Carmelina’s Taqueria, an institution at the UCSF Parnassus Heights Campus food court, is celebrating 20 years of serving carne asada, breakfast burritos and huevos rancheros.
The celebration will be held from 11am to 1pm on Friday, Dec. 2 and customers will receive a free cookie with every purchase (while supplies last) and there will be a raffle drawing for three months of free lunch.
Karim Salgado, owner of Carmelina's, said there have been major changes to the restaurant over the last 20 years, both in technology and food. “Burritos will always be king,” she said, “but carne asada fries, empanadas and chile rellenos have really become popular over the last few years.”
While Salgado appreciates the loyalty of her customers, she said the friendships she’s built over the years are far more important.
“I’ve built some awesome friendships and some of my staff have married members of the UCSF community. Love is definitely in the air!”
Salgado has always been happy to partner with the university on a variety of issues, including helping the environment. While UC campuses are phasing out the use of single-use plastic bottles by Jan. 1, 2023, Carmelina’s has already replaced single-use plastic bottles with aluminum cans.
“Some customers haven’t even noticed,” Salgado said. But the ones that have noticed, have thanked Salgado. “They really like they change. The aluminum cans keep their drinks colder and they know it’s better for the environment.”
Carmelina’s was also an early participant in UCSF’s Smart Choice Program, which provides customers with healthy menu options, and was one of the first restaurants to make all food wrappers either recyclable or compostable. The restaurant also reduces waste as cooks compost and recycle in the kitchen.
“We’re committed to sustainability and working with the UCSF community to be a good partner,” Salgado said.
