Playa Azul has great fish and seafood!!!!! the shrimp cocktail is the best in the city and the fried fish fillet is fantastic. They have a small bar with a solid tequila selection. Parking sucks!! read more

MEXICAN SEAFOOD RESTAURANT WITH LOUD MARIACHIS Went here with a friend and good thing I was in a festive mood because the entire lobby was filled with a loud eight-man mariachi band. The server appeared right away with chips and a wimpy salsa. The focus of the menu here is seafood so we ordered seafood. Shrimp a La Diabla I liked the shrimp in the spicy chipotle and butter sauce but I was not impressed with the bland refried beans and tasteless rice that accompanied the dish. Crab and Shrimp Nachos My friend clearly ordered the best dish. The nachos were beautifully presented with crab ceviche, shrimp, avocado, beans, jalapenos, and cheese. My suggestion: order a couple of margaritas and split the crab and shrimp nachos. read more

Fresh Blue Point oysters. MMM. A dozen are a bit pricey, but were certainly worth it. Of course you come here for the mariscos. And the menu offers fillet of fish six ways from Sunday. The Pescado de estily Playa Azul was delicious. Entire Huachinago scored to expose the meat, and grilled whole is served with chipotle-tomato sauce, onions and jalapeños. DAMN. It doesn't look like it, but that's a lot of eatin'. Entrees are served with your choice of sides, not limited to rice and bean, which is a nice touch, and a bit unique IMHO. They've got some quality tequila and do Margaritas any way you like: frozen, rocks, salt, etc. Try the Don Julio añejo. read more

Coctel de Camaron!!!!! Soooo good. Gotta get one of these with a michelada, and life is complete.

I had probably one of the worst huevos rancheros dishes this morning there. I guess I get unnecessarily pissed when I order huevos rancheros and get something else - this didn't come on a tortilla, but you could get them on the side. The "ranchero" sauce was a very vinegary/sugary thin, smooth tomato sauce with giant chunks of onion, tomato and jalepeno. I guess for what it was, it wasn't terrible, it just wasn't huevos rancheros, in my opinion. My husband got the chilaquiles, which were just ok. This place is clean and big and our service was pretty good, but there were only a few other people in there and there were two servers on staff at the time, so the service should have been good. I'm definitely not going back. read more

The ceviche itself was tasty enough for a star, but the service? Booo. Everything took forever. Waters weren't refilled. Ceviche came out without enough silverware and with no plates for sharing. The fish came out way after the steak. The salads didn't have dressing. When we asked for dressing, they were out of caesar, and the little containers of ranch dressing were too frozen (yes, FROZEN) to dress a salad. And I had to stand up to find a server to get me my bill. Our bill was $44 for two people before the tip (one margarita, one ceviche, two entrees), which is too expensive in my book for so many things to go wrong. read more

YUM! Very good seafood, really enjoyed the whole red snapper covered with this red sauce with tomatoes, red onions, jalapenos, etc. etc., although the outer layer was a bit too salty. It didn't taste like some fish from a fish farm which you get a lot of these days when you order at restaurants. I don't know where they get their fish but the two fish dishes we tried tasted really fresh (the other dish was that first one on the 'Favorites' menu, which was REALLY YUM). Also, they really know how to cook oysters - just enough on the outside but not cooked thorough so you can still get the true flavor. NICE! I can't wait to try other dishes! The only thing was, I wished that the side dishes weren't so american... but given that you get such heaping portions, I say it's all good. I left my plate clean, minus the fish bones... Can't believe we cleaned it but it was pretty darn good. read more

Meh. We live a block away and I can remember when the best butchers shop was in the space. Too bad; the butchers shop was top notch. Playa Azul is not. I have been here maybe 4 times now and will not go again. I love Mariachi. When I lived in Panama I used to go to lunch weekly where a WONDERFUL band played all the favorites. That would not be the band at Playa... twice, out of desperation, because the food had already arrived and packing it up to go would have been a hassle, we have paid them to leave. Evilly and pointlessly loud does not make up for mediocre (on a good day). The food is pretty steep for basic Mexican fare. Expect greasy. Things seem to come swimming in oil, as if the fishes have made the transition from saltwater to another liquid medium almost effortlessly. Some stuff was tasty enough, but don't ask them to ramp down the spicy factor. The kitchen does not speak 'MILD PLEASE' and they do stuff hot enought that even friends who love spicy were gasping. The place looks good, and the staff is friendly if somewhat lacking in serving skills. Los Panchos down the street is not as glittery and has no hard alcohol but offers up better food. Better than Chevy's, but not memorable in a good way. read more

I think this place has THE best ceviche I've ever had. Also ordered the whole red snapper - INSANE. Its a WHOLE fish!! REally really delicious! Baked oysters were also pretty good. Everything that people ordered here looked absolutely amazing. I will def come back here again. read more

We ate here for dinner last night after passing it many times. I was very pleased with my fish--I got the whole red snapper with oyster sauce and veggies. Fish was cooked nicely, the oyster sauce was tasty, and the fresh vegetables on top were perfectly cooked (not too crunchy, not too soft). My husband's food (fried shrimp covered in melted cheese) was less spectacular, but still solid. If it weren't for the extra loud and out of tune mariachi band that was playing, I'd have given Playa Azul 4 stars. I know everybody's gotta put food on the table, but the place is way too small for a 7 piece mariachi band. I had to speak directly into the waitress's ear when ordering because the music was so loud. Not to mention my husband and I had to shout to hear each other. I'll come back for lunch (I'm assuming I won't be serenaded at 12pm). read more

Came here for the first time a few days ago. I was craving sea food saw this place on yelp. It had good reviews so i checked it out. I was not disappointed!!!! If you love seafood you're gona love this place! I got the aguachile, soooo damn good! Big shrimp and a good spiceyness to them. My gf got the majara frita, pretty good sized fish for only 10$. Friendly service, good bar, i will def be back soon! If you're looking for mexican seafood in san fran this is the place! Everything taste really fresh read more

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Their Chilaquiles are my favorite, and I've sampled this dish all around San Francisco. Love the taste of the verde sauce, the crunch of the chips, and the refried beans, which I normally avoid in other dishes. Happened in one day with a strong craving for the Chilaquiles, only to realize it was past noon. I chose the fish tacos and enjoyed my dish. Fresh, light, and tasty. I did return the very next day for my favorite dish. The blender can be a bit loud at times, the servers might be hard to get at times, but every time, I find the staff have always been very pleasant and helpful. read more

Went there for a birthday dinner. Great service! Delicious! read more

I love this place! Great food and delicious drinks. I always like to start with their calamari for an appetizer! It has become one of my favorite calamari dishes ever. It never seems to be too busy and we always get great attention from their friendly servers. I usually get their piña coladas and sometimes their Micheladas, amazing combo with their fish tacos! Their portions are huge and definitely big enough to share. Absolutely a go to when craving seafood in the Mission! read more

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The food was seasoned nice but our service was lacking unfortunately, otherwise would've given 4 stars. Still I would recommend to try just don't be in a rush. read more

Playa Azul - Filet fish shrimp potato salad rice oysters flavored nicely - Latin American Near Me - San Francisco, California

Fav. sea food spot. Full bar, mariachi and fresh sea food. Rename your place Heaven Island!! read more

Love this place! it's far enough up mission to still be a bit undiscovered (at least it feels that way) and they have a great selection of seafood. also, try there "tres-leches" cake, amazing!! read more

Eveytime I want some seafood, I come here. I'm never disappointed. Love the Playa Azul Nachos and Stuffed Fish.....The best!!! read more

Playa Azul - Mango and Granada Margaritas - Latin American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Only reason they got a one star was because I can't give them a zero. Our order was taken, apparently there was a shift change and our table was long forgotten about. Dam, All I wanted was the shrimp cocktail! Heading to our favorite taco spot el farolito, where service is always amiable. UPDATE 9/22: Decided to give them a second chance. So worth it. The shrimp cocktail was divine!!!! read more

My husband loves this place and always looks forward to going here. I am not big on seafood so I don't look forward to going but the last time we were here I actually saw the menu and there's way more than just seafood here. I had the chicken with artichokes and mushrooms plate. You get a huge portion and then two sides and bread! I had a baked potato and veggies. Our food came out fast everything was delicious that I had. My husband had a oyster cocktail thing with octopus and shrimp. He did complain about the freshness of the oysters, but it must not have been that bad because he still ate it. He normally gets the ceviche tostadas and never complains about those. read more

Worst customer service I have EVER SEEN!!!!!! They do not greet upon your arrival!! They simply ignore you as if you were invisible and when they finally come to you they are super super rude :( so disappointed...... They make you feel as if you were bothering them..... read more

Love this place. For me it is on the regular circuit for myself and for our out of town guests. I would give the place 5 stars on atmosphere and perhaps 4 stars on the food (which is always respectable). What I love about this place is the feeling that you got away on vacation (think Puerto Vallarta) and its right next to Safeway! They have a resident mariachi band on most weekends (can be a bit loud...but hey, so what!). This is the kind of place where many families from the mission seem to come to celebrate special occasions (birthdays etc.) You cant help but feel in a festive mood. As for food, I usually go for one of the whole fish options (sarandeado or estilo veracruz). tasty! The ceviches are also fresh and yummy. The full bar is nice when out wih friends who want more than beer or wine with their fiesta. I have often thought that if I were ever a guest on "Check Please Bay Area" I would consider recommending this place not just for the food but for the party. read more

Playa Azul Nachos= Amazingly mouth watering taste bud satisfyingly delicious and filling Carne Asada = I like my meat bloody. Their meat wasn't bloody but it was still tender. Could have used more flavor Quantity= Generous! You can order one plate and it's definitely enough for two. Lots of variety of plates. Customer Service = i went during a football game so it was packed but the service was still considerate considering the traffic. Waiters are kind and notice you when you wave them down. Parking = big lots and Safeway if you don't mind the risk. read more

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What a wonderful experience I had ! Amazing great tasting food. Amazing margaritas and micheladas ... The food was delicious my friend had the nachos with shrimp and crab I obviously had to try them since the presentation was appealing. I had the carne asada which was more superb and they are not stingy with the tortillas either I'm pretty sure I got a whole pack ! Mariachi on the weekends give you the authentic mexican experience. The service even thou it was packed was spot on perfect! The waitress was attentive and knowledgeable. Overall perfect! read more

Good food! Friendly staff Try the margaritas!! I only didn't like that they don't take reservations read more

I love this place. The seafood is so delicious!! Good prices and the service is very friendly.. read more

A co-worker once invited me some taco salad she got at "Playa Azul so I stopped the other day to get one to go. The salad was okey, but the service was really great. While I was waiting I had their "limon margarita" it was really good too.I want to try more about the food here, but I would like some recommendations??? read more

Nice staff. Family freindly. Excellent margaritas. Classic Mexican food......no burritos or quesadillas........real Mexican fare. Fish, steak, chicken with choice of sides. They even created a kids menu and will accomodate special requests. They are terrific people. read more

With so many bad places out there i am happy to review this location....i just walked out from there and all i can say is...wow. Great service fresh cooked food and all the ingredient felt really fresh and at the right point. Vary tasteful and very recommended. For being Mexican its good that actually give you enough tortillas. Anyways feel free to give it a shot...my experience was better than i expected...oh and the price was not bad at all. read more

Playa Azul - Latin American Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I am not a fan of sea food but I liked their Flan and service is nice. If you order to pick up they are usually on time and that is good enough for me. read more

old man cinco de mayo? gone are the days of shots of patron. gone are the days of waking up in strange places..... tonight, im going to playa azul with my buddy, his wife and a couple of other old foggies. ehhhhhh well, yeah i really like this place. ive been coming here for years and everytimes been pretty damn good. how can you go wrong? order a bucket of coronas.... well if yous local youd probably be getting modelo, but mes coreano. coreano like bucket o coronas.... but i digress... order a bucket of coronas, an order of anything on the menu in the chiptole sauce and youre good to go. no seriously though, the foods pretty impressive. i was fairly surprised. i dont know the cuisine well, but it was damn tasty and thats good enough for me. i would minus half a star, because a few times, the place did smell a bit raunchy, like my old dorm room after a drinkfest, but hey, that just means some else was just probably having a damn good time before you got there. and i must admit. they do have some nice tekillyas. is ok, hopefully by the end of the night ill be wearing an empty corona bucket on my head, dancing on the table. read more

As my friend and I were waiting to be seated. I could not help but notice a birthday party was taking place. There was a large group of about 20 people with a large bouquet of red roses and balloons. Then all of a sudden this group of mariachi's come in complete with their hot ass pants to serenade the birthday woman. The music was fun and festive. I had the shrimp cocktail that was huge. Also optimum for a pina colada and a margarita. read more

Gigantic portions, great ambiance, super friendly waitstaff. However, I wasn't that impressed with the food. Kinda sorta bland. But, I'd be willing to give it another chance. read more

I agree with Jasmine T. The Mariachi band was a little too loud and sometimes out of notes. Overall, I love the food especially the chips and salsa. I had their fried fish (*forgot the name*) it comes with vegetables and potatos and 1/2 toasted french roll. Their lime Margarita was OK. I love going back here. I'd like to try their snipper fish. I just need to call and ask for the Mariachi schedule. No offense. Customers sometimes need quite times to enjoy their meals especially when eating fish -don't wanna choke on the bones right? read more

Mariachi is loud, but at last they have a full mariachi that perform great. Seafood is fresh, oysters in particular. Good ol' traditional Mexican restaurant. Also, if you look for a place with good margaritas, Playa Azul meets that requirement very well. Service has always been good. read more

This place is pretty good. It seems to be authentic Mexican food. We went there for breakfast and its a great way to start a Saturday.

The basic theme of this place is slow. Maybe the clock runs on Latin time. I don't know. It can be the most frustrating thing about this place. The food was alright. I really like the fish and shrimp dishes. I don't think the staff is rude; they even apologizing for being slow. The food takes forever to come out. The salsa and chips is tasty and everything is fresh here. If you are in a hurry to go somewhere; you'll get a headache. But if you are here with someone who doesn't mind the waiting this is fine. read more

This place is more happening at night, it's dead at lunchtime the last time I went. The fish relleno was HORRIBLE, with a lot of yuckky stuffing about 1/2" thick lathered over the fish. The service was slow to non-existent, the waiters prefer chatting with each other in the backroom. The seafood is in general ok. The prices are high but they do heap food on the plates, but hey, not everyone wants to become a fat pig (yeah, I hear of doggie bags) but I rather have a normal human being sized serving of food (than a nasty huge pile but maybe I dont want to get to 250lbs in my lifetime?). As for this place being authentic, well, mis amigos, they dont have a hot sauce that is HOT, they don't!! Only some mealy anglo sweet salsa that tastes a lot like the stuff they sell in the Safeway next-door SYNOPSIS: Mediocre to bad food HIGH prices TERRIBLE service LOTS OF BETTER PLACES NEARBY! read more

I'll keep this short and sweet: Not too much of a Mexican food fan, I eat the basic Americanized dishes, but I am VERY picky with my ceviche and seafoods. LOVED the ceviche! Best place to hit up for both shrimp and fish ceviche. I'm done. read more

yes the waitress is fast and attentive yes their horchata is bueno! yes they really do serve whole fishes (red snappers) here yes their calamari I had could be one of the best calamari that i had in my life (big portion size of it too btw) yes the guacamole and seafood is fresher than spring here yes im coming back :) read more