Our company dinner here was a blast! We ordered plenty of tapas dishes and three paellas to share. While I can't remember all the dishes, the patatas bravas, chicken croquettes, asparagus, and trout were definite highlights for me. The paellas didn't strike me as wildly different from one another, but they were all pretty tasty. On the other hand, the stews were just okay for me, but I might not have enjoyed them fully since they're harder to share. The churros were a bit of a letdown--too dry and hard for my liking, and the ice cream was on the icy side. Despite that, we pretty much enjoyed everything we ordered and had a great time overall. Service was a tad slow during our meal, and sometimes we couldn't find a waiter, so we had to wait to get our orders in. However, the staff was super friendly, and even held onto my forgotten to-go box when I called in later. Considering the variety and quality of the food, I'd say it's a decent price. This spot is perfect for a fun meal out with a big group. read more

It would be a 5 star, but it's just small, SF is to blame not the restaurant or the crew; 4.5/5 wonderful. Located in the beautiful Mission District, this quaint little restaurant makes you feel like home right away. The outside seating is a welcomed expansion and it's great for evenings. The inside is decorated with authentic design and home decor; also the aroma when you walk in melts your mouth immediately. My girlfriend can't do seafood at the moment, so we were relieved to find some tasty chicken and kebab dishes. There's some good appetizers like the "Jamón serrano" and a starter Sangria glass. My girlfriend had the 'Pollo A La Plancha' which she shared a piece with me (in the pictured plate), and I shared with her 'Pinchos Morunos' which are Pork Kebab with superb spices. There was also complementary bread (soft and delicious) with a side of 'salsa brava'. By the way, the potatoes and salsa brava dish is worth traveling into SF alone. It was my birthday and the staff made it a memorable one, I was not the only birthday person celebrating there, and it's my second birthday celebrating there: it may become a tradition. We took leftovers home, and when re-heated the whole house reminded us of our trip. read more

Picaro - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Great service! The food was tasty. The oxtail stew was flavorful and it definitively hit the spot. The artichokes were not my favorite, but the seafood paella made up for it. The red sangria was perfect read more

First of all. I was looking for a restaurant with music for my friend's birthday. And when I tell you, as I ate my carne paella, a Mariachi band came!! It was the perfect combination of good food with good music the band is a separate thing not supported by the restaurant, but they come often as they are locals. Keeps the culture and heart within the Mission which I miss seeing. read more

Loved visiting Picaro and trying out the myriad of vegetarian tapa options available!! The staff was also beyond gracious to bring out cake we stored in the back for a friends birthday. Thank you for giving us a great time! read more

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Came with a reservation at 730pm for party of 3 on a Wednesday and it was quite a full house. We waited about 10 minutes before we were seated. Each table came with a basket of bread paired with their spicy sauce which taste similar to spicy mayo. Extra bread will cost you though! We ordered: -Alcachofas A La Plancha (grilled artichokes) 4/5 grilled to a soft but firm texture, almost like potatoes. Seasoned with salt and pepper. -Calamares Fritos (fried calamari) (4/5) - pretty standard calamari. Opted to dip in spicy sauce which made it more tasty -Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes) 5/5 - not pictured! Crispy potatoes paired with spicy sauce. Overall nice appetizer to start and the sauce hits the spot. -Paella De Mariscos (seafood paella) (4/5) - lots of seafood and the Spanish rice was flavorful. Although wished our mussels and clams were more chunky on the inside. Heavier on the garlic so if you're a fan, you'll definitely like it! -Glass of sangria with red (not pictured). Only for $5!!! It's not full of ice either! Worth! The menu does say to allow for at least 30 minutes for the paella to come out. We waited for about 45 minutes and asked the waiter to check on our paella since the two tables who were seated after us got their paella before us. 5 minutes later we finally got our paella!! We were so hungry even after the appetizers. Moral is do not come super hungry because you'll have to wait! Overall food was good and will likely come back again if I'm craving paella. read more

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I've eaten here before and tried a few different tapas. Recently I got the grilled jumbo shrimp and the poop tract was still in it

Solid Spanish spot! Got the paella this time Next visit, will get the tapas and other options read more

Picaro - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food was all pretty tasty, though I wish the paella was a little more crispy. Went to dinner on the weekend and it was super loud so maybe would recommend coming during the week. Our waiter was very diligent on checking in with us. read more

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

Came here on a Sunday night with a reservation, but there were plenty of tables available. We chose to sit outdoors since it seemed pretty warm inside. Great ambience with good food! They decorate the interior to look just like restaurants in Spain, and with live performers playing music, it felt just like being in Spain. The food itself was good but not amazing. The paella ($33 for a 2-person portion) was filled with great chicken & seafood but lacked the aromatics we were hoping for. For tapas, we got the patatas bravas and tortilla de patata -- both could've been crispier, but we really enjoyed the flavors, especially the spicy sauce. Would definitely come back for a fun Spanish atmosphere and try out some new dishes! read more

Picaro - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Very cute and busy place ! A friend recommended this place and we had to try it! We had made reservations for a party of 7... they had outdoor and indoor seating. The place was definitely very busy but service was excellent and our waiter was awesome! We ordered 3 pitchers of the red sangria ! It was smooth and delicious ! We ordered 2 pan con tomate - my favorite, calamari - lightly breaded and fried, Garlic Mushrooms, Patatas Bravas- the sauce was spicy and flavorful!, 2 orders of Tortilla De Patata - sooo good, then we order two paellas the arroz negro which was good but a little too soft for me. The paella carne was amazing! Flavorful full of chicken and sausage... the best part was the crispy rice on the bottom. A great place for gatherings or for date night! read more

Ordered three small lobster tails. My son ate his . I was about to eat mine when I noticed it looked funny. Took one sniff and knew it was bad . My son ended up having diarrhea and was throwing up that night. Immediately tried calling the the restaurant they did not answer. I sent an email with my receipt and the picture of the bad lobster . Restaurant never responded to my email. I will never eat at this restaurant again. I Called the health department they will be investigating. Beware!!!! read more

Picaro - Spoiled lobster - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Amazing place for tapas!!!! Firstly, the sangria is delicious and such a good deal!!! My favorite dish hands down is the mushroom! I could eat a whole gallon in one sitting! The grilled artichokes are also so delicious so this is a good spot if you've got people with dietary restrictions. The tortilla espanola is also a must get! The garlic aioli really adds an extra layer of deliciousness to it. So so good! Really everything there is great and the service is fantastic! read more

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This place is often wonderful. When they clean their shrimp & adhere to standards, nothing can beat Picaro. But the shrimp was gross again today. So was spinach bechamel. Hardly any spinach & the bechamel was like a paste. See for yourself. I included photos here. The waiter said "That's how they cook shrimp in Spain, they don't clean the shrimp." I've been to Spain a few times & that is total bullshit. That is an insult to tapas chefs across Spain. Just stop making excuses and clean your seafood. De vein your shrimp. Be healthy and safe read more

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Neat food spread, great deal on sangria, overall great tapas spot (and good deal) in the mission. Will definitely be back to try the rest! read more

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Rating it a 3 Stars. For a few reasons. I always take away, but I always see amazing ambiance, great vibes. Service is good, great and friendly. Except that lady that always hangs up the phone when you try to place a pick up order. Saturday nights. Now Foodwise, taste has always been great but thats not the issue. A meal for 3, $$$, all seafood items. Came with Half a lemon, 3oz of their salsa, and 5 small pieces of bread. That is truly Disappointing, because I been loyal to this place for over 20 years. read more

4.5 stars Picaro is a fun, casual spot in the Mission for Spanish tapas and paellas! We started with a basket of soft, crusty French bread served with salsa brava, a red sauce with slightly spicy notes and plenty of vinegar and garlic. The Albondigas were five meatballs in a light saffron sauce with peas and carrots; and the Pulpo Al Ajillo were slices of octopus tentacles and potatoes in a spicy garlic sauce. I was also a fan of the Vegetable Platter, which came with a variety of vegetarian tapas including Patatas Bravas (fried potatoes), Pisto De Calabacin (zucchini and onion in tomato sauce), Repollo Rehogado (cabbage sautéed with garlic and paprika), Espinacas Béchamel (creamed spinach in béchamel sauce), and Battered Cauliflower with aioli. All of the tapas here were flavorful and nicely executed, but the final standout dish was the Paella De Arroz Negro, made with rice colored black with squid ink, topped with calamari, clams, and whole shrimp. The paella had a nicely balanced seafood flavor without being too salty, and the portion of rice and seafood was extremely generous. Overall, this was a great Spanish eatery with seriously tasty food, but the restaurant didn't feel particularly clean, and the service was somewhat spotty. read more

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Always incredible food at Picaros. One of my favorite restaurants. During the weekends is very busy so make sure to make a reservation/ the paella is very good and the gambas al ajillo. I love that they let Mexican musicians sometimes to come inside and provide songs for a fee. read more

Food was good, prices are decent for tapas in SF. Paella here is also at a good price. Service is kinda slow, have to flag to get things like refill water. Otherwise a decent place to get some Tapas. Try the garlic shrimp read more

Picaro - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

They have the utmost delicious dips and tapas! We are frequent diners at this place and are huge fans of getting filled up with "non-mains". Great value as well. Genuinely recommend:) read more

Food was delicious. Service is friendly. Comfortable environment! Enjoyed our paella with meat and seafood along with salad and sides. No room for dessert. I will be back to try other dishes. read more

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This place is super covid safe with little partitions around each table which is nice. They have happy hour during the week and weekend. Pitchers of sangria are $14 - great deal. We had a great time here! Potatas bravas - great Seafood and meat paella - solid but not the star Meatball stew - great Chicken croquettes - great Sangria - great read more

Picaro - Potatas bravado, meatball stew, and chicken croquettes - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Great find! I've never been to this place but decided to take a chance and place a UberEats order for paella and two side dishes. The paella tasted as good as it looked! Reasonable portion size, too. I'd definitely order from these guys again. read more

Picaro - plating and sprouts are my own - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This would have been a 4 star review but the customer service is what made it -1 Star. I understand that it is covid and they are trying their best. There were about 2 people handling about 8 tables outside and few tables in the patio so service would be a little slow. I totally get that. My complaint is that we ordered a happy hour sangria at around 6:55ish and happy hour is until 7p. They charged us the full price and we told them we ordered before 7 but the waitress kept arguing with us that we didn't. After her speech of telling us we were wrong, she reluctantly went back to take it off the bill but took 15 minutes to get my card back! In the end, she still charged us the full amount and gave us the difference in cash. Had it not been for Covid, I wouldn't have left a tip for that type of treatment in arguing with us. Other than that mishap, the food was good. We got albondigas, patata, garlic shrimp, and chicken croquette.I recommend getting the patata with egg and onions. It comes with a great aioli sauce and it's so good! Everything we got was good except for the chicken croquette. it was too mushy of a texture inside for my liking. It was fried very lightly so if you like that go for it. read more

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Ambiance: cute little Spanish restaurant very homey very tight and long line for restroom. Very tight feels like when you walk your butt is near someone's food because it's so close to one another. Food 2/5 stars I've only had paía twice and once in San Diego that was amazing. We had the most expensive huge seafood one. I didn't like the flavor. The shrimp and clams and mussels were good. The calamari wasn't cooked very good and it was just bland and very fishy. I wouldn't go back to recommend it for the food. We ordered tons of food the artichoke was their best dish. I liked the little sausages and mushrooms. I didn't like their calamari appetizer either it didn't taste good no flavor and gooey instead of firm and chewy. Service the service was my favorite part 5/5 100% would recommend for the service. We had a birthday for a friend they were very accommodating and we brought a cakes they even served and gave us plates and forks! I loved their customer service was amazing! Keep up the hard work it goes a long way I would recommend for service!!!! read more

Yesterday evening my husband and I tried for the first time Picaro. We ordered paella de mariscos and Tortilla de patatas. This one was good, also the rice but I don't really appreciated mariscos (squids were tough, shrimps were fine but not excellent...). I appreciated the quantity, the price and pick-up experience. Maybe we'll be back when the reastaurant opens for inside dining. read more

Picaro - Paella de mariscos and tortilla de patatas - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Favorite dish is the garlic mushroom, so good! Must have for those who loves mushroom. Ordered the custom paella with shrimp, chicken, and pork ribs, really enjoyed the rice portion since it soaked the soup, so tasty and moistured, in contrast, the meats are too dry and not as flavorful, probably the classic seafood paella will be better. Overall, we enjoyed most of our tapas here, open space indoor dining area with skylight is great, background music selection is food, friend said that the sangria is good too, it won't go wrong for you to come here for a casual and tasty meal. read more

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

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What a joke! If you somehow decide to eat here. Start with patatas bravas and see how you feel. Shit is mediocre at best! The sauce of the potatoes was not it. That's what makes it! No flavor in the chicken crochets Mancheco cheese was not what it should taste like. Please skip. Idk why this place is highly rated on yelp read more

Picaro - Patatas Bravas - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Was really looking forward to trying out their Paella de Mariscos, but it was not as great as I thought it would be. Overall, it was dry, the flavor was lacking, and the shrimps were so small. However, I did enjoy the sangria and most of the sides we ordered. I really liked the Salteado de Asada, Patatas Bravas, and the Croquetas de Pollo. The Almejas a la Marinera was nothing special. read more

Picaro - Salteado de Carne Asada, Patatas Bravas, Croquetas De Pollo, Almejas A La Marinera, Sangria - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Service is great! Paella? Not so much. Had the seafood & meat one. Come only for the tapas&SANGRIA! But that dipping sauce was amazing! Loved it! Sitting quarters are a little tight, but not so bad. If you come in the evening expect random buskers coming in and out of the restaurant! read more

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Went to the city for a bachelorette party and picked up hard to find goodies in SF. Boy did the SO go to town. Sangria to go, shrimp, morcilla, spinach béchamel, calamari, langosteen and seafood paella, torta de patata and a few other dishes. He misses Spain and this place brought him a piece of home. The people here could not be any nicer and were super helpful ensuring the items made it in one piece to my car. Everything was carefully packaged. I ordered pick up on Grubhub and everything was correct and the order was completed before the scheduled time. Everything according to the SO was delicious and the portions were solid- he ate a little bit of everything for a whole week. Definitely will be back to try more of the menu! Thank you! read more

Picaro - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

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This is one of the best spots to celebrate- the music and energy is lively... almost to the point where its hard to hear each other. Our party ordered a medley of dishes- we truly enjoyed all the veggie and meat dishes that came out. My personal favorite were the potatoes with the curry-like sauce. The potatoes were baked perfectly with a crisp edge and the sauce was wonderfully savory without it being too thick. Overall, I really enjoyed the vibes here and the servers were so helpful in getting our large table what we needed. read more

Absolutely adore the mussels and the delicious red sauce. Always go for dinner with our son when we're in San Francisco. It's our family favorite. Never disappointed. Recommend it to friends visiting SF. read more

Came to Picaro for a dinner with a party of 7 for a birthday and the environment was perfect for a lively celebration. We got a bunch of tapas and a paella for 6, so we definitely over-ordered, but we wanted to try everything. We started with the red sangria pitcher, which was tasty and not very strong. For tapas, we got the patatas bravas, garlic shrimp, grilled lobster, grilled octopus, fried calamari, olives, asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, and a grilled chicken and steak. My favorites from the tapas were the patatas bravas, garlic shrimp, and mushrooms. I would maybe skip the calamari next time, it was overcooked and a bit chewy. The paella came out about 30 minutes after everything else that we had already finished. We were all pretty full by this point, so we had a lot of paella leftover. I liked the tapas a lot more than the paella. The paella could have cooked for longer to get a crispier bottom on the rice. The mussels were pretty overcooked but the rest of the seafood was okay. I actually thought the paella was better as leftovers, I think the flavors deepened with the seafood and rice after a day or two. When we finished our meal, the mariachi had just come in so we got them to play a happy birthday song for the birthday boy. Super fun way to end the meal. Overall, a good spot for a large group, food is decent and price is not bad at all! read more

Picaro - Spanish Near Me - San Francisco, California

Food was great, great for large parties. Staff were helpful and quick even with a busy Saturday night.

I love this spot! The food is excellent! Service is great! My favs: morccia (black sausage), chorizo, papas fritas are all a must when I go there. The paella is so good and made to to order so be patient ( it's worth the wait. Stop what you're doing and go NOw!!! ‍ read more

Came here on a Friday night for date night with my partner. Overall we really enjoyed ourselves! We were able to do a Yelp reservation and we're seated immediately upon arrival. I loved that they had a mariachi band playing throughout the restaurant - it really adds to the overall ambiance. For food we got a bunch of different tapas. We started with the rabbit soup - I was very hesitant as I've never had rabbit but it was actually delicious with tons of flavor. We dipped the remaining bread pieces into the soup. We also ordered repollo which was a cabbage plate and also delicious and a few other plates. What really actually stood out was the complimentary bread and sauce that they give...the dipping sauce is amazing! It's like a creamy slightly spicy marinara sauce that I could of practically drank it was so good! Overall service was okay. It was a bit slow but the restaurant was also packed. Next time I'd love to try the paella! We saw majority of tables ordering it so I regret not trying it. I'll definitely return in the future! read more

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The patata was absolutely incredible, but that is sadly mostly i can say about the good aspects. the calamari and potatoes were just okay, decent enough. The desserts were not good at all and were definitely a miss. read more

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My friend specifically brought me here so that I could try their paella. I had it for the first time in Seattle but wasn't a fan, but gave it another shot here. For starters they give complimentary bread with a spicy creamy sauce. Which I had to stop myself from devouring it all. We also ordered Patatas Bravas because it seemed to be a popular item here and I could see why!! They're basically little fried potatoes dressed in their house spicy sauce. Also had their Chorizo Saltedo, and they're just Spanish mini sausages that has a little spice kick to it. A bit on the salty side but I still really likes it! But for what we were actually here for was their Seafood Paella and let me tell you this dish was huge!! The plate was probably bigger than both our heads combined. It was honestly pretty damn good, I loved how the edges of the rice in the edges were crispy but not dry. They gave a generous of seafood that included shrimp, clams, mussels and calamari. The dish was super colorful which I loved, everything about this paella made me take back the fact that I thought I didn't like paellas! Ambiance of this place was super cute, loved all the poster and decor they had all around the restaurant. read more

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I'm puzzled by the high ratings of this place. Made reservations and had to wait 30mins to be seated. Once seated the waiter took our order for the chicken croquets, oxtail tapas, patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo and then an oxtail entree. All of those came out in under 5 mins. The oxtail was BAD! Really bad! It was as if they boiled the most fatty pieces of oxtail in watered down, no flavor tomato water, cause that wouldn't even be considered tomato paste. The chicken croquets and shrimp lacked any flavor and the unseasoned potatoes had a clump of whatever orange sauce on top. My group of 3 were so hungry, so we weighed our options of trying to find another restaurant on a Friday or just try to pick at what was served to satisfy our hunger! BIG MISTAKE! Within less than 30 mins of leaving there, having not eaten all of the food because it was just that bad, 2/3 of us were doubled over, sick to our stomachs. I'm writing the next morning, still not feeling well. I think the allure to the place is the price. Because with all the items we got, it was only $67. We saw quite a few large parties there, which leads me to the other issue of it being obnoxiously loud! Not an issue the restaurant owners can do anything about, but just a warning if you are wanting to sit and relax and enjoy a meal. read more