Plus: A beloved Chinatown staple closes, and yes … you can still find $1 wings in San Francisco.
Taco Bell elicits one or two reactions from the general population: a feeling of utter jubilation, wrapped with young-adult nostalgia, or an opinion of disdain and disgust. Thankfully, the vast majority of us fall into the former — Crunchwrap dreams and bean burrito wishes.
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That popularity led to an explosion in the fast food restaurant’s physical footprint over the past decade; Taco Bell saw its international restaurant figure nearly triple from 400 to over 1,000 locations between 2017 and 2024 alone. Its Cantina iterations, Taco Bell stores that serve alcohol and Cantina-specific food items alongside the company staple menu, have also enjoyed cult-like followings.
On Friday, San Francisco saw its second Taco Bell Cantina open along the waterfront, bringing waves of tourists and locals alike to dine at the eatery’s newest local offering.
“I think this is kind of the appeal of this city. It’s like, you know, how often do you get to say you went to a grand opening of a Taco Bell Cantina? So here I am,” said Ta’Niyia Smith, a San Francisco resident, to ABC7 News. Hundreds gathered at the new Taco Bell location in the heart of San Francisco’s tourist glue trap Friday afternoon, soundtracked by DJ spinnings and perfumed by a mixture of ocean breeze and charred carbohydrates.
Mayor Lurie, who, if anything, has proven he’ll attend the opening of an envelope, was in attendance, filming one of his social media PSAs and city highlights.
“We’re trying to open up the waterfront again to our tourists, to our visitors,” Lurie opines, apparently under the assumption that SF’s waterfront solely closed and evaporated out of collective consciousness. (Spoiler alert: It hasn’t/hadn’t.) Luri is especially elated at the idea of the youths patronizing these said waterfront businesses— “anything that draws young people like this new institution here, it’s going to be helpful.”
Taco Bell’s newest San Francisco Cantina location is now open at 333 Jefferson Street, operating from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m., seven days a week. Like all of Taco Bell’s Cantina locations, all alcoholic beverage orders must be consumed on-site.
What other SF food news transpired this week? Let’s take a look.
- Brandy’s Hos in Chinatown is officially closing. The 45-year-old business confirmed it has closed its doors for good after the Eater received a tip from a fan who noticed the beloved eatery hadn’t opened its doors since December 28th; the decades-old Chinese restaurant on Columbus Avenue was well known for its Hunanese Chinese dishes and MSG-free cooking styles. More info.
- Not even a food court icon could stay alive inside San Francisco’s largest, dying mall. What feels like the final nail in the coffin for SF’s Centre Mall, the shopping center’s basement-level Panda Express has officially closed, leaving no restaurant options in the struggling mall. More info.
- Yes, reader … $1 wings in San Francisco are still a thing (if you know where to look). Underdogs Cantina, which has developed a loyal fan base for its large and affordable crispy tacos in SoMa, is still honoring its $1 Wing Wednesday in 2026 amid skyrocketing food costs; nearby Hotel Utah Saloon also serves up $1 wings on Wednesday. More info.
