Taqueria La Altena

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It takes a lot of persuasion for me to actually try a new burrito or taqueria spot because I think my two favorite spots are well placed on my burrito pedestal:  La Palma (see post HERE) and El Farolito (see post HERE).  Taqueria La Altena is one of those taquerias I must have passed by hundreds of times on my way to El Farolito without even glancing in.   

I had heard about this spot and their amazing al pastor freshly made while marinating in its own juices on a spit.  Walking right in, I had high hopes for this spot.  True to the rumors, you see well piled slices of pork on a spit.  On an even better note, there was a line for this place in the middle of the day and no one in line spoke English.   

Al Pastor Burrito - #8 on SF Foodie 92 list

I came here for one thing only:  the al pastor burrito.  Usually, I prefer my al pastor on a taco so this was one of the few times Ive actually had it in a burrito.  The al pastor was juicy and tender, so tender that the pork almost seems like it was stewed instead.  Even in a super burrito with all the fixings, the meat is the most dominant ingredient so those that aren't a fan of rice might dig the burritos here.  Although the meat was dripping with sauce, I didn't find the meat to be too flavorful and a tad too salty even by burrito standards.  A nice venture and I wasn't too disappointed, but I think I'll stick to my favorites for now.

updated - Working my way through SF Foodie's 2012 50 dishes  

      

Address:             Taqueria La Altena
                           2588 Mission St.
                           San Francisco, CA
 

Type:                   Mexican

Popular chomps:  al pastor
                           carrot juice

Chomp worthy:    nothing