Cha Cha Cha

I highly recommend this place. Amazingly fun nights with live music. Foods and services were great. 5 out of 5

I was blown away by the refreshing drinks—we had the mojito and paloma, both incredible! The food was just as impressive: ceviche, Cajun shrimp, ropa vieja, vaca frita, paella mixta, and jerk chicken. The portions were huge, and the flavors took me straight to the heart of Latin America. Located in the Mission District, If you’re a lover of Caribbean cuisine, this is the place to be

This place has just a little more to give in the kitchen. I lucked out and got live music performances. Everything else, good vibes and times had at Cha Cha Cha

Been driving over an hour for 20+ years to eat at this amazing place. I bought the cookbook but it’s just not the same.. wish they would open a restaurant in San Jose!! Until then I will drive up again and again!!

I recently dined at Cha Cha Cha and had a fantastic experience. The atmosphere is vibrant and welcoming, and the staff is super friendly. The jerk chicken were perfectly seasoned and delicious. The seafood platter was fresh and tasty, with great sides like plantains and rice and beans.

Got order to go and was given burnt potatoes. Nobody would eat that at a restaurant. Does the kitchen not look when packing the order?? Also the chicken in jerk chicken was extremely dry and stale. This experience ruined one of my favorite restaurants for me. Very disappointed!!

Stumbled in on opening night. Wonderful service. The food was delicious. The orders were bigger than we expected (definitely over ordered) but everything tasted great. Looking forward to returning.

Mission does it again, this location is much bigger and the Haight location. Great service,food and atmosphere. Would recommend the platanos con frijoles. The Sangria is a must!

This is a staple in the SF food scene. It has been around for decades, and is as good as it has ever been. The ambience is "shabby chic", but the food is great and filling and reasonable. I enjoy it every time I go there.

Giving 1 star for the food, the place is great but the live music was SO LOUD. My party wanted to tip them to STOP playing it was so loud it was kind of painful on the ears and I had to cover my ears the whole time. Was here for Vday with a girlfriend and every table was literally screaming at each other! And this isn't the first time. Another time I went here for food and drinks me and friends weren't able to catch up since we weren't able to talk to each other at all the whole time because of the music. Literally just stared each other and ate our food lol. Both times have been so disappointing since the food and ambiance is actually really good..

If you're looking for a spot that is spacious with little to no wait, Cha Cha Cha is the place to go! Our server was so helpful as I was gathering all the orders. We got to try a little bit everything such as the calamari, bravas, and curry for dipping. Everything was quite delicious. I want to call out the service as she was excellent and patient as she gave us recommendations. Definitely check this place out for some light bites or a full-on meal with a crew!

Cute spot for after dinner drinks! It was clean and the bartender was nice. It wasn't too busy for a Thursday night so my friends and I were able to sit and yap for a bit. I'm gonna have to come back to try their food and experience the live music!

Sam Cooke said everybody loves to cha cha cha. OK, that was before even MY time, but I can at least go to Cha Cha Cha for a bite and a snack. Do you know what a snack is? That's dinner without the guilt. I suppose I could work off the calories by doing the cha cha cha. Yeah, probably not. However, I've been here a couple of times now because the huge horseshoe bar is quite inviting. I ordered my go-to $9 Tequila Sunrise, and it was pretty good (photo: https://yelp.to/Ku4lJpYPvh). A place called Cha Cha Cha has to make a good tequila sunrise after all. However, investing in the pricier $14 Mamacita was worthwhile because it had chipotle and pineapple-infused Jose Cuervo Gold, Jose Cuervo Blanco, lime juice, and a fresh strawberry purée (photo: https://yelp.to/FQbltbgWBd). It was kinda like a margarita but with a sweeter kick. They do offer a pretty robust set of bar bites highlighted by several house signatures familiar from the Haight location like Paella Mixta and Chicken Paillard. I was more conventional and ordered the $10 Cheese Quesadilla (photo: https://yelp.to/YsKR1d__Rg). It looked like every other quesadilla in the Mission, but with my Mamacita, it satisfied. COCKTAILS - 4 stars...the Mamacita was a nice house libation FOOD - 3.5 stars...should go for the signature dishes next time AMBIANCE - 4.5 stars..,love the horseshoe bar SERVICE - 4 stars...attentive enough when regulars haven't converged TOTAL - 4 stars...does everybody love to cha cha cha? RELATED - Exploring the Mission? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2NHtst6

"Tapas" was a misnomer on the menu of Cha Cha Cha, as the dishes here weren't small plates for sharing but rather full-sized entrees! Needless to say, we unknowingly overordered, but the prices at least were reasonable. The House Salad was a colorful but not-particularly-fresh mixture of greens, red cabbage, cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, and roasted coconut flakes. The Ropa Vieja was juicy shredded beef braised with tomato, bell pepper, onion, and green olives, served with yellow Spanish rice and black beans; and the Cha3 Jerk Chicken were two thighs baked with a sauce of habanero peppers, raisins, garlic, and tomatoes, all served over white rice. While good for what it was, the chicken didn't have any actual jerk flavor or spice. The Paella Mixta was an abundant dish of Spanish rice with saffron, mixed with everything from chicken to mussels, shrimp, fish, calamari, scallops, and andouille sausage. But my favorite dish of all was their house signature Cajun Shrimp, a cast iron skillet of shrimp in a creamy and spicy Cajun sauce, which went perfectly with the basket of crusty sourdough bread on the side. Overall, this was a fantastic restaurant for Latin American flavors with generous portion sizes and great prices too!

My cousins kept talking about this place and we had dinner there tonight. I haven't been on Mission Street in a long time. We had reservations but got there early. We were quickly seated. It's a much bigger than I thought. It's a bit dark inside. It was hard to see the menu. Service was great. They came by multiple times to check on us. It was Happy Hour and we ordered several items. Um the white sangria is super yum. Wow. Never knew they had such a thing. The sauce of the cajun shrimp is absolutely delicious. I was dipping the fried yuka in it. The 3 pork tacos were quite good. So were the plantanos. The tater nachos with pork hit the spot too. Oh it was all good. It was an enjoyable dinner. I now know why my relatives rave about this place. Good eats for sure.

We used to come here 5, 6 times a year before they closed. Now that they have reopened and remodeled their food quality has gone down hill sadly say. The sangria was okay. Nothing is like before they closed another than their service, that is still great. $425 with service charge and extra tips for 16 dishes of small plate of food and 2 punchers of sangria is not worth it!!

This place I been going here for years! I love how they have pitchers of whit and red sangria. The foods here are very good and delicious. I am glad they reopened this place again. Service was great here. The ambience is nice.

Great music and vibes, excellent drink menu, and happy hour. The staff is super friendly and attentive, and I can see they were working very hard. My issue was the food. 1- i ordered the spinach empanada. It was lukewarm. The filling was ok, I guess, but it wasn't crispy or flaky. 2- The flavor of the jerk chicken was my favorite complex and satisfying. The pallela was my biggest concern, I am almost certain that chef Mike ‍ cooked my paella. It was scorching hott like it was nuked for 10 minutes before serving. Now the flavors were ok, but nothing compared to what you can get at another tapas place. I'm my opinion, Charge a few more bucks to make the paella to order and put on the menu a 30-45 min wait. Deep fry the empanada, don't be shy. it's an empanada! The next time I return will be for the vibes. good music, great service, and fantastic bartenders, I'll have my meals elsewhere.

You can't go wrong with sangria and tapas! We ordered Cajun shrimp, chicken paillard, fresh new potatoes, and ropa viejo. The chicken paillard was my favorite; it has a mustard sauce but tastes like tahini. The bread they give to soak up all of the sauces is great too! Service for me has always been on point even when they are busy.

Came in early on a Friday evening and sat at the bar. Service was fast and the sangria was BOMB. Didn't anticipate to finish an entire pitcher but it was good. Shrimp was 2 die for. Save the bread and dip it in the sauce. Soo sooo good. Ceviche was also good!! The DJ was hype. Especially once it got dark. Excited to come back

The worst and rudest customer service I have ever experienced. The food was soggy and not fresh and tasted store bought. The (1) waitress in the restaurant was so rude to us I can't even believe I experienced this at this location. They were understaffed and service took forever. Definitely going downhill and they won't ever get my business again. When I kept asking questions each and every person brushed me off. The only person that was nice was the gentleman in the band.

100 stars for this service. We came here on a Saturday afternoon around 5ish. Music playlist was IT! They had a mix of reggaeton, bachata. Already 5 stars to start the experience. -1 star for dirty silverware & lipstick on my brothers cup.. besides that the food was divine. Cajun shrimp sauce with bread dipped in it omg we devoured it. Platanos maduros and beans, amazing.

Went on Saturday night and had a great time with latin live music, salsa, cha cha, rumbas. Food was good for a bar scene, it is not really tapas like advertised though.

I ate here recently. We had s house salad, guacamole and chips, friend potatoes, and arroz con pollo. I liked it. The live music was fun.

Red alert! Great new happy hour here. Till 6! Monday thru Friday. $25 full pitchers of sangria and lots of other great deals, like wings that are finger licking good. The bar tenders are friendly, helpful and attentive. But we like this place any time. Great food and atmosphere. Lots of interesting decorations too. Also, great views of the people cruising the Haight. If you're in the area, you should stop and check it out. Even if it's not happy hour

This was one of my "first loves" in SF, Mission location had a "locals only" vibe which i appreciated but, looked like a likely place to witness an argument or so...lol ... People were good, service was on point.... Haight St. location was different, not much of the "local vibe" im used to but, maybe the "locals" in haight were different, who knows:)..lol... i knew the Host; Hue and this place used to Jam with awesome Latin/afro sounds playing and food was different and really Good:))... solid spot for sure...Circa (i dont remember) 2k?? - recent... recently went in on a Thursday evening and what used to be a busy night, wasnt very and i could only conclude that business hasnt fully recovered yet:(... Food is still great (wings) and the House made ...??? What's it called??? Wine something??? Awwww , im old... you know what its called!!! It was great too!!! Still:)))... support this place before they leave us

I'm absolutely in love with the live music here - it's brilliant! The drinks are spot-on, and the prices couldn't be better. My friends and I come here almost every Saturday to unwind and just enjoy ourselves. It's really turned into our go-to spot for a good night out, with a great vibe, fantastic music, and a nice crowd.

It has a great ambiance, the service is excellent and the food is delicious. I especially love to go there on the weekends after 8pm to listen to live music while I eating dinner.

So happy the mission location reported after pandemic closures. By far the best sangria in the city. Usually we come for yummy wings at happy hour but we tried dinner. Jerk chicken was good. And the vaca frita was recommended by the server and was delicious. Good portions for a very low price! Will be back.

New owner changed the bread and no Latin music when I was there. And the bar too the TVs down

Excellent service. I was there with my daughter,son in law and 3 young grandchildren. The establishment was noisy with excellent music. The food was as good as I remembered from past visits. Especially the baked potatoes , mushrooms ,fried plantains and paella.

We came to meet some friends here on a weekday night. We had a reservation but it seems we came early enough we definitely could've walked in with our group of 5. The restaurant is fun and vibey inside and the menu has so many appetizing and enticing dishes! The sangria for happy hour was delicious and we ordered basically every plate on the happy hour menu. The HH portions were generous and everything was delicious. Our winners for the night were the fried plantains and the fried calamari! Honestly a great place for shared plates and to hangout. There's street parking available and the servers are all kind and friendly.

The last time I came to this location was about 15 years ago and I remember it being good. So with that being said, Let's start off with a positive note. I was promptly greeted and seated. The service was good. The waiters were very friendly. We ordered jerk chicken, arroz con pollo, and yucca. Honey when I tell you it was the worst jerk chicken I have ever tasted im not lying. I hate to leave bad reviews but don't put stuff on the menu that you can't cook. Jerk chicken was raw and tasted like they dumped mole sauce out the can on top of it. Was so bland and not spicy AT ALL. We are a Puerto Rican and Dominican household we don't play about seasoning. Let's move on to the yucca, it was good but the side sauce was not. I'm not one to complain, I understand people have off days. But we paid 100.00 and left hungry. I did leave a tip and we ended up giving a homeless man digging through the garbage the to go plate. The portions were very generous just not good.

Close quarters for dining but worth every second of almost bumping elbows with your neighbor as you slide into your seat. I think the tables are extra large you hold all the tapas you're going to order. We came by on a Monday evening around 6pm for dinner and got seated right away. After .5 seconds we noticed all the tables had the same dish, the Cajun shrimp so we knew we had to try it. Although this dish comes with like 7 shrimp the sauce is what makes dining at chax3 worth it. It's creamy and so flavorful I think I'll be dreaming about this sauce. They also give comp bread which is the perfect vessel to soak up all that delicious sauce. The ceviche was also a hit, citrusy and packed with white fish. The dish seemed to never end as the portion was pretty large. YUM. The seafood paella also came packed with seafood, chicken, and sausage. The rice was fluffy and moist and you found seafood in every scoop. The sangria is also a staple here. Even if you're not a fan of wine, they make the sangria pretty sweet. My party of two got a half pitcher to share and it's safe to say we were having a pretty great time at dinner :)

The first time I ate at Cha Cha Cha was when I was a kid so I'm definitely sad to see this place go. When I heard they were shutting down I had to come one last time. They had the best tapas!!! But have no fear because there's also a Haight location which I'm definitely excited to try. I hope it's just as good!!! This location was centered in the heart of the Mission District in San Francisco. Some my favorite dishes were the Cajun Shrimp and Fried New Potatoes. The Cajun Shrimp comes with a creamy sauce that has a slight kick. The sauce is great for dipping your bread into. The Fried New Potatoes also comes with a delicious orange sauce and the potatoes are served with a crisp. If you're a seafood lover the ceviche was the way to go. The ceviche was vibrant and fresh with flavors that popped in your mouth. The delicious sangria is a creeper and definitely a bang for your buck! Also one of the best micheladas I've had is here.

I'm so happy Cha cha Chas is back, it's updated and ready for business. I have always loved all their tapas and sangria. The pitcher of Sangria had always been the go to and the reason we come in. With everything closing in the Mission is nice to see a familiar face come back to life, the Mission has always been an upbeat place to around that I was sad to see a great place leave. The service was great as usual, waiters attentive, making small talk and very kind, I always feel that you get to know know the waiters well after you leave here. The good ad usual amazing, we had the potatoes with the sauce; cooked to perfection a little crummy and well seasoned, the calamari was great as well one of my sisters favorites. The plantains is a plate that brings me home and I have to say the y always use ripe plantains and they are on point, they are served with refried black beans and sour cream. The arroz con pollo is always tasty, it cocines with a side of black beans it was nicely seasoned and well cooked. We were also greater with a basket of bread and butter as well. I have been coming here for a while,I wouldn't return if the food, drinks and atmosphere was not great. I hope they stick around for a while because even though I have been to the site on Haight St. And I like it This stop hits close to home. I grew up on Highland; mission area and live I Daly City, I can't find myself going to Haight St. Please stay open so we can experience what the Mission has to offer.

I ordered the paella and enjoyed it a lot. It's nice to have a saffron based one instead of a tomato based one. We're on tap are ok variety and they have Henny VSOP. Nice staff. Service is pretty quick.

Great spot. A SF classic. Have never had a bad time here. Great food and service. Just all around good vibes.

Got food poisoning after eating their cajun shrimp plate! I used to always come here before they closed last year and the food was great never had issues but this time around their food caused me to go to urgent care and miss work !!!! Unfortunately, I don't ever plan on coming back.

This mojito was delicious. Also I had a mamacita that was great too. Average prices, and you'll feel the drinks. The calamari was average. I wanted more salt. The servers were efficient and kind. The space is open and inviting.

It was a bad experience the food and the service ! I asked for bread it never arrived ! The Cajun shrimp was a sad dish to look at and the taste was bland. The steamed musscles when ok not great, and the mushroom dish was just ok. The Sangria was alright.I was ignored numerous times and made eye contact with our server . He would interact with the other side of the bar and continue to ignore me and my friend waving, trying to get his attention. When he finally approached me , I just wanted my check to pay the bill and leave . This used to be the go to spot for me and my family. Not anymore. This place has horrible service and the food is not what it used to be.

One of my favourite restaurants in San Francisco. Service is always wonderful and the food is perfect portions and amazing.

The food is so delicious!! And I just love the space so much. So fun and comfortable, and the staff are very nice too! The portions are big, so come with an appetite (for food and for fun)!

My favorite place in SF! Great staff, great food! Our fav is the shrimp, mussels, sangria and platanos plate!!! Love this place!! Prefer Haight and ashbery location!!

Unfortunately, the rustic ambiance is getting a bit dated and not always looking super clean. I agree with other Yelpers and, sadly, the old mainstay staff does not seem to be around. True characters, I might add! I should know, I have been kicked out of here before, yet the staff made you feel welcome. On the plus side, the patatas bravas tasted good although I would love a bit more spice-kick in the Aioli sauce. The Sangria and calamari taste good so are they ready to up their game or go by the culinary wayside? The menu seems dated and yeah, the music is great, but during the day I would love a bit more lit and less sonic partay (a brighter coat of paint, an updated hostess area, and some new food items would be cool too)! I will come back, but it might take a little convincing.

I really do hate doing this review only because I grew up in the mission and Cha Cha Cha has always been a cool bar growing up. However, this review needs to be done. The food is bad I'm sorry. Unseasoned, definitely not made with love. We ordered the muscles it needed seasoning. We also had arroz con pollo the olive juice really over took the whole flavor not good. The papas and the black beans those were good. But the nastiest thing in the menu is the Cha3 burger. Why do u ask I ordered a burger at Cha Cha Cha because sometimes a burger at places that are not known for their burgers will surprise you. However, this burger was bad. No seasoning at all! The bread was stale! it fell apart and it came with a sauce that wasn't listed on the menu so I was like what is this sauce? It was not good. The place was empty a rainy cold Wednesday we had no trouble getting a table. The happy hour was decent, not a bargain but it's the mission. The staff was cool though waiter were helpful and the drinks were good. The food though nope. If u go to Cha cha cha have some drinks enjoy the people, the game on the tv but don't eat the food u will be really really sad. 3 stars for the staff and for being a mission street OG.

This place was good & the food & service were good too. They had live music and dancing which created a nice ambiance.

Surprisingly we didn't wait to be seated on a Friday evening at 6pm. And the food came out pretty soon. We ordered a mojito and a sangria, which were both pretty nice. The Cajun shrimp was really flavorful that we almost finished all the sauce. Sautéed mushroom was another favorite! The price was decent and service was solid. Really like this place!

Cajun Shrimp was just deliciouus! Love the vibe and huge bar with lots of option. Service was really friendly

The staff was very nice and accommodating. We reserved for 8 and only 2 of us were there and it was also a Friday at 7pm. Rest of the group came but 2 of our group flaked and we were still able to keep our table. We weren't being sly about it and notified them and they said it was all good. The tapas were all pretty good and fat in portion. Order the sangria and have a good time. I would say that this place might be on the more expensive end of tapas but then again it's inflation so get over it. It's a bit dim inside so not sure on y'all vibe or care about that. The tables and booth got that old Applebees vibe to it where the wood tables are a bit used and wiped down recently. Honestly if you care this much about the setting over the tapas, then you're an idiot. Tapas, sangria, chill with a group.

Love the space, love the staff. The vibe is positive and warm. The food is good, but it's the whole experience that makes this place great.

After a decade of going to the Haight St location, I finally made my way to their Mission outpost, and overall it was a pretty cool experience. With all the COVID-19 stuff going on, I came on a Thursday night to a nearly empty restaurant on a usually busy night and was able to pick any table I'd like. The menu is pretty much identical to the Haight St. location, which was a pleasant surprise. The two can't miss items here are the cajun shrimp or the chicken pillard. Both dishes are served in small cast iron pans, filled with enough sauce to drench your bread in. The cajun shrimp is a not spicy, but is full over flavor. The shrimp they use is pretty generic, but it's saved by the sauce. I think if they used gulf shrimp, it'd elevate the dish to another level. The chicken pillard is drowning in a dijon creamy sauce. It's thick, in your face, and is so freakin' addicting. Highly recommend both dishes. Looking for a side? Grab an order of the mushrooms, which are cooked in olive oil and spices, is always a good addition to any meal here. We also ordered the potatoes, which were too thick for my liking, the lechon was dry, leaving a lot to be desired, and would probably pass next time around. Good thing about this spot is that they use Yelp Reservations, so if you are looking to come with a decent size group, this is a perfect spot to sip on sangria, and share tapas! It's one of those places where you can spend 2-3 hours and the time will fly by! Worth giving it a try if you have never been!

I haven't had many experiences with Caribbean food so I can't speak to the authenticity, but I had a decent experience at Cha Cha Cha. The interior was adorned with eclectic decor and the staff was friendly. We ordered the plantain chips, marinated chicken wings and the paella. The plantain chips were not what I was expecting; they reminded me of french fries. On their own, the plantain chips weren't very flavorful, but the aioli on the side was good. The chicken wings were saucy and had a smoky flavor and the paella was full of seafood and meat. All three dishes were served in generous portions for the price, but I don't think I'd go out of my way to come here again.

One thing I can say about this place, it's a vibe! The music, the decor, it's so awesome. The food is very tasty too, plus plus plus! My friend had the chicken empanada and I had the shrimp. I believe they have live music some days too, we didn't get to experience this tonight but I'd come back for it!

Lol nahhhh, probably wouldn't come again The Cajun shrimp sauce was definitely heavy and tasty, but there were like 4 shrimps in there. The paella was decent, lots of variety and quite filling. Shishito peppers were well done, but very oily Potatos-- distinctly bad. Lol Portion sizes are really big, sangria was pretty good.

I'd give it a 3.5! They give free bread w/butter but it's not great (tasteless and a bit stale), the food was all quite delicious but something was a bit off taste wise...I can't really put my finger on it. The portions are quite good for the price though!

It's been 10 years since I have been to a Cha Cha Cha's. I was looking forward to coming back. Unfortunately, I was disappointed by a few things. I had the Cajun Shrimp which was good but there was only 4 shrimps. It wasn't too spicy & had the right amount of creaminess. The bread was super tough to eat. The calamari was good BUT we found a hair in it. It was gross. They apologized & offered another dish but we didn't want anything after this. We also ordered the mushrooms which was the best thing we had. It was cooked right & the sauce was just perfect. We had additional guests, gnats & a cockroach. There were tiny flies around our table. It was gross. But the part that takes the cake was the roach that crawled across our table. When we talked to the manager they didn't even comp our meal. They gave us a discount & removed the calamari. The server was apologetic but it was unacceptable.