I never understood the concept of a "neighborhood bar" until I moved half a block away from Asiento. I also never understood the idiom "recipe for disaster" until I started bringing all my first dates here. Honestly you can't blame me, Asiento has it all for date night: - Their live DJ plays catchy jams at a reasonable volume still conducive to the 'get to know you' conversations - Their boardgames provide the opportunity to deeper suss out the intelligence of your potential life partner - Their medium dark lighting gives a girl amazing cheekbones and a slimmer frame - Their bar and price point does not break the piggy bank so even if the date sucks, one wouldn't go broke buying your own drink With that said, you're all probably wondering about my aforementioned "recipe for disaster". I will share this story in hopes that all you single folks do not make the same mistake I did... Storytime: It started out as yet another typical online first date - the guy was good looking, employed, and chivalrous enough to let me pick our first date location and of course, I chose Asiento. Things were going well - he arrived on time, looked like his photos and even got us our first round of moderately priced drinks. As we settled into our table next to the DJ spinning moderately volumed jams, my date decided to challenge me to a game of Scrabble. I agreed to it thinking, "Perfect, now I can suss out his intelligence before considering offspring reproduction." As he started setting up the game, we both simultaneous noticed the score pad in the box - it had 1 sheet left attached to it, but it was already written on - the top of the score chart read: Spring | Taylor Perhaps I could've claimed that Taylor was my roommate and that we visited this bar frequently or perhaps Taylor was actually a female friend. Unfortunately my body reacted before my brain did - within milliseconds, I tore out the page and crumbled it up in my fist. Had he not stopped me, I probably would've eaten it to destroy the evidence. 'Awkward' could not describe the next moments in time as he called out the elephant in the room and I wished the DJ would turn up the music. I also wished they served stronger drinks and that the lighting was darker to hide my face that was beet red from embarrassment. Lesson of the night here kids? Never play Scrabble on a first date. read more

Where do I start!!!!! This GEM hidden in plain sight in the mission was a hit!!!! The bartender MAX a complete pro and master drink mixer WOW!!! He made custom drinks that blew my finances mind!!! Exceptional service and excellent food!! We will be here every Wednesday for the dinner and a show and to see our new favorite mixologist MAX!!!!!!! read more

Asiento - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Taco Tues is a great deal. Tacos are delicious. Debbie was super nice and helpful. Nice chill vibe.

I just want to share my profound disappointment in my service i received tonight. I came here because a lot of neighbors recommended it and it was actually my first visit. I live one street down from the restaurant. After I showed up i had to fight my way to the bar to order, once I ordered he handed my my drink that was watered down and made with zero love. Next I ordered my Madam burger with fries of course, and decided to sit outside because the inside was packed and I wanted to work on some school work while i waited. Not once, did anyone check on me, ask me how my food was, ask if i needed anything, I was dying for thirst for a glass of water and had to leave to walk home to get one because after the service i received, why would I want to come back. So disappointed. - Your neighbor read more

I went around 6pm on a Tuesday but it was rather dead, different from some other nearby places. The decor was interesting, and I think would be great Dr large parties. If it gets crowded it becomes mostly standing room. The drinks were fine, nothing too special. They do have local spirits with which you can try to ask them which can make other drinks more interesting! The food was quite good, tapas style. The bathrooms were reasonable and nothing to fear entering. I think if I went on another day it would be better. I will put a 3 stars now and will come back with an update. read more

Love Asiento! Debi is so kind, the food is delish (love the homemade vegan burger), always great music & people & overall just a fun place to be! read more

We really enjoyed hanging out at Asiento last night. Great food and drinks. Staff was amazing even the person working the door was so chill and positive. Deb is awesome. I'm biased for breakbeats but I couldn't stop dancing the entire night. We will definitely be going back in the near future. Thanks for the great time and memories. read more

The atmosphere is nice and workers were friendly. Their drinks are ok, the live music is great.

Very friendly staff and the cocktails are delicious. I will definitely be returning often.

This is a fun local watering hole. Great mixed drinks and beer selection (as well as decent non-alcoholic beers). The menus is great for bar fare, especially the shrimp options, but not what I consider a full restaurant menu. Owner and people running this gem are first rate. read more

The best parklet in San Francisco. Love the small bites - good for meat eaters and vegetarians (vegetarians - get the spinach balls!) The fries are the best I have ever eaten. (They have sweet potato fries, too, which I love, but their regular fries are just amazing Trust me!) Cocktails are all great, the blood orange margarita especially. They have comedy and live music nights, but you can normally just walk up and get an outside table. There are a couple of inside tables available now (and a huge variety of games). Brunch here is always special. The tater tots - to die for. And bacon bloody maries for the meat eaters! And crab cake benedict? Are you kidding me. The owner really knows her stuff with good, and what flavours go with what. The owner is lovely, too. During the wort of the pandemic, she catered food for the homeless. Check it out and support a local business. read more

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My friends and I went to Asiento for my birthday. My name was written behind the bar when we arrived, which was such a nice touch. Debi and I had emailed ahead of time so our part of the parklet was waiting for us when we arrived. The drinks were all perfect and the bartender was super gracious in accommodating all our tastes (all different mojitos with extra lime/extra sweetener), the food was delicious, and the staff was attentive and wonderful. My friends and I were really comfortable in the parklet, which the lights and heaters made so comfortable. We will be sure to come back. read more

Had issue with card here in November. Emailed and called and to this day no one responded. Bad customer service!

This is a long overdue review for a quintessential neighborhood and city spot. I've been coming to asiento for years and when I needed to think of a company holiday party location, this is what came to mind and I could not have asked for more! Deb was amazing from the beginning, giving me a wide range of great food and drink options and assuring me that regardless of what was picked, it'd be a hit. She was totally right. She and her staff were absolute gems the day of our event! The food was delicious (everyone left plenty happy and stuffed), drinks were masterfully made and the ambiance was the perfect blend of warm and intimate. If you want to come for a date night, friend hang (as I've done several times), or host an event: asiento is your place to go! read more

We went here on a Wednesday night for comedy night! Best COVID safe idea ever! There outdoor set up is really cute, they did a great job. We made a reservation for 7 pm for 3 people. We sat down and ordered the basil lemonade and the prickly pear margarita! They were delicious and easy to drink, I couldn't taste any alcohol really. We ordered some small plates, the quesadillas, spinach balls, and the queso fundio. My favorite was the spinach balls! I never had anything like that before, similar to falafel but this had a kick to it! The quesadillas were yummy, saucey and we chose chicken for the meat. Around 7:30 they started the comedy show, there were about 5 different comedians and they all were great. This was just something very nice and different to do during these covid times. We laughed and enjoyed ourselves. Debbie our server was so nice and she even invited us back for her little birthday celebration! We will come back for sure. Thanks guys! read more

Asiento - Spinach Balls Queso Fundido - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Francisco, California

Asiento was our first dine-in experience this year when restaurants opened back up in SF for indoor dining and we had such a delightful evening! Came here for date night and the owner Debbie made us feel so welcome and took care of us. She even took the extra step to set up the space heater at our table that made it cozy and totally upped the ambience. Food and cocktails were fantastic, we had the spinach balls, deviled eggs and the tostadas. All very flavorful, the spinach balls was my favorite, quite a unique dish. Husband enjoyed the juicy burger and I tried the vegan burger which was just as good. The cucumber rosemary cocktail was refreshing and not too sweet and a winner. A great place to hangout in a larger group as well over some food and drinks. Will be back again for sure! read more

I came here for their comedy show and had the best time. My drink tasted so good and the sandwich was amazing. I would definitely come back for the comedy show. read more

Asiento - Passionfruit Cocktail and pulled pork sandwich - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Francisco, California

My friend and I had dinner and then we went looking for a nice place to have a cocktail in the area to continue catching up. We tried out two different bars in the area that were super crowded and bougie - not the vibe we were looking for AT ALL. Thankfully, we ended up stumbling upon Asiento! Super cute venue with tons of couches, chairs, and a well stocked bar. There was a DJ there (on a Friday night) playing background tunes. The bartenders were really friendly, and it turned out that one of the female bartenders was also the owner! Gotta love a female owned establishment. For drinks, my friend and I both had the Sparkling Pom - delicious!!! I think we each had like 4+ lol. Overall, loved the laidback vibe and the delicious drinks. Can't wait to come back! read more

Asiento - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Francisco, California

If you eat a burger slider thing here and it is not the tastiest thing you ever put in your mouth that is not a human genital, I'll give you $20. read more

Came here thinking nothing of it. It used to be the Monkey Bar way back when, and I'd always wanted to come here for my first drink as a 21 year old. Clearly...it did not happen...as it closed before I turned 21 way back when. I checked in to get the $7 for a specialty drink, which is normally $9.50. It's kind of interesting, because evidently the businesses pay yelp for the ability to advertise a discount...so they can get more reviews and visibility? I don't mind. Its $2.5 off for me! Per usual, I get distracted by the drink name. I got The Good Idea. Which, wasn't a bad idea at all. The drinks aren't strong (I had a sip of multiple drinks), but if was ok. Nicely made, actually. There was some thought put into the specialty drinks. The food...initially would have put me at placing this place at a solid 3 stars. Overall, it came in way too small portions (even as tapas), and the flavor was kind of meh. Of all the tapas, I'd go with the squid in sauce because the sauce is delicious. There needed to be more bread with it. No need to grill the bread, just gimmie bread for that sauce! The squid was done well, and when you cook squid in sauce, it's easy for it to be over or under cooked. Well done, chef! The other foods were just ok. Quick summary: Guacamole: Came out pretty, but the long chips makes it hard to eat without double dipping. So if you're germ phobe, no bueno. Spinach balls: Really odd tasting. Lots of spinach, but there was something else in there making it...weird tasting. Its like a green falafal ball. Thai Spring Roll: Was just a sour sauce with fresh spring roll. Nothing Thai about it. I just tasted basil and bell peppers. Fried Chicken Spring Roll: DON'T GET THIS THINKING ITS FRIED CHICKEN!!! That's what we all thought and it was severely disappointing. It is a chicken spring roll that's been fried. So. Chicken Spring Roll. I think the fresh ones are considered summer rolls. Sauce was good, food was not. Hurm...i see a trend. Chicken Kabobs: Was ok. The chicken was pretty juicy, and is basically ground chicken meat on skewers. So...what bumped me from the solid 3 up to a 4 star?? The Juicy Burger. Seriously, of all things. Juicy burger. The flavors were really great in the meat, though I'm not 100% sure how I feel about the English Muffin bun. It was made mid-rare, which...it did not look like when I first bit into it. However, on hindsight, I think the way they marinated the meat made the meat darker, because even though it LOOKED mid-well, it TASTED mid-rare. Plus, the owner is a pretty stellar person. She was very nice in talking to us (until it got busy), and wasn't afraid to get her hands dirty. If I had ONE critique about the layout, I'd say that she needs more tables further away from the bar. I saw her servers having to maneuver through a very dense crowd by the bar, but there was NO one in the open space between the bar and bathrooms. I felt bad for the server, and people didn't move out of his way. Seriously, if someone is trying to get through to deliver food to another patron, you should MAKE WAY. Instead of looking over, looking down at them, and continuing talking. I'm talking to you, white group in their 40's!! Maybe if there were tables on that side, people would be more likely to move over? Unless its a dance floor I'm unaware of? read more

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Awesome little spot in the mission! I went during the COVID social distance/outdoor dining only and I felt like they did a great job distancing people and utilizing 0 contact methods for ordering and paying. The prickly pear margarita is DELICIOUS and if you get any appetizers try the Queso Fondido and the deviled eggs! Incredible flavors! Sadly the owner was saying they will be shutting down when outdoor dining was shut down. I hope they make it through the pandemic because this place is must go to! read more

Hosted a small event here this evening. Debi was amazing. I hadn't been to the location and I didn't know if we would have 10 or 30 people show up. Debi said not to worry about it. She set us up in the parklet - we wanted outside plus they were having another event inside. It was lovely. Plenty of heaters to keep us warm. She came out and took our first order and without us asking put everyone on a separate tab. Drinks were great. Snacks were great. Made us totally feel at ease. Enjoyed chatting with her throughout the evening. read more

I love their cocktails! We we were bar hopping during the multi-cultural festival in Mission District and stopped by this place! Great bar, live DJ music, modern decor and they have their menu on box boards! How hipster! read more

Asiento - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I absolutely love the food here!! The service quality is another story. My friend asked for another plate, and the bartender thought hard about it and replied "we don't usually give out extra plates, but here you go". I've worked in the service industry and have frequented restaurants for decades and I have never been told such a thing! Then they gave me a salad without silverware. I then asked for silverware and they did not give me any. I ate my absolutely amazing salad with my fingers. Super bad service! read more

Came in out of the cold and was greeted warmly by the bartender Lizzie. Great specialty cocktail menu and as a newbie Lizzie helped me choose a cucumber rosemary drink (grreat!) She also helped me decide on the tapas menu. For me ( and you too) this a great place for an after work respite. My first time here BUT not my last. This is a great place for cocktails in a warm and hospitable environment. See ya here soon! read more

Asiento is such a class act - run by people who have a phenomenal understanding of San Francisco and the unique bar and lounge culture in this city. I was in charge of helping organize a low-key bachelorette night for 4 lovely ladies. The first place that came to mind was Asiento. Asiento has it all. Is is located away from much of the pedestrian and car traffic of the Mission - but it is still close enough to it all - that you could easily walk there from many other hip destination spots in the area. Asiento is fairly mellow on the weekdays. They even have a vast array of board games if you want something interactive to do with some friends. On the weekend - Asiento blooms. They have great DJs - who will spin during the evening - and if you're looking to dance - Asiento will have you grooving in your seat - or on their decent sized dance floor. If you're more interested in imbibing on some stellar freshly muddled cocktails and nibbling on an impressive array of delectable finger foods - Asiento has both mastered. Seriously. My friends couldn't stop gushing about the food. With menu items such as: Spinach Balls made with blanched spinach and jalapeno-lemon aioli and Gambas - comprised of sauteed shrimp with garlic and white wine - Asiento truly excels at presenting well proportioned tapas dishes that are light enough to allow you to dance, but filling enough that you won't be hungry later on in the evening. And the best part? - The price. And for those with food concerns - they also carry gluten free bread and can accommodate many dietary restrictions. Their drinks are just as wowing. Though I don't drink - I tried both of my friends' drinks during the evening and I was impressed with how balanced each drink was. Moe -is an award-winning mixologist and he will go out of his way to make sure that each manifested drink is welcomed with a smile. As we shook our shoulders to the weekend beats in Asiento that blissful bachelorette evening- we admired the diversity of the crowd. Everyone donned a huge grin. The staff were just as excited to be there. There are a lot of great spots in this city for a weekend night out - but if you want a truly excellent experience with artful drinks and food - come to Asiento. If you're looking to plan a big event - also contact Asiento. They own the space above Asiento and they are able to accommodate bigger groups with true San Francisco flare and ease. Trust. read more

perfect tapas supper & drinks tonight at Asiento. Their outdoor park-let is really one of the best; great service and you feel like you're in a patio, not eating on the street! Owner Debbie was even happy to split our tab 5 ways, so this is a good place to go with a group. (We were going to a Marsh show on Valencia, but all of my friends said they were so happy we went here instead of eating on Valencia St.) read more

I'm not sure what they hype is about this place. I stopped by for Yelp Drink Week yesterday and when I walked in, it was COMPLETELY empty. I thought that was so bizarre, being 7PM and all. My friend and I ordered the Cucumber Rosemary and Basil Lemonade. The bartender took about 5 minutes making EACH drink. The basil lemonade was good but a bit watered down. THe cucumber rosemary had a good cucumber taste. We also ordered the Lemon Hummus ($6) which came with a large portion of hummus and only 7 small pieces of bread. The hummus was really good but we ran out of bread so fast and they charge $3.00 for more!!!! Seriously?! Can you say CHEAP? My biggest concern with this place is that they charge a $20 minimum for DEBIT CARDS. I know for a FACT that restaurants are NOT allowed to charge a minimum of over $10, and nothing at all for debit transactions. My friend and I were discussing that in FRONT of the bartender and he STILL said there was a minimum. http://usa.visa.com/about_visa/ask_visa/index.html#anchor_4 Overall, definitely pass this place, even for Yelp Drink Week. If you don't take my word for it, take the word of the 20-30 possible patrons that also decided to go somewhere else yesterday. read more

Asiento - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Asiento is my jam. In addition to really great drinks (omg, Salted Punch) you can get yummy brunch on a sunday morning, super tots and queso fundido in the afternoon. Tons of seating (hence the name) a bright sunny window and tons of board games. Bonnie, the bartender is amazing! read more

Love this spot perfect vibe for just about everything, the food is really tasty and priced decently, the DJ and music is awesome, waitstaff and bartenders are cool, and the ambience is just perfect. Love this place during the weekend for a night out, and during the week for a cool spot to catch up with friends. read more

Asiento - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Francisco, California

I spent the first half hour thinking we were on our way to Losiento. People kept saying you're sorry for what? That night (well that night is alcohol foggy) so today, I learned that Lo siento literally means "I feel it", but it is the Spanish phrase used to mean "I'm sorry". I also learned that Asiento (which loosely means "have a seat") is a pretty cool place to wait for your flour + water table. Its another dusty rustic bar that has a Yelp check in special. Its saving grace is the Bitten Cherry. Oooh, so tasty and sweet. The Basil Lemonade is not bad either. I spied some folk with the chorizo queso fundido at the bar. It looked and smelled delicious. I halfway wish we'd ordered it because we still had to wait another hour for our table at flour + water... Lo siento Asiento. You're a-ok with me. read more

Asiento - Bitten cherry times three! - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Francisco, California

I'm a nurse working at a quarantine facility being catered by Asiento. The quality of care that went into my dinner is the help I needed to get through my shift. Thanks Asiento! read more

Attended on a Wednesday night for comedy night! It was all outdoors and we had tapas along with some decent comedic talent. I enjoyed the juicy burger, fries w/saracha mayo, and the guacamole. A little pricey though given the portion size. read more

We were really happy with the food. We tried the shrimp quesadilla and the ceviche. Both were tasty. I got a margarita and my husband got a kolsh. The margarita wasn't the best, it was supposed to be spicy but overall it didn't taste like much. The kolsh also had an off taste. But we would be back for the food. The space was also really chill when we got there which was nice for our meal. When we left it was packed. read more

"love their seats" This bar is great - loud enough to be fun, not so loud you cant hear yourself think, featuring a good selection of beer, wine, and specialty cocktails. Its friendly and relaxed vibe is enough to set it apart and above most local competition. Looking forward to going back. read more

Eh.. Idk. This place is weak. I thought it'd be better but it's just ok. It's a divey-type bar with a dance floor and a DJ. I mean it's a cool place for a small group of friends to have a no-planned evening. Great for beers, maybe tapas? and just a short hangout for the night. Me and some friends came for a friend's bday party last night and it was alright. Sure, I got to dance and get my two-stop in, but that was about it. It can get a bit too stuffy in here and too hot. We left cause we needed to wipe the sweat off and breathe. read more

Stopped here for the first time w/ friends before checking out the ShEvil Dead all-girl zombie production @ Cellspace. My friend picked this place because it serves drinks + food. The tapas plates were small (insert "duh" here) but they were pretty good as far as bar snacks go. Gambas, crab cakes and guacamole all received thumbs up from the table. The 5 stars over 4 stars rating is because Debbi (sp?), the proprietor of this establishment, served us and the service was memorable. FYI--there is table service when it's not so busy but when it picks up later, you should order at the bar. This place has a chill, comfortable, fun and dare I say slightly edgy ambiance. For drinks, we had the basil lemonade, bitten cherry, punch (all sort of sweet) but 5 stars for the Debbi's willingness to create a pisco sour. Would definitely come back. I'm kind of a fan of the building's odd paint job, which appears to be an homage to outer space/haight-ashbury/the third eye but notably, the inside is unexpectedly modern. read more

Asiento - menu and bar food (l to r: crab cakes, guacamole, basil lemonade, gambas) - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - San Francisco, California

I love this bar! For starters, if you go earlier in the evening, the noise levels actually allow you to have a conversation with the people around you. The music is good (there's usually even a DJ), but unlike other places in SF, Asiento doesn't seem invested in forcing a club environment on it's patrons. The service is down-to-Earth and attentive. The bartender was friendly, knowledgeable, gave great recommendations, and made great drinks. The food was delicious - we ordered the spring rolls, queso fundido, and Thai curry meat balls. The food came out a little slower than my preference but seems like that was how long the food actually took to prepare as it all came out hot and at the same time. Down sides: It was a cold night and the place didn't have much heating. Music gets turned up around 8:30/9 (great music, but not great for talking to people around you). I imagine the food service could be ultra-slow if it's crowded in there as there aren't a lot of people working there. read more

Love when band OneTimeMore played here. They will be there February 17th 7p-11p check them out! Have a glass or two of wine and delicious finger foods. read more

this is a much more raucous and rowdy place o na Sunday afternoon than you would think. or maybe it just was the day I went. Going solo I sidled up to the bar for some late afternoon grub. Queso Fundido 5 cheese fondu served w/ house made chips & beef chorizo Mixed Sausages with mustard dipping sauce Assorted Cheese And Salami Plate house marinated olives & spiced nuts, grilled bread I soon found out this was way too much food and I was taking up a good amount of real estate at the bar. so much so that women around me were asking about my food. Bartender was awesome and she took good care of me. Not sure what to make of the crowd that is all over the place, but everyone was having fun. For a place kind of out there, it was hopping. I wonder what it's like on a Fri or Sat night? read more