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Esperpento
Categories: Restaurants Spanish Restaurants Tapas Bars Restaurants Basque Spanish, Tapas Bars, Basque [Edit]
3295 22nd St(between Bartlett St & Valencia St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 282-8867
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 11 am - 3 pm
Mon-Thu 5 pm - 10 pm
Fri 5 pm - 11 pm
Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
810 reviews for Esperpento
Review Highlights
"my favorite dish by far is the patatas bravas."
(in 123 reviews)
"Best tapas & sweetest sangria in the area."
(in 451 reviews)
"spicy potatoes - I want them every day."
(in 83 reviews)
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810 reviews in English
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Review from Bhavnak K.
San Francisco, CA
Feels amazing when you have a satisfying and fun-filled night out! Esperpento is a place that will offer you both good food and a lively atmosphere. The place gets crowded over the weekend so make reservations....
Fooood:
Tapas - grilled trout, garlic shrimp, grilled jumbo shrimp, grilled mussels, grilled clams were so scrumptious - the french bread which we were avoiding initially totally disappeared... perfect for soaking up the flavorful garlic/parsley sauces in these dishes!
The chorizo were perfectly sized bites and yes they were so good, we ended up getting two orders. OMG the seafood paella - cooked to perfection and seriously loaded with the goodies...they don't go easy on the clams, shrimp, calamari, and mussels (**paella takes time to cook, so just be patient :))
Sangria - yumm, two pitchers between the 5 of us and we were happy!
Chocolate mousse to finish off the meal... am still drooling......
Food is delish, portions perfect for sharing and sampling a variety of dishes, price is right, vibe is great...can't complain...Esperpento - you will definitely see me back again! -
Review from Jean Y.
1/17/2012 2 Check-ins Here
2 word review: average tapas
Everything I've seen on the menu and tried here was pretty standard fare - mussels, clams, sauteed mushrooms, salt cod croquettes, chorizo, tortilla de patata, patatas bravas - and nothing really stood out.
I did not like the paella here. I found it to be lacking in flavor overall, and the shrimp and mussels tasted dried out. -
Review from Rika P.
1/6/2012
Despite the crowded restaurant and its small space, the four of us were seated promptly (we made a reservation prior). I thought the service was efficient and food came out really quick, as though they have it prepared already. Nevertheless, everything was quite fresh as they seem to be.
We ordered:
Sauteed Mushrooms
(great, nice char)
Grilled Artichokes
(thinly sliced for chewing convenience. They were roasted perfectly)
Garlic Shrimps
(It's alright. Nothing great, really. Small shrimps, not quite the chunk)
Fried Calamari
(As always, 99% can never mess up deep-fried food)
Chicken Croquettes
(Fabulous! Crispy on the outside and tender, creamy in the inside. Comes 4pieces an order with a spinach bechamel dip on side)
Clams + Snapper
(Seems soupy. This dish is alright, nothing wrong, nothing too great)
Zucchini with house marinara (or something)
(Mushy, so stay away if you are not into mushy vegetables)
Arroz con Leche
(meh-it's on the light side. A little water)
Flan
(Excellent. I almost never order flan anywhere because I felt that it's usually too sweet or too egg-y. So I'm quite surprised with the one here)
Would probably come back for their extensive tapas variety and affordable price. I still need to try their patatas bravas. -
Review from Annabizelle D.
Castro, San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
The parillada is the best! Combine it with sangria youre in heaven. Parking sucks though.
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Review from Anthony D.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 12/23/2011
Took friend here the other evening, for a late lunch/early dinner.
We had:
1- Chorizo salteado.
2- Croquetas de pollo.
3- Rabo de toro.
4- Calamares fritos.
5- Gambas al ajillo.
6- Una botella de Tapeña.
7- Another order of croquetas de pollo.
As always, service was competent and the food was delicious or (para chuparse los dedos o para ponerse las botas).
Looking forward to my upcoming group visit.
Hasta pronto.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/4/2010
Checked out this hopping joint last nite with my oenophile buddy Matt, after imbibing at Heart wine… Read more »
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Review from Jenn C.
1/15/2012
Great Mission tapas bar with plenty of vegan options, cozy dining room and close to public transportation. Great spot to go with friends so you can share lots of different dishes. How can you resist patatas bravas?
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Review from Mac S.
San Francisco, CA
12/7/2011
I have been coming on an average of 2-3 each year for the last 5 years or more. I've always like how they have a large selection of tapas to choose from.
So why the low rating? The last time I came here with a party of 4 we ordered a variety of tapas and the seafood paella. The tapas came out good as always but the seafood paella came out sandy. We found a dead clam filled with sand and told the waitress. We only had a bit each but about half of the paella was scooped out on our dishes. She didn't offer to make a new one but to bring out another appetizer and just took the paella and our dishes away. After the sandy paella we didn't feel like eating anymore and asked for the bill. When I got the bill, I was actually really surprised to see we were charge for the paella (~$30).
Would I go back? I'm not sure. I've been a loyal customer and told/introduced many friends to this place but the last experience has left a bad taste in my mouth.... -
Review from Andrew C.
12/12/2011 1 photo
Tapas Galore!
Came here for a staff dinner. It's a small place, so come early or make reservations if you want to avoid the wait. Our reservation was on the top floor, seating 11 people.
We ordered:
Tapas
- Chorizo Salteado "Cantimpalitos" (sauteed spanish sausage)
- Albondigas (meatballs stew with saffron)
- Patatas Bravas (spicy potatoes)
- Calamares A La Plancha (grilled calamari)
- Mejillones A La Plancha (grilled mussels)
Paella Rice Dish
- Paella De Carnes (meat including chicken, pork ribs, chorizo)
- Paella De Mariscos (seafood including calamari, shrimp, clams, mussels)
Drinks
- A couple Sangria pitchers
My favorite tapas were the spicy potatoes (it comes with a killer spicy orange sauce) and the grilled mussels (comes in a buttery sauce). They bring out an endless supply of bread, so dipping it in the leftover sauces made it even more delicious.
The paella takes about 30 minutes to make (they notify you before) so ordering a bunch of tapas is like ordering appetizers before your meal. The paella is a nice way to seal off your meal and getting you really full.
The Sangria was good, although I've had better. Needed more fruit. Overall it was a good experience and I'd take a couple friends or dates here. -
Review from Ang H.
Los Angeles, CA
1/20/2012
Pleasantaly surprised - so gluttonous that we had every other item on the menu, but definitely worth it! delicioso!! Crowded, loud, comatose feeling walking out - that's how tapas shoud be :)
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Review from Mary T.
San Francisco, CA
12/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is my second time here.
Spicy potatoes
Sangria
Seafod Paella
All I have to say-YUMMMM -
Review from Joi A.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
Divine sangria, and lobster paella?? We loved eating here, we also had the seafood paella, and thought the seafood was very fresh, and the rice was moist and soft. The sangria was off the chain (lol)!
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Review from jessie l.
Santa Clara, CA
12/12/2011
We arrived 20 minutes before our 8:30 reservation and we were sat at 8:40. Unfortunately we had to stand outside the restaurant during this time as they have no waiting space.
There were eleven of us and they sat us upstairs. Unfortunately, we were sat at a table that would have been more comfortably accommodating for eight people. We were literally shoulder to shoulder in mismatched chairs and one of my friends was sat uncomfortably on the corner of the table as the ends weren't available due to the cramped nature of the upstairs area.
Service was decent. Our server was around to take our order, responded promptly with our first round of beverages and appetizers, but never seemed to be around when our water was depleted which was often due to the warmth of the restaurant and how cramped we were into our table.
The food was good - we had numerous tapas including the grilled artichokes (yum), garlic shrimp (tasty - dip your bread into the buttery sauce), grilled mussels and potatoes with aioli (sinful but delicious). They all arrived around the same time and were portioned well enough for many of us to share (3 people per plate).
The paella requires about a 30 minute advanced notice. We ordered a couple of meat and seafood, an all meat and an all seafood.
I only had the opportunity to try the meat and seafood but I will say, it's definitely more seafood than meat. There were (i think) four chunks of chicken and beef each but many muscles and shrimp scattered about as well as calamari bits. The beef was quite disappointing though - seemed more bone than actual edible parts.
It might be different for a smaller group - the party of six crammed in right behind us seemed to be doing okay, and the parties of two around the restaurant seemed to be having a great time. But we were uncomfortable and that distracted from an otherwise fairly enjoyable evening. -
Review from Daib S.
San Francisco, CA
1/18/2012
the restaurant was full, which convinced us to go inside. It was my first visit. I don't know, if they had a bad day or if they just can't cook. I did not like it at all. the food was fat, soaked with some weird smelling sauce. Won't go there again.
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Review from Brian B.
11/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
An interesting little tapas place in the Mission. For those of you who haven't been but have had tapas in Spain, let me first lay out some important differences in how stuff goes down:
- When you order drinks, don't expect tapas to come for free along with it. You will be greatly disappointed.
- When you order your tapas, don't expect there to be one for everyone, it usually comes as a lump item that you divvy up.
- Don't expect traditional tapas (for better of for worse). They definitely make food following their own flair at this place.
We rocked up a few minutes late with a group of 6 when we went to the restaurant Friday night. There was a birthday or 2 there, and the place was PACKED. I'm honestly not sure how they meet fire code, but whatever. After a semi-short wait, we got seated at an awkward round + square table, before requesting to move to a different round + square table combination that seemed to have more space. While a little awkward for our group, we ended up making it work well enough.
Our waiter was nice enough, though he seemed a little stressed; likely due to the MASSES of people in the restaurant. We ordered 3 rounds of Sangria, which was good, in addition to the following food items:
+ Garlic chicken (decent)
+ Pollo Adobo (boring, don't get it)
+ Both kinds of potato dishes (which were amazing)
+ Asparagus (good)
+ Mushrooms (good, but tasted kind of like Chinese food)
and some other items I didn't try... (shrimp, other seafood, etc). Everyone seemed pretty happy with our meal, but we definitely ordered a few rounds of potatoes as they were clearly superior to everything else on the menu.
In summary, the place was fun and interesting. I don't know that I'd go back under my own plans, but I wouldn't argue if a friend suggested it.
The waiter split our bill 5 ways, which was nice of him not to complain about it too much. They added an automatic (18%, I assume) tip for our large-ish group. -
Review from Chi M.
Emeryville, CA
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Was a regular night, NOT an overly busy night. The Lobster Paella too dry. The paella took 1+ HR from time of ordering to arrive at the table. When it appear it was too dry...meaning waitress too busy to drop off at table. there's a helpful busguy they should train. not the best service or food, especially at these prices.
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Review from Matthew T.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2012
delicious!! i have not had anything here i didnt love. the grilled artichokes are to die for and the sangria is amazing!!
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Review from Gabbie G.
Long Beach, CA
11/20/2011
I came here with a friend and we ate wayyyy too much. It could've been the food or it could've been the herbal supplements prior to our dinner.
Regardless, the food was great and the place was PACKED!
First we ordered two tapas: potato and onion omelet and chicken adobo. The omelet was lovely! Nice and fluffy served with a dollop of some sort of garlic aioli. The chicken adobo was pretty good though I wasn't thoroughly convinced.
After our tapas, we ordered the seafood paella. It was good, but doesn't quite live up to the standard of my mother's paella. I'm going to go so far as to call it a "suitable substitution" for when my mommy's paella is not available.
Then, for some reason, my friend decided to order another tapas: grilled salmon strips. Which I am so happy he did. I could not get over how good this dish was. I'm not a huge fan of fish (other than sushi), but I seriously loved the salmon. Despite being crazy full, I wanted more of it.
And as a nice little end to our meal, a serving of chocolate mousse. Smooth and decadent served with fresh whipped cream.
Overall, I would say that the paella is overrated and stick to the tapas, but am definitely willing to come here again. Even for just that damn salmon and chocolate mousse. -
Review from Rhia R.
A friend celebrated their birthday here. I came a bit late because it's a pain in the behind to find good parking around that area. With two floors for seating, the place was buzzin' like bees. Once I was settled in my spot around our huge table, some of the tapas that were ordered began to arrive. I tried the chicken croquettes, garlic shrimp, grilled mussels, fried calamari, Jamon Serrano, chorizo, sauteed mushrooms, spicy potatoes, and the meat and seafood paella. Everything was great. I even think their sangria tastes much better than the one from another tapas place I've tried in SF. I would love to come back here again with a smaller group.
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Review from Margarita V.
Emeryville, CA
10/9/2011
I have been going to this restaurant for at least 5 times with friends and coworkers. At first I really liked it because of the atmosphere, paella and especially their sangria. But then I realized that all they serve is actually frozen food or lets say pre-prepared food and all they do is put it in the microwave.
The paella takes like 30 minutes which is ok since that is what it normally takes anywhere, the paella is not good. Compared to others that I have tried in Spain and Puerto Rico, not good. But I guess people don't really care much. I also order croquetas and all those small portions or tapas that there is which is pretty ok since they are like fried little empanadas, not bad.
But when it comes to ordering those dinner combinations in the middle of the menu you must know the following. For instance, I ordered the Garlic Shrimp with rice and salad. They DO NOT clean the shrimp, plus they are the same size than the ones you can buy in a baggy in Safeway, not even jumpo real shrimps plus dirty as hell, they don't cut them open. So I had to one by one cut them open, clean them and then eat. This was a turn off, why? because if you are offering the same shrimps that you can buy in Sakeway special baggies, at least get the ones that are clean, which by they way are the same price.
The rice, not even start with that. Completely rice from the box, Their yellow rice is totally one of those Hambuger Helper rice boxes. Not kidding! When the server comes to check on everything I kindly tell him that the shrimps were not cleaned that I wasn't just letting him know so that he can pass it to the manager, he says "I guess the germs or dirt goes away when you cook them" not an excused!
Sangria is always really good. That is all I can say. Oh! and I don't think I am bringing anyone else to this restaurant! Too expensive for just FROZEN FOOD :( -
Review from David W.
Santa Clara, CA
10/29/2011
4 stars for service, 3 stars for food. Everything that I ordered was warm but not hot as if it was sitting out for a while. The only thing that was hot was the paella which was really good and it was huge! (That's what she said!)
The plus side is the atmosphere is really cool. Great place for a date especially if you don't want to wait too long like Cha Cha Cha. I still prefer Cha Cha Cha and Picaros over this place. -
Review from R O.
San Francisco, CA
11/5/2011
Love it; tasty, unpretentious and inexpensive.
The Chorizo is excellent, the Sangria is pretty good, only the quail and rabbit disappointed. -
Review from Jeffrey D.
Pacifica, CA
11/11/2011
Went here for my lovely girlfriend's birthday party last night. Called in at around 3:00pm the day of to make a reservation for a party of 10 @ 8:30pm.
We arrived at 8:00pm and were seated in the amount of time it takes to wipe down 3 tables.
Tapas came out fast! and hot!
Chorizo was tasty.
Patatas bravas were excellente. We put in another order after we finished the first...
Green beans were perfectly seasoned with fried garlic and salt.
Albondingo(meatball stew) was ok.
Clams in Spanish marinera was a solid dish that was greatly assisted by the prevalence of bread to soak up the broth.
Sangria was better than its brethren at Cha Cha Chas.
Seafood paella was mediocre.
Overall, it was a very enjoyable meal...and the food here is a fuckton better than what they serve at Cha Cha Chas... -
Review from Sim C.
San Mateo, CA
12/26/2011
My aunt was visiting us from out of town, and she and my mother love a place that serves good tapas. We were not disappointed. The sangria was tasty, not too sweet or tart.
My aunt and I loved the Iberico ham as well as the gazpacho. My aunt ordered the lobster tail and grilled mussels which she said were delicious, and my mother had the tortilla de patata and the chicken croquettes, also good.
I had a bite of the tortilla, and it was great, nice and fluffy and potatoey, the way my great aunt makes hers. I had the ropa vieja, along with the rice and spinach bechamel. The ropa vieja was good, though I am used to it more cuban style. The sides were good, but nothing to rave about.
We also would up purchasing some paellera pans at a reasonable price, so hopefully I can attempt to make decent paella at home. A nice little gem in the city overall. -
Review from S R.
San Francisco, CA
10/11/2011
Came here for my birthday dinner because I came back from Spain and was craving sangria and tapas and paella. Originally I was debating between this place and another place up in the marina. The main reason I ended up choosing esperento was:
1) Great for large groups (there's a back room that fit all 14 of us comfortably)
2) Atmosphere: Really chill vibe (especially if you have a large group) -- you can get loud (not rowdy) and not feel bad about disturbing other patrons
3) Price: I think the prices are very reasonable (if not cheap) especially compared to other tapas places I was looking at.
And of course most importantly... the food was really great:
1) The sangria was so good although I was bummed they didn't have white sangria
2) We ordered a bunch of tapas and everything was so great! The patatas aioli (LOVE aioli sauce), Champinones Al Ajillo, Chorizo Salteado "Cantimpalitos" were the tapas that I remember most... but pretty much everything we got was great
3) The paellas were also really amazing (we got the seafood and meat paellas)
I'm definitely coming back here again whenever I get my tapas cravings! -
Review from Sylvie P.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2011
This is my favorite place for tapas in the city. It seems pretty authentic to me because it reminds me of having tapas in Spain. The paella is good too and the prices are reasonable.
I went there a few weeks ago with some friends and we had the gambas, meatballs, asparagus, calamari, tortilla with potatoes, and the mixed paella. Everything was delicious. For dessert we had the chocolate mousse and the flan. The chocolate mousse was amazing!
The only negative thing I can say is it tends to get loud. -
Review from Monica G.
San Francisco, CA
This is the place I go to for a nice lunch with my parents, or my parents and their friends.
I'm in LOVE with their GAMBAS AJILLO SHRIMP! If you order the lunch combo, you get the gambas ajillo shrimp, along with your choice of salad, potatoes, or zucchini (and I think theres a couple more choices). You also get a cup of the soup of the day!
The soup of the day is always delicious and tastes like fresh soup your grandma would make just for you.
The Gambas ajillo shrimp has the most delicious garlic sauce on it, that makes my mouth water. I would always take the complementary bread, soak it in the sauce and eat it along with the shrimp.Listed in: Lunch places, Fancy/Expensive Restaurants
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/11/2009
I don't really like sea food, and my parents dragged me here one day. The service is friendly, and… Read more »
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Review from Monica S.
Orange County, CA
10/1/2011
This is one out of the many local tapas restaurants in the area I have to say I come back to every time. My first experience I would give 5 stars, but on busier nights I have to settle for 3.
The first time I went, my group ordered the Queso Menchengo, Tortilla de Patata, Patatas Aioli, Grilled Quail, Mariscada, Parrillada De Carne and Paella De Mariscos. The first few items were ordered off the tapas menu, which come with a decent amount of food for the low price. The rest of the items are served family style with options of 2, 4 or 6 people servings.
The Queso Menchengo is served as a Spanish cold cut cheese with olives and olive oil that compliment nicely against the bold flavors. If you are a fan of cheese like I am, make sure to order this dish. The Tortilla de Patata is an onion and potato omelet I did not prefer to eat. It was dry and not memorable; I would not order this again. The Patatas Aioli is hands down my favorite dish here. The potatoes are cooked perfectly with a sauce I make sure to dip everything in. The Grilled Quail also is another one of my favorites. It has a taste similar to chicken, but lighter and much more flavorful. If the dish alone doesn't convince you, pair it with the Patatas Aioli and you'll find that you'll come back to order it every time.
The Mariscada is a seafood platter with calamari, jumbo tiger clams, mussels, scallops and snapper. Paired with lemon, it's a simple, nicely seasoned dish with quality seafood. I would suggest trying this once and probably not order again. The Parrillada De Carne is a grilled meat platter of chorizo, mozzarella, chicken, pork kebabs and carne asada on a bed of crispy potatoes and onions. I don't usually order meat at restaurants, but the dish itself looked too good not to order. Finally the Paella De Mariscos. Which is a seafood style paella, which is a popular Spanish dish consisting of Saffron-flavored rice, offered in many different variations from seafood, lobster, and meat. I've also had the combination seafood and meat in paella, but don't feel like the flavors were brought out as nicely together, as they would alone.
Busy or not, the tapas usually taste the same any time of the day. When I went for lunch, the service was more attentive, quicker, and the food overall tasted better than times I have come for dinner.
I will have to try more of the adventurous items next time. Make sure to order a pitcher of Sangria while you're here. Its house made, with bits of fruit that make the experience here.
Recommendation: Sangria, Patatas Aioli, Grilled Quail, Parrillada De Carne -
Review from Richard A.
San Bruno, CA
12/7/2011
The paella is probably not the best in the world but I think they have a pretty good handle on the tapas and drinks. The place is charged with a lot of energy.
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Review from laura m.
Oakland, CA
12/9/2011
I have eaten here several times and I've always loved the food, but the little mouse running around the dining room while we were eating ruined it for sure. I worked in a restaurant myself for years, so I completely understand that it happens from time to time. I also understand there are solutions to this problem that are pretty easy in the restaurant industry. Come on if you work there you must see it or hear it somewhere in your environment. That should be addressed before serving people food.
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Review from Debbie P.
Sacramento, CA
7/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here to have dinner with a close friend. I hadn't dabbled much in Spanish food so I really wanted to try it.
I never realized how much they love their oil! The food all had great flavors except I'm not a big fan of oil so it was a bit too much for me to handle.
Here's what we got... the seared calamari... this was amazing! Cooked to perfection, not chewy at all, just nice and tender. The grilled Salmon was also very good but I ate a piece that was too oily for my liking but it was still very good. And we shared their garlic chicken entree with rice and cabbage. The flavors were amazing.. so much garlic! I love garlic! And their cabbage was perfect.
Everything was very flavorful. Next time, if I go I want to try more of their seafood options. They had a very impressive seafood tapas menu! -
Review from Joseph C.
South San Francisco, CA
10/11/2011
I went to meet up a few friends at this joint a few weeks ago. We were seated in another area away from the main crowd. I guess this more quieter area was for folks with no reservations and it was totally disconnected with the main dining room. Now for the food. The food was ok and reasonably priced. The paella came out a bit dry as if it was put in the oven a little to long as if reheated. The oxtail, though, was very tasty, but not so much the sloppy calamari. The croquettes were good.
The service was ok, but it was hard sitting at the end of the table where the service staff had to squeeze through to get to the back of the kitchen with a 10 inch gap between the end of our table and the wall. Yeah, that was a tight squeeze for sure. The sangria must have been great b/c my friends ordered 2 pitchers.
All in all, I'd maybe come back here again and try the other items on the menu. -
Review from Natalie M.
San Francisco, CA
11/22/2011
I visited this place for the first time on a Monday and went again with a group of friends on a Saturday. This place is great for groups because then you can select many different tapas which is all too easy to do given the size of the menu! The sangria is also great and a pitcher or three, depending on the size of your group and/or your thirst, is absolutely necessary. My favorite tapa is the sautéed calamari, I wasn't too fond of the mussels; they were small and not that flavorful. I'd love to go back and try the seafood paella!
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Review from Mike T.
7/31/2011
I was so looking forward to this place after all the great reviews. Went on a Monday night for a birthday dinner.
I love Tapas more than just about any type of food and my friends and I found the food to be quite mediocre. Top that off with the absolute slow and horrible service (ordering, getting served, getting the check, paying the check) and the random musicians they let in off the street to "serenade" you way too loudly and obnoxiously and I just can't bare to go back. Even if I had been on a date, it would have been neither subtle nor romantic. -
Review from Jessica C.
San Francisco, CA
To summarize...the tapas here desperately lack flavor (although they are very moderately priced), so they come with Aioli on the side on every plate to add a little something...little do they know that their Aioli lacks any garlic flavor so it's really just mayonnaise which sucks too! Sorry!
We stayed safe and ordered basics stuff...Patatas Bravas were very unseasoned BUT they were cooked/fried very well (they came with the "aioli"). Fried Calamari was in thick rings with very bland batter (it also came with the "aioli"). The Deep Fried Snapper was...in big chunks, very bland and unseasoned, oh and it came with the "aioli"!! The grilled asparagus spears...surprise - came with "aioli"!! Oh but the sauteed mushrooms were pretty delicious.
I didn't mind the lack of flavor in almost every dish because I was ravenous (also buzzed) and at least everything was cooked well and tasted how I would expect it to taste (minus being bland of course). And sometimes plain food isn't a bad thing...plain and predictable is better than fancy and nasty.
I was also very satisfied after eating an entire basket of French Bread which comes with salted butter!!...which they rarely give you at restaurants. It's usually always sweet cream butter (boo to that!). -
Review from Erica L.
San Francisco, CA
7/27/2011
Such a cute restaurant! The only clock in Esperpento tells the time in Spain. The tables are kinda close to each other in the middle area, but everyone's nice there so it's okay. Plus you get to peek at what yummies other people are eating.
You must try their paella! It's a really big wok and they bring it out straight from the stove top. It's nicely flavored, crispy on the outside and super moist on the inside. It'll serve 4-5 people perfectly.
Their sangria is also really nice. Sweet and fruity, and you can't taste the tartness of red wine!
Get some tapas dishes to share! Everything is delicious and reasonably priced. This place is amazing. -
Review from Jess C.
8/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
MAKE RESERVATIONS.... or prepare to stand in line (even on a Thursday evening!!)
The food is aight....
The LOBSTER PAELLA was not as good as I thought it was going to be. Lacked the right flavor, was a little soggy, and too stingy on the seafood.
The famous SPICY POTATOES tasted like potato wedges with a tangier buffalo sauce.
The GARLIC SHRIMP APPETIZER was good, but if you like that, maybe you should come over to my place for dinner because I'll give you a better deal.
Esperpento is decent, but I don't agree with the "Michelin Recommended" award. -
Review from Jon F.
South San Francisco, CA
8/15/2011
Been going to this place forever and never needed to write a yelp...until now.
My wife surprised me at this great establishment for my 30th birthday with a party of 30 of my most beloved family and friends. The food came out a few minutes after we were sat, and it was paced very nicely. Plates were never crowded, the sangria pitchers and water was always refilled. Most impressively though was that the food had the same crazy-to-the-bone chomping, plate licking after it's all gone taste.
And that my friends deserves my patronage for a long time! Usually food and service take a dive with a big party like that in a busy restaurant, but I'm happy to say that the great owners, servers, cooks, bussers, etc. of Esperpento executed perfectly. All was happy, and great times were had.
Now most of us haven't had the luxury of having paella with the Mediterranean sea shining brightly through our YSL sunglasses at a table in Spain, but a place like this in the Mission that's close to home will always have a place in my heart. -
Review from Myles T.
San Francisco, CA
9/5/2011
Oh I am such a fan of this place!
This was the first restaurant I went to in San Francisco back when I knew nothing about the city. But damn, its still just as good.
Do yourself a favor and bring a bunch of friends so you can just order a bevy of great and delicious food and try a little bit of everything.
Great food that won't make a dent in your savings, fun live music, and a great attentive staff. I have never waited more than 10 minutes to be seated at a walk in at this place either.
Oh and don't you DARE miss the sangria here! -
Review from Kay T.
Pacifica, CA
7/27/2011
Love all the seafood tapas. My favorite is the fried mussels. Yummm! The calamari needs to be eaten right away or it'll turn chewy and incredibly inedible anymore though. Shrimp/prawn Paellas--say no more! We always end up sopping our table bread in all the sauces in the different tapas. :)
Waiters are always polite. Can be crowded at times, but it's a fun atmosphere to have a yummy meal. -
Review from ngozi g.
Oakland, CA
6/21/2011
Best tapas in SF!!!
The lobster tail paella is my favorite. The lobster meat is succulent and the other seafood in the dish blends so perfectly with the baked rice.
The service is amazing! The waitresses are gorgeous as well as attentive, and the owner Carlos is always at the door greeting and seating customers as they arrive! How many restaurants can you say that for?
The sangria does its job and does it well. It'll get you hammered while tasting like fruity alcoholic heaven.
Carlos (AKA) Big Pappi Ortiz will give you the food and service you've been itching for, and if you're still itching after then you should probably see a physician.
