Fresca

Wonderful sangria, amazing paella and fun atmosphere in noe valley. Very cozy and good service. highly recommeded. more

Showed up on a Sat night at 9 pm (9/16) with a reservation for 3. We were told they couldn't find it and were going to have to wait 1 hour. No apology just matter of fact. We said ok and were understanding. Went back an hour later and were told 45 more minutes at least. There was no apology, no attempt to make us feel better and the hostess had a totally ridiculous attitude (""well I told you at least one hour"" with an eye roll). I am from South America, and was taking my mother and sister there who were visiting from New York. We all love ceviche and were really excited. We would have waited if the service had been more attentive, but after that encounter we left and I have no intention of returning. I hope the owner of Fresca reads this and knows that because of his little princess of a hostess he has lost someone who would otherwise have been a great customer. more

Showed up on a Sat night at 9 pm (9/16) with a reservation for 3. We were told they couldn't find it and were going to have to wait 1 hour. No apology just matter of fact. We said ok and were understanding. Went back an hour later and were told 45 more minutes at least. There was no apology, no attempt to make us feel better and the hostess had a totally ridiculous attitude ("well I told you at least one hour" with an eye roll). I am from South America, and was taking my mother and sister there who were visiting from New York. We all love ceviche and were really excited. We would have waited if the service had been more attentive, but after that encounter we left and I have no intention of returning. I hope the owner of Fresca reads this and knows that because of his little princess of a hostess he has lost someone who would otherwise have been a great customer. more

We've tried to give this restaurant a fair chance since it opened on 24th. (we've been about 4 times) and have had only one satisfying experience. This last visit was the last straw. We arrived for a 9PM reservation on a Sat. night to a full and busy restaurant. While we were seated promptly, and greeted by friendly wait staff, the food was miserable. We both had fish entrees and both were severely under-cooked. While the seared Ahi tuna that I ordered was *supposed* to be somewhat raw in the the center, the whole portion was cold from the outside in with the center feeling just-pulled-from-the-fridge. It was very unpleasant. My girlfriend's halibut was also undercooked, but not as badly. While our waiter was fine, the busboy cleared our table while we were still chewing, and also did this to the table next to ours. This is not the level of quality in food and service that I would expect for a restaurant in this price range, and during peak hours on a Sat. night. I'd really like Fresca to succeed on 24th., but they really need to do a better job at quality control. Sadly I won't be giving them another chance. In contrast we have had very good experiences at the Portola location. YMMV Pros: Ambience, concept Cons: quality, service more

We've tried to give this restaurant a fair chance since it opened on 24th. (we've been about 4 times) and have had only one satisfying experience. This last visit was the last straw. We arrived for a 9PM reservation on a Sat. night to a full and busy restaurant. While we were seated promptly, and greeted by friendly wait staff, the food was miserable. We both had fish entrees and both were severely under-cooked. While the seared Ahi tuna that I ordered was *supposed* to be somewhat raw in the the center, the whole portion was cold from the outside in with the center feeling just-pulled-from-the-fridge. It was very unpleasant. My girlfriend's halibut was also undercooked, but not as badly. While our waiter was fine, the busboy cleared our table while we were still chewing, and also did this to the table next to ours. This is not the level of quality in food and service that I would expect for a restaurant in this price range, and during peak hours on a Sat. night. I'd really like Fresca to succeed on 24th., but they really need to do a better job at quality control. Sadly I won't be giving them another chance. In contrast we have had very good experiences at the Portola location. YMMV Pros: Ambience, concept Cons: quality, service more

The food is always good at Fresca. The service can be rough but the last few times I have been it has been great, very nice servers. The ceviche is amazing! Great Sangria. Pros: Ceviche, Sangria Cons: tables pretty close together. more

The food is always good at Fresca. The service can be rough but the last few times I have been it has been great, very nice servers. The ceviche is amazing! Great Sangria. Pros: Ceviche, Sangria Cons: tables pretty close together. more

We really loved this place, great service, the seafood gumbo was absolutely incredible, the decor is very interesting (apparently orginal artwork). I want a copy of their music loop! Pros: Food, service, music Cons: None for us more

We really loved this place, great service, the seafood gumbo was absolutely incredible, the decor is very interesting (apparently orginal artwork). I want a copy of their music loop! Pros: Food, service, music Cons: None for us more

Lousy service, dont make a reservation and expect to get in when its your time, the Hostess had major personality pproblems, so dont expect to have anything difficult go wrong ie one of your diners late. The food was ok, ceviche, I've had better in the mission. An whats so great about this Sangria that I hear so much about, its not all that. The fish I ordered was pretty good but the sides were cold. And it took forever to get our food, I quess the staff was worried about getting more people in than actually taking care of the customers already seaated. oh well another one bites the dust Pros: tasty fish Cons: horrible service more

Lousy service, dont make a reservation and expect to get in when its your time, the Hostess had major personality pproblems, so dont expect to have anything difficult go wrong ie one of your diners late. The food was ok, ceviche, I've had better in the mission. An whats so great about this Sangria that I hear so much about, its not all that. The fish I ordered was pretty good but the sides were cold. And it took forever to get our food, I quess the staff was worried about getting more people in than actually taking care of the customers already seaated. oh well another one bites the dust Pros: tasty fish Cons: horrible service more

Last night I went to Fresca for the first time. I went to the Noe Valley location. Prior to going I read the reviews and although the food always received a good rating, the service didn't. I was pleasantly surprised that the hostess and waitress were great! The food was good and they give you a lot of it. The ceviche is good and fresh. The sangria was delicious also. Also, the prices are very reasonable. The only problem I encountered was that I called the day before and made a reservation for 8:30 p.m. for the following day and when I arrived I was told that they could not find my reservation. (Fresca should get involved with Open Table.com) Fortunately, the restaurant wasn't crowded and we were able to be seated. Overall, I would recommend Fresca, and will definitely go again. Pros: Sangria, Cerviche, Fairly Inexpensive Cons: No reservation noted, No valet parking more

Last night I went to Fresca for the first time. I went to the Noe Valley location. Prior to going I read the reviews and although the food always received a good rating, the service didn't. I was pleasantly surprised that the hostess and waitress were great! The food was good and they give you a lot of it. The ceviche is good and fresh. The sangria was delicious also. Also, the prices are very reasonable. The only problem I encountered was that I called the day before and made a reservation for 8:30 p.m. for the following day and when I arrived I was told that they could not find my reservation. (Fresca should get involved with Open Table.com) Fortunately, the restaurant wasn't crowded and we were able to be seated. Overall, I would recommend Fresca, and will definitely go again. Pros: Sangria, Cerviche, Fairly Inexpensive Cons: No reservation noted, No valet parking more

Very crowded on a Saturday night with a lively, exciting atmosphere. The pork chop and tuna appetizer were delicious. Service was polite and did not rush us through an enjoyable and relaxing dining experience. Definitely recommend making a reservation. Sangrias were fantastic! Pros: Great for fish, Huge variety on menu more

Very crowded on a Saturday night with a lively, exciting atmosphere. The pork chop and tuna appetizer were delicious. Service was polite and did not rush us through an enjoyable and relaxing dining experience. Definitely recommend making a reservation. Sangrias were fantastic! Pros: Great for fish, Huge variety on menu more

My wife and I have been here twice, and the food has astounded us both times. The wine list has also impressed, and the ambiance is very nice. I'd say their menu is Peruvian *influenced*, with much California cuisine styles thrown in: lots of fresh flavors, both simple and sometimes complex. Space is somewhat limited relative to the demand, so don't be surprised if you have to wait outside before being seated. Late seating seems to have helped this aspect for us. We had a slightly bizarre experience with our waiter, involving some wine being spilled on us but not by us. But the manager efficiently resolved the issue the next day. All in all, I'd rate it at the top of the several restaurants we've visited along 24th in Noe Valley. Bravo! Pros: Excellent food, Good wine list Cons: Slow seating process, Interesting service more

My wife and I have been here twice, and the food has astounded us both times. The wine list has also impressed, and the ambiance is very nice. I'd say their menu is Peruvian *influenced*, with much California cuisine styles thrown in: lots of fresh flavors, both simple and sometimes complex. Space is somewhat limited relative to the demand, so don't be surprised if you have to wait outside before being seated. Late seating seems to have helped this aspect for us. We had a slightly bizarre experience with our waiter, involving some wine being spilled on us but not by us. But the manager efficiently resolved the issue the next day. All in all, I'd rate it at the top of the several restaurants we've visited along 24th in Noe Valley. Bravo! Pros: Excellent food, Good wine list Cons: Slow seating process, Interesting service more

They've got the food down... But the service?? The Chick that greeted me at 7:33pm on a Thursday night promptly informed me that she would wait 10 minutes for the other 2 in my party--for a 7:30 reservation(no line mind you). When I told her that 1 of the 3 would probably be more than 10 minutes, but she could seat us and we'd order a bottle of wine, she informed me that she'd have to get that 'approved' with management. Approved with management???...She then informed me that this is standard policy in SF. Ummm, I think not... There's way too much attitude coming over the phone line when making a reservation, and far too much of it when you walk in. Love your food guys, but work on the delivery and the accomodation of your patrons a bit more. I'm not the first to say it, either. Pros: Food, Wine list Cons: Attitude, Noise more

They've got the food down... But the service?? The Chick that greeted me at 7:33pm on a Thursday night promptly informed me that she would wait 10 minutes for the other 2 in my party--for a 7:30 reservation(no line mind you). When I told her that 1 of the 3 would probably be more than 10 minutes, but she could seat us and we'd order a bottle of wine, she informed me that she'd have to get that 'approved' with management. Approved with management???...She then informed me that this is standard policy in SF. Ummm, I think not... There's way too much attitude coming over the phone line when making a reservation, and far too much of it when you walk in. Love your food guys, but work on the delivery and the accomodation of your patrons a bit more. I'm not the first to say it, either. Pros: Food, Wine list Cons: Attitude, Noise more

In a city where there are so many great restaurants to chose from you must stand out in one way or another. This restaurant stands out with its horrible service. I can not remember the last time that I could actually say that. On a Tuesday night we waited an hour to be seated which was fine because the bartender was very entertaining. When we were seated, we proceeded to wait fifiteen to twenty minutes before the waiter even approached our table. After an hour, we started to question where our entrees were. We were told three different reasons by three different people. After one hour and forty minutes we walked out without dinner. Need I say more.... Cons: Service, Service, Service more