El Castillito (Mission)
San Francisco, CA
| Overall Score based on 2 reviews |
8.5 highly recommended |
Editorial Reviews (0)
User Reviews (2)
Login or register to write a review of El Castillito (Mission)
Showing 1-2 of 2 (most recent reviews shown first)
Score: 8 / 10 Reviewed by: jimothy3000
I am a little surprised to find that this franchise of El Castillito, at 17th and Mission, only has one review. If this joint is a bit overlooked, it probably speaks more to the success of its peers than to the quality of its burritos, which are fantastic.
This version of Castillito sits at one of San Francisco's most celebrated drug and prostitution corners and really should get more credit for completing the perfect Bay Area heroine-hooker-burrito trifecta. Oh, and also there's a gay porn shop, which seems only to exist for dealers to duck into when the cops roll by, next door. There's something about this corner that tells a person, "don't get food here, you don't want to be seen handling any cash right now". This place also probably suffers because, although the burritos are excellent, it's not even the best Castillito within a two mile radius. That honor would go to the franchise on Church, with its rather more customizable burritos. In addition, Castillito doesn't have the popularity and after-party atmosphere of either Taqueria Cancun or Farolito slightly to the south, although the burritos here are almost as good as or the equal of ones you'd get in either of those landmarks.
Today I ordered a super carnitas, and I was really impressed by the juicy, well-seasoned pork within. The beans and rice were tasty and complemented the meat wonderfully. The cooks here loaded up my burrito with chunky avocado, and the cheese was melted perfectly. The salsa bar had all the standard salsas and pico de gallo you'd expect, and their thick green tomatillo salsa added just the right amount of heat without watering things down. Although nothing about this burrito really stood out as mind-blowingly delicious, it was very satisfying and my only slight complaint is a lack of integration (due to a big gloop of sour cream right in the middle and inequitable cheese distribution).
To sum up, the next time you're standing in a long line at Taqueria Cancun after a night out in the Mission, a wise burritophile could do much worse than to walk two blocks up Mission and get just about as good a burrito.
Score: 9 / 10 Reviewed by: GlobalBurrito (CA)
OK people, this place is one of the most important foundations in SF burrito history. It was a darn good taqueria before the metrosexual transformation of the Mission. This place is still very close to its roots in style and ambiance.
You can't beat the gritty, seedy atmosphere. Keeps most of the art school types from "Lower Noe Valley" out. Can't tell you how many times I've been in the place watching serious sinning go on right outside the door. Its Peolsis' SF baby. Take your vitamins and keep your Purell handy. Not a first date type place.
The supper veggie here is out of this world. But it is different than the excellent super veggie you will get right up the street Pancho Villa. Variety is the spice of life. They fill it up with a massive load of of well prepared pinto bens, perfect balance of rice, generous portion of cheese, great home made salsa and, my favorite part, a complete diced avocado. The avocado makes it. I still beleive to this day, that they feel guilty serving a veggie for a price similar to a meat burrito, and overcompnesate on the size of the veggie. I lived off this place for years. I also intorduced many to the burrito lifestyle here.
Don't miss it.
Showing 1-2 of 2
