Decadent tapas, stellar sangria and a lively crowd keep this Upper Haight spot alive and kicking.
Free flan
Latin Tapas
Sangria
Cha Cha Cha serves Caribbean food such as fried calamari, mussels, Cajun shrimp, and BBQ chicken or pork quesadillas. Sandwiches offered include steak, Cajun fish along with burgers and a variety of desserts. This restaurant also has full bar with an extensive wine list and over 10 draft beers.
The Scene There is always a wait at this bustling restaurant, but with a little liquid patience and lots of quality people-watching, time is incidental. World beats and quirky decor, including several Santeria altars, keep this spot festive and unique. Tightly packed tables are filled with hip young locals. But beware: Service can be hurried and inconsistent. The Food Eclectic Latin- and Caribbean-inspired tapas are consistently satisfying, especially when paired with the fruity sangria. Perfectly crisp, moist chicken wings are beautifully laquered in a smooth, complex guava sauce, and a heaping pile of perfectly fried calamari is served with a garlicky aioli. For side dishes, earthy, creamy black beans are an ideal match with crunchy, buttery plantains. Fiery Cajun shrimp sit plumply in a heavenly cayenne-spiked cream sauce. The kitchen's few missteps include over-marinated seviche and chicken paillard that's dry, even when bathed in an under-seasoned cream sauce.
Cha Cha Cha is a Tapas style restaurant in the Haight-Ashbury street area. It is very small and it is almost always crowded. The tables are pretty tiny, and it's hard to get all of the little plates of tapas on the table at one time. If you have to wait, go to the bar and get a pitcher of sangria. For tapas, we liked everything!
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This such a kool spot in the middle of the city. Just blocks away from San Francisco State University. If you go during the night you will find a great enviroment. try the ceviche and for drink sangria.
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Cha Cha Cha on Haight is a really cool and very happening spot most nights of the week. The restaurant is usually PACKED so either call ahead or prepare to sit at the bar, which is cool. They have a good sangria and their tapas are okay, although I wasn't blown away by them. The decor is the most interesting part of the restaurant. It is very deep jungle themed.
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Latest reviews by Citysearch:
(read all 43 reviews
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Great food and atmosphere
By CSMobileUser
Went on a Saturday night and did have to wait an hour but it was worth it. Sangria was good and helped past the time. There was four of us and five tapa dishes were more than enough. Chickenwings were delicious. Calamari tasty and the shrimp with I forgot what sauce
Sauce was so good we used the bread to finish sauce. Kitchen did not need to wash that plate.
Posted 05/25/09
Haight St is Cha Cha Cha-ing its way past the bar scene
By LindseyL86
With crowds of people outside and standing room only within, Cha Cha Chas has become the most popular restaurant on Haight St. While other restaurants only offer seating and food, Cha Cha Chas bar serves Sangria almost more popular than their Mediterranean menu.
?I?ve been coming here for 10 or 12 years and there is just such a San Francisco vibe here,? said Matthew Allred, restaurant manager in South San Francisco, ?plus the Sangria is amazing!?
While patrons eagerly await their table, they are ushered into the bar area where the center is an ice filled pit with glass buckets of Sangria made on site. Half empty pitchers adorn the tables between the bright red and zebra painted atmosphere. Mediterranean music bumps in the background. Walking past every other bar on the Haight, it is clear that this is the busiest of all and yet no liquor is served, only beer and Sangria.
?I?ve worked here for 23 years,? said Christina Schubeck, ?and it?s always been this busy?crazy busy.?
?Normally I like to go bar hopping but this place is honestly the best bar you could ask for?I?m staying,? said Heather Vega, first time patron of Cha Cha Chas and student at San Francisco State.
Cajun shrimp and calamari are just a few of the things that create Cha Cha Chas menu.Guitars hang on the walls and angels watch over the Sangria bar while customers ignore the norm of the bar scene for something completely unique.
?Everybody is different here,? said Kimberly Guess, a 43 year old massage therapist, ?and we love the sangria!?
The draw back for the normal bar crowd is that Cha Cha Chas still holds only restaurant hours, closing at 11pm on weekends and 10pm on weekdays.
?It?d be nice if they were open later but honestly, who cares? This is such an eclectic barrage of craziness,? Vega said, while gesturing to the crowd and wall decorations, ?any time in this place is a good time.
Posted 02/25/09
Sangria? YES PLEASE!!
By Bn2bwld
I had never been to Cha Cha Cha before... I will most deffinately be back. Walking in you are surrounded by the almost comical latin atmosphere. The place is alive with conversation and highly reccomend eating in the bar area. The 25 minunte wait was the perfect ice breaker, the pitcher of sangria probably helped too. When it came time to order I said "Bring three dishes of your choice." The food was great the price was even better.
Pros: Great Staff, Excellent Atmosphere, Awesome food Cons: None
Posted 02/17/09
Saliva with your sangria? Sure, why not!
By TrughBTold
Food is good, although expensive (for a few cuts of shrimp and maduros). I was looking forward to their oh so popular sangria, until I realized where their main tub (where they filled up the pitchers of sangria) was located... in front of the counter just below all the mouths that place their request-- can you imagine the GALLONS of saliva in each pitcher??? Ewwwww... come on people, pay close attention!! So, I recommend the food, but NOT their sangria!
Pros: Fast service Cons: Loud music (WAY too loud) and their saliva filled sangria?
