Photos by Hillary Smith and Catherine Uy

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Last Saturday, thousands gathered to celebrate La Cocina’s 6th Annual (and final) Street Food Festival. The widely anticipated event took place in the Mission District, and showcased more than 80 Bay Area vendors. With free admission, delicious food, and drinks at cheap prices, it was every foodie’s dream come true.

As a fellow foodie, I felt obligated to try almost every food truck and stand. The variety of food available included everything from El Sur’s braised short rib empanadas to Rice Paper Scissors’ beef pho rolls. I cried a little inside after I finished eating El Sur’s empanadas. They were light, fluffy, and bursting with flavor. The beef pho rolls from Rice Paper Scissors were a unique twist on Vietnamese spring rolls. Instead of using rice paper, beef and lettuce were wrapped in thick rice noodles. It tastes exactly like you are eating a bowl of beef pho, but without the broth and extra toppings.

According to the event’s website, this was La Cocina’s last street food festival. Word is that they’re looking for another location to host their epic block party. So, if you missed out on last weekend, don’t fret! Most of the vendors are from San Francisco. Here’s a list of our top 8 favorite vendors and where to find them on a regular basis.

1. Rice Paper Scissors   1710 Mission Street 
2. El Sur  Check their website for the van’s schedule.
3. Namu Street Food Thursdays and Saturdays at the Ferry Building.
4. 4505 Meats  1909 Mission Street
5. Curry Up Now  659 Valenica Street
6. A16 2355 Chestnut St
7. Tacolicious 741 Valencia Street
8. The Chairman Truck  Check their website for the truck’s weekly schedule.