Festive and Jolly
Written: Feb 16 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: cajun shrimp, tapas in general, sangria, festive environment
Cons: the wait, the wait, the wait, and the chips
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| cristine's Full Review: Cha Cha Cha |
I was first introduced to Cha Cha Cha by a friend who lives near the Haight -- his routine was to walk down the street, put himself on the waitlist (they don't take reservations here), go back home, hang out a bit, then walk back when time was up.
Cha Cha Cha is a long wait, but certainly worth it for the unique ambience and great tapas (a series of appetizers that you eat as a meal). When I first went to Cha Cha Cha a few years back, I was a bit overwhelmed by the immense crowd and noise inside; it's almost like being in a subway car, and it takes some amount of balance to walk around without spilling the potent sangria on an unsuspecting patron. I was in a extroverted mood, so the jostling began to grow on me, and I quickly assimilated into the festive atmosphere of sangria-buzzed patrons and the quirky pagan art on the walls.
A well known secret about Cha Cha Cha is the bar -- the wait for a table is usually at least an hour wait...and if you don't want to wait that long, you can sip a sangria at the bar and put yourself on the waiting list for a seat at the bar (the seats at the bar are _only_ for dining guests and there is a separate wait list for those seats). The wait there is a bit quicker, and that's usually where we all eat.
The food is great! I've read a review here and there in various newspapers that the quality has gone down in recent years, but I haven't detected a change. In San Francisco, restaurants can go "out of style" and perhaps Cha Cha Cha has, in the opinions of reviewers; however, that isn't the case for me, and the dozens of other people who pack the place each night. My favorites are the jerk chicken, cajun shrimp (we _always_ order the cajun shrimp -- and we use the bread to sop up the creamy cajun sauce, which is just delicious), the calamari, and the stuffed mushrooms. I've also had friends who love their ceviche as well. I used to be a vegetarian and survived very well -- their fried potatoes and plantains are great, as are the beans and rice and stuffed mushrooms. Their various special tapas are great, too, whatever they are for the evening. You basically can't go wrong with any of the dishes.
I have gone in search of "tapa places" that offer a shorter wait, and have been disappointed each time. I've gone to various places in the City, and a restaurant in Berkeley...and the tapas taste a bit too cheesey, or are overcooked. Cha Cha Cha is _the_ tapas restaurant for me, and a great place to go out and spend a festive (and leisurely) evening with friends or a loved one. It's _not_ a family restaurant, and the place is filled with yuppies and Haight locals alike (okay, maybe the two have melded recently) having a good time. Also, although the servers are _extremely_ friendly, they are usually a bit overwhelmed with the crowd and are hence, very hurried. I don't mind, really, because it's something I sign up for when I go to Cha Cha Cha.
My pet peeve: the chips they give you at the bar along with your sangria tend to be a bit stale...but we're usually too hungry and buzzed to care.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
cristine
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Member: Christine Lee Zilka
Location: California
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 11 members
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