Picaro

I love this place. The people that work there are friendly and helpful. The food is fantastic especially for the price. They have the best hot sauce that I’ve ever had and it comes with bread.
I have had most of the vegetarian dishes and have liked all of them.

When I first started dining here, I used to wonder why this place only had 3.5 stars. It’s good and easily became one of my go-​tos for a Spanish fix, but then I realized what made this place an easy go-​to is that it’s just a tapas bar that serves your basic Spanish staples– jamon serrano, pan con tomate, manchego cheese, tortilla de patata (aka Spanish omelet), patatas bravas, gambas al ajillo, etc. It’s really just Spanish tapas 101; nothing spectacular especially if you’re hoping to treat your palate to something mindblowing.
But for the purposes of being with good company and chatting over some sangria, this place is great. I aim to come here for happy hour (until 7pm) when a glass of sangria is $ 2.50 and a carafe is $ 10. That being said, all of their traditional tapas are solid. In addition to the above, I also get the alcachofas a la plancha (grilled artichokes) or espinacas bechamel (almost like creamed spinach) to add some veggies to the mix. Being part Spanish, I admittedly am not that fond of paella (I’m also Asian and don’t really like rice. I know, dishonor), but I’ll eat the paella de arroz negro if forced to choose a paella. Squid ink just makes everything better and goes well with the seafood. The takeaway: Picaro is perfect for eating and drinking with good company, not so much for treating yo self

The tapas here is legit. We came in without any reservations and were seated right away. The service was very nice and attentive, they were always checking in on us and filling up our bread and drinks. We ordered for 2 and it was just enough for some happy tummies.
Ropa Vieja– beef, chicken, & chorizo stew
Sauteed mushroom and garlic
Lobster tail paella
All the food and drinks were absolutely delicious, I definitely recommend getting paella and sangria. I think I like this place better than Cha Cha Cha, but it’s hard to say. The price point is good… especially for the amount you get. HH seems to have some nice deals, so I’ll definitely be back to check that out!

Always my go-​to spot for date night, girls night, and birthdays! It’s a good starting place for nights out in the Mission, and the sangria definitely helps too! The service can be hit or miss (which is why I took off a star) depending on who is working that night. I never catch the waiters’ names but I have my favorites :)
Celebrated mine and my cousin’s birthday here recently with a reservation of 25. Picaro was SUPER accomodating and attentive, made sure everyone’s water was filled, updated us on the status of our orders, and never made a fuss about the amount of people we had, split checks, or the length of time we occupied the longggggg center table they put together for us! On top of that, they never complained about all my crazy add requests by phone each time I needed to bump the reservation from 15 to 2– 25.
One of my Top 5 favorite places in the city, easily.

This is a nice joint that my cousin and his wife picked out to show me and my boyfriend around… we came on a Sunday afternoon and was able to be seated easily. The oysters were only $ 1, but they usually come in around late afternoon, so do make a note of that. We ordered a good amount of dishes:
Rabbit stew: This was very tasty and the bunny was quite soft. There will be some bones, so be warned. The broth is very flavorful and tasted great… I probably could’ve drank it, though dipping in bread was a better idea.
Ox tail stew: We really do love our stews… there were 3 chunks in here, 1 big one and 2 smaller pieces. Like the other stew, the broth was quite flavorful and it was a yummy dish – I preferred this to the rabbit stew, though the broth is not quite as strong.
Mussels: This was good mainly because I love my seafood, but other than that it didn’t stand out too much.
Green beans: We didn’t know what to expect, but it came out with garlic and grilled to perfection. Not overcooked, but not raw, perfect crunch. Very good!
Fried seasoned potatoes: They came with the sauce given to you with the complimentary bread, which I actually liked on the potatoes more than the bread. The potatoes are seasoned with something savory and yummy, which I like to compare as something similar to Lawry’s seasoning salt. The sauce itself is a creamy tomato base, with added other goodies to give it its own unique taste.
Seafood paella: I love that this dish was completely filled with seafood. I wasn’t super fond of the fact that some of the shrimp weren’t deveined, and I felt like the texture of the paella could be a tad softer. You could definitely taste the seafood essence stewed into the paella though, although my cousin thinks he’s tried a better one elsewhere. Still, not a bad dish.
Overall, everything was pretty good. I wouldn’t say it was «ERMAHGERD GET IN MAH BELLY» good, but a good experience with awesome company. I will probably try its sister restaurant (also serves paella) a few blocks down before I decide if I would come here again or not for paella.

One of my go to places in the city. I came here for my birthday with 9 other people and everything from creating the reservation to paying the bill was flawless. I even ran into a old friend who was with another group celebrating a birthday!
Definitely get a few pitchers of sangria to start. The sangria is just the right amount of sweet and citrus — you’ll definitely pour yourself a second glass (or four… but who’s counting?) Right when you sit down the table is graced with Picaro’s infamous bread and dipping sauce. (request a second round when they come out because both the bread and sauce will be gone in seconds!)
After that order a few tapas while the paella is cooking in the kitchen. Their tapas range from meatballs, ham, beef, seafood and tons more! It’s nice going with a group so you can order a bunch of different types and share them family style.
After devouring the tapas and pouring another glass of sangria, our paella arrived. We ordered two 4-​People paellas (a seafood one and a meat one) and it was more than enough food for everyone.

This place is just straight up delicious. Everything I tried was packed with flavor. The garlicky brava sauce you get to dip in the bread is OMG I JUST DIED good. I’ve tried to recreate the sauce myself but nothing compares to that experience. The waiter was nice enough to share the recipe with me but I was a tad tipsy and didn’t take very good notes ;)
The jamon on crustini are great little bites. Jamon is salty and chewy which is a great compliment to the toasty bread bites. Get it.
Also had these mini sausages called Chorizo Salteado. Very salty and spicy but they’re small so you get a few flavor packed nibbles that are like POW POW. Good stuff. Order it.
Patatas bravas were also very tasty. The sauce is the same crack sauce that they give with bread. Put that on anything and you will not be disappointed. Order these.
Paella was the only thing that was a slight disappointment. The price point is great in terms of value. You get a ton of shrimp, calamari, mussels, and clams which makes it worth it. The only caveat is the flavor of the rice. I think it just needed a bit more salt and lacked the kick that I found in all the other items I tried. A bottle of hot sauce and lots of like would do it justice.
Sangria was super sweet and mellow. Go for something stronger if you need that buzz ;) or maybe opt for a pitcher instead of a glass.

Homey family-​run-​feeling tapas restaurant in the Mission. Definitely brings out the crowds regardless of hour or day of the week. Lots of things to choose from and they even have a great selection of paella and in varying sizes depending on the size of your group. The rice is a bit wet, sticky, and mushy, but I’m no paella expert, just someone who enjoys a bit drier experience with the crisp crunchy layer at the bottom of the pan, which their version lacks. I would advise against the artichoke appetizer. They don’t just use the artichoke hearts, but the entire cutting, so you’re chewing on bamboo-​strength leaves, which is often unfit to swallow. Prices are reasonable, between $ 5-​$ 8 a plate, paellas running a bit more starting at $ 28 for a two-​person serving and running up to $ 72 for a six-​person serving. They also have individual dinner plates with a variety of things to choose from like chicken, stew, fish, and kebobs if you don’t want to opt for tapas. Chicken dinner platter was subpar, think canned veggie sides with a super thin cutting of chicken overdone to the point it felt as if I was chewing on rubber. Wines run about $ 6 a glass for a small serving. Sangria and their lemonade beer «Clara» can be bought in glasses or by the pitcher. Atmosphere is very busy, there is often a lot of clamor, and seating and tables are situated really close together. Although a top favorite tapas joint for many, I would not return unless necessary.

Another one of our go to places in the city. Delicious food and easy on the wallet. Our family loves to come here for lunch. Nice and quiet. I came here with girlfriends for dinner and it was packed. Really loud hard to hear but really festive.
This place is great for group. We had a group of 8 and I ordered all my favorites
— garlic shrimp. Addictive
— sautéed broccoli with almond. Really yummy
— sautéed asparagus
— grilled clams
— albondigas. Gotta dip sauce in bread
— pork kebab
— tortilla de potate. Really tasty
— sautéed oysters. I ate two oysters just on my own.
— scallops
Then we got the lobster paella. This was okay but I guess I expected the seafood paella with lobster added. No this one just had lobster tail calamari and rice. Next time I would just order the seafood and meat paella.
Still love this place. Super busy but staff is nice and attentive. Food came out pretty fast too.

I thoroughly enjoyed my meal here, despite not being a tapas fan usually. We had a group of 11 needing last minute reservations on a Saturday night, so needless to say it was difficult to find a spot that could take us — but Picaro came through.
We arrived about 10 minutes early and waited 20 – 25 minutes for our table to be ready — it was packed. It gets really noisy inside and the tables are packed close together, but it has a great vibe.
The prices are affordable and the service is attentive and fast without being overwhelming. Many people shared tapas and there was one order of vegetarian paella, all were excellent.
The highlights of the meal were the free bread and spicy garlic sauce — wow. I’m a huge fan of both garlic and spice and was thoroughly impressed by this dipping sauce — I’d go back for this alone. I loved the Brocolli con Almendras (served with lemon), the Patatas Bravas (potatoes covered in the aforementioned spicy garlic sauce) and the Padron Peppers. I would absolutely go back for these vegetarian dishes and the spicy garlic sauce.
We also had a 3 jugs of the sangria ($ 17 each) which was more than enough for 11 of us. I would definitely go back here.

Busy, loud, and cozy place for tapas, sangria, and PAELLA! It kinda gives off the feeling like you’re in someone’s home (not that this place is small, by any means) — it’s a great place to catch up with a group of friends (not really recommended for a date)
The sangria here is pretty effing cheap (15 – 20 for a carafe) and delicious. The orange sauce that comes with the complementary bread is crack and perfect to go with drinks. Tapas were all decent as well — and the paella was DELICIOUS and extremely flavorful.
The only gripe is that on a busy Saturday night, the paella took maybe 2.5 hours to come to our table. As you know, paella is kind of like risotto in that requires a long painstaking process of constantly adding liquid and stirring. our waiter did keep us updated as we asked. We had a table of 8 of us so we just kept chatting, drinking and eating the other tapas, so I didn’t mind that much, but if you’re antsy for your food, it’s just something to keep in mind. They did comp some pitchers of sangria so the bill came out to be pretty cheap considering the amount we drank and ate, so I didn’t mind too much — it was quite worth it to me!

Este local es de parada obligatoria!
Cuando visitamos la Iglesia de los Dolores en Mission el sr. Manuel, habiéndole dicho que éramos de Barcelona, nos dijo q teníamos que comer en el Pícaro. No tenemos por costumbre ir a sitios de nuestro país cuando viajamos, nos convenció dijéndonos que tenían ostras a 1 $!!!
Llegamos al lugar, y mientras miramos la carta en la entrada, nos sale la responsable y nos dice que estaremos más cómodas si miramos la carta sentaditas dentro.
El local es digno total de una película de Almodovar: la barra decorada de Miró, mantones de Manila por las paredes, cuadros y copias de esculturas de Picasso y Dalí, un pasillo que parece un patio andaluz… Un lugar ecléctico, pero muy acogedor.
La responsable del lugar se apresura a prepararnos las ostras, mientras Marin, el camarero fantástico, nos toma nota de lo que vamos a tomar: gambas al ajillo, patatas bravas, calamares… Y un buen vino blanco!
Nos sirven de aperitivo pan con salsa romesco, la de los calçots! ;-P riquísima!
La comida buenísima, y el servicio excelente! Nos sentimos unas reinas del buen trato que recibimos! Una experiencia genial!

My friend said he heard good things about this place and I was really craving some paella so I said I was down. Honestly, there were some mistakes made that night and I think going back I’d make better decisions but with food it’s so hard because you can’t say «No I don’t want to commit, I just want to see where this goes and if I don’t like I’ll just end this» because food is not a relationship.
Things that were not that great:
Spinach bechamel. Spinach is healthy and bechamel sauce is a staple to French cooking so this should be good, right? Wrong. It was creamed spinach. It was like a soup of dairy and spinach. It was not great. Don’t get this. We ended up putting it on bread and putting it in the dipping sauce (garlicy and a little spicy and just delicious) and forced ourselves to eat it because we got it and we weren’t going back.
Things that were okay:
The paella. My friend was not on the best terms with shellfish so we got the paella con carne and it was greasy as EFF. I know it’s supposed to be buttery, but this was a little excessive, and the four lemons halves we squeezed the life out of didn’t cut anything. Also, the rib pieces didn’t really have any flavor.
Things that were good: patatas bravas. Covered in the spicy and garlic-​y red sauce that had initially come with the bread, they were hot and crisp and delicious.
I think Picaro definitely deserves a second chance although I learned my lesson – ask a waiter next time. Pretty sure no one else orders spinach bechamel.

If you want to eat Spanish food for a very reasonable price, look no further than Picaro. We came to Picaro for a friend’s birthday and we ordered two paellas (4 person serving each), 10 tapas, and three pitchers of sangria. We were a 9 person group and we paid $ 28 each, including gratuity. Like the other reviewers have stated, this is a great place for a large group because it’s cheap and you can try many different types of tapas!
Overall, the tapas were good. Patatas aioli and the oxtail stew were two of my favorite dishes. The potatoes in the patatas aioli were drizzled with their homemade garlic mayonnaise, which is the sauce that they give out with the complimentary bread. The sauce is literally like crack! It’s seriously so good and addicting. Out of the tapas, I was unsatisfied with the jamon they served. The quality of the jamon wasn’t very good.
The paella was sadly a letdown. Maybe because I’m spoiled by the paella I had while I was in Spain last month but this was really not that good. We got the meat paella and the seafood paella with lobster. The meat paella literally had no taste. The chunks of chicken were dry and the rice was extremely oily. The seafood paella was better. It tasted like the rice was cooked in seafood broth but still, nothing to be wow-​ed by.
TL;DR Come here for cheap tapas and sangria. Skip the paella.

Came here for a friend’s birthday dinner. If you make it in time for happy hour they have a great deal on carafes of sangria! We were able to change our reservation from 6:30 to 7pm and were seated promptly when we arrived (thanks to one member of our group who was already there). In the past I have had to wait more than 10 – 15 minutes when our group already had a reservation –_​– and we were just waiting there when they had several empty tables. Anyways, we ordered 2 paellas, a garlic shrimp dish, beet salad, chicken croquettes and were served complimentary bread with some sort of slightly spicy/​flavorful dipping sauce. The service was overall good this time and we received our dishes at appropriate times. They also served the birthday boy a small cute flan with a candle in it! This place is great for groups. Will definitely be returning.

Like their sister restaurant, Esperpento, I liked a few things but overall found the food here lackluster.
We had a reservation for 4 at 8pm on a Tuesday night. They were full but there didn’t seem to be a wait.
Embutidos y Quesos (COLD CUTS, SAUSAGES, AND CHEESE FROM SPAIN)
* Queso Manchego (Ewe’s milk cheese from La Mancha $ 6.00) — 3 stars
Just a few small slices with cheese. An extremely overpriced and unimpressive plate.
Aves y Carnes (MEAT AND POULTRY)
* Albondigas (Meatball stew with saffron. $ 5.75) — 3.5 stars
One of the more memorable dishes, this had a nice thick stew, and the meatballs were tender.
Pescados y Mariscos (FISH AND SHELL FISH)
* Pescado Rebozado con Aioli (Deep fried snapper strips with homemade garlic mayonnaise. $ 6.00) — 2 stars
This was bland, the breading was soggy (no crisp!), and the meat itself was dry.
Ensaladas y Tapas Vegetarianas (SALADS AND VEGETARIAN TAPAS)
* Tortilla de Patata (Potato and onion omelet. $ 6.50) — 3.5 stars
Pretty good, lots of layers, a little too much butter though.
* Patatas Bravas (Spicy potatoes $ 5.25) — 3 stars
Sauce is thick and great (we used the sauce on everything). The potatoes themselves were a tad dry, could have had a better crisp.
* Pisto de Calabacin (Zucchini and onion stewed with tomato sauce. $ 5.00) — 2.5 stars
Another underwhelming dish. Lacks pizazz and flavor.

We came to Picaro for a celebratory work lunch with 20 people, which means we got to order A LOT of stuff. I can’t comment on the pork-​based items, since I don’t dine on swine, but everything else I tried was great.
They started us off with some bread and dipping sauce, and oh myyyy that sauce was good. If everything in life was slathered with that sauce, I’m sure world peace would be achieved!
Then out came the small plates, of which I tried the garlic chicken, spicy potatoes (patatas bravas), grilled asparagus, and sautéed green beans. The patatas bravas was the star of the small plates, so good that we ordered another round at the end of the meal. The garlic chicken was great, especially the sauce which I ate with the aforementioned bread. The green beans were meh, but the asparagus was surprisingly delicious with a dollop of an unknown sauce.
Finally, the paellas came out. The Paella de Mariscos (calamari, shrimp, clams and mussels) and the Paella Hortelana (vegetable). The vegetable paella was not memorable, but the seafood one was great with flavorful rice and tons of seafood.
The food was great, worthy of five stars. But I’m knocking them down one star since their sauce has not delivered world peace.

TL;DR: Excellent tapas. Strong sangria. Delicious bread sauce.
I don’t know why this place has a 3.5 star rating. It should be at least a 4.5, or maybe a 5, or maybe Unilocal should create a special 6 star for this place!
This place gets understandably crowded very quickly, so definitely make reservations or go early.
Upon seating, you’re served baskets of French bread with this AMAZING Brava sauce. I asked the waitress what is in the sauce, and she said that there’s only tomato, garlic, oil, and paprika. I’m pretty sure she forgot to mention that there is crack in the sauce, because we ended up eating 3 baskets of bread during our time there.
The tapas are perfect. They are all so cheap and excellent for sharing. We got an order of the Tortilla de Patata ($ 6.25), an onion and potato omelet; apparently it’s one of the most popular tapas. It was SO good and tender and filling. Enjoy it with that red Brava sauce.
The next dish we got was the Champinones al Ajillo ($ 5.75), sautéed mushrooms with garlic. The mushrooms were so flavorful and perfect. Try it with the bread and Brava sauce!
We also ordered the Croquetas de Pollo ($ 5.70), chicken croquettes. These things are like breaded cream of chicken soup. They were so creamy and delicious. And of course, dip it in that red Brava sauce, if you have anymore of it left!
The star of the entire meal, however, was their $ 10 sangria pitcher. Split between 3 people, we got about 1 and ¾ glasses each. We got 2 pitchers… And subsequently got pretty drunk. Their sangria is very strong, and you can’t really taste the alcohol! Personally, I hate red wine, so I did not have high expectations of the sangria, so I was pleasantly surprised that I ended up liking it.
For three people: 2 pitchers of sangria, 3 tapas plates, and 3 baskets of bread later, our tab came out to be… $ 35?! I could not believe it.
This place is a true gem in the heart of the SF Mission. I’m patiently waiting the day I return.

Came here for my best friend’s birthday dinner. She made reservations for 11 at 8:30pm. By 8:45pm, there wasn’t a table set up for us and they rushed to squeeze all 11 of us in a small, crowded area close to the front of the restaurant.
The food is good, inexpensive, and filling! They give you baskets of bread, LOTS OF BREAD, complimentary. the orange dipping sauce is almost as good as La Vic’s orange sauce. The bread was just right there. Couldn’t stop grabbing a piece, dipping it in the sauce, and devouring it. The advantage to eating that many carbs was that it absorbed all the alcohol we consumed. We ordered carafes of their sangria– SO SHWEEET AND SO GEWD!
You order little plates here and there where you share with everyone. We got the grilled mushrooms, potatos with aioli, garlic chicken, a dozen $ 1 oysters, and squid ink paella. I didn’t try the paella, but those that did said it was bombdotcom. The sight of the black rice aka squid ink wasn’t too appetizing to me. The other half of the group ordered the seafood paella, and they too, said it was worth the wait (takes them about 30 min to cook the paella).
It was hot inside. Crowded. Chaotic. BUT the servers were quick! They were quick to clear our plates to make room for more. They were quick with our requests. They were quick with refilling our bread baskets!
The parking SUCKS! It’s all street parking. Busy, busy streets! It took us about 20 min to finally find parking two blocks away (it was a Friday night, so I guess it was expected).
Just make sure they follow through with your reservations!

This sauce that comes w the bread is pretty much la Vic’s status if not slightly better…
Happy hour all day until 7pm for 2.50 sangria, 10 dollar carafe
Lobster paella was on par. Size for two easily feeds 3

Bookmarked only for their Lobster Paella
Came on a crowded hot weekend and it was pipe steaming hot inside, ugh can I get a craft of Sangria STAT!!!
With hungry eyes can we get the fried calamari, more free bread, cured ham on toasted French bread, spread olive oil and cucumbers, a dozen $ 1.05 HH oysters, and the lobster paella. Ohya can I get another craft of Sangria? LOL
So thirsty… it was only 90 degrees in the city last weekend.
Upon drinking til the wheels fall off, our meals came out really fast; besides the 30min wait of the Paella. The calamari, was bland no salt? no flavor? ohya squeeze more lemon, the cured ham bleh… I did not like it at all. Like it was old deli meat? Sangria? yes very good LOL, Oysters? a lil grimy but needed to be chucked right, the Lobster Paella? yes I enjoyed every bite. Service was hospitable.
Will I be back? Maybe?

Exelent food!!!
I’m from Barcelona trust me, the best in Bay Area !!!
Calamares a la plancha. Alcachofa a la plancha. Patatas bravas. Cazuela. Pincho moruno. Tortilla de patatas. jamon Serrano To young but ok.
Everything except the desert was excellent. Crema catalana, no no y mouse de chocolate ok. I will come back.

Comida española de verdad! Sangría deliciosa!

Mi favorito ! Todo es delicioso! Gambas al ajillo, patatas bravas, asparagus assado, alcachofas, ropavieja, pollo al ajillo, croquetas de pollo! Lo mejor = la sangria, es perfecta! Quisiera que fuera cerca de mi ciudad!

I would give this place more stars except I had a bad experience with the almejas a la marinera. We also ordered the patatas bravas, patatas al aiolli, gambas al ajillo, croquetas de pollo y pan con tomate y jamon serrano… all delicious! However I was the only one who tried the almejas and just 2, the sauce lacked flavor otherwise I would’ve probably gone for more though I’m glad I didn’t. The result of those 2 clams was a bout of vomiting at 2AM that night and a subsequent hangover feeling the following morning. Since I was the only one of my party who got sick I have to assume it was the clams. Other than that I would definitely return for the great sangria and patatas bravas but please be more careful with the clams!