The last time I was at Tropisueno at 75 Yerba Buena Lane it was years ago for a party on Cinco de Mayo. My cousin once worked there as a bartender so she had mentioned it after another plan went bust. When we arrived back then there was a live band, DJ, and shots flowing. The tacos were what I remembered the most though.
In between margaritas and tequila/mezcal shots, I was buying carne asada tacos to attempt to keep an incoming hangover at bay (it didn’t work). The flavor of the carne asada stayed with me over the years and I wondered how they were doing at Tropisueno.
I stopped by recently for tacos and found the place moderately busy. I grabbed a table at their outdoor courtyard which has tall glass windows, perfect for shielding you from the cold wind that blows in the evenings.
Tropisueno is much fancier than the taquerias I normally frequent in the Mission District, to me each place has its own appeal for different reasons.
The waiter was new and in-training, but there was no noticeable change in the quality of the food or experience. One of the things I find most fascinating about dining in San Francisco after this return is how good the food still is in San Francisco, despite literally everything working against the dining scene here and that is why I believe San Francisco will rise again as a food destination.
Shutdowns, bar closures, a lack of tourists, the exodus of Silicon Valley, confusing government regulations, and a surging Delta variant have not stopped the restaurants in San Francisco from serving some of the best food I’ve ever had. It tastes almost like a pandemic never happened, but if you look around, the places feel emptier and the business is most certainly slower than it has been in for a long time.
I ordered a plate of tacos with rice and beans. The order comes with chips and salsa, three different sauces to be precise. Each one is enjoyable in its own way, I personally don’t have a preference. The rice and beans are cooked to perfection, moist and soft with each bite.
I enjoyed a Cena Del Oso margarita cocktail made with El jimador, Drambuie, cassis, and fresh lime juice rimmed with smoked salt. It hit the spot and created an instant buzz that was just right for 5 p.m. and a day running around the city for work.
Of the taco choices I ordered Carnitas and Carne Asada. Both were delicious in their own right and stacked to perfection, but I leaned toward the Carne Asada.
It was partially the exquisite taste of the meat in my mouth, each bite a savory bit of juiciness as I chomped through and in the back of my mind a time before the pandemic where I danced the night away with my cousin while sipping margaritas when the city was fully alive and not battling a plague.
Tropisueno. 75 Yerba Buena Lane, San Francisco, CA 94103. (415) 985-2264.
Carlos Eats 