Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. San Francisco
  5. Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
¡Chao Pescao!, San Francisco, CA

¡Chao Pescao!

4.4
4.4
611 Reviews
$30 and under
Latin American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 times today
  • Neighbourhood gem
  • Lively
  • Great for creative cocktails
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 11:30–20:00
  • 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.
  • Area
    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, Takeaway, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 611 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.4Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
¡Chao Pescao! delivers an authentic Cuban dining experience with "excellent food and service." Perfectly located for pre-theater dining, it offers flavorful Latin Caribbean dishes and cocktails. While the atmosphere is lively, some guests note it can be "a bit too loud." Don't miss their "crispy and tasty empanadas."

611 Reviews
  1. Cynthia

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 2 October 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    We waited over an hour for our food, and an additional 10 mins for the third person to get their meal despite it being exactly the same as what another person ordered. I am so glad I paid an extra $8 for 3 shrimp, such a deal! No one ever checked in on us, needless to say we will not return.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Esau

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 29 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    My wife and I tried this restaurant before going to a show and we were impressed by how tasty food was. We had: yuca frita, vegetarian arepa, lechón cubano and empanadas. All the dishes were delicious. We’ll definitely return for dinner in the future.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Lucy

    San Francisco

    52 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    52 reviews

    Dined on 25 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    A great place with lots on the menu. The dishes are plentiful as the service is awesome. I ordered lechón and my husband had the fried chicken! Both dishes were delicious and tasty. We had no room for dessert. Thank you! Ps. I’d add some tapestry or fabric art on walls and ceiling for noise reduction.

    Is this helpful?

  4. jon

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 22 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fantastic as always! A reasonable time frame to get a res compared to some of the perhaps more well known restaurants in area, but it is now our go to restaurant any time we have a show at Bill Graham or the Warfield. Great bar and cocktail menu. The Oaxacan old fashioned is not to be missed! The empanadas are all incredible, but special nod to the pork with spicy salsa!! Last visit the ropa vieja, lechon cubano, and tajin fried chicken were all out of sight. Really just love the place!!

    Is this helpful?

  5. Kate

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 22 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Came here for the first time last night for a very special occasion and it was wonderful! The interior is gorgeous, the food & drinks were great and the food was amazing! Definitely recommend for a fun night out.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Stephanie

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 21 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our second visit to Chao Pescao and again, really enjoyed it! Both times was before a 1:00 matinee at Orpheum. We arrived at opening (11:30) and were promptly seated and food and drink order taken. They do an excellent job of making sure you make it to the theater on time. Without skimping on service or food! The food is delicious! I had the Cemita Poblana with yuca fritas and my husband had the vegiburguesa. We loved both! Previously I had the Cubano and it was also very good! The mojitos are perfectly mixed. The atmosphere is fun and colorful. We will definitely be visiting again. My only wish is that they opened just a tiny bit earlier so we could hang out a little longer and have another cocktail.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Greg

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    2.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 21 September 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 2
    Very slow service, and so noisy that conversation is impossible. Some of the food- Brussels sprouts, rice, beans were really good. Empanadas were disappointing as was the pork.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Patrick

    San Francisco

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on 19 September 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3
    The food was excellent. The hostess and server were very attentive. Management staff was horrible. I pointed out what I believed to be an error on the check. The discrepancy only amounted to 0.50 however the manager refused to change it claiming that the details were clearly explained in the small print on the menu. We relied on the recommendation from the server. It was clear that we were a little irritated. After seeking approval from the "owner", she came back with the updated check and seemed smug that the amount was only 0.50 yet irritated that we made her do extra work for such a small amount. No apology.

    Is this helpful?

  9. Rachel

    San Francisco

    1 review

    vip
    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 14 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Second time here and just as an amazing experience as the first time. Delicious food and so many gluten-free options; it made for a wonderful night.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Susan

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 11 September 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Great find! We went after seeing Wicked at the Orpheum Theatre. It's just a 5-minute walk, and it's open from 11:30am all day. The food was great - one of us had a traditional Cuban plate with pulled pork, rice and plaintains, another had the daily special of shrimp and rice, and I had the quinoa salad with chicken. I'm not a devoted salad eater - I like a salad that is interesting and varied in terms of ingredients. The salad hit all those marks. Also interesting cocktails! Service was a little slow, but I think they were changing staff - once they took our order, everything was fast, friendly, and good! Plus, real Cuban music and definitely good prices for the quality of the food and drinks. Will definitely go again. Highly, highly recommend.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

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

¡Chao Pescao! is rated 4.4 stars by 611 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 12 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
  • Area
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Hours of Operation
    Dinner Tue–Sat 11:30–20:00
  • 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, Takeaway, 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.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable International Ltd. Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo