I wish I lived in SF just so I could have their veggie burger again. It is the best burger (overall, not just veggie) that I've EVER had. I would go back to SF just to have it I'm so serious.
Bill K
¡Chao Pescao! is a overall superb as a dining venue. And is another reason why SF is a world-class foodie destination. The New Year's Eve Prix Fixe menu was chock full of tasty and healthy items all of which were creatively prepared. The host, food and beverage service was so professional, attentive, and friendly. This reasonably priced dining venue is well-located for patrons of the SF Opera, SF Jazz, SF Ballet and SF Symphony. After dining at ¡Chao Pescao!, I'm sure it will be difficult to find a better overall value foodie dining venue in many locations around the globe!
Rick Faulconer
Went here during the power outage. Everyone there was great and they went above and beyond to serve food and drink in the candle light. Thank you for making a stressful time a nice time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Arepa Rellena
Bob Bates
Empanadas were great! Cuban sammie was also wicked tasty.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Noemi
They did their best with the power outage. Limited menu. Staff were working under challenging conditions and managed to provide good service
Lisa
Food was great. Service was very slow. Had reservations at 5, ordered and still hadn't gotten our food until close to 6:30 despite telling our server that we had a 7 PM show to attend. Wished we weren't so hurried to eat.
Karla
The service was disorganized. My husband got his tequila several minutes before his beer and I waited at least 5 minutes for my coffee. Then, it was difficult to get any refills. We ordered arepas as an appetizer but were served our dinners first and the arepas came several minutes later. The table next to us was having a similar experience. Our food was mediocre.
DeeAnn
We were seated quickly with a reservation. Highly recommended especially on a night where there's theater. If you're not going to the theater, then I suggest waiting until about 7:30. The restaurant really emptied out right before the show started. A little on the noisy side, but you could still hear everyone at the table. Our waiter was very helpful. The kitchen was a little slow... But you could tell that most of the restaurant had sat pretty much at the same time and we're probably all gonna leave pretty much at the same time so they did a good job man managing that. The cocktails were very good. They have a nice selection. The menu is interesting. The steak empanadas were very good, the chicken were OK, sadly the salsa that came with it was watered down. The black beans were very good - they definitely reminded me of what I grew up with in New York City. Their pork shoulder was solid, a little on the dry side for me, but my wife really liked it. Our friends had the quinoa salad (which really looked very yummy ) and a shrimp dinner special that they both seemed to enjoy. Saw some sandwiches come out and they looked big and filling. 
Solen
This is a great place with delicious special food. The decor is beautiful. Our waiter was attentive, accommodating and kind. Excellent option to grab a bite before a show.
Susie
Atmosphere and service were great, but sadly the food was bland. For a Latin -Carribean restaurant, the shrimp, black beans and rice had practically no seasoning.
Had a great birthday dinner yesterday, but was disappointed in the level of service we received. We waited 15+ minutes for our table, but were originally told it would be a few minutes. We appreciate their apologies, but having delayed seating surely delayed our plans for after our dinner. Who I assume to be the manager did bring over some pao de quejio (which we did appreciate since it is our favorite Brazilian treat) however, they were cold and the cheese was pretty hard inside. My assumption is they were not worried about giving us slow service since we were a group of younger adults. This was unfortunate, because it certainly took away from our experience since we felt we were not being treated fairly as guests. We had to ask for water several times, but were only heard once the male at our table asked for some reason? Not to mention, our drinks themselves took forever and we had to ask someone to check on them. Overall, the food was delicious. But we were hoping they would've been a bit more generous considering the slow and not very kind service. We would definitely come back, but next time not to celebrate an occasion or with a larger party. It's probably best to dine with them at the bar, maybe then they will give better service.
Andrea
Perfect place to grab a bite before the ballet, symphony, theater or visiting the Asian Art Museum. Empanadas, Brussels sprouts and plantains did not disappoint. My only complaint is that the music is much too loud, I'm hoping they will see this review and make adjustments so that conversation is comfortable
Mark
Good food served by friendly folks. Our first time here and we were motivated by SF Restaurant Week. We will be back!
Loren
The atmosphere was colorful, delightful and clean. The food was delicious, the cocktails refreshing. The wait staff helped us meet our theater deadline. A great restaurant!
Zoe Gigas
My husband and I had a show at the Bill Graham on a Wednesday night and decided to make a date night out of it with dinner beforehand. After reading reviews about good food but slow service, I opted to place a pick-up order directly through Chao Pescao’s website at 6:20 PM, with a pick-up time of 6:49. We arrived at 6:55.
From the moment we walked in, it was chaos. A sign told us to “please wait for the host,” but several servers passed by without even acknowledging us. After five minutes, someone came out, and when I told her I was picking up a to-go order, she went to the kitchen—returning to tell me they did not have my order. I showed her the receipt, she went back, and then came back again—after nearly 10 minutes—saying they missed it and it would take 20 more minutes to make.
The manager apologized and offered a free beverage while promising to refund the $100+ meal. We sat at the bar, waiting, watching couples who arrived after us get their food first. Nearly 50 minutes after we arrived, the manager informed us that they were out of 2 of the 5 items I ordered—something I was never told before waiting nearly an hour.
In the end, they handed us one tiny to-go container with three small bites of food. We left quickly to make our show, furious and starving. A refund is not enough—this was a complete waste of our time, with terrible management, zero communication, and no customer service.
If you value your time or plan to eat before a show, do not waste it here. This place does not deserve your money, and their so-called “solutions” are insulting.
I wish I lived in SF just so I could have their veggie burger again. It is the best burger (overall, not just veggie) that I've EVER had. I would go back to SF just to have it I'm so serious.
¡Chao Pescao! is a overall superb as a dining venue. And is another reason why SF is a world-class foodie destination. The New Year's Eve Prix Fixe menu was chock full of tasty and healthy items all of which were creatively prepared. The host, food and beverage service was so professional, attentive, and friendly. This reasonably priced dining venue is well-located for patrons of the SF Opera, SF Jazz, SF Ballet and SF Symphony. After dining at ¡Chao Pescao!, I'm sure it will be difficult to find a better overall value foodie dining venue in many locations around the globe!
Went here during the power outage. Everyone there was great and they went above and beyond to serve food and drink in the candle light. Thank you for making a stressful time a nice time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Arepa Rellena
Empanadas were great! Cuban sammie was also wicked tasty.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
They did their best with the power outage. Limited menu. Staff were working under challenging conditions and managed to provide good service
Food was great. Service was very slow. Had reservations at 5, ordered and still hadn't gotten our food until close to 6:30 despite telling our server that we had a 7 PM show to attend. Wished we weren't so hurried to eat.
The service was disorganized. My husband got his tequila several minutes before his beer and I waited at least 5 minutes for my coffee. Then, it was difficult to get any refills. We ordered arepas as an appetizer but were served our dinners first and the arepas came several minutes later. The table next to us was having a similar experience. Our food was mediocre.
We were seated quickly with a reservation. Highly recommended especially on a night where there's theater. If you're not going to the theater, then I suggest waiting until about 7:30. The restaurant really emptied out right before the show started. A little on the noisy side, but you could still hear everyone at the table. Our waiter was very helpful. The kitchen was a little slow... But you could tell that most of the restaurant had sat pretty much at the same time and we're probably all gonna leave pretty much at the same time so they did a good job man managing that. The cocktails were very good. They have a nice selection. The menu is interesting. The steak empanadas were very good, the chicken were OK, sadly the salsa that came with it was watered down. The black beans were very good - they definitely reminded me of what I grew up with in New York City. Their pork shoulder was solid, a little on the dry side for me, but my wife really liked it. Our friends had the quinoa salad (which really looked very yummy ) and a shrimp dinner special that they both seemed to enjoy. Saw some sandwiches come out and they looked big and filling. 
This is a great place with delicious special food. The decor is beautiful. Our waiter was attentive, accommodating and kind. Excellent option to grab a bite before a show.
Atmosphere and service were great, but sadly the food was bland. For a Latin -Carribean restaurant, the shrimp, black beans and rice had practically no seasoning.
Restaurantji Recommends
Had a great birthday dinner yesterday, but was disappointed in the level of service we received. We waited 15+ minutes for our table, but were originally told it would be a few minutes. We appreciate their apologies, but having delayed seating surely delayed our plans for after our dinner. Who I assume to be the manager did bring over some pao de quejio (which we did appreciate since it is our favorite Brazilian treat) however, they were cold and the cheese was pretty hard inside. My assumption is they were not worried about giving us slow service since we were a group of younger adults. This was unfortunate, because it certainly took away from our experience since we felt we were not being treated fairly as guests. We had to ask for water several times, but were only heard once the male at our table asked for some reason? Not to mention, our drinks themselves took forever and we had to ask someone to check on them. Overall, the food was delicious. But we were hoping they would've been a bit more generous considering the slow and not very kind service. We would definitely come back, but next time not to celebrate an occasion or with a larger party. It's probably best to dine with them at the bar, maybe then they will give better service.
Perfect place to grab a bite before the ballet, symphony, theater or visiting the Asian Art Museum. Empanadas, Brussels sprouts and plantains did not disappoint. My only complaint is that the music is much too loud, I'm hoping they will see this review and make adjustments so that conversation is comfortable
Good food served by friendly folks. Our first time here and we were motivated by SF Restaurant Week. We will be back!
The atmosphere was colorful, delightful and clean. The food was delicious, the cocktails refreshing. The wait staff helped us meet our theater deadline. A great restaurant!
My husband and I had a show at the Bill Graham on a Wednesday night and decided to make a date night out of it with dinner beforehand. After reading reviews about good food but slow service, I opted to place a pick-up order directly through Chao Pescao’s website at 6:20 PM, with a pick-up time of 6:49. We arrived at 6:55.
From the moment we walked in, it was chaos. A sign told us to “please wait for the host,” but several servers passed by without even acknowledging us. After five minutes, someone came out, and when I told her I was picking up a to-go order, she went to the kitchen—returning to tell me they did not have my order. I showed her the receipt, she went back, and then came back again—after nearly 10 minutes—saying they missed it and it would take 20 more minutes to make.
The manager apologized and offered a free beverage while promising to refund the $100+ meal. We sat at the bar, waiting, watching couples who arrived after us get their food first. Nearly 50 minutes after we arrived, the manager informed us that they were out of 2 of the 5 items I ordered—something I was never told before waiting nearly an hour.
In the end, they handed us one tiny to-go container with three small bites of food. We left quickly to make our show, furious and starving. A refund is not enough—this was a complete waste of our time, with terrible management, zero communication, and no customer service.
If you value your time or plan to eat before a show, do not waste it here. This place does not deserve your money, and their so-called “solutions” are insulting.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
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