Castillito Yucateco
Castillito Yucateco
a table of mexican food
Black chicken enchiladas plate (~$16).
pizza, outside
waffles for $8.99
Tipico yucateco sampler plate
The Menudo
tacos, food
food, tacos
food, tacos
Poc Chuc: deliciously seasoned and charred on the edges. Perfect with the fresh tortillas.
Orange you glad I said habanero again
panuchos!!
Why did I just find a rock in my food???
food
Enchiladas yucatecas
a picture of a church
Employee bringing Ice without any cover This goes into your soft drinks
Tamale, panucho, salbutes, empanadas, codzitos, polcanes and brazo de reyna
the inside of a restaurant
See review
The Menudo
interior
Eric V.
Aug 4, 2024
The Mission is known for its burritos. And while they are well and hearty - well and tasty - what have they really added to the culinary milieu other than blatant excess? The idea of wrapping a #1 Combination Plate into a bedspread of a flour tortilla is far out and groovy. But it's also stupid and monstrous. Although while I say this and also believe it, you can still find me at the counter in El Farolito placing an order for a Super Burrito. A human being is nothing if not a bundle of contradictions.No, the mission burrito is valid and certainly has proven itself the conquistador of the burrito landscape. It is a valuable moiety of the Mission District food melange. Another important piece to this microcosm is the proliferation of Yucatecan restaurants. Of all of them, I find the cooking at Castillo Yucateco to be the most skillful. It's doubly impressive the way they turn out pre-Columbian Mayan dishes while also serving more general Mexican dishes and even pancakes and french toast. What in the world are they thinking?You want to go here for the Yucatecan dishes. You want to pound the papadzules. These are similar to enchiladas, but the tortilla used to roll up the chicken and boiled egg is thicker and called a pim in the Mayan parlance. The papadzules are inundated in a sauce of pepita (gourd seed) and epazote (herb). It's a dish that's earthy. You also want to try the recado negro. Chiles are roasted to the point of total pyrolization: burnt to a crisp. They are then blended with epazote, and serve as the foundation for the sauce. What goes in the sauce are like course meatballs of chicken and egg. It's a very boiled egg friendly environment. This is a good time to acknowledge that in a perfect world, Castillo Yucateco would sub out its chicken for either turkey or Muscovy duck. These latter too are indigenous Mexican fowl and the old school Mayan papadzules could not have been stuffed with chicken because they did not exist in that society. And, concerning the bottom line, turkey and duck have much more flavor. But, alas, it's a flawed world we live in. Chicken will have to do. You may want an appetizer. You will want to skip the salbutes. "Salbutes" is another way of saying "tostada." You might argue with me and say something like "hey, I like tostadas!" Then order the salbutes. But I don't think you braved a trip into the Mission, replete with bridge traffic, BART inconveniences, and human excrement on sidewalks all for an order of tostadas you could have had anywhere.For antojitos, get the panuchos. They're these disks stuffed with white beans and meat and then fried. The dough must use some kind of grain middlings because it is the crispest, cracklingest, cruchiest dough wrapper I have ever encountered. The tamales are pretty good too.Splash everything with habanero salsa and pray the torrid heat won't kill you.
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Manuel L.
Jan 25, 2025
This is the best traditional food from Yucatán is SAN FRANCISCO! Probably the best of USA
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Aaron Z.
Jul 22, 2023
I've eaten here many times over the years and the food is consistently good. The menu features a lot of yucatecan dishes that make it stand out from other Mexican places. Don't sleep on the soup menu like the Relleno Negro de Pollo and the Pipian. Their Poc Chuc is also perfectly charred and delicious. Love those little red pickled onions on the side. The fresh tortillas are great with everything.It's usually locals and sometimes families there. People definitely come to hang with friends over a michelada, but it looks like they recently got a full bar, too. The service is friendly, though a little slow. The food has gotten more expensive (the platillos are all $19.99 as of today), but portions are big; everything is expensive everywhere so it's hard to fault them for that. It's still worth going back (again).
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Ernesto Y.
Aug 17, 2024
The food is tasty and definitely made by folks who know how Yucatecan style comida should be made. The tamales here take me back home (to the Yucatán) and the ambiance is lovely, should you decide dine in. Indeed, Spanish is the language spoken here so please don't presume that the shortness of response in English in indicative of the vibe and nature of the employees there. :)
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John D.
Feb 29, 2024
As I like to say, we are Caucasian but we ain't WHITE. First thing the waitress did was ask I I speak any Spanish because she didn't speak English. I can get by, which was enough. She was somewhat overwhelmed at first, too. It took a while but we got there. We were in no hurry.Nice place, nice food, not anything like your usual Mexican plates. Never had Poc Chuc before and it was excellent. Guacamole was fresh made for us. Good margaritas if a little tame for $12. Good salsa. Lots of locals having Micheladas.We don't go to the Mission often but we'll be back. Interesting, widely varied menu. We liked it.
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Alexander G.
Mar 29, 2024
2024 review. They charged me incorrectly and the food was cold. The entres are a bit over priced - about $20 per plate
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Lisa P.
Oct 31, 2022
I can't believe I've never tried this place before. I walk by it often, but never stopped in. This family-owned restaurant was recommended to me by a friend who told me to order the panuchos. They were so delicious: piled with grilled meat and served on a fresh corn tortilla with onions, green peppers and avocado. Even the rice was cooked with flavor. We over-ordered and also got the enchiladas yucatecas and poc chuc. I will absolutely go back for the enchiladas--the black sauce on top and the cheese and chicken were all cooked so well together. My partner really liked the horchata, too! The place was bustling with a good local energy. The waitstaff were super kind and helpful.
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Alberto L.
Jan 25, 2025
The best Mexican food from Yucatán .100 % recommended. Love it ! Service is excellent
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Eliah T.
Nov 3, 2024
This is a hidden gem! Such good panuchos and ceviche. This is the place I go when its late and want a good meal when no other places are open. Great service and comfy dining ambiance! This place made me appreciate platos yucatecos!
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Robin V.
May 13, 2024
THE best! i am from Yucatan and this is my favorite spot to go for authentic yucatecan food. my faves are:Poc ChuPollo PibilSalbutPanuchoand Sopa de Lima! everything is good though!... maybe the fried food is slightly dry like the empanadas and the kibis.
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