Las Tinajas Restaurant

Deeeelicious! I had the braised tongue with white rice and black beans on the side.
The spicy sauces served on the side with it is super spicy and really well-​balanced. Great service, clean clean clean. Hot food hot. My first experience with Nicaraguan food. Will definitely come back!

Not too happy with the food at Las Tinajas. We were expecting an improvement from our first visit last year. And after a long drive from Fremont we were really looking forward to our well deserved lunch. To begin with, the rice and beans was old and stale, and the fry cheese was hard, which means that it has been sitting out for a while under the heat lamps. In addition the fried plantains were served cold… makes no sense to me. I really don’t think that having an assembly line approach to Nicaraguan food works for us. We will not be going back.

Eat what the Sandinistas eat!
You might think to yourself, Central America is small place and all the countries in that region are very small so how different can their cuisine be?! Well the answer is a lot! As you go from north to south through Belize, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama the cuisines change a great deal, but many of the popular basic ingredients like Rice, Beans, plantains, corn, etc. carry through. I suspect here in the Bay Area we mostly see what North American eaters have taste for, hence lots of rice, beans, pork, beef, etc in Central American restaurant dishes. Las Tinajas Restaurant is not different in that sense.
Las Tinajas is a cafeteria style eatery. It has a clean eating area, and the servers behind the counter are very nice and fast (depending of course on what you order). I liked the rice and bean mix, but you can also ask for them separately. The fried cheese was something different for me and I really liked it, but quickly learned that you must eat it while it is still very warm, or it will taste like like leather! The pork was very good, so was the beef, but what I loved most was the flan which I had as dessert!
Judging from the crowd and the line, Las Tinajas is a popular spot, and that’s a good thing! To be honest I know nothing about the owners, but if they are the people who run the kitchen and the floor, it must be a family owned business.
Next time I am there, I will try a couple of the filling soups they serve. Hmm! Hungry again already!

If I could give this place zero stars, I would. Now I used to come here growing up which is 15+ years, and my experience today was hands down the worst and not the Tinajas I remember. I came here a year ago with my mom and the food was ehhhh not the usual and today the food was disgusting. We only ate it because we were so hungry and the restaurant we originally wanted to eat at was closed and Las Tinajas was nearby. I ordered the vegetarian plate and my company ordered two Plato Tipico’s and my boyfriend grilled chicken, he had to wait for his food. So all of our plates had stale platano maduros, and the other two had fried pork that was straight fat that it was inedible. And the best part which is the fried cheese, was soooo hard and dry and very disappointing. Maybe the plantains and cheese are days old because it definitely isn’t fresh.
Then the boyfriends plate came, when he ordered he was asked if he wanted rice or rice and beans and he asked for rice and beans. His plate comes with white rice and when he asked to change it, the lady said ok. She returns and said its an extra charge which was ok with him. He gets up. Goes to the register and pays extra. Smh. It’s not about the money but good customer service would have just changed it. He is too served stale and dry plantains and his chicken was dry and charred.
Also the buffet style line makes your food cold as you wait to pay and order drinks.
So to sum it all up. Overpriced, days old food with HORRIBLE customer service. Save your money and go elsewhere. Now I need to find another Nicaraguan restaurant.

It doesn’t get more authentic than Tinajas. It feels like take out the but the food is stellar! Very good portions and as many possible authentic dishes as possible. Right down to the drinks! I was told the Catamales were done the night before and ready to taste!
Always a good visit every time I’m in town. Bring your Spanish and get some good laughs from the waitress.

Service suck, server’s face scares you once you step in the door. I called before a go and they told me they closed At 4:30 got there at 3:50 and as soon as I walked in the told me they were closed, after I looked for parking and just waited my time. They were pretty rude and did not even apologize for the confusion. If you don’t have the passion for what you than don’t work stay home. Is not my fault… Never will go back there again. And the only reason I give one start is because I have too lol

I first went to this spot 13 years ago and hadn’t been back since — I just went back and really enjoyed my meal. I got Combination Plate #1, which had grilled beef, grilled pork, rice/​beans, plantains, fresh slaw, fried cheese and plantain chips — a huge plate of maybe 2 lbs. of food. Everything tasted great and had amazing flavor. I also ordered the Horchata, which was a nice and unique Nicaraguan version of the popular dish.
While the food was great, I wasn’t too thrilled with the cafeteria experience… I guess it just makes sense to arrive early or later during lunch time since the line can be long, but there’s no guarantee you’ll get a seat.
When Nicagragua Restaurant closed, I was hoping this place would be a good alternative and it is… I really enjoyed my meal… one just has to be prepared with possible long lines and be mindful of seating options.

Las 3 veces que he ido este restaurante me ha decepcionado nada de gusto le senti a la comida y helada y el cacao Es pura agua

Food was alright, overrated & overpriced! Carpets are filthy, and Gallo pinto was not fresh! Fried plantains were stale as well! I don’t think I’ll be back!

My family and I had fried plantains, queso frito, ensalada, and Gallo pinto. Pretty good for $ 10 each, however I didn’t like that we couldn’t order from a table. It was a cafeteria-​like setting — it wouldn’t have bothered me so much but I felt like I was being rushed to order something on the spot, instead of chilling at the table with family and taking our time to order from the menu.
That said, the food was delicious and based on a previous experience from a rival Nicaraguan restaurant in San Francisco, I’d rather go here for the more reasonable prices.

Food is good but the lack of service is really low. We had this lady who brought one of our plates to our table who had the worse Negative Vibe. Complaining to us that she couldn’t wait to be off from work ’cause she had to go to her 2^nd job… Boohoo! Lady, we all work!
Oh, and the owners are rude & not happy to have your business. No greeting what so ever! Is this a Nicaraguan thing? Cause I was raised better then this…

Been here many times! It’s the BEST Nicaraguan restaurant in the bayarea!!! the food is always delicious and fresh, portions are pretty big and they have a large selection. I always get the «antojito» which brings carne asada, grilled pork, rica and beans (Gallo pinto), sweet plantains (maduros), fried cheese and cabbage salad. The only bad thing about this place is its hours and customer service.

Pretty good food, but I don’t enjoy the cafateria-​style food service. The menu is lacking some of the best dishes you’d expect in Nicaragua. No soup? No stew? No seafood? WTH? I’d rather go a few blocks down to Oye Managua for more variety.
The menu is not really clear, and I think you pay extra for addons for basic stuff like gallo pinto and tejadas. By the time we paid, it was $ 100 for me, my husband and two kids! Crazy! For that price, I’d like the food to «take me back» to Nicaragua, but it doesn’t.

My dad is from Nicaragua, and we visit Nicaragua frequently enough to know what good Nicaraguan food tastes likes. My family actually stopped coming here, mostly we felt it was overpriced for the type of food being served. Items likes gallo pinto, queso frito, maduros, ensalada shouldn’t be SO expensive.
Anyway, about a month ago, stopped by for an early lunch while my car was getting serviced in the neighborhood and had the chancho frito plate (my favorite when I go to the motherland) and a cacao. The cacao is on point, but how can you mess that up. The chancho had good flavor and was a good portion, but my disappointment lay with the gallo pinto. It was way to mushy for my liking, the rice and beans shouldn’t form a mass. I later mentioned this to my dad and he said that was one of the reasons he started frequenting other Nicaraguan restaurants. The queso frito and maduro had a consistency of having been sitting around for a while, it was warm at best. To say the least, $ 20 later I was disappointed.
I remember being very little and the food being way above average, and if it were still like that i would have no problem shelling out $$ for delicious food, but it’s not the case. So, I guess this is where Las Tinajas and I part ways.

I’ve been coming here for years! I take everyone I know down here and let them know this Nicaraguense food is a MUST on their trip to SF. If you want some delicious Latin food come here! It’s a cozy place with such kind staff. Everyone here is welcoming and kind! The food tastes DELICIOUS.

Been here twice & they never dissapointed us! Nicaraguan steak, queso frito, plaintains + banana chips = perfect combo! Yes, gotta have their cacao when u are in a Nicaraguan restaurant. It’s pricey but hey they served very good food. Whhen u get good food, don’t expect it to be cheap! Piece of advice ~ if u want to pay a cheap price then expect to get a cheap food, just saying!

I am Native to the Mission District and I have roots in Nicaragua. This being one of a handful of Nicaraguense restaurants in San Francisco, I have been a quite a few times. My most recent visit might be my last. Went for lunch on a Friday afternoon, attempted to order the fried fish when they told me it would be over 30 minutes to make, the I attempted to order soup, not available. Then I attempted to order a raspado, not available. Their drinks are not fresh and very sweet.
The service is atrocious. I was was left in awe. I would rather buy the food and have my grandmother cook than to step back in this place. I asked for more napkins and they asked why? REALLY???
The food, well it was decent but the cleanliness and service is terrible. Oh did I mention on a previous visit my guest found a cockroach in his food, they simply removed it, no compensation given to the bill. Ah yes, and their prices are very expensive!
I suggest trying the other Nicaraguense places

It’s hard to find Nicaraguan food. I mean good Nicaraguan food and Las Tinajas has the reputation of being one of the best in SF. Unfortunately, it doesn’t say much about the quality of Nica cuisine in the City.
This place is only open banker’s hours closing by 4:30 PM. So you have to come by for lunch during the week. The menu can be limited but every dish averages about $ 15. Pretty pricey for cafeteria tray service.
Where Las Tinajas lets down is culinary authenticity. They ran out of gallo pinto at my last visit. I asked why they couldn’t make more. They said they would have to ask the kitchen ??? The lady came back and said it would be five minutes. 10 minutes later I was served pot pinto beans mixed with rice. What a let down. When I told them gallo pinto are small red beans, they just smiled at each other. The fried cheese was leather tough and the maduros were stale.
I wouldn’t call this the best example of Nicaraguan food. Will eat elsewhere next time I get the craving of my home food.
Parking can be tough on nearby streets

Cafeteria style restaurant.
This is the only Nicaraguan restaurant in San Francisco where you might not get the tacky treatment. Very decent food – Nicaraguan, with a slight Chinese twist.
Their cleanliness level varies throughout the years: I found a cockroach in my gallo pinto about ten years ago, but I totally forgive them because of their consistent efforts throughout many years in keeping their restaurant decently organized.
Overpriced. Table cloths dirty. Closes too early. Generally, quiet family atmosphere, which is totally unusual in the iffy neighborhood.

I like deeply ethnic and indigenous flavor. One of the best places I have ever eaten for latin food. On par with some of the best places I’ve been to in Mexico.

Food is decent. I usually get the basics, tajadas con queso frito y ensalada. You can’t go wrong with that.
However the Baho sucks! It is like steamed dry meat. Baho usually is so tender and delicious. This one was awful.
The beans are good but these are not Nicaraguan beans. So I think that to sell Nicaraguan style beans they should be real Nicaraguan beans. These are too big.
Rice is steamed… enough said there. Nicaraguan rice is fluffy and fried. I get that the other is probably healthier but it isn’t Nicaraguan style at all.
The raspados are over rates, yuck. I was so excited, I drove 60 miles to go but was very disappointed.
The quesillo is pretty good, but just one tortilla is not enough. For $ 5 they should have two tortillas.
So overall I would say they are ok