El Farolito

What you need to know

The Food

Mission style burritos built at a counter, with the Super Burrito as the thing to order. Carne asada and al pastor are the fillings people come back for. Tacos, quesadilla suiza and the rest of the standard board are there too, but the burrito is the point.

Esquire once called the Super Burrito the most life changing burrito in America.

The Story

Salvador Lopez, known as Don Chava, opened the original store on Mission Street at 24th in 1983, and his family has run it since he died in 2021. There are around ten Bay Area locations now, but this is the first one.

The family also owns El Farolito SC, the amateur soccer club that won the US Open Cup in 1993 and has since gone on knocking professional sides out of that tournament, finishing as its top amateur team in 2024 and 2025.

Locations

Mission, the original: 2779 Mission Street at 24th, about thirty seconds from the 24th Street Mission plaza.

North Beach: 1230 Grant Avenue, which is the one to know if you are coming out of a bar on Columbus.

Practical Info

Price: $. Cheap, and it has stayed cheap.

Payment: Cards accepted.

Reservations: None. Counter service, very little seating.

Hours: Open daily from 10am until well after midnight.

What to get

Super burrito (carne asada), super quesadilla, al pastor tacos, mix the red and green salsas