Nopalito

A fun spot in the middle of San Francisco. I came here after work on a Saturday night. I hadn't eaten much over the day so was quite hungry. The restaurant doesn't take any reservations so you either come at an unbusy time or roll the dice. Since we didn't show up until 815 on a Saturday night (they close at 10) we got lucky and caught the dinner turnaround and were seated immediately. The restaurant is an open layout with the kitchen easily viewable from anywhere in the restaurant. There's a bar that seats 7 or 8 and the restaurant subtly bleeds into a patio. Here's what we ate. 1. Quesadilla Roja con Chicharrón - Mulato chile-corn tortilla, crispy pork belly, cascabel & guajillo chiles, jack cheese, queso fresco, onion and cilantro. This was probably my favorite dish. A crispy shell with a juicy, well seasoned, 2. Mole Poblanoon Poved - Braised half chicken, dry chiles, spices, plantains, ts, hoolate, sesame seeds, onions (contains peanuts) Mexican rice and tortillas. - a whole half chicken with tasty Mole sauce. Not too sweet and not too smokey. A subtle flavor that comes with delicious rice and as many corn tortillas as you want. 3. Trucha a la Plancha - Seared marinated trout, arbol chiles, braised butter beans, romanita and salsa verde picante. Possibly some of the best tasting trout I've had to date. A nice crisp to the skin and the butter beans are soft and have absorbed all of the flavor of the sauce. It also comes with unlimited corn tortillas as well. 4. Frozen White Guava Margarita - Pueblo Viejo Blanco, white guava puree, lime, Giffard Triple Sec. A fun drink with a good guave flavor. I recommend. With 3 dishes and 1 drink , the bill came out to about $100 for 2 people. Probably enough food to have 2 people quite full. I would recommend as a "let's go have a nice meal that won't break the bank"

The ceviche tostada was terrible. As a Mexican, I have had many types of ceviche and this was not it. It had bitter flavors and the fish was minced very finely and what’s with all that cabbage. But, the chilaquiles were amazing. The red salsa was delicious! The hibiscus drink was great as well, although a bit sweet.

Food is great. I had the braised beef which is so flavorful. It is not very soft though. I think they should have used a different cut or cut the beef differently. The Brussels sprouts are delicious, but a bit too greasy because there is quite some residual oil at the bottom of the dish. My friend had the pork belly and he loves how crispy the tortilla is. Service is mediocre to low. They did not even bring us water.