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Mon-Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Officially my favorite burrito place. It's consistently good here and you don't feel like you're heavy and stuffed with food after you eat the whole burrito. Albeit you are full for awhile, but you don't feel guilty for eating the entire thing.
Carnitas is still my absolute favorite. The crispiness, oh dear. I couldn't finish my entire burrito today so I just got a fork and ate all the tasty bits inside (is that a burrito fail?). SO GOOD. Perfect rice, perfect sauce, perfect guacamole, melted cheese, etc.
Two carnitas burritos with everything, one coke and one medium horchata. ALL FOR $16. AWESOME!!!
Try the carnitas burrito. ABSOLUTELY TASTY! Especially when they put some of the crispy parts of the… Read more »
All I can say is: BROCCOLI. In the TACOS. And it is AMAZING!!!
El Metate (aka El Metat's, sometimes Hot Metat's) is one of the diamonds in the little sparkly jewel cluster of Pop's, Saint Francis Fountain, and Roosevelt Tamale Parlor surrounding Bryant Street in the East Mission. I used to live across the way, and became well acquainted with the veggie tacos and weirdly delicious chips-n-salsa.
Yes, there are actual grilled vegetables in the veggie tacos. You have to ask for cheese, and I recommend pouring lots and lots of the house salsa all over your food. This is the kind of place where everything shouldn't be as good as it is, but nevertheless, something about it is just precisely right.
The ambiance is cute and casual, and their recent expansion has added to the charm. The owner is the most wonderful gentleman ever. I am hoping to be adopted by him any day now. The rumor mill suggests the possibility of a full bar there one day...a girl can dream, can't she?
The bathroom is clean; the price is tremendously affordable; annnnnnd I don't want to go out for veggie tacos anywhere else. Vive El Metate!
A+
We love El Metate.
Great for group lunches with coworkers or super convenient for on the run to-go orders.
I've been happy with the burritos, etc. My recent favorite is their ENCHILADA SAUCE! Delicious.
Also, the staff is very friendly.
I'll throw my sombrero into the ring and stake a claim that El Metate is the bestest Mexican in the mission. I've tried a bunch of them - they were either too salty or too bland, had poor quality ingredients, or blasted me with fluorescent light! I was about to give up and take a trip to Coyoacan, D.F. when... I found El Metate. The food is always great, the surroundings clean and attractive, takeout orders accurate and timely. Those guys hustle - and are always courteous.
Something about this place just doesn't feel right.. It's your standard inexpensive Mexican food restaurant, but it's CLEAN, and every dish looks very fresh and well presented.
Their burritos weren't exactly huge, but it was tasty. Their fish tacos are very very good. I've also tried some of their flautas, which are essentially larger versions of taquitos (or "rolled tacos", for you San Diegans), and those were good as well. Everything seems to be pretty good here, but nothing that blew my mind.
For some reason, it looks and tastes so fresh that I don't have that greasy, disgusting, GUILTY feeling after eating here.
...Wait, I spoke too soon. Just had the nachos here the last time I came here. Yea, THERE'S the grease, and THERE'S the guilty feeling I was talking about =)
Nasty. Had two cheese enchiladas w/ rice and beans. The cheese in the enchiladas were not even melted. And the sauce was NOT good. served warmish. won't ever come here again.
The brightly painted yellow wooden chairs caught my eye as we were walking down the street to get sushi, and when the sushi place closed, I insisted we go check this place out.
It turned out to be the best tacos I've had. Super friendly owner, amazing agua fresca (8 flavors including strawberry, pineapple and mango), and delicious tacos, burritos, and everything mexican made from the freshest ingredients.
My favorite was the fish taco, but the pork and the chicken were also delicious.
Very recommended as a cheap but amazing place to eat Mexican in the Mission District!
Let's just say I live literally next door and I have yet to get sick of this place. Amazing burritos, delicious horchata, and the price is reasonable (I may even go so far as to say cheap!)
HIGHLY recommended
Place is hella bootsy. WTF My burrito was a super burrito with steak and potatoes but all it was was SUPER gross, all bland beans, dry steak, avocado at the bottom. Hurt the crap outta my stomach too. No good people, no good at all. Only good thing here is the fish.
So good, I love the tacos! Super cheap and nice location
looking for a fish burrito under $7? want it FRIED? get it here.
FISH BURRITOS!!!! fish = spiced batter and fried. they give you a pretty generous amount, too.
refried beans = chunky and spicy
guac = chunky and everywhere
sour cream = just the right amount
NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM...
festive yellow decor, out-door seating, SPICY salsa (various options available), and free chips. make sure you go to the smaller El Metate (to the left of the main, larger restaurant).
Super bean+cheese is awesome. So is the al pastor burrito. After eating here every week for several months, other burritos in SF have a hard time living up to the gold standard set at El Metate. For a special treat, ask for the green salsa and the flour chips, rather than the corn chips and red salsa that come standard. Oh Metate, how I miss our dinner dates--don't worry, I'll still make the trek across the 'hood to visit.
Pretty damn good. We wanted to get out of our burrito rut of ALWAYS going to Papalote or El Farolito. So we pinged Yelp and found this place.
Wifey got 2 soft tacos. I had a chicken quesadilla, and our friend had a burrito. All of it was amazing (we passed it all around). We also ordered some chips and guacamole. The guac was awesome, as good as I've had from a restaurant recently. The chips were thick and crispy too. All of that plus an orchata for like $24!
There's not much seating, but if you wait you can sit outside on a nice night. No beer, but you can BYOB and the corner store just down the block has super super SUPER cheap beer.
One problem, keeping this from 5 stars - the salsa sucked. I mean, it was like ketchup and water. It's almost worth it to steal some salsa verde from El Farolito and bring it here.
Ambience: B
Food: C
Value: B
Note on fish tacos: Not as other worldly as some reviewers have suggested, but quite a bargain.
I live across this place, and damn, I'm just going to say that El Farlito doesn't have shit on this place. The owner is the coolest guy, always friendly and cheery. The fish tacos are probably the best I've had in a while, and everything just tastes so fresh with a home cooked feel, in comparison to the overly greased up shit that you often find elsewhere. The interior is pretty cute, there's seating inside and out, and the service is always top notch (even though you really don't require much of it). Horchata and fruit juices are so damn fresh and good. This is the type of neighborhood joint that I'm glad to have around.
Got $2.75 burning a hole in your pocket and in search of something to fill you up? Get a fish taco at El Metate! Good Lord, the tacos are huge. Not only that but they are also lightly breaded and oh so tasty.
While bargain shopping, how about spending $1.50 for a pineapple horchata that will instantly transport you to Maui?
El Metate isn't without hiccups...the chips were pretty bland and chicken quesadilla just 'eh'. Not to worry, those tacos and horchata will definitely keep me coming back for more!
OMG, OMG...I love this place. Yes it makes me squeal OMGs. That is intense. Metate is off the hook. Whether it's fish tacos (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) or a quesadilla (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) I say more, more, more!
Everything is cooked fresh and made to order. The restaurant is clean and you have the option of sitting inside or out. I personally love the vast selection of hot sauce. And overall, no more expensive than taquerias, you pay for what you get and that is pure satisfaction and a full, content belly. I always leave in fish taco heaven. I will miss this place when I move.
Came here for lunch while working at SFGH. The place is really cute. The outside chairs and tables will remind you of the decor found in Mexico (which they probably got it from =P ), and makes it look so lively. The inside seating area is nicer and more spacy... but on a nice SF day, why not take advantage of the outside seating area with the umbrellas!
I got the Colorado burrito ( i think that's what it was called) that came with colorado chile, steak, and potatoes. I thought it would be similar to a california burrito found in SoCal, but I was so wrong. The burrito was good, but like many other mexican restaurants, it comes with too much rice, and too little meat. It was flavorful and not spicy... but where was the meat!! Seriously. The salsa was a watery red liquid that lacked flavor. The chips were really good and fresh, but it would have been nice to have a good salsa to dip it in! They also have these fresh fruit drinks that are DELICIOUS!!!! I wish I had gotten one, but I tried my friend's strawberry drink, and MAN, it was soooo refreshing! They had multiple flavors: strawberry, horchata, cantaloupe, watermelon, and some others. Get one, it's only $1.50 and REALLY GOOD.
The place is pretty popular for lunch and has ample seating for groups, but I think I prefer Taqueria San Francisco (even tho it's less nice). I might be back to try other things, but so far, I was not impressed other than the cute ambiance complimented by a nice sunny day in SF.
Big, juicy and you can barely fit it in your mouth.
Yeah that's right. Rice, juicy pieces of carne asada and meaty carne asada juice, fresh gucamole, tangy salsa, (hold the beans - you don't want to hang out with me after) and just a big ole burrito fiesta in your mouth -- is why I'm seriously considering marrying a Mexican man so we can have burrito lunches and dinners.
The horchata is delicious - whoever invented horchata is a genius. I'm going to get a dog, and I think I'm going to name it Horchata.
Hands down the best taqueria in the Mission.
Platonic fish tacos and burritos that won't leave you reaching for the pepto.
Was I on crack when I wrote my initial review 3.5 years ago?!
Metate has disappointed my last couple trips. As much as I love the boys there, and as much as I love the renovations over the last couple years, their quality has dropped. My last burrito was not hot. I might even go as far to say that it was cold. Clear indicator was the cheese wouldn't melt. The tortilla was also hard and crunchy in spots. These things never happened before so hope this review puts them back in check and back on track!
I go there just to watch the Spanish channel on the TV.
Yum yum and more yum. I go here at least once a week because I work nearby. The first time I came here with my bf and I ordered the fish taco plate and I was sold, they were crispy but not oily. Everything tastes fresh with really good flavors. The cantaloupe juice is the best!! It's really fresh and you can taste chunks of cantaloupe too.
Pros: very yummy tacos and the cantaloupe juice is my favorite.
Cons: none.
So authentic, so friendly, so super inexpensive. Always, always frsh and delicious. I particularly like their fruit refrescos - usually have at least 4 to choose from - the cantaloupe - unbelievable !
Hot sauce selection was impressive.
Food was ok.
Cockroach in my food.
So, I was talking to a friend about how I thought I just found my new favorite Mexican restaurant. She totally interrupted me to tell me about this great Mexican restaurant she just discovered. It didn't take long to figure out we were talking about the same place.
The ambiance is great. I felt like I could actually be in Mexico for a minute. It was quite unique from the typical Mission taqueria. It felt very clean and well cared for. Yet, the prices were totally reasonable. I got a big ol' fish burrito for just $5.
Several varieties of hot sauce and fresh cut limes were available at each table. It was a nice touch.
Last but not least, the flan was amazing!!!!
Come to El Metate for cheap, filling, and delicious burritos! It's totally worth the wait since it's a popular spot. I have yet to try their shrimp quesadillas, fish tacos, nachos, and carnitas enchiladas but rest assured I will be stopping by again soon. They have adequate indoor and outdoor seating or you can just grab your food to-go.
I went the safe route with a regular chicken burrito for $5 (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and it was simply out-of-this-world! It was a huge burrito, about 7-8" long, and all of the ingredients were bursting with spices making it one of the tastiest burritos I've tried. The black beans were cooked perfectly and the marinated chicken pieces were so tender! It didn't need any additional sauces...the rice, fresh tomato/corn salsa, beans, and meat blended together very nicely. Needless to say, I finished my burrito in record time.
It also came with a complimentary side of home-made tortilla chips (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and salsa. I loved how the chips were super crunchy and tasted really fresh. Surprisingly, they weren't greasy at all either! The salsa added a nice mild spice to them as well. Yum...I could snack on these all the time!
They actually take credit card too which is super convenient. The wait could take a while around dinner time but for a $5 incredible meal, who can complain?
So I've been here before, a year or two ago, my hubby raves about their veggie burrito, but as a meat eater it's against my beliefs to get anything totally veggie. So I tried the steak super burrito. Meh, not that great.
Then today, we decided to go there again, and I looked up reviews on Yelp for what else to try. Apparently, yelpers had rave reviews about their chicken burrito. Got that. Meh, not that great either.
But, having no shame and also being really hungry from a workout, I also ordered a fish taco. Now FINALLY I found something to go back for! I also tried a bite of his steak taco, definitely going to get that one next time too!
Taqueria Cancun still has my heart as far as the steak super burrito goes... :)
TIP: they also opened a sitdown area next door, so I think you can order your food and then go sit down and they'll bring it to you.
Was craving some tamales and they were out!
Went with the chicken enchiladas and a carnitas taco. Solid. Nothing mind blowing, think I was expecting more.
Both the chicken and the carnitas were a touch dry - - a little sour cream, guac and salsa helped out though
Was in the mood to try somewhere in a different neighborhood, and figured if El Metate didn't work out, we could always head over to Humphry Slocombe and cut our losses.
We didn't need to though. The burritos were actually a perfect size. The super carnitas was filled but not over filled. And best of all the carnitas themselves were crispy and flavorful.
The nachos were a heafty plate that took down my son. I've NEVER seen him give up on food before and there was right before my eyes. Amazing.
One of my favorite Mexican places in San Francisco.
They have amazing vegie nachos (that come with carrots) and they are famous for their fish tacos.
Those two things are so good that I never want to try anything else, but I'm sure there is something else on their menu that is just as amazing!
So bomb. Ask for extra jalepenos and avocado and you're good to go. Quesdilla, nachos, tacos, and burritos all dank. Open til ten, clutch. And quick service too.
What happened?
Used to love these guys, but I just got a burrito from them and it was literally thinner than the little cup of salsa. (Maybe 2 inches in diameter, tops.)
It tasted good, but when I want a burrito I want a classic SF Mission Burrito™, not an Urban Food Twig™.
I hope this was an anomaly rather than a new trend in hard times. Either way, it will probably be some time before I head back.
Good, fresh food, decent prices. I like the fish tacos, beef quesadilla, and the nachos, which are great for sharing since it's enough for 3 people. Not a big fan of their burritos though and their salsa and chips are not the greatest. Love their agua frescas, which are so refreshing and great to wash down all that food with.
I love el metate. Awesome guacamole, amazing meat. I just took a buddy from New York there this past Thursday and he said its the best burrito he's ever had.
I love the burritos here because they're tightly wrapped and delicious throughout. They consistently deliver unlike some of the others that are huge, but only have a few delicious bites throughout.
I used to live less than one block away from this delightful place, and I was so sad to move. It is excellent mexican- as fancy or fancy free as you want it. The fish tacos are to die for. The rice, beans, salsa- excellent. And the flan... oh! I miss it so. Seating is tight, so preferably you'd get your stuff to go.
Had a friend in town from New York City who wanted Mexican food we could sit down and eat at. We shared a fish quesadilla and a veggie burrito and YUMMMM! We were both very happy, and all for about $14! Including sodas! I will be back.
Big portions, low prices, good food. Hard to go wrong.
I had a pork tamales plate. A tremendous amount of food and a soda for less than $10. If I lived in the mission this would be my cheap eats home.
Delicious food and friendly service AND a great place to sit and relax after a long day of work and football (soccer) practice.
My buddy ordered three fish tacos and I ordered a regular burrito al pastor. I tried one of his tacos and he took a good number of bites of the al pastor.
Thumbs up all the way around.
We washed it all down with bottled Coca-cola from Mexico (No High-Fructose Corn Syrup!!! Just real cane sugar!!! Yay!!!)
I'll be back for more, El Metate. American soft drinks suck. Bottled Mexican Coke is the best! :)
Im gonna give this place 5 stars! I rarely give 5 stars, but this time, I was really impressed.
A few weeks ago I went with my roommate to this place, and I opted NOT to get a Quesadilla (I was broke, and I could get one for 1/2 the price down the street).... This time I went alone however, and I was starving, so I figured, "what the hell". Im glad I did.
I got the grilled chicken burrito, and unlike other places when I say NO SALSA..this place gave me exactly that NO SALSA! THANK YOU THANK YOU!! I HATE SALSA!!!
While the burrito isnt what Id call a true San Francisco burrito (the size is not QUITE as big), it was enough to satisfy my hunger, yet not completely fill me and make me feel gluttonous. Something I enjoy is a good burrito that doesnt weigh me down.
I also must say the people who work there were fast (and the place is freaking busy), and VERY nice... And... *gasp* didnt need directions on how to make my burrito! And that scores massive points in my book!
THANK YOU EL METATE! You just made me a loyal customer...And you are closer from my former favorite place,
I work at SF General Hospital this place is fast and good. The cooks whip up your food right there while your watching. If you go for veggie burritos hey they add real vegs broccoli, zucchini, carrots all fresh. You can also call in ahead of time because around noon this place gets packed.
My fav is tacos de carnitas w/ whole pinto beans...the bomb!!!!
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Mexican
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