Greetings, Mexican food lovers! I’m back with the second installment of what may well become an ongoing series: San Francisco taquería recommendations. During my November trip to the city I took the advice of www.burritoeater.com and visited seven of the establishments in their current Top 10 (which means there will be a third installment). This very authoritative site currently lists almost 170 reviews. That’s a lot of taquerías, which gives you an idea of just how popular they are in a city renowned for the number and variety of its restaurants. So fortunately my investigative work is far from over. Here are three that get two thumbs way up.

El Burrito Express is in Outer Sunset, meaning it’s a bit of a hike if you don’t live in the neighborhood. Make the trip anyway; it’s that good (No. 3 on burritoeater’s list). Look for the little aquamarine building on the corner of Taraval and 26th streets. This is a super cozy place—no tables and very limited seating space along the window—which is why the sign outside says “tacos and burritos to go.” It’s also authentic, from the Spanish-language radio station to the women behind the counter chatting in rapid-fire Español as they whip up burritos and tacos for a steady stream of customers.

My Super Bronco chicken burrito came with pinto beans, slices of avocado (a nice touch) and a choice of grilled or shredded chicken. The steamed flour wrapper was big, and a relative paucity of ingredients at each end meant mostly mouthfuls of tortilla, but this was one tasty slab nevertheless. The grilled pollo was plentiful, the avocado refreshing, the Mexican white cheese pleasantly salty and the beans, rice and salsa brought it all together flavor-wise. It fell apart halfway through, but no matter; I devoured it all.

There are no niceties here; the handful of chips wrapped in Saran wrap and thrown into the paper bag along with the burrito were dry, thick and overly crunchy, and my canned Coke wasn’t even chilled. The slab’s the thing at El Burrito Express, and for $5.75 you get a quick, filling and muy tasty lunch. It’s cash only.

Gordo Taquería (No. 2 on burritoeater’s list) is in Richmond, a predominantly Asian neighborhood that’s also brimming with multiethnic restaurants and businesses. The line started forming as soon as this place opened up around 11 in the morning. It’s also tiny (about five people could squeeze into the narrow counter along the window). You call out your order and watch as the cooks assemble it. From among the many burrito permutations I chose a regular with grilled chicken, rice, black beans, cheese, salsa, guac and a splash of crema. It had a spicy kick—hot but not overwhelming—and each bite delivered a delicioso mix of flavors. Ask them to grill your tortilla so the cheese melts. I got this one to go and ate it on a sunny afternoon while seated on a rock gazing out at the Pacific after hiking the Coastal Trail to the Sutro Baths. Note to self: Why am I not living in San Francisco?

Taquería San Francisco (No. 8 on burritoeater’s list) has a groovy calling card—the blue mural at the corner of 24th and York. Deep in the Mission on a street chock-a-block with panaderías (Mexican bakeries), Colombian and Salvadoran eateries and the coolest street art in the city, this is another authentic taquería experience. There aren’t any bland fast food-style imitations on the menu; menudo (tripe) and house-made chorizo are offered along with the usual burrito and taco combinations.

Mexican dudes work the kitchen, and the salsas on the 10 or so small tables are uniformly fiery. I went with the super chicken burrito ($6.25)—meat, rice, beans, cheese, sour cream and avocado. It was a good-sized slab, the tortilla slightly grilled, and the ingredient mix was studded with bits of incendiary green chile that I started pulling out because they added too much zing for my taste. The pintos, melted white cheese and avocado combined to make a delicious foil for the Mexican rice and nicely grilled chicken. This one also fell apart on me so I needed a plastic fork to finish it off. The chips rocked, too. Another winner. In fact, all three of these taquerías are so good that if I lived in the city I would be hitting each one on a regular basis. See for yourself and let me know what you think.

Taquería Pancho Villa update: I mentioned in my previous blog that I would be checking out the original Pancho Villa on 16th Street. I walked by, but never did make it inside; so many taquerías, not enough time. This one moves to the top of the list. In the meantime, watch for my next installment, coming soon—and above all, stay hungry.   

El Burrito Express is at 1601 Taraval St. (take Muni’s L line). Gordo Taquería is at 2252 Clement St. (at 24th Avenue); the #2 bus runs along Clement Street. Taquería San Francisco is at 2794 24th St. (take the #48 bus).