V is for: Victor’s {Restaurant Review}

If either my friend Devon
or I are ever having a bad day, we almost always go to Victor’s. And not necessarily for the food.

Sure, it’s decent as far as
Mexican joints go, but we go there because you leave the place feeling like a
million bucks. The minute you walk in the door, the friendly
lady running the place yells out “HOLA GUAPAS!!” (For those of you who didn’t
make it through first year Spanish, guapa means “good looking.”)

I suppose we shouldn’t feel that special, as *everyone* is
guapa or guapo at Victor’s. But she says it with such enthusiasm, you can’t
help but smile. It instantly puts me in a good mood.

Let me preface the food part of this post by saying I’m sort
of a brat when it comes to burrito shops. I lived in San Diego for almost five years. I don’t care
how much you try to tell me otherwise, but NO PLACE in San Francisco compares to SD. I don’t know
why, but the tortilla, the hot sauce, the chips…just about everything is just on another
level down there. Also, I hate that most of the good taco shops in SF are
concentrated in the Mission.
In San Diego,
you can’t go more than about 6 blocks without finding one.

That said, Victor’s is solid. It’s definitely a step below Mission-quality places, but I still like
it and eat there about once a month during baseball season. It’s very
close to AT&T Park (right next to PrimoPatio Café), and they even have a little back patio area if it’s nice. (A word
of caution…on very hot days, it takes on a greenhouse effect). I get the shrimp tacos or quesadillas, and the loaded nachos are good too. My
co-workers usually get burritos, and everyone is always full and satisfied
after their meals. (Another word of caution…sadly, they do not sell booze here.)

But as I said…it’s more about the friendly greeting than
anything else, and when you’re having a bad day, an “HOLA GUAPA” and a fatty
plate of nachos will *always* make everything better!