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Categories: Spanish, Tapas Bars, Basque
Neighborhood: MissionLobster Paella $26 for 2 people. ~ Grilled Lobster Tail Tapa $9. ~ Salt Cod Croquettes $5. ~ Salt Cod Salad $5.
Mon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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I met some yelpers here and it was fun. I was short on time and only had a couple beers but the food smelled amazing. Even though I usually think Tapas are a scam to get you to pay more for less food the prices seemed reasonable. The decor was a little too busy for my taste, damn that borderline OCD!
I'll update this review when I've had a chance to try the food for now I give them the benefit of the doubt with four stars.
I seldom see restaurants underrated like this one due to complaints about parking, wait time, and crowd noise. I joined Kent P, Tom R, Maybelline C, Paul K, Brendan H, and Amy C for dinner at the advice of Maybelline, who suggested this place for their food at which reminds the time that she spent in Spain. With a reservation and parking lot across the street, there was no wait time as our dinner party was seated at the center of the restaurant which was decked out with dimmed lighting, a very cute wall to wall décor, small bar, and a floating mariachi band.
It was a momentous occasion for us to meet, celebrate Yelp, and kick back for the night. It was my first time back in town in over a week, so this dinner was highly anticipated. In addition to sharing two pitchers of sangria ($17 each) which I find to be a delightful opening, all the dishes had good portions and presentation.
Conejo ($7.50): It was very flavorful stew but the rabbit was also too boney. I may pass on this next time.
Calamar frito (6.75): These thick calamari rings were lightly battered and were enjoyable even without the white dipping sauce.
Gamba Al Ajillo ($7): Garlic buttered jumbo prawns were juicy and delicious. Two thumbs up.
Bravas ($4.75): Intense wow factor, well seasoned potatoes with an incredible sauce that had a subtle garlic spicy kick. Memorable and a must get.
Rabo toro ($15): The oxtail stew was savory and decent. For the price I only wished the servings were bigger.
Paella turista ($11.33 per person): Here comes the jackpot. With a squirt of lemon from May, the texture was authentically baked with rice surrounded by countless calamari, shrimps, clams, mussels, chicken, pork ribs and more calamari, shrimps, clams, mussels..... It was full blast deliciousness.
We were completely stuffed by the end of the dinner with enough paella for May to take home. Service was attentive until the restaurant got super festive with the entire place packed by the time we left. Not once were we rushed during the two and a half hour dinner and our bread basket was never empty.
Thanks to May for suggesting this place and everyone for coming to dinner. 4 stars for the wonderful experience. This place will remain mentally bookmarked in order to keep me honest about where I go for paella in the future.
Yum, any place with good sangria is ok in my book. I had calamari, rabbit stew, ox tail stew, spiced potatoes, shrimp, seafood/pork/chicken paella, and 2.5 glasses of sangria. I left really full and really satisfied. Thanks to Maybelline C. for taking us other yelpers there because it was delicious. Definitely would go back to try everything else.
Pros: great food and it's tapas-style so you can try way more items.
Cons: a little loud inside.
This place is excellent for groups of about 6 people. We went here last night for my husband's birthday with two other couples. We decided to order 3 tapas per person and share family style. The tapas are cheap enough that you can do this and the portions are just about the right size for a group of 6 people to all get a taste of each tapas. It's also a great way for you to get a taste of a good variety of the tapas.
Our favorite was the ox-tail stew. It will melt in your mouth like butter! The morcilla (aka blood sausage...don't get scared away by this) was excellent! Definitely, we will be back.
Esperpento has great snagria people! I have tried many tapas place in the city, and by far Esperpeto has the best among all. It's not water, not bitter like others. Foods are always fresh and amazing there, you can't go wront with Esperpento.
Tip: Especially if you're in a big group, pick a tapas buddy among your crew. Most tapa dishes here are perfect to split between two people.
Definitely on the pricey end of things, but everything was acceptably tasty. Brocheta de vieiras (scallops on a brochette (see: stick)) was good, as was the tortilla de patata and the champinones al ajillo (mushrooms in garlic sauce). Estofado de conejo (rabbit stew) was a little underwhelming since it just tasted like dry turkey. Sangria selection was nice, but nothing special.
Highlight of the meal was the squid ink paella. Blackest blackness ever, and it'll stain your teeth for a day. Rumor is that it comes out the other end the same way... :P
It's such an odd name for a paella place. Granted it's a pretty name like "esperanza" (which means "hope"), I think "esperpento" refers to stories that exaggerate reality into grotesque images to highlight society's ills. Or if you type the word into Google's translator, it comes up as "gorgon" - or "terrifying female creature". Huh? Well, I guess it sounds more mysterious than "Carlos' Place".
I was drawn to the place on Friday because I was perusing Yelp to see what kind of culinary adventure Jamie W. and I could be up for. When I read you could have Lobster Paella for two for $26, I was hooked, and we came early enough to beat most of the crowds there. The vibe is pure Mission...a bit dark, a bit crowded, a bit loud. And all those traits intensified as the evening rolled on. The service was fast and solicitous - which I find refreshing in an otherwise indifferent neighborhood of hipsterdom.
We went for the $4.50 Patatas Bravas, which were billed as "spicy potatoes", and they weren't kidding. They had a nice crispiness and were definitely pan-fried hot. My one problem with them is that they ladled some kind of sauce that looked a bit like Velveeta but tasted - true to their word - kick-ass spicy with what I assume to be some jalapeno peppers mixed in (see photo). This was the preface, of course, to the Lobster Paella - which came steaming in a traditional paella pan.
Now I'm no paella snob, but I have been to (ahem) Barcelona where I went to (ahem) 7 Portes Restaurant, the birthplace of paella in (gasp) 1836. But y'know what...they weren't that great at it either. I just think it's a dish best served at home one pan at a time rather than commoditizing it badly (...did you hear that, B44?). Esperpento's paella was certainly decent enough with plenty of ingredients - but no one can seem to escape the inevitable mushiness of the rice. At least they had the semi-burnt crust to chew on toward the end. There were two lobster tails to unshell, about a half-dozen clams, peas and tomatoes, and lots of big calamari rings (see photo).
It was all pretty good, certainly better than the much louder Picaro a few blocks away, and you can't beat a price like that for fresh lobster tails. But it does make me think I should wipe the dust off my old paella pan and try to make this dish this myself. Hey, I took a cooking class in Barcelona in May - but I was relegated to crema catalunya because I likes me the torch. Oh, who am I kidding? I'll probably come back here when I get the craving, but I'm open to other suggestions.
FOOD - 3 stars...pretty decent paella for a fair price, especially when they offer lobster tails
AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...pure Mission bustle with hipsters and yupsters rubbing elbows in a cacophony of tapa-tude
SERVICE - 4 stars...here's where they excel next to their paella brethren and sistren
TOTAL - 3.5 stars...still looking for the ultimate paella, so the search continues...until I get off my tookis and make some myself, I guess
Yeee.
I went here two days in a row.
Day 1: I was hungry as balls, it was late (9:30pm), and I woke up to cruise through Yelp with my zip code and the "open now" option. I found Esperpento, which was three blocks from my house. I demanded my manfriend and I go to this place, because it was cold and I was craving warm, filling foods. I also looked at the online menu, and saw that you can get dinner combos for $10. YES.
We went in and the place was cozy and warm. There were lots of other people there, which was nice. I'm not sure what people on Yelp have with the servers here, because ours was nice and prompt.
Anyway, we ordered two tapas (the serrano ham/toast/olive oil and the fried snapper with garlic mayo) and two dinner combos.
He got the beef milanesa and I got the chicken adobo.
I HATE bones with my chicken, so I scraped away the pieces of white meat and gave the rest to my dinnermate. The chicken was very tender and delicious though. His milanesa was tasty too, and I would definitely order it in the future.
Day 2: HUNGRY again, went with my friend Tbone. Ordered the Spanish meatballs combo dinner with two tapas (spicy potatoes and garlic shrimp).
The sides are tasty. The spinach here is almost as good as House of Prime Rib, and the rice was delicious, especially with the meatballs.
Damn tasty. I love this place. There is a very good chance I will be back today after I get off work. Yum.
And ya dudes, the staff. Last night was CROWDED as hell and super busy, but everyone that worked there was super gracious and kept an eye on us. Good work, Esperpento staff!
Really crowded place, a little difficult to maneuver, but interesting decor and good wait service. Live music comes around and busts your eardrums once in a while, but adds to the flavor of the experience. If you're here on a date try to get the alcove in the back - it's super private and romanticky!
We saw everyone around us having some sangria, so we ordered some too. It was pretty good sangria; I would say comparable to Cha Cha Cha's.
Run down of the food:
Paella de Mariscas (seafood) - pretty salty for my taste. 2/5
Gambas Al Ajillo (garlic shrimp) - 4/5
Butifara Con Judias Blancas (white beans with Catalonian sausage) - sausage sits atop the same French bread that comes free at the beginning. Beans were hard; not cooked. 2/5.
Patatas Bravas (spicy potatoes) - 5/5
Patatas Aioli (homemade garlic mayonnaise) - 5/5
Champinones Al Ajillo (mushrooms sauteed with garlic) - Hmm, didn't really bring out that real mushroom flavor, couldn't taste the garlic, really. 2/5
Like I said, 3.5 stars if I could. I would return to give this place another shot. The ambiance was great, and I had fun here. The potatoes were outta this world. The main course wasn't. Normally I wouldn't return to a tapas place because TWO were good, but in this case, they were soo delicious, that I'd be willing to come back and try ones I didn't get to order. Hopefully, I'll be able to get the bunny images out of my head and try some rabbit!
This was my first visit to Esperpento Tapas Restaurant. My friend lives in the Bernal Heights area of town and had wanted to try this place for some time since he has a music studio in the Mission district and passes by several times a week.
After hiking on the beach for about 6 miles, we had worked up quite a healthy appetite and were prepared to fill up on tapas.
Having had tapas before, I was hesitant to order too much initially not knowing the size of the portions. Traditional tapas come in small sizes. To begin, we ordered the grilled calamari, abodo spicy chicken, and spicy potatoes, and a side of rice.
The portions were huge - more like a serving for 4 people...and I was especially glad we stuck to only 3 tapas. When I mentioned to the server that I thought tapas were smaller portions, she acknowledged that tapas really are suppose to be small, but they had 'americanized' their portions to satisfy those not familiar with tapas.
Their menu should list traditional tapas...and super-sized McTapas to satisfy those who think bigger is better :-)
Nice house Spanish red wine and reasonably priced menu. I suspect I'll be back again.
Sangria, tapas, Yelpers....OLE!
This is my spot to get my Spanish food fix. Going to Esperpento is like taking a 12.5 hour flight to Madrid, only you didn't take a 12.5 hour flight to Espana. The walls are adorned with replicas of Salvador Dali to the infamous Pablo Picasso. The smallest details make the experience-all the way up to the sign that reads ASEOS for the restroom. I had the pleasure of joining fellow Yelpers Daniel L, Paul K, Tom R, Kent P, Brendan H, and Amy C for dinner at Esperpento. For tapas we settled on rabbit stew, which I didn't know was rabbit at the time and thought it was chicken. It was pretty good. In addition to the rabbit, we had rabo toro (oxtail stew), patatas bravas (spicy potatoes), calamares fritos (calamari), and gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp). All were excellent choices, with my favorite being the patatas bravas. You must get this when you go! No questions asked. Just get it. For paella we select the Paella Turista which pretty much has everything in it: mussels, clams, shrimp, pork, chicken, and calamari. And yes, the paella here is made in a paella pan with socarrat (the crust at the bottom of the pan from the rice).
Thanks to everyone for joining the dinner at Esperpento that memorable evening!
I lived in Spain for a month and some change and coming to Esperpento always brings me back. Their… Read more »
Esperpento is still one of my favorite restaurants. My client took me here for lunch not too long ago and we both enjoyed what we had. She ordered the salmon combo and I had the chicken adobo combo- both served with french bread, potatoes or rice, stewed zuccini, spinach, and cabbage w/ garlic and paprika or salad- I picked the potatoes and cabbage. The portions, even just for lunch, were huge- we both left with to go bags. I was expecting just a tiny side of cabbage but it actually came on a separate plate and was really good!
My chicken adobo was really tasty and I was totaly satisfied!
I'm taking a Spanish course and we decided to take a class field trip here for dinner and everyone… Read more »
The quick-and-dirty:
Go for the excellent tapas and delicious paella, stay for the sweet sangria. Esperpento offers a great meal at a reasonable price and is great for group dinners on a lively weekend night.
The back-story:
I've enjoyed a couple of large-group birthday dinners at Esperpento. In addition to the food and drink, it has a lively atmosphere. Personally, I prefer it to Cha Cha Cha.
The food is excellent -- the chorizo is one of the best tapas dishes I've ever had. The paella is quite tasty and everything can be washed down with their tasty sangria.
And, especially for a tapas restaurant, this place won't break your bank. Great bang for the buck! It's been a few months since I was last there and I hope to get back soon.
It's a good place for tapas and just sharing food with 3 or more of your friends. It's fun that way. Paella for 2 plus 3 sides would be enough for a group of 4 people plus a pitcher of their good sweet Sangria (don't expect to get faded).
- Chorizo, patatas bravas, paella with seafood and beef, garlic shrimp are pretty good.
- You can do without the Adobo Pollo.
- Rabit stew is definitely very tasty!
Don't expect awesome food but considering the nice atmosphere, it's definiltey worth checking it out.
Are you one of those people who can't ever choose just ONE thing off the menu? Sometimes I do, and Esperpentos tapas selection is a great way to be able to order multiple dishes at once to satisfy your eye's craving. Each tapas dish is between $4-8 and for 2 people 4 dishes is plenty. I recommend the patatas bravas - the potatoes are cooked just like I like them, soft with a crispy outside and the spice level is perfect for me. The restaurant is cute and colorful and I think it's a great place to go for a casual talk over food kind of evening.
Downside is that they seem understaffed, for the entire restaurant there was only 1 waitress. While the place wasn't full it was plenty busy and getting any attention as far as getting water (the food is a little on the salty side) or asking for the check it's a bit slow. So go here when you want a chill meal but aren't in a rush.
Great tapas place. A little bit loud, but a fun atmosphere with good food and friendly service.
- Salt Cod Salad: refreshing, not enough cod, salad was good
- Rabbit Stew: heavy, lots of small bones so watch out, good tomato sauce
- Potato Egg pancake: okay very eggy/potatoey
- Chorizo: skin a little too crispy, like little weiners, salty
- Oysters: not that fresh but cooked nicely with tons of grilled onions, yum!
Sangria was not as good as last time. Seemed like it need to be soaked a little longer, but still better than some I've had.
Crowded! I can see why with the great food, sangria, and energetic atmosphere! A little loud, it's a… Read more »
I had a great time dining at Esperpento. It's a lively little restaurant with live Mariachi music and good food. The parking garage across the street was a added bonus. I'm glad Daniel L & Maybelline C. suggested this place as I'm very happy that there is a decent Tapas restaurant so close to home. We ordered the Patatas Brava (Spicy Potatoes), Fried Calamari, Oxtail Stew and Paella Turista which has clams, mussels, squid, chicken, pork ribs and shrimp. We also had Sangrias with our tapas. I typically find them too sweet, but the Sangrias was very nice here. The highlight of the evening was definitely the Potatoes. The garlicky, slightly spicy sauce was addicting. I would go back just for these potatoes! 3.5 stars round up to 4 for the good service and lively atmosphere.
Pro's:
1. Food - Authentic and it's deeelicious! Fav's - lobster paiea
2. Sangria - one of the best that I've ever had
3. Live Band
4. Inexpensive
Cons:
1. Service
2. Parking
Yummy! Is my 1st thought of when I thing about this place.
iHeart the Paella and Sangria for dinner. The lunch menu's are such a deal, you get a meal with soup only at lunch, which I highly suggest since you beat the crowds and enjoy the get day light atmosphere in the Mission
Garlic Mushrooms - Love! I typically don't care for mushrooms much but these were great.
Garlic Chicken - Tender flavorful chunks of chicken. A lot of bone and pretty greasy though.
Grilled Asparagus - I like mine to have more of a crunch but my partner liked how they were cooked
Grilled Jumbo Shrimp - Nothing special, just 4 big grilled shrimp.
Steamed Mussels - Couldn't really taste the vinaigrette because the mussels were pretty fishy. Undercooked and sandy. Ick.
Paella Special with Lobster, Clams and Calamari - Pretty good but not the best I've had. Lobster was perfectly cooked but the calamari could have been cooked a little less.
Chocolate Mousse - Light and very rich. Loved it!
Flan - Very light and delicate; perfect after stuffing ourselves silly.
Friendly service, but it was hard to understand them at times. I'd definitely come back but I'll skip the mussels and grilled shrimp next time.
Grand food, not-so-grand service, low prices. The server seemed distracted. Julio -- I take pains to get names -- took my order, then forgot one thing and served something I hadn't ordered. When I reminded him of the former, he informed me that they didn't get their salmon that day. This would have been better noted when the order was placed. He did serve me dessert, which I had not ordered. To Julio's credit, he took it back without question -- it didn't appear on the bill. Instead, he handed me a menu and raised his brows at me when I ordered a third tapas plate as if I were nuts. That look is not one I'm familiar with, nor expecting from waitstaff. So one star off for that, but the food more than made up for it.
A huge list of options to choose from at a very affordable price - about $5 a dish. Nothing fancy here - just nice, simple, and delicious.
JONASAPPROVED!
I have been here many times and I have yet to review the place; mostly because I've taken a Yelp hiatus...a long one.
I appreciate their extensive menu and their somewhat integrity in keeping Spanish tapas...well, Spanish. My favorite dish here is the grilled veggies. Large portion of nicely seasoned and what seems like a perfectly grilled medley of healthiness. A must to balance out other not so healthy options, such as the rabbit (tricked my bf into thinking it's chicken), fried potatoes/calamari, manchego cheese, etc. Their paella was tasty too. Is the place awesome? No. But it's a great lunch and/or dinner spot to satisfy any Spanish tapas cravings. Service is spotty for sure (sometimes attentive, other times not very attentive).
I had to knock some stars off for the slow and uneven waitstaff service.
After we poured the last glass of watered-down sangria we discovered a piece of plastic wrapper in the glass. It looked like a cigarette box wrapper, uh yuck. When we let our waitress know she just offered another glass of sangria. The replacement glass tasted better. I could make a better sangria.
We were a party of 12 people. Tapas dishes we ordered never materialized but were on the bill. Some of the dishes namely the Gambas al Ajillo were over cooked. I did enjoy the Spicy Potatoes Patata Bravas and the Chicken croquettes.
I wonder if the food is consistent. I don't know if I will be back.
It was a Thursday night with a party of 6 at 8pm and there was no wait at all. Granted we did choose to sit upstairs where it was stuffy on a warm day but we didn't mind too much. The worst part was that it was difficult to get our server's attention from up there and it took a while for our order to get taken. I guess that was kinda our fault but at least the food was above average AND affordable. I love tapas places for the fact that I can try a bunch of different dishes and Esperpento had tons of options! Now on to what we ate:
sauteed garlic mushrooms ($5.25) - Big chunks of mushroom with lots of garlic flavor. This dish was gone fast! We used the sauce for dipping our bread in too. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
spicy potatoes ($4.50) - Mmm one of my favorite plates of the night! The potatoes were cooked perfectly so that they weren't mushy or too firm. The spicy sauce was awesome! (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
roasted eggplant, peppers, and onion ($5.75) - Nothing special about this dish and was drenched in oil. It came with a section of a hard-boiled egg too which I thought was out of place. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
chicken croquettes ($5) - Crispy, fried pieces of yummy mashed potato but where was the chicken? Maybe it was minced so fine that I couldn't taste it. The spinach dip on the side was good too. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
fried calamari ($6.50) - This was one of the smaller portions even though the rings of calamari were bigger than normal. They weren't breaded enough and the aioli was just OK. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
seafood paella ($68 for 6 person order) - WOW...this entree was humongous and could have fed more than 6! It came with succulent pieces of lobster, shrimp, clam, and calamari. The rice was delicious and flavorful too...might have been a tad over-cooked though. Prepare to wait about 30 min if you order paella. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
creme brulee ($4) - Bleh! This was pretty horrible creme brulee. First of all, the dish wasn't even filled to the top like it usually is. The layer of torched sugar was non-existent and the cream underneath didn't taste remotely like creme brulee. Don't order this! (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
That was the perfect amount of food since the tapas portions were adequate and we even had leftover paella. Overall, I would say pass on the roasted eggplant and fried calamari, but definitely skip the so-called creme brulee. I would come back to try some other tapas and for their paella!
It was a chilly Friday night in the Mission, roughly around 8pm and 2 little girls were circling around looking for parking. Ehh, not my favorite thing to do...but wait...
"Ooooh! found it!" *in a sing song voice*
Now I know tonight's gonna be a good night :)
After parking in our spot 2 blocks away from the restaurant, we started our trek towards Esperpento. As we walked towards the restaurant, we were greeted by tons of laughter, people and an overly-annoying Mariachi band. Blech. Luckily I made reservations so in no time, our party was seated. This was an all girls dinner - hard to come by - so drinks were definitely in order. We ordered our favorite, Sangria.
O.
M.
G.
That crap was disgusting. I could barely finish my own glass. This was unheard of in the world of Lisa Wong...but I digress.
The menu looked so appetizing I almost wanted to eat it...OKOK, I was really hungry. Geezus. Anyways, we then ordered:
Mejillones A La Vinaigrette-steamed mussels in picaro's vinaigrette
Calamares Fritos-fried calamari
Tortilla De Patata-potato and onion omelet
Patatas Bravas-spicy potatoes
Rabo Toro-Ox-Tail Stew
Ropa Viejo-beef, chicken, and chorizo stew
Repollo Salteado-cabbage sauteed with garlic and paprika
Paella De Mariscos-Seafood w/calamari, shrimp, clams & mussels
Flan
Highlights:
The spicy potatoes were to die for. We had to get 2 orders because they were THAT good. Crispy, little brown potatoes slathered with a spicy orange sauce. Hmmmm...
The mussels? OMG, what kind of vinaigrette was that?! The mussels were swimming in an ocean of sweet and tangy waters that had my lips smacking. Too bad there was only enough to go around. hmph.
The cabbage was nothing like I have ever tasted in a restaurant. I mean, who orders cabbage? Well, at Esperpento...I DO! Crunchy cabbage sauteed with garlic and paprika, so fragrant you forget you're eating a vegetable.
The seafood paella was also very delicious; it was actually my very first paella! I'm not sure what the normal consistency is but I wish it was slightly creamier....Just to warn you, that dish takes 30 minutes to prepare so order that first! It's a HUMONGOUS dish btw - so big they had to clear out the area before plopping it on our table.
The rest of the food was...mediocre at best. I wasn't blown away at all.
The potato omelet? It was dry and needed some kind of sauce.
The oxtail stew? I've had better.
The beef stew? Ehhh.
The calamari?! Don't even get me started...that thing was NOT fried, and not seasoned at all.
Even though there were a few misses, this restaurant is definitely worth visiting. The ambiance, the people, the servers were all very pleasant to be around. All in all, a great dining experience for my good friends and I on a random Friday night in the city.
I do look forward to returning...maybe this time, the Mariachi Band will not be serenading our table ;)
(See pics)
I love tapas, especially if you want to sample out a lot of food and not get overloaded. Eggplants, grilled shrimps and potato cakes were all so good!
The paellas properly sealed at the top to keep them all moist. I did not know they can be this tasty. We had the seafood (lots of it!) and another one which I can't remember and both were very delicious.
Sangria, on the other hand, was so so.
And all these are very decently priced, probably because it is in the Mission, and with a touch of Valencia style -- colourful, cute and warm ambiance.
Why the 2 stars? here's the story.
I knew it was going to be a typical Friday night in the Mission. Packed. Loud. No parking.
I called 3 days ahead for a reservation at 8 pm for 9 people. Ideally, everybody should be there on time. But there's always a lagger. So we were all present 15 mins. after our reservation time.
Mike, the host, was professional. Even though we kept following up (i.e. bugging him) he didn't get his feathers ruffled.
We also didn't get seated until 45 mins. AFTER our reservation time. Why even take reservations then?!
Once seated, we were given our water and handed menus. Our waitress, who SHALL remain nameless, was not a happy camper. Lady, I know it sucks working on a Friday night -- I work swing shift and there were many, many Friday nights when I'm stuck at work and all my friends were out partying. Please. Whatever her problem was it showed on her face and carried onto her attitude.
The menu is quite varied and for vegetarians, I'm happy to report that there are more than a few options available.
A few yelpers also recommended the paella. The special for that night was lobster and calamari paella, we went with the $48 portion which serves 4 people (instead of the $68 for 6). We also wanted to try the meat paella. But got talked out of it.
Our waitress puts in her "helpful" suggestion and says, "well, are you sure you want ALL that pella?"
"Well, you haven't seen my brother eat." I jokingly said while pointing to my 6 foot, 200 lb. sibling.
Her: "yeah, but you'll be ordering tapas. That would be a lot of food"
Me: "we would like to try a different paella too. Can't we just box the leftovers to go?"
Her: "yeah. sure."
At this point, I felt like I was arguing with our server so I just dropped it.
The whole table shared and enjoyed every bite of these delicious tapas:
3 plates of spicy patatas bravas, jamon serrano, oxtail stew, grilled asparagus, 3 plates of calamares fritos, 2 plates of gambas al ajillo, grilled salmon and our paella.
Esperpento's sangria isn't as fruity or chilled like cha cha cha's. I obviously prefer cha cha cha's version but it still gave me the wicked buzz I needed.
You should've seen my bro's face when they brought out the tapas though.
"this is it??" he almost looked panicky.
To be fair, the portions are priced right and generous than most tapas places (ahem, Medjool) with plates ranging from $4-$10. My bro just has a big appetite. So that was a bad decision on my part. I should've ordered that second paella because I know my brother more than our waitress. She did check up on us, but quite frankly, we saw the busboy more often. BTW, we didn't even get offered dessert! hmmph.
Solid food at Esperpento.
If you don't mind the wait, even with a reservation.
And just hope that you end up with a better server than we did.
We came here on a warm and sunny day in the city. Tapas sounds just about right; there's nothing like eating light on a day like today.
We shared the Rabo Toro, Ox-tail stew (good), the Brocheta De Vieiras scallops brochette (this was just okay), and the Tortilla De Patata potato and onion omelet (pretty good). Three tapa dishes was perfect between the two of us.
The dining experience is good. Clean, airy, restaurant with a few tables for outside dining, as well.
Geez. Esperpento. You could be so much better.
I wish you would hire waitstaff that had a clue. That would help. I don't really like being seated and then waiting 20 minutes to get even a glass of water on the table.
Your dishes: too much grease and salt. I mean, they are cute and all, and some are tastier than others, but... there's room for improvement. Like, a lot of room.
The atmosphere is festive - I like that. But it also just seems pretty chaotic, and my clothes reek when I leave.
I would go here again if you would wise up, but I think too many people who don't know the neighborhood are taken in by your curb appeal, and you don't get the encouragement you need to get your act together. A shame.
This place is really freaking good!!! Rustic-style tapas--in each dish, they manage to really bring out the main ingredient's natural flavor in a seemingly simple yet super delicious way, doesn't get better than that.
FOOD:~THE CABBAGE IS THE BEST THING!!!! Amazing, right? I'm a carnivore & was totally surprised at how well-seasoned and tasty the cabbage was. Couldn't get enough.
~Not sure if there's more than one squid dish, whether I had the calamari, but it was simple sauteed squid, not breaded, and I thought they did an amazing job of bringing out the essence of the squid's flavor. Juicy!
~Blech, I cannot stand those big oysters in any format! Reminds me of testicles (sorry, patooey).
~Garlic shrimp is helllllla good. Must order..along with the cabbage!
~I don't think the potatoes were that good. I'm pretty picky about potatoes.
I'm eating there for the 2nd time in a long time tonight, and came to Yelp to see what new things I should order. Everyone has to try the cabbage next time! Thanks to everyone whose reviews are on the first page, I'm gonna try the artichokes, which I've heard are rrrreally good, the oxtail, and the spinach. I want to eat it all! Can't wait to go with two of my favorite people, my couple friend K&J :)))
SERVICE: Eh, but whatev. For this decor & prices, what do u expect? The girl on the phone was really nice!
DECOR: Rustic
BATHROOM: n/a
OVERALL: Definitely my FAVORITE tapas place in the city!!! I'd say Esperpento for a good group meal to share everything family-style, simple rustic food, clean, hearty, filing, delicious. I'd say Bocadillos for fancy, high-end tapas. & Andalu for out-of-town visitors when you don't know where else to go.
Esperpento is totally my kinda joint. Super casual, lively, tapas, sangria...how can you go wrong, right? Under normal circumstances, I would have offered 3 or 4 stars.
But admittedly, I'm a service snob.
I *only* dish out the single when they really F-up. And Thursday night's service was atrocious. It wasn't even 10:30pm when our waitress threw down the check without even offering us anything else. I had to ASK for a dessert menu. Then she replied, "Well, the kitchen is closed already but I'll ask". WHAT? What happened to checking in with your guests before the kitchen closes?!
When she served the dessert, she replied, "Well, I guess you guys got lucky." Um, I don't think so. I think you'll get lucky if you get a tip.
To top off this mounting pile of 'ish, she came back around while we were eating dessert to collect the money. DANG, WOMAN! If she had to take off, then send over one of the other FIVE waitress to close us out.
WHERE DID SHE LEARN TO WAIT TABLES? SO FREAKING UNPROFESSIONAL.
Well nobody pisses in my Wheaties. I was really happy that my friend invited me to eat here (Thanks M!) and it was good times for sure.
I am a Mish-chick at heart; so for that reason ONLY, round two awaits...
This place is yummy! We arrived a little bit before 7 and was seated right away. We order everything below and wanted to order more, but the waitress stopped us (thank god that she did) because it was a lot of food.
*Mejillones A La Vinaigrette: steamed mussels in picaro's vinaigrette
*Almejas A La Marinera: clams in spanish " marinara " sauce, with sauteed onions, garlic, parsley and white wine
*Jamon Serrano: canapes of spanish cured ham on toasted french bread served with ripe tomatoes and olive oil
*Queso Manchego: spanish ewe's milk cheese
*Aceitunas Rellenas De Anchoa: olives stuffed with anchovies (imported from spain)
*Patatas Aioli homemade garlic mayonnaise
*Albondigas meat-balls stew with saffron
Everything that we order we finish! That is how good it was. The only complain that I do have is the patatas with aioli sauce was a bit salty for my taste, but I tend to lean toward food that isnt so it is a personal thing. In addition, I got sangria (which is refreshing and not tart) and Ed got some blood wine thingy that I cant remember! In addition, there was live music and everyone was getting serenaded!! Hey, its about atmosphere and being with friends and strangers alike, especially when everyone starts singing! =)
The reason that I am giving it a 3 is because the waitress gave us the check without us asking for it and I really wanted dessert. =(
I would come back again and try the rest of the menu! =) Happy Eating everyone...
After going into Ti Couz & discovering that they are not open for lunch on Thursday (a very abbreviated menu doesn't count as "open for lunch") we strolled down to Esperpento for tapas.
It was not crowded, and we got a nice window table. Service is slow. Don't go to lunch here if you are in a hurry. Good luck if you run out of water, because getting a refill takes a long time.
The food for the most part did not disappoint. We had several dishes, and most of them were good. The eggplant especially stands out in my mind, and the mussels. The garlic shrimp was good and the spicy potatoes. I thought the calamari was undercooked and under seasoned, and a bit rubbery.
The prices are cheap and three of us ate plenty of food for not a lot of cash. I would probably try this place again, just not when I am in a hurry to eat. Oh, by the way, don't try to pay with American Express, they won't take your AMEX card.
3.5 star review.
1st time at a tapas restaurant and it won't be the last! (even tho the b/f was a lil bitter about me choosing a SPANISH place since his Mexican pride was hurt (yea yea put history behind Spanish took over Mexico awhile ago)).
ANYWHO... onto the PROS:
1. environment- i liked the vibe/decor lots of ppl chatting
2. decent prices-tapas are between $4-9
3. satisfying tapas w. perfect, if not a lil large than expected portions
4. decent service- attentive enough esp. since it was busy
CONS:
1. disappointed w/ portion for grilled artichokes
($5.5 maybe 8 2cm thick slices)
2. Sangria- IMO tasted like red wine; lacked fruitiness- but really, everyone else on Yelp seemed to like it, so it could be just me. i like mine fruity n chilled.
WHAT I CONSUMED:
1. Garlic Shrimp- so simple yet good. the garlic & red pepper infused oil goes perfectly w/the bread that comes w/all tapas
2. Potatas Bravas- sauce reminds me of La Vics! ya'll SJ ppl know what im talking about. cubed fried potatoes were good, not great.
3. Fried Calamari- small portion for the price $6.5. 8 pieces at most. glistening in grease which inevitably made them soggy in no time (and hey, i do like grease but not this)
4. Grilled Salmon w. Aioli- nice portion ~6 thin strips and i loved the grilled red onions that came with it
5. Grilled Artichokes w. garlic & parsley- scrumptious yet the outer edges are rough n can't be eaten so have fun spitting them out while ur eating! but it's worth the effort.
DAMAGE: 5 tapas, 1 glass of Sangria, 1 coke= $40 + tip ... NOT bad.
OVERALL, I would come back.. I want the paella, but for $26 for 2 ppl (plus everything else i wanna order)? i'll have to hold off on that for a month! In conclusion, Yes, it is loud. Yes, service isn't the best , but WTH, it IS a low-key place, and the tapas come at great price.
Date & Time: Sunday August 16, 2009 @ 6pm
Company: Michael & Jack
Crowd: Cool Diverse Mix of 20-50 Something Couples & Groups
Vibe: Energetic
Decor: Cheery & Colorful. Tables for Deux & Parties of All Sizes
Service: Efficient
Imbibe: Sangria
Devour: Spicy Potatoes for Starters. Combination Dinner of Oxtail Stew & Pork Kebabs w/ Choice of Two Sides- Cabbage & Rice
Total: $32.30
Note: Thanks to Tara R for The Great Recommendation=)
A little on the shabby side. The location is a little on the crappy side. Parking, thank God, there's a garage across the street so that the dog I left in the car doesn't get harassed by bums. But who cares about all this really. The reason I went here is for the food!
My friend even got a nasty ticket from a motorcycle cop since he was talking on the phone. Like the minute he picked up the phone coz it rang, the blue lights came on. Thanks a lot! Add another $200 to our dinner price tag, thank you very much!
Buy hey, we are here last night, 3 people. We totally pigged-out and ordered Almejas A La Marinera (clams in spanish " marinara " sauce, with sauteed onions, garlic, parsley and white wine), Calamares Fritos (fried calamari), Brocheta De Vieiras (scallops brochette), Boquerones Fritos (deep fried anchovies), Expensive Jamon ($11, but oh so heavenly), Tortilla De Patata (potato and onion omelet, one of the most popular spanish tapas), Pisto De Calabacin (stew of zucchini, onions and tomatoes with tomato sauce), Ensalada Mixta (butter lettuce, tomatoes, onions, cucumbers, olives, tuna and hard-boiled egg in a salad dressed with vinaigrette), Albondigas (meat-balls stew with saffron), Rabo Toro (Ox-Tail Stew, hands down the very best item in the restaurant), Gazpacho (cold vegetable soup), 1 Flan, 1 Chocolate Mousse, 1 "Arroz Con Leche", and 3 sangrias.
Needless to say, we were very happy campers. It was a little slow getting menus, but the glorious food excused any problems whatsoever.
I still have the stew in my fridge, oooh!
I love this place probably because it was one of our first dates when the wife and I were courting but regardless it still has yummy food loud mariachi music and reasonable drinks. Loud garlicy and a bit wild but fun place to bring friends to. Now that tapas are trendy this place still reigns supreme.
Garlic Shrimp - Bomb. Save the oil as a bread dip.
Fried Sardines - Pretty good.
Blood Sausage - Now, I hate any blood product, but this stuff was great.
Spicy Potatoes - Yummy
Oxtails - So good and tender.
Clams - I could eat these all day
Seafood paella - Amazing. Everything was perfectly cooked/grilled.
The only thing I didn't like was that the restaurant was extremely loud.
If I can get at least a buzz off of your sangria, YOUR ACE WITH ME!
E-chan and I stopped in this place while we were walking around the Mission one weekend and it was destiny.
We were seated quickly in the intimate archway and as soon as we saw the menu we knew exactly what to order.
Paella & Sangria. The two lovers who cannot escape destiny. One cannot live without the other. AMOR!
We ordered, we ate and we drank until I felt a nice dizzyness that one can only hope for. @.@
Definitely worth a try for it's affordable price, great food, friedly environment and buzz-worthy sangria!
50% Off Grand Opening…
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Happy Hour Mon-Fri 5:30-7:00
Neighborhood: North…
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Spanish
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Category: Spanish
San Francisco, CA
Category: Spanish
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