wash your hands without dealing with a bathroom - genius
3. All burritos should be able to stand up straight on the table
4. Why didn't we come here sooner?
Farolito.... *sigh*
So many memories...
When I was a wee lass, just a broke undergrad studying Spanish at City College in 1993, I came here almost every day after class. I got beans, rice, lettuce, and tortillas for $1.50. On a rainy Valentine's day with the boyfriend, we smoked a joint and came here and got super burritos as a treat. And yeah, it was AWESOME. As it always has been, for the last 15+ years. The boyfriend, meh. As many were for the last 15+ years. If your bf likes nachos, by the way, make him order separately from you. It takes way longer than a burrito. It's not worth waiting.
The workers were always so nice to me and my classmates. They actually encouraged us to practice our Spanish with them. It was here where I learned how to say "I feel fat" instead of "I am fat." Because you may feel like you are about to explode after a burrito here - they don't skimp - but the next day, you'll be OK.
You know, I wish they hadn't moved the painting of the meat on the spit. It used to be visible from the door and most of the seats. I've reflected on it many an hour. Ah well.
The fruit drinks are good too.
Veggie Supreme burrito was ok in my book. Maybe I am being too picky but I thought there were a little too many beans in this burrito.
I liked the salsa. Nice, picante!
Nice, fat sized burrito is now in my belly.
hype to me. another place flooded with late night eaters. i forgot to review this place awhile back--that's a first.
Good food...inexpensive...and they sell beer so thats the huge plus...
I will try this place sober so I will be able to make semi conscious decision...;-)
I've been trying to find a go-to burrito place ever since moving back to the Bay and the ridiculous prices with several sub-standard experiences have thwarted this effort for a while. Finally, I decided to give this place a try after reading the reviews from three of my respected sources, Marti L, Tom R and Karen Y. This hole in the wall resembles a narrow vertical hallway that offers you a fascinating preview of the food through its open kitchen by the door. Although the dim lighting and cafeteria style seating may not situate you in the most pretentious environment, but this place is not about that. The place is about using messy greasy fingers to pick up the fattest burritos, tacos and tortas and let your pretty smile dangle with something that looked like gooey string cheese with ruminants of spicy red salsa still printed on either side of your smeared little cheekies.
I came back for two straight days to try their super lengua burrito ($5.45) and pastor torta ($4.45). The super burrito came with generous portions with savory chunky lengua evenly distributed throughout. The lengua was complemented with thick slices of fresh avocado, salsa, rice, pinto beans, and lots of melted cheeses wrapped in a white flour tortilla. They didn't skimp on anything as the taste of lengua was robust and savory with every bite; and the fresh avocado slices and thick servings of melted cheeses did a nice job in bringing its own mix of sweet and savory deliciousness. The mix of rice and beans were perfect additions as they were filling but not overwhelming to round out the supporting cast. During this visit I also tried their watermelon fresca ($1.25/large) and it was sweet and refreshing--something that I recommend.
My first rate experience led me to come back this morning to try my very first torta. For less than five buckaroos, portions were humongous again with plenty of chunky pastors to go with a thick layer of melted cheeses, fresh greens, thick tomato and avocado slices, and a thin layer of refried pinto beans--all stacked in between fresh buns right off the grill. I was already super full midway into the meal but it was so good that I had to finish it. I thought the numerous jalapeno slices embedded in the cheese was one memorable highlight, and the use of fresh greens, tomato and avocado gave the sandwich a sophisticated mix of textures to go with the other components that were more finesse and savory. With delicious pastor still sizzling, my torta was greasy, messy, and memorable.
This place is hard to beat given its tangible offerings of price, portion, and quality. Like several other occasions at similar places, I had to repeat several times to assure them that I can handle jalapenos in my food but otherwise service was friendly and responsive. If there is any limitation to this place, it would be their weak salsa bar and a 50 cents charge for the chips. I found the red salsa on the far right the most legit but otherwise the taste of the other two options did not register. Since I'm a tacos kind of guy, I hope to come back to try their great looking tacos. 4.5 stars for the overall experience.
The burritos don't need A THING, not even salsa or salt (amazing, coming from a spice/salt addict)!
The al pastor is moist and awesome!
*sigh*. I rue the day** that I have to go back to Toronto and go back to eating inferior, poorly wrapped, mis-grilled and sloppy burritos. The super veggie burrito that I enjoyed at El Farolito, moments after stepping off the BART, was ENORMOUS. Absolutely gargantuan. It was torso-sized - not unlike a log of Pillsbury cookie dough.
The behemoth was expertly stuffed with quality rice, tomatoes, avocado (let me tell you, eating an avocado straight from the state it's grown in makes a huge difference to the wilted wannabes we sometimes endure in Toronto), beans and salsa. Then it was grilled and wrapped tighter than that final, angry, frustrated turn of an IKEA Allen key. I could barely finish it!
**next Tuesday
My Hubby loves loves burrito. He thinks this place is the best! I'm more on the crispy & fresh side - crisp taco or tostata with beans or fish is my thing. I ended up ordering chicken taco here. Not my style - lots of plain chickens with little bit of lettuce. Maybe I should have added some sauce?
I have to give 4 stars because my Hubby really loved their burrito which means they are really good. Trust me, my hubby's very picky about meat. When he tells me it's good then it really is good. He wants to go back there again but we don't live in the city. I have a feeling that we'll go there whenever we go to the city.
I think I wrote a review somewhere about a mexican place not being the cheapest mexican food in SF.
El Farolito is precisely the reason for that.
$4.45 for a burrito.
Salsa bar with salsa verde and pico.
A bathroom in the mission.
My heart.
My friend likes the 24th street one better, I like the mission one better. They are both different and have their own appeals. However, if you see a sign that says El Farolito, know that what awaits you inside will be heavenly regardless of which location you happen to be standing in front of (which, let me point out, they are approximately 4 blocks away from each other).
Sure... why not? I'll be review #926. Someone has to be, right? :)
I had tacos today... delicious, carne asada soft tacos, packed with too much beef, cilantro, and onions. They were divine.
The food here is cheap. $1.95 for a taco in SF is pretty damn inexpensive. It ain't $1.10 like it is as La Fondita #2, but I will take into account that there was way more meat in these tacos than #2. You stil with me?
Good. I will continue...
Their green salsa is the best I've ever had. Add in that they've got jalepenos and pickled carrots = EPIC WIN.
I will be visiting El Farolito at least three more times this week before I leave for Seattle on Friday. Hell, I might be there another three times by tomorrow afternoon if I play my cards right.
Here's the thing: everyone already knows (and loves) el farolito's burritos. their aguas frescas. their green salsa. their low health inspection score. It even serves as after-hours club, since its the most popular place in the area by around 3 AM.
I've actually eaten them sober and for dinner, as well as at 3 AM, but what I'd never done (until right now) was eat half the burrito at night and then the save the second half in the fridge for breakfast/lunch the following day. To sum up: GREASE. buckets of it. Soaking through the paper. Tubs and tubs of lard covering my hands, clothes, microwave, keyboard, house. I ended up not being able to finish my half a burrito (and this is coming from someone who used to inhale the entire thing in under 5 minutes, followed by a slice of mission pie)
So yeah, best consumed all in one sitting, even though you might start to resemble a vat of lard shortly afterward.
Still, the fact remains that it's the best f'ing burrito i've ever had, so how can I give it anything less than 5 stars?
This is by far my FAVORITE Taqueria in San Francisco. The Mission has the best Mexican food, and I LOVE El Farolito. Been here MANY times. It open late if I need to get a burrito late at night. The portions are huge, Sometimes I can't finish my food. The prices are really decent, Mexican food prices are already decent in the first place. But hands down El Farolito is the best Mexican food in San Francisco!
I love this place. I usually get the carne asada super burrito. Believe me, this thing is packed with all the fixings you could ever want and you can even add more "fire" to your burrito with the little salsa bar they have available. This burrito is filled with TONS (and I seriously mean TONS) of rice, beans, meat, guac, sour cream, etc. Eating this slowly to embrace each bite will make you want to unbotton that top buttom by the time you are done.
Other than the burrito, I had a friend order the nachos. Oh my goodness these nachos were huge. The nachos were basically a burrito without the tortillo all over chips. It was so good that even though I had the burrito I was munching on the nachos. I highly suggest you get either or both if you have a group of friends that are REALLY hungry.
I not only love this place for its great overly stuffed burrito but because this place is open late (to my surprise until 2am I believe) and it's on Mission Street which is close to one of my fave bars and they are quick...so quick that by the time you order and find a table to munch on your chips and salsa your burrito is done!
The staff is friendly and pretty patient with you when you are trying to decide what to get. The prices are great, the times are convenient for party goers who really just want a quick filling meal so that you can go home nice, happy and plump!
The only reason this place received 4 stars from me and not 5 is simply because I live in Sacramento and there's nothing like this place over there. I think they need to move to Sacramento. haha
I can't wait until the next time I come back here again to have either my super burrito or the nachos. Yummy!
This was recommended by a friend, a local and was crowded when we came, but I've frequented a lot of places in the mission and other than the price, there was nothing special about the carne asada burrito that I had.
"Nah, I'm not hungry. I don't think I'll be ordering anything." That's what I told my friend the moment we entered taqueria El Farolito in the Mission and planted ourselves in line. The line was about 15 people deep in this narrow whole-in-the-wall Mexican joint. Considering we were dressed to the nines as we were about to start our night, I felt a bit uncomfortable dolled up in this lil taco shop and being stared at. I decided to quit people-watching and commence to see the cooks in action. Order after order, them cooks handled that line as though it were Armageddon, pounding out taco after burrito and then some! I noticed the more I watched them create these delicious delights, the more hungry I got. I caved in and ordered one of my favorite Mexican treats, a veggie tostada.
As we sat at a booth and munched on some fresh tortilla chips, I was stoked I ordered a bottle of water because the dipping salsa was so damn hot! That sheet was so hot my tongue felt like it was kissing the devil! Alas my tasty tostada arrived and it was oh-so-heavenly. Topped with fluffy beans, lettuce, cheese, avocado and creamy sour cream all on top of a crisp tostada, I was more than satisfied. I happily pranced out of taqueria El Farolito knowing that I had a nice light meal and was ready to engage in some cocktails.
PS - The burritos are mondo! I'm glad I didn't order that before we went out. Although they look so tantalizing, they're far to heavy for a night out on the town. I'd have to resort from skinny jeans to a potato sack and a wheel barrel.
The food is so good here that I can be in the Castro at 1:00am without a bus pass and way too many drinks in, heading back toward the Haight to go home, and still think "Mission and 24th isn't THAT far out of the way".
For me it's all about the quesadilla Super Suiza, but the tostadas are also a thing of beauty.
WoW!!! HOW MANY REVIEWS DOES THIS PLACE HAVE? Ok. I'll keep it short then. Around 2/3am and STARVING. Of course my girls are like "Where's some good drunken food in SF???" Usually after partying in LB or Brea we would end up at some Mexican food spot so it seemed only appropriate that we ended up here.
It was open, BUSY AS HECK, cheap, and the food was good (especially after some alcohol). Sour cream, guacamole (mmmmm!!!!!), carne asada, rice, beans, and whatever else with some good salsa. Now that was some good drunken food. Of course it was a little sketchy and there was a security guy in front regulating the door but it was all good. Good times!!!!
We got so much free stuff!
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