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San Miguel Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Latin American Latin American [Edit]
3263 Mission St(between Valencia St & 29th St)
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
(415) 641-5866
- Hours:
Mon 11 am - 6 pm
Thu-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
56 reviews for San Miguel Restaurant
Review Highlights
"I have never had Guatemalan food before and LOVED this..."
(in 10 reviews)
"I love their black beans, taquitos, and their guacamole is..."
(in 10 reviews)
"big fan of guatemala and the local flavor."
(in 13 reviews)
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56 reviews in English
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Review from Adlyn S.
South San Francisco, CA
1/31/2012
What a gem! I have never tried Guatemalan food before until I ate @ San Miguel...and now I'm addicted. The ceviche (as recommended by my co-worker) was the most refreshing, succulent ceviche I have ever had. I forget what the appetizer was called that was AMAZING, but it was like smaller taquito, with more flavor..and freshness. The steak we had was flavorful without feeling too hearty. I finished off with a cup of Guatemalan coffee--amazing...can San Miguel just be an extension to my house? (A la Richie Rich and McDonalds?"
The service was 5-star too. What a great family run business! You could tell they are just so thrilled to bring their love of food to your tummies :)
Now go! Btw, props for being open till 10:30 on a Sunday...but cash only!! -
Review from L L.
East Bay, CA
12/20/2011
This is a great little place if you are looking for some authentic Guatemalan food. I think you have to know what dishes to pick, though. I personally love the New York steak (great flavors and served with beans, rice, and pasta), the seafood soup, the taquitos, and the shrimp appetizer (tostaditos de cerviche). All these dishes are very fresh. My husband and I end up ordering these pretty much every time.
Because of the quality of food and authentic flavors, I will give this place 5 stars. The downside is that it's cash only, which can be quite a pain for dinner. -
Review from Anthony R.
San Francisco, CA
12/10/2011
Wanted to like this cozy little Guatemalan spot more than I actually did. The hulaches (shredded beef in a tomato sauce) tasted a bit watered down and flat. My buddy got the Pepian which had a bit more depth. Nothing spectacular, but homey plates for decent prices.
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Review from Osberto M.
Cambridge, MA
10/20/2011
I've eaten here a few times within the last two months. I was born and raised in Guatemala, and have had these dishes all my life both at home and outside.
In my opinion, the 'caldo de res' (a simple but really tasty beef stock with beef chunks and vegetables in it) is 5 stars, and the 'caq-ik' (Q'eqchi language name for the dish) is worth 3 1/2. I am not used to having the caq-ik broth be this thick. As far as I am concerned caq-ik is meant to be just like caldo de res in terms of consistency, but perhaps this varies. Either way, I think I remember a more intense flavor.
Rellenitos de platano (mashed plantain paste filled with fried beans and then itself fried) were awesome and unhealthy as expected.
Their menu could be richer. I don't think I saw 'pollo en jocon', 'saq-ik', 'caldo de gallina', 'salpicon de panza', and such things. It would also be great if they had thick, handmade corn tortillas, but these hardly appear anywhere I go so I cannot hold it against them. It would be also nice if besides rellenitos de platano they also offered simply sliced fried plantain with fried beans on the side as well, or fried banana. All of it may seem redundant but they are good in their own special ways.
Service is friendly but slow, they will take time to bring the beer (they have some of the Guatemalan beers there, for the curious), the food and the bill. They do check on you to see if you are missing tortillas for your meal, and they also offer a couple of courtesy melon slices some times.
Finally, the thing that really goes against them is the aspect of the place. Poorly lit, smells like fish (hopefully from the fish dishes they serve), somewhat shabby. They could improve a lot on this and that would get them 4 starts. Don't be misled, the fishy smell at the entrance has very little relation to how good the caldo de res is. Plus, they have some very folksy Guatemalan music playing complete with videos of the bands, so you get to see that too. -
Review from Milly H.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2010 2 Check-ins Here
The restaurant gives you a very comfortable feeling when you walk in. The walls and ceiling are decorated with little pieces of Guatemalan trinkets and art. I had (and still have) so much fun staring at the unique pieces.
The food is delicious. I love their black beans, taquitos, and their guacamole is to die for. For entrees, I love the grilled chicken (not sure what it is called) and garlic shrimp with steak. OMG, talking about it makes me wanna go there and eat right now.
The family that owns this place make you feel like you are part of the family when you're there. Great customer service.
Don't forget to order their fresh made smoothies (almost taste like dessert in a cup!) Their coffee is a good way to wind down their dinner. Every time I go, I leave stuffed.
Prices are very reasonable for what they give you. Tons of authentic Guatemalan food!
Anytime I'm in the area, I head down to San Miguel. -
Review from Bananas F.
Manhattan, NY
11/29/2010
If you're looking for excellent home-made quality Guatemalan food, you've found the right place at San Miguel!
I was truly surprised at how delicious the Tamales were! It's hard to find good quality tamales at restaurants because they're very time consuming to make, and most restaurants just produce very simple tamales without putting a lot of effort into the tamal making process. These ALMOST taste like my aunt's tamales... ALMOST, which is pretty amazing!
The Pipián is also excellent, also try the rellenitos!
By the way, Latino food is not limited to Mexican food! Stay away from the very FEW Mexican dishes on the menu here. They only offer those items for the type of gringos who demand Mexican food at every Latino restaurant they go to. -
Review from AL N.
San Mateo, CA
12/12/2010
I found this place by surprised the other day when I was going to eat at El Zocalo. Since it said Guatemalan style I decided to give it a try...This is really a small hole in the wall, family owned place, with good service.
The place is pretty small, and decorated with all pictures and decorations from Guatemala. So in case you don't know where Guatemala exactly is, don't worry, there is even a map to show you the location.
The food is pretty good. The tostadas with shrimps are deliciuos! For main course I tried the churrasco guatemalan style, and my gf tried the chicken mole. The churrasco was good, different to the Mexican style. The chicken mole was different alright. It tasted more sweet, like it was made out of chocolate. At one point it was to sweet that my gf couldn't finish all of it. The service is pretty good. Maybe because the place is small, they tend to give more attention to the costumers.
The bad about this place is that it doesn't accept credit cards. So bring cash or you may have to step outside and cross the street to the BOA and use their ATM. Another thing is finding parking. Since it's right on Mission, it is pretty hard to look for a good parking space.
So overall...
The goods:
-Good food
-Prices are not expensive
-Good costumer service
-Nice place to see a bit of culture of Guatemala
The bads:
-Don't accept credit cards
-Hard to find parkings
If you don't mind paying only with cash, and giving time to find parking, then this place is pretty cool! -
Review from Alvarito M.
San Francisco, CA
3/2/2011 1 photo
Best caldo de res in the city; the caldo de mariscos is excellent too....I had the Plato San Miguel for dinner tonight and the portions were a bit too small; also, the plantains were dry but it's the first time I've had mediocre food at this place... I've been eating at this place since the 20th St. location days so I hope it was just one of those days in the kitchen...10+ years as a customer.
Bring cash, no CCs accepted... The place is a bit tight when crowded but the service is great...family owned... -
Review from Jose U.
South San Francisco, CA
6/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'm from Guatemala and grew up with my mom making stuff like Pepian, rabo (oxtail), tamales, sopa de res, hilachas etc. So I really want to like this place. The service is good, very attentive. But the food can be hit or miss. The first time I came here, I came with a friend and we tried the ceviche. It tasted nice and fresh, it was pretty good. Also had the Pepian, the sauce for it was good but I was disappointed that they made it with chicken.
The second time I came it was with my parents. They ordered the sopa de res and were pretty happy with it and they have discerning taste for that sort of thing. I decided to try the mole and it wasn't very good I'm sorry to report. I'm not sure if mole is supposed to be so chocolaty...the chicken was sort of bland and chewy. Also the whole plate was sort of a mess I thought because the chicken mole was served with black beans rice and queso. It was just all over the place in terms of flavors.
My dad ordered platanos en mole and there the chocolaty sauce complemented the plantains very well.
I would definitely recommend the Pepian, and will try the sopa de res. Unfortunately they don't make rabo :(
The place looks clean, but it's kind of small and to add to the ambiance they play marimba music and videos of Guatemalan music. The place is definitely not good for large groups or even medium ones, four people per group tops. Parking is tough in the neighborhood and it's CASH ONLY :( -
Review from sara s.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2010
I really wanted to like this place.. small hole in the wall.. family owned.. great staff... but the food really just was not good. I could cook better latin style food at home. It was my first time having guatemalan food so maybe im just not a fan of that?
The best part was the free tostaditas appetizer we got for mentioning we found them on yelp. And our waitress was very sweet.
Cons: Very slow experience because one waitress serves all the tables but she is very sweet, enthusiastic and passionate. When I mentioned yelp, she got very happy to hear they were "expanding" .. which is why it pains me to write a bad review :(
But in the end, its all about the food.
The chicken mole tasted like PURE chocolate. literally like someone had drizzled hersheys syrup all over.
I had the shredded beef with vegetables which was very mediocre.
The horchata tasted VERY watered down...
Next time im in the food for this style of food, id just head down the street to el farolito for a delicious burrito.
1 star: because you have to
2 stars: because the waitress was great.
*Not for big groups!
* Horrible street parking
* pricey for this type of food!
* bad atmosphere/little sketchy.. -
Review from Marti L.
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Review from Tram N.
9/6/2009
I never had Guatemalan food so this experience is quite new and different for me.. I ordered the chicken enchilada but it wasn't your typical enchilada.. the fried corn tortilla was placed at the bottom then the leafy greens then the meat w/ some type of sauce over it and the sauce was delicious! I'd order it again.
What I love most is their salsa.. it burned and gave me a tummy-ache. When I asked to have a take-out menu, the guy gave me their actual menu- how nice is that? The service was friendly and I can't wait to go again.Listed in: Latin Food
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Review from Yvette K.
San Francisco, CA
10/20/2008
A solid 3 stars for San Miguel (would give 3.5). I live around the corner from San Miguel Restaurant and came here the other night for the first time - I wish I had come here long before now, since I've lived in Bernal Heights for over 15 years. Needless to say, I will be back.
The waiter was very friendly and the food was great. I have deducted 2 stars because the food is VERY good, but it's not fantastic (I didn't love what my friend had). The prices are very reasonable.
We had a very tasty appetizer called, Chilitos Rellenos (Small bell peppers, stuffed with choped meat, sauce on top) $4.25.
For my entree I had, Churrasco Chapin (Charbroiled New Your Steak, with chimichurri sauce, and chirmol) $11.95. It was delicious and would order it again.
My friend had, Carne Encebollada (Beef steak and mushrooms sautaed, with tomatoes, onions) $9.95. I thought it was just OK and I bet he would order something else next time.
They had good and fresh spicy salsa too.
I would recommend San Miguel Restaurant if you're in Bernal Heights. This isn't a destination restaurant, but is a great neighborhood find. Yay, Bernal Heights!Listed in: Bernal Heights, lesbian…
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Review from Alfredo N.
Daly City, CA
8/14/2008
I'm part Guatemalan and had the pleasure to have grown up eating dishes that both my Mom and Grandma cooked.
Guatemalans are not huge in numbers here as Mexicans so it isn't as easy to come across a place that knows how to make tasty good quality food. I was riding shotgun one late night down mission and I caught a glimpse of the little sign (Before they hung up the banner) and said i wanted to come back and try. for weeks later I tried to find this place but for the life of me could not. then as usual as it most of the time is me and the GF stumbled upon it as we were looking for parking to go to some other spot. So we had to try it.
I had some combination plate that came with a steak, sausage, beans, rice, salad and plantains. Man for a moment I flashed back to when i was a lil' kid getting ready for dinner when I used to live with my grandma. The food was so flavorful but no overwhelming. the steak was juicy and tender which made me eat as slowly as possible savoring every bite. the sausage was also great but for the size and price i wish they would have thrown another one in.
I enjoyed the decor as it had all these pictures and curiosities from Guatemala. I'm glad I was able to finally try this place. Here is where I will return when i miss being a kid and getting home cooked meals. -
Review from Rob L.
Bay Area
1/30/2010
AN OASIS IN THE MISSION DISTRICT SERVING AUTHENTIC GUATAMALAN FOOD
We opened the sliding door and entered this cozy and cute restaurant on a cold and rainy evening. Plants and wooden carvings hanging from the tin-roof ceiling add atmosphere to the dining room. The friendly server came over to greet us and took our order in Spanish. She brought us sliced pineapple and watermelon to begin the meal.
Chicken Pepian
Boneless pieces of chicken were immersed in an intoxicating earthy broth made from chilies, tomatillos, and seeds. Rice and homemade corn tortillas were served on the side. This dish exceeded my expectations!
Chicken Mole
L ordered the chicken in mole which was served with rice, beans, and beets. He was very pleased with the dish. I tasted the mole and it was on the sweet side but tasted very good.
The salsa served on the side is spicy and flavorful. We were very pleased with the attentive service; it was like having a homemade meal. -
Review from Carissa R.
San Francisco, CA
6/25/2009
We're moving to Outer Noe in the next few weeks and had a moment two nights ago when exploring the new 'hood where we realized that the Outer Mission is just a few minutes walk from our place. After years of living in the lower pac heights/J-town area, it's like being a new city! And a new city means a whole new slew of restaurants. Including San Miguel, where I had eaten once prior with friends and now know is only a 5 minute walk from our apartment.
After that long (somewhat uninteresting intro), I have to say that I wasn't sure what to expect from Guatemalan cuisine. I have never been to Guatemala, nor do I know anyone Guatemalan. I was very pleasantly surprised. We shared chicken tamales as an app, which came with crema and black beans - delicious. For my entree, I had the tostadas, which had a great crunch and savory quality to them. The boyfriend loves the steak entree (has ordered it the two times we've been there).
The service was friendly and always persistent in refilling our waters. One of my favorite qualities.
If I rated restaurants based on the quality of their restrooms, this one would not do so well, with a hole in the floorboard and one of those old cloth towel dispensers on a wheel for drying your hands (needless to say I used my jeans instead). But I don't generally take it into too much consideration because what I care about is food & service, which were both great. -
Review from Jen T.
San Francisco, CA
8/3/2007
MUY DELICIOSO! BUENO BUENO BUENO! My friend and I came here for dinner. Very authentic Guatamalan food! Also, the quaint restaurant had a decor that made me feel like I could have been Guatamala. Our waiter was very nice - spoke only Spanish - I got to practice what little Spanish I know.
Bernal Heights is one of my favorite foodie places in the city! San Miguel has added to my list of favs! YUMO!!!! -
Review from Genevieve M.
Berkeley, CA
3/7/2011
My boyfriend took me here for my birthday he is Guatemalan and he wanted me to try the food. As soon as you walk into this restaurant you automatically feel the Guatemalan culture photos hung everywhere, many vibrant colors, television for entertainment. I ordered "Pollo Adobado" and, let me tell you the next day I was craving it! The service is amazing their so attentive. I was shocked that there wasn't many more people... If you're a person who loves latin food trust me San Miguel Restaurant wont disappoint you!
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Review from J.T. T.
San Francisco, CA
5/16/2008
This place sneaks up on you -- I didn't realize I had arrived until I was practically in front of the door. The entrance is tiny, but this family-owned-and-run restaurant definitely makes itself known once you've come inside. The decor makes you wonder why you haven't ever been to Guatemala yet.
I ordered an Enchilada Guatemalteca, which was surprisingly sweet and quite good with the steaming-hot tortillas they provided. A band playing what I assumed was local music bonged away on xylophones and such through the flat-screen TVs hanging above us, and I washed the food down with a fresh-tasting strawberry milkshake. Next time I'll have to try the appetizers, or one of the mole dishes. I'm definitely going to become a repeat customer, if I can ever find my way here again. -
Review from Randy P.
San Francisco, CA
1/21/2010
I have never had Guatemalan food before and LOVED this place.
First off the tortillas are amazing...fluffy thick and tasty..
I cant remember the name of the dish i ordered, it had chicken with mushrooms and peppers all in a tasty sour cream sauce...it was soooooo good!
The service was friendly and the prices resonable...if you want to try a new adventure head over to this spot...i doubt you will be disappointed!!!! -
Review from Jonathan B.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2007
I hadn't had authentic Guatemalan food in 6 years, since I lived there for 2 years. I seriously craved it and I wasn't able to satisfy that craving until this afternoon.
I was afraid it was going to suck just like most restaurants do in Guat itself, but the food was AMAZING!!! Just like specialty homecooked meals with an extremely friendly staff and fun atmosphere.
The Longanizas are extremely tasty, the Chuchitos were perfect, the Pollo Adobado was awesome and the $10 Ceviche was NEVERENDING! You definitely get your money's worth here, and on top of that, it's just undeniably delicious. -
Review from Elsie D.
San Francisco, CA
5/14/2011
Had tamales, pepian, chiles rellenos, carne asada and churrasco chapin on several occasions. It's good depending on who's in the kitchen - good when parents are cooking and bad when kids are cooking. I won't be going back, the last straw was the soggy cream of wheat like tamales.
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Review from Gabriel D.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2006
First things first: this isn't the "outer, outer Mission". It is still the regular Mission. The neighborhood is insulted.
Ok, so I spent ten days in Guatemala (Antigua, Guatemala City, Flores, Tikal) and the Platos Tipicos were awful. I ate good Italian, Mexican and French food - but otherwise, it was a spoonful of beans, a wad of unspiced rice and half a plantain. The food was so crappy, I would have starved even if the portions hadn't been tiny.
So I was justifiably suspicious of San Miguel (especially since the best-known San Miguel is in El Salvador, not Guatemala) but after we walked past three other restaurants, it was time to suck it up and give this place a shot...and it was great!
We ordered the chilitos rellenos (smaller appetizer size), shrimp ceviche and hilachas (shredded beef soup). The chilitos were awesome; ceviche was good; soup was great. They didn't fill half the plate with rice. And no gloppy frijoles. The only thing that was the same as the crappy food I ate in Guatemala? The tortillas. Which is inconsequential, all things considered...I highly recommend this restaurant! -
Review from Ken B.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2010
Great service, delicious food. What else could you want?
If you order certain entrees, they are served with a side of refried black beans, queso, platanos y crema. Refried black beans...mmmm!
I had the hilachas this time. Sort of a thick beef stew with shredded meat (instead of cubed,) carrots, potatoes & tomatillo in a hearty tomato-based gravy.
Don't be afraid to try the habanero salsa. It's got a kick to it, but it shouldn't leave you burning. -
Review from jenn c.
7/24/2006
This Guatelmalan restaurant is a great, friendly and charming place to come out whether its by yourself or with a group of people. The salsa is awesome especially if you can tolerate spicey (like me)... I came in a little sick and I swear no lie the hot/spicy salsa helped get me better. As for the food, the ceviche was quite good and the dishes come out fully loaded. Its a great place to share your dishes if you like to try a little bit of everything. The prices are very reasonable and well worth the trip out in the outer Mission.
You can't get bored sitting in there since they have all types of art and random photos and such hanging everywhere. What I liked is that it was clean and you didn't see a layer of dust hanging from the pictures etc. Try it, you won't regret it! -
Review from vince b.
Fremont, CA
10/13/2008
+ Plato San Miguel
+ Carne Encebollada
+ Horchata
Other than what I listed above, you have to try the Camarones al Mojo de Ajo (Shrimp w/ garlic butter sauce). Better yet ... try everything on the menu.
Parking can be a bitch around here, but so is anywhere else in SF. -
Review from Laura G.
San Francisco, CA
2/23/2009
My sister loves this restaurant. At first I didn't know what to expect, since I am not quite sure what Guatemalan cuisine was....
But I loved their appetizers - the tostadas were tasty and delicious. Their corn tamale is addictive.
We ordered the pipian and it was good, but I recommend the Pollo con Crema.
Service was fantastic. -
Review from julie z.
San Jose, CA
12/22/2008
Being half Guatemalan, this is the next best thing short of flying home! The food is amazing, the staff if very friendly and the prices are reasonable. Even my meat and potatoes father loves it, and believe me...that's saying something ;).
The restaurant is very small, so sitting can be limited. But its worth the wait. Its also cash only.
Parking can be difficult - but I always have good luck on the side streets. -
Review from Michael W.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very authentic Guatemalan food. Everyone working was from San Marcos and very friendly. Excellent Horchata and Tamarindo juice and the Plato de San Miguel is a good safe choice.
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Review from Anita D.
San Francisco, CA
3/24/2010 1 Check-in Here
So, really...you HAVE to try their steak! it's better than my moms'. They have very good ceviche as well. The customer service was superb. My glass was never left empty. Their chicken stew was full of spices, boasting of flavour. Try the longanisa as well! Absolutely to die for.
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Review from Wes M.
San Francisco, CA
3/13/2007 1 photo
First of all, if you're thinking Guatemalan food is indistinguishable from Mexican food, you're wrong. Guatemala is a jungle, and non-Yucatan Mexico is a desert. Naturally their cuisines are going to be quite different. Anyway, the two dishes I tried were the tostaditas de ceviche and the chicken mole, both excellent and a far cry from typical mexican fare. Service is indeed rather slow, but it's *authentically* slow, which makes it ok:)
Listed in: Bernal Heights &…
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Review from Erick A.
Los Angeles, CA
5/7/2007
I walked by this place, scanned the menu and found something that sounded perfect for this hot day in the city... Salpicon Beef. mmmm. It's basically a cold beef salad with orange juice, mint, onions, cilantro and onions and served with soft and crunchy tortillas, rice and beans. It was perfect with the HOT salsa. We also tried the chilitos rellenos and plantanos. everything was great!
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Review from jenny t.
Oakland, CA
8/24/2008
six years ago, when it was located in the mission, my friends and i randomly found this place after volunteering at AIDS walk. i moved back to chicago, but my friends made it an annual post AIDS walk tradition as well as a bi monthly let's-go-get-that-good-pork-dish tradition. i nearly cried last year when i was visiting SF and san miguel wasn't where i remembered it. i thought that i would only have the memory of that amazing pork to get me by until i found a comparable guatamalan restaurant.
but then, i was hanging out in the mission and saw a cart with the san miguel logo on it. and i nearly cried when i found out that san miguel exists in bernal heights.
i went yesterday. and the pork was as delicious as i remembered. the plantains were tasty. service was quick and friendly. we also got the steak with the pork sausage. yum! well seasoned, juicy meat and the black beans, cheese, grilled onions, grilled green onions and spicy salsa... damn. so good. and very decently priced.
i only have another week in the city before i move back to chicago. i'll be eating there at least two more times before i go. -
Review from Allison S.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2005
This cozy little Guatemalan restaurant is well worth the trek to the outer, outer Mission. The food is good (I had a delicious chicken dish with a creamy tomato sauce and a side of refried black beans) and the prices are extremely reasonable.
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Review from Karen H.
San Francisco, CA
7/27/2006
I went here for the first time a week ago. I was craving Chicken Mole....yummy! I couldn't figure out the door, it took me a minute but once I walked in there I felt like I was in Guatemala. The place is very cute & cozy. I felt like I was away from San Francisco. I didn't stay because I needed to be somewhere but I'm planning to go there with some friends soon. The waitress was great, she brought me fruit & water while I waited for my order. There was so much to look at. I love this place!
Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Emily C.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2008
If you are not familiar with Guatemalan cuisine this is the place to go! Amazing enchiladas and appetizers!
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Review from Diana S.
San Francisco, CA
9/19/2009
All I can say is GREAT FOOD and excellent service. This family owned and operated restaurant is warm and friendly. The waitress and waiter were more than happy to tell us about Guatemala. The service was friendly. I love the tostadas appetizer with the Guatemalan beer. I have ordered the steak dish twice and each time I rate it 5 stars. My husband and I are now regulars.
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Review from Jen J.
Berkeley, CA
2/20/2009
I am from Guatemala and have still not found a decent place since I came here ten years ago. I emigrated when I was 22 so I still have a very good memory of what the Guatemalan seasoning is.
I unfortunately did not like the place. It reminded more of a "comedor" where most people eat daily during their hour lunch break. The food is not entirely bad but is more like bland home meals. Like I said not the kind you get at a very "comida tipica" place in Guatemala. I would also like to see more indigenous plates like subanik or authentic Guatemalan tamales or cack ik. -
Review from Dave S.
3/22/2006
Note the taxidermied lynx over the front door, always a sign of quality eats. This was my first venture to a Guatemalan restaurant so I can only judge on the flavors of the dishes, which were ordered semi-randomly. Tried the shrimp appetizer -- the shrimp came in a overpoweringly sweet tomato-based sauce, which was a bit better with addition of the side dish of volcano hot sauce. Tried two types of tamales -- the banana leaf variant with chicken and olives was not flavorful, being accompanied by a thick gravy, but the other cornhusk tamale was excellent. Pork adobado was the star of the night, juicy and flavorful. Prices were reasonable and the service excellent. I'm willing to try it again and see what the other dishes are like.
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Review from Mitch A.
7/11/2006
I love this place but the last time I went, we felt sooo full after 2 apps. I made a mistake and ordered the fried chicken things instead of just the open taco's and for the main dish I ordered the chicken (and the person I was with wanted it fried) and we got it without. I think the key is to be able to speak spanish. My spanish is pretty bad which is why I messed up ordering. Careful of the hot sauce, it's muy picante! The decor is pretty cool and they are very friendly. I'd definitely give it a try if you're in the neighborhood.
