https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/best-tacos-bay-area-mama-cuca-permit-18672011.php
“Tacos Mama Cuca, and perhaps all Sonoran cuisine, it all starts with the flour tortilla. “
Griddled tortilla, also mentioned: Mesquite grill al pastor. With all the new places in East Oakland, might be time to a taco tour.
Tacos Y Mariscos El Gordo in Redwood City:
Specializes in seafood tacos. But their logo gives a little hint what their best dish is.
Tostadas pulpo. Basically a smaller version of their ceviche with some tostado. Pretty good. Though quite odd for us to be ordering that on a rainy day.
I ordered fish, shrimp and octopus tacos. Fried shrimps, fish filets and chopped octopus. Shrimp was alright. Fish was better. Octopus was the one that shone the brightest. The octopus gave a depth of flavor that the fish or the shrimp didn’t.
Barbacoa Tres Generaciones.
Lamb barbacoa specialist at the miracle taco strip around 50th and Coliseum Way in Oakland. Excellent quesobirria tacos, broth had a delicate lamb flavor and their salsa verde packed some nice heat. They’re inside the fenced area behind the charcoal grilled chicken.
Our favorite Truck when we lived in Oaktown!
Since we are taking about rwc, Los Gemelos opened a new branch right at the corner of 5th and Middlefield. I never thought the ecr location was as good as the Middlefield original, so i am very curious to try.
I saw that too when they painted the exterior wall bright yellow, replacing the Nicaraguan place, which I had wanted to try. I pass by it every week so will probably try soon. How are their tacos?
Sign says “Grand Opening”, but I think they are still working on it. If they are actually open, have you tried it? I won’t have a chance till the end of the month…
You can go to #1, though, I don’t expect they will be far different.
They always distinguished themselves with their made by hand tortillas. Very delicate. The meats are moist and well seasoned, but the tortilla is the main event.
When the tacos were a buck a pop I loved them.
At, I think, 3.50, it was a bit hard to take. You needed 5 or 6 to make a meal. But now that we have 20 buck burritos… we will see what number 2 has on offer. The atmosphere in the ecr location was not particularly pleasant. If the atmosphere is good, and tortilla quality remains high, could be a hit.
Across the street in the same block from the new #2, I had a very solid taco at Mexcal. Good size, great meat, very good salsa, very good atmosphere.
On a more regular basis, make mine los gallos near Freewheel, because they still have all you can eat salsa and chips… and open till 11… and no one is bothered if you crosspolinate between freewheel and gallos.
$20 burritos? Wow!
Not the norm yet. My normal places list at 13.5, but add on a horchata and tax and you’re pushing 20. There are some 20 buck ones out there, so i hear, in the mission.
As an old guy, I remember getting a veggie burrito(Gringo) at Pancho Villa for $3.50 
5 buck (with tax) two meal carne asada as big as your head is what made San Francisco great in the 90s. Of course that was 30 years ago.
SF Chronicle: The 5 greatest al pastor tacos in the Bay Area
https://www.sfchronicle.com/food/restaurants/article/tacos-al-pastor-pork-19551467.php
Tacos El Guero
Tacos Mama Cuca
Tacos El Chilanguito
Tacos El Charro
Tacos Al Pastor Puebla
Nice, I didn’t know about Tacos El Charro. I’ve been a longtime fan of Tacos Al Pastor Puebla and always hit them up when I’m doing the Coliseum Way taco run.
Darn. Nothing for the Peninsula.
On the positive side, I have not been happy with the pastors I tried in the Bay Area, but I have not tried any of the places in his list of 5.
Huh, I don’t think I’ve had El Charro. I know of two unremarkable Trompos in the mission— one at Mission and maybe 19th or 20th and the trompo-but-finished on the grill at Taqueria Vallarta.
Best al pastor I’ve had in years was Tacos Morro in January, 10pm in West Modesto, at corner of Paradise and South Carpenter. Just look at how those thin slices curl.
El Charro is now next to Bissap Baobab
