Been coming here since I was a kid my whole childhood is rapped up in this place. My whole family comes here the horrific just melt in your mouth.

My go to when it's been a long day and I have the kids with me. Instead of getting each child in and out of their car seats, it has the convenient drive thru. My favorite is the carne asada fries!! Food is always on point when I go there.

Good Mexican food. Fast service and cheap. Has parking. Has drive through. 3 serving stations. Burritos are wet - so you might not like it if that is not your style. Perfect after hike destination.

I have always loved this place and always happy with my orders and quality of food. EXCEPT my last visit I ordered two HAPPY CHICKEN BURRITOS and sadly I could not eat them, too much jalapeño not enough chicken, rice, beans and fixing.I am used to jalapeño but NOT so much! Taste was terrible... I looked forward to these when I travel over 400 miles.

I love it here, the food is good and I have been going here for 30 years or more lol my new favorite is the crispy potato tacos, yummy! Drive thru, open late, breakfast burritos, it's all good here! **** We need you to open in Sacramento, there are no good burrito places here, hurry please!

I love this place. I have friends in the area and when I finished visiting them I stop here to get me a shrimp Burrito to take back home. I also tried there tacos and it's delicious.

El Faro Mexican restaurant in South San Francisco on the El Camino Real has been my favorite Super Burrito restaurant since the 1980s. The food is just great!! They been serving up great food forever. Their sauce and meat is fantastic with over all quality second to none in the Mexican fast food business. The owners and staff are super friendly and the restaurant itself is very clean. There's a small seating area for about 35 along with a drive thru window that opens early and stays open late for those out on the town who want a quick and delicious meal. Check it out! Their great!

One of my go to place when I am craving for Mexican food. Good portion size for the price paid. Their wet (mojado)super burrito is excellent. Most of their business is drive through. They tape the dining area so I am not sure if we can eat in there, but they do it most likely for social distancing(this is after pandemic restriction is lifted). If what you are looking for is only take out or drive through, the its good. Otherwise you may need to eat in the car.

Never a disappointment. Burrito are huge and tasty. The owner is about 84 years old and very nice. I usually order super beef with jalapeno. The super nacho are excellent and should be eaten at the restaurant to prevent soggy chips. I will always be a returning customer

This place and the other locations have been by favorite burrito spots since I first went in the late 80s. Never had a bad meal here and never been unsatisfied. I have tried Mexican food all over from Los Angeles to the Bay. Best hands down.

Best breakfast burritos around!! I don't live in the area anymore, but every time I have a dentist appt I stop by and get them to go.

South city special! The only burrito place I've seen in my 35 years living here that steams their tortillas. Interesting because their other locations don't do that. It creates an interesting effect with the chese where it melts it. On occasion they've double steamed my burrito and it's come out melted and super gooey!

I’ve been coming to El Faro since I was a kid. This gem of a Mexican restaurant has been serving the SF Bay Area since the 60s. Every time I go, I order the Super Chicken Burrito which has the perfect blend of flavors: Mexican spices, the meat, rice, the combo of guacamole, sour cream and cheese all wrapped up in a steamed tortilla. Thats right, steamed. When you bite into it, your teeth sinks in with ease into that delicious, juicy burrito. 😍

Simply the best Mexican Cuisine in Northern California. I honestly would take an hour drive to get the Best burrito ever anywhere from this restaurant. I have been coming to this place since 1995! Yes, they've been around that long which should tell you that they have been totally consistent in the quality of their cuisine, service and integrity. Well worth the trip from anywhere!

Omg the food. Was not expecting the quality of the food from this little place with a drive-through. We had the Chile Verde dinner and quesadillas. The pork was cooked until it was falling apart tender, seasoned perfectly. The quesadillas were nice and crispy with warm stretchy melty cheese. There's a brand new Taco Bell next door, drive right on by it, and go to El Faro's. You won't be disappointed.

Born and raised in San Fracisco so I like this place. As long as you don't order carne asada (it's more of a stew sitting in those tubs) the service is fine- no one trying extra hard (faking it) to make you feel welcome. It's no frills, big burritos and still decent pricing. - THEY HAVE A DRIVE THRU AS WELL! Lol

Consistently good, quick service. I've been going to El Faro for over 25 years and even though I live almost 3 hours away from this location, I still come down just to get 5-10 regular chicken burritos. . . and of course chips and salsa! There's a certain method to the burritos that make it consistent and EDIBLE WHILE DRIVING; After the ingredients are added to the tortilla, they'll hold the tortilla together vertically like a taco and tap the burrito a couple times on the counter before wrapping it up nice and tight. I've noticed from the tapping of the burrito, it helps eliminate the air space in the burrito which in turn helps it to hold its shape while you eat it.

Very convenient when your craving mexican food and don't want to go inside to eat the drive thru us the next best thing opens late and hard workers and great service tacis we're great love the great spices definitely ill be back

El Faro has been a great go to eatery for decades. Quality Mexican food at decent prices with a friendly staff. It's always a special treat to dine here. They work so hard & give their best. I highly recommend this establishment for a great meal!

Lived in the area for a bit and just tried them out tonight for the 1st time. We ordered enchiladas, carne asada burrito, and carne asada plate. Everything was delicious! Zero complaints and we will definitely be back! The fast drive thru for the quality of food is also a major bonus!

Mine and my family's favorite place to eat. Delicious food whose quality and (considerably) low prices have remained astonishingly consistent for the 17 years we've been regularly frequenting the restaurant. Food is always cooked fresh, the dining area and restroom are always clean, and the staff, each one of them, is a salt-of-the earth type of person...just the kindest, most respectful, cheerful, non-judgemental and positive group of people you could ever hope to meet. I can't say enough good things about this little restaurant and its staff. They deserve all the success and business they have, and so much more.

Excellent food. The breakfast burritos are delicious; too fresh scrambled eggs with ham or a protein of your choice cheese and pico de gallo. The burritos are steamed not crispy. That is the mission style burrito. The chicken and beef are also stewed, a very good flavor and never dry. Over the years have been minor changes that I’ve been for better and worse, but overall the food is still damn good. The businesses is family owned, they have another location in the city. They tend to hire mostly women, and with the exception of the owners, it seems to be mostly run by women.

Born and raised in South City but moved to Canada 8 years ago. Came back 3 weeks ago for the first time in 8 years with my husband and of course had to visit El Faro. It did not disappoint. My husband is British & I introduced him to El Faro back when he used to come visit me. He absolutely loves it. Their El Pastor tacos are amazing & I always go for their Beef Enchilada dinner. Delicious authentic Mexican food!

This is the epitome of a hidden gem. A little hole in the wall Mexican food eatery, with so much flavor and value. We got the cheese enchilada dinner plate, super nachos with carne asada, and street tacos with carne asada, and the cheese pupusas. The food was QUALITY and portions were very generous. The nachos were loaded with steak, the tacos too. My enchilada plate came with 4 additional hot corn tortillas. Delightful. The pupusas were the show stopper. So big and so fresh. I ripped the first one open and the cheese was so perfectly fresh and stringy. The slaw that comes with the pupuas 10/10. Perfect. All of our meals came with a serving of chips and salsa. It's a humble place, but the best place I've been in San Francisco. I want to tell everyone to come here.

Steak quesadillas and tacos are delicious here every day, 7 days a week whether you walk in or use the drive through, it’s always good here

Love this place. Simple and yet very authentic. Steak and beans are good

Jill Wade

Every time I fly into SFO, I stop at El Faro's for a burrito before I head to my destination. Their burritos are delicious, generous size, and come with a side bag of chips to scoop out your burrito's innards. I always look forward to their burritos. Top notch.

Cathy Cotton

This is my favorite place that serves the best burritos ever made! Seasoned and delish! Seriously, I've been going to El Faros for years and I may be biased but I have yet to find a Mexican food place that serves burritos as good as El Faros! Nothing compares to El Faro's burritos. I used to go 2-3 times a month until I moved 2 hrs away. I will forever be an El Faro's regular.

Matthew McCord

A family favorite. Bean and cheese burrito is awesome. They have the good refried beans.

Jennifer Miles

Best drive-thru in town. We love to stop here for late night eats after the airport. The burritos are massive and delicious!

Hector Ontiveros

El Faro in South San Francisco is amazing! The home of the Original Super Burrito - ordered a Super Steak Burrito and it was packed with flavor and absolutely delicious. The staff provided outstanding customer service, and the restaurant was spotless and welcoming. Definitely a must-visit spot!

Starflower

I’ve gone to El Faro for years—I mess heavilyyyyy with their quesadillas lol—their super quesadillas with chicken or carne asada con pico de gallo? que ricooooooo. Idc what anyone says—one thing about me is I’m always gonna go back to El Faro. I’ve been eating it for close to 30 years, since I was a baby! And so has my 12 year old nephew. Baby bean and rice burritos for the babies, of course. Forgot to mention—the papusas are next level. Must dip in their signature salsa y curtido 😍

Ocean S

One of the best chili rellenos in the Bay. I have ordered them twice now and both times they were delicious. I cannot comment on consistency as I have ordered from them just twice so far but the two that I had on separate days were delicious. I used to live in a mostly farm worker town and since moving away, I have had a very hard time finding not just a good chili relleno, but good Mexican food in general in the Bay. This place ranks as one of two places I have found a good chili relleno. My only issue is that they put cheese on top. I suggest asking them not to put cheese on top. The cheese inside is more than enough. Also, they are surprisingly cheap compared to other places in the city! Overall, would recommend.

OJR Lopez

Love the drive-thru. Decent price & great size super burrito. Tried pupusas once. Definitely not their specialty.

Kassandra Cordero

El Faro's was a childhood staple for me. I could remember shopping on mission Street in San Francisco with my mom all day being patient just so I can go get a burrito when we were done. Lol! So I truly enjoyed it with my daughter.

Francisco Garay

El Farro is the only drive by burrito place in the area and that says a lot. The carnitas never miss and the burritos are big. I ordered a super burrito but they forgot the super part, it's not the only time they messed up my order but honestly. I mean you are eating at a drive by burrito place. Consider yourself lucky.

Pastor Dre

Hello Family - if you’re ever in the mood for some good Mexican food, You want to stop by El Faros? This place is rockin and the food is off the hook. If you stop by let them know Pastor Dre sent you

Rain Gomez

I'm glad they close late! Me & my friend were craving for pupusas! Unfortunately many closes by 7pm to 8pm! Thank goodness el faro closes by 10pm or so & they have a drive through! Quick service & affordable! Pupusas good enough to satisfied our cravings pork with beans & cheese! I wish they have more options for pupusas but these were good enough! They have many other menus I can't wait to try the rest! I also has their quesadillas in the past super good! They also have home made drinks like Jamaica, Tamarindo, & horchata !!!! BTW they accept credit cards w/ 3.9 something charge but still affordable!

+3

MLM

I swear the juices inside the chicken burrito have healing powers. So good! There is nothing like authentic Mexican food in California--never watered down for the commercial palate.

Jessica R

The no meat burrito is super filling and very well seasoned. It has tomato in it, which I love. It’s kind of hard to find a vegetarian burrito with fresh tomatoes. The drive through is also super fast. I’m very happy with my lunch today.

The birria burrito on the weekend is awesome. Love the pupusas and that they have baby quesadillas as well. The drive thru helps a lot. Been going to this particular location for a few decades now.

I enjoy eating here and the food is good. Great selection too. It's walking distance for me from home. They have a drive-up window although I prefer to sit inside. The service is quick.

A drive thru, friendly lady taking orders just says ok when your done ordering so u go forward, miss the carne a yr ago much better b4 but still good, prices are great for servings for tacos n burritos, not to flavorful but salsa is simple/tasty here, I ask for 1 more sauce ,lots of parking, they just care about getting u out of drivethru in 2mins or less sadly been coming the last few yrs, l'll be back, if meat was alittle better it'd be 5🌟 's for sure

El Farros has pretty good food. The chorizo breakfast burritos are decent. I also like the nachos. They have big portions sizes if that's what you're looking for. It's not the best place I've been to in my life, but it's the best drive through Mexican Restaurant I know of in that area.

Traveled from Sacramento, visiting family here in SSF! We always stop here to a burrito 🌯 before heading back to Sac. They forgot to put guacamole in the burrito, which was an extra cost for it! Kindly, staff read the order slip carefully, be mindful when preparing the food to ensure correct order is being made as requested!!

I've always loved this place. Had the Carne asada fries for the first time, and they were DELICIOUS! As always, I ordered my fave horchata, and it was delicious! One of the best I've ever had! Inflation has the prices going up, but it's worth it

Fast food and delicious Mexican food done right! Highly recommend the hard crispy tacos with ground beef, they come in a trio with cheese and lettuce. Ask for jalepeños and a side of sour cream (if you ask for it on the tacos, they will charge you triple, 1 for each taco!) Their burritos are huge ( >1 lb easy) so ask for a baby burrito (still a decent portion) if you want something smaller.

Inside is like a old-fashioned cafeteria. Drive through fast hot and very accommodating. I do wish they made their own chips. Salsa is not too spicy. It is just to my taste. Best bang for the buck around. Next time I am trying the pupusas.

Solid 3.5 stars. This doesn't mean it's a bad place, just lacks the luxuries. The food is solid, not much fat, sugar, salt therefore I can recommend for those on special diets. My bud ordered a veggie burrito and no complaints. I ordered the asada it was cooked but not browned (my fav, maybe I'll ask for it later). I will say it was very filling and the salsa was great! I'll raise it oo 4 stars just for the salsa! Service is great, put down 5 stars. The drive thru is a interesting preposition. I like it!

Really like their burritos! I got a baby no meat burrito and my kiddo got a carne asada burrito.

Food was good as usual cause I got the taco combo plate. The taco shell I wished was a little more crispy/crunchy but I have never had bad food here. This review is purely based on the taco shell and the experience based off that. Everything else was great and the chips and salsa was good too (salsa a bit vinegary).

We love the food there. Always well prepared, hot, and delicious! Not greasy. Very convenient as they have a drive-thru. Friendly service. Takes credit cards. Large menu, and all kinds of drinks (including beer). Our favorite is the chicken enchilada dinner, which comes with rice, beans, chips, your choice of flour or corn tortillas, and hot salsa. Very filling and satisfying.

Didn't get what I ordered on account of language barrier and they charge THREE DOLLARS for the tiniest side of lettuce. Portions are massive and I can tell they work really hard and are nice. And what they gave me was really good, so three stars it is! ✨️ I'd recommend not to go there, if you're exhausted and/or cranky or if you are just Karen in general bc you'll definitely be frustrated trying to communicate and nobody deserves verbal abuse for trying to do their job. If you can roll with whatever, you'll be fine - you may get to try something new and you might just like it!

The only place I know that makes a huge regular burrito very good! The regular is the size of a king burrito that you get from a restaurant! Their super burrito, which I would order regularly, is 2-3 pounds of everything they have! It's so good and you'll not want to eat for the rest of the day! In my younger years, I ordered the super burrito 3-4 times a week as a Carpenter! The establishment itself is mediocre, but the food is fantastic.

Drive thru. Ordered nachos w/ carne asada. So good and had plenty for later. Returned on 2/18 and got a dinner plate to bring home. Ordered the enchiladas plate with one taco. The cashier heard two tacos and charged me for two. Got home, one taco.

Lynn Eglan

This place used to be good.  Now it's just alright.  I feel like they've changed ownership a while ago, but when I ask, they say, "No,"  the old school old man is no longer there at night.  The whole staff has changed. Service is meh.  They just slap the food together and off you go.   Food hasn't changed. The place inside is still simple with minimal decoration.  They do charge more now if you pay with card.  I'm noticing this a lot more in some places. I mainly come here when I'm in the area and looking for early breakfast.  They are one of the few places open at 7am.

Marlon Evangelista

A taqueria with a drive-through. That's a first! Good char on their chicken quesadilla, which comes with free chips and salsa.

I bought one of these burritos for the first time on the way to work last week. I liked the idea of a drive-thru burrito shop (especially during COVID times). However, this burrito is not what I want. I ordered a carnitas super burrito. The carnitas were very salty, wet and NOT crispy. I gotta have some crisp on my 'nitas, you know? Anyways, the service was quick and polite and efficient. So I appreciate that. But, there are definitely better options for a quick burrito nearby.

It's never been the same since they put the drive thru in. Traffic increased while quality decreased like most everything else...

The bean and cheese burrito was pretty good. The torillas were a little soggy but overall it was a good experience. My friend got a quesadilla that she claimed was unreal... she wouldn't share so I can't give my opinion. They give you a TON of chips too!

First time I couldn't finish a taco, due to it tasting so bad. I ordered 3 tacos. Beef, chicken and carnitas, the first two were ok. The carnitas one was not edible, the pork tasted as if it had been reheated in spoiled oil. Disappointed, I love there other locations.

Came over here on a Friday it was relatively busy but the service was fast ordered the fried tacos and also the taquitos chicken . Taquitos came out great guacamole sour cream was delicious the fried tacos on the other hand while it was crispy on the outside the potato was barely cooked on the inside it it made a really awkward taste and really needs to be cooked better and I stayed away from the pumpusas from other reviews that people told me hopefully my next visit will be better but for now this is all it gets

First time there. I tried the carne asada regular burrito. The rice and black beans were very tasty. The meat had nice flavor but had a lot of stringy fat in it. The burrito was a large portion. The red and verde sauces were both good. The chips were homemade and free unlike most places now. I would go back if nearby and hungry. The pricing was $7 for a regular $8.50 for the super.

Decent food on the pricey side. Nothing special about it, I had the al pastor burrito, which was good but the Fajitas were plain and weren't seasoned well. Might try it again if I'm in the area

My review will be based on the burrito and pupusa. In my opinion, shredded chicken is my top pick. The carne asada is ok, sometimes when I get it, the meat was sort of cold. Their burritos taste more like a soupy burritos, if that makes sense. The pupusas on the other hand taste dry. I've had better pupusas. Customer service is ok as well.

It's okay...I wouldn't eat here again. The tomatoes were out at room temp that made them spoil. Staff showed no care when making the food. The burritos were soggy, due to not draining the beans or meat before putting it in the tortilla. It had an okay taste but for price, you can get better food elsewhere.

Ordered the chicken quesadilla, it was dry and very little taste, had to wait 15 minutes to get my order, was not pleased with how it came out. I know they can do better, because I have eaten there on other occasions.

Carne Asada Breakfast Burrito review, $9.60+tax. It was okay. The pinto beans made it a bit soupy if that makes any sense. I wouldn't order it again.

Not sure if super burritos have sour cream and avocado here but the last 5 times I’ve been here they haven’t given me any. Be safe and order the less expensive regular burrito. Or ask for a knife and cut your burrito in half to check if it has sour cream and avocado, since you’re paying for it.

I became sick unfortunately. I ordered the enchilada plate way to much sauce. I ordered quacamole it was processed we gave it back. I was very disappointed. The red salsa was good. My husband was happy he had them put real avacado instead of the guacamole now knowing what it was yuk. We like the real thing. Well we won't be back!

Used to be really good food here. Last two visits, they didn't cook the meals adequately. In the first visit, the outside of Chili Relleno was cold and mealy and cheese inside still very cool. In another visit, the shrimp in a Shrimp Fajita was room temp and showed NO signs of grilling. Rice was lukewarm and watery with little flavor. Please cook the food properly, or find someone who can.

This the 4th time I ordered food for my family and my husband and kids . They didn't want to at first to buy food here. The beef burrito was like eating mostly rice, the quasadia don't have a lot of the red tomato thing inside which makes the quasidi delicious, the nacho I will definitely not order that again hardy any meat. I used to buy food there every other week for my family buy now I'm going to find another place that has tastier food. No need to be stingy with the meat and red sauce. Great tasting food is what brings in customers.

Friendly staff in ok neighborhood. The food wasn't as good as we hoped based on others ratings. We're big fan of Mexican food but won't be coming back here. the flavors were rather basic and I got very thirsty later that afternoon which usually worries me about what goes in the food.

I never been to a spot where they make a burrito faster than you order it and looking at the customers says exactly who they cater too. That name is held in high regard in San Francisco I should have known better because the building looks like it was a McDonald's prior

The happy burrito is an abomination. Lettuce and tomatoes shouldn't be in burritos. Why do they offer something so concretely gross on the menu it's actually so weird. I also only came here for the promise of $5-11 burritos and I got charged $18 lol. I get there being an upcharge for shrimp but $6-7 upcharge is actual insanity. I also wasn't asked for here or to go so I ate at a table out of a paper bag. I'm sooooo dissapointed.

S. Vazquez

Usually this place is decent but this time not so good. Ordered nachos and they looked like soup. The rep at the drive thru also had a bad attitude. I couldn't even eat the nachos, should have got a spoon.

I eat a lot of Mexican food this was not great at all. Ordered a Shrimp Burrito the Shrimp's were old and uncooked. The Burrito had way too much liquid very messy. I dont know what they put in their Burrito's but I've never seen anything like it. Very disappointing, Nice women at the window. Horrible food.

I was very surprised my super steak burrito only had beans and steak piece & my super steak nachos . The sour cream was runny it look like they throw in a hurry. I also stop there once a week for dinner. What's happening the food different

Got home to feed my kids and all my burritos were wrong! Called them to let them know after kids ate half of burrito and they wanted me to bring burritos back to verify versus comping burritos for next time. Ordered 2 super burritos that did not come with guacamole nor sour cream JUST RICE AND CARNE ASADA. Burritos didn’t have beans, NEVER GOING THERE AGAIN!!! SHAME ON THEM

On Monday evening June 20th 2022 around 8:30PM waiting on the drive thru as usual, I noticed the boy who was mopping doing a horrible job following cleaning procedures and sweeping garbage towards my vehicle and not apologizing. Dishes that this boy was washing still looked filthy and he needs to be fired ASAP. I will never spend my money here again thanks to witnessing dirty,filthy,unprofessional staff.

The burrito was soggy from not draining the beans I wasn’t gonna complain until I found a hair in my food it was disgusting I almost choked on the hair. I went to go get a refund on my food but they wouldn’t let me they said I had no proof she took my receipt and said I lost it.she said she would not give me a refund cause I already eat half of my burrito.How is it my fault that they dropped there hair in my burrito the only way I could ever know is by eating the burrito, and the employees were extremely rude about the situation! Never going here again!

Papusas had barely any filling. They forgot to put half my order in the bag. I also had a veggie burrito from here, it was okay but wont go back for another one. Drive thru is convienient but food is not so good

The Nachos were soggy. I ordered a side of Enchilada sauce the sauce had a long black hair swimming in it. As I pulled around the corner a staff member was smoking a cigarette with her gloves on and didn't change or take her gloves off when she went inside; instead, she kept them on and started working🤭🤢 The cashier was super rude. Definitely Not going back.

Am lactose intolerant. Every other taqueria I have gone to I say "No cheese" and they tell me "tacos don't have cheese!". So I let my guard down. This place has cheese by default. Sad day ordering 8 tacos and arriving home with cheese on by default. I have to be on my toes to order from anywhere.

I ordered super burrito and it was filled with rotten meat. Couldn't eat and had to throw up. Be careful of ordering anything here.

This place used to have great food and prices. Now they overcharge and the food is low quality. $21 for nachos and a burrito. The meat was rubbery and tasted low quality. Burrito was wet like they didn’t drain the ingredients. Ended up getting the runs from the nachos. I’d rather eat from Taco Bell next door and that’s saying something. Hope they can improve their food quality.

Came to grab a bite to eat with my girlfriend we were told to sit any where so we sat and waited for our waiter we order Chile cheese fries and a sandwich 10 minutes go by we think nothing then someone else comes in after us they order and got their food right away at this point we’ve been waiting for 20+ minutes for some fries and a sandwich at this point they said they were short a cook and that’s understandable but at least give out the food in the Order it was received I don’t ever think i actually ever walked out of a restaurant before I even got my food will never be coming back here chips were stale as well

Allana Smilovitsky

This is the second time in a row this place has gotten my order wrong and it's not that complicated, super burrito with no beans. I received a burrito that was literally just rice and chicken, nothing else. I'm so angry! I love supporting small businesses but unfortunately I'm not coming back here again.

David Rodriguez

I have been a customer of El Faro since 1995. On August 31, 2025 I purchased two burritos and found a hair in one. I called and asked for a refund. I was told that only the manager could issue a refund, and that she would call me back. She never called. I submitted a claim with my credit card company and I submitted a complaint to the San Mateo County Health Department. The person who answered the phone was Lilly and the manager who was supposed to call me was Maria.

Joshua Aragona

Came in and the lady who serve us doesn’t even smile . Also the employees working in the drive tru is not wearing gloves to make the food and did not observe anyone washing their hands while handling food .