It’s no surprise that California is bursting at the seams with great Mexican food—the state is home to an enormous Mexican-American population, along with an abundance of fresh, tasty produce. But while you might consider Los Angeles the state capital of Mexican food, San Francisco is elbowing its way to the top. Whether it’s a burrito from the Mission District (Thrillist already found the best ones) or a fish taco in the Embarcadero, there’s a wide range of authentic Mexican catering in San Francisco to discover. Here’s your catering guide to the best Bay Area taquerias:
1. La Salsa (El Camino Real, San Bruno)
La Salsa has become the go-to option for Mexican catering in many a San Francisco office building. Why? As one ezCater user put it, “Great customer service; great delivery; great food as always.” In other words, La Salsa should be your pick for reliably good, on-time Mexican food. They serve a variety of classic dishes, like enchiladas, guacamole, and party platters with your choice of tacos, taquitos, burritos, or fajitas. Want a healthier, veggie-friendly option? La Salsa offers entire platters of veggie fajitas or veggie tacos, too.
2. Rubio’s (Embarcadero Center, San Francisco)
Two elements define Rubio’s Coastal Grill, making it one of the best Mexican catering spots in San Francisco: fish tacos and convenient packaging. Rubio’s offers some of the best coastal Mexican dishes in the city, like beer-battered, wild Alaska pollock, grilled or blackened wild Pacific mahi mahi, and grilled or blackened salmon. It’s hard to think of any other spot that provides as much variety in a single dish. Rubio’s also packages meals in convenient boxes and party trays, with individual compartments for each rice, protein, and sauce. Serving and cleanup is a breeze.
3. Bayshore Taqueria (Bayshore Boulevard, San Francisco)
Bayshore Taqueria offers an elevated take on Mexican street food. Think burritos, tacos, and quesadillas, but with more options, like carnitas and chorizo, roasted tomato salsa, and freshly fried chips. It’s the kind of party spread that allows everyone to discover something they’ll love. Bayshore Taqueria’s catering packages and boxed lunches also make it one of the best Mexican catering spots in San Francisco for big lunch orders.
4. Una Mas Mexican Grill (Santa Cruz Avenue, Menlo Park)
Since 1991, Una Mas Mexican Grill has served fresh, one-of-a-kind dishes that fuse Mexican and other global flavors, making this some of the best Mexican food in San Francisco. Have you ever had a Caesar salad stuffed into a burrito? At Una Mas, that’s called lunch. Or try their ever-popular margarita salad, with jicama, red and green cabbage, carrots, pinto beans, and more, tossed in a tangy (non-alcoholic) vinaigrette. Start every order with their killer five-layer dip—a hearty helping of refried beans, Monterey Jack cheese, salsa fresca, guacamole, and sour cream.
5. Torshi Mexiterranean (Sansome Street, San Francisco)
Torshi Mexiterranean combines Mexican with yet another vibrant, colorful cuisine: Mediterranean. The result is bold, high-flavor dishes, like a falafel wrap, which is pleasantly soft and crunchy at the same time. Then there’s the steak asada burrito boxed lunch, served with a buttery pistachio baklava for dessert. Can’t decide? Order the sampler platter, a reasonably priced appetizer that includes chicken shawarma wraps, gyro wraps, hummus, falafel, baba ghanoush, and quinoa tabbouleh. Just be sure to nab a side of that pistachio baklava—you don’t want to miss out on dessert.
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6. The Green Enchilada (Manor Plaza, Pacifica)
Mexican catering in San Francisco has another great multicultural option in The Green Enchilada, which serves healthy takes on Mexican and Peruvian dishes. The ensalada Pacifica—with black beans, feta, avocado, papaya, and balsamic vinaigrette—is so hearty that you’ll forget you’re eating salad. Their most-ordered tostada is a great way to combine all the Mexican flavors you crave into a lighter dish. If you want to spring for Peruvian, opt for the lomo saltado plate, a classic dish with meat sautéed in onions, tomatoes, soy sauce, and garlic, and served with french fries. The restaurant only uses organic, locally sourced ingredients, so you can feel good about what you’re eating, too.
7. Mateo’s Taqueria (Mission Street, San Francisco)
Located in the heart of the Mission District, Mateo’s Taqueria is one of the few Mexican catering options in San Francisco for flavorful burritos and tacos that ooze authenticity. Choose from a simple burrito with fillings like grilled chicken and carnitas (or soy chorizo for the vegans in your party). Upgrade to a specialty burrito, with fillings like steak and shrimp, or kale, mushrooms, onions, and epazote (an oregano-like herb). For bigger parties, spring for the taco bar, which comes with countless filling options, three choices of beans and salsa, and plenty of jalapeños, cilantro, crema, limes, radish, onions, and Oaxaca cheese to go on the side. Suffice it to say, no one will go home hungry.
8. Red Rooster Tacos (Harrison Street, San Francisco)
Born as a food truck, Red Rooster Tacos serves creative dishes for the adventurous eater. Think burritos filled with everything from lengua (tongue) to roasted squash. These days, Red Rooster Tacos is one of the best Mexican places in San Francisco to get your portable, tortilla-wrapped fix. Thankfully, they recently expanded their business to include tamales—tasty, steamed pockets of corn and meat wrapped in a corn husk—on the menu, too. Order a platter of chicken tamales, their most popular option, with tender, pull-apart meat you’ll dream about for days.
9. San Carlos Bar & Grill (El Camino Real, San Carlos)
In the decades since San Carlos Bar and Grill has opened, it’s been on a mission to up the ante. San Carlos Bar and Grill infuses Mexican catering in San Francisco with fresh spices, good prices, and responsibly sourced ingredients. You haven’t lived until you’ve tried one of their famous filet mignon burritos filled with well-marbled cuts of steak. Or level up with their grilled Scottish salmon, a healthy, flavorful entrée that comes with a hearty salad of cucumbers, romaine hearts, tomatoes, sliced avocado, and a sweet and tangy raspberry vinaigrette.
10. LuLu’s Mexican Food (Laurel Street, San Carlos)
LuLu’s is where to place your order when you need stick-to-your-ribs food that’ll satisfy a big crowd. A perennial favorite Mexican catering joint in San Francisco, this spot is all about large-format entrées. Order enchiladas by the dozen, each topped with a generous helping of melted Monterey Jack cheese, or go for the most-ordered taco bar, which comes with uncommon options for fillings, like albañil (ground beef grilled with Mexican-style sausage, bacon, peppers, and onions), cilantro rice, and gluten-free soft corn tortillas.
San Francisco is a killer food city.