Buena Vida Cantina

Great ambiance. Beautiful décor. Host and bartender were both very lovely and attentive. Their tacos were fire too 🔥. Cocktails were delicious ! Check them out.

The food, service, and ambience was unbelievable. The guacamole was incredible, as was all the food. We ordered fish tacos, salsa trio, machete, mex chop salad… so much food and each really did not disappoint. Highly recommend the verano de sandía drink!

Food was really good. Server was nice. The restaurant itself is super cute. My food was too spicy and they made me something else and were very nice about. It's really hard for me to send food back so that made me feel a lot better. It was also my nephews birthday and they offered us free cake, we were in a rush, so we didnt end up taking it. But the thought was very kind. My only thing I would complain about about was my margarita, I had 2 which is a lot for me and I don't feel they were strong enough. Normally after 1 I'm feeling pretty good.

Awesome place, great food and even greater service. Owners are real good dudes

This might have been the best (Mexican) food we've had since we've been in the US. Very nice staff and nice atmosphere. Highly recommended. Not touristy, but we felt welcome.

Hidden surprise in the heart of SoMa. The menu is not huge but portions are generous and plenty. The guacamole comes in a shareable size, two tacos make a decent meal and the shrimp salad is balanced and fresh, perhaps one of the best so far!

Great food, lots of flavor, well prepared... fantastic service & drinks. We sat at the bar. Cool chick with glasses who makes great cocktails!

Currently living in Chicago and can’t find Mexican food this good there. Cool interior, good music. Delicious authentic Mexican food. Definitely start with the trio salsa and chips. I recommend the Carne Asada burrito. The rice is so zesty and flavorful. The margs are aesthetically pleasing, and taste good. Kind and attentive staff.

I am here for the Workday Rising conference and this place was great for a quick dinner + drinks. I ordered the quesa birria and a mule. Service was amazing and the food/drink was delicious. Highly recommend!

Food was good and really fresh, e restaurant is really cute, cozy and love the Mexican music. Manuel was so nice and gave us really good recommendations. Wishing the menu had more options. I would definitely go back again.

This is a great little culinary find in downtown San Fran. Mexican cuisine close to the Moscone Center. Food is fabulous. All food is fresh and handmade. The staff is wonderful and friendly. Vicki is an amazing bartender. The head chef, Eric, knows how to bring the taste of Mexican food to the palate. Clean establishment with beautiful decor. Prices are affordable compared to the surrounding options. This place was so great I had to come back... Twice. Thanks Buena Vida, for a remarkable dining experience.

Salsas are absolutely delicious! Mole enchiladas are fantastic. & the carnitas super burrito was huge & amazing. Their drinks were also really good

Buena Vida - A Culinary Triumph in Every Bite (5/5 ⭐️) Buena Vida delivers an exceptional dining experience that stands out with fresh ingredients, vibrant flavors, and impeccable presentation. If you're looking for a place where tacos and margaritas transcend the ordinary, this is it. 🌮 Tacos That Set the Bar High The tacos here are nothing short of phenomenal. Each bite is a perfect harmony of texture and flavor, and the attention to detail in toppings and seasoning is evident. 1️⃣ Grilled Chicken Tacos – The grilled chicken is juicy with a perfect char, topped with crisp cabbage, tangy pickled onions, and fresh cilantro. The balance of acidity and smokiness makes these an absolute must-try. The side of salsa adds just the right amount of heat to enhance, not overpower. 2️⃣ Carnitas & Carne Asada Tacos – Slow-cooked to perfection, the carnitas are rich and flavorful, with a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The addition of fresh pico de gallo and a generous dollop of guacamole brings out the depth of the meat’s flavor. The carne asada was equally impressive, with a smoky, grilled essence complemented by bright citrus notes. 🍹 Margaritas - A Masterclass in Mixology The margaritas at Buena Vida are nothing short of outstanding. The balance between sweet, tart, and tequila-forward flavors is executed masterfully. The salt-rimmed glasses and fresh lime garnish make them as aesthetically pleasing as they are refreshing. 🌟 Overall Experience Ambience: Warm, inviting, and lively without being overwhelming. Service: Attentive and knowledgeable, with great recommendations. Food Quality: Fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Drinks: Strong, balanced, and perfectly crafted. Buena Vida is a spot that elevates traditional Mexican flavors into something truly special. Whether you're here for a casual bite or a full meal with drinks, you’re in for an incredible experience. Highly recommended!

Really delicious local Mexican restaurant, you can book in advance online and when we arrived we were seated immediately. Ordered tacos and guacamole both good! Service is efficient and the only annoying thing was that the music is kinda loud for a more intimate dinner.

Cozy place, not a lot of light. There is an outdoor area if you like to sit outside. I had the best tacos and nachos. Service was great too and food was served in great time. To get great discounts visit during the happy hour or visit on Tuesdays of taco Tuesdays.

Super delicious. Very nice staff. Cute outdoor area with heat lamps. Spicy margaritas. Great mango juice for nonalcohol. Everything amazing. Cute small plates and choose your own taco so you can try more food and flavors~

Went in for a mid week lunch based on high ratings, and I am adding to those high ratings. My server said this would be the best burrito I've ever had and he wasn't far off. It is a solid 10/10 vessel of deliciousness. The ingredients were fresh and tasty, the carne asada was tender and juicy, the ratios were perfect. The chips were also 10/10, light and crispy, with a sprinkle of seasoning. Everyone was super friendly. Inside tables are limited but there's long bar and a parklet.

The place was cozy and had a nice set up. Food was definitely great plus the staff assisted us was spectacular.

How did I miss this gem of a place for so long?! This is not a hole in the wall restaurant. The atmosphere is great with an outdoor patio where we had a team lunch and it's not a stretch to say the inside is my next business lunch spot. The staff are so kind and welcoming. The food, I've been twice now and gotten the salad with carnitas and it's generous in size and flavors. Totally my new favorite place on Folsom.

This place was great! I walked in at 12:30 during a busy conference, and they were packed. Luckily I got a seat at the bar. Service was great, and the Tex mex salad with birria was DELIGHTFUL! I was particularly impressed by the guy seemingly in charge- guessing he was the manager. He managed a busy lunch rush with limited staff like a BOSS. He was actively making sure every single table in the whole restaurant had what they needed. I honestly don’t even know how he did it but I was impressed.

I enjoyed the honey mole wings as an appetizer. Perfect shareable for 2 people. I ordered the chicken tinga taco and the el jefe taco. Both were AMAZING. The el jefe is no joke, HUGE! Fresh tasting and well prepared food. Great atmosphere for a chill lunch/dinner/drink. Friendly and fast service.

A very friendly place with great food and drinks. Had the happy hour Cadillac and water melon margaritas. They were made strong with the hint of taste from the other flavors. The mole chicken wings were spicy enough for me. Shisito peppers were fried and tasty. My wife like the vegetable empanadas with the bean dip. Witcheater gin drink was good also.

Food, service, and atmosphere were marvelous. We were two adults and two toddlers, were served by Emilio, he is a gentleman he took all the time to explain and suggest the menu, his manager should be proud of hiring him!

Birria Ramen was great! Good service and a cool vibe

Jasmyn Alexander

I am here for the Workday Rising conference and this place was great for a quick dinner + drinks. I ordered the quesa birria and a mule. Service was amazing and the food/drink was delicious. Highly recommend!

Ximena

Food was good and really fresh, e restaurant is really cute, cozy and love the Mexican music. Manuel was so nice and gave us really good recommendations. Wishing the menu had more options. I would definitely go back again.

Rachel Cipkins

Salsas are absolutely delicious! Mole enchiladas are fantastic. & the carnitas super burrito was huge & amazing. Their drinks were also really good

Kirk Lisondra

The place was cozy and had a nice set up. Food was definitely great plus the staff assisted us was spectacular.

Shaun Keefe

This is a great little culinary find in downtown San Fran. Mexican cuisine close to the Moscone Center. Food is fabulous. All food is fresh and handmade. The staff is wonderful and friendly. Vicki is an amazing bartender. The head chef, Eric, knows how to bring the taste of Mexican food to the palate. Clean establishment with beautiful decor. Prices are affordable compared to the surrounding options. This place was so great I had to come back... Twice. Thanks Buena Vida, for a remarkable dining experience.

V S

Buena Vida - A Culinary Triumph in Every Bite (5/5 ⭐️) Buena Vida delivers an exceptional dining experience that stands out with fresh ingredients, vibrant flavors, and impeccable presentation. If you're looking for a place where tacos and margaritas transcend the ordinary, this is it. 🌮 Tacos That Set the Bar High The tacos here are nothing short of phenomenal. Each bite is a perfect harmony of texture and flavor, and the attention to detail in toppings and seasoning is evident. 1️⃣ Grilled Chicken Tacos – The grilled chicken is juicy with a perfect char, topped with crisp cabbage, tangy pickled onions, and fresh cilantro. The balance of acidity and smokiness makes these an absolute must-try. The side of salsa adds just the right amount of heat to enhance, not overpower. 2️⃣ Carnitas & Carne Asada Tacos – Slow-cooked to perfection, the carnitas are rich and flavorful, with a melt-in-your-mouth tenderness. The addition of fresh pico de gallo and a generous dollop of guacamole brings out the depth of the meat’s flavor. The carne asada was equally impressive, with a smoky, grilled essence complemented by bright citrus notes. 🍹 Margaritas - A Masterclass in Mixology The margaritas at Buena Vida are nothing short of outstanding. The balance between sweet, tart, and tequila-forward flavors is executed masterfully. The salt-rimmed glasses and fresh lime garnish make them as aesthetically pleasing as they are refreshing. 🌟 Overall Experience Ambience: Warm, inviting, and lively without being overwhelming. Service: Attentive and knowledgeable, with great recommendations. Food Quality: Fresh, flavorful, and beautifully presented. Drinks: Strong, balanced, and perfectly crafted. Buena Vida is a spot that elevates traditional Mexican flavors into something truly special. Whether you're here for a casual bite or a full meal with drinks, you’re in for an incredible experience. Highly recommended!

Fernanda C

Really delicious local Mexican restaurant, you can book in advance online and when we arrived we were seated immediately. Ordered tacos and guacamole both good! Service is efficient and the only annoying thing was that the music is kinda loud for a more intimate dinner.

Casey Patrick (Qase)

Cozy place, not a lot of light. There is an outdoor area if you like to sit outside. I had the best tacos and nachos. Service was great too and food was served in great time. To get great discounts visit during the happy hour or visit on Tuesdays of taco Tuesdays.

An Pan

A very friendly place with great food and drinks. Had the happy hour Cadillac and water melon margaritas. They were made strong with the hint of taste from the other flavors. The mole chicken wings were spicy enough for me. Shisito peppers were fried and tasty. My wife like the vegetable empanadas with the bean dip. Witcheater gin drink was good also.

Gemma

Super delicious. Very nice staff. Cute outdoor area with heat lamps. Spicy margaritas. Great mango juice for nonalcohol. Everything amazing. Cute small plates and choose your own taco so you can try more food and flavors~

Adam Kaplan

Went in for a mid week lunch based on high ratings, and I am adding to those high ratings. My server said this would be the best burrito I've ever had and he wasn't far off. It is a solid 10/10 vessel of deliciousness. The ingredients were fresh and tasty, the carne asada was tender and juicy, the ratios were perfect. The chips were also 10/10, light and crispy, with a sprinkle of seasoning. Everyone was super friendly. Inside tables are limited but there's long bar and a parklet.

Daniel Shipps

Birria Ramen was great! Good service and a cool vibe

Barbara Stephenson

How did I miss this gem of a place for so long?! This is not a hole in the wall restaurant. The atmosphere is great with an outdoor patio where we had a team lunch and it's not a stretch to say the inside is my next business lunch spot. The staff are so kind and welcoming. The food, I've been twice now and gotten the salad with carnitas and it's generous in size and flavors. Totally my new favorite place on Folsom.

Darcy Joan Gabriele

This place was great! I walked in at 12:30 during a busy conference, and they were packed. Luckily I got a seat at the bar. Service was great, and the Tex mex salad with birria was DELIGHTFUL! I was particularly impressed by the guy seemingly in charge- guessing he was the manager. He managed a busy lunch rush with limited staff like a BOSS. He was actively making sure every single table in the whole restaurant had what they needed. I honestly don’t even know how he did it but I was impressed.

Derek Anderson

I enjoyed the honey mole wings as an appetizer. Perfect shareable for 2 people. I ordered the chicken tinga taco and the el jefe taco. Both were AMAZING. The el jefe is no joke, HUGE! Fresh tasting and well prepared food. Great atmosphere for a chill lunch/dinner/drink. Friendly and fast service.

Ikram Yahiani

Food, service, and atmosphere were marvelous. We were two adults and two toddlers, were served by Emilio, he is a gentleman he took all the time to explain and suggest the menu, his manager should be proud of hiring him!

Good food, but the restaurant had trouble keeping up with the crowd. Some cocktails were not available, I'm guessing that's also due to crowds. Having said that, the staff were all great.

Great place to eat some Mexican food. Would come again, but the ratio between quantity, quality and price are not balanced.

Pros: the chips and guac were some of the best I’ve ever eaten. The staff were nice. Cons: they kind of trick you into ordering chips by making them seem like they come with the meal even though they cost $10. The burritos were decent but only a 4/5

Tacos and lemonade were delicious. Yucatan rice didn’t really have an flavor… wasn’t a fan of that. Service was okay. We never saw our server again so we asked a different one to help us out so we could pay and leave.

Came here for a casual business lunch. Service was a little slow but the food was quite good. I enjoyed the guacamole + chips and the burrito bowl!

good food, fast service, really liked the ambience of the place with dim lights, candles and beautiful wall art. the margaritas were too strong, hard to enjoy. overall good place to eat.

Delicious Mexican food. Went there for lunch and a drink, didn’t disappoint. The food was awesome. I had the burrito and my wife had a mix of tacos. The food came out VERY quickly which is good in most cases but ordered Guac and chips so before we got to our second chip our lunch was upon us. Probably wouldn’t recommend the guac if you order main at the same time as the meals are large enough and come out at the same time. Loses a star cause it’s a bit pricey

The wife brought me here on a date because she went with a friend and thought I'd enjoy the food. Parking is a little scarce, but it's SF, what do you expect?! We were sat at a table right when we entered. For drinks I ordered the HBIC margarita which was a little spicy, but that's why I ordered it. The wife ordered the blackberry ginger margarita which she didn't really like due to the mezcal. For apps we tried the esquites which was ok, but had us wishing we would've went w/the fried plantains. For entrees I had a lobster & steak taco and a quesabirria taco on suggestion from server/bartender. Both were tasty and I barely was able to finish. The wife ordered 2 fish tacos which she enjoyed. For dessert we tried the churros which were good. The server/bartender was very nice, informative and attentive. We would go back for sure and explore some other options on the menu.

Karume Richards

The wife brought me here on a date because she went with a friend and thought I'd enjoy the food. Parking is a little scarce, but it's SF, what do you expect?! We were sat at a table right when we entered. For drinks I ordered the HBIC margarita which was a little spicy, but that's why I ordered it. The wife ordered the blackberry ginger margarita which she didn't really like due to the mezcal. For apps we tried the esquites which was ok, but had us wishing we would've went w/the fried plantains. For entrees I had a lobster & steak taco and a quesabirria taco on suggestion from server/bartender. Both were tasty and I barely was able to finish. The wife ordered 2 fish tacos which she enjoyed. For dessert we tried the churros which were good. The server/bartender was very nice, informative and attentive. We would go back for sure and explore some other options on the menu.

Booked for monday dinner for a work function and the place was shut. Really unimpressed, made me look like an idito in front of clients, fix your booking system

I had high expectations for this place. The decor was amazing and service was outstanding but the actual meal fell flat....nothing had any flavor or spice to make it stand out. I regularly visit San Francisco and this was my first time here but wouldn't take the time to come back. For more reviews follow me on IG @Chaun_Matayen

+6

This place has a festive and atmospheric interior, and felt authentic. We ordered the crispy mushroom tacos and shrimp burrito. The portions are generous: each taco order comes with two large tacos. My partner and I were plenty full with just those two dishes, and a chips appetizer. A small tip: if you’re ordering a burrito, you already get chips on the side. No need to order an extra chip appetizer. This might apply to other entrees as well, so ask in advance. The food came out fresh, but was a little on the salty side for both of us, especially the salsas. Overall, the food was just okay, not standout. The service was great, super friendly staff! It’s a more upscale Mexican dining experience compared to a hole-in-the-wall burrito joint. But we prefer burritos with a slightly different flavor profile. Our favorite places are still in the Mission. If we were actively traveling on the hunt for a burrito fix, we would go to other places. This is a great spot if you happen to be in the area, or just finished a movie at Metreon!

TLDR: quality of food and service is on point but the prices for the portions don’t match I think the quality of the shrimp taco and the birria ramen was awesome. The chunks of meat in the birria were tender, the soup was flavorful without being too oily. But paying $14 for one single shrimp taco is just too much for me. As for the birria ramen, it just needed a little bit more noodle. Even for the small size, there were only about two bites of ramen, which left this whole bowl of consommé with nothing else to eat it with. Service is very friendly and inviting, had good conversations with them but I just didn’t feel full enough from ordering $32 (subtotal) worth of food (including a soda).

The food was okay. I had the veggie tacos. The ambience was good. Slightly dark inside the restaurant. The shishito peppers were tasty and little spicy.

Jeffrey Zhou

This place has a festive and atmospheric interior, and felt authentic. We ordered the crispy mushroom tacos and shrimp burrito. The portions are generous: each taco order comes with two large tacos. My partner and I were plenty full with just those two dishes, and a chips appetizer. A small tip: if you’re ordering a burrito, you already get chips on the side. No need to order an extra chip appetizer. This might apply to other entrees as well, so ask in advance. The food came out fresh, but was a little on the salty side for both of us, especially the salsas. Overall, the food was just okay, not standout. The service was great, super friendly staff! It’s a more upscale Mexican dining experience compared to a hole-in-the-wall burrito joint. But we prefer burritos with a slightly different flavor profile. Our favorite places are still in the Mission. If we were actively traveling on the hunt for a burrito fix, we would go to other places. This is a great spot if you happen to be in the area, or just finished a movie at Metreon!

Wilson Tsang

TLDR: quality of food and service is on point but the prices for the portions don’t match I think the quality of the shrimp taco and the birria ramen was awesome. The chunks of meat in the birria were tender, the soup was flavorful without being too oily. But paying $14 for one single shrimp taco is just too much for me. As for the birria ramen, it just needed a little bit more noodle. Even for the small size, there were only about two bites of ramen, which left this whole bowl of consommé with nothing else to eat it with. Service is very friendly and inviting, had good conversations with them but I just didn’t feel full enough from ordering $32 (subtotal) worth of food (including a soda).

Janaki V

The food was okay. I had the veggie tacos. The ambience was good. Slightly dark inside the restaurant. The shishito peppers were tasty and little spicy.

Not very good. They were out of some tequilas & they could not make a blended Margarita. The guacamole was pretty good.

They are closed at 6pm on a Friday. Doesn't look like they are in business any more. Took my online order and money though (update 12/7) Buena Vida Cantina refunded the amount of my order, but not the online tip...

The most overpriced food I have ever had. Less than 50g of rise, a spoonful of beans puré and guacamole, and some meat: 22$. In 2 we had 2 of this "Protein plate" and 2 beers. 64$. I have finished it in 3 minutes and I come from Europe where portions are normally smaller than in the US, for what I could experience in my visit. And this was even smaller. When I told this to the waiter he replied with: "ok" What a service. I have worked in hospitality for 10 years. Never seen something like this Not recommended.