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El Metate Restaurant

4.0 (1.3k reviews)
ModerateMexican
Closed 10:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

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EL METATE RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - El Metate Restaurant

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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!

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.

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!

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
Rebekah T.

El Metate opened up in 2002 when I was living only a couple blocks away, there were not nearly as many restaurants on Bryant at the time, so it was nice to see the neighborhood energy come in and the colorful paint on the exterior of the building. I moved away from the neighborhood, but have been coming back since covid. I came for the nachos and trying up the different items on the menu. Things I love most about this place are: - Lots of meat choices that can be added to tacos, tortas, burritos, plates, salads and more. The meat flavors are tasty too. - The prices are inexpensive for the Mission - Spacious interior with room for large groups - Nice little sidewalk tables - Excellent salsa bar with pickled veggies, cucumber salsa, etc. - Parking is not difficult - Friendly and fast service. What else could you ask for? Check it out.

Grilled chicken burrito
Lohgan S.

Yummy burrito with great service! The space is very personal and authentic! The burrito is enough to share and I LOVEEEE the salsa bar they have.

Maybe the best burrito I've ever had. It could be the atmosphere helping but damn was that good. Kind service, really makes you feel at home.

Chicken Flautas to go
Vic P.

I love the pozole and the menudo here. Tonight I got Chicken flautas To go. $15. Great portions. Best salsa bar in the city. Nice vibrant interior and seating outside. Convenient location. They serve bottled beer and have desserts. What else do you need?

taco plate- al pastor, shrimp and fried fish (left to right)
Cara M.

What a gem of a mexican food restaurant hidden in a quiet suburb area of the mission. The building is so rustic and colorful on the outside with the bright yellow walls and cute vibrant tables and chairs along the side- this paired with the delicious food makes for a very happy meal. Going to claim these are the best tortas in the city- filled to the brim with ingredients and soft, crunchy bread it's making my mouth water thinking of it- definitely worth checking out. Also great tacos and salsa bar that has plenty of sauces if needed, although their food speaks for itself and is saucy enough with plenty of flavor. Lots of seating inside and quick friendly service, cute authentic mexican decor and food. Will travel from the other side of the city just to eat here when craving a taste of Mexico.

Chicharron Y Carnitas Burrito

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2 months ago

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5 months ago

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16 days 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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6 months ago

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4 months ago

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7 months ago

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

I order super nachos de carne asada and there wasn't even any I was so piss it was mostly guacamole and sour cream and refried beans.

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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6 months ago

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1 year ago

Dry burrito with chunks of Fat uninspiring Lack luster flavor. Burritos are skinny skinny and slightly longer than your normal burrito

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4 years ago

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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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Taqueria Cancun - Burrito Mojado

Taqueria Cancun

4.0(2.3k reviews)
0.6 miMission
$$

Hands down the best thing I ate in San Francisco! It was not only delicious but enough to fill me…read moreup for the entire day. I ordered the carnitas burrito and my husband ordered the carne asada one. We also asked the guys for a salsa picante and their house made one delivered! The ingredients were tasty, well seasoned and fresh. Service is quick, food and ambiance are no frills and cash only. I think about this burrito daily and am willing to travel across the country to get it again. Not to mention, but this is a Mission style burrito in the Mission! This is the only way to do it and I now totally understand the hype.

Stopped by here with some friends for dinner after we had happy hour. Walked in, and luckily, there…read morewas no line. A few people were already in there eating, and we know this place is good, as a few others in our group and I have been here multiple times. The Taqueria is typical of any other, with bench-style chairs for folks to sit on, a water station, and workers cooking it up in the kitchen. I wasn't too hungry, so I grabbed a Super Lengua Taco, while my friends grabbed burritos, we ended up grabbing 3 complimentary chips and guac/salsa with our order and the food came out pretty quickly. When I saw my Taco I forgot how much they stuffed it and wow, two of these would've filled me up just like a taco; there was so much Lengua that it kept falling off after every bite. The flavors all came together and I scruffed down the whole thing after about 6+ bites! Definitely a place to come to if you're looking for a full meal, or something to snack on!

Photos
Taqueria Cancun
Taqueria Cancun - Carne Asada tacos

Carne Asada tacos

Taqueria Cancun - Pupusa @colorful.eats

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Pupusa @colorful.eats

Tacos El Tucan

Tacos El Tucan

4.3(164 reviews)
1.4 miDuboce Triangle
$$

This is for my overall experience for their delicious deal on cinco de mayo! Tacos el Tuscan (based…read morein the heart of the Castro) had a $1 deal that was worth waiting for (super long line might I add!) The space is relatively spacious for smaller groups to hangout after a night out around the area for delicious munchies. I'll definitely be coming back if I'm around the area especially for their carne asada tacos! (They do NOT skimp on their portions and the guac came with the order!!!)

Don't let my sad little photo belie the absolutely delicious and flavorful "red" tacos ($5.95 each)…read moreI had at Tacos El Tucan tonight. Crunchy with shrimp and a creamy cabbage and the chicken redolent with lots of fresh cilantro, it was the first time I had a red taco. This will be my go-to always. My son had the crunchy red burrito ($15.75) with chorizo, crispy cheese, sour cream, pinto beans, guacamole and pico de gallo with a horchata to drink. On a Saturday night in the Castro, this corner of 16th and Market is already poppin' with area bars so while they'll rush out with your order curbside, my son dashed in for speed. Super friendly service, cute cafe tables for dine-in, Tacos El Tucan is now on the dining circuit. Love this spot and it's close by, too. Open very late on Saturday night 'til 2am if you're partying and craving drunchies.

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Tacos El Tucan - People flocking to this place at midnight, on a Friday.

People flocking to this place at midnight, on a Friday.

Tacos El Tucan - Keto Birria: Cheese shell w/ shredded beef, onions, cilantro ($4.15)

Keto Birria: Cheese shell w/ shredded beef, onions, cilantro ($4.15)

Tacos El Tucan - Quesabirria tacos (3) combo w/soup $15

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Quesabirria tacos (3) combo w/soup $15

La Taqueria

La Taqueria

4.1(5.1k reviews)
0.6 miMission
$$

Definitely the best burrito spot in the city 10 out of 10 we did the Carne Asada with chips and…read moresalsa which was very fresh. The line was quite long wrapped around the block but took about 25 minutes because people come here sit down and they eat and leave pretty quickly because the lines are long. The ambience is very nice. It's like I walked into a Hispanic home. The staff here are very friendly, but please make sure you accommodate because there is a lot of people waiting in line so I'm not saying eat your food fast and leave. There is benches and tables which make it feel like you walked into a Hispanic home as well. The Strawberry Horchata and mango Agua Fresca is really good 10 out of 10.

Beware!!! I need to…read morewarn people about this because I only found out AFTER asking questions myself. This place is famous for their burritos and especially the "Dorado style," which tastes amazing -- BUT what they don't clearly disclose anywhere is that the Dorado style burrito is cooked in pork lard unless you specifically ask for it "dry" or with vegetable oil. As someone who does not eat pork for religious reasons, finding that out after already eating there was honestly really upsetting. And the frustrating part is that there is NO clear sign or disclosure telling customers this. If I never asked, I would have had no idea. I actually still like this spot and appreciate that they at least offer a dry/vegetable oil option if you ask, but customers should not have to investigate ingredients themselves to avoid pork. Jewish, Muslim, vegetarian, and other customers deserve transparency. A simple sign or note on the menu saying that Dorado style is prepared with pork lard by default would solve this issue completely. Great food, but this absolutely needs to be disclosed better. One of my all time favorite spots in general.

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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 May 2026

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