La Taqueria Owner Miguel Jara Reflects On His Dream, Legacy, and Making His Mom Proud

Walking into Miguel Jara’s restaurant starts with navigating a line wrapping around the corner of the block. La Taqueria is located in the heart of the Mission District in San Francisco. The restaurant has been serving delicious Mexican food to the community for 53 years in the same location. The restaurant is an anchor for the community. The smells transport you back to your abuela’s kitchen, smelling everything she has simmering on the stove.

On the day I met Jara, he was in the busy restaurant. It was the day of the 2025 Lowrider Parade on Mission Street in front of La Taqueria. I was told that the line wrapping around the corner to get into the restaurant is not just because of the event. The humble restaurant is a popular attraction that has been drawing crowds since it opened.

“By a miracle, man. I never knew anything about a restaurant.”

Jara learned what he knows about food in Mexico. He grew up in Tijuana and has a naturally deep connection to his culture. He also has a deep love for food. However, when he first started out, he admits that he didn’t know much about running a restaurant. Regardless, he set to work renovating the corner property that would become La Taqueria. It took a full year to do the renovations but the first day he opened was a success.

“We opened up. My mom was all over making hot sauces and stuff like that,” Jara tells mitú. “We were supposed to close at nine o’clock but by two  o’clock, we didn’t have any more food. We had to close [early].”

Over the decades, La Taqueria became a place that people around the country know by name. In 2017, Jara was honored with a James Beard America’s Classics Award. The honor is reserved for long-standing restaurants that are “often family-owned, that are treasured for their quality food, local character, and lasting appeal.”

Jara jokes that receiving the honor meant that he had to take the train to New York because his wife doesn’t fly. It was also an incredible honor that he attributes to his employees, who “make it all happen.”

For Jara, La Taqueria hold special memories with his mother

Jara’s mom’s impact on the restaurant is still felt today. Everyone who goes to the restaurant continues to taste food that she made all those decades ago. Not only was she there the day that La Taqueria opened, she is still there, on every plate.

“My mom is gone but the salsa that we have here, the chile verde, is her recipe,” Jara tells mitú with pride. “She was so proud of me. Look. I’m getting goosebumps. That’s what it means to me. I make her happy.”

“They call it the Mission burrito.”

Searches for La Taqueria bring up results about their Mission-style burrito. Jara says he is not sure what people mean by that. After all, when he went to Mexico, he just learned how to make food that he liked and brought it back to his restaurant. Yet, he isn’t bothered by the name. He finds the recognition for the work touching.

“I really don’t know what that means because a lot of people make burritos around here. They started calling mine a Mission burrito,” Jara tells mitú. “Maybe because we don’t have any rice, or maybe because they are so good. As a matter of fact, my friend went to New York and his daughter took him to a taco place, and the whole wall had a mural of the taco place that said, ‘We’re inspired by the Mission burrito at La Taqueria.’ That’s pretty cool.”

Like any abuelo, Jara asked me and Daisy Murillo, the publicist who coordinated the trip to San Francisco, if we were hungry. Before we knew it, we had tacos fresh off the griddle and ice-cold aguas frescas. Each taco had La Taqueria’s chile verde.

And just like that, Jara was back mingling with customers. His energy adds joy to the atmosphere and the dining experience. He banters with customers in a way that makes everyone feel like a close friend. The restaurant feels like being with family, and it is largely thanks to Jara.