Picking the best taquería in San Francisco is like trying to determine the city’s best view; it’s a near impossibility because there are so many choices. By the way, taquería is Spanish for “taco shop.” Some taquerías are nothing more than a street vendor and his or her cart, but most are small restaurants that feature burritos (although other Mexican dishes are often on the menu).

Since a burrito is one of my favorite things to eat, on my last San Francisco visit I did some unofficial research, visiting four different taquerías and ordering a burrito at each. The results? Read on.

While waiting to meet a friend one morning, I had breakfast at La Tortilla in the Castro. This little place, located on Castro Street near 18th, has a cheery yellow and orange exterior and a scattering of tables. The steamed flour wrapper of my mushroom burrito was filled with rice, black beans, scrambled eggs and a plentitude of sauteed fungi. The smiling woman behind the counter asked if I wanted chips, and although they had just opened for business the salsa bar—which featured several options—was already set up. It was a good burrito, and at $3.95 a very good deal. I wanted to come back here for lunch and further sample the menu, but I ran out of time.

Two blocks away is Taquería Zapata at 18th and Collingwood. It’s a little larger than La Tortilla, but has similarly limited seating. And on the Friday night my friend and I stopped in it was packed, with a line out the door. It moves quickly, though, giving you time to study the extensive menu on the wall above the order counter. I got a super burrito (which comes with your choice of meat plus rice, beans, salsa, cheese, guac, sour cream and lettuce). Zapata also has a choice of wraps (wheat, spinach, sun-dried tomato, etc.). The rice here is not the standard Mexican rice; it’s pale green in color and studded with peas, a nice change. The diced chicken in my delightfully large burrito came right off the grill, and the other ingredients tasted fresh as well. Chips were so-so, but the salsa bar offered several varieties. Throw in a fountain drink, and I was quite satisfied for eight bucks and change. I also couldn’t help but notice several customers tucking into dinner plates (platas). Laden with meat, rice, beans, salad and assorted condiments, they were bounteous. Note to self: Definitely go back and try one of the plates.

My next discovery popped up in a rather unexpected location. I was on my way to check out the eateries inside the Ferry Terminal Building on a sunny afternoon when I walked by Taquería Pancho Villa. There’s always a constant stream of pedestrian traffic along The Embarcadero, and the place was crowded. But with several very efficient women behind the counter whipping together tacos and burritos and dishing up carne asada and other yummy stuff, I didn’t have to wait long. A chicken burrito, my default choice, came with a generous amount of slightly spicy grilled bird, rice, beans, lettuce, guac and salsa. It was expertly wrapped, which meant that I was able to devour it without any drippage and without once using the plastic fork I had picked up just in case. Good burrito.

Unfortunately, this location closed. The good news is that it was a branch of the main Taquería Pancho Villa in the Mission District, at 3071 16th St. (between Mission and Valencia streets). I’ll be checking this one out next month when I return to SF, so watch this space for Part II of my taquería report.

I’ve saved the best for last, and it’s no surprise that Taquería El Buen Sabor also is in the Mission at the corner of 18th and Valencia St. Not only does the Mission have more taquerías than any other San Francisco neighborhood; in my opinion it also has the best. I hit El Buen Sabor for lunch, and there was already a line (lots of Hispanic construction workers, always a tipoff that the food’s going to be good). My burrito was packed with grilled chicken and the usual accompaniments, including a creamy smooth guac and crema blend that permeated and flavored the surrounding rice. It started to fall apart halfway through, but I was more than happy to scrape up every last bit of filling. Bonus points are awarded for the small, blue-painted wood table by the window (outstanding people watching). This burrito put me in a pleasant food coma that I worked off by heading to a nearby Valencia Street bookstore, unobtrusively settling into a comfy chair for a little doze.

Of course this is merely the tip of the city’s taquería iceberg. My research continues, because a burrito hound’s work is never done. Meanwhile, if you want to do a little sleuthing on your own, I highly recommend the site BurritoEater.com. which provides very insightful and cleverly written reviews of just about every taquería in the city, complete with ratings for things like spiciness and distribution of the ingredients.