Tacolicious Is Not A Taqueria | San Francisco, CA

Sometimes a name is misleading.

The second iteration of Tacolicious touched down at the end of last month in the heart of Mission taqueria territory. But this Tacolicious is no taqueria.

Though tacos are the centerpiece of the menu at Tacolicious' stand at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market–and are also available at the mini-chain's two brick-and-mortar locations–they take a backseat to chef Antelmo Faria's small plates, which reflect the breadth and depth of the Mexican repertoire.

It's easy to forget about tacos when there are dishes like spicy, salty Veracruz-style squid, the tender grilled cephalopod set in a tomato-based sauce studded with garbanzo beans and sharpened by capers, olives and coins of fiery jalapeño ($10).

Plump, juicy beef-and-pork albóndigas are also a distraction, and so too the shrimp a la diabla, snappy specimens luxuriating in a spicy roasted tomato-chile sauce, cubes of fried potatoes lurking in the sauce, all waiting to be spooned onto warm flour tortillas ($11).

Fill any remaining space on the table with soupy, bacony Rancho Gordo Rio Zape beans ($5), or bowls of Rice-O-Licious, an unfortunately named but welcome starch ($5), and repeat after us: There's more to Mexican than tacos.

Tacolicious, 741 Valencia St., 415-626-1344; and 2031 Chestnut St., 415-346-1966; tacolicioussf.com