San Francisco's Best Mexican Food 2008

Downtown workers cram the colorful dining room at this jovial Mexican lunch spot.

Reviews:

• “great service”
• “Addicting!”
• “Best Mexican Food Downtown”
• “Great food, better Margaritas!”
• “great lunch spot”

Tips: Spacious outdoor tables are the place to be on warm afternoons.

Mercedes- Hair of the Dog Cantina or email Mercedes- Hair of the Dog Cantina

Mexican cuisine goes upscale at this stylish Marina cantina.

Reviews:

• “fish tacos and mojitos…. yumm!”
• “Great food. WORST WAIT even though we had reservations!”
• “great new age mexican”
• “Great Mexican Food and Drinks But Service Can Be Quite Rude”
• “YESSSSS”

Tips: Try the signature pomegranate margarita, made with infused La Pinta tequila.

Mamacita Restaurant & Bar or email Mamacita Restaurant & Bar

Delicious Mexican brunch and more in the old-style Mission.

Reviews:

• “A little slice of heaven”
• “oh the comfort.”
• “greasy,flavorless food”
• “Great Mission Spot”
• “yummie food”

Tips: Check out the great jukebox while you’re waiting for your enchiladas.

Los Jarritos

Richmond residents indulge in Mexican delicacies like tamales, sizzling meats and authentic dishes taken from family recipes.

Reviews:

• “Very small portions and high prices”
• “The Best Margaritas”
• “good food not so good service”
• “Average Margaritas Good Enchiladas”
• “Don’t be fooled by the good reviews”

Tia Margarita Mexican Restaurant or email Tia Margarita Mexican Restaurant

Outstanding tequilas and a festive atmosphere distinguish this longstanding Mexican restaurant.

Reviews:

• “BEST MARGARITA PERIOD”
• “Authentic”
• “Don’t bother”
• “best margarita in the city”
• “Not muy bueno…”

Tips: Inquire about Tommy’s Blue Agave Club, arguably the largest tequila-tasting club in the nation.

Tommy’s Mexican Restaurant

Traditional Mexican combination plates and high-octane margaritas are the hallmarks of this SoMa restaurant.

Reviews:

• “Great Mexican”
• “Best Enchiladas in Town!”
• “Best Mex in the City”
• “Best tex-mex in the city – best margaritas – full bar – great night out”
• “Average”

Tips: These Mexican eats will prepare you well for a night of 11th and Folsom bar hopping.

Don Ramon’s or email Don Ramon’s

Pitchers of strong margaritas and bargain-priced combo plates lure crowds to this Mission favorite.

Reviews:

• “Fun but not that cheap”
• “What a bummer”
• “Fun place with unexpectedly good food”
• “Awful”
• “Great Place, especially for English-only speakers”

Tips: In a group? Forget the individual drinks—order a pitcher of margaritas.

Puerto Alegre Restaurant or email Puerto Alegre Restaurant

Clubby cantina-style restaurant with a menu designed to sync with its masculine party environment.

Reviews:

• “great food”
• “Overpriced Food & Bad Service”
• “I had no idea”
• “wow what a place.. great food, beautiful staff, and more fun than i’ve ever had in san franciso. "
• “Most creative mexican food EVER!!!!!!”

Tips: Even for those just ordering a drink at the bar, fresh hot tortilla chips and a smoky roasted tomato salsa arrive gratis.

Impala Restaurant or email Impala Restaurant

A bustling Theater District cantina with a gourmet approach to Mexican food and tequila drinks.

Reviews:

• “Dissapointed in the food and service”
• “Best Gourmet Mexican food in DT S.,F”
• “Patrons flock in like Summer moths into a campfire”
• “Yum!”
• “Excellent Food, Great Atmosphere”

Tips: The bar makes and shakes everything by hand, like sangria, mojitos and a variety of tasty tequila cocktails, some of which are infused with fresh fruit.

Colibri Mexican Bistro

A petite Mission spot serves up fresh, organic Mexican comfort-food specialties.

Reviews:

• “best Mexican in San Francisco”
• “Skip the wait”
• “Now this is Mexican”
• “Fresh, fun, fast & affordable!”
• “Better than the rest!”

Tips: On busy nights, you can call ahead and pick up your meal.

Regalito or email Regalito

Inexpensive Financial District lunchtime favorite offers health-conscious, standard Mexican in addition to weekly regional specialties. Catering is also available.

Reviews:

• “Great lunch spot.”
• “Mighty Tasty Bites”
• “not the same since vickie left”
• “Thumbs Up All Around”
• “Best Burrito ever!!”

Tips: Catering services are truly pan-mundial, drawing from European, Asian and Middle-Eastern influences.

Los Socios

Cavernous SoMa eatery with top-notch tequila and authentic Mexican fare.

Reviews:

• “Excellent tequila, charming servers & great Mexican food!”
• “Won’t be returning”
• “Its good but Better to go yourself”
• “I was told by the waiter that a group got priority over my date and I!!”
• “Totally radical at any price!!! But the price IS nice.”

Tips: A number of impressive tequila cocktails are available, but the margaritas, made with hand-squeezed, Mexican-imported limes and agave nectar sweetener, steal the spotlight.

Tres Agaves

Generously portioned plates of Mexican fare are as bold and bright as the colorful walls of this festive West Portal restaurant.

Reviews:

• “Terrible service and bland food”
• “Watch out for insects and make sure you get your whole order….”
• “Great Homestyle Mexican”
• “unexpectedly quite impressed”
• “disappointment”

Tips: Arrive early for dinner on the weekends. There is sometimes a wait for a table in the small dining area.

El Toreador Fonda Restaurant

Lively cantina brings Tex-Mex fare to Lower Pac Heights.

Reviews:

• “Best Mexican in SF”
• “Damn Good Mexican Food and a lot of fun!”
• “Consistently disappointing.”
• “Bad food, expensive, horrible service and management”
• “Service okay, but food was nothing spectacular”

Tips: The taqueria menu is available all day and night, while the kitchen stops serving the regular menu at 10pm.

Tortilla Heights or email Tortilla Heights

Upscale Mexican fare from the folks behind Maya, with traditional dinner service shifting to a casual club atmosphere in the later hours.

Reviews:

• “Now That’s What I’m Talkin About!”
• “For Drinks Alone ….”
• “Great all round experience”
• “Upscale Mexican, Mexico City style”
• “Incredible Food”

Tips: After 10pm, the space becomes a more casual taqueria lounge.

Mexico DF

Innovative Mexican fare and high-end tequila find their way to the Westfield San Francisco Centre.

Reviews:

• “Mildly disappointed but not surprised. "
• “you gotta try this place- great food and amazing drinks”
• “Convenient location with good food.”
• “Great Service and Great food !!!”
• “We felt special”

Tips: Don’t skip the margarita menu. Its detailed description of the notes in 15 hand-shaken margaritas creates a connoisseur-worthy tequila experience.

Zazil Restaurant

Flavors from New Mexico—featuring both green and red chiles.

Reviews:

• “Green Chile…No thanks!”
• “We will NEVER go back!”
• “GREAT FOOD!”
• “New Mexico feel & new type of Mexican – yum!”
• “Good Red Chile but no sopapillas.”

Tips: Try the green chile stew, a traditional New Mexican favorite.

Green Chile Kitchen and Market

A new blend of Latin and Turkish bites are presented in beautiful patterns in a colorful setting at this Mission hideaway.

Reviews:

• “some good, some just okay”

Tips: Lolo does not accept reservations, but the crowd is sparse enough to yield a tolerable wait.

Lolo

Sample authentic Mexican fare including burritos, nachos and more in restaurant decked out with colorful Aztecan art.

Reviews:

• “so delicious!”
• “Great quick food”
• “Monster Size Burritos!!!!”
• “The Best Burritos around”
• “Not good”

Zona Rosa

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