How I grade:

Eggs

Eggs

The eggs are the key ingredient in any breakfast burrito. They’re the signature ingredient and reason we feel comfortable ingesting an entire day’s worth of calories before noon. The eggs should be light and fluffy, seasoned well, and make up a decent portion of the burrito innards. Most of all, overcooked and rubbery eggs will not be tolerated.
Protein

Protein

Optional, but the addition of some sort of other protein brings in the fatty, tasty breakfast parts to the burrito. The usual suspects are going to be chorizo, bacon or sausage, but I'm not picky.
A Perfect Tortilla

Tortilla

A low bar, but a must-have: A tortilla should be just the right consistency so that it doesn’t add too much of its own texture or taste to the experience. An overly-chewy or dense tortilla that stands out is a no-no.
Potatoes

Potatoes

Rice is sometimes a substitute here, but potatoes again make this style stand out from more traditional burritos. All forms are not created equal though; The best burritos will have a well-cooked, crunchy potato layer or even opt to go straight for the hashbrowns. Have to be careful though proportionally not to over-portion the starches though.

Salsa, beans & anything or everything else

Others

Total freedom here to go crazy and wild and throw whatever mix of ingredients in that makes it unique. This is usually where the best separate themselves from the rest. The possibilities are endless but whatever conglomerate of ingredients remains must feel homogeneous and not too dry or wet.

The Best of the best:

🥇 Cielito Lindo

It's only right that one of the best breakfast burritos on this list was crafted by a traditional Mexican taqueria. Cielito Lindo might be a long trek from downtown but it is every bit worth it. A breakfast burrito is a burrito first, and what an excellent burrito this is. The chorizo and egg blend beautifully together, the potatoes are mushy and complimentary. Most importantly, the flakey, buttery tortilla wraps all the other perfection with a thin lining of cheese. I am obsessed, and I hope you'll make the trip to try it too.

Location: Outer Richmond

3440 Balboa St, San Francisco, CA 94121
🥈 Manitas Cafe

Nothing unique about it but still perfect in nearly every way. The eggs are scrambled into the mix of bacon and cheese but are not overcooked at all. The inclusion of fresh avocado, tomatoes and parsley add some freshness. My only gripe is that I'd like crispier potatoes; These are sliced thin enough though that the texture of the burrito isn't elevated but not adversely effected either. The tomatillo here is fantastic and spicy which adds a nice little kick. The tortilla is impeccable and has the perfect grill marks. You can not go wrong at all here.

Location: NoPa

2078 Hayes St, San Francisco, CA 94117
🥉 Bodega/Celeste

You snooze, you lose. Be there before 11 unless you want to risk feeling the grief of seeing the Instagram story informing you that they are sold out for the day. This perfectly sized and wrapped ensemble puts the eggs first and is yet another which skips the ground chorizo and goes straight for the sausage links. A perfect ratio of ingredients that begs to be slathered with multiple containers of the green side salsa. Available in North Beach at Bodega Sat, and in Cow Hollow at Celeste on Sun.

Location: North Beach/Cow Hollow

700 Columbus Ave, San Francisco, CA 94133
Bandit

The "Captain Crunch" burrito is a fantastic blend of texture, spicy and creamy aioli. The smashed chorizo, mashed tots, and thick-cut bacon give it the "crunch" while the spicy aioli and chorizo brings the heat. It's a perfectly prepped egg on the inside and a flakey tortilla on the exterior to round out a nearly-perfect breakfast burrito.

Location: Dogpatch

475 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Il Canto Cafe

The Chipotle Breakfast Burrito is the burrito for those who wish to get lost in the sauce (and don’t have a problem with mayo in a burrito). The mix of this homemade, smokey blend and the green onions and peppers create one of the most flavor-packed burritos on this list. The outside is beautifully pressed that adds an aesthetically and texturally perfect wrapping. A bit on the smaller size but the eggs are oh-so-perfectly cooked. Take it from me and add avocado.

Location: FiDi

475 Sacramento St, San Francisco, CA 94111
Heist

Don't let the unassuming cross-section or small little cafe fool you - Heist's "Captain Crunch" packs a punch of flavor and quite the spicy kick! There's a lack of wet ingredients but the flavorful chorizo, thick bacon and fluffy egg are all very high quality. Even as a self-proclaimed crispy-potato lover I still adore these soft potatoes that are delicate as any.

Location: Union Square

678 Post St, San Francisco, CA 94109
Cafe Isabella

If you think refried beans belong on a burrito, look no further than this humble cafe tucked in the hilly streets above Chinatown. A unique flavor profile dominated by the beans, rice and salsa that will leave you stuffed. You likely won’t even have room for the queso and chips that come with it.

Location: Russian Hill

1414 Taylor St, San Francisco, CA 94113
Breakfast Little

The most bite-sized option of the bunch, but that doesn’t mean it’s guilt-free. This small burrito is absolutely loaded with cheese that gives the eggs a creamier feel. The star of this show is 100% the crushed tots here. They are perfectly crunchy and add much needed balance to this mix.

Location: Mission

3275 22nd St, San Francisco, CA 94110
Tastebuds

Is a deep-fried breakfast burrito basically just an early-AM chimichanga? Only one way to find out! If you're in the mood for something a little healthier they also have a grilled option here as well. Either way, the insides of this burrito have a delicious egg liner with super-flavorful chorizo and roasted red peppers. I do really love that deep-fried tortilla crust, though!

Location: Inner Richmond

600 5th Ave, San Francisco, CA 94118
Mama's Luncheonette

You absolutely MUST get the optional smoked brisket as it takes this burrito to new heights. But even without the brisket this is still a solid burrito with really great mashed tots and fluffy eggs. Limited availability on the weekends only.

Location: Cow Hollow

3006 Buchanan St, San Francisco, CA 94123

The Rest of the Best:

Velo Rouge Cafe

Huge, hearty, loaded & pressed. The good? Definitely the crispy, huge potato chunks & avocado slices. The bad? Unfortunately the eggs which get lost and even a bit overcooked amongst the inner scramble. Could be the most instagram-worthy of the bunch though.

Location: Richmond
Cracked & Battered

Let's ignore societal standards for a second and acknowledge that fried chicken ABSOLUTELY can belong in a breakfast burrito. The egg is a bit light but the calibrian chiles come on STRONG, which I love. The "crackin'" sauce is an aioli that you may or may not like but I think it jams well with the whole experience.

Location: Marina
Bacon Bacon

With a name like “Bacon Bacon”, you get exactly what you’d expect in this burrito; A protein-bomb that fully highlights the pulled pork and eggs inside. Outside of the pork (which is tasty), there isn’t much going on here: The tortilla is fairly lackluster and there isn’t much sauce or fillers to balance it out the fattiness other than the small amount of peppers. This comes with a side of Tapatio, but you may even want to augment it within your own.

Location: Cole Valley
Underdogs Tres

The burrito that has the biggest highs and lowest lows; I couldn't love the double protein mix of chorizo and bacon that headline "The La Bomba" from Underdogs Tres. To add to it, the crunchy, crushed tots are maybe my favorite potatoes of any burrito on this list. But unfortunately I can't give my endorsement to any other part of it. There's a large ratio of diced tomatoes that sort of dominates your bites and a very small serving of eggs. I also had to double check that they didn't forget the cheese. All-in-all, this burrito is a couple ratio tweaks away from possible greatness. But until then, I'd give it one go instead of locking it into your favorites list.

Location: Inner Sunset
Bean Bag Cafe

An unimaginatively scrambled mix of the basics; Eggs, cheddar, potatoes, avocado and beans. Despite the basics here, this Nopa classic never fails to hit the spot. I’m a fan of the maybe-undersized and uniquely scored tortilla that holds it all together.

Location: NoPa
Wrap n' Rola

The "loaded" version is stuffed with freshly grilled market veggies and pressed into a thin, cripsy, tortilla that is dipped in a cheese skirt. It's an absolute hearty, greasy hangover cure and one of the more unique options out there.

Location: Fort Mason Farmer's Market
Wise Sons

Did you know that the popular SF Jewish Deli chain serves breakfast burritos at some locations? Their creation is a burrito that goes against the grain in a few ways such as the salty pastrami, soft fingerling potatoes and melted cheddar cheese. Its a well-balanced mix of unconventional ingredients that is still very tasty in it's own way. Untraditional, but the flavorful pastrami and the homemade tomatillo will have me ordering this one again.

Location: Fillmore
Cafe Reveille

The small twist of merguez sausage as the protein is the only differentiator this burrito boasts against its competitors. But while it comes with no surprises, it also lacks a weakness. Don’t expect to have your socks knocked off, but you won’t likely be let down either.

Location: Nob Hill
La Palma

La Palma’s creation is a super chorizo burrito with just barely enough eggs to justify having one before noon. The mix of sour cream, guac, salsa and beans will have you saving your salsa for the chips. It’s hearty, delicious, and wrapped in the tastiest, stretchiest tortilla that is worthy of its own note.

Location: Mission
Taqueria El Sol

Your average burrito that isn't going to drastically stand out in any way. Cheesy, with some tasty chorizo, but held back by it's not-so-great tortilla and forgettable potatoes. Great in a pinch though if you're scouring Doordash for something quick on a Saturday morning.

Location: Lower Nob Hill
Mestizas Cafe

Mestizas focuses on Mayan cuisine which makes the flavors of this burrito a nice switch-up from most of the others on this list. I love their chorizo's flavor, but if you're really hungry, go for the Meat Lovers, which completes the holy trinity by adding on bacon and sausage.

Location: Marina
El Farolito

The place that many would consider to be the best burrito in San Francisco comes up a little shorter in the breakfast segment. The chorizo is spicy and delicious, but the potatoes are missing in action. Heavy on the cheese and sour cream. One might say it's a super burrito for breakfast; If that's your thing.

Location: Mission
Papalote

Papalote is known for theirs salsas and you'll want to get your hands on as much as you can get. There's a small container that will come with your chips and I'd recommend pouring it all into this burrito. Otherwise your bites are going to taste mostly like the rice and beans which are piled excessively into the filling. There's quite a few options but I'd go with chorizo.

Location: NoPa
El Burrito Express 2

A no-frills, meat and potatoes (& egg) creation neatly bound in a near-perfectly sized wrap. The guac here is needed, as the potatoes sadly don’t carry their weight.

Location: Pac Heights