Californios

355 11th St, San Francisco, CA 94103, United States

San Francisco

Open

Cuisines

Mexican Fusion / contemporary

Influencer Reviews1

Michael Ligier

4/12/2025

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Quotes

"For a person who loves tacos, that is a fantastic amount of tacos in a tasting menu. This time, more like a regular taco. You know, you build it yourself. You have all these different salsas, things like that."

"Those onions are deceiving. They don't feel like they'd be super spicy, but they are. My lips are burning. It's great. I love it."

"And even though we've spent a lot of time talking about the food, the actual space is pretty interesting as well."

"One of the best parts of Californios is just how creative and interesting the dessert program is as well. This dessert, focused on citrus fruits, was an amazing palate cleanser for the main dessert, which featured butter pecans, cherries, and empanadas with Granny Smith apples."

"The best way to eat it was to fill the empanadas with ice cream, and I don't know if this is bad to say, but it was like a Michelin version of a McDonald's apple pie."

"I feel like this place is so good at being incredibly precise and technical, but then you also have these like super fun moments. And I think that balance shows the range that Californios has. It's delicious. It shows craftsmanship and skill. What a way to end it."

"Californios is my single favorite restaurant in San Francisco, because it's that rare combination of an incredibly intentional and thoughtful meal, combined with just purely delicious flavors. They're finding unique ways to elevate Mexican cuisine while staying true to the history as well. It absolutely is the best Mexican restaurant in the U.S., and Chef Val and the whole team are truly setting the bar high for what Mexican cuisine can be."

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