Here's When San Francisco's Mission-Style Burritos Were Born

If you're a massive burrito fan, you've probably eaten some kind of Mission-style burrito before and never even knew it. This god among tortilla-wrapped foods has several defining characteristics, starting with its gargantuan size. For reference, my first Mission burrito I had as a Bay Area child was bigger than my head. As an adult, many Mission burritos are still bigger than my head, and often take two tortillas or more to hold everything.

Beyond that, it should consist of rice, beans, meat, salsa, and as many other fillings as you can dream of. Lastly, it should be steamed and wrapped in foil so the tortillas are stretchy and easy to bite through. The foil is vital — it's as much a structural tool as the tortilla itself. It should still be somewhat inexpensive by California terms, with most basic Mission burritos costing less than $15. If this sounds familiar and mouthwatering, then congrats, you're a fan of Mission burritos. If not, trust me, this is a burrito style you need to try.

As you might guess, these bad boys get their name from the place they were born: the Mission District of San Francisco, California. This area of the city is rich in Latino culture, as evidenced by its colorful murals, one-of-a-kind festivals, and, of course, the food. The Mission burrito rose to popularity and began to become its own entity in the 1970s, but most records show it first hit the scene sometime in the 1960s. However, there's some debate over who gets to claim this true San Francisco treat as their own.

There are two restaurants that say they invented the Mission burrito, and both have good reasons behind their claims. Raul and Micaela Duran had a meat market in the 1960s they would sell burritos out of. By 1972, the burritos had become so popular they opened their own taqueria in the Mission District, called La Cumbre. By their accounts, they created the Mission burrito in their meat market in 1969.

A taqueria called El Faro, on the other hand, says it knows the exact date it sold the first Mission burrito. According to the owners, El Faro sold a giant burrito that used multiple steamed tortillas on September 26, 1961. On that day, a group of hungry firemen came in wanting sandwiches, and owner Febronio Ontiveros served them massive burritos instead. This account is backed up by other locals, but even that may not be the beginning.

The burritos may date back farther than these two, as some say that Mission burritos, or something like them, were eaten by farmers in the field. There's some evidence to suggest that they may even date to miners who ate them in the 1800s. We may never know for certain where this hearty delicacy came from. Either way, the two "original" taquerias are still around and kicking in San Francisco, and are some of the most iconic Northern California restaurants you should visit.

If you're looking to try the OG Mission, you should defer to those who claim to have invented it. La Cumbre still serves its original burrito, which contains grilled chicken, beans, rice, and its house salsa. El Faro has an almost identical basic Mission burrito, filled with rice, beans, house salsa, and your choice of meat. Both places offer Super versions of their burritos, and you can customize them with a wide array of add-ons. If you're thinking of putting fries in because you've seen that in other Californian burritos, know you shouldn't necessarily add fries to all burritos, and the Mission should be fry-less.

If you're looking to taste the modern Mission burrito at its finest, there are a few things you should do. Order it with all the fixings, and never leaving out crema, guacamole, and cheese. The local salsas of the Mission district are all slightly different, so this gives each burrito its personality. You want this sucker big, so put your trust in the restaurant and get anything the chef is willing to put on it.

Your burrito should be unwieldy, disquietingly heavy, and far more than enough for a single meal. You should be able to use your burrito as a weapon if need be, and holding it should make you feel as protective as a mother holding a foil-swaddled infant. Taking a bite should make you hesitant because you're not sure how to even begin tackling this behemoth. But tackle it you will, feeling over-full yet proud by the end. If you don't have these emotions and sensations with your local taqueria, you should seek another location, because you're not getting the full, proper Mission burrito experience.