The Slabs of WinterFebruary 2011
February Taqueria Visits
2/28: There’s something irritating in practically every bite at Los Compadres on Tehama.
2/26: It’s a spicy, porky, grilled tortilla-y good time at Dos Piñas Taq., back among our Mustache Chart's top 25 after all these years.
2/23: Los Hermanos continues its steady descent into ghastliness.
2/19: That’s the finest burrito we’ve had at any El Tonayense truck in...oh, about three years.
2/14: Eight-mustache burritos are for lovers at Cinco de Mayo Taq.
2/10: Circa-2011 burrito-making aptitude at Taq. Castillo on Mason? Shrugs all around.
2/5: Any goodwill El Metate cultivated with our ornery panel on past visits is a thing of the past after its kitchen’s latest clanger.
2/28: There’s something irritating in practically every bite at Los Compadres on Tehama.
2/26: It’s a spicy, porky, grilled tortilla-y good time at Dos Piñas Taq., back among our Mustache Chart's top 25 after all these years.
2/23: Los Hermanos continues its steady descent into ghastliness.
2/19: That’s the finest burrito we’ve had at any El Tonayense truck in...oh, about three years.
2/14: Eight-mustache burritos are for lovers at Cinco de Mayo Taq.
2/10: Circa-2011 burrito-making aptitude at Taq. Castillo on Mason? Shrugs all around.
2/5: Any goodwill El Metate cultivated with our ornery panel on past visits is a thing of the past after its kitchen’s latest clanger.
New Year; Same LunchJanuary 2011
2010 Slab Scrum Champ: Papalote
We put the wraps on the 2010 edition of our bi-annual Slab Scrum once Papalote's Western Addition shop took home the Great Mustache hardware on December 27. That's two Scrum titles in six years for the shop that earlier in the year also upended TV blowhard Bobby Flay.
Relive all the meaty beany big and bouncy action on our dedicated 2010 Slab Scrum page!
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We Relax, We Recline
After another heavy-duty year out on the San Francisco taqueria tiles — to the tune of 80 on-record visits — our panel will take a few weeks off before returning to the tortilla fold around mid/late January. Kindly hold the fort.
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Recent Taqueria Visits
1/27: Despite strong two-mustache intangibility, El Toro’s burritowork remains as shrug-worthy as ever.
1/24: Taq. El Gran Taco Loco overcomes a few relatively minor flaws to register its first eight-mustache winner in five years.
1/19: As in 2007, as in 2011: Victor’s burritos are best avoided.
We put the wraps on the 2010 edition of our bi-annual Slab Scrum once Papalote's Western Addition shop took home the Great Mustache hardware on December 27. That's two Scrum titles in six years for the shop that earlier in the year also upended TV blowhard Bobby Flay.
Relive all the meaty beany big and bouncy action on our dedicated 2010 Slab Scrum page!
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We Relax, We Recline
After another heavy-duty year out on the San Francisco taqueria tiles — to the tune of 80 on-record visits — our panel will take a few weeks off before returning to the tortilla fold around mid/late January. Kindly hold the fort.
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Recent Taqueria Visits
1/27: Despite strong two-mustache intangibility, El Toro’s burritowork remains as shrug-worthy as ever.
1/24: Taq. El Gran Taco Loco overcomes a few relatively minor flaws to register its first eight-mustache winner in five years.
1/19: As in 2007, as in 2011: Victor’s burritos are best avoided.
The Scrummiest Time of YearDecember 2010
December Taqueria Visits
12/27: Q: Which San Francisco taqueria boasts four nine-mustache burritos in its oeuvre? A: Introducing our 2010 Slab Scrum champ, Papalote on Fulton.
12/23: La Espiga de Oro remembers the rice in its carnitas burrito this time.
12/21: Shamefully low-profile rice is all that keeps La Laguna Taq. from cresting our magical nine-mustache plateau once again.
12/19: Papalote: 9.33 hellacious mustaches. Very serious business.
12/10: Have you heard? Gordo Taq. on Clement makes pretty good burritos. You learned it here first.
12/8: And in an unrelated development, three goals — sorry, “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL”s — are tallied in the fútbol game on the overhead TV at Taq. Reina’s during the lifespan of our super pollo asado.
12/5: It’s another cavalcade of near-perfection at La Espiga de Oro: 9.25 mustaches of devastation.
12/3: There’s some serious in-burrito avocado action happening at El Burrito Express on Divisadero. Very serious.
12/1: It’s another slyly great burrito at Gordo Taq. on Clement.
12/27: Q: Which San Francisco taqueria boasts four nine-mustache burritos in its oeuvre? A: Introducing our 2010 Slab Scrum champ, Papalote on Fulton.
12/23: La Espiga de Oro remembers the rice in its carnitas burrito this time.
12/21: Shamefully low-profile rice is all that keeps La Laguna Taq. from cresting our magical nine-mustache plateau once again.
12/19: Papalote: 9.33 hellacious mustaches. Very serious business.
12/10: Have you heard? Gordo Taq. on Clement makes pretty good burritos. You learned it here first.
12/8: And in an unrelated development, three goals — sorry, “GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL”s — are tallied in the fútbol game on the overhead TV at Taq. Reina’s during the lifespan of our super pollo asado.
12/5: It’s another cavalcade of near-perfection at La Espiga de Oro: 9.25 mustaches of devastation.
12/3: There’s some serious in-burrito avocado action happening at El Burrito Express on Divisadero. Very serious.
12/1: It’s another slyly great burrito at Gordo Taq. on Clement.
It's All Scrumming TogetherNovember 2010
November Taqueria Visits
11/29: Regular season stud The Little Chihuahua on Divisadero picks the wrong time to hit a slump.
11/26: Papalote has a reputation to maintain as one of San Francisco’s most consistently great burrito purveyors, and as far as we’re concerned, it’s a reputation well-maintained this holiday weekend.
11/24: Doing its finest impression of a Powell-Mason cable car, El Norteño clangs its way to the bottom of our 2010 Slab Scrum heap. Now that’s no way for a defending champ to perform.
11/22: La Laguna Taq. lobs a third consecutive nine-mustache burrito our way — this is unheard of, people — so we commemorate the singular occasion with one well-placed and fully ridiculous use of visionary in the review.
11/20: Taq. Reina’s sees La Espiga de Oro’s 9.08 and brazenly raises it another .09. Not a bad week out on the taqueria tiles for our panel.
11/18: Instant Slab Row titan La Espiga de Oro waylays our panel with 2010’s highest-rated burrito to date, a 9.08-mustache hall-of-famer.
11/16: It’s another quintessential Andalé burrito experience: undersized, overpriced, and so damn delicious.
11/14: Taq. San Francisco brings its B-minus game. Great, just great.
11/12: There's a rookie in our midst at Taq. El Castillito on Church.
11/10: Usually lustrous Taq. El Farolito on Mission St. shows surprising rust en route to falling just short of eight mustaches.
11/8: The morning crew at Taq. El Jalapeño tunes the taqueria’s television to channel fail.
11/6: The Little Chihuahua's major woofs resonate real loudly all throughout Noe Valley.
11/3: Some heavily mustachioed winds are suddenly gusting through Noe Valley, and they're blowing right out of The Little Chihuahua's kitchen.
11/1: On a day when Taq. El Balazo kicks down an 8.75-mustache burrito and the home team delivers a World Series title, everything seems pretty OK.
11/29: Regular season stud The Little Chihuahua on Divisadero picks the wrong time to hit a slump.
11/26: Papalote has a reputation to maintain as one of San Francisco’s most consistently great burrito purveyors, and as far as we’re concerned, it’s a reputation well-maintained this holiday weekend.
11/24: Doing its finest impression of a Powell-Mason cable car, El Norteño clangs its way to the bottom of our 2010 Slab Scrum heap. Now that’s no way for a defending champ to perform.
11/22: La Laguna Taq. lobs a third consecutive nine-mustache burrito our way — this is unheard of, people — so we commemorate the singular occasion with one well-placed and fully ridiculous use of visionary in the review.
11/20: Taq. Reina’s sees La Espiga de Oro’s 9.08 and brazenly raises it another .09. Not a bad week out on the taqueria tiles for our panel.
11/18: Instant Slab Row titan La Espiga de Oro waylays our panel with 2010’s highest-rated burrito to date, a 9.08-mustache hall-of-famer.
11/16: It’s another quintessential Andalé burrito experience: undersized, overpriced, and so damn delicious.
11/14: Taq. San Francisco brings its B-minus game. Great, just great.
11/12: There's a rookie in our midst at Taq. El Castillito on Church.
11/10: Usually lustrous Taq. El Farolito on Mission St. shows surprising rust en route to falling just short of eight mustaches.
11/8: The morning crew at Taq. El Jalapeño tunes the taqueria’s television to channel fail.
11/6: The Little Chihuahua's major woofs resonate real loudly all throughout Noe Valley.
11/3: Some heavily mustachioed winds are suddenly gusting through Noe Valley, and they're blowing right out of The Little Chihuahua's kitchen.
11/1: On a day when Taq. El Balazo kicks down an 8.75-mustache burrito and the home team delivers a World Series title, everything seems pretty OK.
