It was a fiesta of frustration. The West Coast Taco and Beer Festival left a sour taste in the mouths of hundreds of attendees. The event has been held in multiple cities across the West Coast, with a reputation for falling short of its grand promises.
We planned to go and report another puff piece on fun San Francisco festivals, then Reddit said hold my beer:
As pictured, unlimited tacos and beer samples were supposed to come with a $60 ticket, but attendees only found food for sale and scant beer pours:
“The tacos? There were literally only FOUR tents,” wrote user cheesy_luigi, who noted the scant food stations were sold out. “Lesson learned. The West Coast Taco and Beer Festival (and Blue Stream Entertainment) are scammers.”
Listen I can’t help but think about Red Lobster’s recent fiasco from offering bottomless shrimp. It feels like every day I wake up with my mom, boyfriend, and others telling me, “Did you know Red Lobster is going bankrupt?” Say it with me: Don’t 👏 sell 👏 unlimited 👏 food. We are a ravenous people.
I’m actually surprised The Bold Italic missed this one given my fervent need to assign all things festival in San Francisco. Thankfully we caught up with Nick Dawson, a disgruntled attendee who told us he ditched the event about an hour after getting there.
“I can usually roll with the punches, but even I was ready to go,” said Dawson, citing long lines and half-hour waits for tacos. He added that the loud music likewise made conversation impossible — although I’ll just say that feels true at a lot of events.
We read other similar accounts: San Francisco’s festival promised a fiesta but delivered a flop. Blue Stream Entertainment, the outfit behind this traveling taco travesty, greeted hungry festival-goers with hourlong queues, empty taco stands and “bottomless” beer samples that mysteriously had a bottom. Organizers did not reply to a request for comment.
There are still places to get worthwhile Mexican eats in San Francisco sans shelling out $60. Here are a couple favorites:
Casa Barajas
1849 Lincoln Way, San Francisco, CA
Website
Hands-down best tacos in the city, and certainly the best crispy ones. Casa Barajas lives inside Chug Pub on Lincoln Way, this noisy sports bar I never vibe with, but the food is so good that I’ll often get it to go.
Their taco hard shells feel pan-fried on the same day, mixed in with different meats and fresh shredded iceberg lettuce. Vegans and vegetarians can get a potato version that’s honestly just as good. I haven’t explored the whole menu here but I also love a good steak quesadilla from Casa Barajas, and I’m pleased they serve Mexican Coke. People often bemoan how far away the Sunset is, but Casa Barajas is one of the many reasons I continue to live here.
Underdogs Too & Tres
Too is at 3600 Taraval St.
Tres is at 1224 9th Ave.
Looks like they also have a cantina near Oracle Park.
Underdogs is a restaurant chain in San Francisco known for its taqueria concept that combines Mexican cuisine with a sports bar atmosphere.
It feels like tacos “Nick’s Way” are a legacy in San Francisco for many years. They’re made with a grilled crispy corn tortilla wrapped in a soft corn tortilla, filled with your choice of meat, and topped with pinto beans, pico de gallo, Monterey Jack cheese, guacamole, and pickled jalapeños. The double tortilla helps prevent sogginess and adds to the overall flavor and texture of the taco.
The OG Nick’s Crispy Tacos seems mired in challenges, but the Underdogs locations continue to serve the same cuisine in Nick’s legacy. They were my go-to for a long time before getting on Casa Barajas. But I still like a trip to Underdogs for a taco and a side of chips and salsa.
Saul Sugarman is editor in chief of The Bold Italic.
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