Can you say Tequila?
Written: Dec 04 '04
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Pros: Small but nice patio; tasty food; large portions; great location.
Cons: Expensive
The Bottom Line: In spite of the price, if you want some great Mexican food - even just salads, I would go to Las Margaritas again and am recommending it.
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| jo.com's Full Review: Las Margaritas Restaurant |
One day in late June, 2004 during our trip to San Francisco while the rest of my family were hiking, my oldest daughter and I toured the city. We decided to have lunch at Las Margaritas.
General Information:
Las Margaritas is located in the Fishermans Wharf area; the Cannery to be exact. I can almost guarantee that if you visit this city you will be at or near Las Margaritas because this is one of the many tourist areas of this great city. The address is 280 Leavenworth Street. Their phone number is 415-776-6996.
Unless you are having a party here you will not need reservations. On this weekday Las Margaritas was very quiet. There were only a handful of patrons eating.
Their hours are Monday through Sunday 12:00pm to 10:30pm. They accept American Express, Visa and Master Card.
Las Margaritas serves traditional Mexican dishes as well as seafood specialties. Their menu is extensive. They do not have a website and I will not be able to list all their food but I will give you an overview of what they serve and the prices.
We toured the city via a combination of walking and the wonderful transit system that San Francisco has. It is not easy to park here but you can park at Anchorage Center and your parking will be validated.
Decor, Service and Food:
The Cannery is a large shopping area. Las Margaritas is at one of the corners on the second floor. This means that since we ate outside we were overlooking a large open space where there was a band playing during our meal. It was quite nice not only because of the music but it is a pretty area.
The patio is small. There are perhaps 3 or 4 tables with umbrellas but this was perfect for us on this particular day. I did go inside twice. Once I used the very clean restroom and the second time I went in to get menus (They have two; one for lunch and one for dinner and to see what it looks like in case I decided to review it.) Las Margaritas is a very pretty restaurant. It is a good size with a large bar, lots of wood and not a lot that makes it look Mexican. Sam Diego is what I call one restaurant that cannot be mistaken for any other type but Mexican. There are high ceilings, lots of light and modern looking. There were few patrons at the bar in spite of their menu touting that they proudly present one of the finest varieties of Tequilas in San Francisco. They also serve beer and other alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.
The waiter came right over and was very nice. He was not busy so he chatted with us a bit, especially about the beautiful weather that day. He took our drink order and came back right away with our iced teas and a basket of delicious nacho chips. They were greasy; just the way I like them!
The food is expensive. This is not surprising for a restaurant in this location but I am not used to a $30.00 lunch for two salads. In any case I ordered the Ensalda del Mar which was lettuce tipped with crabmeat, shrimp, onions, tomatoes and avocado for $9.95. It was delicious. There were a variety of types of lettuce, the seafood tasted fresh. The shrimp were the small ones which are not my preference but with the avocado and dressing I can say this was a tasty meal. The dishes were plentiful. We could barely finish our meals but managed to. My daughter got a similar salad but with grilled chicken for $8.95. She felt the same way; her chicken was grilled nicely and the vegetables were fresh and tasty.
The waiter was very attentive coming over to us frequently but not annoyingly to fill up our glasses or ask if we wanted more chips. These are usually $1.50 but we were not charged for them.
Their salads are served with their special house dressing which has a nice tang to it. My mouth is watering when I think of it! We asked for it on the side and were given a large dish of it.
All the main titles of the food are in Spanish. There are 10 Entremeses (Appetizers) from which to choose ranging in price from $6.00 -$10.00. The Guacamole which is an avocado dip served with tortilla chips will cost you $6.95.
You can have one of five Quesadillas served with lettuce, sour cream and a mild taco sauce ranging in price from $9.25 - $11.95. The spinach, cheese, onions and tomatoes called Quesdadilla (grilled flour tortilla) de Espinaca will cost you $9.25.
You might want to choose from the 3 Sopas including the soup of the day. These will run you around $4.00. Four Fajitas served with rice, beans and flour tortillas cost between $9.95 and $14.25. The Portobello fajitas are grilled with peppers, onions, sour cream, and guacamole and pico de gallo. This will cost you $11.95. There are 13 main dishes (Platillos Tradicionales). One example is the Burrito Vegetariana for $8.95. This is the average price in this category filled with a huge variety of dishes all of which sound delicious.
There are 7 Seafood dishes in the $12.00 range and 8 House Specials (Especialidades de la Casa) served with rice and beans. These range in price from $11.25 to $16.75. You might choose a New York Steak for $15.75.
The pastries are in the $4.00 range and include flan and Sopapillas (deep fried flour tortialla filled with peaches.)
There are Plateos para Ninos which are dishes for children for $7.25. They can have a choice of a burrito, taco, enchilada or quesadilla served with rice and beans.
The dinner menu is virtually the same except for two areas. There are no hamburgers on the dinner menu and the prices are different. For example our salads are $1.00 more during dinner. The New York Steak is $17.25. The dishes for children are $1.00 more as well. Beverages and pastries remain the same.
My Final Thoughts:
My daughter and I enjoyed Las Margaritas enormously. We loved sitting outside. The patio was clean as was the table. I cannot promise you music but that was an added bonus. Our waiter could not have been nicer, the food was plentiful, fresh and tasty and the location is fantastic.
The menu is very extensive and in spite of the high prices I would go back and try another dish either at lunchtime or dinner.
Please feel free to leave me a question or comment.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Trendy Crowd
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