The Mission District is well-known in San Francisco for having incredible Mexican food. Sometimes however, it's difficult to know just where to go to find an amazing burrito, taco, or enchilada. Here is a map that I hope will be helpful to those looking for a nice and delicious place to grab some Mexican food, with many of these Taquerias being recommended to me by locals. So go out and enjoy!
View Taquerias in the Mission in a larger map
Reviews
* Taqueria Cancun Reviews- http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-cancun-san-francisco-2
* Taqueria El Buen Sabor Reviews- http://http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-el-buen-sabor-san-francisco
* Mariachi's Taqueria Reviews- http://www.yelp.com/biz/mariachis-taqueria-san-francisco
* Taqueria Los Coyotes Reviews- http://www.yelp.com/biz/taqueria-los-coyotes-san-francisco
* A Pancho Villa Taqueria Reviews- http://www.yelp.com/biz/pancho-villa-taqueria-san-mateo
* El Toro Taqueri Reviews- http://www.yelp.com/biz/pancho-villa-taqueria-san-mateo
Websites
* A Pancho Villa Taqueria- http://panchovillasf.com/
* El Toro Taqueria Website- http://eltorosf.com/
* Taqueria Los Coyotes- http://www.taquerialoscoyotes.com/
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
First Impressions
As the Muni train I sat in bounded full speed toward Church station, I thought about my expectations regarding the Mission District, the San Francisco neighborhood which I would be covering throughout the semester. Mexican restaurants, a large Latino population, lower-class housing, and gang violence, to be honest and rather blunt, were the main, and somewhat stereotypical attributes I connected to the Mission, a place I had never truly cared to learn about nor explore.
I slowly walked down Church towards 18th St., thinking how lucky I was that it was such a sunny and warm Saturday in the city. I turned left onto 18th, walking through an invisible door into the district, only to find Mission High School rise in all its glory above my head. Reminiscent of the California Missions that dotted the state’s coast, I was surprised to find such a lovely and dignified school after having been in the Mission less than 5 minutes. I knew right away that my expectations, or at least some of them, were about to be proven incorrect.
With a rather good impression of the district beginning to take form in my mind, I turned onto Dolores St., immediately encountering Dolores Park. I had heard fellow students talking about Dolores Park before, about what a great place it was to just sit and relax in the grass on a beautiful day. One glance and I could tell that I’d underestimated the popularity of the park, or rather never fully understood it. It seemed as though every patch of grass was encompassed by a sleeping body, or a smiling face. It looked as though every person was truly enjoying themselves as they lounged, carefree under the bright sun. I automatically got a sense of happiness and peace as I stepped for the first time across the green boundary line, into Dolores Park.
“Whenever the sun is out, I spend my day lying in this park,” said Caitlin Hamer, 23, a student at City College. “The view of the city is beautiful from here, which probably adds to its popularity.” And she was right. The view was unbelievable, and definitely not something to be missed when visiting the Mission.
As I wandered back towards 18th, headed towards Guerrero, I passed only friendly looking people, casually strolling and clearly enjoying this nice day. The outside seating belonging to two café’s which I passed, Dolores Park Café and the Corner Bakery Shop, were completely full with the delicious smelling aromas of coffee and freshly baked bread filling my nostrils.
I made a quick pit stop in Dolores Park Café to talk to one of the workers. I asked Christopher Black, 20, what he though about working in the Mission, and if he had experienced any of the violence that I’d heard plagued the district. “No, never,” he replied. “Though I hear about shootings happening around here all the time. But I’ve never experienced any violence firsthand. I love working here.”
Violence however is reality in this part of the city, with the most recent and violent string, consisting of both shootings and stabbings, occurring this past March. One man died, while 10 others were injured, according to an article written by SF Examiner staff writer Tamara Aparton on March 2nd. It’s obvious however, that great efforts are being made to make the Mission a more beautiful and safe place.
“There is quite a bit of gang violence here,” said Mission resident Jasmin Flores, 31. “But there’s been a really strong police presence here over the past few months, and I really think it’s made a difference.”
Though I know there is much left to explore of this fascinating place, as I have just barely touched the outskirts, this first of many visits has really sparked my interest in the district, and truly began to dissolve my pre-conceived notions. During my next visit I plan to enter the heart of the Mission, after having gathered a bit of courage, travelling to both Valencia and, of course, Mission St.
All in all, I’d say my first Mission experience was both successful, and extremely enjoyable.
I slowly walked down Church towards 18th St., thinking how lucky I was that it was such a sunny and warm Saturday in the city. I turned left onto 18th, walking through an invisible door into the district, only to find Mission High School rise in all its glory above my head. Reminiscent of the California Missions that dotted the state’s coast, I was surprised to find such a lovely and dignified school after having been in the Mission less than 5 minutes. I knew right away that my expectations, or at least some of them, were about to be proven incorrect.
With a rather good impression of the district beginning to take form in my mind, I turned onto Dolores St., immediately encountering Dolores Park. I had heard fellow students talking about Dolores Park before, about what a great place it was to just sit and relax in the grass on a beautiful day. One glance and I could tell that I’d underestimated the popularity of the park, or rather never fully understood it. It seemed as though every patch of grass was encompassed by a sleeping body, or a smiling face. It looked as though every person was truly enjoying themselves as they lounged, carefree under the bright sun. I automatically got a sense of happiness and peace as I stepped for the first time across the green boundary line, into Dolores Park.
“Whenever the sun is out, I spend my day lying in this park,” said Caitlin Hamer, 23, a student at City College. “The view of the city is beautiful from here, which probably adds to its popularity.” And she was right. The view was unbelievable, and definitely not something to be missed when visiting the Mission.
As I wandered back towards 18th, headed towards Guerrero, I passed only friendly looking people, casually strolling and clearly enjoying this nice day. The outside seating belonging to two café’s which I passed, Dolores Park Café and the Corner Bakery Shop, were completely full with the delicious smelling aromas of coffee and freshly baked bread filling my nostrils.
I made a quick pit stop in Dolores Park Café to talk to one of the workers. I asked Christopher Black, 20, what he though about working in the Mission, and if he had experienced any of the violence that I’d heard plagued the district. “No, never,” he replied. “Though I hear about shootings happening around here all the time. But I’ve never experienced any violence firsthand. I love working here.”
Violence however is reality in this part of the city, with the most recent and violent string, consisting of both shootings and stabbings, occurring this past March. One man died, while 10 others were injured, according to an article written by SF Examiner staff writer Tamara Aparton on March 2nd. It’s obvious however, that great efforts are being made to make the Mission a more beautiful and safe place.
“There is quite a bit of gang violence here,” said Mission resident Jasmin Flores, 31. “But there’s been a really strong police presence here over the past few months, and I really think it’s made a difference.”
Though I know there is much left to explore of this fascinating place, as I have just barely touched the outskirts, this first of many visits has really sparked my interest in the district, and truly began to dissolve my pre-conceived notions. During my next visit I plan to enter the heart of the Mission, after having gathered a bit of courage, travelling to both Valencia and, of course, Mission St.
All in all, I’d say my first Mission experience was both successful, and extremely enjoyable.
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