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La Taqueria

La Taqueria is a restaurant in San Francisco, California. In 2017 it was named one of America's Classics by the James Beard Foundation.

History

Owner Miguel Jara, who grew up in Tijuana, Mexico, immigrated to the United States in 1961.[1] He missed the food from his home and decided to open a taqueria.[2] He opened the restaurant in 1973, building the space out himself.[3][4] At the time the designation "Mission-style" was not commonly used.[3] According to Bon Appetit it is credited with creating the style.[5]

The restaurant is located on Mission street between 24th and 25th, in San Francisco's Mission District.[4] Jara's parents had helped him buy the building for US$39,000 in 1972; after they died without transferring ownership to him, the business was the subject of a property dispute between Jara and his eight siblings.[6] A court ordered the building to be sold and the profits dispersed among the siblings, and in 2018 Jara and his sons purchased it for $1.7 million.[6][7]

Menu

The restaurant focuses on Mission-style burritos.[1] Ingredients include meat, beans, cheese, and sauces.[1][3] Pork for the carnitas are simmered in lard and then roasted.[8] The recipes do not include rice, which is a common component in most Mission-style burritos.[9][2] On request the rolled burritos are finished on the grill to brown them, which is known as dorado-style; the option is off-menu.[3][10][5]

The restaurant also serves tacos and quesadillas.[4][11]

Recognition

In 2017 the restaurant was named one of America's Classics by the James Beard Foundation.[12] In 2014 FiveThirtyEight named it the best burrito in the country.[13][12][14] The San Francisco Chronicle called the restaurant "the Mission's most famous burrito spot".[15]

References

  1. ^ a b c "2017 America's Classic: La Taqueria". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Peterson, Lucas (April 26, 2017). "Watch: How La Taqueria Became a San Francisco Classic". Eater. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  3. ^ a b c d Canavan, Hillary Dixler (December 4, 2015). "The Story of La Taqueria's Remastered Mission-Style Burrito". Eater. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c "La Taqueria". Southwest.fm. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Appétit, Bon. "La Taqueria Review". Bon Appetit. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  6. ^ a b Bitker, Janelle (November 13, 2018). "La Taqueria's Owner Successfully Buys Its Building". Eater SF. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  7. ^ "The Best Burritos in San Francisco". Serious Eats. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  8. ^ "La Taqueria Carnitas Recipe". Sunset Magazine. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  9. ^ "Mission Burrito Recipe". NYT Cooking. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  10. ^ "La Taqueria - Mission - San Francisco". The Infatuation. August 22, 2022. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  11. ^ "La Taqueria". Time Out San Francisco. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Batey, Eve (May 22, 2020). "Lauded Burrito Spot La Taqueria Reopens for Takeout". Eater SF. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  13. ^ Birdsall, John (October 11, 2016). "The Story of the Mission Burrito, Piled High and Rolled Tight". Bon Appétit. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  14. ^ "After Winning Nation's Best Burrito Award, San Francisco's La Taqueria Inundated By Diners". www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  15. ^ "One evening at La Taqueria, San Francisco's most famous burrito spot". The San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved March 6, 2023.

37°45′03″N 122°25′05″W / 37.7509°N 122.4181°W / 37.7509; -122.4181