"I think I'll go to North Beach for Mexican tonight," is not a thing you normally say. Until you go to Don Pisto's, where the tacos

There's no shortage of taquerias lining Mission Street, but La Oaxaquena rocks them all. Warm tortillas, fresh, punchy salsas and reliably flavorful fillings makes this the spot to grab a memorably delicious street taco or five. Al pastor, carne asada and chicken mole are excellent, but the one absolute must is the citrus-laced cochinita pibil. You can try Oaxacan specialities like grasshopper tacos if you feel so inclined, too. Oh, and they're open until 2am, which is always a fine quality in a taco spot.

Something that most of the better taquerias in San Francisco have in common is their tortillas. If you inquire, you'll likely be told that they come from La Palma, a corner mexicatessen that also happens to be a tortilla factory. Naturally, this makes it a damn good place to go eat tacos, too. Opt for the handmade corn tortilla and fill it with whatever suits you, though the carnitas and lengua are tops, and the weekends-only birria is well worth planning around.

You'll find the El Gallo Giro truck unostentatiously parked on a quiet corner in the south Mission, with a couple of plastic tables and chairs set up underneath the truck's awning. That's where you'll sit as you have a near-religious experience diving into real deal, generously-topped street tacos that would please even the most inflexible taco purists. Carne asada and pollo asado are both excellent choices, as are the melty-crisp carnitas. Do load up on the fresh green salsa which packs a most excellent kick.

It makes good sense that the best fish tacos are found at a fish shop, particularly one of Hook's caliber—they work directly with local fishermen. This pocket-sized Outer Sunset shop-slash-restaurant reads like a new-school surf shack. It's just a few blocks from Ocean Beach, and you'll sometimes see still-wet regulars arriving in wetsuits with their boards under their arms. About those tacos, though. They feature whatever fish is fresh that day, grilled and served on pliant, freshly made tortillas, loaded with rainbow-hued radish and cabbage slaw, avocado and crema. Pair them with a cold Pacifico and lots of the housemade carrot habanero salsa.