SAN JALISCO >

Run by Dolores “Josie” Padilla-Reyes and multiple generations of her family, the restaurant has been around for three decades. Its name is a hybrid of San Francisco and Jalisco, the Mexican state where Padilla-Reyes’ parents were born. The high-ceilinged room somehow combines coziness, with its ceramic jugs and framed photos, and cafeteria-style openness. Its large tables and expansive menu add to the feeling that you could step inside at any time and find something you’re going to want to eat.

One visit isn’t enough: Served all day, breakfast at San Jalisco is an infinitely repeatable option, particularly the chilaquiles. In the Chilaquiles Veronica, fried tortilla pieces are tossed in red salsa, nopales, chorizo, scrambled eggs and sour cream to merge into a perfect equilibrium of sauciness and crispiness. It’s also worth trying special dishes that are hard to find elsewhere, like an appetizer of enfrijolada (a corn tortilla bathed in a thin coating of refried beans and topped with crema) and the weekend-only birria — order it “wet” for the soupy version of long-cooked goat meat, a specialty of Jalisco. Pro tip: The regular wait staff, including Padilla-Reyes’ sister, Margarita, bring nonstop coffee refills, but the gigantic Michelada is an even better option, arriving in a frozen Tajinrimmed glass mug with your choice of beer. Order: Chilaquiles Veronica ($10.95), Michelada ($7.50).

901 S. Van Ness Ave., San Francisco. 415-648-8383. 8 a.m.-10 p.m. daily. No reservations. Credit cards accepted.

— T.D.