Colibri

Been eating here for the past few years, and it's always a pleasant experience. The guac. is freshly made to your ideal spiciness and the stuffed chicken is smothered in the most delicious sauce. The "catch-of-the-day" is also always good. Pros: food, food, food Cons: noisey more

Before I start, I should say that I am an Englishman visiting San Francisco. If a native of SF, treat this review with caution! We decided to go to Colibri based on recommendations on this website. It seemed very busy, especially for a Sunday night, but they found us a table for 2 in a few short minutes. The waitress was very attentive and friendly. I had the homemade guacamole, which was unbelievably good. It is made fresh in front of you, as spicy as you like it, and served with nice and fluffy homemade tortillas. Quite an experience! My girlfriend ordered some cheesy mushroom thing. It just looked like a bowl of melted cheese to me, but I am assured it was enjoyable. The main courses were generally well conceived and expertly cooked. I had a lamb shank wrapped in banana leaf. The lamb was exceptionally tender, it seemed to jump right off the bone! The tomato sauce was a little overpowering for me, but being English I tend to avoid anything with too much flavour. My girlfriend had chicken breast on a bed of mashed potato. Being Irish, she needed her potato fix, and the mash was good and creamy. The chicken was very tender, and the sauce was a little sweet and complemented the chicken well. We like wine with our meals, and it was great to see top quality local wines on the menu. We went for a Sonoma sauvignon blanc, which was rich, clean and fruity. If you like tequilla, this is the place to come, as everything is nicely categorized with something for every taste. This place was amongst the priciest meals we had, with 2 starters (sorry, appetizers), 2 main courses (sorry, entrees), one dessert and bottle of wine coming to just over $100. However, I would recommend it as it is Mexican food with a touch of European class. PS one of the reviews here complained about portion size. We felt that the portions were ample for our European stomachs, but you may be left hungry if your idea of a light meal is sticking your head into a bucket of friend chicken. Pros: Guacamole made in front of you Cons: A little on the pricy side more

This place was awesome. We had a great waitress who was attentive. Our food was served in a timely manner. They had compliment of tortilla and three different salsa's. The mango salsa to die for. I'll keep this restaurant a secret because it's a gem. Will always come back for more. Friday is busy so make sure to book ahead of time. Pros: Great Service Cons: Make reservation more

I have been to Colibri several times and have not been disappointed once. Everything is good, ranging from their top shelf margaritas all the way to the most amazing guacamole ever. I highly recommend the lamb shank and also the chicken tostadas. Pros: Guacamole, service, MARGARITAS!!! Cons: "Interesting" people on the block. more

I like to go to this place with my girl. It's nice and classy and the service is good. They got some pretty interesting stuff on their menu. For the most part they are all good. Pros: great for a date Cons: little too busy sometimes more

So I?m writing another review here on CitySearch, I?m either really board or I actually have something to say. Hmm yes I do have something to say. So I met this girl on Craigslist and we arranged to meet for dinner. We decided to try this little Mexican place she had heard of in Union Square called Colibri. So we walk in and this extremely nice blond hostess greets us with a smile and takes us to our booth by the kitchen. The whole restaurant was packed and smelled of amazing aromas. The server came by and asked if we?d like to start with some margaritas, now me being a whiskey guy I was a little hesitant but she said that they had tequilas that were aged in oak whiskey barrels and I said ?Lets do it?! She brought me ?a shot? is this beautiful stemware, I was a little surprised but, she said sip on it and enjoy the taste. WOW, I had never thought to drink tequila like this and it tasted great. CHEERS! We went on to start with the freshest guacamole I?ve ever had and it was made right in front of us. I ordered the Pechuga Ranchera. Wow, what a great dish. It was tender, moist, and full of tasty flavors! My date enjoyed the Chili relleno, also saying it was amazing. Our entire experience at Colibri was a great one and the date was great too, if you were wondering. I?d highly recommend eating here. I?LL BE BACK!!! Pros: Great service, and a whole lota Tequilas! Cons: ? more

I had heard of this place a few months ago.A friend of mine was there for Cinco de Mayo 2006 and said had a blast.She told me that food was great but I simply ignored her recommendation since every time I hear about Mexican food in the States it always means Tex-Mex.Not this time.I decided to pay them a visit to entertain my palate before hitting the theatre accross the street (Jersey Boys).The first thing you notice as you enter is that the decor is not the usual festive, cookie cutter Mexican style.Instead, according to the nice gentleman managing the place, they decided to go with the decor from Mexico City's saloons back in the early 1900's.Ok. I respect that. But, what about the food? It was the best ever.The MOLE was very similar to the one I had growing up in Mexico. Arturo, our busser, made a mouth-watering Guacamole at our table and kept a very lively conversation with us.He served it with fresh hand made tortillas. Now, one of my friends is a huge proponent of chips with guacamole because "it is the Mexican way". Wrong! My caucasian friend who claims a broad experience in Mexican food assumes that, because she has been to Cancun and Puerto Vallarta, she knows better than me, born and raised in Mexico. Hand made tortillas is THE way.We had the mole poblano dish,the filet mignon, the duck with one of my favorite moles: pipian, and the camarones with the tamarind mole.They all had an amazing flavor.The torta de elote and the hongos chileajo as side dishes and every single plate was literally wiped clean by the time they cleared the table to give way to dessert. After we finished our blackberry margaritas, We asked for coffee and shared the chocolate cake and the cajeta crepes which were delicious.We left the restaurant with a smile in our faces. Happy times! My friend thinks they should add new movies to their collection. I agree. There are many great black and white movies from that era. Are you listening Colibri management/owners? See you very soon. Pros: Food and drinks. Great service as well. Cons: Parking can be tricky. more

Im from Los Angeles and I run a restaurant there, I will tell you ..................The best food while I was staying in San Francisco, friends took us out for the evening and suggested Colibri , (honestly my girlfriends-friend) I dont trust her culinary knowledge so much ...but boy did she come through with a winner i had the chicken mole, the best i ever had and i have tried others..beleive me. tender , flavorful , the sauce was traditional and rich in texture... The margaritas are the best , with fresh fruit muddled in the glass and the tequila offerings, i did not even think there were so many to choose from..... i will be back just to sample all the reposados (ha-ha) Anyhow , enjoyed the food very much, molly choose a great restaurant and I would recommend this place to everyone going to Frisco. more

I heard about this restaurant from a friend and finally got to go check it out for myself, I can't believe I waited this long to go! It was definitely busy but we were greeted by a very friendly host and taken right to a table. Our server was really friendly and so knowledgable about the food and all the tequila. We had the best margaritas! The guacamole was amazing and it only got better with the food. I had the mole poblano, the sauce was so delicious and unlike anything I've tasted before. My friend got the chile relleno which was also fantastic, I can't wait to go back and try more! Beyond the food, the whole experience was satisfying. The staff was constantly checking on us to make sure we were happy and on the way out the host was very kind and thanked us for coming in. Oh, and you have to try the chocolate cake for dessert! If you're looking for really good mexican beyond greasy tacos this is definitely the place to go and try something new (especially if you want to taste the yummy margaritas). Pros: Service, Food, Atmosphere more

I love going to the theatre. Last week a friend suggested to have an early dinner before one of the shows at a Mexican Restaurant nearby. Personally, I am not a big fan of Mexican food out of Mexico specially when I have tried the real thing when I visited the country and get mad often when they say that tex-mex is real mexican food. But my friend insisted. My first surprise was the ambience and atmosphere. It really made me remember that old cantinas which I saw in my last visit to Mexico City downtown, so this was a good start. The hostess was very kind and the manager came to our table to introduce herself which I always thiink it,is a nice thing to do. Last but not least, the food was outstanding and authentic. I think I can eat all the tortillas with the selection of salsas they offered, the guacamole was prepered in front of us and it was delicious but my favorite was a dessert made of melted chocolate that I could die for. I strongly recomend it . It is now by far my favorite mexican restaurant and I almost did not go there if it had not been for my friend insistance and perserverance to try it. I am going to go back during the Weekend Brunch to check it out: the menu looks delicious. Pros: Authentic Mexican Athmosphere and Food Cons: If you have not been in Mexico, you might not fully appreciate this Restaurant more

Until this evening I was a silent user of Citysearch. However, my experience at this restaurant was awful enough to motivate me to sign up and write this review. I had the absolute worst service experience at this restaurant and for the first time in my dining experience, I left no tip. I will not delve too deeply into the details, but the gist of it was that we watched our fellow diners be seated after us, served before us, and leave before we even received our cold entrees. The worst part of the experience was that when I politely explained the situation to the manager, all I received was a half-hearted apology and absolutely no restitution. I will never return to this restaurant and would not recommend this establishment to anyone who expects to be treated with any semblance of respect. more

I arranged for a family gathering at Colibri based on the previous reviews on Citysearch. I don't usually write reviews but I felt so strongly about this I thought I would voice my opinion. DON'T DO IT! This place was a job. The food was mediocre the portions were absurdly tiny and overly priced for what they were. We received a piece of fish that was the same size as a ravioli!! My husband turned to me and said they've got to be kidding, is this a joke? The food was okay but I have definitley had better, cheaper, and with normal sized portions. I have eaten my fair share of tapas and Mexican food and this just does not pass the test. Don't waste your time or money. We waited an hour before being able to order our drinks... AND the place was empty. It was ridiculous. Pros: We were seated immediately with a large party. Cons: We weren't attended to for an hour, and the food is overpriced and the portions are ridiculously tiny more

Positives: queso fundido w/mushrooms & chorizo yummy even if the chorizo was a bit scarce and greasy. THe corn tortillas-handmade- were the best I've ever had. It also came with 3 salsas --a mango salsa, salsa verde and a lovely spicy hot red sauce. We watched the guacamole get made-tableside- and it looked amazing. The sangria was very tasty as well, nice and well balanced and at $6 a pretty good deal. Negatives: Our bartender was the WORST i have ever seen. We waited about 5 minutes to get a menu from him. THen another 10 minutes to get him to take our order---even though he walked past us atleast 6 times. They were not busy on the floor and only about 6 people at the bar. I swear he was stoned he was moving so slow. 20 minutes after sitting down I finally got my sangria---but my b/f still didn't recieve his. I told him if the food came before his drink we were out of here, they made it by less than a minute. We came VERY close to never coming back. Pros: great food and drink Cons: bad service more

I just landed upon this restaurant randomly, walking down the street, and was pleasantly surprised. It seems small when you first walk in, but then opens up in the back room. It had a very cozy atmosphere and nice ambiance and wasn't too loud. We tried the recommended guacamole that they make at your table and it was awesome. The menu was a bit eclectic, so don't expect to see your normal mexican fare. I shared tapas with another person and they were all very good, although the plates are pretty small so if you decide on that for a meal, make sure to get a few or you will be left hungry. I also felt that the prices were pretty reasonable for what you got. Pros: Ambiance, Food Cons: Small Portions more

Definitely have the guacamole at this place; it comes with house made small corn tortillas that are warm from the grill. It is usually quite busy and noisy, so be prepared to be wedged in. I was a bit disappointed in the maragritas. Although they claim to use fresh lime juice, mine tasted as if it were made from a mix, and lacked potency, something I would expect from an $11 margarita. On the other hand, the Mojitos made up for what the margaritas lacked, both in potency and in flavor. Also, be sure to try the side order of corn bread. It's a huge wedge with pasilla chile sauce over it. Yum!! Pros: Guacamole, tortillas Cons: Margaritas more

Excellent food. The service is a bit too attentive--the place is popular, and they want to turn tables--but I'd highly recommend going. The guacamole and tortillas were the best I've had, and the sangria was surprisingly very good (there's many a mediocre sangria out there). The lighting and ambiance are very nice as well. If you're in doubt about how much to order or what to order, as your server--they're very helpful. Pros: Amazing food, good ambience Cons: Fast service and slightly cramped quarters more

"I loved this place! Great atmosphere and location, with an excellent choice of margaritas, the guacamole was beyond the beyonds, and they serve it with an endless supply of soft round corn tortillas. The fish of the day and the chicken were wonderfully tender and came with delicious vegatables in creamy, slightly spicy sauces, also the duck pipian was really good. The service and waitstaff are really friendly and helpful. Be sure to make a reservation, because its location opposite the Curran and the A.C.T makes it very popular. Pros: Guacamole, corn tortillas and fresh lime and lemon margaritas Cons: parking more

I've been enjoying Colobri for several months now and must say that I'm always impressed by the menu and service. Nice catus salad, super chocolate cake unbelieveable halibut in a bechamel sauce (bechamel? in a Mexican restaurant?!). I have always loathed the "cocina rustica", taqueria, Tex-Mex garbage that passes for Mexican food here in the States and am so happy to have found such worthy culinary ambassador as Colibri. If its your first time in, try getting a table in the back as its much more cozy there. as a side note, I've no idea why other reviewers found the portions too small. For me, with the continuous supply of piping hot, fresh made tortillas, the portions are more than adequete. Pros: Real Mexican Food, Halibut, Service Cons: None more

this is a very upscale mexican restrant that is not your typical rice and beans with mail entree place. the food is relly inovative, and much higher end. a bit pricer but well worth it. every thing is fresh, and of the highest quality ingridents.the bar an interior is beatiful the booze is overpriced however! Pros: food Cons: over priced drinks, lighting is a little more

we went for brunch before a show across the street. Note that the brunch menu on the window is wrong. they have added more lunch items. thank goodness the hostess came outside and caught us before we walked away and told us of the changes. the waitress was very nice and attentive, as were the busboys. the sauces and the tortillas were so fresh and tasty (a nice change). the margaritas were fantastic. stick with the "house" one. the chicken mole was good the chicken super tender, but a little too chocolaty for me. the carne asada and the chili relleno were really tasty, too. i will be back for dinner soon. Pros: romantic, good food, different flavors Cons: small,not a con more