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El Metate Restaurant

4.0 (1.3k reviews)
ModerateMexican
Closed • 10:00 am - 9:00 pm

About El Metate Restaurant

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EL METATE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Good for kids
Outdoor seating

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Recommended Reviews - El Metate Restaurant

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Nachos are so satisfying. (Beans on the side)
Tasha H.

Came starving, left super satisfied. Nachos were phenomenal. Real cheese, guacamole, the works. Chicken was juicy and tasty too. Love the refried beans, flavorful and not too heavy.

Taco plate with Bistec and Al Pastor
Anmol R.

Everything I ate here was so flavourful! I got the taco plate and the rice, beans, guac and meat were all on point! The bistec is really good and unique but the al pastor is even more delicious. I also really like the ambiance and decorations in the place, you can tell a lot of thought and care has been put into this establishment. Apparently their tortillas are homemade and they certainly tasted like it!

Caly T.

Extensive menu inside with plenty of seating. The birria taco was not very flavorful - consume was thin and watery. The meat was lacking spices. Had a bite of burrito as well and it was underwhelming

Chicken Mole Plate Special
Susan Z.

Friendly and quick service, full salsa bar, free (delicious) chips with meal, and delicious food! It was my first time here with a group of friends and the chicken mole plate was delicious! It was a bit too salty and I was craving lots of water afterwards though... The plate came with 6 tacos which was a surprise and came out fresh and hot! Would definitely consider coming back again and trying their fish torta and carnitas torta because my friends said they were amazing!

Beef Birria Burrito
Jed O.

Cozy vibe and one of the best Mexican restaurants on the Mission! I appreciated their rotating specials that change for each day. The staff was very kind and offered their personal recommendations on the menu. Service was also quite fast. I would highly recommend trying this place for Mexican cuisine in SF! 5/5 - Super Chicharrón y Carnitas Tacos. The chicharron and carnitas duo for this dish made it the star of the show for our meal. The texture combination provides a well balanced crunch and tenderness from the meat that left us wanting more. With the onion, pickled vegetables, and cilantro toppings, this dish provides an amazing combination of flavors and would highly recommend trying if it is available on your visit! 5/5 - Birria (burrito). The meat was perfectly seasoned and did not taste too dry or too wet. The birria wrapped in a warmed tortilla was very tender and was not overwhelming in spice. Salsa, sour cream, and guacamole also tasted very fresh and complemented the birria well. Generous portions! 5/5 - Chips and salsa. HIGHLY recommend getting their roasted salsa with their warm chips complimentarily offered with your meal. Great start to the meal and is a very popular sauce option among guests at the time for both the chips and main course!

Carnitas burritos more like rice only crazy !!!!
Ralph L.

Ordered a carnitas burrito which was filled of rice , barely any meat also they are crazy expensive $25+ with a drink for a burrito !!! The place looks cool tho , workers too but it's more just the food / price .

What the food should have contained.
Brandon M.

The dream is truly dead. Salsa containers that look as they have been spit in, empty and mislabeled, water jar left unfilled, dismissed when asked to fill it. My dine in experience was a plastic bag while others got a plate. The beans, meat and rice were as dry as sand, I was charged for cheese even though it was included on the menu item. I've been eating here for ~15 years. I was given a handful of tortilla chips and 3 chicharrones that a baby could eat and cry because they are still hungry. It breaks my heart but I will just never eat here again. $20 dollars that I just had to get up and throw out because of how gross it was. They say it's because of inflation, but me and my abuela could make this for $3. 9:38 PM update, I've got it coming out of both ends.

Seating area
Anne W.

Food: 5/5 - Great bang for your buck and a wide range of options from tacos to quesadillas and burritos. Service: 4/5 - Food came out very fast though you have to order in person before finding seating on the other side of the restaurant. Ambiance: 5/5 - Very cute restaurant. Stunning paintings and lots of seating. Open on 3 pm on a Saturday so considered it a hidden gem. Might be overwhelmed by the food options and slightly concerned about the cleanliness of the sauce area when looking on the ground. Also didn't like that you left your dirty places right next to where you refill water. But it definitely was a restaurant I'd come back to again and one of the few spots in the Mission where outside, I thought it was safe, calm and lovely to walk around. The bus 27 on Bryant Street is right outside too!

Chips and the many salsas!
Me Iz S.

El Metate is a good place to go to.... They customize the food if you're vegetarian. The hosts are kind and attentive. The food is delish!

Ria T.

It's such a cute decorated place inside and out. I like that it's giving old school home town vibes. The staff is very friendly and the food comes out so quick. The chips are soft and melt in your mouth. I don't know how to explain it but they were so good. All their salsa's were very tasty and the green is my favorite. The Al Pastor was bursting with flavor and very juicy. I didn't give it a 5 because it was a small portion and a little expensive. There wasn't much rice and beans in my burrito and my burrito was very skinny. There are SOO many places to get burritos in the mission that cost less, give you more, and taste just as good. Definitely somewhere I would go to for a once in awhile treat simply because of that Al pastor.

Steak nachos. Tasty, well-seasoned meat and good value at $14.50.
John N.

Tasty comfort food in an area spoiled for choice when it comes Mexican fare. I tried the carnitas torta, which is served with side of soup, and the steak nachos. The meats were well seasoned, and the carnitas in particular were a standout, extra juicy and succulent. I would return for the torta alone! Each dish was just shy of $15, which is pretty good value considering the amount of food you get. They also have a salsa bar and complimentary chips. Overall, this a solid choice if you are looking for something a little more local, and a bit easier on the wallet than some of the more "well known" joints.

Beef Enchiladas
Becca H.

This is a decent spot for some quicker Mexican. We got the plates and it came with a decent sized portion. I enjoyed the mole as it had some good flavor. It is a order at window and serve to table or take out. They have outside and indoor seating.

Two tacos and chips

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5 months ago

This is such a lovely little spot! Super friendly and fast service! I had a burrito and was very satisfied (:

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Ask the Community - El Metate Restaurant

Do they have whole wheat tortillas?

Yes, also Tomato, spinach and sometimes chipotle

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La Taqueria

La Taqueria

4.1(5.2k reviews)
0.6 mi•Mission
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There is a line that almost wraps around the block for a good reason when this place is open around…read morelunch time. Their lack of rice in their burritos makes it so that their meat portions are super generous. Their service time was decently fast. After placing our order we were able to get our food within 15 minutes. Super crowded in person so in person seating might not be feasible when it is busy. Carne Asada was super juicy and for the price and volume I was very pleased. Dorado (toasted) doesn't do much if you're taking to go since the tin foil kind of bakes the juices and makes the burrito soggy anyway. Highly recommend giving this spot a try. Would definitely return to try thejr super burritos!

When you get here, the line always looks long, but it actually moved pretty fast. There will be two…read moreseparate lines - one for dine in, and one for takeout. If you're dining in, after placing your order, you'll wait in another line inside for a table. I personally enjoy the carne asada super burrito here. But whatever burrito you get, make sure to get it dorado style so the tortilla will be grilled and extra toasty. If you prefer not to wait in line, luckily there are plenty of other great taquerias in the Mission as well that are just as or almost just as good. But if you have time to spare, La Taq is worth it.

Photos
La Taqueria - Our drinks and extras menu. Out of tangerine, now serving watermelon.

Our drinks and extras menu. Out of tangerine, now serving watermelon.

La Taqueria - Temporarily out of beef head and beef tongue. If you want it crispy please ask for it.

Temporarily out of beef head and beef tongue. If you want it crispy please ask for it.

La Taqueria

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El Metate Restaurant - mexican - Updated October 2026

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