Our Favorite Latin American Restaurants in the Bay
The Latin American food scene is extremely strong in the Bay Area. We’re lucky to have tacos, pupusas, and tamales with regional variances spanning from Mexico to Chile. It’s impossible to name the best restaurants in these categories, but we do have some favorites we want to shout out. In honor of Hispanic heritage month, here’s our list for where to find great Latin American bites from San Francisco to San Jose. Don’t forget to stop by our Mid-Week Mercado at Salesforce Plaza on Wednesdays from 11am to 2pm. You can also check out our Bay Area taco guide here.
La Vaca Birria - Mexican (San Francisco)
Being a newcomer to SF’s established burrito scene in the Mission district is no easy task, but Vaca Birria stands out thanks to their unique flair. There’s actually a literal flare in the kitchen thanks to their mesquite grill where they grill carne asada and chicken for their tacos and burritos. They’re best known for their birria which is heavily infused with spices and slow cooked until it nearly melts on your tongue.
Popoca - Salvadoran (Oakland)
This Salvadoran restaurant is both traditional and fresh. You’ll want to visit with a large group to sample as much of the menu as possible. Their take on guacamole features crispy bits of beef and smoked yolk. The pupusas here are next level - they’re filled with blue shrimp, beef tongue, and oyster mushrooms. Some of the best menu items are grilled over a live flame in the back.
Sol Food Puerto Rican Cuisine - Puerto Rican (San Rafael**)**
A Bay Area institution with a large selection of dishes like chuletas, tostones, mofongo, and arroz con gandules. Don’t sleep on their wide selection of sandwiches - there’s fifteen of them including choripan, cubano, jibaro, and atun. If you’re looking for something a little different, get the paraiso sandwich filled with sweet plantain, jack cheese, mayo, steak, and sauteed onions. (Mention hot sauce)
Shaddai Guatemalan Cuisine - Guatemalan (San Jose)
A food truck with Guatemalan specialties like garnachas, chow mein tostadas, churrasco chapín, caldo de res, and pepián de gallina. The meals reflect family-style cooking with grilled steak topped in chirmol salsa, creamy beans, seasoned rice, and thick tortillas. Their menu changes regularly and they offer limited specialties on the weekend.
Bombera - Mexican (Oakland)
This is a fancy Mexican restaurant that keeps things classic. If for some reason you only order one thing from the menu, have it be the charred spicy carrots. They’re topped with a toasted almond misantla and submerged in large brothy beans. You can’t go wrong with any of the entrees, but if you want something you’ll have trouble finding elsewhere, go for the grilled swordfish swimming in red pipian.
Donaji - Mexican (San Francisco)
Donaji is one of the best places to get Oaxacan staples in San Francisco. The menu features handmade tortillas, Oaxaca totopos, mole rojo short rib, and Chalupas. Isai Cuevas worked in the restaurant industry for twenty years. He returned home to Oaxaca during the pandemic to reconnect with his roots. In October 2021, he opened Donaji to represent Oaxacan cuisine in the Bay. Their Mid-Week Mercado menu is exclusive and features mole negro, salsa macha, and churros.
El Molino Central - Mexican (Sonoma)
A cute Mexican restaurant specializing in seafood. They’re best known for their battered fish tacos, but don’t sleep on their crispy shrimp tacos and ceviche tostadas. There’s also enchiladas, chiles rellenos, birria, and tamales.
La Taqueria - Mexican (San Francisco)
This classic spot defines the Mission burrito. Their greatest hit is the carne asada burrito wrapped in a tortilla dorada. The meat is smoky, theflour tortilla is crispy, and there’s no rice to distract from the meat’s flavors.
Estrellitas Snacks - Mexican (San Francisco)
This second-generation Salvadoran restaurant specializes in pupusas, tamales, and tostadas. They offer traditional favorites like yuca frita, entomatadas, and chilaquiles - but, they also push the limits with unique creations. Don’t miss out on their pupusas filled with birria or lamb and cheese. They also have Oaxacan specialties like mole Oaxaqueno and tlayudas. The restaurant is run in honor of Maria del Carmen Florez (Estrellita's mother). Maria joined La Cocina in 2005 and brought her cooking experience from living across Central America.