Puerto Alegre - Mission District, San Francisco

On a trip to San Francisco, we decided to look for a Sunday morning brunch place. After we successfully took a ride on an antique streetcar down Market Street which is really fun and only slightly touristy, we got off and looked for a place to eat. A few places that were noted for Brunch had long lines so we decided to go off the beaten path and look for something else. Justin knew a place that he used to go to in the Mission but it was gone, so we settled on a cheap, hole-in-the wall Mexican diner at 546 Valencia between 16th and 17th.

Reasonable prices, unlimited chips and salsa, and coffee at $1.35. Fine dining - its not, but instead, it's pretty darn good Mexican. The decor was tacky, diner-tastic meaning dark, pleather booths, and wood paneling. Yet the place was fairly packed and the service was fast and friendly.



The brunch menu is fairly extensive (2 pages!) and all entrees are between $6-9. All come with your choice of flour or corn torillas in addition to your entree. I got Huevos Rancheros which also came with a small salad and rice/beans. It was a hearty portion and the 2 eggs were cooked perfectly. They weren't overly runny which you sometimes get. It was filling and delicious. The beans and rice were fairly standard but a good compliment. There was a torilla on the bottom of the eggs but it got too soggy to eat. Justin got a sort of egg and meat scrambled dish that also came with a small salad and rice/beans. Again - a big hit. With coffee, the total came to under $20. All in all - a very good meal and one I'd highly recommend.