I absolutely enjoyed the food and the ambiance. Pros: I loved every single dish I've ordered. The service was decent, not quick however some of the dishes were made to order. The waitresses were friendly, and were always smiling. I enjoyed the live DJ, I was grooving while waiting for my foods. You can request how you want your steak to be done. Cons: there's only one restroom. The juices especially the passion fruit juice was way too sweet for my liking. staff are limited in the English language. This is the Mission District you can't expect fine dining, just point to what you wanna order if you don't speak Spanish. I highly recommend that restaurant. read more

El Rinconcito Nicaraguense - Garlic Shrimp dish - Nicaraguan Near Me - San Francisco, California

First time dining at this restaurant. Didn't know what to expect other than the other reviews on Yelp. My friend ordered the "carne asada" plate that comes with rice and beans (or gallo pinto- rice and red beans mixed together) choice of sweet plantains or green plantains and fried Nicaraguan cheese. BUT, she was told there was no fried cheese. NO FRIED CHEESE? WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO FRIED CHEESE? A Nicaraguan restaurant with no fried cheese is like an Italian restaurant with no pasta. Or an Asian Restaurant with no rice. I thought...you're in the Mission where there is a plethora of Latin stores that sell it. Management: no excuses...send someone to go to one of these stores and get yourself a huge block of frying cheese if your restaurant ran out of inventory. She ordered green plantains and she got sweet plantains. The gallo pinto she said was salty. On to my order...I ordered the "nacatamale" which is the Nicaraguan tamale. I admit it was good. The masa on this dish determines if this dish is good and the masa on this one was good. Descent size and fixings inside. The waitress was cordial. However, I paid with a card and I wanted to add her tip on there and she said I could not. I don't carry cash and neither does my bestie so, thank goodness she had a few dollars and we explained to her that's all we had. Management please enable your customers to add the tip to the card. All in all, I don't think I'd hurry and come back. The thing is I know how to cook and I am quite particular about what is considered good food. This was just ok. At least I had a break from the kitchen. But that's about it. read more

Came to this place because I was craving Nicaraguan food. Staff is friendly but a little slow. I ordered the Bajo and although thats a tough dish to make as far as flavor I was pleasantly surprised how good it was. The yuca was nice and soft and the meat was delish. My husband got Carne en salsa de Jalapeno(beef in an jalapeno sauce) and loved it. It came with rice, beans and tostones. Prices are also very reasonable. We're definitely going back. When I went on a Sunday there was no DJ but some old school Spanish music playing which I enjoyed. read more

Gallo pinto is off the hook, the meat was overcooked, did not offer cheese nor salsa nor tortillas

I ordered a tamal, I was disappointed. It was mushy and the chicken was bland, not worth $8

The first time I came they were not open on time so I left. Couple weeks later came back and they were open on time so I ordered the carne asada plate. Usually the cheese is fried but they don't have any of that cheese so they substituted it with queso fresco. The steak is seasoned and cooked very well. The cabbage was salty but the plantains cut that salty taste a bit. Overall it's a solid 4 stars. I'd come back if in the area. read more

El Rinconcito Nicaraguense - Carne asada plate 8/10 - Nicaraguan Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food was delicious the best Nicaraguan restaurant in San Francisco I'd recommend this place to anyone looking for a delicious meal the food is so flavorful and mouthwatering I've been to a lot of different Nicaraguan restaurants but this one is my favorite by far , I'd recommend the churasco plate. read more

Be ready to enjoy loud music since it is a bar restaurant. The service even though a bit slow is good. My friend's dish was basic but the French fries which she loves were greasy, never seen her reject these since I've known her. My dish wasn't as good. The beef steak with sautéed onions was hard and most left uneaten. The accompanying items were good, though a bit salty. When time to pay the check I was asked if I wanted the meat to go but explained it was hard. The server apologized, and even though not expected, didn't offer to resolve the situation. I may not come back. read more

Was excited to try this spot, but both meals were extremely salty and tasted days old. The only fresh items were the plantains and fried cheese. read more

El Rinconcito Nicaraguense - Shredded Beef, rice, beans, plantains, fried cheese and cabbage salad. - Nicaraguan Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Authentic Nicaraguan food is almost impossible to to come by. This place checks every mark from the tejadas to the fried pork. Everything we ate was on point ! read more

The food was Amazing Delicious and so satisfying to the palate took my son for his birthday with a few newbies to Nicaraguan food they where so quiet during the meal they were totally satisfied Bring cash ! Cards charge extra and tip is only cash .. no English speaking person's but that wasn't an issue..GREAT FOOD read more

I would avoid this place at all costs. I came in for the first time with my dad today & we were beyond disappointed. To start we came in and noticed there wasn't even a cook in the kitchen which made us skeptical to even order anything.... We did not want to order something that would be re heated.... We ended up ordering 2 nacatamales & cacao. The nacatamales were nasty & had orange masa... I will say the pork was good but you know the masa is what makes a nacatamale... As for the Cacao, it tasted like it was made with burnt cacao beans & I didn't even want to drink it. No amount of sugar they put in it could have hid that burnt flavor..... We waited about 30mins for the food to come out which was surprising considering we were the only 2 people there. The music they had blasting was one bad song after the next..... horrible experience & I will never go back. read more

Took my fiancé to celebrate 6 months in the USA. We met in Nicaragua a long time ago so we wanted to go for some of her countries dishes Had the churrasco, one of her favorite plates. The carne asada was really good, loved that I could taste the charbroiled flavors on the meat. The churrasco sauce was a little bitter/vinegary for us for how we like it but was still good. Had tostones with queso, they were out of the fried cheese but the substitution was good. With the loud music , many nica songs, and the cold toñas (national beer) my fiancé definitely felt at home. Pretty close to some of our favorite restaurants back in nica .. a 4 star I feel is deserved here Service was good and we will be returning read more

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I got the opportunity to visit this restaurant this weekend with my family. The food was amazing and the portions are huge. The ambiance was nice and chill the music was nice not too loud and was able to eat and hear some nice Hispanic tunes. The service was okay. There was time that I had to get up twice to get a waiter to my table. read more

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Avoid this place at all costs! The food and customer service is not worth the visit. I ate there recently and when the waiter came to my table and gave me the tab, I left cash on the tray. While my wallet was out and I was taking out my cash I accidentally left my card behind and left. Anyone with common sense would know that a card left behind is accidental. However, when I returned to retrieve my card, I found out that the waiter kept the $40 (meal was $32) and also charged my card. So my dinner for two turned out to be $72.00! I spoke with the waiter who admitted seeing the money and denied there was $40, she lied and said there was only $15, despite me having a witness. When I spoke with the manager, I told him what happened and he had the audacity to be rude and offensive. He told me there's nothing I can do and just walked away rudely. Overall, not an experience I expected. The staff was rude and very shady. Definitely not a local business worth supporting and they are definitely not customer service orientated. read more

Authentic Nicaraguan food in a friendly casual atmosphere. If you haven't tried it don't skip the fried cheese, sweet plantains and agua Fresca read more

The food is very good, the service is excellent, but being there is worse than a concert. The music is so loud that you really can't enjoy the food. I think it's better to go eat at a market than to be here. I definitely don't recommend it. They should tone down the sound! You go to dinner quietly, and if you try to talk to the person you're with, they can't even hear you! read more

Suuuper salty carne, gallo pinto tasted like fish, cacao did not taste safe to drink and the beans were embarrassing. I used to come here before and I was really looking forward to yummy Nicoya food. But I don't know what happened. It was basically inedible. So bummed. Also all of the tables were dirty. No service. Why bother. Should've gone to Oye Managua for some Nicoyan soul food. read more

We order a "sopa de Res" and it took them 1 hour. At this point seems like we are leaving and they never serve it. So disappointed.... The environment was weird lot of people screaming and drinking. Don't think is a kids's friendly "restaurant" ... just go somewhere else... read more

I ordered buneolos because my food wasn't coming out and I was super hungry, don't remember what I had but the music was loud so I went to turn it down, some guy got upset and said I shouldn't touch it, I said, it's too loud, that I didn't come here to listen to music but to eat. By the time my food came out I was ready to leave. I'm not a cook but I could do better than the food I had, and the service sucked to high heaven. No, I don't recommend this place. read more

Chancho con yucca Carne a la parrilla con camarones Pollo a la parrilla con gallo pinto y papa frita read more

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My best friend's mother knows the owner here. Good portions and tasty food. Weekends they have loud music and a DJ. I would come back on a weekday when it's quiet or get to go. The bathroom lock doesn't work. read more

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First let me start with the food. I personally enjoyed it, it tasted like a home cooked meal. My kids thought the gallo pinto was crunchy so they didn't like it but I like it that way. Now the service. The food came out pretty quick but I swear the guy that helped us either hates his job or hates people. Not one smile, barely said a word and looked like he was just not happy with us. Silverware came after food so we just sat there staring at our food until they came out with it. Overall it was pretty good. They had a live dj playing jams. read more

It was great to see that despite the current pandemic, this spot is still open and continues to serve incredible Nicaraguan food. The same friendly waiter was there from the previous years and it was nice to see the restaurant was able to keep their staff. We ordered their huge plates of food - I went for the Steak and Onions: this arrived with rice, beans, slaw, fried plantains and fried cheese...this is an absolute calorie disaster, but well worth it! Everything is seasoned to perfection and tastes homemade. I definitely recommend anyone who wants to have a unique experience in cuisine, give this place a try! read more

let's start off with the soup took one hour to come out . the carne was so dry like and hard , i came here with my family looking forward to good authentic Nicoya food but was disappointed with the service and the cleanliness was disturbing. very small place do not bring big groups.!!!! i will not be eating here again i feel sick ! read more

This is a good place to try some food from Nicaragua. This place has my favorite soda Milca which is a red cream soda. I ordered the pork plate with fried cheese and rice and beans also known as gallo pinto. I will have to try the other plates next time. read more

El Rinconcito Nicaraguense - Nicaraguan Near Me - San Francisco, California

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We love eating in the City and eating Nicaraguan food so we wanted to give this place a try and here we go. Location: 5 stars, anything in the Mission District is a 5 star. Service: It appeared they're understaffed, they had 1 server and several tables waiting to have their order taken. Good service, friendly and polite. Ambiance: inside is a good size place with your traditional Latino restaurant decorations. A little revamp wouldn't hurt but it's decent. Food: The food was decent, not better than La Tinajas. I ordered the Carne Asada plate (Beef, Gallo Pinto, salad, Maduros and Fried Cheese). The Gallo pinto was good and flavorful. No complaints besides the cheese was too greasy. As if the slice was too thin so it absorbed too much oil. So every bit you can feel the oil leak out. I make it at home and I never had this problem unless I cut it too thin. I was only give 3 pieces of maduros which is too little when you compre the Tajadas portion. We also ordered the Lengua en Salsa and the taste wasn't there. The flavor of Ketchup and Mustard was too potent. As if it were sautéed in Ketchup & Mustard instead of fresh tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. Sad because we were hoping it would be our 2nd go to place. To some these things might not be a big deal, but Nicaraguan food is delicious and packed with flavor, so it's disappointing when places fall short or miss the mark on flavor. read more

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Had a fun and memorable time here for dinner with a friend! There were lots of Latinx families and older folks, who were playing music and dancing. Service is very friendly and a bit slow, which can be part of the charm if you're not in a hurry. And the FOOD! Absolutely loved their beans and plantains. I ordered the steak fillet with a creamy, jalapeño sauce and my friend got the beef tongue with a tangy, red sauce. Great flavors and portions, definitely left with a happy tummy. Can't wait to come back to try more of their menu! read more

El Rinconcito Nicaraguense - steak fillet with jalapeño sauce - Nicaraguan Near Me - San Francisco, California

So I'm not here to suck my mom up or anything but I genuinely think that no one can recreate what she dishes out from her kitchen.. no one! I grew up my entire life around Nicoya's and eating at different cousins' house and family friends but nothing compared. My mom just has this touch. Sadly, I live far away from her now so I've been missing it. I've been living in SF for over 20 years and have been to every damn Nicaraguense spot in the city (las tinajas, oye Managua, etc) but none live up to my expectations. This was, until I stumbled upon this spot! The Carne Asada literally is seasoned EXACTLY the same way my mothers is. So damn delicious! Even the beans and curtido taste very flavorful! Finally a taste of home. Im happy I found this gem and can't wait to try the other things in the menu! read more

El Rinconcito Nicaraguense - Carne Asada plate - Nicaraguan Near Me - San Francisco, California

I am a San Francisco native. I am also Nicaraguan. I have been to most Nicaraguan restaurants in San Francisco area. I have been to this restaurant a dozen times and was Very impressed with the cuisine. The last few visits were disappointing...TODAY...being the WORST! There was only ONE server for about 25 to 30 ppl in the restaurant. It took about 30 minutes to even be acknowledged. Then the server came and took our order and informed us that they did not have "maduro" plantains, that by the way, are listed on almost every item on the menu. There is a fruit and vegetables stand 4 doors away where they can go buy it. We then asked for a substitution since they did not have part of the meal included, the server told us that they take no substitutions. Regardless if the order was complete or not. We then waited another 30 minutes without even receiving our drinks or some kind of appetizer while we wait. The server would not even have eye contact with us. Then he served 2 other people that were seated after we arrived. When we finally got our meal, our meals were incorrect. We brought it to that server's attention and he never came back with the items that were missing. There are no condiments on the table. The server had absolutely no contact with us during the whole time we were there we had to flag him down to get his attention to even get a salt shaker. As we finished our meal, the owner walks in, doesn't acknowledge us. Runs to put on his server hat... Sees us with long faces and obviously pissed off...again, no acknowledgment. At this point, we have asked for to go boxes and the check. He gives us our boxes. After 20 minutes he looks at us and signals to us if we wanted the check. Well...yes! If we want to-go boxes, then we want to pay and leave! As he is writing out our tab, we remind him that we are waiting for a to-go plate that we ordered at the beginning to be ready by the time we finished eating. We decided that we would cancel the order since it wasn't ready as expected. He claims that it is done and would be right out. It took another 35 minutes to get the plate that we attempted to cancel for taking too long!! We purposely ordered the To-go platter ahead of time so it would be ready. Terrible..terrible service. I will not be back. Shame on you. Learn how to run a restaurant. read more

Best nicaragüense food ive tried in the city! Very homemade, taste just my grandma and my grandma KNOWS how to cook her nicaraguan food. Service was great, the owner is super sweet and friendly! The plates be full as heck too: queso, salada, carne asada, maduro! Oh & there cacao is 10/10 (: read more

El Rinconcito Nicaraguense - Nicaraguan Near Me - San Francisco, California

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If you want high quality Nicaraguan food, or if you've never had Nicaraguan food, brace yourself for some good grub at El Rinconcito Nicaraguense. Regulars and newcomers alike will love the tasty and filling typical dishes of Nicaragua, such as: gallopinto, queso frito, maduro frito, tajadas, nacatamales, carne desmenuzada, salpicon, empanadas de maduro. Enjoy some cold drinks such as cacao (a typical sweet cacao-based drink). Chia. Semilla de jicaro. Or enjoy a cold Nicaraguan beer, Toña. Nicaraguan desserts are a must. Examples are: buñuelos (a sweet syrup-covered treat made from fried Yucca). Or if you like your alcohol and dessert meshed together then order the Sopa Borracha "drunk soup". However, it's not soup. It is a sweet syrup-covered bread made with great rum from Nicaragua, Flor de Caña. You will not be disappointed, and you'll be back for more. read more

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Sometimes you're not feeling a taco or burrito in the Mission and just want something different. Loving how meat-intensive this Nicaraguan joint is. Plus the sides are huge with a ton of variety. A tad pricier than a burrito, but so worth it. Filete a la Plancha con Camarones: This felt like a throwback to Chili's, meat coming on a sizzling iron skillet. Loved the sizzle and smoke. The beef was pretty darn tasty too. Well done with nice grill marks, only mildly seasoned but tasted great with that pickled onion salsa on the table. The three shrimp were just ok, not seasoned much and not nearly as tasty as the steak. Loved all the "free" sides though. The mound of rice on the skillet was fun because the bottom got a little crispy (like bibimbap) and absorbed some of the tasty fat. The four large tostones were my favorite side by far, like steak frites but much better. And, of course, the creamy beans worked well with all that rice. The only thing I wasn't feeling was the "salad" which was basically shredded iceberg lettuce that was wet from water (instead of dressing) with one thick slice of tomato and one thin slice of beet. read more

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Mamas blancas kitchen fosho! I will never go anywhere else for Nicoya food period. Somethings are easier said with one word but yelp wants me to keep writing to make this a post so that's how good this place is!!! Just go there no regrets!!! read more

El Rinconcito Nicaraguense - Best food since my grandma made me this plate!!! Damn so mad it took me this long to find this spot, ugh! - Nicaraguan Near Me - San Francisco, California

Just visited this place for dinner this past Saturday with my family. My husband grew up in Nicaragua so is pretty particular. We were both blown away by the service and food quality at affordable prices. We were saddened when the "Nicaragua Restaurant" closed for good a few years ago. That was our go to spot. Once we arrived we were immediately seated and asked if we had questions. We had our 18 month old with us and they brought us over a high chair. Which I appreciated. We ordered chancho con yuca and churrasco to start! They also had a deal on Tona's so my husband got a bucket, I also had a glass of wine. Hey! It was pride weekend. They had a DJ spinning great Latin music in the back which we all enjoyed. Once the food came we were impressed with the amount. I shared my plate with our daughter and also shared with my husband. The taste was very fresh and flavors were wonderful. After trying the food my husband decided to order a nacatamale togo. I made it for his Sunday breakfast with toast and coke. He was one happy man! I also had a few bites before he devoured it, I was also satisfied with the flavor and size of the nacatamale for the price. We ordered all that food and had alcohol and a great time for about $60! We thought I was a steal. Typically that's what we spend on just the dinner plates at red ballon or las tinajas with a smaller portion. I love Nicaraguan food and have visited many times and this restaurant seems to be the most authentic I have had in SF. Please note I am not Nicaraguense however appreciate the food and culture. read more

El Rinconcito Nicaraguense - Our baby dancing and handing her daddy his beer - Nicaraguan Near Me - San Francisco, California

Llamé para ver si estaban atendiendo ya que siendo día feriado de pascua muchos lugares por lo general cierran... cuando pregunté si ya estaban atendiendo una mal educada queriendo hacerse la graciosa o dárselas de la viva me dijo: "si le estamos contestando es porque ya estamos atendiendo", quien sea que haya sido me pareció muy mal educada, inmediatamente cambie de parecer y ya no quise ir al lugar. Mejoren su atención al cliente, para mí este lugar se murió! read more

I went here for the first time and was very disappointed. As a Nicaraguan, the flavor was not there at all. It's a shame because there're not many Nicaraguan restaurants. I ordered a plate of carne asada with platanos, cheese, and gallo pinto. The food was very bland. The gallo pinto was not flavorful. It felt like the food was reheated. As for the service, the server didn't acknowledge us till later. He wasn't so friendly. Not coming here again. read more

Being from Nicaragua I love to go eat nicaraguense food. Unfortunately there is nothing in contra costa county. So we have to go to San Francisco and we love to come here. The food is amazing and the atmosphere is great. The service has improved I can't wait for my next visit. read more

Very underwhelming. The gallo pinto tasted old, it had a weird lingering taste. And the bistec my brother tried was meh. I did like the fried cheese and he liked his maduros though. As for the restaurant itslef, it's in need of a serious makeover as it looks extremely dated and pretty dirty. I ordered for pickup but had I seen the place beforehand, I would've definitely gone elsewhere. read more

Costumer service: first time trying this place out and I was so happy of our choice. Our waiter was excellent, friendly, and very attentive to our needs and our larger order . He was the only waiter there yesterday 1/14/18 and he managed to get all the orders in and be very attentive to everyone in the restaurant . Food & drinks: very delicious nacatamal , Bahia and cacao and pithaya juice wow yummy ... definitely it will not be last time there. Enjoyed every minute that I was there listening to good choice of music while I enjoyed my food. A very highl quality Nicaraguense food read more

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