Taqueria San Francisco

Taqueria San Francisco
640 East Gostlin Street
Hammond, IN 46327 MAP
(219) 853-9657
Hours:
N/A

November 19th, 2008. 2:15 p.m.

This place has some of the weirdest dining tables I’ve ever seen. Probably vintage 1970’s, the tabletops resemble small seashells suspended in lime jello. I last ate at this restaurant at least 6 years ago when I was a tech for Ameritech (R.I.P.). I believe it had a different name (although the tables were the same), however I don’t recall the quality of the food.

At first glance, this burrito seemed familiar. Arriving cut in half and wrapped in paper, I recalled Taqueria El Charro De San Francisco on Chicago’s East Side. After coming home and reviewing the pictures on this blog, I believe these restaurants are under the same ownership.

The chips were unsalted with good thickness and crunch to them. Both salsas were very good. The pico was fairly hot but less so than the other salsa. The pickled carrots and jalapeños were a nice touch as well.



Unfortunately, the burrito didn’t fare quite as well as the one in Chicago did. Although the steak had a very good flavor and only contained one piece of gristle, the overall burrito experience was not up to par with that of the location on 106th Street. There are better taquerias nearby for a burrito, but if you must visit a Taqueria San Francisco take the short 6.5 mile drive to Chicago instead.



Weight: 14.3 ounces
Length: 7.5 inches
Circumference: 8.5 inches
Price: $4.39 or 30.7¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 7/10 sombreros
Value: 8/10 sombreros

Gorditas Los Metates

Gorditas Los Metates
4542 Hohman Avenue
Hammond, IN 46327 MAP
(219) 933-7554
Hours:
N/A

November 19th, 2008. 1:45 p.m.

Metates are grinding stones used to turn corn into masa to make tortillas. With 11+ varieties it’s not surprising that gorditas (little fat ones) are the specialty at this restaurant. The name of the restaurant should give you a clue as well.



Unfortunately, burritos are not remotely close to a specialty here and chips and salsa are not served with your order. My small burrito contained steak, tomato, onion, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro in a poorly folded 8” tortilla. This burrito amounted to no more than a large steak soft taco folded in a different manner. The steak was barely average in flavor, slightly fatty, and in modest quantity. The green and red sauces were good and helped the flavor, but overall I was left wanting something more and better.

I’ll go back to Gorditas Los Metates and order up some gorditas next time. They looked excellent as they were being prepared and most of the customers were ordering them a few at a time.

Off to find another burrito…



Weight: 9.5 ounces
Length: 7.5 inches
Circumference: 6.5 inches
Price: $2.60 or 27.4¢ an ounce
Beer availability: No

Flavor: 6/10 sombreros
Value: 6.5/10 sombreros