I recently dined at Santeria and enjoyed the trendy atmosphere and extensive drink menu. The Tradicional Margarita was a highlight, and the Steak Quesa Tacos stood out with their flavorful griddled cheese. We also loved the Churros for dessert. However, our experience was dampened by a billing issue involving an unintended extra tip and incorrect charges, which were eventually corrected. Despite this, Santeria offers a solid dining experience, worthy of three stars. I might return to explore more of their menu.
Max K.
They burn scented candles that overpower the flavors of the food. So dumb so dumb. The servers are apathetic and have no interest in your existence.
Miriam J.
Great food & good service but they do Not accept cash payment. & they'll blame you for not reading it on the menu. If you insist on paying in cash, they will be a dramatic refusal of cash. Not only did we pay in cash we tipped near 30% tip. I just think having a zero cash policy is unwelcoming to many customers & not worth the confrontation. It felt as though cash had zero value but it's a legal tender. I would happily return if cash wasn't refused.
Nick May
Food was decent, but didn’t blow my mind.Service was good at first and then our server went absent and we were waiting 30 mins to get the cheque.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Chips and Salsa, Veggie Tacos, Guacamole and Chips, Fried Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts
Cynthia G.
Food was just okay. We ordered the nachos with meat on the side and the elote which was very tasty and fresh. Also, the margaritas and the churros were delicious! The service was A+ and ambiance was okay too. All together it was better than my last visit there.
Tara M.
This is a great brunch spot! The chilaquiles were delicious and I especially loved the seasoning on the chorizo. They also brought me a side of pico de gallo which made the dish even better! The chia lemonade with mango was very refreshing.
Amy S.
This place has everything you'd want in a restaurant for a fun night out with friends. Great food, excellent cocktails, fun casual vibe, and attentive service. They also have a great happy hour! For food, the must haves are the tacos birria, papas bravas, fish tacos, pulpo, and guacamole. As for cocktails, their margaritas are excellent but the zicatela is out of this world!! I'll keep coming back for that drink alone. This is my new go-to suggestion for anyone who asks me for restaurant recommendations.
Alejandro Briceño
Great food and awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Will D.
This is a great little taco spot. The interior is cool and vibrant - not too loud and nicely lit. I came with a big group, so we ordered quite a few things off the menu. The standouts were the birria tacos and the steak tacos - both were delicious and juicy. A friend got the molcajete - a literal volcano of meat, juice and cheese, and it looked phenomenal. Very cool restaurant - really enjoyed my time there!
Bjorn t.
Will jump straight to the point: the margaritas are great, not watered down and delicious. The apps, from the Paragas bravas, guac and empanadas are perfectly portioned. The mains, like the fish tacos are fulfilling, but not heavy. Just a banger of a spot, when you want someone that's more elevated than your standard mexican/Latin cuisine. Went as a group and we stayed for hours
TLDR; The food was pretty good, excellent vibes, and all the staff minus our waitress was great.Went here for dinner on a Saturday night, made reservations for 6:45 but didn’t really need them. Though it was very busy by the time we left.Two other tables seated after us were greeted and ordered before us. Had been waiting for a while when the the waitress came over and just said “yes?” No welcome or hello or anything. It was actually a bit surprising! We just ended up ordering food because we had wanted recommendations for drinks but didn’t feel comfortable asking at that point. And I still don’t know her name. We only saw her to order our food.The rest of the staff, everyone who brought out our food and then the gentleman who helped me with the bill were very warm and helpful.The food is quite good, especially the guac was very fresh; fish tacos excellent; birria tacos great but so heavy.Queso fundido .. the cheese tasted a bit grainy. Ceviche was just okay nothing too special.Overall a good meal but with so many truly excellent Mexican options, not sure we would come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos, Guacamole and Chips
Remya Nair
I loved all the appetizers we ordered. The corn, the potatoes bravas, the guacamole. I was a little disappointed with the Birria tacos, but that might just be a personal preference on the way the consomme is made. Overall the service was splendid..the folks who took care of us were lovely.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Papas Bravas
ally s.
What a fabulous spot in our new neighborhood. We were missing our beloved Flores in the marina... but no more! This is a fabulous place with excellent honest and well executed Mexican food from several regions in Mexico and an extensive collection of Mezcales and Tequilas for supping or tasting or as cocktails which are fabulous. The service is phenomenal, they welcomed our three dogs indoors and offered them water!! And the decor, music and ambiance is perfect! Nothing better than a juicy taco, a mezcalita and some music from Selena! Must try!
Sarah L.
A solid happy hour choice! My friend and I went to their happy hour on a Monday evening, and the place still had quite a crowd. It's pretty unassuming on Market Street in the Castro, but has a cute interior and friendly staff. For food, we got the fried cauliflower (highly recommend--the crunchiest and yummiest cauliflower I've had and this is coming from someone who's not a fan or cauliflowers), flautas (also very good, really liked the sauce and the chicken was tender), and the wings (the one thing i wouldn't get again--had some weird aftertaste from the meat itself). We also got the margaritas (strong!) and white sangria (sooo good). Highly recommend if you are looking for a nice and lowkey place for a happy hour in the city.
Allie G.
We were able to make a same-day dinner reservation at Santeria for our party of 7. The interior was dimly lit with a cool red bar, large wall murals, and an overall trendy vibe. For drinks, I started with a Tradicional Margarita, which was very well made. They also had a ton of flavors like prickly pear, guava, mango, strawberry, cucumber-basil, etc. and gave the option of salt or tajín on the rim. I ended up also trying the Red Sangria, which was tasty, but the margs were better. For food, my friend and I shared the Chipotle Chicken Puffy Tacos and Steak Quesa Tacos. Both came with two tacos per order, so it was easy to just swap one. While both were delicious, the Steak Quesa Taco was my favorite. I loved the griddled cheese on the tortilla and how flavorful it was. The Puffy Tacos were labelled a "must-try" on the menu, but we couldn't quite figure out what made them "puffy". They were also pretty messy to eat and fell apart after a few bites, but the Chipotle Chicken was tasty. My friends all enjoyed their food as well, including the Carne Asada, Empanadas, and Lamb Birria Quesadilla. For dessert, Santeria only had two options, so we ordered both of them for the table. The Churros came with 5 per order, so they were great for sharing, and we liked the dulce de leche dipping sauce. However, the Tres Leches Trifle was my favorite of the two. The texture of the rum spiced vanilla cake was so soft. Our only real issue with this restaurant came at the end, when we got our bill. Since we were a large party, tip was already included, but our server had added an additional tip. While trying to get this fixed, she ended up adding 4-5 extra items to our bill, that a different table had ordered. After some back and forth, this was resolved. There was also a $25 "Healthy San Francisco Surcharge", and the dinner was on the pricy side in general. Overall, still a good experience - would return!
I recently dined at Santeria and enjoyed the trendy atmosphere and extensive drink menu. The Tradicional Margarita was a highlight, and the Steak Quesa Tacos stood out with their flavorful griddled cheese. We also loved the Churros for dessert. However, our experience was dampened by a billing issue involving an unintended extra tip and incorrect charges, which were eventually corrected. Despite this, Santeria offers a solid dining experience, worthy of three stars. I might return to explore more of their menu.
They burn scented candles that overpower the flavors of the food. So dumb so dumb. The servers are apathetic and have no interest in your existence.
Great food & good service but they do Not accept cash payment. & they'll blame you for not reading it on the menu. If you insist on paying in cash, they will be a dramatic refusal of cash. Not only did we pay in cash we tipped near 30% tip. I just think having a zero cash policy is unwelcoming to many customers & not worth the confrontation. It felt as though cash had zero value but it's a legal tender. I would happily return if cash wasn't refused.
Food was decent, but didn’t blow my mind.Service was good at first and then our server went absent and we were waiting 30 mins to get the cheque.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Chips and Salsa, Veggie Tacos, Guacamole and Chips, Fried Cauliflower, Brussels Sprouts
Food was just okay. We ordered the nachos with meat on the side and the elote which was very tasty and fresh. Also, the margaritas and the churros were delicious! The service was A+ and ambiance was okay too. All together it was better than my last visit there.
This is a great brunch spot! The chilaquiles were delicious and I especially loved the seasoning on the chorizo. They also brought me a side of pico de gallo which made the dish even better! The chia lemonade with mango was very refreshing.
This place has everything you'd want in a restaurant for a fun night out with friends. Great food, excellent cocktails, fun casual vibe, and attentive service. They also have a great happy hour! For food, the must haves are the tacos birria, papas bravas, fish tacos, pulpo, and guacamole. As for cocktails, their margaritas are excellent but the zicatela is out of this world!! I'll keep coming back for that drink alone. This is my new go-to suggestion for anyone who asks me for restaurant recommendations.
Great food and awesome
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is a great little taco spot. The interior is cool and vibrant - not too loud and nicely lit. I came with a big group, so we ordered quite a few things off the menu. The standouts were the birria tacos and the steak tacos - both were delicious and juicy. A friend got the molcajete - a literal volcano of meat, juice and cheese, and it looked phenomenal. Very cool restaurant - really enjoyed my time there!
Will jump straight to the point: the margaritas are great, not watered down and delicious. The apps, from the Paragas bravas, guac and empanadas are perfectly portioned. The mains, like the fish tacos are fulfilling, but not heavy. Just a banger of a spot, when you want someone that's more elevated than your standard mexican/Latin cuisine. Went as a group and we stayed for hours
Restaurantji Recommends
TLDR; The food was pretty good, excellent vibes, and all the staff minus our waitress was great.Went here for dinner on a Saturday night, made reservations for 6:45 but didn’t really need them. Though it was very busy by the time we left.Two other tables seated after us were greeted and ordered before us. Had been waiting for a while when the the waitress came over and just said “yes?” No welcome or hello or anything. It was actually a bit surprising! We just ended up ordering food because we had wanted recommendations for drinks but didn’t feel comfortable asking at that point. And I still don’t know her name. We only saw her to order our food.The rest of the staff, everyone who brought out our food and then the gentleman who helped me with the bill were very warm and helpful.The food is quite good, especially the guac was very fresh; fish tacos excellent; birria tacos great but so heavy.Queso fundido .. the cheese tasted a bit grainy. Ceviche was just okay nothing too special.Overall a good meal but with so many truly excellent Mexican options, not sure we would come back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Fish Tacos, Guacamole and Chips
I loved all the appetizers we ordered. The corn, the potatoes bravas, the guacamole. I was a little disappointed with the Birria tacos, but that might just be a personal preference on the way the consomme is made. Overall the service was splendid..the folks who took care of us were lovely.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Papas Bravas
What a fabulous spot in our new neighborhood. We were missing our beloved Flores in the marina... but no more! This is a fabulous place with excellent honest and well executed Mexican food from several regions in Mexico and an extensive collection of Mezcales and Tequilas for supping or tasting or as cocktails which are fabulous. The service is phenomenal, they welcomed our three dogs indoors and offered them water!! And the decor, music and ambiance is perfect! Nothing better than a juicy taco, a mezcalita and some music from Selena! Must try!
A solid happy hour choice! My friend and I went to their happy hour on a Monday evening, and the place still had quite a crowd. It's pretty unassuming on Market Street in the Castro, but has a cute interior and friendly staff. For food, we got the fried cauliflower (highly recommend--the crunchiest and yummiest cauliflower I've had and this is coming from someone who's not a fan or cauliflowers), flautas (also very good, really liked the sauce and the chicken was tender), and the wings (the one thing i wouldn't get again--had some weird aftertaste from the meat itself). We also got the margaritas (strong!) and white sangria (sooo good). Highly recommend if you are looking for a nice and lowkey place for a happy hour in the city.
We were able to make a same-day dinner reservation at Santeria for our party of 7. The interior was dimly lit with a cool red bar, large wall murals, and an overall trendy vibe. For drinks, I started with a Tradicional Margarita, which was very well made. They also had a ton of flavors like prickly pear, guava, mango, strawberry, cucumber-basil, etc. and gave the option of salt or tajín on the rim. I ended up also trying the Red Sangria, which was tasty, but the margs were better. For food, my friend and I shared the Chipotle Chicken Puffy Tacos and Steak Quesa Tacos. Both came with two tacos per order, so it was easy to just swap one. While both were delicious, the Steak Quesa Taco was my favorite. I loved the griddled cheese on the tortilla and how flavorful it was. The Puffy Tacos were labelled a "must-try" on the menu, but we couldn't quite figure out what made them "puffy". They were also pretty messy to eat and fell apart after a few bites, but the Chipotle Chicken was tasty. My friends all enjoyed their food as well, including the Carne Asada, Empanadas, and Lamb Birria Quesadilla. For dessert, Santeria only had two options, so we ordered both of them for the table. The Churros came with 5 per order, so they were great for sharing, and we liked the dulce de leche dipping sauce. However, the Tres Leches Trifle was my favorite of the two. The texture of the rum spiced vanilla cake was so soft. Our only real issue with this restaurant came at the end, when we got our bill. Since we were a large party, tip was already included, but our server had added an additional tip. While trying to get this fixed, she ended up adding 4-5 extra items to our bill, that a different table had ordered. After some back and forth, this was resolved. There was also a $25 "Healthy San Francisco Surcharge", and the dinner was on the pricy side in general. Overall, still a good experience - would return!