Mr. Pollo — Restaurant in San Francisco

I heard about the arepas here and I just had to try it. Upon getting here you notice that the place is quite small and they don't accept cash. There are only four tables and I definitely would not recommend it if you had a group larger than four people. That aside the food was great. The three of us ended up having the tasting menu along with sharing one of the arepas.

The first course was this super light salad. Arugula tomatoes and a little bit of bacon for salt factor. the dressing was incredible and brought everything together. It was one of the best salads I've had as even though I'm not a huge tomato fan, these tomatoes were very ripe and slightly sweet.

The second course was a chilled carrot soup. I wasn't looking forward to trying it because when you mention it it is something that I would probably never order because it just sounds so boring and uninteresting. That was until drug my spoon through this slightly thick puree and had the the bright and slightly spicy (I mean in more of a bit of coriander and curry spicy and not a heat spicy) soup awaken my tastebuds. It was a perfect transition the the arepa. Growing up in Miami, I ate a lot of arepas coming up but they were usually a rather boring corn pancake griddled with cheese between the two cakes. This arepa, the Venezuelan version was unlike anything I've ever had before. The corn cake was very crispy and up against the the tender chicken. The only problem I had with this dish is that I wanted the entire arepa to myself.

The third course was grilled shrimp with a bit of pesto and lardon (just to keep things appropriately especially not kosher). The shrimp were cooked perfectly and you had that slight salt from the lardon, that was sliced so nicely that I initially thought it was cheese.

The last course was this delightful cream rounded out with some sweet figs and tart blackberries. I'm not a big dessert guy but this one was a great and was just as I liked to have a dessert, sweet but not to sweet with a fruit element and a crunchy element.

All in all for what it's worth it is the perfect little quiet romantic spot that also as...

Today wasn't the best day so I decided to take a break to treat myself and check out Mr Pollo. I had really enjoyed my experience at Chef Manny's pop-up at Roxy's Cafe a few months back so was excited about this 4-course tasting next door.

I was greeted with a smile by the host Will who say me at one of the few tables in this tiny little nook of a restaurant. The chef was cooking right next to me, for myself and just three other patrons in for an early dinner.

They started me off with a salad with cucumber, mango, chicharones, and a feta vinaigrette. Every flavor rang out, and the creamy feta blended with all of them.

Second course was a traditional vegetable soup with variety of fresh veggies including some fava beans, as well as some thin rice noodles. Very delicate flavor but satisfying.

Third course was some veal cubes on a bed of curry and saffron bulgur, dressed with some sautéed strong beans. Amazing composition of flavors again, probably the standout.

Last was a baby plum pie with a crumble crust and some homemade whip, garnished with a little mint. Surprisingly not sweet, just very tart and bold in that way. Also very satisfying.

Really enjoyed the meal, looking forward to returning. You really can't go wrong here with a 4-course meal at $25, the cost of a mediocre and far less inventive entree at most fancy places in the Mission.

Please support chefs like this that are bringing high-end food to the masses at blue-collar prices, it's quite a...

Recently went to Mr Pollo on a date and now I need to update my review. I feel a little guilty about giving them only 2 stars before.

The meal we had was AH-MAZING. We ordered the tasting menu on 9/5/14, and everything was tasty and fresh, with an Italian theme.

1st course: Caprese salad with slices of pepperoni - the perfect appetizer. The tomatoes and burrata were very fresh and well seasoned. The pepperoni added the perfect complement and flavor to the dish.

2nd course: Fig and lemon goat cheese bruschetta - refreshing and not too heavy. I am not normally a fan of goat cheese, but this was delicious. I was too busy stuffing my face, while my date was savoring every little bite.

3rd course: Chicken arepas - the dish they are most known for and now I know why. The chicken was moist and delicious, and that sauce. SO GOOD.

4th course: Squid ink spaghetti with anchovies. Despite the small meat-to-carb ratio, this dish was surprisingly really good. I was stuffed at this point, so couldn't finish sadly.

5th course: Dessert was a lavender cake with whipped cream. A little too sweet for me, but tasty nonetheless.

Overall, 5 stars for an amazing dining experience and great service. Mr Pollo is the perfect little spot for very small groups or date nights. Definitely can't wait...