Karim Salgado, owner of Carmelina’s Taqueria located inside the UCSF Parnassus Heights food court, has been serving delicious burritos, tacos, and carne asada for more than 20 years. In that time, she has created more than wonderful food, she’s also created community.
“My connections to UCSF started back in December 2002,” she said. “UCSF is important to me because it’s not just a place of business but it’s my community. During the pandemic we got close to many of our customers who didn’t have the option of working from home. We shared our fears, concerns and we celebrated the few milestones that we could during the lockdown.”
Now that people are returning to Parnassus, Salgado and her customers are celebrating the birth of new babies, weddings, fabulous hairdos and simply seeing each other in person.
“I’m grateful they still enjoy our burritos,” Salgado said with a laugh.
Karim, owner of Carmelina's Taqueria, has been serving UCSF for 20 years, holding a plate of quesadilla.
While there have been many changes to the restaurant over the past 20 years, one thing remains constant. “Burritos will always be king,” she said. “Carne asada fries, empanadas and chili rellenos have really become popular over the years, but burritos are comfort food and they’re easy to eat.”
The taqueria has developed a cult following and several customers truly standout for Salgado.
“We have a customer named Jen who works at Mission Bay but stops on her way home to get a burrito with black beans, fajitas and mild salsa,” Salgado said. “We start making her burrito before she gets to the counter.”
Salgado says Forrest from Facilities gets the #6 La Paz burrito with black beans, no sour cream, and double salsa. “He works a late shift, so comes prepared with a small thermos bag to keep his food warm until his break.”
Bob is famous for spoiling Salgado and her crew by sharing desserts from some of San Francisco’s best bakeries. “He brings fruit tarts, fancy donuts, cannoli’s, fresh made ice cream, and cakes,” she said. “He usually eats the Mardi Gras burrito with refried beans and mild salsa.”
Carmelina’s was an early participant in UCSF’s Smart Choice Program, which provides customers with healthy menu options, and was one of the first campus restaurants to make all food wrappers either recyclable or compostable. The cooks also reduce waste by composting and recycling in the kitchen.
While catering is still below 50 percent of pre-pandemic business, Salgado still sees a bright future for the business. “While there’s not much need for lunch meetings anymore, we still have a strong lunch crowd. We love being part of the UCSF community.”
