So we came here on Valentine's Day, the service was pretty minimal, not bad l, but considering they were busy, I won't rate them on that. The food was good, maybe more like three and a half stars. But it just wasn't very unique. The mussels were great. Also had a Salmon and Clam that was good. I found the tortilla to be tasty and hearty. I had never had fried anchovies before and I liked them. Overall my husband and I enjoyed the meal. But in no rush to return, if we do go back, probably just to try the palle. read more

Picaro - Tortilla De Patata savory and satisfying - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing The parking can be tuff if your willing to walk a few blocks It's absolutely the most authentic spanish food i have eaten since I left Spain read more

came here yesterday for brunch for a belated birthday celebration and everyone enjoyed the food (I've been wanting to try this place and so glad we did - we all enjoyed the food = not a crumb left!) we were so stuffed we didn't order dessert and so glad only ordered paella for two because it was more that enough to feed us 4! read more

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My absolute favorite place to go to for paella!! My friends and i always come for the paella, tapas, and sangria. I love the homey vibes of this place and is definitely one of my too go-to places in the city! read more

Picaro - Paella for 2 - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I came here with 5 other people for dinner. We had 7pm reservations and they did not allow us to sit until we were all here. It was fair considering how busy it was. Once everyone arrived we were seated right away. We were given complimentary bread with a butter sauce. The sauce was so good. It was all our first time to Picaro and the waitress gave us some recommendations. We ended up getting the following and its description: Patatas Bravas- This was recommended to us but we probably could have done without it since there was potato in almost everything. It was basically fried potato chunks with the same butter sauce on top of it. Nothing major. Beet salad- This was good but a portion was small. I wish the waitress told us that it was more for at most 3 people not our large group of 6. Honestly, it was my favorite thing there. Calamares Plancha- This was a very small plate of sauteed calamari. Again, this probably feeds about 3 people at most. It was okay. Tortilla De Patata- This was like a tortilla stuffed with mashed potato topped with some sour cream. It was okay to me. Nothing that special. Paella de mariacos- This was the seafood paella and what we all came for. We got an order for 4 people because we knew we were getting other stuff. It was the perfect portion but was very underwhelming in terms of flavor. It was bland. There was shrimp, mussels, calamari and clams. It looked good when it came out and was nicely presented. Unfortunately my cousin's husband burnt has hand touching the skillet. We never got a warning it was pipping hot. Parillada- This was the meat platter. It contained chorizo sausage, chicken, pork kebabs, carne asada and a whole lot of potatoes. At first look it looked like it was all meat but I would say half is potatoes. We were pretty potato out and all agreed it was too much potatoes. The food overall was okay. The pricing was good though. The service was cool until my friend burnt his hand. Also, I didn't like the sloppiness of the place. There was a large puddle of water right behind us. We had fun but probably won't be back. read more

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The seafood paella flavor was good but the mussels were really small. I have not seen mussels that small before. The sauce for the bread was very tasty. The service was friendly. read more

All food very tasty , atmosphere is family style. Parking is really difficult in the area.

Picaro is located on 16th street and street parking can be difficult to find but there are a couple parking structures around. Our group made a reservation prior and thank goodness we did because when we arrived, it was a full house. For 7, we ordered: - Paella De Mariscos/seafood paella: 4/5 - Salteado de Carne Asada/grilled arrachera steak w/ green onions & mushrooms: 5/5 - Champinones Al Ajillo/sautéed garlic mushrooms: 4/5 - Paella De Carne/meat paella: 4/5 - Alcachofas A La Plancha/grilled artichokes: 3/5 - Patatas Bravas/fried potatoes/ 5/5 - dozen fresh oysters: 5/5 - Calamares A La Plancha/sautéed calamari: 4/5 - Pollo Al Ajillo/garlic chicken: 3/5 Food was good and service was good. Ambiance was nice and lively but the tables were so close to each other, literally seats back to back. They give you a complimentary basket of bread (the first one) and you can get more but at a charge. read more

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Never less that remarkably enjoyable, inexpensive, and totally delicious. The staff is superb and the environment always a delight. Must remember to come back much more often! read more

Go for the paella! Delicious & plentiful portion. Many tapas options to choose from as well, which were reasonably priced. A live mariachi band made this experience even more fun! Would be ideal location for groups to split the dishes & sangria pitchers. read more

Picaro - Carne paella - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

I visited Picaro for a friend's birthday dinner on a Friday night, and fortunately we had a reservation for our group of 12 - the place was packed! When I arrived around 7:30 PM, there was a line out the door, and a Mariachi band was entertaining diners at their tables. Upon being seated, we ordered a Sangria pitcher (a must at this establishment), which was sweet and fruit-forward. The menu offers a variety of reasonably-priced seafood tapas and plenty of vegetarian options. The papas bravas were a standout - crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside, and drizzled with flavorful sauce. I was initially skeptical about the vegetarian paella because I had always thought paella got most of its flavor from shellfish, but I was delightfully surprised by the aromatic and fluffy rice, combined with hearty asparagus and mushrooms. The service was friendly and quick, and overall, we had a fun and memorable dining experience. read more

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One of the best in terms of price & taste! Highly recommend this tapas restaurant. The neighborhood itself doesn't appear to be the best but it's full of wonderful people. Service here is prompt and friendly. We ordered a variety of tapas and squid ink paella. I can't really determine what my favorite was - so so worth it. The bravas sauce is absolutely delectable and very much addicting! Feel free to dip bread, potatoes, calamari, etc into it! They will give this sauce and bread to you for free and will do refills! as for the sangria we tried the red and white and I'd recommend sticking to the red. It has more flavor and profile. Overall, solid mix of tapas (veggie friendly And not) good service and affordable! If possible make a reservation ahead & try to use public transit to get here. read more

Picaro - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

The food was good, but I got fraud on my credit card from there. The decor is fun and interesting. The later you go the more crowded and noisy it becomes. If you go later in the evening I suggest making reservations. read more

Picaro has been on my list for a while given its popularity, and I finally had the chance to go on a Fri night around 6 PM. There was no wait for a table for 2, but the restaurant was rather busy. We ordered the Patatas Bravas, Fried Calamari, Albondigas, and Paella de Mariscos. The best part of the meal was the potatoes - the sauce was so delicious and the potatoes were crisp! The albondigas were a bit dry, and unfortunately, the paella was probably my least favorite dish. The seafood was overcooked, and the rice was very salty. We couldn't eat more than a few bites. Overall, I'm glad I got to go, but I likely wouldn't come back. read more

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Always a good place for great food, good services and great prices. No waiting time and great place for a bday or just go to a local great place. read more

Favorite place to get tapas in the city! Tapas are $6-7 for vegetarian and less than $10 for fish/shell fish. My favourite is the Calamari (grilled version) since the toss it in a garlicky aioli type sauce and the brings out how tender the calamari is They have several large tables inside and outside so great for large groups. Service is fast when ordering 5+ dishes , just be sure to put your paella order in expecting 30min for it to cook. Pro tip: Sangria HH is Sunday - Thursday until 7pm , Friday & Saturday until 6pm, for $3.75 a glass or $16 pitchers. Such a great deal for SF prices!! read more

Picaro - Calamares A La Plancha Tortilla De Patata - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Warning: The tangy, orange sauce that comes with the bread and patatas bravas here is highly addictive. Have no shame in gorging in all the garlicky goodness. The tapas here are perfect for sharing family style. Our group of 4 ordered five dishes in total (including a paella) and it was the right amount of food for everyone. PATATAS BRAVAS (4/5): A solid appetizer BLOOD SAUSAGE (4/5): Reminded me of a crispier version of Korean blood sausage (soondae) TORTILLA DE PATATA (3/5): Nothing spectacular; just a potato and onion omelet as advertised GARLIC SHRIMP (5/5): The star of the show; simple but sooo good SQUID INK PAELLA (3/5): Unpopular opinion but it was just ok Picaro has a lively environment, reasonable prices, and attentive service. This place is good for groups or a casual dinner date, especially since you can make reservations on Yelp (which we love). Parking in the Mission is a pain in general, so either Uber or be prepared to search for parking on the outskirts. read more

Picaro - Paella De Arroz Negro - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Stopped by here for dinner with my girlfriend last night - I had walked by Picaro several times and decided it was finally time to give it a shot. The restaurant itself seemed nice - we ended up sitting outside as it was fairly crowded indoors. For our order - we got a pitcher of Red Wine Sangria, Patatas Bravas, Manchego, Espinacas Bechamel, Pisto de Calabacina, Champignones Al Ajillo, and the Jamón Iberico. The food was all perfect - it came out very quickly and portions were really good (was expecting less seeing as this was a tapas spot) and everything was very tasty. The Garlic Mushrooms and Spinach Bechamel were highlights for sure (as well as the house sauce) The only complaint I have was that some of the service was a little slow. It took about 10 minutes to get our bill after we had asked for it. Aside from that though I'd highly recommend anyone to visit this place for date night or with a bigger group. 4/5 read more

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Super cute interiors with lots of unique trinkets all around. Made a reservation for a Wednesday night, but wasn't necessary. For a group of four, we ordered four tapas and the seafood platter, and that was plenty of food! Loved all the dishes! The red wine sangria was delicious. Overall super great value, as other tapas places tend to end up costing a lot more. read more

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First off, love the value. We got 2 Tapas, a Paella for 2, and a pitcher of sangria for $80. We also took leftovers home. For the quality and authenticity of the food you cannot beat the price. Great ambiance too with live music until 9 pm on Friday. Make sure to tip the band, or they'll keep asking you lol Service was decent, we were tucked away in the back so we felt forgotten a few times. All in all, it was well worth the wait!! I'll be back ‍ read more

Picaro - Paella de Carne y Mariscos - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Best Sangria & everything super delicious We go there we order everything & we share, thank you for being there more than 15 years for me n my friends read more

Food favorites: paella (beautiful serving, large portion, flavorful!) Service: friendly, attentive, energetic Vibes: casual, lively, vibrant ambiance read more

Picaro - Paella - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

We asked the waiter to bring us a few of there their most popular tapas and all were good: beef & mushrooms, tortilla (potato omelette), grilled octopus, and garlic shrimp. The tortilla/omelette was our favorite. Everyone also loved the dipping sauce that came with the bread. We also ordered a jamon platter, asparagus, and seafood paella. Jamon and asparagus were pretty good, but the seafood paella was just ok. Portions were just right. Service was prompt and helpful. The decor is quirky and fun. read more

Delicious food at a good price. I had paella de marisco and langosta for tapas. Paella also comes in big portion. Has live music. And great wine pairing. now I really like Spanish wine. But there were quite a few gnats flying around. So gotta keep the food covered and eat fast. read more

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ORDER. EVERYTHING. Just about everything on the menu you can't go wrong. We were quite a large group and they accommodated us and were quick to service. Some favorites: Meat Paella, veggie plate, Jambon, mushrooms, pattas bravas, and their cheese plate. PS. That garlic sauce is amazing, but whoooooo be prepared to taste and smell like it for the next 24 hours lol. It packs a punch! The only thing I didn't personally care for were the chicken croquettes and red sangria (too sweet for my taste). But all in all a great experience. Fun and interesting decor. Nice staff. Bar with TV. Highly recommended. read more

Great foods. Greta arrive. Live music on Saturday. So relaxing and friendly. Definitely will come back read more

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Food was great and ambience great! After being a patron of Esperpento decided to give this spot a try, the food is just as wonderful and the service to match, would definitely return. Make reservations. read more

I did make a reservation for a Friday night but still had to wait a good amount of time for our table to be clear. Such a busy restaurant! I thought the paella was a bit bland, I don't think I would come back as I've had much better paella in other places. We got the seafood + meat one. The didn't skimp on the seafood at all which was nice. The rice really lacked flavor, and it wasn't crispy! The sangria pitcher was $19 which I think is a good price! We also tried the patatas bravas, garlic chicken, and chicken croquettes. Patatas bravas were great and tasted like your typical patatas bravas. Chicken croquettes were great!! Cooked very well. Crispy on the outside and so soft and juicy on the inside. Garlic chicken - you can skip this one. Lots of bones, juicy chicken, but I even forgot it was supposed to be garlic flavored. read more

Picaro - Paella de Carne y Mariscos - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Dropped by Picaro for dinner with some friends yesterday. Service was great, food was abundant, and company was gooooood. We had reservations and didn't need to. Our party was late because parking in the area isn't fun, but the server was SUPER patient. We ordered the Paella before the second half of our party arrived and it came just in time. PERFECT! The paella was tasty, although the seafood was overcooked. My friend can't eat pork, but the restaurant was super accommodating and reassured me that no pork would be in our dish. The octopus and chicken croquettes were tasty too! I'd skip the snapper, cabbage, and creamed spinach dishes though. read more

Picaro - Fooood - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Looking for Spanish tapas? Come here!!! So thankful my friend brought us here. Everything is so delicious and the vibes were very homey. Posters and paintings on the walls and friendly staff. Great for big tables. The bread (along with the dip) is to die for... Creamy buttery smooth potato cake (did not taste like potato anymore, more like elevated potato), and both the pulpo (octopus) and patates bravas were also extremely well seasoned. Not expensive/overpriced. Please do check this place out when you're looking for chill Spanish tapas! read more

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Came here on a Sunday night for some tapas and paella. Picaro definitely did not disappoint. We made a dinner reservation the night before and was able to get seated when our whole party arrived. Proof of vaccination and ID are required for dine in. The seafood paella for 2 served our table of 6 plenty, alongside some tapas this portion was perfect. The rice was super flavorful from all the seafood drippings, although there were no crunchy bits of rice. Came loaded with shrimps, calamari, mussles, and clams. Some of the standout tapas were the Patatas Bravas which came topped with their house sauce, a bit tangy with a little kick at the end. Super yummy combo. Another dish we couldn't get enough of were the artichoke hearts, super flavorful and delcious. We also enjoyed the clams in white sauce which were juicy and fragrant. With most tapas being priced at $8 you can't ask for a better bargain. Great ambiance with lively colors and decor, we even had live music from a band who wondered in for some tips. Wanting to come back for more seafood tapas! read more

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My friend saw Picaro on a list of restaurants that you should try in SF -- and I whole heartedly agree. The tapas here were amazingly delicious. I recommend making reservations beforehand as it was pretty busy on the Friday night I swung by. We ordered the Paella de Mariscos, Patatas Bravas, Calamari, and the Tortilla de Patata. I thought the star of the restaurant was their orange sauce. It had a certain kick to it that went well with each dish. They even gave bread with the sauce (which I quickly devoured and had to get refills). My personal favorites were the patatas bravas and the tortilla de patata. I would honestly come back just for these two dishes. I personally thought the paella was average and I probably wouldn't order it again. We also got the sangria pitcher, which was plenty for 4 people! There's a mariachi band that played throughout the restaurant so don't expect a silent dinner! This is a great place to come by and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants a tasty meal, while not being too expensive either! read more

Picaro - the spread! calamari, patatas bravas, tortilla de patata and the SAUCE - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Came here around 6pm on a Tuesday night. We had a reservation but didn't needed to show it since there were plenty of open tables in the restaurant. We decided to sit indoors since the tables were very spaced out and the restaurant was well ventilated. We ordered a few tapas and a paella to split for the 3 of us. The tapas were served in small plates, while the paella came in a big pan. - Patatas Bravas ($6): The spicy garlic mayo sauce went really well the crispy potatoes. In fact, it went well with everything. - Pulpo (~$8?): Unfortunately there weren't that many slices of squid, and there were quite a few slices of oily potatoes. The few slices of squid tasted good though. - Alcachofas ($7): We got the grilled artichokes to get some veggies, but it was a bit too oily for me. - Paella de Mariscos ($32/2 ppl): This was my first time having seafood paella. There weren't that many pieces of seafood, but the pieces that were there gave the rice a nice, ocean-like scent. I also liked the crispy rice near the bottom of the pan. The restaurant also gave us a small plate of bread with the same garlic mayo sauce as the Patatas Bravas. That garlic mayo sauce was definitely the highlight of this meal. read more

Picaro - Patata bravas, Squid, Artichoke - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Overall good spot for the sangria special and some good paella Food: Sangria 5/5: Great happy hour special for sangria pitchers for weeknights Spanish Omelette 4.5/5: Great omelette with potatos inside along with a nice creamy sauce on top to pair. Paella De Mariscos 4/5: Good portion of paella with a good variety of seafood. Made fresh so allow for some time for it to be prepared Oysters 1/5: Was disappointed in these oysters after trying a handful of other spots around SF Ambiance 4/5: Spacious interior with a lot of seating- there is also outdoor seating in the parklet or on the street read more

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Great service, delicious tapas lots of options, always a classic Spanish restaurant, loyal customer read more

Picaro - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

This place did not disappoint. Casual vibe with really cool decor- they offer indoor and outdoor seating. We came here for lunch on a Sunday. Service was great and they have a lot of options on the menu. Here is what we had: *Sangria- sweet with good flavor and fruit. *Patatas Bravas - crispy potatoes with orange sauce. Delicious! The potatoes were perfectly crispy and that orange sauce is sooo good. A bit of a zing, but not too spicy at all. *Croquetas De Pollo - my kid really liked these. Crispy and fried. Comes with what tastes like a spinach artichoke dip on the side. *Tortilla De Patata- DELICIOUS! Potato omelet well seasoned and served with a sauce on top. My advice- ditch the sauce and add more of the orange sauce instead. This one is also super kid friendly. *Mariscada Platter - is enough for 2-4 people. Large plate of snapper, salmon, shrimp, mussels, clams, and calamari on top of rice sautéed with tomatoes and onions. YES PLEASEE! Well seasoned and generous amount of seafood for a very reasonable price. *flan - good, but not amazing. *churros with ice cream- also good, not great. Overall, food was excellent and very reasonably priced. Our server was really nice and helpful. Can't wait to come back! read more

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Our group of three were celebrating a birthday. The food was great and our server was kind & helpful in selecting from the menu. Paella and sangria - what more do you need! read more

Best tapas in SF! Lively atmosphere. Great after movie stop if you're headed to the Roxie or even Alamo (5 blocks)

It's been awhile since I've been here but always a great restaurant. We got the mixed paella, veggie platter, chicken milanese, garlic shrimp, and a couple pitchers of white sangria. Plenty of protein in the paella but wish the rice wasn't so wet. Garlic shrimp were flavorful and the garlic flavor came thru. My favorite was the chicken Milanese, so thin, cooked perfect, lightly breaded, not greasy. The bread and sauce for the table is always a treat as well. The sauce goes with everything! It wasn't too busy so got seated right away. We'd made a reservation thru Yelp in case it was busy tho. Picaro always feels like a staple in the mission and will be back again. read more

Picaro - Mixed paella - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

We had reservations for 4 people but there wasn't anyone around to greet any guests so we waited in the doorway for awhile. In order of best to worst: Champinones Mushrooms sauteed with garlic and olive oil. *this was voted the favorite dish among the entire table Croquetas Creamy and delicious chicken croquettes. *crispy outside, rich and creamy inside Rabo de Toro Ox-tail stew *I've never had this dish but it felt like a good homemade soup, enjoyed the flavor Gambas al Ajillo Garlic shrimp. *Great flavor, wish the shrimp was a bit larger Paella de Longosta Lobster tail paella with calamari and clams. *the paella was in desperate need of salt or seasoning, the lobster tail was cooked nicely and there were 4 so each of us was able to have one *PRO TIP: ask for a side of garlic mayo - you'll thank me later Tortilla Potato and onion omelet; one of the most popular Spanish tapas. *Nice and creamy, good portion, about 6 slices Iberico Imported Spanish Iberco ham *Most people have a love or hate relationship with Iberico ham and I am in the latter, I find it too dry and oily and it has an odd flavor for me SERVICE: Our server had a lot of tables but he tried to be attentive as possible so we were very understanding. The important thing is he was able to put in our 2 pitchers of Sangria in before Happy Hour ended. Overall it was a great meal over fun conversation. read more

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