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(415) 431-4089
3120 16th St
San Francisco,
CA
94103
37.765
-122.4223
Neighborhoods: Mission Dolores (Hub, Mid-Market), Central, Mission Dolores
Years in business
Established in 2002
Price:
$$
Last updated 6.04.11
Category:
Payment Methods:
Visa, MasterCard
Restaurant Special Features:
Family Style Dining, Date Spot, Group Dining, Bar Scene
Cuisine:
What People Are Saying About Picaro Cafe
Featured Review
Contributor
Contributor
The large, cheery yellow room of this self-proclaimed first tapas restaurant in San Francisco is often jam packed with bar hoppers and neighborhood locals digging into Spanish-style eats and swilling huge pitchers of fruit-packed sangria. Attentive servers bustle by with traditional small plates like spicy potatoes or mussels in garlic sauce and mains like the seafood paella. The short but selective wine list focuses on Spanish whites and reds. While larger parties push tables together to gab over their grub, a more intimate experience, and far better people watching, can be found at the few…
Editor's Tips
- Know Before You Go:
- The restaurant can easily accomodate large parties, but you'll be sharing the main room with the regulars, so don't plan on privacy.
- Save Money:
- Order sangria by the pitcher and share with friends rather than ordering separate glasses.
- The Extras:
- Long around 8 pm, you're likely to see some of the Mission's wandering mariachis come by to serenade diners and pick up a tip.
06/22/07
WORST service, okay food
by shannonsandlin at Citysearch
We went here because the wait at Andalu was 2 hours and we were starving. We were seated by a nice hostess, and within 1 minute, our waitress came over to see if we were ready. Of course we werent, but we quickly ordered a few small tapas plates. We then ordered drinks, and within about 4 minutes we ordered the paella, which said that it would take at least 30 min. Our server, after taking our order, NEVER appeared agian. We got the tapas right away. The busser was great, but NOBODY checked on us, not even once. About 50 minutes after we had FINISHED our tapas and our plates were cleared, we were stil waiting on our paella. I had to flag down the hostess to get served! I even had to walk up to the front to go and get my check and sign it. They even made us pack our own leftovers! WORST SERVICE EVER!
- Pros: paella was good, but took too long
- Cons: SERVICE! the jamon serrano was not that great.
05/22/07
Sangria and Garlic, Yum!
by frepter at Citysearch
I first tried Picaro when I saw the big Sangria sign in the window while waiting in line at the Roxie. I love the Tortilla de Patatas and Sangria, but be prepared for major Garlic breath well into the next day. This is a great place to take visitors on the weekend so they can get a taste of the Mission. The service is always very good and I have never had to wait for a table. The place is huge and can be very noisy. It looks like a good place for groups, but I've always gone with four or less.
- Pros: good food
- Cons: none
10/05/06
Great food and service
by bigboy12 at Citysearch
This was a great dining experience. However, the noise level can be pretty high. Good place for birthdays/celebrations.
- Pros: Food and Service
- Cons: Noise
09/25/06
9.2 rating?!?!?! Far from it!
by pearlude79 at Citysearch
This was one of the most horrible tapas restaurants I have ever been to. On Friday nite we were craving tapas. But because we did not make reservations we could not find a good place with a wait shorter that an hour and a half. Then we came across Picaro. Descent size crowd and only a 15 min wait. So we decided to try it. Ordered the seafood paella ($30 for 2 person order) - rice was under cooked yet burnt on the bottom, seafood was over-cooked & dried out and it took longer that the 30 mins stated. We told the waiter and even showed him all the burnt rice and he had no response. Sangria was watered down and then compensated with sugar syrup? Bread was stale. I am bewildered as to why anyone would give this restaurant a high rating or even return. Highly NOT recommended.
- Pros: short wait...because of horrible food.
- Cons: food, service, sangria
09/25/06
Made my birthday special!
by yinnie919 at Citysearch
Thanks to Picaro for making my first birthday in San Francisco so great! They accommodated my table of 15 people, yet it didnt feel cramped or crowded. The service was great. They had the sangria flowing the whole time, food came out quickly, and prices were excellent. The food is delicious and the sangria will have you wanting more. We had a ton of food, and yet the bill came out to less than $25 per person, most of the cost covering 10 pitchers of sangria. Paella is yummy. It's loud and not romantic, but it's great fun place for groups
- Pros: Prices, Food, Sangria
- Cons: Parking
