Victor's
210 Townsend St
(at Colin P Kelly Jr St)
San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 495-7018
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
84 reviews
Neighborhood: Lower Haight
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86 Reviews for Victor's
I like a nice clean and tasty chicken taco. Victor's place has the best Tacos in all of SOMA. This is my weekly lunch go to when I need some comfort food and a real cocoa cola. Cute lil patio to boot - which makes it an excellent get the hell out of the office lunch excuse. Friendly if not sassy service.
True, I wouldn't go out of my way for this taqueria, but I work around here, and it's just the best. That's not a totally honest statement. Some days it's the best (see my review of Mexico au Parc).
But they treat you well. Never been called "guapo/a"? Come to Victor's. Never tasted chips and delicious salsa while waiting for a burrito? Come to Victor's? Never had a burrito while in Soma? Come to Victor's.
Typical menu, lackluster eating area, but each ingredient is solidly good. The non-fire-roasted salsa is amazing. They could stand to give more chips with a to-go burrito, and the prices are, well, South Beachian.
Still, Victor's has a place in my heart.
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I love Victor's. They're so friendly - they call everyone guapa & guapo.
I used to work in China Basin/Mission Bay so I was a regular here for a while but now I'm not, I miss it.
I just went back and I had a really good quesadilla. I usually get burritos and I wanted something lighter. I'm sure it was lighter but it wasn't light so I was still stuffed.
Victor's is a marginal taqueria at best. Most recently I ordered a grilled chicken tostada. They use a tortilla bowl, which is fine, but it tasted like cardboard soaked in grease. After filling the greasy shell with less than adequate portions of beans, meat, lettuce and cheese the lady asked me if I wanted sour cream and guacamole. All other taqueria's that make tostadas this style usually include those two things in the price. Here they are a dollar extra. Had I known, I would not have ordered it, not to mention the guacamole looked like green soup. The burritos are only slightly better. Really the only reason I think people go to Victor's is because of the lack of taqueria's in the SOMA/Southbeach area. Also, the proprietor is one of the most annoying people you will ever meet. Expect to hear her call everyone in line "guapo" at least 5 times and then bark an order at the next person in line. At any given visit you will most like hear the word "guapo" yelled 50 times or more. You may think the guapo thing is sweet the first time you go there but trust me, it gets real old real fast. I don't think I will be going back here again despite how close it is to my office. If you are looking for a good taqueria go to the mission or take a trip down to San Mateo.
I work in SOMA, and must say this is one of my favorite spots for lunch in the area (it's a hit at my company too). LOVE the staff, and just overall dig the vibe of the place. The price for a regular old burrito isn't to bad either. Granted I've had better burritos in my day, but thats okay, this place gets an A in my book.
I like it! I like how many varieties they have on the menu (cactus burrito!) I like how fast the service is and how lively the staff is. BIG HAPPY FACE.
So my boyfriend and I broke up this weekend (YES I AM REALLY SAD ABOUT IT THANKS FOR ASKING) and I was (half) joking that the one upside is that grief makes me lose my appetite so in the healing process I might end up being an even more mega-babe than I am (we all have to cope somehow.)
ANYHEY, This afternoon I was feeling like maybe getting a burrito and actually had a bit o' the ol' hunger (thank you monthly cycle! (TMI)), so I went to Victor's and got a veggie burrito. The burritos come in two different sizes - regular and super. I got a regular and it ended up being a bit smaller than your typical burrito, which I would have actually appreciated, especially given my grief-shrunken tumtum, but $5 seemed a bit exorbitant for a downsized version of beans+rice+guac+salsa+tortilla. PLUS when I got it back to my office (which is only about 3 minutes away) the whole thing was lukewarm at best.
But I'll go ahead and give it 3 stars because even though my burrito was kind of lukewarm and a bit expensive for what I got, it DID taste fresh and the flavor was good (even if the "spicy" salsa was kind of embarrassingly mild.)
Oh. And also because it was actually really helpful being called "guapa" today. I might just keep going in there just to feel better about my loveless existence. :'( *cue music*
The staff is very friendly, as well as enthusiastic.
The prices are a little high, but most things are in SOMA.
A burrito runs you about $8.00 depending on if you want all the fixins.
I think the taste is pretty good, but grab a napkin cause they tend to goo out on you.
I get lunch from Victor's once or twice a week.
Their burritos are delish, and fully customizable*. They're sometimes stingy with portions of certain ingredients. Back when I drank Coke, I appreciated that they always had Mexican Coke in stock (real sugar, no HFCS!)
It's a pretty slow process during the height of the lunch hour, but no more so than at most sandwich places.
*If you get a burrito, make sure you tell them to heat it up on the grill rather than the steamer. Who wants a pre-soggy burrito? Maniacs, that's who. And you're not a maniac, are you? Of course not.
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As much as I like the way Victor's is set up with the ladies there running the line, calling everyone "guapo" and the line moving decently fast, its only an ok place. Sure, the service is nice and they greet you right away. But, the burritos there are average to below average, not as tasty as other places. Sometimes its not as hot as it should be and afterwards I often ask "why did I pay so much...".
If you need to get out of the office, there is seating available. Overall, Victor's is just best a quick stop for a short lunch, but nothing more.
This place has exactly what I want on any given day.
If you're looking for gourmet food, consistently impeccable customer service, and an cultured, attentive wait staff, you will be disappointed in Victors.
If you want the kind of Mexican food that tastes delightful and makes you feel roughly like you ate a bag of concrete, this is your place. They will make pretty much anything you ask, and they have that sort of rustic charm that only comes from people too busy earning a living to devote time to the pomp and circumstance that you find at more "civilized" restaurants.
If you're the kind of person that goes somewhere looking for what's wrong with it, don't go here. You'll find something you don't like, I'm sure. If you measure a restaurant in terms of the things to enjoy, Victor's is full of flavor, options, and ethnic charm.
(3.5 stars) Guapo's, as it is called in my office, is actually decent for a work lunch. Why do we call it Guapos? Because the lady who greets everyone at the door calls all customers Guapo.
I used to think it was just for me, and right when I started to feel special, a really ugly guy right behind me got called Guapo also. I knew it was too good to be true, but the food turned out to be pretty good, so I come back.
The salsa here is good. You can test it on some chips while you wait in line. After that, if you eat there, you can have more at the table. The place has a wide variety of tortillas, meats, and for you enthusiasts, they heat your tortilla on the grill, not in a steamer.
What ever you do, don't get lettuce (I mean you can, but why...there is better stuff to put in there) Adios Guapo!, or should I save that for the greeter lady?
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Victor's is a solid Mexican eatery. Nothing over the top but they make a good Al Pastor burrito and it's handed to you by a woman who calls you "Guapo" like she's your mother. Not much of a place to hang out and eat so much as a really good pit stop.
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Who doesn't want to be called "guapa" 30 times in 10 minutes? I wanted to take the lady at the counter with me when I left - such an ego boost!
Seriously, though - the food is pretty standard - nothing too extraordinary but good...but the service is what makes you want to come back. Cheap prices too. And they carry Jarritos...btw - you can't claim to be an authentic burrito joint if you don't have Tutti Fruitti Jarritos. You just can't. So yay for Victor's!
The running joke my husband and I have with this place is that we have to go when it's open - because it's NEVER open! I don't know what it is. Can our luck with this place be so bad that any time of day, any day of the week, it's always closed?
Of the few times we've actually be able to eat there, their nachos with carne asada aren't bad. My husband usually gets a burrito or quesadilla. It's not the best, but it satisfies the Mexican food craving. The ladies behind the counter are nice, but usually don't smile.
This place is on my list of 'quick hits' for a fast meal. We would go their more often, but it would help if they actually followed the business hours they have on their door.
I'm guessing they're open during lunch hours on weekdays - but of course, that's not when my husband and I would normally go.
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I'll reiterate what everyone else is saying. Friendly staff and a cool place to eat. Their guapo/guapa treatment is sweet and definitely gives them a signature.
Unfortunately, I wouldn't say stellar food is their signature, which is kind of important for a restaurant. Burritos are priced relative to just about everywhere else, but the size is definitely smaller. I didn't care for the soft shell it was wrapped in, very flour-y and the overall burrito tasted very dry. The food isn't inedible, it isn't memorable, it's just... meh.
If you live or work nearby and have an instantaneous taqueria craving, it's convenient, but absolutely not a destination restaurant.
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I really don't know how you can not love this place. Ok, so the portions aren't HUGE, but with the way that burritos have been expanding lately, my waist-line thanks a restaurant that keeps the quantity of food to a reasonable LARGE.
The service really is, as everyone says, personal. The wonderful women might only know me as "guapa" but they also know that I like my super burrito with camarones with 1/2 spicy salsa, 1/2 mild and that I don't like to speak Spanish but that I understand it.
Victor's takes care of my Mexican food cravings during long work days far from the Mission. Best of all~ the cleanliness standards seem to far surpass those of most taquerias.
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Sadly we, at the office, have boycotted Victors. Not for the service, oh no. Precious ladies. However, we have just had far too many waterballoon burritos with holes already punched in them from long ass nails. Love the back patio, dumpy as it may be, it's got a lot of charm. Price is right too. But buyer beware. Loose burritos.
Victor's offers basic, decent Mexican fare. I enjoyed my veggie burrito. It wasn't overfilled to the point of attacking me, but it was just a basic burrito. No special fixins here, and the prices are more expensive than you'd expect. Be prepared- the ladies behind the counter will refer to you as guapa/guapo!
Hey, guapo. Nes een line, nes een line.
What kind of beans, guapo?
It is what it is - value-based Mexifornian comfort food. The fourth star is for the staff - always smiling, always welcoming, always happy to see you. There's better food out there, but not better food for the price. In quick-serve burritos, I'm looking for something that's robust and tasty, and that I'm 99.5% certain won't give me food poisoning.
Mission accomplished.
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You know what I love? I love a taqueria where I walk in and the hostess immediately greets me, calling me 'Handsome'. The hostess may refer to every man that walks through those doors as handsome, but that doesn't phase me. I know that I've got a special place in her heart...
Amidst the bullshit Starbucks, Borders, and other franchises that seem to thrive in the soulless condominium hives of SOMA, Victor's stands like any other respectable taqueria does, a little greasy and a lot good.
Carnitas in any form- burritos, tacos, etc.- is always good. I prefer this place to South Park's Mexico Au Parc.
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You go there and they call you guapo. You order your burrito, it's fast and it's cheap. Did I mention they will call you guapo?
What else could you want then to get a decent burrito and a compliment all in one go?
So from the front Victor's looks like a tiny taqueria. But once you walk in, you notice that there is a kind of hidden seating area off to the left. Then you go to the hidden seating are, and you see a corridor leading out to a very cool semi-hidden sermi-open air eating area in the back. It's super nice on a bright day, and they somehow manage to keep it warm even on the fiercest, chilly SOMA day.
So my Al Pastor burrito kind of sucked. The pork was bland and unflavored. That said, everyone else at my table loved their lunch. There was an order of a super Egg and Chorizo burrito, a veggie burrito, and a fish taco.
No beer :(
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My FAV mexican joint in SOMA, hands down. Their hot salsa is just perfect if you're in to spicy salsa. You feel like one of the family from the moment you walk in the door, they're really fast and efficient in getting you in and to your table or getting it wrapped up to go. It's affordable and of course, the best part, the food is as authentic as it is tasty!!
I know my own needs....Soft Corinthian Leather....
http://video.google.co...
...OK OK, this has nothing to do with Victor's except I keep picturing the owner to look like Ricardo Montalban and telling his staff..."Smiles, everyone...smiles!"
Next door to Primo Patio is this unassuming tacqueria run with alarming efficiency by two friendly women. I only came upon it because Jamie W. and I were looking for a quick bite before sitting in the Antarctic Circle that was AT&T last night when they showed a live performance of the SF Opera's "Samson and Delilah" on the jumbotron.
I saw one of the women grilling a sandwich and knew that was for me. The $5.60 Carne Asada Torta was a taste treat. Normally, the pull-away pork found in burritos and tacos was placed neatly between two sides of a grilled French roll. With fresh jalapenos and a slathering of salsa, it's like a barbecue pork sandwich without the heavy sauce. Gee I liked it a lot.
Otherwise nothing much to report here. The decor is standard formica lunchroom, and the restroom doesn't have a lock (so do make a lot of noise to avoid unseemly encounters). But the the seat cushion of the chair feels like...could it be soft Corinthian leather?
FOOD - 4 stars...no-frills torta was pretty yummy
AMBIANCE - 2.5 stars...roadside lunchroom vibe
SERVICE - 4 stars...fast with no fuss
TOTAL - 4 stars...not really a destination place but a bargain place to eat before the ballpark
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I LOVE this place.
I work in the area, so it's great to be able to get a very decent (and I think huge) burrito or a killer salad.
It's totally Americanized Mexican food, but it's far from Taco Bell!
Truth be told, I could eat here everyday, and I'd also weigh 1'000 pounds!!!
I'm known as guapo chino, even though I'm japanese. Love the patio, love the free salsa, love the fact that they have chips and salsa at the counter while you wait in line.
Dear offspring of the guapo/guapa lady,
Your mom tells me you read these reviews and you're embarrassed by the fact that she calls every soul that walks in guapo or guapa. I haven't been called handsome by that many people except your mom and my mom. It makes my day, and whenever I feel a bit down and im craving a burrito, I hit up victors. I'm sure other people feel the same way, so lay off your mom :)
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Victors has great service and a friendly atmosphere - HEY GUAPO!
The food is just your average Mexican fast food - nothing special. One time I got my burrito back to the office and it was soggy and soaked through the tortilla! Nothing could be worse!
Hey have a good selection of fillings and four kinds of tortillas. The place seems reasonably clean.
Nothing to get too excited about. I had a super chicken and taste-wise it was okay, but there certainly was nothing super about it. These were by far the smallest burritos I've ever had. For the price you pay the taste does not make up for it. My philosophy is if you aren't going to be good you might as well be big and cheap. This place fails on just about every level.
Well i was rolling thru the neighborhood doing my routes and i noticed people waliking into this place as my truck was getting unloaded across the street. so i decided to check out this mexican food place called victors.
man , did i strike gold. the had sopes, which i could never find at too many places. and man the pork was off the hook . this place has by far the best pork . not sure what the secret recipe is,the guapa didnt want to tell me.
but i had a great meal at a great price and now i have found a great place to eat on my route. i highly recommened it to anybody looking for a great deal on some great food. try the pork for sure. and the salsa and chips on the counter while i waited for my food was great
nice place. will be back for sure
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This place has decent food (but for some reason, my coworkers swear by it). 3 stars for the food alone. But as has been said, the service is amazing - very friendly, if not a bit hard to understand at times (and I speak a little Spanish). Plus, you can't beat a "Hecho en Mexico" Coke - pure cane sugar rather than high fructose corn syrup. They get the extra star on personality and good, quality food provided consistently.
If you order a burrito, get it "super" for sour cream and guacamole. Also, try the salsa (in a ceramic hat dish, surrounded by chips as you're going through line), which you can ask for more of if you're staying, or pay to have some to-go - it's quality stuff.
The covered "outdoor" seating is a nice option for some diffused sunlight without wind, rain, or snow. Enjoy, guapo!
3.5 stars for the amazing artisan-quality salsa roja. I love both the mild and hot varieties. Never found anything quite like it anywhere else. The rest is your standard SF-style burritos and stuff, but served up with comfortingly consistency and always amicable, speedy attention and reasonable prices. In fact I don't know that I've ever ordered anything here besides burritos, so don't get all mad and shit if their tacos aren't up to snuff. Because I wouldn't know. I live in the Mission so there's not much reason for me to hit up Victor's anymore, but when in SOMA, I do make a point to stop in and say hi. The line can get long but moves quick. They also offer nopales (cactus) as a topping, which a lot of places do not. Kind of an acquired taste, great in burritos. And yes they love to dole out terms of endearment to their loyal customer base.
HI GUAPA!
everyone is addressed as "guapo" or "guapa" here. which means handsome or pretty in spanish. i didn't even think i looked pretty today at all. in fact, i've had waaaay better days.. but she called me guapa. so for the next few days, until i'm tired of burritos, i'll be eating here to get my quick "food in a tube" spinach tortilla burrito with black beans and fresh avocado and a little ego boost. gracias guapa!
BYE GUAPO!
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Decent tacos (one soft, one hard) with Carnitas which were nicely cooked and even had some crispy edges. Besides the friendly service, the backyard patio is another great reason to come here and enjoy some sunshine during lunch...
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Cheap burritos have no flavor... at least at Victor's they don't. The staff are friendly but the veggie super burrito was the most bland burrito I've ordered in San Francisco. I asked for hot salsa, but it didn't even taste mild... I added my own salsa and Tapatio at home. And the ingredients were all clumped in separate areas of the burrito. At least it filled me up and satisfied my Friday craving for a huge serving of calories wrapped in a tortilla.
Pretty decent burritos. Hosts are super nice, greeting all the dudes with a welcoming, "What's up guapo?"
Dear Victor's Guapa Lady and the nice ladies who make the food,
I am the most finicky Mexican food eater you will ever meet. I was raised with Mexican food from SoCal. I will never adjust to any 'super burrito' no matter how long I have lived here, so I just usually don't ever order burritos. Please don't take offense.
However, the corn quesadillas (with meat of your choice) are sublime: with salsa, guac and dripping with grease, they really hit the spot. The horchata is not bad, the Mexican sodas are a treat. If you offered churros or Menudo, I could die and go to Heaven.
Thank you for opening on Saturdays; I need my SoMa Mex food fix and don't feel like trekking to the Mission.
Love,
Guapa
There is something strangely appealing about being called "guapo" every time I go here.
This place is your very typical Mexican burrito bar that populate the Mission by the dozens. The food is well worth stopping in for, if you are in a burrito sort of mood, and the salsa samples while you wait give this place an extra star for going the extra mile (even for a burrito place).
My personal favorite is the shrimp burrito on a spinach tortilla, but they have all the basic options of steak, chicken, pork, and stewed something or other.
Good prices, good burrito to go, fast and very friendly service. Hard to argue too much.
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You had me at Guapo (handsome)! Victor's is average to good for burritos but where else can you go where you are guaranteed a "Hello Guapo" greeting every time you enter the place?
Initially, you'll probably feel real good about yourself when you order a burrito from the Guapo Women behind the counter, and you get a chorus of "Hello Guapo." After, you might even start wearing a suit or tuxedo to work just to get a more emphatic guapo or guapa at lunch but you'll soon realize that it's not really necessary. They think everyone is handsome.
Forget to comb your hair? Have a ravioli stain on your shirt? Look like you haven't had a shower in months? It doesn't matter. The Guapo Ladies think everyone is handsome. You might even get annoyed when that person behind you in line, who looks like he just rolled around in the dumpster outside, also gets a "Hello Guapo" greeting but realize that the Guapo Women are equal opportunity guapoers and the loose use of guapo is for the greater good. Everyone deserves a guapo greeting sometime.
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no wonder they are so nice here, what a rip off.
i leave wondering what i just paid 6 bucks for everytime. i bet its a dollar for every "guapo" i get. i'd gladly exchange the guapo for some salsa with my chips.
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