Want to start 2018 right? Read this review, look at my pictures of beautiful Mexican food, and if you’re not in San Francisco, immediately become sad because you do not have access to this food. Great intro Aditi!
So of course when we were in California, my two requests were Mexican food and ice cream. I know there is a huge variety of authentic and innovative food in the state overall, but many of these spots are primarily meat-centric, and its a bit harder to find a spot that gives vegetarians more options than a plain cheese quesadilla.
Tropisueño, located in downtown San Francisco in between the Financial District and the Tenderloin district. During the lunch hours, they are an order-at-the-counter spot, after which you can grab an assortment of salsas and dips, sit down, and wait for your food. At dinnertime around 5 pm, they transform into a sit-down restaurant with a new menu. Cool!
We went for a late lunch last week. There are a lot of options for lunch, tortas, salads, tostadas, burritos, tacos, enchiladas, chile rellenos, and more. The categories can get overwhelming, but its not excessive. The restaurant was packed, so we sat outside! It was sunny and cool, and their patio area is lined with beds of succulents.
The chips are thin and crunchy, which was good, as it wasn’t too heavy. We absolutely loved the assortment of salsas available. There was pico de gallo, salsa verde, a blended guacamole, an incredibly spicy red crema, and a mystery eggplant-like crema. Regardless, they were fantastic!
Anita and I also got some fun drinks – a Hibiscus juice and a Watermelon juice. Anita thought her hibiscus juice was, “unique, flavorful, the right amount of sweetness, and a pretty color.” I thought my watermelon juice was incredibly refreshing, no hint of being canned at all – I would drink that every day! The adults also had (a few) house margaritas, made with Jimador tequila, lime, agave, with a chile salt rim. I loved these, the right balance of tart and boozy and not overly sweet or sugary. One of the best margaritas I’ve had!
Our big group ordered a lot of food, so I went light. Sadly, they were out of tamales, but thankfully we had many other options. I ordered a Baja fish taco with Ecuadorian tilapia with a Modelo beer batter, salsa verde, sour cream and slaw. I also got one veggie enchilada with mole sauce. The taco was fantastic! The fish with the slaw was really crunchy and the had great balance. I also loved the mole sauce!
My sister and mom had the chile relleno with rice and beans. Some chile rellenos we’ve had at other restaurants end up oily, greasy, and bland. Anita remarked that her dish was high quality and flavorful, but she could do without the tortillas served on the side. They were definitely not store bought, clearly homemade and tasty, but a little too much in portion size. While there was a little lag in the service (one burrito didn’t come until we were all done with the rest of our food) the employees were very nice, just busy!
Anita and my mom are very hard to impress, and they loved this place. The food was fresh, tasty, and had plenty of vegetarian options. The tortillas are homemade, nothing was oily or greasy, and we felt satisfied after eating (and drinking!) Anita ventures to say its the best Mexican food she’s ever had! Amazing!
I sincerely apologize if you doing live in the Bay Area and these pictures make you jealous. As I sit in -20 degree weather in Iowa, trust me, I’m sad too. But if you live there or ever find yourself in the area, I highly recommend Tropisueño for a fantastic Mexican meal!
The Bottom Line
Fresh, filling, homemade, affordable Mexican food!
Cone Rating: 4.5 Cones 
Price: $-$$ (around 8-12$ for a full meal, more with drinks)
Location: Downtown San Francisco, CA
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