Best Piñatas

Piñata Art Studio & Gallery

4268 Mission (at Silver), 333-8001

The piñatas displayed at this tiny Excelsior storefront are so beautiful and festive that you almost hate to whack the hell out of them with a baseball bat. Handcrafted in a back-room workshop, they hang from the walls and rafters in a wide variety of shapes and sizes, just waiting for your next fiesta: burros, parrots, caterpillars, witches, hula girls, wedding bells, a big 49ers football, even the spitting image of SpongeBob SquarePants. The studio also makes custom piñatas, given a week's notice and a photo of the subject in question (examples of the establishment's craftsmanship are on display in a binder up front); candy ideal for piñata-stuffing is sold on the premises along with crepe paper, streamers, and confetti.