Al Carajo

Al Carajo is a mostly Yucatecan taquería on 22nd Street in San Francisco's Mission District, owned and run by chef Javier León and known for its black al pastor and achiote-battered fish tacos.

Overview

Chef Javier León owns and operates the restaurant, whose menu leans toward the cooking of the Yucatán Peninsula. It opens Wednesday through Sunday from morning to early evening. The San Francisco Chronicle's critic Cesar Hernandez has featured it twice: as an honorable mention in his ranking of the Bay Area's greatest al pastor tacos, and at seventh place in his list of the region's ten best fish tacos.

Menu

The signature is pastor negro, a Yucatán-inspired take on al pastor in which the pork is coated in recado negro, a black paste of burnt chiles and spices, then sliced from a trompo and crisped on the flattop. The Valencia fish taco uses a batter seasoned with achiote and is served two to an order on purple ube tortillas made in house, finished with a Sriracha-infused crema. The combination of Yucatecan seasonings with Mission taquería formats gives the restaurant a distinct place among the neighborhood's many taco shops.

Reviews

See also

• Tacos al pastor

References

1. "The 5 greatest al pastor tacos in the Bay Area". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
2. "Here are the 10 best fish tacos in the Bay Area". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2026-10-10.