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¡Chao Pescao!, San Francisco, CA

¡Chao Pescao!

4.2
4.2
636 Reviews
$30 and under
Latin American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 15 times today
  • Lively
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for groups
Chao Pescao is a new casual Latin Caribbean restaurant from longtime San Francisco restaurateur Rene Denis inspired by his Cuban-Colombian heritage. The name, translating roughly to “see you later alligator,” captures the friendly and fun spirit of the restaurant. Cocktails are inspired by many of the traditional drinks from Latin America, while the food pulls from the comforting Cuban and Colombian home cooking of Denis’s childhood. The menu is rounded out with other Latin American favorites with particular emphasis on dishes designed for delivery. Chao Pescao is located in the Civic Center Plaza at the heart of the city, across from City Hall.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Latin American, Colombian, Cuban
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sat 11:30 am–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (415) 621-2200
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Chef Rene Denis
  • Catering
    Please visit our website at www.chaopescaosf.com and view our Events Menu for details.
  • Private party facilities
    Chao Pescao's mid-town location and latin-caribbean menu makes this city favorite a winning choice for private group dining, and Chao's plentiful array of Latin-themed cocktails and fine wine list will please every guest.
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Cross street
    Larkin
  • Parking details
    $5 Parking Mon-Fri after 5pm and all day Saturday with validation at the the Hastings Parking Garage.The UC Hastings Parking Garage is located at 376 Larkin St between McAllister and Golden Gate. The Civic Center Garage entrance is located at 355 McAllister. Street parking is also available and is free after 6pm.
  • Public transit
    Public Transit Stops: Civic Center Bart & Muni Stations - 2 blocks MUNI 5 Fulton - .5 blocks 19 Polk - .5 blocks 47 Van Ness - 2 blocks 49 Mission/Van Ness - 2 blocks Golden Gate Transit - .5 blocks
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 636 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.2
4.2 based on recent ratings
  • 4.3Food
  • 4.1Service
  • 4.1Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
¡Chao Pescao! delights with "amazing empanadas," "excellent cocktails," and "attentive service." Perfect for pre-theater dining, it offers a vibrant atmosphere and gluten-free options. While some note slow service or noise, the creative menu and convenient location make it a "fantastic discovery" and a "go-to" for Cuban cuisine lovers.

636 Reviews
  1. Jason

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    I was inclined to ignore other reviews about poor and slow service and decided to give it a chance. Sadly, my experience included several mix-ups: the wrong item brought to the table (close but not what I ordered), an item never appearing, and the bill being incorrect. Mistakes happen but this was beyond the occasional error. To make matters worse, no apology was spoken after any of the mistakes. The food was decent but the place is far too disorganized and discourteous for me to return.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Wendy

    VIP

    San Francisco

    76 reviews

    5.0

    76 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious and fun atmosphere. Our server was helpful answering questions and our appetizer , entrees and cocktails were all great.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Ron

    San Francisco

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Good food and atmosphere, but the wait staff hardly ever checks in with you. I get that they get busy, but this is the one area they can approve on.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Kevin

    New York City

    13 reviews

    2.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Never got our appetizer. Main courses came out at different times … 15 minutes apart. Had to ask for everything and follow up multiple times wondering where things were. Tables that arrived after us were served before us.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Franklin

    VIP

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great food menu/choices. Lovely ambiance. Quick service.

    Is this helpful?

  6. John

    VIP

    San Francisco

    46 reviews

    4.0

    46 reviews

    Dined on January 12, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Excellent Caribbean influenced food. Great place for a casual pre-concert meal.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Barbara

    VIP

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on January 4, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    This time I’m going to give a real . Bisteak on sandwich was a bit tough. Better value would have included either fries or salad with the price. My friend and I have been diners several times and each time she mentions that the door to the backyard area reveals a bunch of junk or storage. If area cannot be used as outdoor seating, it might be good to neaten it up or put a filmy curtain that allows light in but closes off the mess.

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  8. Ricardo

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 4, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Perfect place to dine with my family before Hamilton at the Orpheum. The staff was attentive and the good was delicious. The Arepas and Empanadas were so good.

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  9. PEGGY

    VIP

    San Francisco

    28 reviews

    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on December 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Came in after a broadway play for appetizers and drinks. Empanadas are Amazing! Brussel sprouts delicious and the gluten free buns very tasty. Great Cocktails and I really enjoyed the vibrant decor. Only suggestion is to have more basic choices on the kids menu for those damn picky eaters

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  10. James

    Sacramento

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 28, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food, solid service, nice atmosphere…will be back!!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

¡Chao Pescao! offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (415) 621-2200.

¡Chao Pescao! is rated 4.2 stars by 636 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 15 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for ¡Chao Pescao!

272 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Larkin
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sat 11:30 am–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Latin American, Colombian, Cuban
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    $5 Parking Mon-Fri after 5pm and all day Saturday with validation at the the Hastings Parking Garage.The UC Hastings Parking Garage is located at 376 Larkin St between McAllister and Golden Gate. The Civic Center Garage entrance is located at 355 McAllister. Street parking is also available and is free after 6pm.
  • Public transit
    Public Transit Stops: Civic Center Bart & Muni Stations - 2 blocks MUNI 5 Fulton - .5 blocks 19 Polk - .5 blocks 47 Van Ness - 2 blocks 49 Mission/Van Ness - 2 blocks Golden Gate Transit - .5 blocks
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Chef Rene Denis
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (415) 621-2200
  • Catering
    Please visit our website at www.chaopescaosf.com and view our Events Menu for details.
  • Private party facilities
    Chao Pescao's mid-town location and latin-caribbean menu makes this city favorite a winning choice for private group dining, and Chao's plentiful array of Latin-themed cocktails and fine wine list will please every guest.
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