Honestly? Valid.

San Francisco's Mexican food scene — particularly in the Mission District — remains one of the best arguments for living in an absurdly expensive city. You're paying $3,500 a month in rent, but at least your burrito costs $12 and could feed a small family. The free market works in mysterious ways.

The visitor noted they remembered being "shocked by how much better the Mexican food was in SF" compared to NYC, which prompted one local to respond with a simple, devastating: "LOL." Look, we love New York. But when it comes to Mexican food, this isn't a competition. It's a mercy rule.

So where should you actually go? The consensus pick that keeps surfacing is San Jalisco in the Mission. As one SF resident put it, "Food is great, sauces are incredible, and Micheladas might be the best in the entire city." That's a strong claim in a town where michelada opinions are practically a religion. The Cantina also got enthusiastic endorsements.

The Mission remains ground zero for the city's best Mexican food, and that's not an accident — it's decades of immigrant entrepreneurs building something incredible without a single dollar of government subsidy. No task force. No "equity in dining" initiative. Just good people making great food and letting the market decide. Funny how that works.

For vegetarian visitors, the Mission is also your friend. Many taquerias offer stellar veggie burritos, and the neighborhood's broader food scene leans plant-friendly without being preachy about it.

Here's the real takeaway: San Francisco's culinary culture isn't built by committees or city planning departments. It's built by small business owners who survive despite the permits, the taxes, and the bureaucratic gauntlet this city throws at anyone trying to open a restaurant. Every great taqueria in the Mission is a small miracle of entrepreneurship.

So to our NYC visitor: welcome back. Skip the tourist traps. Head straight to the Mission. And tip your servers — they're paying San Francisco rent too.