On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"My 600th review goes to one of the best breakfast burritos I've had. Super soft and fluffy eggs, spicy chorizo, hot green chiles, salsa, and…" read more »
Loading...
I really wanted to like you Nopalito. I really did.
I know it's SF but just because it's "sustainable organic" Mexican cuisine doesn't mean you've sold me.
If you charge twice the price for a taco I'm expecting twice the flavor.
And for the record - I am absolutely in love with Nopalito's sister restaurant NOPA.
I've always had misgivings about upscale Mexican food. Not that Mexican food isn't upscale - but if you're going to charge a premium I need to be able to say "damn, that was better than the taco truck outside my office in the Mission". Nopalito did not pass that test.
The first thing that almost made me choke was the $3.95 almond horchata. Good god. Almost $4. Really? FAIL. My second thought on the horchata was that while it was good, it was more like Spanish horchata than the Mexican and Salvadorian horchatas I have tried (which I believe are cinnamon based). Just an observation.
The Taco de Pescado al Pastor for $4.75 (Seared adobo swordfish, chile ancho, orange and salsa de morita y tomatillo) was good. A bit on the spicy side but good. The favorite app I had that night. Yes, one taco is close to $5.
The Panucho de Pollo al Pibil at $4.50 Black bean stuffed tortilla, citrus-achiote chicken, cabbage, pickled red onion and salsa habanera. Yes, one tostada is close to $5. This one I can't rave about. I've had pollo pibil before at Poc Chuc but never as a tostada. I just wasn't feeling it.
Also had the Tamal Enchilado de Puerco y Queso at $5.00 Housemade masa, stewed pork, queso fresco, chile ancho. It hurt me to pay $5 for a tamal. Initially I wasn't into it but it grew on me. The queso fresco was a great touch with the guacamole. I liked it but not twice as much as I would like a local tamale off the street.
I'd be wiling to go back. Maybe I didn't order the right thing. Maybe.
I really wanted to like this place. What I ended up liking was my Peet's coffee during the long wait. Warning: since they don't take reservations, don't bother showing up between the hours of 7 and 9. You'll have much better luck getting seated before or after the dinner rush.
It was one of those moments where I was so hungry that I stopped being hungry. So when we finally got seated, nothing looked appetizing.
I ended up ordering the pork belly quesadilla [http://www.yelp.com/bi...], which wasn't bad, but was a bit dry. The others had the ceviche [http://www.yelp.com/bi...] and swordfish taco [http://www.yelp.com/bi...].
I get it. It's high class Mexican food. That's how they get away with charging 3x the price elsewhere.
Meh.
5 stars for the carnitas, which was the only food we ordered. It was tender, juicy and slightly sweet. Served in butcher paper to keep those juices and fats close at hand.
The tomatillo sauce added the perfect amount of zing to balance the carnitas. Housemade masa tortillas, and finely sliced veggies came with, and we wrapped it all up and stuffed it in our gobs.
It cost $15 for a hefty portion that sated the three of us, and we weren't looking for a big gut-buster meal.
A little snackule of baked/fried chickpeas came to the table at the beginning, and three little Mexican wedding cookies came at the end.
I also had the huckleberry lemonade. Very refreshing. Meanwhile, the carnitas were so awesome that I hardly even thought, "what the hell is a huckleberry?"
Thanks but NO thanks NOpalito. My friends who had been were not impressed with the food at Nopalito. I thought their "no reservation policy" was bullshit-ish but I figured what the heck! Lets give it a go! We called in and waited ten minutes and we were seated.
I looked at the menu and I was totally lost. We both were. One star for our waiter who was very helpful and knowledgeable of the menu. My favorite part of the meal was their chip dish. It was very unique and tasty! I also ordered an enchilada appetizer thing (I saw quac in the description so it was a done deal) which was pretty good. I did not care for the tostada app. I thought it lacked flavor.
I won't come back here again. I wanted this place to be good since it's right down the street from me but it just wasn't my bag.
Hello Lover!
So what if its a little upscale - the whole neighborhood is too now!
So what if its not 100% authentic - it taste damn good!
So what if its a tad pricey (and not really as by SF standards) - I GOT CRISPY PORK BELLY IN A QUESADILLA!
Very delicious maybe not the best but definitely deserves more stars than it currently has.
I recommend the ceviche, the fish tacos, and the crispy pork belly quesadilla.
Oh also don't forget to ask about their popsicle choices - Holy Mother of Milk! The Cafe con leche with Blue Bottle Coffee popsicle was divine -- also full of caffeine. Do not plan on sleeping soon after eating it.
I think the 3.5 stars that Nopalito has right now is just right.
I've been here twice now and I definitely recommend it for "clean" Mexican food. Don't get me wrong, I love me some dirty taqueria Mexican food but sometimes when I go overboard, I end up paying for my tacos and burritos in other ways. Wait, I think I've revealed too much...
I recently visited and had a fantastic caldo/soup dish. I wanted something lighter because it hadn't been that long since I ate lunch and this was the perfect dish. It was chicken consomme with a charred chile (I can't remember what kind but it was pretty huge), avocado chunks, caulflower, hominy, cilantro and a few other healthy goodies. The server told me that the longer I kept the chile in there for, the spicier it would be (and also if I poked at it or aggravated it). It was awesome because it imparted a soft smokiness throughout the broth. Yum! It was definitely a feel-good dish.
I also had the ceviche, which was great as well. It was in a green salsa type liquid with fish, squid and baby scallops. Nice and spicy - and the chips that accompany it are perfectly crispy and firm.
I would probably pass on the quesadilla with crispy pork belly. It was a pretty greasy affair.
The carnitas is always awesome looking (I never order it because it's too intense for me but I've been lucky enough to sneak a few bites both times I've been here). It comes with lots of warm corn tortillas and some pickled veggies on the side.
Lastly, the popsicles. Mmmm, I'd say pass on these. They're really intense popsicles that seem barely frozen in a way. The chili chocolate one tastes more like a cold truffle on a stick and the arroz con leche one was, well, really rice-y and glutinous. I know you're thinking, what did you expect? But it wasn't very sweet, just really chunky. I think you're better off just eating the little cookies that come with the check.
Ooh, I almost forgot about the fried garbanzo beans! They taste like refined corn nuts. They're awesome.
Only real complaint about Nopalito is that the bathrooms are located outside, even though you can see them in the restaurant. It's right next to the takeout window. Whaa? Why?
Definitely upscale taqueria...if you're looking for a cheap Mission eatery, you'll be very disappointed.
Visited last night with a friend and had a fantastic time! We arrived at 6:30 and there wasn't a wait at all. We sat at the communal table and we selected the Pinot Noir Rose which was a good deal at $28.
We started with the chips with the salsa brushed on them and that was really tasty.
I chose the carnitas as my entree and I was really happy with it. A huge chunk of pork was roasted in parchment paper and it was served with a cabbage/carrot slaw that was sweet and tart as well as homemade corn tortillas.
The carnitas were fork tender and had the right amount of fat to meat ratio. It was smokey without being too overpowering.
We didn't have dessert, since popsicles were the only option. They did bring two tiny Mexican wedding cookies to finish the meal.
Our server wasn't very subtle about trying to turn the table over, which we found really offputting. However, the meal was delish and there was free parking. Two very big thumbs up!
I love this place, it's super hot and worth the wait. I love the casual, tasty, authentic flavor of Nopalito. My friend and I have been trying out a few new places, well new to me at least.
Note: They don't take reservations, but if there is a wait - you can call in and get on the list. There are a few bars in the hood to wait and have a drink.
I ordered a sangria, very tasty white wine sangria with white grapes. As a little snack they give you these toasted garbanzo beans which reminded me of Corn Nuts. I effen love Corn Nuts. Very tasty and on the healthy side.
Next up we ordered a few dishes to be shared. The tapa sized plates are between $4-5.00, great deals.
We had the Tamale Enchilado with Pork & Cheese, Quesidilla Roja con Chicharrón (crispy pork belly) and the Carnitas (Long braised pork, orange, bay leaf, cinnamon and beer. Cabbage salad, pickled jalapeños, salsa de tomatillo). It was a Pork Fest. LOL.
I also ordered a Michelada, never had one before so I had to try it. It was ok, I prefer my Bloody Mary's.
For Dessert we went with the Mexican Chocolate Paleta, it came with two small pastries. It was good, but I was hoping for some flan or tres leche cake. I'm spoiled.
The only downside was having to go outside to go to the restroom, it's not attached to the restaurant, but oh well.
I've been talking about this place for days now and now sharing with all of you. :)
I never thought I'd like an "upscale taqueria" but Nopalito proved my resistance futile. The cute, casual space manages to strike a delicate balance between classy and comfortable with an open sun room and the melodic "sit wherever you feel comfortable!" when you walk through the door.
My huckleberry lemonade soda was yummy, though I'm more a straight water gal so not a typical order for me. The grapefruit soda is incredible tho - so bittersweet fans go at it!
We decided to share three of the small plates between the two of us. The totopos con chile definitely had a kick and translated to corn tortilla chips with spicy salsa cooked into it. Topped with (too meager) shavings of cotija cheese and a dollop of sour cream. The heat definitely was on the edge of too hot for me, but I'm a total wuss about spicey food. Then the Gordita de Picadillo and Tamal Enchilado de Puerco y Queso came out on a shared plate. The tamale was made with homemade dark masa and definitely the winner of the meal...lasting less than 30 seconds on the plate. The gordita was like a mini taco shaped like a pita sandwich (you know, circle with an opening in it stuffed with food) and the taco seemed a little stale but the insides more than made up for it.
The food was great and mind you, these dishes were tiny and had we been looking for a full meal this wouldn't have sufficed but as a snack it was superb. Since it was halloween all the servers had hilarious costumes on and I double heart the wonderful waitress, Hilary, who made our meal extra enjoyable with lots of funny banter and great menu recommendations.
Now back to NYC where I have to suffer through stale chimichangas for my Mexicano fix...sigh.
Order the carnitas - in my opinion it is the best thing on the menu. The ceviche's just OK and the restaurant itself is cute and modern - I think that's what you're mostly paying for. Overall, good place to take people from out of town or unfamiliar with the neighborhood that aren't famished (portions are small!).
P.S. the $2.00 Tecate's made me laugh ;)
This is a great casual affordable sit down place for some jazzed up contemporary Mexican food. The decor is lovely and the service is pleasant. It a very small place and they don't t take reservations but even better, you can call 30 minutes before you want to get your grub on and they put you on a list and when you show up...TA-DA...your table is ready!
I highly recommend the pork belly quesadillas, they crackled in my mouth and the carnitas...I thought they were delish! I also recommend the white sangria with the little frozen grapes which they give you a little spoon so you can munch on them to cleanse your pallet!
I've been three times to Nopalito and had a chance to interview the chef's for a review on Mexicanitos on the city (see below for full length review). It was just voted top new restaurant in SF by Esquire magazine, and I am full agreement - this place sets itself apart with it's dedication to sustainable products, authentic flavors and inventive takes on traditional mexican favorites. Best carnitas I've ever had. See link below for the recipe from mouth of the chef!
http://sftaoofpao.com/...
Yes, I know, it already has 322...323...324 reviews... and counting. But, I definitely had to write a short love poem from my recent trip to Nopalito.
Roses are red,
Violets are blue,
Nopalito is the sh*t,
This much is true.
Get the salsa flavored chips and enchiladas with chicken! I wish it had dessert other than the popsicles though!
Actually it was more than 3 stars. I say 3.5 stars.
Food - 4 stars. Unique tasty Mexican food.
Service - 3 stars.
I really liked the small prices, understood them a little better when I saw the small portions. Being the American that I am, I was at first a little appalled to see the tiny thing. After eating however I felt quite content. Service was good. I liked the food menu, they could work on expanding the drink menu. One star off because the portion of chickpeas (I think that was what they were) which were served at the beginning of the meal was stupidly small. Really. Otherwise I will be back. They might consider trying to get some other customers than the all white yuppie crowd, it kind of irks me at a Mexican place to only see my people around me.
The food is good as well as the service. Desert was not bad.
I will be coming back.
Best Carnitas I've ever had!!! BEST!
The little brother of Nopa, Nopalito has the same concept but totally different execution. Mainly, Nopalito is a Mexican modern execution to Nopa's American modern.
Ambiance (4): The place is nicely set up and there is lots of wood all over the place including some nice wooden tables and bench setups. Modern, warm, and very inviting. Wide open layout and the only thing missing would be to have outside seating. They have some covered seating which is nice but no direct sunshine.
Food (4): Authentic fusions, if you will, with lots of traditional ingredients but with that American touch. We had the sweet pumpkin tamal which was great, simple and well executed. You get the hint of traditional corn tamal but can definitely pick up the pumpkin. The ceviche was good but it didn't go well with the chips which were too thick and salty and overpowering the subtle flavors of it. It was still good but I prefer it more limey. The totopos were ok, but maybe too far from the original and not enough fresh cheese action. The carnitas were amazing. Perfect, perfect, perfect. Just make sure to scarf them down while hot, that's when they are at their peak. They get served with traditional corn tortillas, a damn good slaw, and a green tomatillo salsa which I wish was the one they used on the totopos. The horchata was good, but they need to get some hot drinks in that place for when it's chilly outside.
Service (3): It was ok. Very little personality though.
Value (5): The pricing of the small plates are spot on and the large plates are decent. We only had one large plate and it was worth every penny, but can't vouch for the other ones.
Overall: Food was great, price was good, heading back there soon.
Nopalito is one of those restaurants that makes me proud to live in San Francisco.
It's affordable. Friendly and responsive service. Sustainable and responsible. And if that wasn't enough-- it is very inexpensive.
The wait for dinner can be over an hour. The two times I have been there (successfully) was for a mid afternoon, mid week late lunch. No wait at all.
I need more Nopalito in my life.
It took awhile, but I finally gave Nopalito another shot. It has definitely improved. We had the ceviche again, it was much more flavorful than the first time around (maybe it was an off night, who knows?). My fish taco was really good and flavorful. J really like the pork belly quesadilla, he snarfed it up. The guac was decent, nothing special, and the corn salad thing was tasty, and surprisingly spicy as well.
I've since ordered Nopalito's takeout, which I would not advise. Soggy and falling apart--although it saves you from standing around and waiting for an hour.
Everything about this new restaurant is good...except the food.
The ceviche hasn't been cured in lime…
Read more »
I live about 2 blocks away and wanted to come here for a while..but had a hard time thinking about spending so much on Mexican food. SO had my mom take us when she was here! She and I were leaving town that night, so she, the bf and I went about 545 on a thursday and had no problem getting a table ASAP-but I see people waiting wayyyy too long all the time.
Food was really good! They had a really yummy ceviche and this corn / cheese dish (?) that was new and fun. We had a tasty quesadilla with a savory/sweet quesadillla as well. The carnitas were outta this world, served as a big ol slab of meat and you pull it off yourself-some of the best carnitas I've had. The only eh thing was the tamale-pretty dry and lacking filling. I'd stick with authentic street tamales.
Overall: Good food, nice casual atmosphere and good service. However, too $ and NOT worth an hour wait
Been back quit a few times since last time I reviewed. So far I've hand one dish that I wouldn't order again and that's the guacamole special they had last night. It didn't taste freshly made and it lacked flavor. So far these are the dishes that have become our favorites and are what we consistently order.
1. Carnitas
2. Corn with Crema y Queso
3. Ceviche
4. Quesadilla (they always change)
Being Mexican and having been raised on traditional home cooked Mex food, I tend to be picky about… Read more »
Holy crap, I love this place. I've only been here once, but I already absolutely adore it. The decor is very cute and very green. Service is excellent. But my most favorite thing is the homemade salsa chips. Such an amazing burst of flavor. The taste is still stuck in my mouth. I want more! The tamale and the chorizo torta are also very tasty. I can't wait to come back.
Wow, two back-to-back reviews of Mexican food eateries. Nopalito is a real favourite and stand-by for my wife and me. We love starting with the Totopos that are the lazy-persons tortilla chips in as much as they come pre-dipped in picante sauce and sprinked with queso.
I would say that Carnitas is my favourite dish at this trendy little shop although I do find myself nowadays gravitating toward their fish tacos. The Quesadillas are also wonderful, especially the vegetarian variety.
And to top it all off and finish a superb meal, allow me to recommend the Mexican chocolate ice cream popsickle. Have I had a sweet served on a stick that is this tasty? I think not.
I came here for lunch on a weekend as it was recommended by a friend. Parking wasn't a problem and we were immediately seated.
Happily sipping my delicious sangria, I ordered the carnitas and enchiladas de mole to share with my man. The carnitas was probably one of the best I've ever had. It was the kind that you could cut with your fork and melted like butter in your mouth. We got the dish to share, but I was a bit hesitant to share the happiness in my mouth with everyone - I wanted it all! I was also a fan of their michelada. I'm sure there are still tons of unexplored territory for a SF visitor, but this was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. Highly recommended!
I have walked by this place maybe 50 or 60 times now....its in my hood
went there the other day after work with some coworkers to get a bite to eat for lunchish
so the entrance was a bit odd and uninviting but i can live with that
the food that i had was very good
they had beer that wasn't a million dollars that was nice
(i am a huge fan of cheap beers)
why the three.....i am hung over and feel like being harsher then normal
It's truly a pity to see bad reviews and an average of 3.5 stars at this place. There are positives and negatives about their reservation system, but as long as you get it you're golden. Really how many places let people do drop in reservations anymore. It's sad to say, but if you want to go out for a date, or do a spontaneous dinner in SF, you should have booked in advance. This is why I like Nopalito's system. It's smart and simple, but you actually have to think an hour in advance for food (which I have no problem doing).
Onto the food:
In a word excellent. I've always been a foodie for latin cuisine (I happen to think I make the best pico de gallo) and Nopalito has it dialed. The appetizers are in short yummy. Seasonal Sangria, mmmm.... But what I love most is that they have goat stew! There are few places that would serve anything but the usual, beef, chicken, lamb, and pork. To see goat on the menu, is amazing. After all Americans are the only prude nation that is prude sexually and nutritionally. Nopalito follows a local in season menu, so things change through the year. I'm also a huge fan of chicken mole, which they do beautifully.
You can consider Nopalito a fancy Mexican restaurant. You really don't get the quality of food that they serve at a local taqueria, so you really can't compare the two. But, you can compare it to other places like this restaurant (Regallito in the mission, Andele in SFO an OAK airports). This is a class or restaurant like Delfina. You can't put Delfina in the same class as Dominos would you?
So, appreciate creativity and you'll love this place. Good service (hot waitresses btw), good food, and an awesome ambiance.
H
Some things were a lot better than others, but overall the highs were strong enough to make me a fan. First of all, we called on our way and told them we'd be there in about 30 minutes, when we arrived they had a table waiting for us.
Not so great:
Tamal de puerco - I love tamales, so was excited to see two different ones on the menu. We asked the waiter which one he recommended this one with pork. The masa part was excellent, moist and just flavorful enough. But the pork was bland and the peanuts on top were an overpowering flavor, great texture, but all I could taste was peanuts.
Ceviche - it was good, but just not great. I know that people love it, but I just wasn't wowed. Great chips though.
Great:
Panucho de pollo - looking at it, it appeared pretty standard, crisp corn tortilla, topped with black beans, stewed chicken and salsa, but it tasted better than I thought. I think the pickled onions really made it. They added a really bright flavor.
GREAT GREAT GREAT:
Esquite Tostado - grilled corn, topped with crema, and their homemade queso fresco. WOW, I love corn and queso fresco so I knew I would like it, but this was out of this world. I would come back just to have another bowl (or two) of this!
if u get the carnitas, you have to get the corn. Its not the same without it.
new mushroom quesidilla is my new city favourite. Not what you expect, but amazing nonetheless.
save room for a cafe du leche popsicle... or whatever they call it.
I've been to Nopalito 3 or 4 times now, so i feel I can give it a fair review.
First of all - the place is now extremely popular and they don't take reservations. You can call ahead to be put on the list - but that list gets long at peak times. The wait for a table on weeknights has grown to 45 minutes and this past Friday our party of four waited 90 minutes. While I can't blame a place for being popular - note that there is no bar to wait at and no other place to sit in the vicinity - so you may be spending a lot of time browsing the grocery store next door and drinking wine in the parking lot and trying to stay warm (which is what we ended up doing.)
The food is quite good, obviously. Maybe the only Authentic-ish interior Mexican cuisine in the City. The food is not fancy but instead typical cantina fare like carnitas, polo mole, and birria.Yes a lot of taquería in town have these dishes, but the quality, flavor, and presentation here is more like what you would get in Mexico. The prices are reasonable considering the quality and novelty.
One of my dining companions ordered beef enchiladas and she was presented with a plate of rather tough and flavorless carne asada and a little paper bag of fresh corn tortillas. That's it. That does not constitute "enchiladas" anywhere in Mexico I've visited, but maybe they serve a regional variation I'm not familiar with. In any case it was a disappointing dish. Another companion got the mole which just had a small leg and thigh. It was yummy, but I felt should have been a bit more.
Service was relaxed but decent. So I guess I remain torn on Nopalito. I love that there is a place to find these flavors in San Francisco, but the food has been inconsistent and waiting so long for a table is kind of a bummer.
I love love love Nopalito! I grew up with mom's homemade tortillas, tacos and pozole and this restaurant is the most authentic Mexican food I've ever had. I took my parents to dinner here and observed their facial expressions intensely as they tried each dish. There's no one who is a better judge than my mom who's been cooking mole her whole life. It's one of the toughest dishes to master in all cuisine's, period. She gave the nod of approval and I've been raving about it ever since. I've had nearly everything on their menu and these are the dishes that stand out:
1. Carnitas (juicy on the inside crispy on the outside)
2. Tamale (Comes pretty darn close to my Tia Lupe's)
3. Crispy pork belly quesadilla (need I say more???)
4. Mole (perfect spice to nuttiness ratio)
5. Pozole (hangover cure according to my dad. It's a spicy soup with hominy, meat and about 15-20 different spices)
6. Beer with the tomato juice and lime
They're prices are very reasonable and they serve homemade tortillas. My only recommendation would be to offer another tamale flavor. For the vegetarians out there a cheese + jalapeno would be nice. Or even a tamale with mashed potatoes inside or the hard-to-find SWEET tamales (raisons and pineapple), YUM! Needless to say, I'm happy to FINALLY have an authentic Mexican restaurant I can eat at when I can't eat my mom's!
Nopalito is a decent nuevo-mexicana place. While it's not Mamacita, the prices are a little more reasonable and there was no wait at 6:45 on a Fri nite. The carnitas is the flagship item on the menu for good reason - it was one of the best carnitas i've had. it cut like warm butter when i sliced through it. The white sangria with frozen grapes was also dope. Besides that, the other items on the menu were average. The cebiche was average and the enchiladas was disappointing. I will likely come back here again at some point, but it's not going on my rotation.
Our experience at Nopalito was decent. It's a restaurant worth checking out if you're looking for a laid-back, informal but still nice place to eat. My biggest gripe about Nopalito is that it takes so long to be seated and there's no convenient place to wait for a table. We waited for over two hours to be seated - even though we called ahead to put our name on the list.
Our party had mixed reviews about the food, it was hit or miss with some entrees. I ordered the steak enchiladas which turned out to be a pile of overcooked steak strips served with a stack of tortillas. I wouldn't order it again. However, the mole and guacamole appetizer were really tasty.
Our bill for one appetizer, four entrees and four drinks was reasonable by SF standards - about $30/person. Nopalito won't become a place we frequent often, but it was worth checking out.
food: two stars (* *)
I ordered the carnitas, which I can safely say tasted mediocre. All of the other carnitas I've had in the city at other Mexican restaurants were just as good, and oftentimes better. I was also disappointed that they were only accompanied by some corn tortillas, a shanty salad that consisted of some shredded cabbage and a sliced japapeño (who the hell is going to eat that?). It was just meat and some vegetable with no real effort put into it. Was it all tasty? Yes, but that is inherent to carnitas--Nopalito did nothing to further this dish.
environment/service: two stars (* *)
I called ahead to put my name on the list. My group arrived and was told to wait 15 minutes. I had to use the restroom and had to walk outside the restaurant to a tiny waiting room where three others were waiting for a single stall. Is it the end of the world? No, but this could have been solved in the planning/layout phase of the restaurant. Our server Kristina was unfriendly and visited our table once after 10 minutes to get our order and then never again, except to hand us the bill. I was shocked considering the attentive and knowledgeable service I've received at Nopa.
value: two stars (* *)
This was not an expensive dinner but for what you got, it was overpriced. Speaking for myself, the carnitas, at $14, were double what I would pay for the same portion of food at any other Mexican restaurant in San Francisco (and mediocre, at best).
average of
food: two stars
environment/service: two stars
value: two stars
================
averaged grand total: two stars
estimated price per person (excluding drink):
$15-25
would i recommend it to others?
No, skip the chi-chi organic feel-good bullsh*t Mexican food and go somewhere where you'll pay half the cost and be far more satisfied.
would i return?
No.
Overall great place.
Very authentic and well done food. I worked for a year in a Mexican restaurant owned and operated by a family from Guanajuato, Mexico.
The chicken soup and carnitas at nopales were delicious.
Friendly service.
I called ahead and didn't have to wait for a table.
The volume of chatter was a little louder than my father liked, but he still enjoyed his time there.
If you like authentic mexican food (good beer prices too) check out Nopalito.
I absolutely love the Popsicles!! Yummy place to grab lunch.
We decided to give Nopalito a second chance and I am so glad we did! We didn't have any of the issues we had the first time. I'm chalking it all up to being a new restaurant.
They were out of the carnitas so this time we tried some new dishes (new to the menu) and were thrilled! We had the Esquite Tostado con Crema y Queso, Cecina Enchilada con Rajas y Ejotes and a salad of fresh vegetables.
This will be in the rotation...
If you like...
Waiting 1.5 hours for a table
Watching those who *called in* get their table before…
Read more »
OUTSTANDING. I took some foreign guests for lunch, they were unfamiliar with Mexican food. We were all blown away. It was really fun to see them discover the new flavours.
Watermelon salad was unbelievably good, and might have been the star of the show in my opinion.
And the popsicles were really fun !
Easy parking and the call-in waitlist were the icing on the cake.
My roommates have been talking about this place for a while and finally got a chance to experience what Nopalito had to offer
We had to call ahead to get on a waiting list, which took about an hour. That's understandable for a place that doesn't take reservations. Plus it does not have the biggest dining room, but don't let that take away from its cuisine.
Our waitress greeted us with a smile which is always pleasant, upon drink requests I ordered the Horchata which was quite tasty. Different than other horchatas i have had in the past where there was a strong cinnamon flavor. My roommate got the Grapefruit-Piloncillo which was light and refreshing.
For starters, they unfortunately ran out of the Ceviche which is apparently amazing. We got the Esquite Tostado con Crema y Queso, which is pretty much corn and salsa. It was very very fresh and tasteful. we also got the Quesadilla Roja con Chicharrón, which is a fancy quesadilla with pork belly and jack cheese. Soo good.
For an entree i had the Cecina Enchilada con Rajas y Ejotes which is basically steak fajitas but with numerous amount of spices and herbs. I tried some of the Pozole Rojo which is a stew with pork and vegetables, now if you like hominy i suggest you get this b/c there is a butt load of it in it.
Carne asada was heavenly - juicy, tender pork cooked till it melts in your mouth and roasted (?) in a parchment pouch full of flavor! Get an order of roasted sweet corn too, so sweet and each kernel still plump...mmhhmmm! Grab a homemade corn tortilla, throw in the corn, tear off some carne asada, wrap it up and prepare for a party in your mouth!
Sangria isn't shabby, nice touch with the frozen grapes, more refreshing than your regular white sangria.
We got so much free stuff!
Neighborhood: SOMA
Happy Hour: $1 Tacos & $2…
Neighborhood: Mission
Neighborhood: Hayes Valley
Category: Coffee & Tea
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Food Stands
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Men's Clothing
Neighborhood: SOMA
Category: Mexican
I grew up in SF but relocated to NYC when I really…
Our old 'hood... We were on top of a hill, pretty…
That's right, I had no right to review these…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
My trip to SF...and I hit 15 eateries in 4…
I have to eat at a pace of one restaurant every…
Where I spent them before I moved to…
The soles of my birthday Bib have 1 star on each…
