Mission
burritos are burritos made in any of the numerous
taquerias in the
Mission District of
San Francisco. They vary in quality from mediocre to tremendous, and like
New York bagels or
Brooklyn pizza, one can find restaurants all over the world representing their food as "Authentic Mission burritos". Don't be fooled, though. The real thing is best found between Mission and Guererro from 16th to 24th street.
Mission burritos, while varying greatly, have a number of common characteristics.
- They are big, first off. Most people will find that a single burrito (usually costing $3-4) plus a handful of chips and salsa is more than enough food for a meal.
- They are usually prepared assembly line style right in front of the customer (some taquerias have you order all at once; others, like Pancho Villa, on 16th street, has you help build the burrito as you progress down the line), and most ofter they are wrapped in foil before final customer delivery.
- Ingredients are frequently prepared with lard (the beans and tortillas) so vegetarians beware.
- They come in standard configurations. Expect the simplest burrito to be spanish-style rice, beans (pinto beans being the default, but refried beans and black beans are often available), salsa, and meat or cheese. A "super" burrito will add sour cream and avacado or guacamole. Super and super vegetarian burritos are the most popular types.
- Most taquerias offer a lot of meat choices that are not standard American fare, including tongue and beef brains.
My personal favorite taqueria in San Francisco is
Taqueria Cancun, which has three locations, but I can most often be found at their Mission and 19th location. Excellent salsa and consistent quality have had me hooked since my first visit there, 4 years ago. But try an assortment before you settle into a routine... there's a lot of choice out there.
Call me an elitist asshole, but I am somewhat disturbed to learn that a chain restaurant out of Texas owns missionburritos.com...