It's not the best tapas place I've ever eaten at but it's not the worst either. The sangria is great and the patatas bravas are the best that I've had anywhere. I can more than make a night out of these two things but then I'm a die hard potato fanatic. Jamon Serrano - pretty good Chorizo Salteado - just ok Queso Manchego - not the best manchego I've had but still pretty good. Tortilla De Patata - needs a bit more salt and spices for flavoring, a bit bland Patatas Bravas - by far their best dish. I generally get 2 orders for myself. Damn, I love this dish. Highly addictive. Perfectly cooked potatoes with a nice spicy kick. Croquetas De Pollo - tasty but not earth shattering or anything Albondigas - good but not great Pollo Adobo - I was disappointed in this dish. I had such high hopes since I've had so many good Pollo Adobos over the years at various places but this was sad. Sangria - Yay! I order this by the pitcher and get several of them. By the end of the night I'm feeling fine! read more

GREAT food, very casual and warm atmophere, kids frinedly, we come often with our 2 year old and he both likes the food and they really don't make feel bad about all the mess you leave behind... read more

Good, cheap tapas in the Mission. The quality can be a little uneven, but it's a fun place to eat and an unbelievable value. The clams with garlic and olive oil are delicious, as are the patatas bravas. The only drawback is the incredibly loud mariachi music every 20 minutes. The concept is ok, but in practice it's just too loud to be fun (or hear yourself think). read more

Decided to head to this place on Sunday night. I called at about 6:30 and made reservations for 2 people at 8pm. Arrived on time, but had to wait a good 20 minutes for a seat. The host informed us that several tables had paid, but had not left. The food was very good, and the portions were surprising large considering the low price. The garlic shrimp and patatas bravas were outstanding, and the Sangria is very fresh. This is definitely a place I will go back to, again, and again, and again... read more

The patatas bravas, the sangria, the gambas, Albondigas, oh, it's all wonderful. Service is pretty good, really, running a hectic and loud place with reasonable efficiency. This would be 5* but for the fact that it is very very loud. And then the mariachi bands come in on Friday and Saturday and they piss me off. 'Here! Have an indigestibly saccharine and innaccurate caricature of an alien and exotic culture! Feel good about appropriating it! Because you're intellectually lazy, and aesthetically bankrupt to boot!' No thanks. read more

Friendly service. Tapas & Paella. Good for Groups.

I came here one night and the host was nice enough to find us a seat before the restaurant was closed. However it was sooo loud and crowded, I don't even know why we decided to stay!! Finally When the waiter got to us, she tells us it is too late for us to order Paella!! WTF!! thats the whole reason we decided to eat there!!! so we just decided to order Mariscada. Paella takes around 30 minutes to make... Mariscada took around 30 minutes also and it was the same thing only difference would be that Mariscada had more seafood than Paella. That doesnt make any FREAKING sense!! but watever I start eating it and then realize it had onion.. it didnt say it had onion on the menu.. 10 minutes into eating it i find out the whole plate is FILLED with onion!! I should have just ordered onions with seafood!! I hated the fact it was completely filled with onions, I couldnt even enjoy the plate because i had to keep pushing onion to the side. I Usualy go to Picaro Cafe cause I love their Paella but the only upside to this restaurant was that there was parking found in like 2 minutes. read more

Perhaps a few pitchers of sangrias would have changed our impressions but we found Esperpento 's food completely unsatisfactory. The only tapas worth eating were the quail and fried artichoke; the salt cod croquettes seemed devoid of salt cod and were weirdly squishy; the fried anchovies were barely warm; the ox-tail stew was mostly gristle; the fried calamari were gooey instead of crisp. The two paellas were burned dry. The place is so crowded it is difficult to move one's chair and so noisy that conversation most be at a shout. If the management took out a few tables and invested in some sound-proofing and then hired better cooks, Esperpento might be worth a visit. Until then, forget it. read more

The only reason I would not give this fabulous restaurant 5 stars is the noise. It is so loud and crowded in this place. But the food is absolutely fantastic and worth it every time we go! Get the paella! read more

Bad experience at this place. Food was not ok. My friend ordered salad without onions, but for three times the server kept bringing a salad with onions in it, so my friend cancelled the order. We ordered flan for dessert and it was not good, chewy instead of silky. And the coffee. It is the worst coffee I can remember. All my friends who were there that night agreed on that. read more

My aunt was visiting us from out of town, and she and my mother love a place that serves good tapas. We were not disappointed. The sangria was tasty, not too sweet or tart. My aunt and I loved the Iberico ham as well as the gazpacho. My aunt ordered the lobster tail and grilled mussels which she said were delicious, and my mother had the tortilla de patata and the chicken croquettes, also good. I had a bite of the tortilla, and it was great, nice and fluffy and potatoey, the way my great aunt makes hers. I had the ropa vieja, along with the rice and spinach bechamel. The ropa vieja was good, though I am used to it more cuban style. The sides were good, but nothing to rave about. We also would up purchasing some paellera pans at a reasonable price, so hopefully I can attempt to make decent paella at home. A nice little gem in the city overall. read more

A friend recommended this place so we went with a group of 14 people. Service was very fast. The place was a little small. Food was just OK, nothing really stood out. I'm glad I tried it but probably won't be back. read more

I visited this restaurant with my family. We were a party of 5. Walked in at about 2pm on a Sunday, we were seated right away and service was great. All the food was great for what we ordered. The only complaint I have is that on the Paella, the shrimp wasn't deveined. When I explained this to my daughter's boyfriend, because he has never had shrimp, he was ready to throw up. My family wasn't too happy about this either. Overall, though, this a good restaurant. read more

Walked in without a wait before the dinner crowd at 6:30 on a Friday. Food was average but definitely affordable at $5-$8 for tapas. The sangria was great - not too sweet and plenty of alcohol. Decent service compared to some of the other restaurants in the area. I'd go back for a casual nosh. read more

Pros: very good food at reasonable price Cons: Noisy. It can get hot and unpleasant upstairs read more

The food is excellent! Very authenticate from what I remember traveling to Spain. The aioli is so yummy and goes great on so many dishes. I never liked Paella until I ate here. Family style dining in a group is best! Order the Tortilla Espanol, Championes, and fried artichokes (to get the aioli!) read more

Came with my mom bc she has been and raved about it. We walked in the busy restaurant with the OPEN sign flashing only to be told it's closed with no explanation or apologies or even a "please come back". The guy was so rude he barely looked our way. Fuck you and your culturally appropriated hipster food. read more

My co worker turned me on this this place 6 years ago and I've never went to another tapas place after. Must haves: Lobster Tails, Grilled Artichokes, Spicy Potates, Morcilla (blood sausage). read more

We've been on holiday in Aptos/Santa Cruz/San Francisco for more than a fortnight now. This is the best meal out we've had. We ate tapas. The patatas bravas were just right; the prawns, for once, tasted as they should; the green beans in garlic were great, a bit caramelised. Everybody else seemed to be having a good time too. Reinforced my wish to speak Spanish! read more

Our second visit, it is crowded, noisy, delicious and very affordable. Servers are nice and accommodating, even during a busy dinner hour.

Authentic feel and great food. Don't expect to get out quick when ordering paella. Love it

Great staff and the sangria and sherry (fino) were just fine but the food was mediocre. We are just back from Spain and wanted another tapas hit. Didn't get it. we tried about 8 different dishes and found them all to be rather bland. Not really bad just OK. And the noise level was harsh, especially whenever the guy with the guitar would start to wail a Spanish pop song. Not sure where we will go next but it won't be back to Esperpento. read more

Wish I liked this place, it's in my hood, but man, lunch here was waaaaay overly greasy and left me feeling ill all afternoon. And besides that it wasn't even very tasty. Always perplexes me why people seem to like it so much. read more

Just went yesterday, they got us in & out in 30 minutes - super fast service, everyone was very nice & attentive. Great sangria, calamari, recently discovered the frittata - LOVE IT! read more

The first time I went the service was good, and the food was good enough to go back. Yet this last time I visited, the service was not pleasant , the waitress did not ask once if we need it any thing else. But what disappointed me was the food, it was cold and it tasted old, especially the Tortilla de Patata. The tapas seemed as if they were just put in a microwave. The Calamares a la Plancha dish had more onions than calamari and the calamari tasted old and rubbery as if you were biting into tire. At the end instead of having a wonderful pleasant dinner I ended up regretting taking my family there. A big disappointment!! read more

So, so, so good! Love the food, love the ambiance! Such a great place to go and eat even with a big group! read more

The mussels at this place are the best in town. The other tapas are good too, especially the conejo. Stay away from the meatballs, they are tastey but kind of boring compared to the rest. read more

My fiance and I arrived to San Francisco on vacation from Miami, Florida. I found this restaurant on-line and let me tell you... PHENOMENAL!!!! Fast service, great food and all sorts of varieties of tapas to choose from. The lobster paella is off da chain!!! The restaurant itself is small but with the way the tables are set up... you need no greater space. I strongly recommend it. If you're in the mood for Spanish dancing, right around the corner is El Valenciano where you can burn some calories off with the beats of salsa, cumbia and merengue. San Fran Rocks!!!! read more

My favorite restaurant!! Although the wait is always long ( even if you made reservation), the sangria and the food are totally worth the wait!!!! While u wait for a table, just ask for a pitcher of sangria!!! At the end of the day, you wont be disappointed!! Favorite dishes: All the potato dishes Sauté mushrooms Salmon Clams Grilled asparagus read more

I went there recently for Valentines day and the food was very good until 2 hours later when I threw it up! Something about their ingredients or their cooking methods threw my stomach into a tailspin and I was horribly sick for 3 hours! I will not go there again. read more

I love this place! Great tapas! My absolute favorite! Always packed but very efficient. Great service and very friendly staff. Been going here for decades and always very consistent in the quality and service. I also been to their sister restaurant (picaro ) just a few blocks on 16th Street Where they can accommodate bigger parties with the same service. A plus!! read more

Good service. The food is mostly great. A few of the things are a bit bland. they have a good patio, but unfortunately is has rats back there. I would like for them to change up their menu for more seafood. I would like them to provide more meat that is free range and free of hormones. I would like for them to get rid of their rats. read more

Went here about a year ago.....at 2 pm on a Sat. We had tapas, the restaurant wasn't packed, due to the good memory we returned as a treat for my husband on Father's Day. I will not be returning again. Had a 7 pm reservation....waited outside on the curb until 7:30. The restaurant was packed and extremely noisy. Tables were so packed together that the waitress was leeeeeaning across behind me to put things on another table. My sister kept getting shoved by people coming in so we requested a change to a table that opened up that was against the wall. Some resistance and non sympathy from the manager type across the room, (who also completely ignored us when we tried to gain her attention across the sea of closely packed tables), but in the midst of me talking to her our waitress (the only nice thing about the place was our waitress) changed us to the less crashed into table. SOOOOO LOUD!!!!!! (oh, am I repeating myself?) We ordered 3 tapas while waiting for a seafood paella. Very good anchovy stuffed olives, excellent grilled asparagus, blah white bean salad. Wish I'd passed on the Paella though. My sister said she got a small squid that had a very fishy flavor and I had a mussel that tasted VERY bad....I couldn't face continuing to eat the paella, had a bit of the rice that seemed a bit too grease filled, very unappealing. Fortunately I didn't get sick. Oh, we did get the house red, a Spanish wine, absolutely deilcious! Anyway, as my idea of a good restaurant is good conversation, remarkable food, peaceful atmosphere, friendly/helpful wait staff....and this place was the opposite on all levels....can't believe I had to pay for such a horrible experience!...I will not be returning ever! read more

One of our favorite places in the city for Spanish tapas. The tapas are varied, portions are just right and we always end up having a great meal. There are plenty of options for the carnivores, vegetarians, and veggie lovers alike in our family, and best of all, the dishes are reasonably priced. It is very conveniently located close to the BART station, which is just a short walk away. The neighborhood is very lively with many restaurants and interesting shops and totally worth the long commute from South Bay. The place itself is cozy, a bit noisy and can get overwhelming, especially for small kids on weekend nights. So we usually try to go there during off-peak hours. Service can be a bit slow during peak time, but the great food always makes up for that! The food! We love the Salsa Brava that comes with the bread and it goes great with the Spanish omelet that I have to order every time I go there. My son loves their version of the quail and won't eat it anywhere else. Same with the fried potatoes, The vegetarian tapas are chock-full of vegetables, and I especially like the cabbage sauteed with paprika. We do stay away from the paella, were a bit disappointed when we tried it the first time. It took them more than 20 minutes to make it and felt underdone and bland, not worth the wait at all. The Spanish rice that comes along with their tapas is more flavorful and tastes better, in my opinion. The sangria is a must and they also have interesting wines to complement the lovely tapas. And of course, we never leave without having the flan! Highly recommend this gem of a place for all foodies! read more

Update: Just talked with my friend who refused to leave a tip, the restaurant charged her 28% tip on her credit card without authorization. Yes, that's right, after she signed her credit card bill, the restaurant changed the total. Anyone else who has experienced this please message me. Thanks. read more

not bad ... but surprisingly, for a grimy location, i was quite pleased ... trust me, i'm not saying i'm all cool and all, but the mission district just doesn't do it for me ... i juust have no idea what it is... ive given it many chances and yet i feel that i just can't "fit in"... i came here for a quick nibble, but lil did i know i was in for a sweet treat with my sister. when in need of a quick nibble, MUST GET the calamari and their patatas bravas! to die for! !!! i'm going to say this ONCE more ... this place is simply ... REALLY, REALLY good. -the calamari was cooked perfectly, with lots and lots of tomatoes and onions!! there isn't any other way to put it... very flavorful with the perfect seasoning. -patatas were amazing! god knows WHAT it was... definitely nice! bonus points in being superly uberly cheap, cheap, cheap!!! i could totally come here and buy a few nibblers here and there and be a smiling for days! isn't that the beauty of tapas!? read more

since my friends picked this restaurant I didn't know what to expect except that it was going to be good. those friends of mine are real foodies so I knew I was in for a good meal. we had a big party, 10, so they gave us the VIP room where it was private and separate from the other patrons. not that I'm saying the other customers were creepy or anything. it's nice to have your own private banquet style room so you can enjoy the food and the company without having to listen to other customers. the main dining room is pretty loud though. we started with a few appetizers like the chorizo, garlic shrimp, grilled artichokes, spicy potatoes and fried calamari. for our entrees we ordered the vegetarian paella, seafood paella, steamed mussels, clams and finally the meat platter (beef, chicken, pork, sausages, on top of potatoes). I find it interesting that they had to spears of asparagus on the huge meat platter. is that their way of having you eat some vegetables along with the mounds of meat? also, this meat platter is literally your "meats and potatoes" dish. so after listing all the items we ordered I want to thank my friends for ordering and showing up so that I can order more and sample the many different menu offerings. it's always good to have more people. I'm definitely going to come back here and eat more. read more

Good bistro. I had the rabbit stew as well as the shrimp with black rice on two different occasions. The food is nice but the waiter seemed to be lacking knowledge of the various dishes on the menu which didn't make me all that comfortable. He asked my date what she wanted for desert yet never asked me. I interrupted my date and told to him in a non-aggresive yet assertive way that i want something with chocolate and flourless. I specifically stressed no flour. I didn't like the size of the water glasses as well they seemed small and flimsy. I'm used to glassware by pottery barn or waterford. Either way go and check it out but let them know what you want and don't want. :) read more

The food is good, but the problem is the restaurant manager's organization skills. He deals with customers and seats everyone as they wait outside. There is a clip board that people put their name on to be seated. He doesnt go by the list... he seats anyone who bitches the most about waiting too long. The paella's take 30 mins to cook so if someone is seated ahead of you you will be waiting over a hour at least. I don't know this guys name but he's horrible and doesn't care about how long people wait. I can say this is the most disorganized restaurant I have been too. Too bad bc the food is good they simply don't care about how they get people to their table as long as their busy they won't change. read more

Not the best experience. Waited more than 1hr to gave us a table. They gave us a table that was placed in a separate room in a separate building with extra limited space. (I know the restaurant is small but this was extremely small). Restroom wasn't even available in the building, we had to walk out and enter to the restaurant to use the restroom. 30mins later no waiter showed up, so we left the place with no food, drinks or even water. Bad business read more