Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. San Francisco Bay Area
  4. San Francisco
  5. Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
¡Chao Pescao!, San Francisco, CA

¡Chao Pescao!

4.5
4.5
619 Reviews
$30 and under
Latin American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 26 times today
  • Lively
  • Charming
  • Good for groups
Chao Pescao is a new casual Latin Caribbean restaurant from longtime San Francisco restaurateur Rene Denis inspired by his Cuban-Colombian heritage. The name, translating roughly to “see you later alligator,” captures the friendly and fun spirit of the restaurant. Cocktails are inspired by many of the traditional drinks from Latin America, while the food pulls from the comforting Cuban and Colombian home cooking of Denis’s childhood. The menu is rounded out with other Latin American favorites with particular emphasis on dishes designed for delivery. Chao Pescao is located in the Civic Center Plaza at the heart of the city, across from City Hall.

Order delivery or takeout

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Latin American, Colombian, Cuban
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sat 11:30 am–8:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (415) 621-2200
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Chef Rene Denis
  • Catering
    Please visit our website at www.chaopescaosf.com and view our Events Menu for details.
  • Private party facilities
    Chao Pescao's mid-town location and latin-caribbean menu makes this city favorite a winning choice for private group dining, and Chao's plentiful array of Latin-themed cocktails and fine wine list will please every guest.
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Cross street
    Larkin
  • Parking details
    $5 Parking Mon-Fri after 5pm and all day Saturday with validation at the the Hastings Parking Garage.The UC Hastings Parking Garage is located at 376 Larkin St between McAllister and Golden Gate. The Civic Center Garage entrance is located at 355 McAllister. Street parking is also available and is free after 6pm.
  • Public transit
    Public Transit Stops: Civic Center Bart & Muni Stations - 2 blocks MUNI 5 Fulton - .5 blocks 19 Polk - .5 blocks 47 Van Ness - 2 blocks 49 Mission/Van Ness - 2 blocks Golden Gate Transit - .5 blocks
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 619 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.3Ambience
  • 4.2Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
¡Chao Pescao! delights with authentic Cuban cuisine and a lively atmosphere, perfect for pre-theater dining. "hands down the best cuban food," rave visitors. The cocktails are "excellent," and the service is friendly, though occasionally slow. Despite noise levels, its convenient location and delicious offerings make it a favored choice for locals and tourists alike.

619 Reviews
  1. Terry

    San Francisco

    107 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    107 reviews

    Dined on November 22, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of those dining experiences where you think "why have I not been here sooner?" We came for lunch could not have been more pleased. Started with empanadas, then shared the Havana Salad and fried chicken sandwich, all of which is superb. A neighboring table ordered the fried chicken, which had us both looking forward to our next visit. Chao Pascao is a gem!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Randi

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great service. Great food. Will definitely be back!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Jim

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The staff surprised my girlfriend and me with their professionalism, attentiveness and care, and the food was creative and delicious! We stayed for three hours and tried the Prix Fix Menu, and it exceeded our expectations on all levels. If you want a truly delightful evening, you have to try !Chao Pescao!

    Is this helpful?

  4. michael

    San Francisco

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 9, 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Horrible service. Had reservations. Took 30 minutes after ordering to get our drinks, an hour to get our food. At 45 minutes they told us some of the food we ordered (impossible burger) was sold out. So we all got salads …. So it took an hour to get some shtty lettuce… which they grill for some reason. Tiny Caesar with 3 tiny shrimp - $25. Takes 4 mins to make. Total bill for some lettuce and drink? $50 a person plus tip.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Stephen

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on October 20, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Convenient option for dinner before the symphony, good value, open space, and comfortably not too noisy to have a conversation.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Laura

    San Francisco

    6 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on October 16, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    I've been there before but this time was extremely disappointing. The food lacked flavor and was extraordinarily expensive. Our party of 4 got three different desserts -- the rice pudding was bland and way too thick; the cocnut pudding was tasteless; and the helado was very good. Portions were small and each dessert (which we didn't finish because see above) was $11. Total for four people was $175 not including tip. I understand prices have gone up everywhere but I prefer to have good food for that kind of money and the food was literally tasteless. Will not go back.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Evelyn

    San Francisco

    15 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on October 11, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love love love this place, the food, service outstanding!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Terry

    San Francisco

    15 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on October 11, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food is delicious. Shared several appetizers and entrees

    Is this helpful?

  9. Cynthia

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on October 2, 2024

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    We waited over an hour for our food, and an additional 10 mins for the third person to get their meal despite it being exactly the same as what another person ordered. I am so glad I paid an extra $8 for 3 shrimp, such a deal! No one ever checked in on us, needless to say we will not return.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Esau

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 29, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    My wife and I tried this restaurant before going to a show and we were impressed by how tasty food was. We had: yuca frita, vegetarian arepa, lechón cubano and empanadas. All the dishes were delicious. We’ll definitely return for dinner in the future.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

¡Chao Pescao! offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (415) 621-2200.

¡Chao Pescao! is rated 4.5 stars by 619 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 26 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for ¡Chao Pescao!

272 McAllister Street, San Francisco, CA 94102

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Larkin
  • Neighborhood
    Civic Center / Hayes Valley / Van Ness
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner Tue–Sat 11:30 am–8:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Latin American, Colombian, Cuban
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    $5 Parking Mon-Fri after 5pm and all day Saturday with validation at the the Hastings Parking Garage.The UC Hastings Parking Garage is located at 376 Larkin St between McAllister and Golden Gate. The Civic Center Garage entrance is located at 355 McAllister. Street parking is also available and is free after 6pm.
  • Public transit
    Public Transit Stops: Civic Center Bart & Muni Stations - 2 blocks MUNI 5 Fulton - .5 blocks 19 Polk - .5 blocks 47 Van Ness - 2 blocks 49 Mission/Van Ness - 2 blocks Golden Gate Transit - .5 blocks
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Chef Rene Denis
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
    (415) 621-2200
  • Catering
    Please visit our website at www.chaopescaosf.com and view our Events Menu for details.
  • Private party facilities
    Chao Pescao's mid-town location and latin-caribbean menu makes this city favorite a winning choice for private group dining, and Chao's plentiful array of Latin-themed cocktails and fine wine list will please every guest.
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable, Inc. 1 Montgomery St Ste 500, San Francisco CA 94104 - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo