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"There are lots of taqueria's in SF, so it's hard to tell one from the other... this place was sliding nicely into a four-star rating after I…" read more »
after a night of drinking what else do you do. eat donuts? no, you eat tacos. first it was 17th. then 18th. 20th. 22nd... we walked down mission like all the other junkies that my sister usually tends to at the hospital looking for her favorite taco place. back and forth we went and that's when i realized how bad i had to use the restroom. i was pretty convinced there was no way in hell i would find a restroom at 2am in the mission.
after passing a bunch of taquerias i pre-determined a spot to do what any wasted girl would do. the bart station on the corner of 24th street and mission. the thing was i wasn't even drunk! i was pretty damn sober. as i looked at the corner getting ready to do my thing there it was. my savior. taqueria san jose. i almost cried.
i think it was anthony bourdain who said if you want to know how clean a restaurant is, or kitchen, or something like that look at the restroom. i don't know if that's valid or not but this is probably the cleanest restroom i've come across at a taqueria or bar in SF. not what i expected at all from the mission. i don't even use the restrooms at starbucks here.
overall, it's a clean looking place even at 2am. i ordered two carne asada tacos hoping they would be as amazing as the restroom. i don't know how much the tacos cost because i didn't pay for them but i was disappointed. not the best. i will say this, the green salsa was some of the best i've had in a while. my sister ordered nachos. i don't know what kinda nachos they make but it looks like they just throw in a bunch of mission tortilla chips beans and whatever. she loved them. you might too.
i guess if you need to use the restroom or don't want to wait at the super long taco stand down the street come down here. the food is good. not amazingly good but good. there's plenty of tables and they also have a jukebox with Mexican tunes. my sister was all on that shit. i chilled and enjoyed my Mexican coke while i munched on the complimentary tortilla chips.
Taqueria SJ is my favorite taqueria in SF. They give you FREE chips and 2 small containers to fill with their salsa at the salsa bar.
Tacos are only $2.21 so cheaper than La Taqueria.
We got:
al pastor taco- bbq pork. Very tasty.
lengua taco - lots of meat, tasty.
cabeza - beef head - nice
ceviche tostada $2.5 - lots of chopped up marinated red snapper w/ onions & sliced ripe avocado - nice
medium strawberry drink $2.10 - nice
All for about $12. I saw a sign for credit cards, but we paid cash.
Separate bathrooms in the back. Next to 24th Bart Station.
This place fucking BLOWS. I'll tell you what, I'm sitting here, right now, eating the burrito I got there and I can hardly finish it.
I asked for chicken. The gem behind the counter said 'grilled or shredded' (Personality of a corpse, this one), I said I wanted shredded chicken. I said 'oh, by the way, can I get extra sour cream on the side?'. What did I get? A burrito with NO CHICKEN and sour cream INSIDE. This burrito is cold and flavorless. Did I mention I paid almost TEN DOLLARS for this shit?
I live a block away from this place and this is the first time I've been there. I suppose next time I will not be lazy and walk the extra block for El Farlitos
You can grab a dependable burrito here anytime. But what are those little things that set San Jose apart from the rest? Well, first of all, there are the little quarter candy machines. Next, there is the awesome jukebox playing all your favorite Mexcian hits. Then, there is the lovely, serene mural of (what I'm assuming is) San Jose, Jalisco, Mexico. But I suppose I could be wrong about that.
I devoured the chicken burrito I got here. Normally I don't even like burritos. And the complimentary chips were a nice bonus.
I was here during the Street Food Festival. It took us 1 hour for them to make the food we ordered. Not even kidding.
They took tons of orders even though they knew they wouldn't be able to serve people food for an hour. I think they got a little greedy seeing all the business come in. Needless to say, an angry mob formed. The poor guy in the back seemed really stressed out, and with good reason.
After an hour I was starving so I asked for a refund. They asked what my number was and proceeded to go back and make it. I would have felt bad, but it was 3PM by that time and I'd had no lunch that day. They also decided to make to-go orders first, but that meant that none of the orders that were "for here" got made. Some people had been there even longer than an hour!
When the food came, it wasn't very good. I had the tacos, and I had indigestion and foul belches all afternoon. Pretty poor experience there. With all the great burrito places in the Mission, I don't think I'll be back. I do realize others like this place a lot, but I was really disappointed.
This is my favorite Taqueria of all time.
Why? Well, they say you always remember your first... and this was where I ate my first ever carne asada burrito, no frijoles!
Throughout high school, my friends and I always ate here. When we were broke, we'd buy sodas and the guys working there used to give us chips and salsa. A high school student's dream!
Also, the owner (I don't know if he's still the owner) used to have the funniest (unintentionally) business card ever - it said "Taqueria San Jose" and there was a drawing of the spit of meat... under which was his name, "David." So we named the spit of meat David. Good times!
While the new staff is a tad more abrasive and the ambiance is akin to a cafeteria, I still LOVE this place. And the carne asada still rocks.
Im a huge burrito fan and Im generally content with any burrito you put in front of me but this place failed to satisfy my craving. These are the kind of burritos where u cant tell what's inside and every ingredient tastes the same- like one big mush inside a tortilla. The most disturbing part is it's impossible to tell if they gave you the chicken you ordered or some sort of mystery meat.
Don't waste your time here - go across the street to La Taqueria instead.
A good value for the price, because dang! that's a lot of food. I had the carne asada and felt like I should have been rolled out the door and through the Mission (but how can you say no to such deliciousness?).
My BFF is my resident go-to gal on all things authentically Mexican (she is of Mexican heritage and she has lived there, nuff said). When we walked into this place she seemed to approve and after we got our order (and after she made fun of me for asking if they had HOR-chata) she tucked in to her tacos and I waited for her assessment. Very rarely does she give the green light on authenticity, but said even though they were missing pineapple from the dish she was eating, it was legit (hurray!).
We spent the better portion of the hour stuffing our faces in relative peace (weeknight) listening to a strange mix of songs ranging from 50's rock/soul and traditional mariachi music. The price didn't really faze me - I've seen much worse and to me it's worth it to pay a little extra for something tasty.
After a wild Friday night adventure at Club Six, I worked up quite the appetite. Richard G. recommended this place based on my affinity for carnitas. I was not disappointed.
I was impressed.
This place is located across the street from the super awesome La Taqueria, which recently shut down in San Jose due to the owner wanting to retire. It still exists in SF and it thrives; yet, Taqueria San Jose can find a way to compete with the best taqueria ever?
How do they do it? Well, by making the best carnitas in town and staying open late.
Wow. Holy smokes. My super burrito was pricey (over $8), but it was also enough for 2 people. I could not finish it. Everything was fresh and the carnitas were amazing.
Ajua! Ajua!
I'll be telling my friends and even my future kids about them. Well, as long as I survive the swine flu.
My fellow Yelpers (Richard G., Yvonne C. and Jessica Y.) were growing tired, so they made me eat faster. So I just took a fork to my burrito and scooped out the remaining carnitas and shoved them down my throat.
Heaven wrapped in a tortilla. Heaven on a fork.
I also tried their chicken quesadilla when Jessica was not looking. It was very tasty and they did not use garbage boiled chicken (like they do at La Victoria).
Anyway, if you are ever in San Francisco and you have a late night craving for Mexican grub, you have to consider Taqueria San Jose.
I dare you try to the carnitas.
Heaven wrapped in a tortilla.
Heaven in my mouth.
Heaven in my tummy.
Heaving in the toilet.
Ajua! Ajua!
I've heard mixed reviews of this place, but I have to say they've nailed it the three times I've gone now. Super carnitas burrito, egg and chorizo breakfast burrito and carnitas tacos were all lights out. The salsa verde is amazing as well. Even the fucking slices of lime were perfectly fresh. I got pretty drunk last night so chances are you'll find me here this evening to pick up some hangover remedy.
Taqueria San Jose is the Mission's overlooked treasure.
Seriously, best Taqueria in town, and i know of which I speak.
Yeah, they're super burrito's are a bit pricey, but they are twice the size of the one's at La Taqueria and 3 times as tasty.
The real treat at San Jose are their carnitas. I know my carnitas. I really do, and these are the best in town. Crispy on the outside, chewy on the inside, no fat chunks like at other places. They throw the carnitas on the grill and crisp them to order.
If you're tight on cash, you can go in and get two carnitas tacos (served with free chips, they dont charge like other places) and be full and happy. Oh, make sure you get the salsa verde on those free chips as it is BOMB.
Yeah. So stop wasting your time in line at Farolito or your money at La Taqueria and treat yourself to some San Jose.
I've only had the carne asada super burrito and it is the best i had in the city.
I've had the same burrito at about 5 other taquerias in the mission and around sf.This is by far the best.
It was Saturday morning and I was really craving watermelon aguas frescas, accompanied by a super burrito. I went to 4 or 5 taquerias/tortas places, and no watermelon aguas frescas was to be found. Taqueria San Jose had cantaloupe, and I'd never been there before, so I figured why not.
The decor has the requisite murals depicting life in the Mexican desert, and a jukebox was playing Mexican hits as you expect in the Mission.
A large cantaloupe aguas frescas and an al pastor super burrito set me back around $13. Chips are pretty standard, mass-produced but good. The salsa bar was good and they have Tapatio on the tables.. nice!
The burrito was enormous, but not all that great. I mean, it wasn't bad, the al pastor was decently marinated but doesn't compare to El Farolito across the street. The rest of the ingredients were pretty standard.
I enjoyed the cantaloupe aguas frescas, but I think the stuff at La Taqueria (also across the street) is better.
Overall, this place is ok, but La Taqueria and El Farolito are better, giving you little to no incentive to eat here.
i've been here tons, but haven't yelped it...
one of my favorites is the baby burrito. $3.00 for a decent mini-burrito, i think you can even get 2 for $5 of these suckers if you wink at the cashier.
Very pricey taqueria food. We had both the corn and flour quesadillas which were both really good. I thought the chips were not so good, but loved loved the salsa and pico de gallo.
The bathrooms were clean too, a big bonus, considering everything outside the restaurant (ie, Mission St) is so filthy.
I would have wanted a burrito but wasnt willing to fork over 8 bucks. I also didnt like the fact that it costs an additional 2.50 for a side of sour cream? Thats crazy.
But overall, I wish that this type of Mexican food existed in Denver where there is nothing but shite Mexican food.
While a burrito and horchata came out rather expensive, I did enjoy them. The grilled chicken was wonderful and the horchata authentic, with rice and cinnamon.
Delish fish tacos and shrimp tacos. No rice or beans filler, which IMHO too many taquerias rely on to mask bland meat/fish/etc. Just perfectly seasoned fish & shrimp, fresh chunky salsa, wrapped in a yummy corn tortilla. Great fresh selection of salsas. Crunchy tasty chips without a spot of grease.
Be prepared to wait, they make everything fresh to order & though it's cheap, this ain't fast food.
In my quest for the perfect al Pastor, I finally made my way here. I found my quest will continue, and will still go to El Gran Taco Loco when I want this greasy, sometimes spicy pork.
My roommate was hungry for a burrito. After first going to Phat Philly, while waiting for the 14, I went here. It's clean at least. She reported her burrito to be just OK.
For lunch for myself the next day, I bought a quesidilla suiza with al Pastor. I also thought it was just OK, and nothing special. Perhaps all the good reviews were alcohol enhanced?
I did like the salsa though. But I don't think I will be back.
Not very tasty... Plus got my order wrong. Skip it.
Taqueria San Jose in the city?? Yes, its true... I would hate to say it.. but I still love La Vics.. maybe only for their sauce... we came here after a random night at Bruno's... our friend said that this place was pretty good and after I had that bacon wrapped hotdog at the corner... I didn't think anything else could've tasted any better..
A super burrito is $7.99.. which is pretty pricey in my opinion... if they had some special type of sauce here.. I would have to say one of the best burritos I've had.. not only because I was a bit drunk.. if we're ever in the area.. I'll have to try their tacos next time!
A baby chicken burrito at 3am really hit the spot. Though I have a regular place on Mission Street where I like to eat, tonight I wanted something small, accompanied by a small price. Taqueria San Jose pulled through for me.
Sad to say, the larger burritos are not priced so well. I would be reluctant to purchase a super burrito because of the price. You can get the same elsewhere for two bucks less...
If you're out in the middle of the night and want a place to sit and eat, I'd say this is the place. It's cleaner and nicer than the other Mission Street burrito joints, and a bit safer too...
Great tasting Carne Asada Super Burrito. It's probably one of the tastiest I've had in SF. A bit on the pricey side and be prepared for a long wait if there's a crowd. If you happen to be exiting the 24th and Mission St. BART station, this place is diagonally across the street.
The first stop on our taco crawl. Had chips and red snapper tostada. Chips were great, guac was a little off (too spicy?), tostada was great.
The place itself is roomy, slightly shady, but definitely has a good "family owned and operated" feel. (whether that's true or not I have no idea). Beer was $5+tax which was a little high for the area, but a solid stop nonetheless.
Step 1: Get thee to thine Mission District.
Step 2: Enter Taqueria San Jose.
Step 3: Order tacos al Pastor with everything on them (hot sauce, too, you candy a**!)
Step 4: Eat.
Step 5: Fall in love.
Step 6: REPEAT.
There it is, people. Best tacos outside of a taco palapa in Mexico. Go there!
Since I couldn't bike home after doing my part to finish a pitcher of Sangria at Cha Cha Cha...we went on a hunt for food in the Mission on a late Sunday night.
We ended up at Taqueria San Jose and picked up a couple of steak burritos since apparently stuffing ourselves with fried and fatty Cuban Tapas didn't inflict enough damage on our arteries.
The steak was good and the burritos were on the moist end, but that worked well here. I don't remember the salsa blowing me away here, but overall an excellent late night stop.
Good seating available inside (maybe 1-1.5 size of a starbucks) and there is a bike rack within a building or two of the restaurant.
Hands down best carnitas in the mission!!!! And yes they are open every weekend for the those that have the late nigt munchies!
This place is great!!!! Hot and fresh carnitas. It was sooo hot that I had to drive from sf back to… Read more »
After my trip to Puerto Vallarta I have been craving chorizo tacos. I would normally go to my usual Farolito but sometimes or rather most of the time I dont have the time to stand in line.
The next best thing, Viola!!! Taqueria San Jose, their quesadilla is not as big as Farolito's and they are a bit pricey but they're good so it doesnt matter. Their fruit juices are the bomb too. The chips are actually the ones you can actually eat, they are crunchier/crispier than what they serve at Farolito's and close to what they serve at Papalote.
I would have given it a 5 star but then again shelling $11 is a bit too much.
But you have to try it.
This is my favorite taqueria in SF. I've tried the al pastor, carnitas, and carne asada burritos and the shrimp cocktail. All were exceptional, way better than what I've had at la taqueria, la corneta, el farolito, etc nearby.
Not sure why the ratings aren't better for this place, maybe because the prices are slightly higher than the other surrounding taquerias... but I'd rather pay more for the yummier food.
Plus it's super clean. And I love that the self serve salsa bar is refrigerated and covered.
Decent burrito.
If you do not want to wait for the El Farolito late night line and do not mind paying a little bit more ($7.xx ) for a burrito then try this place.
Just a quick precursor... I just visited Mexico two weeks ago and experienced the best tacos I've ever set my tongue upon.
I have yet to experience "the Mission" and the legendary food in the district. No better place to start than Taqueria San Jose.
I ordered 3 tacos: carne asada, pollo abodado and carnitas. Just to get a taste of all they had to offer. I have to admit, they give you a TON of meat, a welcomed surprise :) The pollo abodado was okay but the carne asada was not very good. The carnitas though... was absolutely delicious! The pieces of meat were nice and crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside. YUM!
The chips they included kinda threw me off. They're the circular kind you find in the supermarket :/ wasn't sure what to make of them.
They have a small assortment of salsas, just the bare necessities. The prices were okay... $2.12 for each taco.
One Heaven of a Fish Taco
Ok, silly title aside, WOW! Our 13 year old neighbor recommended this one and I'll tell you, that kid is going places with taste buds like that.
To top it all off it's only $2.50. The fish is grilled not breaded. Not that i would kick a good breaded fish taco out of bed either. (cough) El Matate ( end cough)
I absolutely love the people who work there as well, always happy and they always remember my order. There's a gum ball machine you can hit up on the way out too;)
And don't forget to get some of that sweet sweet Strawberry Water.
I'm used to those $1 tacos in Tijuana, but I guess you can't be picky about prices on this side of the border. I got 3 tacos for a little over $7, but these tacos were PACKED so full you couldn't even fold it up to eat it. So I ate half of the meat with my fork first and then folded it up. What a messy ordeal! Thank goodness for the bathrooms to wash up afterwards.
For my tacos I ordered tripe (very deep-fried and crispy), bbq pork (super oily), and fish (pretty meaty). They were all pretty good, but not anything super spectacular. The chips, however, were fantastic. They tasted like fresh corn tortilla chips. Not too salty like those store-bought ones. Their salsa was pretty good too.
Definitely not as good as some of the other places I've been to in the Mission, however, I do love that they're one of the only places open at 2:30am.. definitely saved my drunk ass this weekend.
My dislikes, it's a bit pricey for a taqueria and they put waaaaaaay too much sour cream on your food.. Would you like some $10.00 nachos with all that sour cream?
A bit expensive for what you get. I like taquerias who fry their own chips too.
Somehow, every time I'm incredibly famished, I find some sort of Mexican food restaurant (see: review on La Cucaracha, Honolulu, HI). One day I just worked 9-5, not having eaten anything all day, and then I had to go to class in the Mission right after. I was super hungry and found Taqueria San Jose along the way.
It served its purpose. I kind of overdid it with the food: aside from the free nachos you get, I got a big plate of rice and beans (that's filling enough in itself) and a "super" quesadilla. The lady said what makes it "super" is that you get sour cream and guacamole with it. Unfortunately, mine didn't come with that, but I was too occipied with swallowing all the food in front of me to send it back. So I guess I got a regular quesadilla, but it was HUMUNGOUS. Really, it was like a burrito. Unless they messed up my order entirely and gave me a burrito. It's okay though, it was still pretty good.
They take cards, too, which is a plus.
All in all, I'd probably come back again before going to class if I were super hungry again, but I haven't really found anything special about this place yet.
not the best place carne asada wasnt that great super chicken quesadilla was decent , very fast service though !
This place is making me fat. The unlimited chips and salsa, carnitas and carne asada plates will end me. The plates are huge, stuffed with all the usual sides of frijoles, sour cream, guac, warm tortillas and fresh greens. There is no way anybody can leave here still hungry.
Went here after seeing the crazy line at El Farolitos and was reminded of why i stopped coming 3 years ago. 9$ burrito should get you a pretty d*mn good burrito in the mission; not the case here. Super burrito was cold, sour cream was watered down, just disappointing. If I remember correctly, their nachos are decent.
If hindsight is 20/20, then perhaps I should have taken the fact that no one else was eating here as a sign from god that this place is not very good. Unfortunately, since I was running late, and hence unable to brave the lunchtime crowd at El Farolito much less consult el jefe en el ceilo, I ended up eating here.
I probably would have been better eating a rat burger at McDic's across the street as my carne asada burrito was filled with gristly beef and bone dry rice and beans.
We got so much free stuff!
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