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    Chao Pescao

    4.3 (360 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated 3 weeks ago

    Order Chao Pescao Takeout or Delivery

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    Business Info

    CHAO PESCAO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups

    Recommended Reviews - Chao Pescao

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    Reviews With Photos

    Happy Hour menu
    Kim S.

    Cute restaurant. Great Happy Hour. Plenty of choices for drinks. We shared the empanadas. Tried steak, chicken, pork and veggie. All were good, chicken was my fave. Service was slow even though there was sufficient staff.

    Very tart
    Jack R.

    Restaurant Week 2026 This is what my coworker and I chose to explore Restaurant Week....so here we are. I had the beef empanada, pork salad (Havana salad), and rice pudding. Wow, the most underwhelming tasteless (as in no flavor) empanada and salsa I've ever had. My coworker said the same thing about her empanada. This was supposed to be shredded flask steak and it was like some tasteless thing I would expect from a tin can from camping minus the views and fresh air. The salad was actually decent. Notice I said salad and NOT the shredded pork on top of it. What is with the meat here? Don't get me started on the rice pudding dessert that looks like oatmeal that you'd get at a prison somewhere. Both of us disliked it. It tasted like mushy cinnamon with raisins. HARD skip on this. The normal price for their rice pudding dessert is $12 which is laughable. You'd have to pay me $12 to eat this, and I still wouldn't do it! Cubano sandwich that my coworker had was a "meh and oh" of surprise. She said it was basically unevenly seasoned where the bites of pork that were seasoned were good, but the bites that didn't had no flavor. See a pattern here? No flavor. She liked the bread and shoestring fries though. The lemonade and Arnold palmer that we both had were very tart and not worth the $8. Service was one waiter who didn't refill out water, and who was running from table to table. It started of empty but then he had like 5 tables to attend to, which included ours. For the price, quality, and taste of the food it's a hard NO for me. I couldn't imagine paying regular price for this. I felt robbed paying the restaurant week prices let alone regular prices LOL

    Empanadas (3)
    Mike P.

    Ate here before watching a show at Orpheum Theater nearby. Place has a cool Latin-Caribbean vibe and lively atmosphere. Capacity was almost full but the staff was always attentive. The food was very good even though I only had appetizers. Will come back again for the full meal experience.

    Tajín Fried Chicken

    The infatuation brought us here and we were not disappointed! Super cute restaurant and the food was delicious. Not pictured are the x2 Dos Mariposas cocktails I ordered!!

    Tarta de Queso sin Azucar
    Teri K.

    Great spot for dinner before a show! Copa Havana cocktail= smoky pineapple sweetness, Empadanas... All good but the pork one was the best, the fried chicken = crispy goodness with super flavorful rice& beans. And surprisingly delicious low sugar cheesecake was the perfect way to end the meal. Would definitely come back! Extra perk is $5 validated parking!

    Steak Sandwich
    Christian R.

    Came to Chao Pescao for a team lunch of eight people. We had a reservation, so we were seated pretty fast! Let's start with the food: I got the Pan con Bistec, a nice steak sandwich with thin cut fries ($22). The sandwich was pretty good! The steak was nice and tender, and the sauce on the sandwich was super tasty. I appreciated the fresh veggies and the crispy bread. I wish there was a bit more steak on the sandwich, but overall it was good. The fries were crispy and well salted. We also got brussels sprouts for the table. I'm not too sure what the sauce was, but it was delicious, and the sprouts themselves were very crisp. These were the best thing we ate. The service is really the only downside to this restaurant. Sure, we had eight people at the table, but it took so. long. to get our food--about 45 minutes to an hour. Many at our table were talking about the long wait. At one point a waitress spilt a bit of water on our table and did not try to clean it, or even give us anything to clean the spill. It wasn't a big deal, but just not the best experience overall. So, yeah, I think you can come here for pretty good food but this may not be your best option if you're planning on a quick bite for a lunch break.

    Yuca Frita
    Vivian L.

    Came here for a team lunch. We made reservations for 8 people and had to wait a few minutes for the table to be set up when we got there. We enjoyed the appetizers more than the actual meal itself. We ordered the Colombian style chicharron, empanadas, yuca frita, and Maduros. They were all so delicious but I think my favorite was the chicharron with the sauce that they had. Majority of us got the sandwich and did not enjoy it too much, it was a bit dry and plain, and smaller than we thought. I got the pan con bistec (ribeye) sandwich and it was plain & dry. All of us ordered drinks and they were very strong (which is good LOL). I got the mango tango drink. Service was fine, a little bit on the slower side (and restaurant was empty). The restaurant has two restrooms and only street parking. They also have parking validation for $5 too.

    Delicious Caesar salad!
    Sondra H.

    Came here before a show at the Orpheum Theater. Shared the pork empanadas and a Caesar salad with shrimp. The pork empanadas were especially tasty and came with a hot sauce that was equally tasty, but I have to say I enjoyed the empanadas by themselves. The Caesar salad was delicious and I was disappointed that it was such a small portion. I would definitely go back and try other dishes that I saw on other tables!

    Tostones with pistachio salsa verde: 4 stars Wish
    Eve K.

    Latin with Cuban and Colombian influences with a fun happy hour. 3.5 stars Food: 4 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 3 Cost to worth it rating: 4.5 for HH Opentableable: yes Return worthiness: sure for hh Highlights: - Happy hour: good amount of food and drink on the menu plus discounted drinks on standard menu. Appreciate timing going til 6pm - Cocolatl Maize cocktail: excellent cinnamony rich version of an old fashioned. 5 stars - Empanadas: tried one of each pork, beef, chicken, and veggie. All were great with a crispy exterior that was gluten free too. Beef and pork were the faves if we had to choose. 4 stars - Pork arepa: lots of shredded pork in between nice masa patties. 4 stars - Tostones: thicker version than the typical flat but loved the green salsa with pistachio. 4 stars - Close to war memorial or Davies for shows - Staff: super nice and helpful - Gluten free: most items which is great for us where that's friendlier to our stomachs Midlights: - Happy hour: in bar area only but didn't note that on the website - Bar area kind of dark: hard to read the menu - Atmosphere: was pretty dead on a Thursday night Lowlights: - Steak arepa: bit hard to eat even though steak was thin was hard to bite into. 3 stars - Pao de bono: usually love there but flavor was lacking and a bit tough too. 3 stars Wish the vibe was more energetic but food and drinks were fine and had a good time.

    Southbeach
    Mercedes Y.

    One of the friends referred Chao Pescao. So I made a reservation for 5 people at 4 pm. After watching the MJ Broadway Musical, we walked to McAllister. We got our bar table. We told the server if we can take the regular table since 3 were ordering from the regular menu & 2 were ordering from the happy hour menu. The Happy Hour was from 3-6 pm. The other lady approached us and said since we were earlier she was doing it as an exception giving us the regular table. A friend remembered being at this restaurant while on jury duty years ago. The wall decors were colorful & interesting to enjoy the dining room. The restroom was neutral and had nice wall decor. The server Carolina came and helped us with the cocktail drinks. We ordered Pina Colada, Mojito for me, Southbeach, Draft Beer (I forgot the name). I got the 4 special empanadas with beef, chicken, pork & veggies for $10. They were 3/4 size bites from the regular. They did not have this on the Happy Hour menu but one regular empanada for $5. From the regular menu, my friends have the BISTEC DE PALOMILLA, CEMITA POBLANA, Cubano sandwich, Yuca Frita & Hamburguesa from Happy Hour menu. The drinks were delicious. My empanadas had good delicious filling. The salsa complemented the empanadas. My friends enjoyed their steak, sandwiches and burgers. We took our time eating & drinking. When we were done, the server came with her tablet. We told her we were paying individually. So she came around us and 3 paid with their credit cards & my other friend & I paid in cash. My friends who paid with credit cards added tips. Even I added another cash for tip. But the other girl did not give tip. A friend who paid with credit card was calculating how she paid so much with no cocktail just sandwich. So we called the attention of the server. When we revisited how much we paid, we did not know there was the mandatory gratuity 20% included and added tip on top of the total. The server apologized telling us they had not updated the system yet. She was nice adjusting each one's credit card payment and she gave my cash for the tip back. I would give 5 stars but we don't want this kind of service. Yes the ambiance & food & the service were good until this glitch happened & wasted our time. I will give another chance Chao Pescao in the future if we are in the area for shows but we will be cautious how the bill would be paid.

    Thu N.

    Solid spot for Latin Caribbean cuisine in the Civic Center area, especially when it comes to happy hour deals between 3-6PM! recs: empanadas price: ~$30/person We came by for happy hour on a Friday and didn't have a problem walking in, although the space filled up super quickly closer to 6PM. Chao Pescao is located conveniently near all the bustle of Market St but has a beautiful view of the community garden and City Hall that you should totally check out. - Chicharron: For $15 at happy hour, this was unanimously agreed upon as a shockingly large portion. Paired well with the pickled veggies and red onion that came with it, but personally I thought it was a tad dry. - Tostones: Fried plantains that were sweet and savory and taken to the next level with the avocado-pistachio salsa that came with it. - Empanadas: Both the beef and vegetable empanadas were spectacular and each one came with their own sauce. The crust was perfectly thin and crispy, and the filling was plentiful and piping hot. Seriously considered getting more of these. - Pan de Bono: Got this just to try -- it was surprisingly bouncy and savory, like a dinner roll but 10x better. Service was decent despite the busy dinner crowd! So glad we got to try this spot!

    Yuca Fries
    Andres N.

    Had a delicious lunch here with great service. This place definitely makes it feel like an escape. It doesn't feel like you're in Civic Center or let alone SF in general. I had been intrigued by this place after learning about them having Colombian food. We tried an empanada, a steak sandwich and a side of yuca fries. Our server was very kind and pleasant and overall this was a fun escape and place to be with delicious Caribbean/Colombian bites and a well crafted cocktail menu. I enjoyed being here and looking forward to coming back to try more items! They also have a happly hour during the weekdays that I wanma try.

    Pan De Bono

    In the area for a matinee show at the Orpheum Theatre and since it was nearby, we wanted to check it out. After scoping out the menu, we settled on four items: quinoa y aguacate (salad), cubano (sandwich), empanadas vallunas de cerdo, and pan de bono. After our orders were taken, the pacing of our orders came out timely. The restaurant is vibrant and airy. Our favorites were the salad and empanadas. We chose fries with the sandwich. The fries were salty towards the bottom. Since everything was freshly made, we barely made a dent on the pan. We took the rest of the pan to go but had to surrender it when the theatre didn't allow outside food. Will come back again should we be in the area and try other items.

    Cubano Sandwich

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    Chao Pescao Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Chao Pescao

    When is happy hour and is there a menu published anywhere? I don't see it in the website...

    They are all on their website.

    What will your hours be around the upcoming holidays?

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

    RT Rotisserie

    RT Rotisserie

    4.2
    (892 reviews)
    0.5 mi
    $$

    5 but with a caveat (hoping mgmt sees this).... Their salads and food are the absolute BEST. We…read moreplacen an order most weeks for the office. The one catch --- the rotisserie chicken can be really greasy and/or they are even adding more oil directly into the salads (this happens even when you're ordering w/ salad dressing on the side).

    Order their Rotisserie chicken! It's a waste to order anything else because that's their specialty…read moreand it's just so good. I came with a group of 7, and they were able to seat us pretty quickly. We ordered: A whole rotisserie chicken, the RTR Rice Bowl, the Chicken soup, the fried chicken sandwich, the seared broccoli, the rotisserie fat rice, and the shredded cabbage & almond. Best Dishes: The Rotisserie chicken and the Shredded cabbage & almond. The rotisserie chicken skin is really crispy and delicious, we were all fighting over who gets to eat the skin. The chicken is so juicy, it's really the best rotisserie chicken I've had. We understand why this place is so well regarded. The shredded cabbage is definitely the best side and we should've gotten another order, as we quickly finished ours and were basically licking the bowl clean. Worst: The rotisserie fat rice and the chicken soup. The rice was basically untouched and none of us wanted to eat it. It's ok, just falls short compared to the other sides. The soup was also ok, it's just a huge bowl and it felt like a waste stuffing ourselves with that when there were other better dishes. The rice bowl was pretty good, and is really good value. It's yummy and a good meal for 12.50. It's a very casual place, you order at the cashier and find a table and seat yourself there. Great for a quick lunch.

    Photos
    Inside View of Restaurant
    Inside View of Restaurant
    RTR Salad $10.50 + Chicken $4.25; iced tea $4.00
    RTR Salad $10.50 + Chicken $4.25; iced tea $4.00
    Roasted Cauliflower $9.50

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    Roasted Cauliflower $9.50
    MIXT

    MIXT

    3.5
    (287 reviews)
    1.6 mi
    $$

    I came in specifically for the seasonal items and let me tell you... mission fully accomplished…read more My two picks were the Sonoma Salad and the Bangkok Bowl, and WOW -- both delivered in totally different (but equally amazing) ways. If you're craving something refreshing, light, and fruity, the Sonoma is a must. The pears take it to the next level and give it that perfect sweet, crisp bite that makes every forkful feel extra refreshing. It's the kind of bowl you order when you want to feel bright and satisfied. Now if you're in the mood for something warm, crunchy, and nutty, the Bangkok Bowl is your girl. The texture, the richness, the cozy vibes -- chef's kiss. It's hearty without being heavy and hits all the comfort-food notes. And can we talk about portions?! These bowls are NO joke. I swear I made a huge dent in mine, looked down thinking I was almost done... only to realize I basically still had a whole second meal left. Instant take-home win. On top of all that, the staff is super friendly, the space is clean, bright, and welcoming, and the whole experience just feels good from start to finish. I came for the seasonal menu but I'll definitely be back for everything else too. If you're debating what to order: Sonoma for fresh + fruity, Bangkok for warm + crunchy -- you truly can't go wrong!

    Salad bar? Excuse me, no. Salad LOUNGE. This is upper class salad that had a good childhood and…read morewent to a private school. I say this not in jest, but envy. This is the salad we wish we could have everyday. The main part of the restaurant is your standard table and booth situation, but off to the side is a darker, cozier arrangement of plush chairs and couches. The tables are a bit low and awkward to eat at, but the ambiance is immaculate. You can even get beer and wine here to complete the vibe. I will always love a MIXT salad. The ingredients are fresh, well-prepared, and fairly portioned. You can eat well and healthily and it's not unreasonably priced. I still mourn the loss of the green Goddess dressing... But I'll keep coming back regardless. It's that good.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Bangkok Bowl
    Bangkok Bowl
    ORCHARD

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    ORCHARD
    MIXT

    MIXT

    3.8
    (23 reviews)
    2.9 mi

    I'm actually giving this spot a 3.5 but rounding up to 4 because the Agua Fresca was excellent as…read morewell as portion sizes and packaging were on point for delivery. So while I can't speak to in person service or decor the delivery is on point. My peachy salad was just ok. The chicken was cold and not crunchy, and the cornbread crumbles were not crunchy at all, like kind of in between stale and crunchy... weird combo. Peaches and pickled onions were awesome though. The dressings that it came with which were a bbq sauce and some type of special ranch also were a weird combo, glad it was on the side vs in the salad itself otherwise I'm not sure I would have eaten it. Crispy cauliflower was good but definitely not crispy at all! Probably got softer on delivery but definitely not something that should be advertised as crispy when it's not... The saving item was my carrot ginger agua fresca- this was amazing! Loved it, that gets a 5/5. Food is 3/5.

    Mixt opened up a branch in the Inner Sunset and my hubby wanted to try them. We had the Napa…read moreSandwich featuring grilled chicken, sliced apples, cheddar cheese, walnut pesto, arugula and aioli. So delicious with lots of texture--tangy, crunchy and fresh from the apples. We also tried their Falaf 2.0 (salad) which is refreshing with some sweetness (grapes) and creaminess (avocado) combined with a zesty lemon tahini sauce. Really enjoyed the different flavors of agua fresca here. Spacious and clean interior with a cool SF landscape mural. Service was also friendly. Located on 9th Ave and Lincoln Way.

    Photos
    MIXT
    FALAF 2.0 SALAD (vegan)
    FALAF 2.0 SALAD (vegan)
    BACHELOR SALAD

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    BACHELOR SALAD

    Chao Pescao - caribbean - Updated July 2026

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