Important information, especially for those who took that whole FiveThirtyEight Burrito Bracket thing seriously: Mission District burrito standby La Taqueria will be closing for three weeks starting on December 22. Gather ye burritos while ye may.

You know all about La Taqueria, of course. The Mission Street restaurant has been a standby on Best Burrito lists for years. From our list, circa 2013:

La Taq sets the gold standard for Mission burritos, and it's been bearing the torch for decades. There's a reason the line is out the door: this spot is the worst-kept secret in town. La Taq's carne asada super burrito is like a religion, and the restaurant's policy of using no rice in their burritos produces a streamlined, taste-concentrated slab. The only controversy? Whether La Taq's burritos or tacos are the superior order.

The place hit a beyond-locals level of fame earlier this year when it was named "America’s Best Burrito" by fledgling data-driven news org FiveThirtyEight:

This burrito’s construction sets it apart. Like many Mission Street burritos, it’s prepared assembly line-style; the sour cream is added liberally from a squirt bottle, guacamole comes by the spoonful from an enormous metal bowl, pico de gallo and all its juices are added at the end. But unlike at other taquerias, each ingredient keeps its juices, making this burrito saucy in form and personality (the absence of rice also makes it noteworthy among its neighbors).

Of course, this crowning caused an inevitable backlash (including on this site), but that didn't matter to all those who appeared to discover the place as a result of their triumph — the place has been regularly jam-packed since their win (well, most of the time).

That's why, though their "renovation vacation" from December 22-January 11 is, Eater SF reports, an annual event, it still bears noting — it seems like a lot of La Taq's patrons weren't around to withstand the closure this time last year.

And that's OK! Just get there this week, and you'll be fine...or, as my esteemed colleague Jay Barmann might tell you, Taqueria Cancun (2288 Mission St), Chavitas on 26th and Mission, Taqueria San Francisco (2794 24th Street) and Taqueria Vallarta (3033 24th Street) are all more-than-acceptable alternatives.