El Tucán Tacos and Beer

El Tucán Tacos and Beer is a full-service, waterfront outpost of the Richmond taquería El Tucán, opened in San Rafael's Canal neighborhood in December 2025 and specializing in Tijuana-style tacos.

History

The Padilla brothers, Alfredo and Edgar, built a following in Richmond for Tijuana-style tacos at El Tucán, a mostly takeout shop that stayed busy through the pandemic. In September 2021 KQED reported that they and partner Victor Ceja had taken over the former Pier 15 bar at 15 Harbor Street in San Rafael, a space that had closed early in the pandemic, and planned a larger, bar-equipped second location there.

The project took far longer than first hoped. Hoodline reported in December 2025 that the restaurant had finally opened after work that included building a seawall to keep bay water out. It described the San Rafael shop as the group's third location, after Richmond and the Castro in San Francisco, and its first sit-down, full-service restaurant.

Space and menu

The roughly 2,000-square-foot room seats about 120 people across an indoor bar with televisions and a deck of about 40 seats facing the water, and a side window handles takeout. The menu centers on charcoal-grilled carne asada and adobada, quesatacos and battered fish and shrimp tacos, with rib-eye and skirt steak tacos, plates served with beans, rice and tortillas, quesadillas and loaded fries. Unlike the Richmond original, it holds a full liquor license, pouring Bay Area draft beers, micheladas, margaritas and flights.

Reviews

See also

• Tacos El Tucan
• Tacos de carne asada
• Tacos de adobada (Baja California)
• Quesabirria
• Tacos de pescado
• Tacos in Tijuana

References

1. "One of the East Bay's Best Taquerias Is Coming to San Rafael". KQED. Retrieved 2026-10-10.
2. "Richmond Taco Hotspot El Tucan Storms San Rafael Waterfront". Hoodline. Retrieved 2026-10-10.