A solid choice if you're in the Haight-Ashbury area and like Southern and Caribbean food. I've loved everything we've had in our two visits thus far - the jerk chicken, the ropa vieja and the cajun shrimp. Note some dishes like the cajun shrimp are served without a side, but the gravy is so addictive I repeated this dish on my second visit. Just order a side of rice or maybe use the complimentary bread to scoop up the gravy. Also a special shoutout for the ropa vieja - one of the best versions of the dish I've had anywhere, and a very generous portion too. Service was warm and on point. They have a cute and colorful decor inside but visit while there's sunlight to enjoy the interiors; I'm not a big fan of their dim lighting in the evenings. read more

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**WARNING: ROACH IN DRINK** Went here for dinner after returning our ebike with the rental shop across the street. It smelled good and the bike guy recommended it. The place wasnt the cleanest looking place but we gave it the benefit of the doubt. Menu looked to have a good variety of items and drinks. As I was waiting for my bf to return from the bathroom, our drinks and calamari arrived. I took a photo of our drinks. I took a sip of mine, stirred it up, and took another sip. When I realize, there is something dark sitting at the top of the drink, IT WAS A COCKROACH. A ROACH WITH AN EGG SAC COMING OUT OF IT. I didnt notice it at first bc the roach was floating mid cup. I guess after i stirred it, it popped up to the top. I was disgusted. We immediately got up because I was not going to continue eating there. My bf pointed it out, gave the drink back. Staff just showed each other and kinda put the drink to the side. The server passed us as we were grabbing our things to leave and said "so sorry about that". Im just so disgusted that i actually took 2 sips from that... read more

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Service, ambiance and food are always good at ChaChaChas! We came on Christmas Eve, a perfect time because they were not busy. Service was fast. Food was a perfect temperature and tasty. Highly recommend if you're in the area! read more

Cha Cha Cha - Steak sandwich, chicken pallard, & platanos maduros - Caribbean Near Me - San Francisco, California

A favorite for over a decade! You can really never go wrong with ChaChaCha. The food is always spot on--from the shrimp, to the chicken, to the muscles... plantains also a must. And you haven't been to ChaChaCha without a pitcher of sangria. Great for groups, but I will also dive in here if I'm solo and want a hearty meal. Service is always quick, and the vibes are always loud and fun. Cheers to more years of enjoying this gem read more

Cha Cha Cha - Caribbean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great place for a couple drinks and tapas with friends but I didn't really think it was as yummy as I expected. Food was a bit bland for my taste. Service was all over the place. The ambiance is a bit too party for me. read more

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Came here for a late dinner around 9:20pm because we saw that Yelp states they're open until 11:30pm. When we walked in the server said kitchen is closing in 10 minutes so we were confused whether this place closest earlier but still decided to eat here since they were willing to seat us. We opted for two tapas: Jerk chicken: super flavorful over a bed of rice! Honestly the sauce tasted almost like Bbq sauce Arroz con pollo: included chicken, rice and black beans with sour cream. This dish had olives in it which I thought was pretty good. I think the rice lacked some seasoning so we had to ask for hot sauce on the side to spice it up a bit. Overall this place is good! I would definitely come back to try their Cajun shrimp as that seems like a local favorite here! read more

Cha Cha Cha - Caribbean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Out of town experience customer service wasn't good. Asked to get an explanation on a food item and it wasn't explained to me the best so we decided to take a try on it and then when it was something completly then what we expected I asked if we can replace it with something else or get some what accmadated but they didn't want to accommodate at all so I just paid and left the restraunt only took a bite of the food also. read more

Cha Cha Cha! Just one thing get the crack sauce.... i mean shrimp in sauce. Holy moly. I can't come here and not get that. Got the normal smorgasbord of items but added the wings as a new item to try wow! it's making its was to the regular rotation. They are not too spicy at all, but the flavor wow! just great. Potato's a must! just crispy and delicious. Empanada is good both flavors! plantains! they need to sell them in a large bag togo. This is like popcorn you could eat a bucket of them and not even know it. you would also want some more. Drinks are great but the sangria is very good. Know it comes out at room temp so don't be surprised. You can get it by the glass, 1/2 pitchers or full. It's a great item to have to share with the table. read more

I have been going to Cha Cha Cha, a Haight Street institution, for many years now. They are my favourite tapas restaurant, serving up intensely flavourful dishes of Caribbean and Cajun fare. PROS: 1. Awesome environment - Depending on the natural light coming through the windows, the interior can appear dimly lit, but vibrantly ornamented. Enjoy your meal to some lively reggae music beneath a glittering Santeria altar. This place is usually pretty jumpin'. 2. Reasonable prices - Good eats at great prices. 3. Delicious food - Check out some favourites below: BLACK BEAN SOUP (Discontinued) - Not sure why they took this yummy soup off of their menu, it was one of the best versions around. WARM SPINACH SALAD - My favourite spinach salad. The bacon adds another level of texture and flavour to this delicious plate of greens. Love the Dijon mustard & sherry wine cream dressing. This is big enough to share or for one to enjoy as an entrée salad. CAJUN SHRIMP - ¡Que rico! This is their House Signature dish and an absolute must! CHICKEN PAILLARD - Creamy goodness. ROPA VIEJA - A generous serving of harmoniously tasty flavours. Definitely entrée size. Unfortunately, you can't customize this dish to omit the green olives, but they are easy to find and dig out. LECHON ASADO - My dad enjoyed very much this spicy dish of roasted leg of pork. CHA3 JERK CHICKEN - Another generous Tapa. DJ's go-to main dish despite being a vegetarian. ARROZ con POLLO - Entrée size and yummy. Every bite is like a party in your mouth. Can't customize, though, to omit the olives, but you can easily find and dig them out if you don't like them like me. PLATANOS MADUROS- Another must! Don't skip this! CONS: 1. No private parking lot 2. No reservations accepted, waits can be long 3. Limited ability to customize dishes Trust me, the PROS outweigh by far the CONS. Cha Cha Cha is a winner of restaurants. read more

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This place was amazing but lately it's not the same. I've been taking my kids here for over 10 years and they aren't into the new flavors either. Not our go to anymore. read more

A casual dinner spot that also has yummy food for a decent price. We ordered the jerk chicken, fries, and plantains. The food was super solid, and the chicken's sauce was savory and delicious. I would maybe skip the fries next time, but the plantains were good and yummy to eat with the chicken. The service was also quick and friendly which is always a plus. Definitely check out this place if you are in the Haight area! read more

This place is definitely a local gem. Came on here on a Friday for lunch. Though this is a tapas place, their portions are generous, almost like a full size meal. Ordered their warm spinach salad (includes bacon and mushroom), lamb shank dish (came with mashed potato and some sautéed vegetables), ceviche with chips on the side, and infamous sangria. Everything was really flavorful and delicious. I really enjoyed their lamb shank and spinach salad. Felt extremely full after this lunch. Please be warned it is a heavy meal. This place definitely has a Cuban vibe. There are pictures of people and an animal with a Cuban cigar on their walls. It's a casual place to eat. You can relax and enjoy a good bite here. read more

Cha Cha Cha - Ceviche and sangria - Caribbean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Beautiful need the shoes. My food was excellent as was my girlfriends and service was cool.

We travel the world for work and fun and Cha Cha Cha on Haight is just our favorite place to eat. The guy at the door has been scaring away tourists for 30 years telling them it's a 2 hour wait when in reality rarely longer than 20 min. Perfect amount of time for sangria at the bar!! Then, the tapas!! Just fill the table and share!!! If you leave room and they still have tres leches cake: GET IT!!! The decor is straight out of every local Caribbean joint as is the music, and it takes you there!! Just go already!! read more

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If you love tapas, this spot is the one! I came with 3 of my family members, and the tapas were enough to fill us all up. My favorite of the day would definitely have to be the plantains with black beans and sour cream, as well as the ropa Vieja (I recommend eating the beef with the bread)! Sangria was decent, not the best my family and I have had but still good. Lastly, my family and I wanted to try their Cubana sandwich but keep in mind 4 pm they stop serving any of their sandwiches and strictly only their tapas. Despite missing out on the Sammies the staff were kind as, and I loved the atmosphere of the spot! read more

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I liked this place. Quirky and funky interior decor, small plates and only hung out at the bar long enough to purchase the sangria before the table was ready. Always nice to sit down and relax here when in the area. Very nice staff. read more

It's been a while since I've been to Cha cha cha's. I want to say like, I dunno, 19 odd years. Anyhow, saw this diamond in the rough! Sangria garden on the side of cha cha cha's. Slightly gloomy day, but I can only imagine how great this side patio would be on a sunny day. Service is always great. The servers were delightful and attentive. Came here for a pitcher of sangria, chips and guac and some yucca fries. Nom nom nom! Off to amoeba to get some records! read more

Cha Cha Cha - Sangria Garden - Caribbean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food is mid at best. . Staff was cool (more about staff below) . The place is very colorful. I had a party of 12 so $750 dollar bill was not bad but just expected better tasting food and service . The staff helped themselves to a 20% tip which was like over $100 and I don't think they deserved that much as they didn't give us any service worth that much. No wonder they were so nice but not very attentive. I came here a while back and it had definitely changed. The food was way better before . Idk if they changed management or cooks or menu but it was not as good as before. Finally nearing the end of our dinner a nice man (bus boy) came and helped us remove plates from our table as we were overloaded with empty plates to the point that we were stacking them. Upon opening the menu there is a message in red letters which states " no refunds based on personal taste". That' should have been our warning and we should have left at that point but we were hungry and had made the reservation. Should have read the yelp reviews first ‍. The two stars is for the nice older man who helped us clean our table. Besides that I won't be coming back and after reading some of these reviews we definitely are not gonna come back. Sad cuz this place use to be good. read more

Fun spot. We were super hungry so ordered a bunch of things: potatoes, plantain chips, mushroom, arroz con pollo, shrimp, bread and salad. The sauce with the shrimp was sooo very good and went well dipping bread or the plantains in it. Service was friendly, quick and attentive. We enjoyed our lunch with a half pitcher of sangria which was tasty. I'll be back! read more

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Coming to Cha Cha Cha for the past 15 years all the way from the East Bay says it all. This restaurant is hands down our favorite spot in San Francisco. It all starts with the chips, guacamole, and salsa--a big WOW right away. The house-made sangria is absolutely incredible, truly one of a kind. The Cajun shrimp in that delicious, savory sauce is dangerously good--once you try it, you just can't stop. The ceviche is another favorite of ours; the lemon flavor on the fish is so unique and perfectly balanced. The calamari is nicely toasted, the mushrooms are amazing, and honestly, the list just keeps going. Everything at Cha Cha Cha is so delicious that no matter where you're coming from, trust me--you will be completely satisfied with every single bite. Cha Cha Cha never disappoints. read more

Great place for a family or friend dinner night. The food is so delicious and the interior of the restaurant is very cool.

My friend and I came here for dinner last night (Friday). We were hungry after spending the day walking and enjoying the botanical gardens, the Japanese gardens and the De Young Museum. This restaurant is located on the main road in Haight Ashbury. The dining room is decorated with fun and colorful Latin American and Mexican decor. The food is a great price for San Francisco - really good value for the quality and portion sizes. All of the servers and staff were friendly and efficient. David ordered the ropa vieja which included rice and beans. We also ordered the chips and salsa and jalapeño margaritas. I ordered the curry chicken empanada served with mixed greens and mashed black beans. All of the food was delicious! We recommend this place! read more

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4.5 STARS I have found memories of Cha Cha Cha as one of THE places in the city to leave drunk, happy, full...AND with leftovers. And, without going broque. I also have fond memories of that sangria... I'm surprised more people didn't leave with their draws over the head! In times of shrinkflation, I'm trying to revisit old haunts that won't break the wallet. Plus, my original review from years ago disappeared into the cloud so here's another one. Cha Cha Cha is a SF institution (opened in 1984) serving Cuban and Caribbean Tapas. They're sister resto to Parada 22 and Papito. They're open for takeout, delivery, indoor, and outdoor dining (dog-friendly). Great side patio set-up that's separated by curtains for privacy and shields you from the wind. And, there's overhead heaters to keep you warm. No rezzies, walk-in only. Not recommended for large groups unless everyone arrives early and on-time. M E N U Cuban and Caribbean Tapas. Paellas aside, all dishes are under $17. Full bar but they're best known for their sangria. Beware, it's a creeper. F O O D * Calamari Fritto: Fried Calamari w/ chipotle & garlic aioli ($15): https://tinyurl.com/ys7cb4bx Hot and crunchy rings + tentacles with delicious accompanying aiolis. Good for the drunchies. * Steamed Mussels w/ garlic, tomatoes, fresh herbs & house made fish-saffron broth ($16): https://tinyurl.com/4f9sevyw Fresh, meaty, and plump mussels in a comforting broth. * Chicken Paillard: Grilled Chicken Breast w/ dijon mustard cream sauce ($14): https://tinyurl.com/mpscxk4u I'm usually not a fan of breast meat but the marinated chicken breast (3 pc) is tender and moist, soaking up all that creamy and tangy sauce. * Cajun Shrimp Sautéed in Spicy Cream Sauce ($15): https://tinyurl.com/ys7cb4bx One of my fav dishes at Cha Cha Cha...it's all about THAT decadent sauce and using the complimentary crusty sourdough bread to sop up every last drop. BUT, as others have stated, the sauce doesn't taste the same as back in the day. I ordered it twice in a month just to make sure it wasn't an off day. The spices and heat have def been dialed down. Still addictive tho...I just doctor it up with their housemade habanero sauce. * Cha3 Jerk Chicken: Marinated chicken thigh w/ habanero peppers, raisins, garlic & tomatoes served over white rice ($14): https://tinyurl.com/2r8ftehh My second fav Cha Cha Cha dish - two fork tender bone-in thighs smothered in savory and earthy jerk sauce, served alongside white rice. It's hearty and hits the spot...but the sauce is not as flavorful and spicy as I remember it being. Still a must order for me tho. * Fried New Potatoes w/ chili pasilla aioli: https://tinyurl.com/2r8ftehh Solid staple - hot and crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside. The chili pasilla sauce is creamy with smoky, earthy, and fruity flavors. TIP: Bring home the leftover sauces from the chicken pillard or cajun shrimp to turn into another meal with whatever protein and veggies you have in the fridge. S E R V I C E Hit or miss depending on who you get. Julie and Gazi are awesome AND deliver great hospitality. Being the only ones sitting outside, we never felt neglected. However, on my most recent visit, our server took our order and we never saw him again (it wasn't busy). I had to go inside to place an additional order and to pay the bill. Julie jumped right in and took care of us. But, all is forgotten because the food comes out fast! Always appreciate that. A M B I A N C E Lively and festive. Can be cramped when busy. Avoid Friday and Saturday nights if you want a quieter meal. P A R K I N G Terrible street parking on the weekends...thank goodness for rideshares now. After all these years, Cha Cha Cha is still churning out delicious and wallet-friendly eats. The sauces aren't as robust and richly spiced now but easily solved with their housemade habanero sauce. When I can leave full with leftovers...and without breaking the wallet, I'm cool with that. read more

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Came here to meet up with some friends for a drink. We weren't planning on eating, but they had already ordered food so we started snacking on their leftovers. After a few bites of some bread dipped in the cajun shrimp sauce, that quickly changed and we place our order! Between the snacking and our order we tried the cajun shrimp, chicken Paillard, sautéed mushrooms, potatoes, and Arroz Con Pollo. Stars of the show were the cajun shrimp and chicken Paillard. Both were in sauces that were absolutely delicious and so full of flavor. The only item I feel like we really could've gone without was the Arroz Con Pollo, and that's not because it was bad, everything else was just better. To drink I ordered a mojito and the rest of the group a pitcher of sangria. I liked the sip of sangria that I tried but the mojito was definitely the move. Service was attentive and friendly and food came out quick. Excited to come back here and eat some more of the food fresh from the kitchen, instead of as our friend's leftovers. read more

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This place is amazing! I love the food and cocktails as well! Our waiter was very attentive but the atmosphere was amazing. I felt like I was in an authentic Mexican food cantina. read more

Cha Cha Cha - Roof lights - Caribbean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Not sure why this was my first-time dining here, because I've been missing out on these delicious Latin influences' dishes! I guess it's never too late. Lol. Had the privilege to dine here with my girlies, while they're in the city. ;) We got seated immediately, a great start to our dining experience. The restaurant settings and decor were perfect for the vibe. Great music and good company. (Btw, us four girls ordered with our eyes...lol) Let's get into what we ordered! * 64 oz Sangria (So so so delicious!) * Chicken Wings (Oops, forgot to take pics) * Ceviche * Cajun Shrimp * Cha3 Jerk Chicken * Platanos Maduros Overall 10/10 recommend Bon Appetite :) read more

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Located in Haight Ashbury, across the park & wholefoods. I went during happy hour but didn't get their happy hour food. I was looking forward to trying their jerk chicken ($16) & plaintains ($10). The jerk chicken is 2 chicken thighs with rice & sauce on top. I never had these spicy curry sauce & it was delicious. It was a lot of food for me so I took some home. The plantain were delicious & so was their sangria. I want to come back to try their Cajun soup & paella. Also I like the interior of Latin influence, a couple tables & a big bar. read more

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I used to love this place but the service is not good. On yelp the Menu there are several lunch items listed. All false advertised. The waiter kept trying to sell me on the Cuban cos I told I told him I liked Cuban sandwiches. But it comes with a regular salad. I don't want that. Why not OFFER A SMALL SPINACH FOR $2 more! When I first saw "Warm Spinach Lunch" on Yelp's to Go menu, I thought Great there's a lot of workers, a lower price Caribbean lunch not bad. But it's not. It's not a balanced lunch. It's an overpriced falsely advertised. Tastes good. Just not what it says it or could be. read more

Cha Cha Cha - Good salad. Not a balanced lunch. - Caribbean Near Me - San Francisco, California

Old school spot with great atmosphere! Tacos are huge and can be easily shared. Chips and salsa were good but nothing special. No frijoles negro just refried and salsas are nicely spicy. Calamari with blend of tentacles and rings was very fresh and enjoyable. Biggest disappointment was the margaritas which are made with a mix and no agave! Stick with beer..:') Servers were great and make sure to check out the specific art all over especially in the bar. read more

Delicious hearty Sunday lunch in the Haight!! We had a handful of shareables as per waiter recommendation plus a small sangria pitcher, including plantains, chips and fresh guac, chicken wings, jerk chicken, and quesadilla with BBQ pork. Food did not disappoint and was very very flavorful!! Great casual ambiance and excellent friendly service - they even have a little sangria garden outside. read more

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Had a nice lunch out for 3 people but pitcher of sangria for $54.00 a little bit too much. Luckily we asked for no fruits in .

Had a friend visiting from outta town, wanted to check out the Haight st area, so decided to go back to an old favorite. While the prices how slowly snuck up over the years, there's a couple dishes that I can't come and not get. It's the Cajun shrimp and the chicken Paillard. Both have unique sauces that you have to dip the bread in. It's so good, I can eat a whole loaf of a bread and just eat it with the sauce. The chicken was a little dry and honestly could've used some lemon or more seasoning. The Cajun shrimp was delicious but you don't get a lotta shrimp. The potatoes are good, with the dipping sauce and a great shareable. The mushrooms were alright, don't know if I'd order again. The sangria is classic and never a bad option for sharing. The 32oz is perfect to share with a couple of people and great adult beverage option. Weekday Lunch isn't as busy, so if you are in the area and want a nice sit down meal, this is a solid place to check out. read more

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Yay for Caribbean/Cuban food in the bay as there are not very many restaurants that offer this cuisine outside of Fruitlandia (Mission) and Sol Food (San Rafael). Our favorite dish/what we felt had the most flavor was definite the guava chipotle chile glaze that came out PIPING hot (as did the rest of our items!). The chicken had great flavor, a little crunch and was drenched in sauce. Everything else we ordered (below) lacked salt and we used a lot of the habanero salsa that we grabbed from the back. Arroz con pollo had classic flavors and the gandules had a good bite as did the rice. Chicken was not dry. Lechón asado was soft and had nice fatty bits and the yucca was a great accompaniment. Maduros were great which was a relief because you really can't mess these up! Sangria wasn't anything to write home about - tasted like red wine with a little bit of fruit juice and wasn't cold. Overall would come to try different dishes! read more

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Got the Cajun. sauce was fantastic but they don't clean their shrimp. Poop all in every one of them. Complained but they didn't care. read more

Cha Cha Cha - Poopy shrimp - Caribbean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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The atmosphere was one thing but the food was a whole other thing! My friends and I went there to catch up and see how each other were doing, we were seated right away and the waiter was really fast and efficient! I had the sautéed Scallops and it was super delicious! And we also ordered the bread pudding which I loved as it had a hint of cherries in there which was unexpected but pleasant!! read more

The food is so flavorful and delicious. It's consistently excellent. The service is always great whether we order over the phone, done in,or pick up. One of my favorite restaurants in SF. MUST TRY: Jerk chicken Plantanos (always sweet and soft) Wings read more

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Located right at the end of Haight across from kezar stadium is this small joint that serves some delicious tapas. Even though the place is small it's such a great spot to go with a group. Not only for the vibes but also so you can try more things on the menu. What I especially enjoy is not only is the food top tier but prices aren't outrageous that you can order multiple plates without breaking the bank. And of course the staff is super friendly and helpful especially when you have any questions about the menu or need help clearing out those empty plates. Definitely a spot that's worth coming back to over and over. read more

Food- phenomenal. We got the jerk chicken, and the chicken fell off the bone. It had the perfect amount of sauce that was so good to eat with the rice. The flavors were hitting the spot!!! We also got the chicken paillard, but we asked to get it with the sauce that comes with Cajun shrimp instead, and it was amazing. The bread came with it. And we put butter on the bread, and then dipped it in the sauce and it was to die for. Drinks- they got the job done. The margarita was made well and well balanced! The spicy mezcal old fashioned was a little too spicy for me, but it's so close. I feel like just a couple of tweaks and it would be a great drink. Service- amazing. They were so nice from the moment they seated us, and everything came out in a timely manner. We sat at the bar, and had a good time! read more

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One of my favorites on Haight st. Recently got the lechon, ceviche, and mixed paella. It's not too busy on a week nights and have gotten seated right away. We loved the lechon, ceviche, and paella. The shrimp is also a fav and the sauce is great for the bread to sop up. The lechon was so tender and juicy and yucca on the side was nice. The paella had a good amount of protein and rice balance with good flavor. Also recommend the ceviche as there's actually a good amount of fish and not filling of other veggies. The inside is nothing fancy but it's clean and doesn't feel super cramped sitting inside. read more

Cha Cha Cha - Lechon Asado - Caribbean Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Fun place to hang out with friends. We went here after hiking the Lands End Trail. If you are lucky, you may be able to get street parking nearby. But that's expected. The restaurant was pretty empty when we arrived. But it was full when we left. The service was good. We were a group of 6 and ordered a lot of options from the menu. The serving size was surprisingly big. I had platanos maduros, cheese quesadillas and sautéed mushrooms. Mushrooms were ok. I liked the plantain and quesadillas. My friends also had the cajun shrimp and were a fan of it. read more