And of course, there are varieties of California Mexican food. I find myself thinking about the first Mexican food I had, at at La Barca, a popular place near the USC campus, with sauces I can’t find here. Also, a simple Los Angeles style burrito: just the tortilla with meat and sauce, and maybe beans.
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There are a number of restaurants in the Bay Area making fresh tortilla, e.g. La Estrellita, La Palma, Yossies, Martha’s to name a few but there are many more especially if you go more towards South Bay - so it’s not really a LA thing but more what quality they want to deliver to their customers (as the tortilla is critical for the quality of the overall taco if you talk with Mexicans - it’s like Germans and the quality of the bread/roll playing a critical part in the overall quality of a sandwich)
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Well I don’t know what to make of that, but then I am not in the business; maybe someone who runs the Mexican restaurants outside of “the Bay area” will read this. I am technically in the Bay Area and I am rooting for most folks who can make a go of it selling food around here.
As for me, I rarely even eat tortillas! I’ll have to try one the next time I see them being made.
I do have my preferences at the various establishments for certain rellenos, carnitas, and even the agua frescas!
Your business instincts match our observations. We tend to count the number of people working at places we frequent for takeout or quick casual meals, whether pizza, bahn mi, tacos, Thai noodles . . . The menu offerings do not change when the place is staffed up for more diners or lots of bags lined up for meals to go, depending on hour and/or day.
If handmade tortillas (or house-fried chips) are being offered, it’s more likely the operators manage to have the resources to do so, rather than responding to clamoring demand for a low revenue item. The rational profit-seeking operator will commit resources to the product that generates the most income for the same investment. (We’re reminded of David Ricardo’s math on comparative advantage.)
Picante on Sixth in Berkeley makes their own tortillas. They also have regional specialties. But overall, I find it fairly mainstream catering to Anglo tastes.
Wait … there’s a kitchen? 
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Let us never speak of the Great British Bake Off “Mexican Week” ever again…
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I don’t necessarily expect house-made tortillas, especially for street tacos where they double-up on minis but it’s a nice touch.
re: overhead - certainly some street vendors may exist outside of the permit and inspection system, but most states don’t allow hot foods under their cottage food laws so more established stands and food trucks will be renting space at a commissary kitchen to do their prep.
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Interestingly I think Alice Waters sister partly owns Picante. Nothing wrong with Picante but yes, it’s bland and mainstream. I used to work nearby and had lunch there. The thing is, not many options in the area.
Tacubaya in Berkeley also has handmade tortillas. They use quality ingredients according to their menu but I avoid it because the food is bland…like something is missing from every dish/item. It’s over priced and there are better options. Reminds me of frozen Mexican meals from the grocery store. If you have kids and are in the area, it’s okay.
Handmade tortillas can be nice but no way it defines a place as good or particularly authentic. I prefer Sinaloa on Telegraph. Crazy thing is it took until 2015 for a real and decent taco joint come to Berkeley.
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I believe that was the one in the Bay Area. Mission Street near Matthews. I never had their fried chicken, but their sizzling tostada was legendary and I heard praises sung about their macaroni and cheese. Sigh.
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I miss Casa de Eva on Telegraph, but the place that had great tacos was La Tolteca on University🌮.
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The fried chicken was good and I got it the few times I went. If I recall, it was a convenient place to eat after a funeral in Colma when most people took a street car to the cemeteries back in the day. My guess is that’s why FC and mac and cheese were on the menu….standard operating for ethnic restaurants when ethnic food was suspect or too spicy, serve both ethnic cuisine and American standards.
I like the chiles rellenos at Tacubaya, which come with those fresh tortillas.
I think La Mission on University opened before 2015, but I don’t know. Everything’s pretty good there despite the non-handmade tortillas.
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I can confirm that La Mission was open by 2012. Spawn2 was a freshman at Cal, and I remember going there once with them when I was in the EB on biz.
There is one thing for me at Tacubaya that’s okay but I forget what. Last time I went was pre-pandemic. Use to go once in awhile when i worked near.
I forget about La Mission…I think it’s another former tiny Taco Bell turned real Mexican. Food seem on par with any Bay Area mom and pop.
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I was at Maya Market today, and it occurred to me that perhaps a taqueria is not always a restaurant!
This one is in a very popular market, and I looked for a sign of someone making fresh tortillas. I didn’t see evidence of that, and if they do, they don’t advertise it, even though they sell prepared masa!
And they have a bakery
Some of these folks are rolling their own! 
Everything you need
Some of this I didn’t recognize. I’m going to have to look up and try champurrado, and not necessarily in that order!
The also had fresh garbanzo’s today!
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I love La Mission! It’s right around the corner from where my chorus rehearses. Also pretty good is Casa Latina nearby on San Pablo & Delaware, with the advantage of having lots of indoor seating, unlike La Mission. They’re a panaderia as well and make very good pan dulce.
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I think La Mission and Casa Latina have the same owners, also Talavera on Solano.
I love champurrado! It’s like a hot horchata, with the addition of masa. An ad hoc stand that sometimes pops up by me has champurrado and hot chocolate with the masa.
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That wouldn’t surprise me.
