Fresca

Have not been on this place very often, but the best part of going in here is the calf steak. And was it good?

Pros: Best foods around

Cons: Was all but fun

Posted 04/29/09

My husband and I are here for our honeymoon, and this has been the best food we've had since we've been here (and we've dined at Zuni, Crab House, etc.). The appetizer of scallops and dessert of "purple corn" creme brule were the best I've ever had. It was as good as brownie batter -- I wished I had a rubber spatula to clean the ramekin! I ordered the lamb for dinner, which was also wonderful, and my husband loved his sea bass. He had sangria and I had Coke to drink, and our total tab with tip was about $110. Pricey, but we want to eat here again before we leave. The service was top-notch. Our waitress was attentive and steered us down the right path to our meal selections, as this was our first Peruvian dining experience.

Posted 08/12/08

I've been for lunch and dinner now. Personal fav... steak sandwich and a glass of red wine on a lazy afternoon. I thought it was really great food and friendly service too. Parking, not so great (take a cab or walk if you can). Better than Limon, IMHO.

Pros: Awesome food

Cons: Walk or cab there

Posted 06/18/08

In the neighborhood on a rare shopping spree, I happened in to Fresca on Fillmore for lunch and am so happy I did. The lunch menu has a lot of the same items as the dinner menu, at about half the price. We had the jumbo shrimp appetizer ? beautifully presented and fresh tasting ? and the pulled chicken with egg dish. I will seriously go back just for the chicken dish ? and I don?t usually like chicken! The waitstaff was very friendly, inviting us to come back at sit at the bar. Although next time I plan to head to the Noe Valley location a bit closer to home.

Pros: Aji De Gallina - the chicken stew

Cons: Need more people to try everything interesting on the menu

Posted 11/05/07

this is my first review on city search and i was so disappointed that i have decided to warn potential customers....I went yesterday on my own to have lunch at Fresca on FIllmore. i was craving for some fresh ceviche.... ahi tuna....to be more precise....i was correctly greeted at the door, nothing exceptionnal. when the ceviche came on my table, i thought wow what a nice presentation. 3 piles of tuna topped with some tacos...i did not pay attention at first at the quantity of the food served on the plate. the first bite, i almost threw it up on the table but did not. having a closer look, actually it was a lot of tuna on the plate which made me think that the quality of the ahi tuna was probably far from being top notch.... i had the feeling they served me cat food (appearance of the whiskas in boxes)...i tried again but each bite i was taking was tasting worse than before...plain, chewy, and some bites were plain lime juice...the only good part of theat meal was the taco...i also ordered a side of french fries which was ok...certainly better than the main meal i have ordered...anyway for 15 dollars , dont waste your time...if you are in that fillmore street, go to La mediterrannee next door or change neighborhood... if you are craving for ceviche like i do....go to Destino on market or try a similar meal at the front porch room in the mission... i can not believe i even paid for that terrible ceviche...

Posted 10/24/07

We live in the hood and really want to like this place as the menu looks great but the food is just not up to par. I don't mind the noise and the humidity that comes from the open kitchen (which does get a little smokey at times) - PLUS waiting a little on the food I can deal with. I don't have a problem with paying good money for a decent portion of good food. THAT is what is lacking. The hostess was nice. The waitstaff seems always like it's their first week of waiting tables. I was so excited when it opened, and many times have eaten there and had the ceviche and other dishes-- but will not be going back unless there is a big change in the areas of portion sizes and quality. Oh and the Sangria is over priced.

Pros: great neighborhood

Cons: poor service and too small portions for the $$

Posted 07/27/07

To be honest.... I used to work in a restaurant and it disappointed me to read all of these negative commnets against wait staff in the restaurant called "Fresca" I belive that white people are the ones who love to go to restaurants the most, and also love to be treated like kings and queens........ I saw all those comments about the guy who waited 30 mins for a table, well if u are smart enough... .why the hell would u be making a damm line to get a table when u can see that the damm place is already full!!!! better yet, why dont u get yourself a nice lady who can cook for you instead of going to restaurants to eat and judge the hard work that other people at least try to do!!!!! Everybody should know this........ IT IS NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE TO PROVIDE A GOOD SERVICE WHEN THE DAMMMMM RESTAURANT IS CROWED....... DO URSELF A FAVOR AND DONT COME IF U SEE THAT A FREAKING RESTAURANT IS ALREADY FULL!!!!!!!!!!!

Pros: good food

Cons: parking

Posted 06/30/07

I had dinner at Fresca for the first time last Sat (June 9) with some
friends. First, the hostess and waiter were very prompt and friendly seating me
immediately as I had reservations but my friends hadn't arrived yet.
The waiter quickly got me water and my drink. Throughout the night, the
service was great. Second, the place is crowded, hot, and humid from the open
kitchen and all the people in there. They're in serious need of better
ventilation.

The problem is the kitchen. I ordered the Lobster & Crab Ceviche ($16).
The presentation was nice but a disappointment. The mound rested on two
slabs of 3/4" sweet potato making it look bigger than it really was.
The crab was mixed in with a seaweed salad (wakame) with sesame oil which
conflicted with the lime juice used. And the lobster was anemic to be
nice. Hardly worth the money.

My main course was the duck ($22). I would say that the entree would be
great except that the duck breast was well done. Unless you're a
Chinese restaurant, you should never ever serve duck well done.

For desert, I had the mango creme brulee ($8) with coffee. I was so
disappointed with it I didn't even finish it. Because the room was hot
and humid, the burnt sugar was already softened, which was made worse by the
strawberry sauce and whip cream. Obviously it had been sitting out.
And the coffee was luke warm.

They also lacked a sense of timing as some of us didn't get served until
others had nearly finished their apps or well into their entree.

They've been around for a while and have numerous restaurants so it's
not as if it's a new restaurant working out the kinks. If I go back, it
probably won't be my idea. FYI, I went to cooking school and was taught French
and this is my first post.

Pros: Great service

Cons: Loud, stuffy, overpriced ceviche, no coordination between kitchen & dining room..

Posted 06/10/07

I just tried this place today at lunchtime. The service was HORRIBLE, which ruined our experience. The waiter insisted that 1 ceviche per person wasn't enough food and that we should each order our own salad. I told him we would each get a ceviche and share the salad (it was just me and my mother) and we could order more food later if it wasn't enough. Well, it was plenty - the salad is huge and the ceviche is perfect for one person. I had to ask for water twice, which he never brought. I finally asked the hostess for water and she brought it. We were pretty much ignored the rest of the time and then shorted on our change after paying our bill. It's a shame the service is so bad, because the ceviche was really delicious. We also shared the "Julio Cesar" salad, which was OK. It was strange that it had walnuts on it instead of croutons, and the dressing tasted almost like plain mayonnaise, but the lettuce was fresh at least. I also had a sangria, which was a bit weak and not the best I've had. I would recommend this place for the ceviche and a beer, but don't bring a date here or go here for a special occasion because the place is a bit cramped and the service is terrible. I know that Limon is pricier, but it's worth it for the atmosphere and service in my opinion.

Pros: Ceviche

Cons: Service, atmosphere, parking

Posted 03/02/07

I had heard Fresca was good from some friends and decided to try it. Bad idea. The place was good in seating us without a reservation and the Peruvian beer was good. Other than that, everything else was sub-par. The ceasar salad had garlic bread on top, no croutons (guess the garlic bread was the replacement?) and had candied walnuts in it which threw the flavors off. The main dishes were worse. My halibut was overcooked and tasted like jerkey, the risotto was gluey and there wasn't any sauteed spinach to speak of in the dish. My date had a whole rockcod which was cooked just right, however the flavors were off and the sauce mixed with potatoes was strange. I wouldn't be so irked but I felt that considering the price, some part of the meal should have been good. I would not go there again and will not be recommending it to anybody I know.

Pros: Fast seating

Cons: Bad food, expensive

Posted 01/23/07

I've been to the Fillmore Street location several times and while the food is always good, it's too noisy. There isn't anywhere to wait for a table where you don't feel like you're in the way (the bar is next to the kitchen and waiter prep area). The door is also constantly swinging open and remaining open leaving unexpected drafts. The Noe Valley location is large, has better acoustics, and a larger bar area. The food is just as good.

Pros: Food

Cons: Noisy and drafty at Fillmore; Parking either location

Posted 11/21/06

I have always enjoyed the food at Fresca- from a very reasonably priced brunch menu with omelets with blue crab, tuna, to a steak salad for lunch, to halibut for dinner. This place rocks. The last time I was there, the waiter basically ordered for me, which was great, because the food was delish. Will return many times!

Pros: Proactive staff, open kitchen is good entertainment, ceviche!

Posted 09/13/06

This place has awesome food. We had a ceviche plate (yellowtail), the crab cakes and wontons as small plates and the halibut as an entree. The halibut is served over spinach and risotto, and is unbelievable. Highly recommended. Fun atmosphere, good location.

Pros: Variety, quality, service

Cons: A little on the pricey side

Posted 07/30/06

Although the food is good, this place misses the mark on service. The waits are too long, reservation times are very loose, and the staff is not particularly attentive or responsive. It's unfortunate that the lack of service spoils the dinner. I hope the ownership/management see the reviews on Citysearch and improve the service.

Pros: Food

Cons: Service lacking; reservation times not respected

Posted 07/29/06

This place has great ceviche which is why i first tried it, but they have really good salads and sandwichs as well. We order to go from there all time time but their location is very nice too. Big fan of Fresca!

Pros: ceviche

Cons: wish it was closer to my house

Posted 07/26/06

This is the second time I've been to Fresca and am dissappointed once again. I thought I would give it another shot because it is always packed in there. Even though the restaurant was empty at 7, they wouldn't let us sit down because our whole party was not there yet. We said we would like to order apps. and drinks before the rest of our party arrives but that didn't help. When we were seated it took a while for the waitress to come over and take our order. The first course, ceviche, was delicious! I would only go back for that. The main course took forever! When we received it the food was cold. I had paella and it had absolutely no flavor and the fish, scallops, etc. didn't seemed cooked. No one in my party seemed impressed with their main course. I wouldn't recommend this place. I am shocked of how busy it continues to be.

Posted 07/26/06

Been to Fresca a few times now and every time has been Great! The Shrimp BLT is my Favorite. whether you eat in or carry out i promise you will enjoy! The Ensalda Nicoise is delicious. If you love flavor in your food you will love Fresca!!!

Posted 07/08/06

I went here on a date and loevd it. Where else can you get Peruvian food? My date and I beef with peppers and onions over white rice and my date had some fish dish which was also delicious. The place is cute, and lively, and the service is excellent.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: None

Posted 07/06/06

We were ushered off to the bar because there was such a wait, but it was worth it. The bread there is amazing. The rolls were hot and had a lingering spicy taste to it that I have never had before. We had the ceviche which was delicious and the toro steak salad which was so flavorful it hardly stood a chance.

Pros: Nice spicy food

Cons: Crowded

Posted 04/18/06

The food & service were great; sangria was disappointing. Unfortunately, the wait times are almost always ridiculously long, and we have had to go elsewhere several times, after waiting 45 mins or so.

Pros: food

Cons: sangria, wait times

Posted 12/05/05

The hostess was great, she held our table 20 minutes as we were late arriving. The service was really good. Delicious ceviche of several varieties, good stick to your ribs entrees, nice sides of fried plantain, yucca and various potato dishes. Nice reasonable wine list with interesting and appropriate suggestions. A good time was had by all.

Pros: Ceviche, friendly, nice wine

Cons: Loud

Posted 09/24/05

MMM. This is the place to enjoy ceviche! They have a variety to suit your palate, and their creations are just beautiful (and delicious!) I particularly like the ceviche "chino" but all that we have tried have been excellent. Service is prompt and attentive, though it can get crowded and noisy at times, it's a perfect date spot! I love their chicken dishes (the portions are huge!) and my husband always orders the lamb. For a date spot or a regular good ol' meal option on Fillmore, Fresca is the place! Parking is inexpensive at the CPMC garage up the hill, and there is so much to do in the Fillmore!

Pros: fresh food, service, their ceviche

Cons: Small tables, Can get crowded

Posted 09/19/05

the host did not have our reservation inthe system and was still able to accomadate us immediately. service was great and food was awesome.

Posted 08/01/05

I love this place for the ceviche and sangria.Evidently everyone else does too, so make your reservation and don't be in a hurry!
I wish they would expand and hire more waitstaff for when it's busy. It's still a unique and fun place to go in Pac heights.

Pros: great sangria, great ceviche, fun atmosphere

Cons: sometimes loud, can be crowded

Posted 07/08/05

I really enjoyed the food at Fresca, it was delicious and the presentation was great. We arrived a few minutes late for our reservation and were seated at the table in front of the door. We voiced our concern that the table would be cold and we would be constantly brushed as people passed by to get seated. We saw a table for 5 and were told that 6 people would be sitting there for an 8pm reservation- however, we noted that only 5 people were seated and they arrived at about 9pm. Our waitor was wonderful and attentive- he communicated our dissatisfaction with the seating to the hostess and she brushed us off with an excuse- not bothering to explain personally.
This would not stop me from returning- but I would not take a group larger than 4 people.

Pros: Great waitors, Good food

Cons: Rude hostess, Very crowded, Bad table layout

Posted 05/29/05

It was kind of packed even though we arrived before 7 on Saturday. I suggest people make reservation before going.
The food was very delicious. We ordered the Lomo Saltado, arroz con mariscos, Ceviche Mixto, Aji de Gallina and yuca frita and they were all very good. I highly recommend the Aji de Gallina which is shredded and pulled chicken stew with yellow cream and rice (YUMMY).
The service was good too even though there were many people.

Pros: Delicious food, Good service, nice ambience

Cons: Difficult Parking, very crowded, hot

Posted 05/02/05

We sat at the bar and had olive seared ahi, fried yuca and the Peruvian special "Mariscos Y Arroz " which was heaping on a large plate. Everything was delicious and well spiced. Service was comforting and attentive. I will return to try some Ceviche and Peruvian Sashimi. The Aji sauce kicks a.. .

Pros: Aji, good portions

Cons: smoky bar, no hot hot sauce

Posted 03/17/05

I went there on a Friday like around 5pm ther was not much going in the restaurant, since they open at 4pm there wasnt anyone there, but i really loved the food. I had the mixed seafood ceviche,mmm so ggod! Then I had an appetizer and sangria and it was all really really good, if you like ceviche this is the place to go in SF...I give them a A+

Pros: Street parking ok, Inexpensive, Good Service

Posted 01/14/05

Phenomenal experience! Contrary to other reviews which have noted service and a wait, I experienced neither. The food was great; ceviche, small plates, and entrees. We made a reservation earlier in the day, arrived before our reservation and were seated promptly. The menu was so good that we had a tough time choosing, corkage fee was just $12 too.

Pros: friendly service, great menu

Posted 10/29/04

Went here the other night with some girlfriends, and all of our food was very tasty. The ceviche was not the best I've ever had, but very solid. The entrees were well-prepared and enormous (think about sharing). We also got a couple sides, which were good but I think a bit overpriced for what it was.

Posted 08/16/04

We had a few appetizers and entrees and all of it was very good and fresh. Ceviche portions are a bit small, but entrees are good portions. It's not fantastic, but very tasty and worth the money.

Pros: eclectic menu, good food, service

Cons: , kinda dark

Posted 07/19/04

Went with family for mothers day to fresca and everyone was very pleased with our meal. All of us had isfferent favorites, but no on had any complaints. The place is very tightly packed, and hot, but most places in the city are similar. Definitely worth a visit or two. Served tapas style which seems to be the new rage.

Pros: Great food, Affordable, Courteous staff

Cons: , Compacted space

Posted 06/02/04

This place has the most delicious food. The staff is always friendly, no matter how busy they are, and are very good at remembering return customers.. Twice we have shown up with no reservation and been seated within a few minutes.
Excellent ceviche!

Pros: Excellent food, friendly staff, good wine selection

Posted 05/20/04

Don't make the mistake of trying to throw a dinner party here. We had a party of 15 with reservations for 9PM. We waited for 2 hours before they attempted to seat us. By then half our group had left. While waiting we had appetizers and sangria at the bar...and for seating us 2 hours late, we were comp'd absolutely nothing. This was by far the worst dining experience of our collective lives. The food is pretty good, but does not nearly make up for the abismal service and snooty attitude of the management. With so many great restaurants in the city, this one unfortunately falls to the bottom.

Pros: unique food

Cons: , bad service

Posted 05/16/04

I had dined at the West Portal location before and enjoyed the atmosphere and food. This restaurant is definitely not the place to go on a first date or any date. Way too loud and noisy. My date and I could barely hear each other although we were sitting side by side. Additionally, we order soup and it came not lukewarm but cold. There are so many other restaurants in the bay area to go to. I was glad to leave the restaurant and it left a ringing in my ear like I just step out of a terrible heavy metal concert. Thumbs way down...this was the worst dining experience I EVER had

Posted 02/29/04

This place has great food. It is superior to the other Peruvian spots I have been to. The ahi ceviche appetizer was great and the crap cakes are well done. All 6 entrees I have tasted on my 2 trips were consistently good. The lamb with prawns, strip steak, and rib-eye are all borderline excellent. The ambiance is fast and fun. They attract a good lively crowd. The service is attentive. With drinks you can expect to pay $70-80 a couple. I will definitely go back.

Posted 10/28/03

I came here without reservations and though the wait was long, the food was fantastic! I recommend the ceviche (they have several kinds, I tried three and all were good). The lamb chops entree had the most flavorful sauce on it, so amazing. It's a little pricey for what you get but they give you big portions. The wait staff was friendly and service was quick. The atmosphere is cozy and fun. Great place to go with friends.

Pros: good, solid dishes, friendly staff

Cons: parking, noisy

Posted 10/09/03

I'm surprised a couple of people complaint about this restaurant. During my previous visits, I ended up sitting at the bar, where a tremendous amount of clients kept coming up the chef and express their satisfaction with the food and the service. All I could heard was good compliments. The chef is very attentive with each plate coming out of the kitchen and is kind of enough to even serve you and asked how everything is. This restaurant should it been #1.

Pros: delicious food

Cons: none

Posted 08/03/03

I feel bad sooo many people have had problems with the service, but my experiences at this new restaurant have been perfect. After each visit, the food seems to be getting better and better. Everyone is very attentive, even a seat at the bar isn't bad at all, you'll get a treat by the very handsome chef!

Pros: Excellent Food, Fun atmosphere

Cons: none

Posted 07/29/03

I too had a bad experience with making a reservation - the hostess was pretty snotty, didn't seat us until well past our reservation and didn't make any attempt to apologize for it. On another trip to Fresca our reservation was kept and we were seated only 5-8 minutes late. The food is decent - admittedly haven't eaten the ceviches...really liked the steak app. Overall I think there are places with better service and equal to better food to spend your money at. I did have a really cute waiter once though :)

Pros: Food is decent

Cons: Snotty hostess, Service isn't stellar, Pricey

Posted 07/28/03

We showed up for our 7:45pm reservation and the hostess "didn't see our reservation" so did not have a table ready for us. Without so much as an apology, she asked us to wait 10 minutes. Which turned into 20, then 30. Finally we got some free sangria while we waited. After 35 mintues. We told her she had 5 more mintues to seat us. While we were waiting for tables to open up so they could put our party of 6 together, she kept seating other people. The best part, she asked if we wanted to go down the street for a drink, she would call us when the table was ready!? After 45 minutes we gave up and left. This put us at 8:30 on my friend's birthday, with no dinner and 6 STARVING people. Horrible Service.

Posted 07/17/03

We had reservations...showed up 15 minutes early...but didn't get seated until over an hour after our reservation. (...while watching others with no reservation get seated??) Pretty frustrating. But we held out, and the food was good...although probably overpriced. Not sure if I would go back again...

Posted 07/10/03

i went here for lunch with a friend. i ordered the salmon tacos. they were fantastic! served with fresh salsa and guacomole. the salmon was a fillet, perfectly grilled, not all shredded up like baja fresh fish tacos or something. the ambiance was nice, but not as authentic as i'd like. the place is also just a tad overpriced, but at least it was worth it. the service was great too.

Pros: fresh food, tasty food, nice/clean place

Cons: bit overpriced

Posted 06/20/03

I went there last Sunday without a reservation with a friend of mine. We were seated in the counter and were afraid the quality of food and service may suffer. Not a bit! Our waiter was charming and attentive and the dishes were excellent. I particularly enjoyed the oysters and rainbow trout with prawns. The only thing I regretted was I didn't try the dessert because we were so full and content.

Posted 06/02/03

I live in Pac Heights and thought I'd try this Peruvian chain. I was in Peru in December and the dish I had was fine (Peru isn't known for it's food so it wasn't hard for them to meet those standards). The chips and salsa were the best part of the meal (that's not a good sign).
The worst part was that I made a reservation for 8:30pm and they didn't seat my party of five until 9:15pm. It took the food another 40 minutes to arrive and they forgot the salads. Beware.

Pros: chips and salsa

Cons: service, seats only small no.s, crowded

Posted 05/15/03