Taqueria El Farolito

If you’re looking for authentic Mexican food, this is the place. I love the tilapia tacos! I don’t know why it shows $$ for this place. It’s easy to get a meal for under $ 10. The staff are super friendly. Every salsa at the salsa bar is yummy but be careful if you don’t like heat. The only thing I don’t like is the tv at one end that’s turned up loud for everyone to hear at the other end.

I’m a regular at the Farolito over in the Mission, so seeing this operation is a welcome site. It’s more or less the same menu, albeit with a smaller crowd and more room to maneuver.
The carne asada is good (if a little fatty) and the portions are huge. They do cook with lard, so keep that in mind going in if you’re on a health kick.

It’s nice to have a non-​touristy, Mission-​style burrito joint by Fisherman’s Wharf but it definitely lacks the speedy and efficient operations of Taqueria El Farolito’s other locations.
I had a carne asada burrito and it was a pretty tasty lunch. The steak was grilled well and well-​seasoned. All the flavors between the meat, rice, and beans worked together really well. Add some salsa from the self-​serve salsa bar for some heat and flavor contrast. It’s a pretty large serving for a workday lunch. The quesadillas look like really great lunch options too if you’re looking for something less filling for lunch. Breakfast burritos a plus too.
However, the 15 – 20 minute wait even though it wasn’t crowded felt a little too long for a grab and go lunch. The food here is tasty but If you’re used to the quick and speedy service at most Mission-​style taquerias, this location might be a little too relaxed to deliver on that.

Burritos at the Wharf!
I’d been walking by this place for the last few months thinking I should give it a try. This morning we got the chance to do that. We ordered Huevos a la Mexicana and Carnitas Platter (Carnitas Platter is not on the menu, but they do have it!). Carnitas, refried beans and the rice were all good. I would say the way they make carnitas here it is better suited for burritos and not a platter. I liked the way they made the eggs. The coffee was a bit too weak for my taste. All and all the food was good, but not a must visit again kind of experience!

When we walked into the establishment, we were in line behind 3 people. No one was taking orders so we stood around. There was one woman just standing around (who clearly worked there) and finally she came over and took one persons order then left. After about 5 minutes, another woman finally came and got everyone’s order, taking a remarkable amount of time per person. One man, after he’d ordered asked for the tortilla chips that were meant to come with his food and they said we’re out, you should’ve asked before.
We eventually order our food and sit down.
After waiting 30 minutes for our food, we asked the waitress if everything was okay and she said it was. We waited, watching as people who had arrived 20,30 minutes after us receive their food. We watched as another table also got antsy waiting for their food.
Finally, we go up to the front and try and talk to our waitress. She tried to ignore us, walking past us (directly in front of us) as we said «excuse me». It was unbelievably rude. She finally stopped and said «yes there was a problem but I put the order in» and something about how it hadn’t been started.
We received our food 10 minutes later. I’m not going to lie, it was decent food. But in no way does it make up for the abysmal treatment we received. If service had been reasonable, food would have been around a ³⁄₅.

Not as good as the one in the Mission.

Massive al pastor burritos were delicious and super filling. Great location in the eclectic mission district. Come hungry!

Mission style burrito place that serves huge portions.
Tip: their soups are not sides. They are entire entrees! The soup bowl is enormous (the size of someone’s head).They even come with tortillas on the side.
This place is one of the more delicious options in fisher and wharf. It feels authentic and doesn’t have a touristy vibe.

Finally a Mission-​style taqueria at Fishermans Wharf. Tacos and burritos are top-​notch (the breakfast burrito is chorizo-​filled, belly-​busting heaven), same with the fresh salsas and juices. The pozole and menudo are popular but I haven’t tried them yet.
This place started just a few months ago and still has that slightly-​awkward, new-​location feel. Hopefully they will extend their hours as they get established because 10:00a-4:30p is hard.
It looks a little out-​of-​place among the chain stores and big signage, like it was transplanted straight from the Mission. Fortunately the food tastes straight from the Mission too.

Aw, hell no. We waited almost FORTY minutes for a burrito, taco, and quesadilla. In that time, we had a chance to peek at the health inspection hung by the front counter. Now, I don’t expect Gary Danko-​level cleanliness inside a taqueria but that report combined with the wait forced us to leave before our food ever showed up. In that time we could have travelled across town and gone to Pancho Villa in the Mission. It’s a shame. We live in the neighborhood and will sadly never come back.

Delicious!!! I had the super burrito with carnitas… Yum! My husband had the super shrimp quesadilla and loved it. We would definitely recommend it.

I work nearby so I always find myself here, getting the super burritos which are enough to hold me for lunch and dinner!
Super burritos are just as bomb as the ones from the Mission establishments. Pros of the Beach St. Location: Service is much better, they accept card, and chips are included with your order.
Unfortunately the taqueria isn’t open in the evening (closes at 5 everyday, I believe). But hoping a flourishing business will change all of that!
I 100% recommend this location if you’re in the area. The location isn’t obvious to tourists, fortunately! ;)

Best OJ in the Bay! She squeezed the life out of that citrus right before my eyes. Then poured the remains into a cup for my enjoyment. Had the shrimp quesadilla. It was like Chuck Norris roundhouse kicked the s*** out of my taste buds then Tim Lincecum threw a no hitter on my tongue. Go here. What are you waiting for.

The tacos are good, and the service is friendly. However I continue to try to come and find it is closed. Again today, at 4 pm I arrived (it was more around 350) and it’s closed. I had to laugh as I look at the large sign that reads ‘dinner’. I guess not. My other reason for low rating is, besides the tacos most other things are a bit over priced and they try strange things to make you think it’s justified. I was pretty annoyed at a $ 10 bowl of soup I couldn’t eat because they just dumped the vegetables in full without cutting or preparing them at all. Tacos are good, though.

Pretty good. Finally got to try it today once I found out their hours are 10 am to 4:30 pm. Tacos were pretty good. We had pastor and carne asada. Salsa was spicy but good. Quesadilla was just okay. We had chili verde. I won’t get that again. Prices to portions size were also good. I’d like to try a burrito.

Just what we looking for. A quick bite, huge proportions, and free chips and salsa for short wait.

Time: 11:32am/55°F cloudy
Purpose: I’ve several places to go, but this was closest before heading to dogpatch area on this rainy morning half.
Ambiance: TEF replaces Mamita’s in the touristy area of fisherman wharf. Place is a five person counter seater with built-​in swivel chairs. Main dining area seats 30 with one drop leaf adjustable table for wheelchair access. Five family booths facing Beach Street also comfy plush seating. Inner back a television (off) along with couple of Aztec frame pictures. Ceiling are particle board with studio light fixture. Most of the place is solid cement with tiles mud top to bottom floor. Kitchen area enclosed, but behind partition glass. Rounding off the place with indoor ATM and utensil/​condiment station self serve inner corner. Pretty quiet not much going on here.
Staff: Man in his mid 50s could be owner or just employee. Kinda rude continue to do his thing even though I walk in stood at counter for about a minute or so. That minute seems eternity to me not sure what he was thinking. When I spoke Spanish he was shock then got very friendly. It just happen that Spanish is one of five language I speak. I ask what meat choices he pointed above. Saw lengua listed, I was sold no need to go any further. A lengua burrito please?
Cleanliness: Grade B, salsa station need a good wipe down or clear lids to cover. Flu season is in full swing along with tourists from foreign countries. Who knows what their personal hygiene situation is? Health score card posted as (80).
Eats/​Drinks: Regular lengua burrito $ 6.70 comes with bag of chips (no extra charge). I was ask a choice of tortilla and went with wheat. Burrito look like a super, but it was regular. Weight in at least 2lb no joke. I’m thinking tasty, but after unraveling foil took first bite. Meh, nothing special. Tasted pretty bland with basic beans, rice, and salsa. Lengua were cut in cube form something I dread and always hate. There wasn’t no flavor in lengua, not even marinated taste. Taste was close to boiling lengua pluck out of pot cut, and douse with what ever sauce is available. A big disappointed coming from a place with fourteen location. It wasn’t even memorable as I almost forgot what I had after half hour pass.
Main Features: Menudo and pozole. All you can drink coffee $ 1.35.
Products/​Services: Menu posted. Dine-​in/​to-​go, ATM, weekend specials, beer/​wine, chips w/​order, counter seating, self service water dispenser, catering.
Punch Lines: Modest cost, touristy area, special bargain, large portion, laid back, kitschy décor, light bites, average wait time, snooty service, occasional spotty service, nothing out of the ordinary, high backed booth, quite bland, not as great, go elsewhere, franchise.
Tradeoffs: Fisherman wharf is not home of Mexican food kind of area. However, on menu it list clam chowder. Trying too hard to please with out of the box thinking.
Final Thoughts: Price lower than other places around, but using cheaper run of mill ingredients. Aiming directly for tourist rather than locals. This place is one of those that you go to knowing its not gonna be too good, but with no other choice. They probably know it too, but don’t mind. Not interested in locals. Visitors/​tourist will come no matter what because they crave Mexican food. A local would bead to the Mission. Take you pick.

FIRST AND FOREMOST:
This is the hidden gem of Pier 39/Fisherman’s Wharf. Not fancy. No sourdough bowls. No Bay views.
THAT SAID:
This is a sister to all the other El Farolito restaurants throughout the Bay Area. It’s casual and clean, the prices are reasonable and the customers are mostly locals. The menu offers solid, diverse Mexican favorites for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I noticed a pretty nice-​looking variety of platos, tacos and burritos made with camarones. Yum.
IN BRIEF:
Get a good, basic Mission-​style burrito without some nutty tourist façade and at prices decent enough that you may have something left over for your SF rent.