Cha Cha Cha

This place Sh!t

Posted 08/09/09

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

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

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

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?

Posted 01/10/09

+ atmosphere
+ attentive staff
+ sauteed mushrooms
+ cajun shrimp
+ plantains
+ spanish rice
+ pricing
+ handicap accessible
- available parking

Posted 09/20/08

I had no problem with them adding a healthcare surcharge onto my bill, because I think everyone should have health insurance. I was shocked to find out later that even though they gave out a card saying they're proud to be giving their employees health coverage, they're actually suing the city over it. I hate to think that they are using my money to take away people's health care .

Posted 07/16/08

I have never been treated worse at any eating establishment in my life, including McDonalds. We had a party of 14 under my name and checked in with the host twice before our actual reservation to let him know we were in the bar. He was clearly strung out on something and didn't seem to have any clue what he was doing. When we saw a large party get seated, we checked on our table and he stated "There are two parties of Marisa for 14?" with a dumbfounded look on his face. The host attempted to then seat us at two small tables and 8 chairs for 14 people, then another that only sat 10. When numerous attempts to speak to a manager (or anyone in charge that would help us) failed, we took an empty table nearby. The manager proceeded to YELL in my face that we were hustling them (because we asked for some free sangria to make up for everything), then said we could either keep the table we took or one pitcher of sangria (for 14 people). At that point, we didn't want to give them our money so we left and went to a Taqueria down the street. Never once did I raise my voice, yet I was attacked by the manager. Between the strung out host and the rudely inappropriate manager, I will never eat at this establishment ever again and urge prospective diners to STAY AWAY!

Posted 11/18/07

Great, authentic Latin food. Compairs very well to Latin food I ate in Miami. The quesadillas and their salsa were especially tasty. Be prepared to wait well over an hour for a table. Put your name on the list, and go get a drink on Haight.

Pros: Menu, Ambience

Cons: Parking, Wait Time

Posted 10/05/07

I decided to give Cha Cha Cha's one more chance, because I had at one time really liked the place. I thought that maybe it became good again, but I was wrong.

We got there when it opened for lunch, and although there were only four other customers (two at each table), service was horrible. The waitress finally took our order, and then we waited... and waited... First she was outside, then back inside. She played with her hair, scratched her tattoo, and then started filling up bread baskets (no glove, no washing her hands - just grabbing bread pieces and putting them in bread baskets). I found myself with no desire for the bread she never even bothered to bring to our table during our wait.

As we waited, I could see some of our food up on the "warming" shelf. I looked for the waitress to ask her to tell her to go ahead and bring us what was ready, but she was no where in site.

Another server ended up bring us our food, and a basket (yech) of bread.

The calamari was lukewarm, and the dipping sauce sub-par. The fried potatoes were overcooked (dark brown and dry) and not even hot. The aioli sauce (that I loved in the past) was bland and gooey on the top (refrigerator burn?) The two dishes were almost inedible. The plantains were good. But a half plate of plantains does not a lunch make. And at NO TIME did the waitress come by and ask how things were. She had taken our order, and then we never saw her again until she finally brought the bill.

I can easily say I will not go back. The food was mediocre the time I went before this last time, but I really, really wanted to give them another chance. But now they are even worse.

Pros: Get there early and there is no waiting in line.

Cons: You will still wait due to poor service, Food has gone way downhill.

Posted 09/16/07

This is one of my husband and I's favorites...although it is loud and the wait can be long, the food is great and the service once you are seated is relatively quick and friendly. We have eaten both the entrees and tapas, but I think the tapas are better. The chicken is delicious with a sweet and slightly hot sauce atop a bed of rice, the calamari is cooked just right and has an enormous side of delicious dipping aioli sauce that is gently mild in flavor. The chicken quesadilla is enormous and definitely doesn't disappoint....I would say it's almost more of a very large soft taco or burrito with all the good things they stuff inside of it. The black bean soup is delicious and so are the fried plantains, but don't get both at the same time, as the plantains come with a side of blackbeans that are almost identical to the soup. Don't be fooled by the menu calling the items "tapas" - the portions are fairly large, and if you're like us and just can't decide on two or three items, you'll be taking lots of leftovers home...which isn't so much of a bad thing!

Pros: large selection of tapas, sangria, fun atmosphere

Cons: parking, crowded and noisy, waiting area by door isn't sufficient - may have to wait outside

Posted 02/17/07

great place to scope out the locals and get a little tipsy drinking sangria. this is one of the first places ive been since moving to the bay area and i loved the vibe and spirit of the place. the alters and other decorations are wonderfully rich in color and culture. just be careful not to drink too much sangria since it is only $4 a glass.

Pros: sangria, prices

Cons: limited space

Posted 11/11/06

I've heard mixed things about cha cha cha, but I'm not sure which good and bad for which locations apply. I recently visited the haight spot and it was a great time and i had a great meal. I'd recommend this place to a friend and will be returning myself.

Pros: food and fun

Cons: long wait and kinda cramped seating

Posted 08/20/06

Went with a group of 6 and the wait wasn't too bad. Had a few pitchers of their famous sangria during the wait and they were very good. We ordered about 8 different tapas, each one was great. My favorite was their cajuns shrimp and their special which was some sort of steak and pureed yams. The atmosphere is loud and energetic with great crazy decor allover the place. We had the maui wowie for dessert and it was great too. Will definitely be visiting again.

Pros: variety of choices

Cons: long wait, but not bad

Posted 08/18/06

We drove past this place the first time and it looked closed, but we decided to try it and went in!! WOW!! What fab decor and great music! Walking past peoples tables we couldnt help but stare at the food on their tables!! YUM! My sister and I decided to give the pitcher of sangria a go! (now I live in Spain so know about Sangria..But this was GOOOD!). We chose several plates of Tapas to try, great size portions and very tasty. There was a great atmosphere and it was an excellent start to a cool afternoon strolling Haight and its stores! WILL DEFINATLY BE BACK!!

Pros: Good food, drink, service

Cons: It is sooo far from home!!

Posted 08/04/06

I have been here twice, each time I came into town. I am from Portland, so it's not often, but it's become a favorite. The sangria is some of the best I've had (aside from Spain) and their food is great. Unique flavors on traditional spanish/latin dishes. If you want atmosphere, this is a great place to check out. Typically busy, but all the wait staff is very nice (including the host...ask for Esteban. ;-) ). We had about a 45 minute wait for lunch on a Sunday, but it was great because we walked around Haight street and the park just a couple blocks down to pass the time. Props to Cha Cha Cha! I'll be back next trip. :-)

Pros: sangria, food, liveliness of the restaurant & bar

Cons: busy place (if you are on a tight schedule you may want to have a back up plan), parking

Posted 07/24/06

This makes me sad. I used to LOOOOVE this restaurant. They had the best cajun shrimp and plantains...hell, everything was fantastic. That was 6 years ago (and the food was still good 2 years ago). But now? Not so much. Although many chefs say, "Fat is flavor", this is really no excuse for having each dish dripping in grease. That's not flavor, it's just nasty. Please review your dishes. I would love to return and bring all my friends, but I'm just embarrassed now.
Service is fine and the drinks continue to be exceptional.

Pros: Drinks, Service

Cons: Greasy food

Posted 06/29/06

Great place for Sangria...beware and doublecheck your tab. Bought a large pitcher of sangria at the bar, brought it to the table and waiter included the pitcher on the tab.

Pros: go for the sangria

Cons: table wait can be long

Posted 06/24/06

A great little place in the SF area. This place is buzzing with people everywhere, with loud music...you almost cannot hear yourself at times, but definitly an awesome hangout. All thumbs-up for the Sangria in this place. You'll always have to wait for a table, but they have a little bar area, where you can start of with the drinks...and the Sangria is a definite must. The 'tapas' ranges from shrimp, chicken to plantain are really really delicious...and mixed with the wine and music...you float to a different dimension... Love and love this place!

Pros: SANGRIA, TAPAS, Ambience

Posted 04/19/06

We've been there over a dozen times and we keep going back mainly for the cajun shrimp and sangrias. Definitely the BEST SANGRIAS we've ever had. We highly recommend the large pitcher. Yes, the service is slow and the decor is too much, but the food makes up for its flaws. The wait may be long, but you can always hang out at the bar and start on your pitcher of sangria and munch on free chips and salsa while you wait. The atmosphere is very festive so it's as good place to go with a group of friends.

Pros: good food, sangria

Cons: slow service, parking, tight seating

Posted 02/14/06

Being a haight street local, Cha Cha Cha usually draws me in about once a month or so with their amazing food. The plantos, jerk chicken, clams, steak sandwich... I could go on.... everything is amazing. The only thing is this, the only good service you might get, heck, the only HOPE of good service you might get is on their VERY slow nights. If there is a wait for the table, consider going elsewhere because your service will suffer. If there is no wait, they do a fine job with a friendly face. Here is a tip, ask not to sit anywhere in the front of the restaurant if you are not in a booth on cold nights, their plastic sheeting does NOT keep the wind out, you will shiver the entire time!

Pros: cuisine, sangria, music

Cons: service, too busy on weekends, unattentive bartender

Posted 02/11/06

The once great tapas place has become bland and tired. Greasy food, flavorless sauces and seasoning. Very sad indeed.

Posted 01/04/06

The food was, as others have said, quite tasty - but they shove you out the door no sooner than you've sat down. We ordered our tapas and they arrived within 5 minutes of ordering. Bus boys would remove plates from under your forks without hesitation - this on a Wednesday night! I think we actually waited for a table longer than we sat down! The food was good - the service was decidedly not. We won't go back.

Pros: Food

Cons: Too-Fast Service

Posted 08/09/05

From the short list on the menu, it is undeniable there are a few unique distinguishable dishes that makes this place heard. Cajun shrimp + sangria is a must. However, it is a shame they lack even the basics of becoming a good restaurant.... customer service. The lack of service must be a norm here because it isn't just 1 person but a few of their staff that displays unwelcoming & careless attitudes. For that, I'd recommend going elsewhere for good food. Don't make what would be a wonderful dinner experience by going to Cha Cha Cha.

Pros: cajun shrimp, sangria

Cons: service, service, service

Posted 08/05/05

I love this place! Although a bit cramped inside and not a high service level...it really does not matter since you get AMAZING food for an amazing value. I have gotten full here with my boyfriend for a bit over $20. I highly reccommend the fried plantains, the shrimp, and the chicken skewrs. A must visit place when in SF.

Pros: awesome food, served fast, Inexpensive

Cons: Crowded inside, not high service

Posted 08/01/05

Just give us a plate of fried calamari and a pitcher of sangria, and we're set for the night. The place is always so lively, with people hanging out, music playing in the background. They just have such a great atmostphere here. Also the prices are reasonable. Just a great place to be with your friends.

Pros: Sangria, Fried Calamari

Cons: Parking

Posted 07/13/05

great crowd! been there many times, it is always jumping and full of energy. even when i have been there for lunch, the place has a cool atmosphere. the tapas are great. my fave item to dip into is the cajun shrimp *yummy* i pretty much have two orders in one sitting! mussels are good aswell. excellent sangria. the wait can be long, but if you are in no rush, its worth it.

Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Price

Cons: Long wait, Parking, Service

Posted 03/10/05

I've been to enoug places in this world to confidently say that some of the dishes Cha Cha Cha has to offer place it among the top 5 restaurants i've ever had the pleasure of dining at.
Though certainly lacking in vegan options (when i was vegan chachacha was not an option), a few vegetarian ones are available. The vegetarian platter dinner is to die for, and so is the roasted potatoes with pasilla aioli starter. As stated previously in reviews by other people, the cajun shrimp, for fish eaters, is
TO DIE FOR.
probably a thousand calories, but worth it. Intensely rich, creamy, and flavorful. It might be expensive for the 6 or so shrimp you get, but the sauce in which said shrimp swim is worth twice the price.
The mussels are also excellent and tender, and the black bean soup--my personal favorite--is the best in San Francisco.

Pros: Food is incredible, Cajun shrimp is to di, haight culture is fun

Posted 01/11/05

We finally tried this restaurant after hearing so much about it. We would walk by this place and see it packed time and again with a line out the door. The tapas were pretty good and the sangria was excellent. The decor was extremely crazy and unique (it is on Haight St. after all) and they had a nice mix of world music playing.

The biggest drawback to our visit was the lack of service. For such a small establishment we rarely saw the waitress at any table, let alone ours. I would hate to see the service when the place gets really busy.

Pros: Great sangria, Good food, Great ambiance

Cons: , No Parking

Posted 10/23/04

It was my 4th times there. Portion size was much smaller than before. Food wasn't great. It was just okay. I took my brother and my sister-in-law. I should have taken somewhere else....

Posted 09/13/04

The food is wonderful and the wait staff was very nice. The bartenders are fun and you will have a good time while you wait for a table. However, the host can be very rude when it is crowded. I have been many times and have always had the same host. When the place was empty, he was very nice. When the place was full, he was pushy. A friend of mine told me that he told one couple that they could be seated as soon as my friend was finally done with her table. (I was not there - but have hear similar stories). If you do not care about the service - then go, the food is worth it.

Pros: Great food, Fun place, Nice staff

Posted 05/18/04

Cha Cha Cha is one of those reliable restaurants is one of those restaurants you can count on to always be good. The food is tasty, and the place is always festive. The only downside is the wait.

Pros: great food, good atmosphere, low prices

Posted 05/16/04

We have been here at least 12 times in the last 6 months b/c it is so cheap and good...last night- everything turned around..our food was cold-the shrimp (which is a fav)- had little to no sauce...and the prices have JUMPED up. . .now what used to be a cheap bar meal has gone up one step in price...also the staff has seen a drastic change... they are no longer the edgy hip people but people who seemed confused about knowing how to work/run this place. . . did something change over there. . . i think we are done going here!

Pros: Sangria

Cons: , Cold Food

Posted 04/20/04

Always the choice when needing a place to get tipsy before the weekend outings, Chachacha has become the official pre-clubbing destination as a certain Korean restaurant on Geary is our post- clubbing haven. Although noisy, always having to wait for a table and the occasional treatments from a rude blonde hostess, Chachacha's mussels are to die for, cerviche is excellent, and SANGRIA, the best tasting way to get drunk... It is impossible not to come back. Again and again.

Pros: Food, Sangria

Cons: , Parking, Crowded all the time

Posted 02/08/04

The service was nice but SLOW.I went with 4 people and we wanted to try many things,so heres what we thought....beans & rice-great, plantanes-great,chicken wings-good,burgers-great,now we had been served all this fairly close together and finished it all and still waited for the dijon chicken (i forgot the name,sorry) We didn't like it at all,but then theres the CAJUN SHRIMP-AMAZING we were all stuffed but we had to order more bread just to dip in that AMAZING cajun sauce.worth the wait

Pros: great food, did I mention the caj

Cons: long wait

Posted 05/07/03

I personally like this Cha Cha Cha better than the one in the Mission. Yes, it gets very crowded but I like to just put our name in, hang out across the street for an hour or so and come back!
The food is reasonably priced and very delicious. The sauce that comes with the patatas bravas might be a little garlicky for some, but it certainly has a lot of taste. The wait staff tends to be friendly and talkative regardless of how crowded it is. This is a great place to take out-of-town friends who have never had tapas before!

Pros: price, value

Cons: Crowded, wait times

Posted 01/09/03

i thought the food was very good, simple subtle flavors. the service was a bit slow but i think they may have been trying to provide us with a bit of privacy (date) and the price was very reasable $50 for two with drinks.

Pros: simple delicious food, great atmosphere, reasonable price

Cons: limited menu, no reservations, crowded

Posted 12/09/02

This place is great! I love the food and the sangria. The only thing is that it's super crowded and you can't make reservations. It's well worth the trek out here and the wait. Try the Platanos!

Posted 11/25/02

The food is always great, Friendly service. It is a bit crowded but it is worth it!!

Pros: Good Food, Fast

Cons: Parking, Crowded

Posted 08/18/02

I tried to go Cha Cha Cha last monday and gave up; no parking anywhere. Came back the next thursday and oddly found abundant parking. Walked in with no reservation at about 6:15 and was seated immediately. The staff was very very friendly and courteous. The food came promptly and 4 tapas was way too much for the 2 of us. Everything tasted great, really great. The room was lively and fun but very...uh... casual.

Pros: Great food

Cons: parking can be bad

Posted 08/14/02

Great food, great ambiance! We had the calamari, the chicken wings, and the plantains - and they were delicious. The sangria is especially good here. There was a 45 minute wait, but it was well worth it!

Posted 08/08/02

This restaurant is so so at best. I went to the location in the Mission. The calamari was the best thing we got, and it was just okay. The service was lacking, to say the least. The only good thing was the price, but hey, often time you get what you pay for.

Posted 07/07/02