← San Francisco restaurants

The Best Burritos in San Francisco

The Mission burrito and the taquerias that made it famous — plus where to go for sit-down regional Mexican.

By Dim Hour · Updated 2026-06-22 · 5 verified picks

The Mission burrito — a foil-wrapped torpedo of rice, beans, meat, salsa, and cheese, often the size of a forearm — was born in San Francisco's Mission District and is the city's defining cheap-eat. The taquerias below are the canonical answers to "where's the best burrito in SF," each scored and verified by Dim Hour, plus a couple of sit-down rooms for when you want regional Mexican cooking beyond the burrito.

A note on the order: the classic move is a carne asada or carnitas burrito, "super" (with guacamole and sour cream). Most of these are cash-friendly walk-in counters with a line at peak hours — part of the experience.

🍽️ See all 645+ San Francisco restaurants
The Picks
1

La Taqueria

Mexican · Mission · $ · Dim Hour 88
🏆 James Beard Award, Michelin Guide

The reference point for the Mission burrito, and famous for what it leaves out — no rice, so the carne asada or carnitas and the salsa carry the whole thing. The "dürüm"-tight roll and griddled-crisp finish are the signature. Cash-friendly, walk-in, and almost always a line.

Order: Carne Asada Burrito · Carnitas Burrito · Super Taco · Lengua Taco
📍 2889 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110 Website ↗ Full listing on Dim Hour →
2

Taqueria El Farolito

Mexican · Mission · $ · Dim Hour 85

The late-night Mission institution. El Farolito's super burrito with carne asada is the canonical 2am order in San Francisco; the quesadilla suiza and the salsas have their own devoted following. Walk-in, open late.

Order: super burrito with carne asada · quesadillas · nachos · tacos
📍 2779 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110 Full listing on Dim Hour →
3

Taqueria Cancun

Mexican · Mission · $ · Dim Hour 85

Known for the burrito mojado ("wet" burrito) drowned in salsa and cheese, plus a super burrito that ranks among the Mission's biggest. A bright, bustling counter with a salsa bar — walk-in.

Order: O.M.G. Burrito Mojado · Breakfast Burrito with Chorizo · Super Burrito · Alambres · Al Pastor tacos
📍 2288 Mission St, San Francisco, CA 94110 Website ↗ Full listing on Dim Hour →
4

Nopalito

Mexican · NoPa · $ · Dim Hour 87

The sit-down counterpoint: a NoPa room doing regional Mexican from scratch — mole poblano, chiles rellenos, the torta de chilorio — with organic ingredients and house tortillas. Not a burrito joint, but the answer when you want Mexican cooking with a table.

Order: Mole Poblano con Pollo · Chile Rellenos (roasted poblano with cheese) · Torta de Chilorio (chorizo, queso fresco, adobo bread) · Totopos con Chile · Tacos de Pescado
📍 306 Broderick St, San Francisco, CA 94117 Website ↗ Full listing on Dim Hour →
5

Cavaña

Latin American · Mission Bay · $$$ · Dim Hour 84

A Mission Bay spot for a more modern, coastal-leaning Mexican menu — guacamole, ceviche clásico, mushroom empanadas. Walk-in, and an easy option near the ballpark and the waterfront.

Order: Guacamole · Ceviche Clasico · Empanada de Hongos · Carne Asada Tacos · Al Pastor Tacos
📍 100 Channel St, 17th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94158 Website ↗ Full listing on Dim Hour →
Open the Dim Hour guide →
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best burrito in San Francisco?
The top dim sum and soup dumpling picks in San Francisco include La Taqueria, Taqueria El Farolito, Taqueria Cancun. Each is scored and verified by Dim Hour; see the full ranked list with signature dishes above.
What is a "Mission burrito"?
A Mission burrito is the large, foil-wrapped San Francisco style: a flour tortilla packed with rice, beans, meat, salsa, cheese, and often guacamole and sour cream ("super"). It originated in the Mission District in the 1960s-70s and is now the default burrito format across much of the U.S.
Which SF burrito has no rice?
La Taqueria is famous for skipping rice — the meat, beans, and salsa do the work, which fans argue makes for a more intensely flavored burrito.
Where is the best late-night burrito in San Francisco?
Taqueria El Farolito in the Mission is the classic late-night pick — its super burrito with carne asada is a San Francisco institution and the kitchen stays open late.
What is a "burrito mojado"?
A "wet" burrito — smothered in salsa and melted cheese and eaten with a fork rather than by hand. Taqueria Cancun is well known for its version.
Where can I get sit-down Mexican food (not just burritos) in SF?
Nopalito in NoPa does regional Mexican from scratch — mole poblano, chiles rellenos — and Cavaña in Mission Bay runs a more modern, coastal menu. Both are table-service rather than burrito counters.
Do SF taquerias take reservations?
The taquerias are walk-in (La Taqueria, Taqueria Cancun, Nopalito) — expect a line at lunch and dinner peaks; the sit-down rooms are the ones to book if you want a table.
What should I order at a Mission taqueria?
A super burrito (carne asada or carnitas, with guacamole and sour cream) is the default. Tacos, quesadillas suizas, and a side of chips with salsa from the salsa bar round it out.
How much does a burrito cost in San Francisco?
Most Mission burritos run in the budget range ($ to low-$$) — a super burrito is a full meal on its own, which is part of why it's the city's signature cheap eat.
How many San Francisco restaurants does Dim Hour cover?
Dim Hour curates 645+ restaurants in San Francisco, each scored and verified.
More Dim Hour Guides
New York City Dallas Houston Austin Chicago Salt Lake City Seattle Las Vegas

Dim Hour scores every restaurant on food, service, ambiance, and value, and verifies every listing. This guide is updated as the catalog changes. Explore all San Francisco restaurants →