Papalote Mexican Grill

Aisha Spearman

This is the best place to get burritos in the city. I've been an avid customer since 2007 and happily spend my hard earned money here at least a few times a month. My go to is the super rice and beans burrito. The jicama is always a nice garnish. Occasionally if I'm in snack mode I'll indulge in the bean and cheese dip. If you've never tried their in-house salsa, you are in for a real treat. I haven't really had anything that compares to it. You can purchase it in store and at places like Whole Foods. Highly recommended!

Holly

A carry-out Taqueria with good carne asada (grilled steak), good vegetarian, and a creamy spicy roasted tomato salsa. Don't get the "triple threat burrito". It is gimmicky and not worth it. Chicken mole burrito was better than I remember, and I *might* get it again, but chicken and pork are generally not their strong suit. The refried beans are black beans instead of pinto, which I like. You can still choose to get whole beans, black OR pinto. They have a spicy roasted tomato salsa that is their signature thing, and a lot of people like. It is creamy and blended (not a chunky-type of salsa). I think that it is spicy, although weirdly I see other people on here saying it isn't spicy. Maybe they haven't been back recently, or went to the place expecting super-spicy. I think 98% of people would call it a spicy salsa now (2022), just not trying to be extra-extreme. You can also get pico de gallo (fresh tomatoes with onion, cilantro, etc), but not other types of salsa. If you're a meat-only person, I recommend the carne asada, but if you're willing to try non-meat things, they have vegetarian options that are more interesting than standard taquerias, and I recommend them. Unfortunately, they don't offer slices of fresh avocado, just guacamole, although it's still pretty good. There are so many taquerias in San Francisco, including quite a few good ones, I don't think I would recommend traveling out of your way just to come here, unless you're on some sort of SF taqueria quest. But if you're in the neighborhood, they're a solid choice given you don't have an aversion to their particular things. With the pandemic, they don't have the nice little dine-in atmosphere anymore, and they have raised their prices, but they're still doing enough right to keep going. If you're looking for a place to eat your burrito, you can walk across the street and sit at one of the picnic tables outside of the Lucky shopping center.

Bartlett

I’m particular about my burritos and papalote is my favorite spot outside the mission. I live nearby and get a burrito or three a week. They will add their award winning salsa inside the burrito if you ask (it’s free). The grilled chicken is very good. The guac and chicken mole are good and soyrizo is a tasty veg option. For me, papalote occupies the perfect niche between greasy and gristled hole in the wall and fancy gentrified Mexican spot. Good ingredients, speedy service and reasonable price/portion.

Anthony Pineda

One of the best Mexican restaurants in San Francisco. This place was highly recommended by a number of friends and I can see why. The food and price are very hard to bear. The carne asada burrito was perfectly done. The mole tofu also was fantastic. The hot sauce they give you is also incredible. I'll definitely return just to pick up a bottle of that before going home.