04/30/09

Not bad at all

by arnoldkultz

Have not been on this place very often, but the best part of going in here is the calf steak. And was it good?

• Pros: Best foods around
• Cons: Was all but fun

10/10/08

A bustling Pacific Heights Peruvian joint warms up the Fillmore with sumptuous ceviche.

by Contributor

The Scene
The warm hues of a smooth slate floor, rust-colored walls and gilded frames set the stage for the comforting flavors of Peru. An open kitchen fills the medium-sized eatery with appetizing scents and counter seating gives curious diners front-row seats to the culinary activities. Service is friendly, with a relaxed pace.

The Food
Get ready to savor authentic Peruvian food, with warm spice undertones and citrusy sauces. To start, halibut seviche, marinated in ginger and lime, is a perfect marriage of light and tangy. Fish entrees are also excellent, especially a crispy, slightly sweet soy-roasted trout served with a generous topping of prawns, roasted onions and tomatoes. Meat eaters should opt for fall-apart tender adobo pork; there are also strips of sirloin steak sauteed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro and served with fries. For dessert, splurge on creamy rice pudding or chocolate cake.

08/13/08

Absolutely amazing.

by MelissaFromIL

My husband and I are here for our honeymoon, and this has been the best food we've had since we've been here (and we've dined at Zuni, Crab House, etc.). The appetizer of scallops and dessert of "purple corn" creme brule were the best I've ever had. It was as good as brownie batter -- I wished I had a rubber spatula to clean the ramekin! I ordered the lamb for dinner, which was also wonderful, and my husband loved his sea bass. He had sangria and I had Coke to drink, and our total tab with tip was about $110. Pricey, but we want to eat here again before we leave. The service was top-notch. Our waitress was attentive and steered us down the right path to our meal selections, as this was our first Peruvian dining experience.

06/19/08

Really good Peruvian food

by slygirl12

I've been for lunch and dinner now. Personal fav... steak sandwich and a glass of red wine on a lazy afternoon. I thought it was really great food and friendly service too. Parking, not so great (take a cab or walk if you can). Better than Limon, IMHO.

• Pros: Awesome food
• Cons: Walk or cab there

11/06/07

Lunch is a seriously great deal

by seriouslyinthecity

In the neighborhood on a rare shopping spree, I happened in to Fresca on Fillmore for lunch and am so happy I did. The lunch menu has a lot of the same items as the dinner menu, at about half the price. We had the jumbo shrimp appetizer ? beautifully presented and fresh tasting ? and the pulled chicken with egg dish. I will seriously go back just for the chicken dish ? and I don?t usually like chicken! The waitstaff was very friendly, inviting us to come back at sit at the bar. Although next time I plan to head to the Noe Valley location a bit closer to home.

• Pros: Aji De Gallina - the chicken stew
• Cons: Need more people to try everything interesting on the menu

10/25/07

it is so bad that i could not help saying it!

by travelfrance2002

this is my first review on city search and i was so disappointed that i have decided to warn potential customers....I went yesterday on my own to have lunch at Fresca on FIllmore. i was craving for some fresh ceviche.... ahi tuna....to be more precise....i was correctly greeted at the door, nothing exceptionnal. when the ceviche came on my table, i thought wow what a nice presentation. 3 piles of tuna topped with some tacos...i did not pay attention at first at the quantity of the food served on the plate. the first bite, i almost threw it up on the table but did not. having a closer look, actually it was a lot of tuna on the plate which made me think that the quality of the ahi tuna was probably far from being top notch.... i had the feeling they served me cat food (appearance of the whiskas in boxes)...i tried again but each bite i was taking was tasting worse than before...plain, chewy, and some bites were plain lime juice...the only good part of theat meal was the taco...i also ordered a side of french fries which was ok...certainly better than the main meal i have ordered...anyway for 15 dollars , dont waste your time...if you are in that fillmore street, go to La mediterrannee next door or change neighborhood... if you are craving for ceviche like i do....go to Destino on market or try a similar meal at the front porch room in the mission... i can not believe i even paid for that terrible ceviche...

07/28/07

Too Bad

by katy1970sf

We live in the hood and really want to like this place as the menu looks great but the food is just not up to par. I don't mind the noise and the humidity that comes from the open kitchen (which does get a little smokey at times) - PLUS waiting a little on the food I can deal with. I don't have a problem with paying good money for a decent portion of good food. THAT is what is lacking. The hostess was nice. The waitstaff seems always like it's their first week of waiting tables. I was so excited when it opened, and many times have eaten there and had the ceviche and other dishes-- but will not be going back unless there is a big change in the areas of portion sizes and quality. Oh and the Sangria is over priced.

• Pros: great neighborhood
• Cons: poor service and too small portions for the $$

07/01/07

Have some respect towards wait stuff

by ihatecostumers

To be honest.... I used to work in a restaurant and it disappointed me to read all of these negative commnets against wait staff in the restaurant called "Fresca" I belive that white people are the ones who love to go to restaurants the most, and also love to be treated like kings and queens........ I saw all those comments about the guy who waited 30 mins for a table, well if u are smart enough... .why the hell would u be making a damm line to get a table when u can see that the damm place is already full!!!! better yet, why dont u get yourself a nice lady who can cook for you instead of going to restaurants to eat and judge the hard work that other people at least try to do!!!!! Everybody should know this........ IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVIDE A GOOD SERVICE WHEN THE DAMMMMM RESTAURANT IS CROWED....... DO URSELF A FAVOR AND DONT COME IF U SEE THAT A FREAKING RESTAURANT IS ALREADY FULL!!!!!!!!!!!

• Pros: good food
• Cons: parking

06/11/07

Maybe an off night?

by keaton94123

I had dinner at Fresca for the first time last Sat (June 9) with some

friends. First, the hostess and waiter were very prompt and friendly seating me

immediately as I had reservations but my friends hadn't arrived yet.

The waiter quickly got me water and my drink. Throughout the night, the

service was great. Second, the place is crowded, hot, and humid from the open

kitchen and all the people in there. They're in serious need of better

ventilation.

The problem is the kitchen. I ordered the Lobster & Crab Ceviche ($16).

The presentation was nice but a disappointment. The mound rested on two

slabs of 3/4" sweet potato making it look bigger than it really was.

The crab was mixed in with a seaweed salad (wakame) with sesame oil which

conflicted with the lime juice used. And the lobster was anemic to be

nice. Hardly worth the money.

My main course was the duck ($22). I would say that the entree would be

great except that the duck breast was well done. Unless you're a

Chinese restaurant, you should never ever serve duck well done.

For desert, I had the mango creme brulee ($8) with coffee. I was so

disappointed with it I didn't even finish it. Because the room was hot

and humid, the burnt sugar was already softened, which was made worse by the

strawberry sauce and whip cream. Obviously it had been sitting out.

And the coffee was luke warm.

They also lacked a sense of timing as some of us didn't get served until

others had nearly finished their apps or well into their entree.

They've been around for a while and have numerous restaurants so it's

not as if it's a new restaurant working out the kinks. If I go back, it

probably won't be my idea. FYI, I went to cooking school and was taught French

and this is my first post.

• Pros: Great service
• Cons: Loud, stuffy, overpriced ceviche, no coordination between kitchen & dining room..

03/03/07

Decent food, awful service

by ebgirl

I just tried this place today at lunchtime. The service was HORRIBLE, which ruined our experience. The waiter insisted that 1 ceviche per person wasn't enough food and that we should each order our own salad. I told him we would each get a ceviche and share the salad (it was just me and my mother) and we could order more food later if it wasn't enough. Well, it was plenty - the salad is huge and the ceviche is perfect for one person. I had to ask for water twice, which he never brought. I finally asked the hostess for water and she brought it. We were pretty much ignored the rest of the time and then shorted on our change after paying our bill. It's a shame the service is so bad, because the ceviche was really delicious. We also shared the "Julio Cesar" salad, which was OK. It was strange that it had walnuts on it instead of croutons, and the dressing tasted almost like plain mayonnaise, but the lettuce was fresh at least. I also had a sangria, which was a bit weak and not the best I've had. I would recommend this place for the ceviche and a beer, but don't bring a date here or go here for a special occasion because the place is a bit cramped and the service is terrible. I know that Limon is pricier, but it's worth it for the atmosphere and service in my opinion.

• Pros: Ceviche
• Cons: Service, atmosphere, parking