Papalote Mexican Grill — Restaurant in San Francisco

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...

They have quite literally the greatest steak burrito I have ever eaten. I was skeptical when I saw how much I was paying for a single burrito, but please understand how serious I am when I say it was worth every cent.

Everything within the burrito is perfectly distributed, so each ingredient gets to be a team player. The steak is ever-present but all of the other ingredients get their time to shine as well. And then hot sauce - get the hot sauce. Trust me. It’s not anything overwhelming and it tastes amazing.

Another noteworthy aspect of this creation from Heaven is the size and shape. This is one of the tallest burritos I’ve ever seen; much larger than anything you would normally expect from a burrito. The burrito is remarkably compact… I was legitimately caught off guard by how heavy it was when I picked up the order. Every single square inch of that burrito is handled with care and a clear dedication to perfection.

The foil surrounding the burrito is perfect as well, with the ends of the foil being twisted similarly to the burrito. A nice touch.

Lastly, the service was excellent. Everyone there was lovely, I have zero complaints.

Simply put, this burrito should be every other burrito’s golden standard. If I was told I could eat one thing before dying, I would pick this burrito. If I was forced to choose between never seeing this burrito again or never seeing my family again, I would choose to never see the burrito again - but I would absolutely hesitate. It would not be an easy decision. I love my family. But if they tried this burrito, they’d understand as well.

I implore you to try Papalote’s steak burrito. You will not regret it. It might just...

As people have mentioned before the chips and salsa are on the 7x7 list. However you feel about the accuracy of the 7x7 list (I find it's hit or miss and generally not worth going to a restaurant just for a single item) the salsa is pretty damn good. It's a spicy, creamy, tomatoey salsa and is definitely the best thing on the menu....

Which is is my major gripe against Papalotes. The salsa is the best thing on the menu. The burritos are incredibly average in practically every way. I've tried almost all the different types of meat and none have made me want to come back. So why do I, it's because I live in the neighborhood and it's relatively cheap. The tacos are slightly better, but only because they load them up with sour cream and guac which makes everything taste better.

Overall, it's a cheap way to experience part of the 7x7 list, but don't go out of your way if you're looking for decent Mexican food. Every Mexican place I've been to in the Mission has far surpassed Paplotes in taste,...