Yucatan food truck Cochinita has opened a brick and mortar in South San Francisco. Photo by Edwina Dueñas.
Cochinita, the Bay Area’s original Yucatan food truck, opened its first restaurant in South San Francisco in September. Chef-owners Sergio Albornoz and Karen Gonzalez expanded the food truck concept to include a breakfast menu, new items for lunch and dinner, and a full bar. As South San Francisco residents, the owners long considered Grand Avenue to be the ideal home for their restaurant.
“We met across the street from our now restaurant over 11 years ago,” Gonzalez said. “We have lived in South City for over a decade, and always kept an eye out for a location!”
Yucatan — Albornoz’s home state in southeastern Mexico — features distinct culinary creations that are not easily found in the area. For the past six years, the food truck has introduced Bay Area audiences to Yucatan specialties such as cochinita pibil (slow-roasted pulled pork), pollo pibil (pulled chicken), panuchos (black bean-filled fried tortillas), salbutes (fried handmade corn tortillas) and more.
Meaning “little pig” in Spanish, the business is named after the signature Yucatan dish cochinita pibil. Diners from the food truck will instantly recognize the cheery pig on the front door of the restaurant, which was created by Bay Area artist Nelida Perez. Once inside, the eatery is designed to transport diners to Yucatan, which is known for its pristine beaches, Mayan history and rich culture. At the restaurant, the owners are thrilled to have the opportunity to provide full-service dining.
The interior of Cochinita in South San Francisco. Photo by Edwina Dueñas.
“With the food trucks, we had gotten so used to the process of fast-paced, quick-service events where we only have limited time with guests,” noted Gonzalez. “(Being able) to now provide an experience with our customers actually dining in our restaurant is surreal.”
For breakfast, diners can choose from items like huevitos con platano, chilaquiles topped with their specialty cochinita pibil, or sweet offerings like Nutella French toast or fresh pitaya bowls. From their “food truck favorites'' menu, diners can order a taco, burrito, panucho or salbute filled with Yucatan-style chicken, pork, or plantains for a vegetarian option.
Other entrees include taquitos dorados and tostadas de ceviche. Plus, a weekend-only item at the food truck, elote tater tots, are available every day at the restaurant. Pair it with their habanero salsa for an added kick, and wash it down with a papaya agua fresca to temper the heat. For a coffee break, order the churros con cafecito, which comes with four caramel-filled mini churros and two coffees.
The food truck fleet continues to operate alongside the restaurant, which is open six days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While the owners characterize Cochinita's transition from food trucks to a brick and mortar as both exciting and nerve-wracking, they’re ultimately grateful to have landed in South San Francisco.
“We've definitely learned from the unexpected bumps in the road but we (reached) our goal to open by this year,” Gonzalez said. “We’ve had so much support from the community; it makes us feel so fortunate to be able to live out our dreams.”
Cochinita, 334 Grand Ave., South San Francisco; 650-392-0182, Instagram: @cochinita.sf. Open Tuesday-Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
