El Balazo

Bob’s burrito is amazing… I used to be vegetarian, but caved and am omnivorous now. Bob’s veggie burrito may turn me back!

They closed??? LAME! My favorite mole burrito was here, oh snap!!!

Just to be completely clear about why Balazo is closed:

Went here last week for a quick bite while exploring the Haight. I’ve been to SF about 10 times and always I love to try out some new Mexican cuisine. In the case of this particular visit, I was getting very tired after walking all day and The Balazo’s brightly colored exterior drew me in immediately.
I had the Carne Asada burrito just to keep it simple. My lady had the vegetarian nachos. As stated before I eat a lot of Mexican and I was impressed by a few things at this establishment. First the quality of the meat in the burrito. It had that freshly grilled carne taste that is often left out at other places due to a faster, less careful cooking method.
What really struck me though was the nachos. Since becoming a vegetarian a few years ago, one realization has become apparent. At most places, vegetarian means simply remove the meat and serve at the same price as though you hadn’t. This place, actually gave respect to vegetarians by replacing the meat with all kinds of scrumptious veggies. There was broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, in addition to the usual suspects inside of the pico de gallo. Overall, it was a great meal and the salsa bar with its guacamole/​cilantro/​spicy concoction was amazing. That green stuff could power the world. Stop in and try this place out. You won’t be disappointed!

Haight and Ashbury definitely isn’t Mission and 24^th, but El Balazo is a decent taqueria that I’d recommend if you needed to get your burrito fix on while browsing the vintage shops in this hood. Be aware that a burrito here is not as massive as one you’d probably find in the Mission, but again let’s not compare apples and oranges (although I guess that’s what I am doing). In my past experiences, the super pollo burrito here has probably been the most consistently good; more recently I had carnitas and the pork was a little too fatty for my blood.
Quicktip! (I do not own a smartphone: P): This place serves as an excellent stop if you’re in desperate search of a clean bathroom on Haight Street and can’t find one anywhere else… I always duck into the one here when I’m shopping in the area and need to pee. Thus far it has never disappointed with the cleanliness factor!

The food was good, but the atmosphere was not. I was also cold and crabby but it was so busy and hectic and dirty and the bathroom line took half an hour to get through because there’s just the one and people were taking forever and it makes you wonder what they’re doing in there thereby making the whole experience more disgusting.
But the food was good. I can vouch for the green chicken burrito, the taco salad, and the chips and salsa.

Decent burritos. I grabbed one of their Bob’s Burritos. A vegan item with zucchini and rice, and carrots, onions garlic, mushrooms.
It sure was a big burrito. And the chips tempted me to start thinking I was hitting four stars. Also the décor was super cool. Creative, and amusing. Friendly. Fresh.
I enjoyed this place.

This place seems to attract the characters. I guess it’s natural considering the neighborhood.
I loved the shrimp burrito. It was piping hot and came with about a dozen huge shrimp. There was a salsa bar and the bathroom was very clean.
They don’t call your number like most Mexican restaurants, so watch out for that.

We could not help but go in here after glancing in and spotting some very tacky and colorful decorations. I like the metal «entranceway» going up the stairs that kind of looks like it had been wrapped in gold tinfoil. I also loved the masks and the dancing devils all over the walls. We got burritos and some wine, and the burritos were fantastic and large. It was heaven!
In addition to the great decorations and food, I loved the bathroom. It had a unique sliding door, was very clean, and there was funky graffiti all over it that looked like it had been left there purposefully, including all over the mirror. For some reason I really liked this, and this has become one of my favorite restraunt bathrooms of all time! I also really enjoyed the eclectic neighborhood it is in. If I’m ever back in SF I am definitely coming back here.

I haven’t sampled many burritos in SF, but I was happy with this relaxed place. I had a great burrito pollo asado, with guacamole and sour cream. It was fresh-​tasting and made super quickly, served with tasty cabbage salad and tortilla chips.
I got some free water to drink, and there were lots of toppings to choose from, so I could cilantro-​up my plate to my heart’s content.

After enjoying a great slice at Escape From NY Pizza and walking around the shops on Haight, we were looking for some place with public restrooms … The colorful storefront of El Balazo caught our eye and we decided to pop in for a quick taco and bathroom break.
So all we ordered was one carnitas taco each, and my fella and I thought they were REALLY GOOD. We watched as they sliced the carnitas right off the bone and served it up in 2 mini corn tortillas, with fresh cilantro and onion on top, and a side of chips and salsa.
Oh! And I just love the décor of this place. So bright and cheery, I almost didn’t want to leave. The upstairs dining area gives you a great view of the kitchen and the wonderful art covering every inch of this place.
From some of the less-​than-​pleased reviews here, It sounds like El Balazo is not as good as it once was, but as for this former SF resident and recent tourist… I was entertained, satisfied, and delighted!

With bright décor and huge tables El Balazo is cute and cute. Didn’t have any food though but the Wine is $ 5 a glass. Theres a big screen TV on the far side of the restaurant, up the stairs so you can sit by the window, have close access to the restroom, watch the game, and catch a glimpse of the Lady of Guadalupe if you need to say a quick prayer for your favorite team to win the game.
The Chips y salsa looked delicious. The red wine was good. The ambiance was good. The TV was good. In the words of Arnold «the ex-​govenator» I’ll BE BACK!

Went with the chicken mole super burrito per Unilocal mobile app, friends went with the burritos with cactus inside… not all that impressed unfortunately.
It wasn’t bad, It was totally edible. It just wasn’t anything new.
Lacked the raw power of La Cumbre’s chicken, or the portions of El Toro, or the fresh flavor and consistent awesomeness of La Coroneta in Glen Park.

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After browsing the selections at Amoeba, you’re bound to work up an appetite. Let El Balazo across the street take care of your needs — ’cause let’s face it, a Snickers doesn’t always satisfy (despite what the commercials tell you).
In the words of Lil’ Mama: «I can appreciate» the Super Nachos at El Balazo. And «I have great respect» for their salsa bar. A gal from my neck of the woods doesn’t always get so many options… usually we get a choice between «red» and «green» in the ‘Lou. Sad, I know!
For the amount of food you get, the price is right too. There’s no way I could have finished the chips and goodies all up on my plate, even with a hungry dude right by my side. My only complaint is that they charge for soda fountain refills, and that’s kind of a bummer. But I still managed to eat just enough to jump on the bus back to the hotel and take an afternoon siesta at the hotel. And that’s what lazy Saturday afternoons are for, right?

When I looked up on the menu board, I saw something I’ve just gotta try…
I got a regular Beef Tongue Burrito — Tomatoes, Onions, Rice, Refried Beans and Salsa served with Chips and Cabbage (slaw).
Right before my eyes, my burrito was quickly assembled. I got a soda as well to wash things down.
The lengua was perfect in taste, tenderness and texture. It was the bomb! The chips had a good crunch and the cabbage mix was refreshing.
There’s a self-​serve salsa/​sauce bar that offered a good selection of mild and spicy sauces. They even had a nice blend with big chunks of jalapeños, which I loved.
The interior décor was cheery and colorful. Table seating located on the second floor.
My food was so good I was stuffed and I guess you could say a little tongue tied…

This place is really between 2 and 3 stars for me, but I’m a glass-​half-​full sort of guy, so I’ll bump it up. I’m also being generous since this review is only based on a single visit.
Anyways, I decided to randomly try a new Mexican place this past weekend even though there’s plenty of places near my house that I like and regularly go to. On the rare occasion that I come down to the Haight this place has always caught my eye so I decided to give it a try.
I had a to-​go order, but the restaurant itself is really big (two stories) and pretty spacious. One thing I really like about it is that they have the whole «assembly-​line» system where you place your order with one person and continue down the line to pay as your food is being prepared. This just makes more sense to me than waiting in line and not placing your order until you’ve paid, which often takes longer.
I decided to order there «super nachos.» Now I need to note that most Mexican restaurants that I’ve reviewed are based on multiple visits, and even if I haven’t specifically mentioned «super nachos» in a review I can definitely say they’re a staple of mine, and I’ve had them at every place I’ve been.
One thing I found interesting here is that the chips, cheese, and meat (I had chicken) is separate from the pico, guac, and sour cream (which I didn’t have). I don’t get why they do this? If it’s a matter of the chips getting soggy, that’s already gonna happen with the cheese, beans, and meat. Having these things separate just makes it more difficult to eat (plus I think when everything is combined it looks prettier).
As far as the meal itself. I thought the chicken was pretty dry, and the beans were bland. I’d love to say that the guac and pico were good, but the problem was that they mixed together in the separate container they were put in so it was basically like watery tomato-​guac. I finished everything and it was okay, but nothing worth driving to the Haight for when I have plenty of better options near my house. Plus, there prices on most items seemed to be a little higher than comparable places in my neighborhood.
Ohhh…I should also note the the salsa bar. They have six different salsas, plus carrots, radishes, cilantro, etc. it’s a nice setup, but I wish they would have labeled the salsas (they do this at The Little Chihuahua). I tried three, one of which was definitely a roasted tomato kind, another one that was tomatillo, and the third was a light green that I thought was avocado, but it turned out to be some sort of really gross lime salsa!
This place is really more meh, but I’ll give it an A-​Ok…

Eight years ago I would have given this place four stars but something has happened and the quality and size of the burrito has suffered. The only reason I assume this place is still open is because the tourist think it looks flashy and cool but its not, it sucks.
I’m tempted to give it one star but the green chicken is still OK sometimes, although the last time I went back I promised my self I wouldn’t return for at least 18 months no matter how hungry. Because this was my go to spot for many years they get a star for who they once were.
Don’t eat here.

I didn’t eat lunch today. So I got off work early and had an early dinner instead. Also, I like going to the funky Haight-​Ashbury area.
Looking at the menu posted on the wall, the super burrito costs $ 8.25. For that high prices, it better be good. I chose the Al Pastor (Marinated Pork) as my meat of choice for my Super «Silver Bullet» and the usual rice, choice of beans, sour-​cream, guacamole cheese and hot-​sauce in a large flour tortilla. When I received my burrito, the burrito was skinnier than most taquerias and wrapped very tightly like a cartridge-​missile from a submarine. But the meat was juicy and charred nicely and the filling were fresh with the melted cheese oozing out. For a burrito-​aficionado like myself, you gotta like that!
I also got a bottle of Jarrito with my meal. The colorful and fully-​stock condiment bar is clean. Just a fair warning, the green sauce is deadly spicy but yummy with my burrito!
Despite barely eating anything all day, my burrito definitely hits the spot.
Cash only for this somewhat clean taqueria with the Health Department score of 88.

I’m not sure this is the best place to go on a hot day, on B2B, and after about 9 beers and 3 hard drinks (Actually, I don’t really know how much exactly)…but I was way too drunk to care where my friends were taking me.
I got the Green Chicken Burrito. I’m from San Diego, and when you pay $ 9 for one burrito, I expect beans and rice to come with it. Not the case here. Still it was pretty good and they had some good salsas, but I don’t think it was worth $ 9…is this a normal price for a burrito in SF?
Since I was completely wasted, I can’t fully judge, so I won’t give this place a 2 Star, and the burrito really hit the spot at the time. But $ 9? Seriously? Hmmm…
FYI: The bathrooms don’t have locks, and after that burrito, I needed to do a #2. So I had to recruit one of my friends to guard the door. WTF?