La Taqueria

La Taqueria
Map
Restaurant information
Established1973
StateCalifornia
CountryUnited States
Websitehttps://lataqueriasf.com/

La Taqueria is a restaurant in San Francisco, California. In 2017 it was named one of America's Classics by the James Beard Foundation.

History

Owner Miguel Jara, who grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, immigrated to the United States in 1961.[1] He missed the food from his home and decided to open a taqueria.[2] He opened the restaurant in 1973, building the space out himself.[3][4] At the time the designation "Mission-style" was not commonly used.[3] According to Bon Appetit it is credited with creating the style.[5]

The restaurant is located on Mission street between 24th and 25th, in San Francisco's Mission District.[4] Jara's parents had helped him buy the building for US$39,000 in 1972; after they died without transferring ownership to him, the business was the subject of a property dispute between Jara and his eight siblings.[6] A court ordered the building to be sold and the profits dispersed among the siblings, and in 2018 Jara and his sons purchased it for $1.7 million.[6][7]

The restaurant focuses on Mission-style burritos.[1] Ingredients include meat, beans, cheese, and sauces.[1][3] Pork for the carnitas are simmered in lard and then roasted.[8] The recipes do not include rice, which is a common component in most Mission-style burritos.[9][2] On request the rolled burritos are finished on the grill to brown them, which is known as dorado-style; the option is off-menu.[3][10][5]

The restaurant also serves tacos and quesadillas.[4][11]

Recognition

In 2017 the restaurant was named one of America's Classics by the James Beard Foundation.[12] In 2014 FiveThirtyEight named it the best burrito in the country.[13][12][14] The San Francisco Chronicle called the restaurant "the Mission's most famous burrito spot".[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c "2017 America's Classic: La Taqueria". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 2023-03-03.
  2. ^ a b Peterson, Lucas (2017-04-26). "Watch: How La Taqueria Became a San Francisco Classic". Eater. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  3. ^ a b c d Canavan, Hillary Dixler (2015-12-04). "The Story of La Taqueria's Remastered Mission-Style Burrito". Eater. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  4. ^ a b c "La Taqueria". Southwest.fm. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  5. ^ a b Appétit, Bon. "La Taqueria Review". Bon Appetit. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  6. ^ a b Bitker, Janelle (2018-11-13). "La Taqueria's Owner Successfully Buys Its Building". Eater SF. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  7. ^ "The Best Burritos in San Francisco". Serious Eats. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  8. ^ "La Taqueria Carnitas Recipe". Sunset Magazine. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  9. ^ "Mission Burrito Recipe". NYT Cooking. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  10. ^ "La Taqueria - Mission - San Francisco". The Infatuation. 2022-08-22. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  11. ^ "La Taqueria". Time Out San Francisco. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  12. ^ a b Batey, Eve (2020-05-22). "Lauded Burrito Spot La Taqueria Reopens for Takeout". Eater SF. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  13. ^ Birdsall, John (2016-10-11). "The Story of the Mission Burrito, Piled High and Rolled Tight". Bon Appétit. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  14. ^ "After Winning Nation's Best Burrito Award, San Francisco's La Taqueria Inundated By Diners". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved 2023-03-06.
  15. ^ "One evening at La Taqueria, San Francisco's most famous burrito spot". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2023-03-06.

37°45′03″N 122°25′05″W / 37.7509°N 122.4181°W / 37.7509; -122.4181