SF Crispy Tacos

Matthew had amazing taco’s. The new gals left us unsatisfied so that we (the lunch group) had to complement with some breakfast platter around the corner. I would definitely track down Matthew’s restaurant/​truck to have them again.

The bacon al pastor was still tasty, but expect to buy two burritos if you want to fill up.

Matt G!
Please come back! The person who took over your truck makes terrible food. My entire office was addicted to your tacos and we went back last week to order «Korean Tacos» that in no way resembled anything Korean or a Taco. If you ever get another truck, cart or space please let your fans know. We miss you!!!

I miss you taco dude!

Same review as Lauren P. It was amazing 2 weeks ago. Now I won’t even consider eating there. Terrible.

One month ago this would’ve been five stars, more if it were possible. The first time I went was with three friends during the noon to 2:30 shift on 4^th and Townsend. The line was massive and we waited about 25 minutes. Probably spent that whole time debating which two of the ridiculously awesome options to eat at $ 3/​taco! It was amazing and I couldn’t stop thinking about the food. Let me elaborate.
I had two soft tacos: one with pork cooked in valencia orange juice and the other with bacon tips cooked in siracha and pineapple juice. Each taco was filled to the brim with delicious cheese, carrots, so much cilantro it hurt. It was so gourmet it was absurd. I shouldn’t have eaten both tacos in one sitting but it was there. And it was so tasty. And I had to.
Fast-​forward a week. Same taco truck, same friendly Matthew Griffin. Same options except maybe a meat was switched up to something else and the seitan was a different veggie option. Equally as epic as the first time.
Fast forward a couple more weeks. Matthew’s got a new person helping him, a gal in a red chef’s jacket. Smart move, as the wait was a bit longer than you’re used to, but it’s so good it doesn’t matter. Felt like he was cooking the meat right when you ordered it and if that took longer, so be it!
Fast forward another couple of weeks. It is now today. Same friend from before and I went, and the menu was totally different. No more soft tacos, no more flagship meats cooked in interesting ways and the price was $ 1 more (that’s fine, it’s popular and we assumed it to be the same product, but it bears noting).
WRONG. The crispy tacos were just black beans slathered on tostado shells, the combined meat of the pork taco and mushrooms on the other were LESS than ONE taco was when Matthew was cooking it. Oh, and there was one pathetic lonely leaf of cilantro on top of the food. By the way he’s not even at the truck anymore.
AND the food comes in a styrofoam container, which, as you know, has been banned from SF food vendors since June 1, 2007. Whoops.
First I was angry and now I’m just disappointed. Who are these two new people in red jackets? Where is Matthew?
Sigh.

There’s nothing like following all these food trucks to keep me motivated through the work day. When I read about an alleged «bacon al pastor taco,» my mind was set on hunting down the truck during lunch. My coworker and I hiked over a mile, where we were greeted by Matt and his friend. He didn’t have parking spot yet, so we waited and watched him parallel park the truck, which was amazing btw.
We were first in line, and DAMN… I ordered three tacos. Two bacon and one carnitas. Please note, that was PLENTY of food. I recommend two tacos for lunch. The size is on the big side, and Matt is very generous with his meat portions. Tasted well, I was blown away, there were pretty delicious. I haven’t had a crispy taco in years, and was pretty impressed he makes them crispy on the spot.
I’m excited to go again and try the plate options actually. Why this is a four and not five star establishment, Matt’s the only one working, and I think he needs a helper to really expedite the process. Totally understand it’s a new thing, and the rules for trunks aren’t as black and white, but I think with more time and a full permit… this truck will join the five star group.

The newest taco truck to hit the city is SF Crispy Tacos. Chef Matthew Griffin has a few spots where he parks his beater taco wagon, but this weekend he parked right down the street from my place in the Valencia lot next to Zeitgeist, so I decided to give it a try. Especially after reading this review in the SF Weekly:
As i walked up I saw the menu. At first glance the prices seemed a bit steep. $ 4 for a crispy taco took my breath away for a brief moment, but I decided to push forward and I’m so glad I did. It turned out to be a small price to pay for the glory of an SF Crispy Taco. I chose to get one crispy and one soft. For the crispy I went with Jerk Pork. The taco was HUGE! It’s not a traditional taco, it’s more like a tostada, the tortilla is crispy, but lays flat. It was piled with a mound of flavorful chunks of pork, tender with the slightest bit of crispiness. It was on a bed of black bean purée and topped with a magnificent green salsa, cheese, carrots, onions, cilantro and radishes.
One taco was probably enough, but I also went for a soft taco with, what turned out to be the highlight of my first experience, bacon al pastor. Massive chunks of marinated bacon that could be a meal in itself. It too was topped with all the delicious fixings. After two tacos I was stuffed and well worth the $ 7 I dropped ($ 4 for crispy, $ 3 for soft). I will definitely be frequenting SF Crispy Tacos. Especially if he stays next to Zeitgeist, there’s nothing better than Beer and Tacos on a warm, sunny day.