Taqueria Cancun
Gerardo Rico and Pedro Grande cooked at El Farolito, then opened their own place in 1991. Rico is from Guadalajara. Grande is Salvadoran. Neither has a connection to the beach town they named it for.
Why go
Rico dropped a step many taquerias keep. Paolo Bicchieri's definition of the Mission burrito names a steamed ten-inch flour tortilla as a hallmark of the form.3 Cancún's goes on dry and twelve inches wide, straight onto the plancha, with shredded Monterey Jack melting into it before anything else is laid down.1
The chicken is the order and the marinade is the reason. Rico uses boneless skinless thighs and sits them overnight in an adobo of California chile, white pepper, cumin, onion, garlic, salt, orange juice and a little vinegar. Breast is too dry, he says.
Order this / avoid
- Order: the pollo asada, super. Omar Mamoon calls himself an asada man everywhere else and takes the chicken here.
- Order: the breakfast burrito, chorizo and scrambled egg, which Eater's 38 names as the other sharp order.2
- Order: the roja. It sits in the back, you have to ask for it, and it is flavored with tortillas fried that day.
- Avoid: asking for the tortilla steamed. This kitchen will not do it.
What locals & experts say
- Gerardo Rico, co-owner, on the order of assembly, to Omar Mamoon in Eater SF, April 2023:
When you wrap it, you have the meat in the middle and all the ingredients around it, so when you bite you can taste everything.
1 - Paolo Bicchieri, on Eater SF's 38 Essential Restaurants:
The two-pound super burritos are inarguably worth crossing off the list, Hass avocado and dice onion-riddled torpedoes.
2
Good to know
- Getting in: counter service, no bookings, and there is usually a line.
- Doors: three trade under this name. This one is 2288 Mission Street at 19th; the others are on 6th and Market and in Bernal Heights.
- Timing: breakfast through late.
Verdict
should-visit — Chips and salsa come with the super here. There is a big wooden bench if you want to sit, and a park to take it to.