11/03/08

I could eat here every day for the rest of my life!

by travelbugg1980

My fiance and I were looking for a good brunch place and found good reviews for a place called "Dotties"--only the line was out the door and around the corner!! So we walked back to Colibre's Mexican Bistro which was located right next to our hotel, and it was the best decision we made on the whole trip!! The food was amazing!! Both of us really enjoyed the three types of salsa served at the beginning of the meal, with real homemade corn tortillas...yummy. I had the Huevos Rancheros and literally could have licked the plate clean it was so delicious....I highly highly recommend this place for Brunch, Lunch or Dinner. Simply perfect!! I eat a LOT of Mexican and Tex-Mex...and I would place Colibri in my top 10..maybe even top 5. maybe top 3!! :)

• Pros: Amazing food
• Cons: little on the expensive side--but worth it!

03/06/08

Dissapointed in the food and service

by goodfoodforall2008

We came from Seattle on a weekend trip and decided to eat here b/c it reminded of us of our trip to Costa Rica. The Mole tasted good but everything else was not memorable. First off, our waiters seemed inexperienced and dropped our plates on the table along with the salsa and made a big mess. No big deal, but then the food came out and we were surprised at how small it was. There were 4 tiny pieces of chicken on my plate and nothing else. We ordered a side dish of cactus and that was the oddest thing ever. It tasted like over cooked beans. Not our favorite place.

02/19/08

Best Gourmet Mexican food in DT S.,F

by ma44

If you are looking for great gourmet mexican food you have to check this place out. Not only do you get good size portions but the people are very friendly. Three of my friends and I went there recently on a Friday night and even though it was busy we were seated 5 minutes after we arrived (we had reservations) The tapas were excellent such great flavor. I had the beef mole and that sauce was full of flavor I was salivating after the first bite. It is pricey but well worth it. Best of all the margarita rock!

If you are cheap and count on your toddler to determine if it is good food or not like in the previous comment left stick to going to "Chevy's" man! and by the way having the gratuity already calculated in the bill is standard for a party of usually six or more. Read your menu where it usually states this.

• Pros: Great food, excellent service, waiters very attentive, and awesome drinks
• Cons: Street parking is bad, public parking is expensive, make reservations or you will have long wait.

10/27/07

Patrons flock in like Summer moths into a campfire

by pierrethepig

The facts:

- $10 Guac, prep tableside - with 1.5 avos, chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro, j'penos and TABLESALT (yep, the harsh tasting, Denny's pairing, throat thirsting, Table Salt). Tableside prep. is a gimmick for a bland tasting Guac. and that just doesn't justify a 10dollarbill. They can do better than that.

- $12.50 margaritas - This place ain't Gramercy Tavern - nor is it close to a Manhattan cocktail spot or San Francisco for that matter. They must've knew most over 21 would not go to a mex place w/out sippin 'ritas - Ca-ching!

- $14 Carnitas. 6 chunky pork nuggets on a plate. I like the simplicity of it, but there' nothing to brag about. Tender from hrs of braising, and nicely caramel colored outside, possibly from a quick dunk at the fryer

- $18 Chicken stuffed mushroom w/ crema sauce (daily special). Taste good, but it's nothing mexican/ latin - and anyone who have had a decent al fredo sauce can nod their head when they taste this dish. $18 for a chicken entree on small plate?

- $7 Tres leches cake - it is what it is. Whether you get it at safeway or a mexican panaderia in downtown san jose, this one is no difference.

-$7 Coffee Flan w/ tequila. If only I had a camera to show it here. The edges of this flan looks as if the cooks (i doubt they have pastry chef back there - although the price suggest they're at par w/ Boulevard, Citizen cake and the like) had been having fun with his pairing-knife to get the flan out of its tinfoil mold. Then they put a flower-shaped carved strawberry on the side for that 80s presentation look.

This place lacks compassion of true latin cooking, and they priced their menus way over their game. The City is full of other places with open doors, decent drinks and better fare. Total bill came to $92 before tip - for dinner for two (1 appy, 2 ritas, 2 ents and 2 desserts). Our waitstaff is very sincere the whole time and it appears his colleagues are too from our observation in a busy friday night.

• Pros: If you want to drop $100 for dinner for two w/ drinks in El Torrito - this is a better deal for ya
• Cons: If you want to drop $100 for dinner for two w/ drinks - Pls go to the Mission, dt.San Jose or Concord

09/12/07

Yum!

by paulaely

Just had an amazing Sunday brunch at this friendly & attractive restaurant. My companion prounounced his chilaquiles "the best he's ever had", and my huevos poblanos were excellent as well. We both continued to eat well past the point of being full. Will definitely return and highly recommend.

• Pros: Great brunch

09/05/07

Excellent Food, Great Atmosphere

by lkcoops

This Mexican restaurant in the Theater District is a bit of bliss. The atmosphere is very relaxed and comfortable. Service was prompt and courteous. The food was a mix of American and Mexican. The guacamole, which was made at the table, was delicious. The cerviche was heavenly. We had several small, tapas-style dishes, which was more than enough at 10 p.m.

• Pros: Great food, prompt service, relaxing atmosphere
• Cons: Parking

09/03/07

Small dish (mini-size), not good taste, pre-charged gratuity

by zerosearch2007

I followed CitySearch to this restaurant for Lunch during this Labor Day holiday. This restaurant has a 5 star rating??? Joke!!! I have to say this was the worst Mexican food I ever had. The size is so small, and the taste is well below average, and be careful they pre-charge you gratuity for a group of 4 adults and 1 toddler for lunch!

The lunch menu is not that big. We ordered from the Especialidades (lunch Special or house special?):

Mole Poblano, at $13 I got 3 pieces of chicken meat cover by a type of black sauce, and a cup of rice. To illustrate how small this meal was: The chicken meat is slightly bigger than the chicken nut you can order in Wendy's. The rice is worth of two bites. The chicken meat did not give a fresh taste, and the sauce on it was not impressive at all.

Camarones Con Chorizo: This was jumbo shrimp covered by black sauce. The size was not large enough that my mother didnot feel she had enough food.

Tilapia a La Veracruzana: We ordered two plates, one for my wife and one for my dad. The size of the dish is ok, but the fish fillet appeared to be oil boiled. I tried to feed some fish to my kid and he was rejecting it after 3 or 4 tries. We recently started feeding him whatever we ate. Typically, he is excited whatever new food.

Before our dish we were served with bread (or you may say tortilas?). The bread was kept warm and tasted good. So we requested more to fill the stomach.

We got our bill with the gratuity of over 16% pre-calculated in the total amount. I wasn't shy to show it to the lady who picked up the bill. She was quick to remove the gratuity without say anything. It is hard to say whether the pre-calculated tip was a mistake or typical.

I left 10% tip, in thinking that the waitress might be new to this restaurant and the pre-calculated tip was a mistake, but the food was really NOT recommended.

08/27/07

Beautiful space

by lyss61

Colibri is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. It's a gorgeous space and has delicious drinks. The food is great too! I've been there about 4 times and have had fantastic food each time, although the last time I went our service was terrible (the waitress left because her shift was over and didn't tell us or pass our table off to another server!). A little noisy and distracting (they have black & white mexican movies playing at the bar), so not a great date place but definitely fun! Make reservations because this place fills up fast.

• Pros: Beatiful space and yummy drinks
• Cons: a little loud and service can be slow at times

08/12/07

The Colibri (the hummingbird) is gourmand Mexican. This is not Tex-Mex!

by uniwhirler

Yes. it's true! There are lots of lovely places in San Francisco to do brunch but the restaurant Colibri is a must vist. First of all, the decor is stunning. The bar is eye candy. and the staff are warm. The food is oin par with on that excellence. Their brunch is affordable. Skip the alcohol. if on a budget and make sure you have an open table reservation for the points. This is not Tex-Mex food. This is gormand Mexican.

we hadn't been here in a while and today we are so happy to have made it back. Their quesadilla appetizer is an delicious original and comes with several sauces; a brown sauce, a green chil and a pineapple. Try the carne grilled asada cactus and problanio dish. There's no way you can go wrong. You'll need a box fior leftovers. My friend had the chorizo and eggs which was also very good. Their Bloody Mary is a spicy welcome surprise. We'll choose Colibri for brunch often. Colibri is spanish for Hummingbird! Don't miss this buzz.

• Pros: Everything!
• Cons: Parking is difficult as might be imaginedd since it's close to Union Square. Take a cab or bus.

08/07/07

Best Mexican in San Francisco

by daniben

This place was amazing. The food is authentic Mexican with wonderful flavor and personality. I loved it and will go back again very soon! It is great for 2 people but if you can round up a group then you can order a bunch of stuff and eat family style, which I recommend since everything is wonderful.

I hope this place keeps up the good work and continues to be such a stellar place to eat, drink and be merry!

Fun decor as well!

Danielle