These SF farmers market chilaquiles are worth the long lines

When I showed up at the farmers market on a sunny, windswept Saturday morning, I was hungover. If I’m being honest, the only thing that kept me going was a tantalizing Instagram reel I’d seen of the chilaquiles topped with soft scrambled eggs.

I knew Primavera was cash-only, so I made a beeline for the ATM inside the Ferry Building — only to find it broken. After braving the line at the only other ATM, I weaved through the bakery stands and vegetable vendors to finally join the long Primavera line around 10:30 a.m.

Primavera was new to me, but many San Franciscans have been in the know about its famous chilaquiles for years. 

In a list of iconic San Francisco food experiences, Thrillist called Primavera’s “the best chilaquiles in the world,” Bon Appetit has referred to them as “unparalleled,” and San Francisco Chronicle writer Chris Ying credited them for “pull[ing] me and many others back from the brink of hangover-induced ruin on numerous occasions.” (The Chronicle and SFGATE are both owned by Hearst but have separate newsrooms.)

Owner Karen Taylor, who also runs Sonoma’s Michelin-recognized El Molino Central, said that Primavera has been at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market for 30 years.

“Some of [my employees] are still going that were here at the beginning, and everybody’s getting gray hair,” said Taylor. “We’re kind of old-timers at the market.” 

When I got to the front of the Primavera line about 10 minutes later — it moves mercifully quickly — I ordered a plate of the chilaquiles verdes, which was $13, and a jamaica agua fresca. The succinct menu changes every week, with rotating varieties of chilaquiles such as verde (poblano chile and tomatillo salsa), “El Cardenal” (tomato chipotle salsa, named after the famed Mexico City breakfast restaurant) and more. 

Primavera is one of the most popular stalls at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market every Saturday. (Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATE)
Primavera is one of the most popular stalls at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market every Saturday. (Adam Pardee/Special to SFGATE)

As I waited, I hungrily watched my fellow Primavera patrons spooning additional salsa over their chilaquiles and plopping down at nearby benches to dive in. If there’s one thing about chilaquiles, it’s that they’re best enjoyed fresh — thus the rush to start forking them down.

I got my plate after a 20-minute wait and hurried it over to a picturesque lookout point on the pier. Within bites, my hangover began to melt away. 

The chilaquiles verdes are a harmonious blend of flavors — the smoky, tangy salsa verde, the creamy soft scrambled eggs and chunks of avocado, salty cotija cheese, and the freshness provided by the onion and cilantro. A side of pillowy refried beans was perhaps the pinnacle, although the most texturally impressive element was the thick tortilla chips. 

Unlike every other version of chilaquiles I’ve tried, the chips somehow never got soggy, despite being slathered in salsa. 

“The chips are very sturdy because we grind the corn,” said Taylor when I asked her what her secret was. “We do the nixtamalization process and soak the corn and grind the corn and make the chips by hand, so it’s a good sturdy chip for chilaquiles.” 

She’s quick to add, though, that the chips alone aren’t to credit for what makes the chilaquiles so good. 

“The flavor is the key,” said Taylor. “With boring sauce and hardly anything on top, it wouldn’t taste very good.”

Every element of the dish, from the toothsome tortilla chips to the flavorful sauce and organic eggs, makes the large plate more than worth the $13. Taylor ventures that it’s so much food that two people could even share it, although I managed to mow through my entire plate single-handedly. (I blame the hangover.) 

Primavera also serves tacos, tamale plates and other rotating seasonal specials, but Taylor said that the chilaquiles are usually the most popular dish. On any given Saturday, they often sell over 500 plates of them. 

At the end of the day, she said, “It’s just a great way to use up old tortillas.”

The Ferry Plaza is the only farmers market where you’ll find Primavera selling hot food, although Taylor’s Sonoma restaurant, El Molino Central, also serves the same chilaquiles on the weekends. If you do brave the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market crowds, don’t forget cash — and remember that the chilaquiles are worth the wait. 

Primavera, 1 Ferry Building Marketplace, San Francisco. Open Saturdays, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.