The Best Mission Burritos: November 2010

What's this about?

San Francisco's Mission District is synonymous with burritos. Where else can you find multiple taquerias in a two-block radius? It seems like everyone has an opinion on what place makes the best burrito in the Mission. Or you can go on Yelp and find testimonies on the most amazing, mouth-watering burritos. Often, those recommendations have disappointed me every time.

However, what credentials do those reviewers have? Are they from the Mission? Are they Mexican? Do they make Mexican food?

No. No. No.

I am 4th generation San Franciscan from the Mission District and a proud Chicana. My mother is an excellent cook and taught me to make tacos, enchiladas, burritos, posole, tamales, etc.

I have decided to create a blog about my quest for the best Mission burrito. I will eat a burrito from every taqueria in the Mission and rate them according to a scorecard. Check for my results.

Monday, November 22, 2010

La Corneta Taqueria

LA CORNETA TAQUERIA
2731 Mission @ 23rd Street
lacorneta.com

PRICE: $6.45 (not including tax)

La Corneta Taqueria has 4 locations in the SF Bay Area. This location is near the 24th Street BART station. It has ample seating.

I conducted this taste test on November 22, 2010. My mother ordered the pollo en salsa verde (chicken in green sauce) and my stepdad ordered a super beef burrito. I ordered a regular pollo en salsa roja (chicken in red sauce) burrito.

OVERALL RATING: 6
(1= lowest, 10= highest)

CONTENTS

Quality of Meat: 5
I had the pollo en salsa roja (red sauce). The meat was moist but not spicy.

Quality of Beans: 5
Average.

Quality of Rice: 6
There are two rice options: red or green. I had the green rice. It was a nice change.

Quality of Salsa: 7
There are three different types of salsas: pico de gallo, roja, and verde. Also, I received marinated onions with jalapenos. Yum!

Note: I have seen La Corneta get busy. When I went, it was so busy that the owner was taking orders and getting beverages. However, I didn't wait too long to get my burritos.

EXTRAS
Free chips? Yes (average)
Free salsa? Yes (4 types: pico de gallo, salsa verde, salsa roja and marinated onions with jalapenos)

FINAL THOUGHTS
Slightly above average. The burrito is a good size. I liked the choice of rice, green or red. However, I expected the meat to be spicier.

My mother is a big fan of La Corneta. Her favorite dish is the combo plate with grilled salmon and steak.