I love coming here! Get the shrimp with extra sauce and ask for more bread! I really enjoyed tasting the paella, ceviche and jerk chicken as well. The size of the tapas seems to be good for 3-4 people, maybe depending on how much you order. The sangria is always a good one too. The staff is super friendly and so accommodating. We went here last for my friend's birthday on a Sunday night. Restaurant wasn't too busy, but always good to make a reservation here just in case. They even sang happy birthday and gave her a flan with a bday candle. Really sweet! I'll be craving that shrimp again soon, I just know it. read more

I really love the atmosphere and food was fantastic and costumer service was perfect thanks for everything I will come soon :) read more

Cha Cha Cha - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

One of my favorite places to eat in San Francisco. Everything is delicious and reasonably priced.

Sangrias are excellent! The spicy shrimp and the ceviche were delicious. So glad we got to go here and have an amazing tapas experience. read more

Cha Cha Cha - Ceviche - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This restaurant NEVER disappoints me, food-wise. If I could bottle up all their sauces, I would do it in a heartbeat. MY FAVORITES (but i eventually want to try everything!): Fried New Potatoes Fried Platanos Maduros Cajun Shrimp Chicken Paillard PITCHER OF SANGRIA (1/2 pitcher or full pitcher) Parking is tough. It's the mission so it's up to you how far you're willing to park and walk. But it's worth the journey. The place is definitely not roomy. Tables are close together and aisles are not wide. You'll get a 2 hour wait on the weekends if you want a table. But you can always opt for a spot at the bar. If you're looking for a nice, intimate place for pleasant conversation, STAY HOME. Cha Cha Cha is lively, energetic, and LOUD. But it's a good place for a good time. NOTE: TO-GO portions are just as good as eating in the restaurant. They even give bread and butter! YESSSS! read more

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I don't recommend this for large groups, because it took about two hours for them to seat our party of eight, and they don't take reservations. The people working there were really nice about it though. We had some sangria while we waited, and it tasted more like mediocre wine than sangria, but it wasn't the worst I've ever had. Also, we were having drinks after our meal, and they made us leave our table and go to the bar, which was kind of annoying since we had eight people. Now on to the good stuff, the food: We tried several different entrees and tapas, and most of them were delicious. I do not recommend the grilled, marinated chicken wings, because they were a little too dry and the sauce was too sweet, but I loved everything else we tried: * Arroz con pollo * Fried calamari * Jamaican jerk chicken * Cajun shrimp * chicken quesadilla * Fried plantaines * Ceviche Overall, my two favorites were the arroz con pollo and ceviche. I would love to go back to this place, but tapas are more fun with a big group, and they can't accommodate groups very well. read more

Just stop, Cha Cha Cha! Stop with your giant pitcher of sangria, that the bartenders pour into your glass with reckless abandon. Stop with your super cool customers who we instantly struck up a conversation with at the bar. Stop it with your tapas (HOLY QUESADILLA!) which are delicious and who we ordered waaaaay too much of because sangria. I'm not sure if Cajun Shrimp qualifies as legit tapas, but who cares? It's delicious and you are most likely drunk! read more

One of my favorite restaurants in the city! Our go to for dinner to start girls night out. Great food & fun ambiance. Pitchers of sangria is a must!! we've tried just about everything on the menu, but my favorites are the plantains, cajun shrimp, and the warm spinach salad. They also have a location in the Haight, but this location at least to me feels a little more lively. Expect to wait a bit for a table during dinner time towards the end of the week. Best to try and get a resy. Great location for bar hopping afterwards! read more

3.5 stars overall. Came here for my birthday on a Tuesday night. Got a reservation through yelp the morning of for 5 people at 7:30pm. When we got there though, there were plenty of seats available, tables and bar seating We got a pitcher of sangria, which is a pretty good amount for 5 people (though we ordered another half pitcher after dinner). It's not too sweet and rather strong! For food, we ordered the potatoes (not bad but I've had better), the quesadillas (good but wish it wasn't just cheese for vegetarians though), fried plantains (amazing), and mushrooms (pretty good), guacamole (can't go wrong with this). My friends also ordered a couple of seafood dishes that looked great and they seemed happy with read more

Cha Cha Cha - Cheese quesadilla w/guac & salsa, fried plantains, complimentary bread, mushrooms, etc - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Heard so much about this place! This establishment is loud and crowded with people, but in a good way. To continue with our drinking, we ordered sangria, the cajun shrimp and the fried plantains. The bartender was super chill and made sure our glasses were always full, which was dangerous because it was hard to keep count of what I actually drank. I could not get enough of the sangria. I am not a fan of bitter sangria and theirs was sweet enough to my liking. The cajun shrimp had a little kick with a little bit of a curry after taste, had tons of flavor. It actually could be even spicier. (tip: use the bread to sop up the sauce!) The fried plantains were delish!!! I was skeptical with it being served with black beans and sour cream but the combination was soooo yummy! I will definitely be going back to check out their full menu! read more

Cha Cha Cha - Yummy-ness!!! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

In the late 90s, this place was hip, hot and happening. It had lines out the door from the moment they opened and forget about anything less than a one hour wait - right? I went there with a friend recently and we were at first delighted at being able to score a table at 7:30 pm without a wait. Then we realized it looked a bit empty - for a Friday night? The service was inept - we were served by 3 different people, our orders were lost and mixed up. The food was not nearly as good as it was in the past and the sangria was sadly watered down. I can find better fried plantains elsewhere - and for less money. Cha Cha Cha has jumped the shark! read more

Considering how often I have been intoxicated in San Francisco over the last 10 years or so (especially in the Mission), you'd think this would have long been one of my usual watering holes. But nope! First timer here. My girlfriend and I split the following: - a pitcher of Sangria (non-negotiable) - fried calamari (crispy not greasy - would have liked some red sauce as well) - steamed black mussels (best broth ever - mussels were decent) - fried platanos (super generous serving!) - fried new potatoes (perfect carby goodness, but more variety of sauces would have been even better!) - jerk chicken (LOVE!!!!) I definitely want to come back and try more items on the menu - maybe not so carb heavy the next time so I can actually finish the damn pitcher like the champ that I am. I'm already making the list in my head as we speak. Can't wait! read more

Cha Cha Cha - First visit to Cha Cha Cha. I'm a little excited. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here on a double date with my best friend. We were hanging out around Mission and decided to give this place a try. It was pretty packed when we went so we sat at the bar and ordered and waited for a table. We just got little appetizers since we weren't that hungry. We ordered: Cajun Shrimp: MUST ORDER. The sauce is crack I swear. So creamy and great with beard Ceviche: Pretty good amount of seafood, but didn't look too fresh Marinated Chicken Wings: Sweet and salty, I liked it, very saucy. McCarthy's Burger: It was SOOO big, my best friend's boyfriend literally took 3 bites and was like I'm done. Comes with potatoes. Pitcher of Sangria: Fruity indeed, not too sweet, right tasting Great place to hang out with friends and watch the game. Love their appetizers, will come again and try more! read more

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I went here for my boyfriend's birthday and to be honest, I don't know why he chose this place. I was a bit excited because I've been told by other members of the Yelp community that this is a great place so I had a high expectation. However, my experience was a below average and not what I expected. First of all, I thought the high cost of price was reasonable because the plate was going to be huge servings. In fact, their servings are so small that I could eat it all by myself. The Cajun Shrimp was the best out of all the food I tried including the calamari. We also got rice and it's yummy with the Cajun Shrimp sauce on top of it. The Sangria was all right as well. We got a pitcher and finished it in a little bit. We were also ignored by waiters and the fan was blowing directly in front of our party which made our stay uncomfortable. read more

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*This is an unfinished review -- will revise the next time I have dinner at Cha3* 10:30 on a Saturday night, we headed down Mission for a nightcap. We figured that it wouldn't be crowded because for the last two times I've tried to have dinner at Cha3, the wait was ridiculously long -- a little over an hour. I wanted a mojitos or perhaps a sangria. We we seated right away. 10 minutes later, a plate of bread and butter arrived at our table. Mommy, bread.... mm mm, butter. Good. Another 5 minutes have passed. I pinched myself to make sure that we were not invisible. Finally after what seemed like forever and a day, the waitress took our order. The one thing we wanted, fried calamari, was out. So, we ended up with a plate of roasted spiced potatoes with aioli sauce and a pitcher of sangria. Oh yeah, I wanted a side of rice (spanish rice), but I was in the bathroom when my friends ordered so they got me jasmine rice instead. I admit, it was a bit weird to have a plate of rice, but I added a little butter and I was satisfied. Sangria is yummy and cheap, too. $12 for half a pitcher and $21 for a pitcher. The fruit is soaked in alcohol.... the way I like it :-)! Will definitely have dinner here soon. I just hope that the service will be better... we'll see. read more

Well at least this Cha Cha Cha doesn't have a scary bartender chick begging for tips (refer to review of Cha Cha Cha on Haight Street). http://www.yelp.com/biz/cha-cha-cha-san-francisco-2#hrid:sEVV1R7WLiKmPuHLruvltQ Other than that, food is okay. Although, It is roomier than the one on Haight. If you do go, go with a big group, drink a lot of alcohol, and then it may get good. Otherwise, you could probably find a better place for tapas. read more

Happy hour is pretty amazing here! My classmates and I got a pitcher of red sangria, its delicious! its a good balance of red wine to fruit. I would say its a creeper, i had 2 glasses, felt nothing...fell asleep and woke up at midnight, slightly drunk still. We shared the calamari and fries(?) A bit hazy on the fries. The calamari was pretty standard, it had a good coating and it was fresh and crispy. But its not like i was blown away by it. Service was good, all the waiters are so friendly. And they gave us extra sangria because we just finished our finals and were in dire need of a drink! I will definitely come back here in the future for HH!! read more

I actuallyyyy like this location better than Haight for some reason. maybe i just had a better time here. The place was packed but luckily our friends were already in and had a table ready. the bar is hugeeeee and circular. the place is pretty loud...so I'm shouting when I'm trying to talk to people. we had the sangria, creeper. the shrimp- still delicousssss and the sauceeee with bread is OMGGGG YUM. jerk chicken- moist, but not sure if it was flavorful but still good. the spinach salad?- pretty good, get the veggies in. seafood paella- alright not bad plantains- i'm not a fan but its good I think thats all we had....overall great atmosphere, nice ppl all around. got super lucky with parking only a block away! yes the wait might be long because of ppl like us who were done eating but weren't done drinking and sat there for probably an hour extra =/ sorry! don't be mad at the hostess! read more

I came here for a mini reunion with my old coworkers. Wow, this place is amazing. We got 2 pitchers of sangria for 6 girls, I'm a fan! All the alcohol is in the fruits so if you want to get to a good level of tipsy, I definitely recommend eating the fruits. As for food, I ordered the Cajun Shrimp and shared the Calamari. Wow, let me talk about the Cajun Shrimp. IT IS SO BOMB. I can eat that and just bread for the whole meal, it's like nonstop goodness! The calamari came with a nice dip. But with the cajun shrimp, I could barely concentrate on the calamari. I ate about half the cajun shrimp and brought the rest home. It's like something between a curry and boiling crab sauce. It is so amazing, out of anything on the menu, definitely go for the cajun shrimp. read more

I ordered a Paella. Believe me, I've tried so many Paellas in my life and this is the worst. I feel I wasted $19.00 :/ So unsatisfied. read more

Forever will you be my all-time favorite, ChaX3!!!! Your cajun shrimp & especially the creamy sauce keep me SMITTEN FOR LIFE! Oh how perfect life is when there's just enough bread to keep on dippin... simply mouth watering..((SIGH))!!! Lastly, big smooches to your pitcher de sangria! The chilled red wine is so refreshing and delightful, & the infused fruits keep me giggling all night long! To reiterate, Cha Cha Cha... you are my one and only!!! read more

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If you beat yourself up for eating carbs.. this is not the place for you. Cha Cha Cha's signature sangria pitchers, chicken wings, their cajun shrimp are what keep me coming back for more. That cajun shrimp sauce is CRACK, so so soo0o addicting. You'll eat more bread in one setting that you have in your entire week/life. I've tried most of the items on their menu and it's just OK for me. I do love that its a great space for a GNO/late bite to fuel up before going out to the bars on Mission afterwards. The restaurant itself is small, dark, and very intimate. There's a big full size bar that rests in the middle with tables and booths all around it. The parking situation is a hit or miss so I suggest to arrive early! They have a $75 dollar late charge for group parties (which I think is kinda ridiculous, but ok). read more

Cha Cha Cha - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

The steak was salty during my visit there however the ceviche was descent but not as good as Fresca. I had good company that evening. ha Sat at the counter by the bucket of sangria. After finishing off a pitcher of their sangria (fruits included), I started to get tipsy and my half eaten butter packet flew into the sangria (I think it sank to the bottom of the bucket) , I wonder how the buttered up sangria tasted that night. read more

Although I have to say I'm not really a big fan of their sangria, I love everything else. The spinach salad, the calamari, the pork quesadillas, you name it! The tapas menu is awesome. I've only tried their dinners one time, the steak dinner. It was way over cooked. No biggie, the rest of the menu makes up for it. The location also makes it great for bar hopping! Yeeeeeh! read more

This place was so loud I thought my head would explode. I couldn't hear the people I was sitting at the table with -- and they'd tried to cram 7 of us into a booth for 4. So I then joined the 7th wheel over at the bar, and proceeded to wait almost half an hour for the bartender to even look my way. (He was busy cleaning glasses, it seemed.) I was going to get a 2nd $9 vodka drink (with $2 of that being for the extra club soda. Ahem.) but again couldn't get the bartender's attention. I almost walked out without paying for the drink when I waited 20 more minutes to try to get the check, but he had my credit card, since I'd opened a tab. For those never-gotten other drinks I was deprived of. There's also a rule of 2 credit cards per check, which, having been a waitress, I totally get. But, they won't make 2 separate checks for a table (or those 2 credit cards). There seem to be a lot of signs blasting the "rules" of the establishment: this place is clearly cool enough that it can be picky about its customers, i guess. So the shrimp in spicy cream sauce was tasty, but the attitude and noise was just way too oppressive. Sorry, guys. Maybe I'd have been more amenable had I been able to get my drink on. read more

Sangria was good Surprisingly the chicken wings were my favorite. We also got the paella, jerk chicken and plantains...pretty good too. We were lucky and didn't have to wait for a table, but I've heard that the wait can be harsh. read more

First of all, let me start by saying, if you are in a hurry and need to be somewhere in an hour - don't come here. We went here for a date night on Saturday, before hitting the club with our friends. We also had a hard time finding parking, unless you want to pay $15 to park @ the old El Capitan, which is almost next door. We have always gone to the other Cha3 (Haight), so this was our first time here. We thought that since it was just my hubby and I we wouldn't have a problem getting seated. Boy was I wrong! That place was packed! Literally standing room only. The host told us that if we wanted to sit around the bar or kitchen, there might be some available seating. Otherwise the wait was going to be 2.5 hours! WHAT! We had our heart set on Cuban food, so we looked around and found one chair open around the bar. My hubby stood until we noticed the 2 people next to us were getting close to finishing up. That was about 15 minutes later. We ordered the plantanos maduros, Lechon Asado, and of course, Sangria! Everything was good. My hubby and I shared the Lechon Asado, and we took leftovers home. The service was awesome at the bar and we really didn't mind sitting at the bar. It was probably faster service than at the table. I tried making a reservation before we got there, but they don't take it unless you have a party of 8 or more. Just a word of warning, be prepared to wait. read more

I love coming here with a big group because you can literally order one of everything on the menu. Some of my favorites tapas are the steamed mussels, cajun shrimp, fried plantains. I also thought the paella and steak quesadilla was pretty good. You can always count on this pace to be busy and have a lively atmosphere...great place to start your night or even make a night out of it. read more

3 and a smidge stars, really. I hadn't been here in a couple years and just went back this past november and the food was different. The menu items were the same but the recipes were so not. The potatoes? I was almost embarrassed after I raved about them and insisted we get them. The calamari was different too - only the ring and flat pieces, no little squiddies. I was super bummed. In the past, I would have 5 starred this place but with how crowded it was and how little they care where they shove you (comfort was not a factor during this dinner AT ALL) they get knocked down. I much prefer the Haight location for the decor but if the recipes are all changed, I might move on for my celebratory nights back in the City. Sad. read more

Cha Cha Cha - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

Came here with some friends the other day and it was pretty good. It wasn't anything to go crazy about or that I thought was incredible...but it was aight. I had a jalapeño margarita to start with and it was actually pretty good with a decent amount of booze in it. Definitely would go for that again. For the food, I got a chicken curry empanada that was pretty good. It came with a black bean sauce and a salad. Definitely devoured it and would most likely order that again if I come back. Someone people in our group got the fajitas, which were the special for the night. They looked super good but literally came with the smallest tortillas ever. Definitely needs a better proportion of meat to tortilla. But I tried the meat and it tasted pretty good. Now given for what you get for food and drink it is kinda pricy....but so is all of SF...soooo can't really hold that against any place in the city. read more

Cha Cha Cha - Chicken curry empanada with black bean sauce and salad - Cocktail Bars Near Me - San Francisco, California

After a very very long night of climbing ... mostly because fools showed up an hour and a half later stoned and expecting me to belay them - we stayed at the gym till almost 10:30. Since walking an extra block to the restaurant the boys had in mind was too much for me, we dove in here. Luckily the kitchen was still willing to serve and the 5 of us ordered 6 plates of tapas. I'm not sure if the food really was that delicious or if we were just that hungry, but we cleaned those plates like it was going out of style. Everything was served quick and piping hot. Fried calamari - delicious!! And not full of tentacles which freaks me out when they get stuck in my teeth. Black mussels - very tasty. I enjoyed the dipping sauce but by the time I hit these up, I was starting to get full. BBQ chicken Quesadilla - a meal in itself. Very good and generous with the meat. Fried platanos maduros - these delighted the Peruvian and in turn delighted me. The burnt parts were pretty tasty. Ceviche del dia - not bad. Tasted fresh and had plenty of seafood ... not just 2 pieces of shrimp on a bed of veggies. Marinated chicken wings - probably the most boring of everything we ordered, but still pretty darn good. Will definitely be back and next time will partake in the sangria. Glad to see it's a late night joint. read more

This place is awesome. I've been here only a handful times and I usually have their signature sangria and it's really good and pretty strong. The bartenders and servers are all friendly and nice. I remember the very first time I came here I requested to try a "special" cocktail that has a really weird name and only a few people have ever heard of, which didn't include our waitress or that night's bartender (I don't even remember the name of it anymore though)... well, it tasted horrible and I couldn't drink it so I told the waitress and she offered me a different drink, which was really nice of her. The food is awesome, though - everything on their menu is worth a try - I think I've tried every one of their tapas items (except the mussels) and I like the chicken wings the most. The other day I was sitting at the bar and a guy on my left ordered the paella; my mouth watered it looked so good... that's what I'm definitely trying next time I come back. Every night seems to be packed and it gets loud in here, not ideal for first dates... but great for a really chill spot to hang out with friends. Happy Hour! My only complaint: parking can really suck but Bart makes up for it. read more

It's never a bad time to have tapas. We came to Cha Cha Cha only to find this location just as crowded as the Haight St. location, even though it's a larger venue. They quoted us an hour long wait. Well it was Saturday night after all. We thanked them and left to search for another place to eat and instead ended up strolling around the neighborhood for forty minutes. When we returned, our table was ready. *sigh of relief For larger parties, they do take reservations, which would probably be wise. Judging from the outside, it looks like another neighborhood bar. From the inside, it does too. The horseshoe-shaped bar spans the entire length of the restaurant, and it was perhaps commandeered by a slew of frat boys emitting raucous sound effects from very healthy lungs. Tables flank either side of the bar. We shared some sangria and small plates, which are indeed small, and a bit difficult to share if you are hungry for a full meal. $12 Cajun Shrimp in spicy cream sauce - The shrimp were tender and sweet, but the sauce was even better. It was thick, creamy, full of flavor, and great with bread. The shrimp are completely covered in sauce, so there's plenty of sauce leftover for bread dipping. I just wish there were more shrimp in the bowl. $14 Steamed Black Mussels in garlic, tomatoes, herbs & saffron broth - These mussels were small, but pretty good and springy. Again, the broth was even better than the shellfish. It was also great with bread. $9.25 Fried Platanos Maduros w/ black beans & sour cream - Fried hot bananas were soft and sweet. They were doused in black beans & sour cream was drizzled on top, so I almost didn't recognize the plate. The beans & cream are also great for dipping bread. Ok, not really. But most here sauces are excellent with bread. I'd come back during an off-peak time to try the ceviche or possibly happy hour. I wouldn't wait an hour for a table... again. read more

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