Last month, I was in San Francisco on business and decided to head down to the Mish for some taco goodness. My friends from the Bay are always talking smack on LA tacos saying the Mish gots the goods. Well, I had to put that notion to the test.
So, among my afternoon wandering of the Mission- I stumbled upon El Buen Sabor Taqueria on 18th Street. Now usually, I don’t do resturaunts unless I get a good tip. But, I was a stranger in a strange land and my belly was empty.
The place had a small kitchen like charm. It had the usual goods: carne asada, carnitas, al pastor et al. I decided I’d go with two carnitas, one carne asada and one al pastor taco con todas (everything).
Usually, when I order everything that means onions, cilantro, and the salsa of choice. But in San Francisco that also means black beans- which I was somewhat appalled by. When I get a fried hard shell taco- I expect beans- but not within a soft shelled street taco. Still, I wasn’t about to diss the taco lady in her kitchen so I begrundginly accepted my tacos con frijoles.
The al pastor y carne asada tacos were- decent. The pastor was savory but not seasoned well enough and the carne asada was suffered from not being freshly grilled. The beans were prominently tasted over the meat, which is fine, if your a hippie vegetarian. I was ready to call up some of my SF friends and laugh over the phone, until I tried the carnitas.
Dios mijo, Batman! T carnitas were well shred which allowed for a amazingly crispy texture. They were fresh off the grill allowing them to be piping hot and reeking with savoryness. The meat overpowered the beans and harmonized nicely with the salsa roja. Coupled with some delicious horchata, I closed my eyes and for a second felt like I was eating at Taco Zone back home in Echo Park.
San Francisco, you pass the test. Saved by the skin of a piggy.
El Buen Sabor
Overall Taco Grade: B, Carnita Grade: A+
Horchata Grade: A
Positives: Nice Setting, Good Service, Delicious Horchata and Carnitas
Negatives: Pricey, Beans, So-So Asada and Al Pastor
Price: $1.75 a taco
At the Corner of 18th and Mission Street, San Francisco CA
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