Editor Pick
La Paz Restaurant Pupuseria
- April 12, 2002
- Rated 4 of 5 by
A Lyle from San Francisco, California
The Mission/Potrero Hill area is renowned for its plethora of small Mexican/Salvadoran restaurants. It is also known for its less-than-pristine and safe streets, however, the last few years have brought some gentrification to the area (due to the shortage of housing during the tech boom). Well-known and delectable restaurants like Slanted Door and Foreign Cinema are located here as well as simple restaurants like La Paz, located across the street from San Francisco General Hospital. It is said that the Mission is the only place to get "real" Mexican food in San Francisco; I tend to agree.
Lunch can be had for $5-8 and delicious and authentic. I love the La Paz because it features my three most favorite items: chicken chimichangas, enchiladas en mole, and fried sweet plantains, with rice and beans of course. They also offer burritos, tacos, fried chicken – actually quite a nice variety of things. Their vegetable soup did me well when I was feeling sick (lots of large chunky veggies in a savory chicken broth); the chocolaty, rich, velvety mole sauce raises my endorphin levels; and the crispy deep fried chimichanga, while probably clogging my arteries, is most enjoyable.
In case you're wondering what a pupuseria is, I haven't actually tried it but a coworker of mine said it is a delicious tostada-like food made with soft tortillas, rather than a crunchy fried tortilla. I'll definitely be trying it soon, as it is a specialty of theirs.
Dine in or out, your choice. The interior is simple and clean, and a jukebox sits nearby for you to make your own musical selections.
From journal Bountiful Bay Area