Bites Nearby: Mission District Style Burritos in Pacifica

At some point while chewing the first bite of an al pastor (BBQ pork) super burrito from Taqueria Cancún in San Francisco's Mission District I realized I'd never be the same.

The style of Mexican food that that restaurant serves may be Americanized, terrible for the eater's health and likely to throw him or her face-first into a deep food coma, but the balance they've struck between savory, spicy and sweet in their massive burritos is something to be marveled at. It really is art, only some would argue it's more useful because it's, well, a burrito.

Sometimes I crave those burritos. I haven't reached the point where I'll drive into the city for one, but I sometimes go out of my way once I'm there to get one. Rationalizing? Maybe. Delicious? Definitely.

Maybe it's a lack of experience or an unwillingness to hunt the Peninsula for something similar, but until today I believed these magnificent specimens of handheld entrees could only be found in the Mission District.

I was so wrong.

, tucked away behind the P-Town Cafe and near Highway 1 in Pacifica, offers everything taste-wise as Taqueria Cancún and more as a restaurant because of an outdoor seating area where you can catch some sun and a small, free spicy pickled vegetables bar.

I had an al pastor super burrito so I could compare the fare with the Mission District's and, Scout's honor, I could not tell a difference. It was the same slightly-spicy, tangy well-rounded flavor I'd come to love. The sour cream was even the liquidy kind, not the weird gelatenous stuff. This burrito was as good as those that made the restaurants in San Francisco so famous. And, in my opinion, the salsa fresca at Guerreros is better than that of Cancún because it's loaded with garlic.

If huge burritos aren't your thing, Guerreros has a vast menu spanning everything from Huevos con Chorizo (Mexican sausage and eggs) to Tortas. They also have more dinner-type plates like chiles rellenos and carne asada. 

So next time you find yourself in a cold sweat looking North and jonesing for a Mission District burrito, just go to Guerreros instead. You'll save on gas and you won't be missing a thing.