Dearly DepartedOctober 2009
We just heard something about the global economy being in the dumps the last year or two...can anyone confirm?
Apologies for having our heads in the sand, but our narrow idea of newsworthiness is when a second Taq. El Castillito opens in the Tenderloin. Given the purported upswing of the economy lately, now's as good a time as any to review the carnage of shuttered taquerias in San Francisco since 2008. Anyway, it turns out our Web Production crew will be vaporizing all closed taquerias' pages from the site in the coming months.
So don we now our funereal apparel, because there are so many ways to say goodbye....
Taq. Alebrijes, Fisherman's Wharf: Our eagle-eyed Field Squad / Street Team noted that Taq. Alebrijes was pushed out of 418 Beach by a sushi joint in early 2008. The world goes on. Outgoing OMR: 7.17.
Andalé, Marina: Andalé called it a day on Chestnut in spring 2008, when company brass decided to redirect its energies toward other Andalé locations near Union Square, at SFO, and down in the high end taqueria's birthplace, the South Bay. It's too bad, really, as the burritowork here had impressed our fussy judges panel the last couple times out. Outgoing OMR: 7.90.
Broadway Express, North Beach: The closing of this taqueria in late 2008 was a victory for anyone with good taste. Our sole burrito here was an abomination. So awful. Outgoing OMR: 5.83.
La Castro Taq., Castro: Sadly, La Castro Taq. packed it in for good in January 2008, leaving behind a highly mustachioed legacy for other area taquerias to uphold. Outgoing OMR: 8.51.
Cocina Poblana, Western Addition: Quality appeared to be on the upswing here at Cocina Poblana's original location when it went dark in mid 2008, ostensibly so the company could refocus its efforts on newer locations in Emeryville and Oakland. Pumpkin seed molé burrito enthusiasts in the Western Addition have been inconsolable since its closure. Outgoing OMR: 7.97.
Curbside Taq., Cow Hollow: Well, that taqueria experiment here didn't last too long, did it? Under a year, to be vaguely exact. Outgoing OMR: 7.67.
Taco Del Mar (Bryant), South of Market: So, yeah, now it's a Subway. The world clearly needed another Subway, no? Totally. Outgoing OMR: 7.92.
Taq. Fiesta Taco, Civic Center / Tenderloin: This respected burrito shop closed during the winter of 2008, and handed the reigns off to Taq. El Castillito, which has totally and uncharacteristically screwed things up since. Outgoing OMR: 7.95.
Fire House Cafe, Financial District: This shockingly monochromatic foodspot flirted with big-time mustaches in early 2009 before plummeting back to the Financial District burrito netherworld a few months later. Then it shut for good in June of that same year. Outgoing OMR: 7.28.
Fisherman's Wharf Deli & Taq., Fisherman's Wharf: Finally! This useless blight on the San Francisco taqueria scene mercifully closed in mid 2009, and it shouldn't have even made it out of G.W. Bush's first term. Outgoing OMR: 6.28.
Palapas Taco Bar, Financial District: The number of people who miss this place can't number more than seven, and it's likely that their other taqueria recommendations are not to be trusted. Outgoing OMR: 6.17.
Taq. Pancho Villa, Financial District: Despite irrefutable popularity during its three years in business, Pancho-Villa-by-the-Bay was gone by early 2009. These things happen. Our last burrito here was awful anyway. Outgoing OMR: 7.13.
La Parrilla Grill, North Beach: Apparently, some sort of eviction occurred here in early 2009, and La Parrilla found itself on the business end of it. Pity — we had some pretty alright burritos here over the years. Outgoing OMR: 7.98.
La Parrilla Grill, Russian Hill: We'll miss you, Eleanor. This La Parrilla outlet lost the "La" on its way to the sit-down restaurant afterlife in early 2009. These days, it's called simply Parrilla, and it will now cost you more money to enjoy its food and lovely flooring. Outgoing OMR: 7.42.
Taq. El Patron, Civic Center / Tenderloin: Adios, El Patron. It was a terrific 21 or so months. Outgoing OMR: 7.33.
Taq. El Potrillo, Bayshore: Despite an eight-mustache debut in 2003, things went downhill here as the '00s progressed, culminating with closure in early 2009. Now it's Taq. La Michoacana, and that place pretty much rules. Outgoing OMR: 7.37.
Rolling Taco, South of Market: We began noticing this truck's absence in early 2009. Word has it that the number of local taqueria enthusiasts pining for its return is best estimated at "scattered." Outgoing OMR: 6.92.
El Taconazo, Excelsior: El Taconazo handed off the keys to 4697 Mission to Taq. Vallarta in summer 2008, at which point the new managers promptly turned those TVs down, thank goodness. Outgoing OMR: 7.00.
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October Taqueria Visits
10/31: Pancho’s on Geary rewarded our singular Halloween costume — a sour-faced judges panel representing an independently owned and operated food Web site — with a fine, if flawed foiled meal.
10/28: It was late breakfast with big mustaches at Papalote in the Mission.
10/25: Weird pastor sauce and substandard intangibility helped bring things down a notch at Público.
10/21: The glory era at Tonayense Taq. — a 2004 Scrum participant — is long gone. Gone in a flash flood of disastrous mayo verde.
10/17: Our first breakfast burrito at El Burrito Express on Taraval will not be our last. Nine mustaches on the scoreboard says so.
10/15: Cilantro dared all those other taquerias to make mushrooms a more common burrito component.
10/12: With its latest highly rated superslab, 2008 Scrum champ El Norteño showed no signs of loosening its chokehold on the Great Mustache.
10/8: If nothing else, our latest winning visit to tiny Taq. La Paz gave us ample reason to work "fixed planar closed curve" into our review.
10/6: The first-ever $10+ entry on Burritoeater record, a kalua pork job at Sunset Taq., was a strong, if pricey performer.
Apologies for having our heads in the sand, but our narrow idea of newsworthiness is when a second Taq. El Castillito opens in the Tenderloin. Given the purported upswing of the economy lately, now's as good a time as any to review the carnage of shuttered taquerias in San Francisco since 2008. Anyway, it turns out our Web Production crew will be vaporizing all closed taquerias' pages from the site in the coming months.
So don we now our funereal apparel, because there are so many ways to say goodbye....
Taq. Alebrijes, Fisherman's Wharf: Our eagle-eyed Field Squad / Street Team noted that Taq. Alebrijes was pushed out of 418 Beach by a sushi joint in early 2008. The world goes on. Outgoing OMR: 7.17.
Andalé, Marina: Andalé called it a day on Chestnut in spring 2008, when company brass decided to redirect its energies toward other Andalé locations near Union Square, at SFO, and down in the high end taqueria's birthplace, the South Bay. It's too bad, really, as the burritowork here had impressed our fussy judges panel the last couple times out. Outgoing OMR: 7.90.
Broadway Express, North Beach: The closing of this taqueria in late 2008 was a victory for anyone with good taste. Our sole burrito here was an abomination. So awful. Outgoing OMR: 5.83.
La Castro Taq., Castro: Sadly, La Castro Taq. packed it in for good in January 2008, leaving behind a highly mustachioed legacy for other area taquerias to uphold. Outgoing OMR: 8.51.
Cocina Poblana, Western Addition: Quality appeared to be on the upswing here at Cocina Poblana's original location when it went dark in mid 2008, ostensibly so the company could refocus its efforts on newer locations in Emeryville and Oakland. Pumpkin seed molé burrito enthusiasts in the Western Addition have been inconsolable since its closure. Outgoing OMR: 7.97.
Curbside Taq., Cow Hollow: Well, that taqueria experiment here didn't last too long, did it? Under a year, to be vaguely exact. Outgoing OMR: 7.67.
Taco Del Mar (Bryant), South of Market: So, yeah, now it's a Subway. The world clearly needed another Subway, no? Totally. Outgoing OMR: 7.92.
Taq. Fiesta Taco, Civic Center / Tenderloin: This respected burrito shop closed during the winter of 2008, and handed the reigns off to Taq. El Castillito, which has totally and uncharacteristically screwed things up since. Outgoing OMR: 7.95.
Fire House Cafe, Financial District: This shockingly monochromatic foodspot flirted with big-time mustaches in early 2009 before plummeting back to the Financial District burrito netherworld a few months later. Then it shut for good in June of that same year. Outgoing OMR: 7.28.
Fisherman's Wharf Deli & Taq., Fisherman's Wharf: Finally! This useless blight on the San Francisco taqueria scene mercifully closed in mid 2009, and it shouldn't have even made it out of G.W. Bush's first term. Outgoing OMR: 6.28.
Palapas Taco Bar, Financial District: The number of people who miss this place can't number more than seven, and it's likely that their other taqueria recommendations are not to be trusted. Outgoing OMR: 6.17.
Taq. Pancho Villa, Financial District: Despite irrefutable popularity during its three years in business, Pancho-Villa-by-the-Bay was gone by early 2009. These things happen. Our last burrito here was awful anyway. Outgoing OMR: 7.13.
La Parrilla Grill, North Beach: Apparently, some sort of eviction occurred here in early 2009, and La Parrilla found itself on the business end of it. Pity — we had some pretty alright burritos here over the years. Outgoing OMR: 7.98.
La Parrilla Grill, Russian Hill: We'll miss you, Eleanor. This La Parrilla outlet lost the "La" on its way to the sit-down restaurant afterlife in early 2009. These days, it's called simply Parrilla, and it will now cost you more money to enjoy its food and lovely flooring. Outgoing OMR: 7.42.
Taq. El Patron, Civic Center / Tenderloin: Adios, El Patron. It was a terrific 21 or so months. Outgoing OMR: 7.33.
Taq. El Potrillo, Bayshore: Despite an eight-mustache debut in 2003, things went downhill here as the '00s progressed, culminating with closure in early 2009. Now it's Taq. La Michoacana, and that place pretty much rules. Outgoing OMR: 7.37.
Rolling Taco, South of Market: We began noticing this truck's absence in early 2009. Word has it that the number of local taqueria enthusiasts pining for its return is best estimated at "scattered." Outgoing OMR: 6.92.
El Taconazo, Excelsior: El Taconazo handed off the keys to 4697 Mission to Taq. Vallarta in summer 2008, at which point the new managers promptly turned those TVs down, thank goodness. Outgoing OMR: 7.00.
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October Taqueria Visits
10/31: Pancho’s on Geary rewarded our singular Halloween costume — a sour-faced judges panel representing an independently owned and operated food Web site — with a fine, if flawed foiled meal.
10/28: It was late breakfast with big mustaches at Papalote in the Mission.
10/25: Weird pastor sauce and substandard intangibility helped bring things down a notch at Público.
10/21: The glory era at Tonayense Taq. — a 2004 Scrum participant — is long gone. Gone in a flash flood of disastrous mayo verde.
10/17: Our first breakfast burrito at El Burrito Express on Taraval will not be our last. Nine mustaches on the scoreboard says so.
10/15: Cilantro dared all those other taquerias to make mushrooms a more common burrito component.
10/12: With its latest highly rated superslab, 2008 Scrum champ El Norteño showed no signs of loosening its chokehold on the Great Mustache.
10/8: If nothing else, our latest winning visit to tiny Taq. La Paz gave us ample reason to work "fixed planar closed curve" into our review.
10/6: The first-ever $10+ entry on Burritoeater record, a kalua pork job at Sunset Taq., was a strong, if pricey performer.
Yup. Burritos.September 2009
September Taqueria Visits
9/30: Sometimes a weird burrito is still a good burrito, as was the case at La Playa Taq.
9/27: Taq. Reina’s newest burritowork solidified the Crocker-Amazon shop’s top ten Mustache Chart ranking, and tasted great doing it.
9/23: And then The Little Chihuahua produced the burrito of the millennium (so far).
9/20: It was one step forward and one step back at lo-fi burrito window El Cachanilla.
9/15: After eschewing Baja Fresh for four years before our long-delayed return, we chewed our way through a shockingly excellent 8.50-mustache lunch.
9/11: We sidestepped Luna Azul’s kimchi slaw-inclusive Asian wraps for its kimchi slaw-free Cajun chicken burrito, which itself turned out merely OK.
9/6: Hopes were high early on at Casa Mexicana in Noe Valley. Then the shrugs came fast and furious.
9/4: El Tesoro on Geary produced a solidly performing widemouth superslab.
9/30: Sometimes a weird burrito is still a good burrito, as was the case at La Playa Taq.
9/27: Taq. Reina’s newest burritowork solidified the Crocker-Amazon shop’s top ten Mustache Chart ranking, and tasted great doing it.
9/23: And then The Little Chihuahua produced the burrito of the millennium (so far).
9/20: It was one step forward and one step back at lo-fi burrito window El Cachanilla.
9/15: After eschewing Baja Fresh for four years before our long-delayed return, we chewed our way through a shockingly excellent 8.50-mustache lunch.
9/11: We sidestepped Luna Azul’s kimchi slaw-inclusive Asian wraps for its kimchi slaw-free Cajun chicken burrito, which itself turned out merely OK.
9/6: Hopes were high early on at Casa Mexicana in Noe Valley. Then the shrugs came fast and furious.
9/4: El Tesoro on Geary produced a solidly performing widemouth superslab.
Now Available On VideoAugust 2009
BURRITO: THE CONQUEST
It's a story about a conquest. A conquest of a burrito. Several of them, actually.
(Cue James Earl Jones voice-over.)
From East Bay filmmakers Carlos Arredondo and Joe Gordon...
...comes a shocking short-form documentary...
...an unfiltered portrait of the local burrito industry...
...so bluntly revealing...
...so effusively portrayed...
...that it calls for a bunch of ridiculous elliptical phrases....
Watch Burrito: The Conquest! It's free, it's entertaining, and it's well under ten minutes.
Treacherous rivers of beans...
...piercing thickets of guacamole...
...scalding deserts of Spanish rice...
...devourous swamps of carnitas...
...etc. etc...
...nothing could keep them away....
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August Taqueria Visits
8/23: Taq. San Francisco is back among the top ten taquerias on our Mustache Chart. Where it belongs. Dammit.
8/20: 7.42 mustaches at El Faro on Kearny wasn’t much of a way to celebrate our 700th review, but these things happen from time to time in this line of work.
8/17: Excellent burritos and a big-ass parrot mural are to be had at The New Spot.
8/15: Taq. La Michoacana managed to drop out of our Mustache Chart’s top ten while not compromising its instantly solid credibility.
8/12: It took five workers in Chipotle’s open kitchen to construct our 7.17-mustache foiled lunch. And as usual with the place, we've got a lot to say about our visit.
8/7: Taq. El Sol at 19th Ave. and Taraval, another new face on the scene, slung forth a subtle winner on its first attempt.
8/4: In the first of three San Francisco taqueria debut visits this month, Público started small, spice-deficient, and yet, strong.
8/2: A heap of quiet nine-mustache element ratings ensured sharp burritowork at previously lackluster Taq. Castillo on McAllister.
It's a story about a conquest. A conquest of a burrito. Several of them, actually.
(Cue James Earl Jones voice-over.)
From East Bay filmmakers Carlos Arredondo and Joe Gordon...
...comes a shocking short-form documentary...
...an unfiltered portrait of the local burrito industry...
...so bluntly revealing...
...so effusively portrayed...
...that it calls for a bunch of ridiculous elliptical phrases....
Watch Burrito: The Conquest! It's free, it's entertaining, and it's well under ten minutes.
Treacherous rivers of beans...
...piercing thickets of guacamole...
...scalding deserts of Spanish rice...
...devourous swamps of carnitas...
...etc. etc...
...nothing could keep them away....
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August Taqueria Visits
8/23: Taq. San Francisco is back among the top ten taquerias on our Mustache Chart. Where it belongs. Dammit.
8/20: 7.42 mustaches at El Faro on Kearny wasn’t much of a way to celebrate our 700th review, but these things happen from time to time in this line of work.
8/17: Excellent burritos and a big-ass parrot mural are to be had at The New Spot.
8/15: Taq. La Michoacana managed to drop out of our Mustache Chart’s top ten while not compromising its instantly solid credibility.
8/12: It took five workers in Chipotle’s open kitchen to construct our 7.17-mustache foiled lunch. And as usual with the place, we've got a lot to say about our visit.
8/7: Taq. El Sol at 19th Ave. and Taraval, another new face on the scene, slung forth a subtle winner on its first attempt.
8/4: In the first of three San Francisco taqueria debut visits this month, Público started small, spice-deficient, and yet, strong.
8/2: A heap of quiet nine-mustache element ratings ensured sharp burritowork at previously lackluster Taq. Castillo on McAllister.
Year FiveJuly 2009
July Taqueria Visits
7/28: We lived in the moment with crispy carnitas, whole pinto beans, and saffron rice over at Goza-Goza Taco.
7/26: No perfect elements ratings, compromised intangibility, and Mexican wrestling on the TV somehow still added up to eight strong mustaches at Tenderloin wallhole Chunky’s.
7/19: Taq. El Castillito on Church is back among the Mustache Chart's top ten after a strong AM slab (albeit in the early PM).
7/15: An all-time grilled tortilla, half-melted clumps of cheese, and accusations of downtown slabwagon collusion were in the air at Tacos San Buena’s new second Financial District truck.
7/10: Notable terminology culled from our latest Los Compadres review: “punchy guac,” “straitjacket,” “slab,” “Red Bluff.”
7/7: Donna's almost fooled us into asking for a tureen of minestrone and a spumoni chaser with our burrito.
7/4: We celebrated America’s 233rd birthday with a slab full of mushy carnitas at Taq. El Castillito.
7/2: Given its quite respectable position on our ballyhooed Mustache Chart, you’d think expectations wouldn’t always be so low whenever we storm into Taq. La Tambora.
7/28: We lived in the moment with crispy carnitas, whole pinto beans, and saffron rice over at Goza-Goza Taco.
7/26: No perfect elements ratings, compromised intangibility, and Mexican wrestling on the TV somehow still added up to eight strong mustaches at Tenderloin wallhole Chunky’s.
7/19: Taq. El Castillito on Church is back among the Mustache Chart's top ten after a strong AM slab (albeit in the early PM).
7/15: An all-time grilled tortilla, half-melted clumps of cheese, and accusations of downtown slabwagon collusion were in the air at Tacos San Buena’s new second Financial District truck.
7/10: Notable terminology culled from our latest Los Compadres review: “punchy guac,” “straitjacket,” “slab,” “Red Bluff.”
7/7: Donna's almost fooled us into asking for a tureen of minestrone and a spumoni chaser with our burrito.
7/4: We celebrated America’s 233rd birthday with a slab full of mushy carnitas at Taq. El Castillito.
7/2: Given its quite respectable position on our ballyhooed Mustache Chart, you’d think expectations wouldn’t always be so low whenever we storm into Taq. La Tambora.
