Gallardo's

J's search for a great menudo in SF has finally come to an end. In celebration of a Monday away from the office, we went down to Folsom and 14th (near Rainbow Grocery) for a Mexican brunch.


The menudo was everything it should be: unctuous, deeply flavorful, and full of large tender chunks of all the right innards.

I opted for albondigas, a meatball soup with some potatoes and carrots. This is the kind of food anyone would like: big hearty meatballs with bits of rice floating in them, in a soothing hot soup. I also got a big cup of orange and carrot juice, made fresh to order.

Our food came with chili and oregano flakes, cilantro and onions, limes, and some big homemade tortillas. I really appreciated the use of homemade tortillas, because only homemade tortillas break down just enough to soak up the soup but not enough to become a soggy mess. Many on yelp claimed Gallardo's is the best place for Mexican soup in San Francisco, and so far I have no reason to disagree.