(415) 282-8867
Parking: limited street parking
Hours: Mon-Thurs 11:30am - 2pm, 5pm-10pm; Fri - 11:30am - 2pm, 5pm - 10:30pm, Sat 11:30am - 10:30pm, Sun 12pm - 10pm
http://www.esperpentorestaurant.com/
Last Visited: October 4, 2009
Food: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 1 star
Price: $$
Walk into Esperpento and you'll see some bright colors, not just in the decor, but in people's hair. It was bright and sunny outside during the day I visited, so when I sat down, the bright light from the windows at the front of the restaurant detracted from the colorful lavendar pillars inside and the decorative paper fans on the back wall. Small tables and colorful decorations give the restaurant a feeling of Spanish culture.
I selected Esperpento for lunch after seeing an episode of Check Please! Bay Area where all three of the diners raved about the Spanish-style tapas, but found service to be initially good until the place got busy. From my own experience, if you're a person who wants prompt service and for your all of your waitstaff to look like waitstaff, this isn't the place for you. If you're interested in trying new dishes, then it might be okay. Upon entering, we were quickly seated and given menus. My first glance at the menu found it to be a lot to absorb since everything was first in Spanish followed by its English description. However, that wasn't a deterrent to trying new foods. I asked the server for some recommendations since I rarely have tapas. She recommended the manchego cheese, potatoes of any sort, the oxtail stew, and some seafood. We started with glasses of water and waited for our food after ordering.
- Patatas Bravas - The menu listed this as spicy potatoes with little other description. A plate of potatoes with a flavorful spicy sauce poured on top of it arrived at the table. It was a lot like breakfast potatoes, but the sauce was seasoned well. It came extremely fast, so I would guess that there is a tray of potatoes being warmed in the kitchen and the appropriate sauce, either spicy or garlic aioli, depending on what is ordered, is put on top of it. There is more than enough to share. Okay. $4.75- Croquetas de Pollo - Chicken croquettes. Not much else is listed
about them on the menu, but if you remember those cans of chunky chicken spread, the texture is reminiscent of that but with a crispy outside. I liked the texture contrast and the mild flavor, and although I don't know for sure what the sauce is, I would guess it's the spinach bechamel that is listed on the menu in another location. The only thing I didn't like about this dish was the temperature. It came room temperature (and I like my fried foods to be hot and steaming on the inside) which seemed to keep the filling from having its maximum flavor. $5 - Queso Manchego - Spanish ewe's milk cheese. The menu didn't describe how it was prepared, and most of the time that I've seen 
manchego cheese on menus, it has been deep-fried. Bad assumption. What appeared were several small triangles of manchego cheese with oil cured red peppers and olives served with the slices. A drizzle of olive oil completes the dish. Although the server said this dish was smaller than others (and admittedly, we've already eaten a red pepper by the time this photo was taken, but all the cheese is there mind you), Esperpento could afford to give thicker slices of cheese! The pieces also seemed slightly on the dry side. $5
manchego cheese on menus, it has been deep-fried. Bad assumption. What appeared were several small triangles of manchego cheese with oil cured red peppers and olives served with the slices. A drizzle of olive oil completes the dish. Although the server said this dish was smaller than others (and admittedly, we've already eaten a red pepper by the time this photo was taken, but all the cheese is there mind you), Esperpento could afford to give thicker slices of cheese! The pieces also seemed slightly on the dry side. $5At this point in the meal, we wondered where the bread that was listed on the menu as accompanying tapas had been delayed at. We saw another table that arrived later than us served bread, and now that the cheese had arrived, it seemed appropropriate to bring bread, but none was found until we asked for it. When it did arrive, the French bread was room temperature and served with butter.
- Chorizo Salteado "Cantimpalitos" - Sauteed Spanish Sausage. Since the description in English was fairly minimal, I expected to receive slices of chorizo or larger pieces, but tiny sausages appeared. They were well-flavored, but slightly hard, likely due to the sauteeing. Okay. $5.25
- Rabo-Toro - Oxtail Stew. The meat fell off the bone of each of these pieces. The broth was flavorful with carrots and other 
vegetables. However, it came room temperature and that seemed
vegetables. However, it came room temperature and that seemed to result in a reduction of flavor. I'm not sure if tapas normally come cold, but I would have preferred this to come hot. Also, it apepars that there may have been a lunch special bargain available if you wanted to pay slightly more and get side dishes (potato or rice and other side selections) with it. I wish my server would have mentioned that option since I had told her I wanted to try more dishes. Good, but better if served hot. $7.50
- Jamon Serrano - Canapes of Spanish cured ham on toasted French bread served with ripe tomatoes and olive oil. This was probably one of the most 
comprehensive descriptions on the menu. From the photo, you can also see olives stuffed with pimentos as well as some sliced raw red onion on top. I liked the serrano ham - moist and with good flavor, it was also one of the better values considering the size of the tapa serving. $6
comprehensive descriptions on the menu. From the photo, you can also see olives stuffed with pimentos as well as some sliced raw red onion on top. I liked the serrano ham - moist and with good flavor, it was also one of the better values considering the size of the tapa serving. $6Overall, the food was okay - not the best value for what you're getting. The oxtail stew was good and the ham was a sizeable portion, but the rest was just okay and fairly unimpressive served at room temperature.
Upon completing our meal, it took the server more than five minutes to bring us the check after asking for it and more than 15 minutes for them to pick up the bill, and the restaurant wasn't that busy. My credit card was declined (and for whatever reason, that wasn't a problem before or after this transaction), and they made me use another card. After that, it again took about ten minutes to complete the transaction.
As mentioned earlier, some of the waitstaff have brightly colored neon pink hair along with a lot of piercings. For those of you whom may be concerned with that, be forewarned.
When we left the restaurant, our server passed us without comment or even a smile. There are many tapas places in the Mission District. Considering how hectic it can be to find parking, the time it took for service, and the lukewarm temperature of the food, I will be trying out some of the other tapas places before considering returning.
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