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Ricos Fine Mexican Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Mexican Event Planning & Services Caterers Mexican, Caterers [Edit]
943 Columbus Ave(between Chestnut St & Lombard St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighbourhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
(415) 928-5404
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
151 reviews for Ricos Fine Mexican Restaurant
Review Highlights
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"I'm a fan of the potato burrito." In 73 reviews -
"...and chili colorado burritos w/black beans and no rice for..." In 18 reviews -
"...enough about their sweet potato tacos when they actually..." In 3 reviews
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151 reviews in English
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Review from Michelle L.
Los Angeles, CA
5/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love a good happy hour deal. I always get excited whenever I find restaurants that sell pitchers for $10. It makes me feel like I've won something, even though the only thing I've won is extra calories from guzzling down pint after pint of beer.
Though I didn't get beer during my dining experience at Ricos, I'd just like to point out that they do have deals throughout the day for happy hour (cheap pints, pitchers, and something about a 1/2 lb super burrito for $5 which sounds terrifying and delicious at the same time)
That being said, my friend and I stopped here for a couple of burritos: she got the popeye burrito and I got the carnitas.
My only gripe is the $1.50 extra for a miniscule amount of guacamole smeared on top of (not inside) of my burrito. Other than that the burrito was filled with carnitas/pinto beans/rice and was delicious. My friend was concerned spinach and mushrooms would be weird in a burrito but she really enjoyed her burrito as well.
The burritos are a decent size and served as two meals for us.
Chips could have been fresher, but the salsa it came with was good! -
Review from Alison B.
4/22/2012
This place really made me miss good Mexican food ):
First off, our server was actually really nice but he got my order completely wrong. I ordered enchiladas rojas with beef, and ended up getting a chicken burrito... what?? I'm not picky though, so I ate it anyways. The burrito pretty bland. Definitely not worth the price that they charge for it. Probably won't go back... there's too many other places with good food around here! -
Review from Evonne L.
1/25/2012
I can only speak to the carne asada nachos here. If I had looked up this place on yelp beforehand, I probably wouldn't have gone b/c of its overall low rating. However, given that I was just roaming around the area, waiting for a show to start at Cobb's next door, I'm glad I didn't see the reviews and just checked this place out for myself.
My boyfriend ordered the carne asada super burrito which was pretty good- 3 stars. You have to pay extra for the guacamole and sour cream even though it's a "super" burrito, which throws me off a bit, but whatever. We can deal. I ordered carne asada nachos with guacamole, sour cream and black beans. The nachos were definitely very good!!! I had it with their strawberry banana smoothie, which was alright (nothing special), but the nachos themselves were thoroughly enjoyed!
The restaurant was nice and quiet at 6pm, and there was a large flat screen showing the State of the Union. Bonus!
Prices are a little high for what you get and service seemed a bit slow, given that it didn't seem extremely busy at 6pm. By the time we left, there were definitely a lot more people in line and seated. However, I really did have some pretty delicious nachos and wouldn't mind returning during a not-so-busy time. -
Review from Annie P.
St Paul, MN
4/28/2012
Owner is super nice but I don't think this place is anywhere you want to go unless you're desperate for Mexican food.
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Review from arielle n.
San Francisco, CA
5/4/2012
despite all of the bad reviews i actually liked the food here. granted, i didn't eat any meat nor did i have a burrito, but the 2 super vegetarian tacos (1 crunchy, 1 soft) and the vegetarian tamale i had were pretty good. the food was fresh, generous with the guacamole and sour cream, and i actually enjoyed the shredded chedder on top rather than heavy gobs of melted jack cheese that i'm used to getting. compared to the other mexican food places in the area i think this one is the best.
Also, their homemade carrot cake was delicious! -
Review from Nicole S.
San Francisco, CA
2/20/2012
This may seem like a harsh review but I have to be honest. The burritos were not your traditional burrito, they had feta cheese and some weird sauces that didn't satisfy a Mexican food craving. The service was incredibly slow as well. Not one person in the place and still it took over 20 minutes to get our food. I would not go here again and this is after trying it twice. Wish there were more /better Mexican food restos in North Beach...
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Review from monica mckenna f.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 3/18/2012
Back to Rico's for more salchipapa !...it's good to come home again !....came back for my favorite dish and it was better than ever with Martha's secret sauce .....a scumptous burrito with a Peruvian tist.....sausages, potatas & peppahs with an ice cold MGD on the side...it doesn't get any bettah than dat...who dat !
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/9/2011
As I watched from the last table in the restaurant aptly named Rico's on Columbus Ave feasting on my… Read more »
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Review from Dafina F.
Menlo Park, CA
1/15/2012
One of my friends did check the Yelp reviews, but it was the closest spot to the venue we were going to. When we first walked in, we notice the super crooked painting on the wall, but I was willing to overlook that decor faux pas. I mean, I loooove Mexican food and it's pretty difficult to mess it up, right? Wrooong! I will say this, though...the chips and 2 salsas were tasty.
So, I ordered a fish taco and a shrimp taco, for my meal. Pretty standard stuff. My plate comes after a pretty long wait( there was only one other table of patrons). I'm looking at it as the waitress( she was really nice) sets it down. Why...was the cheese on my black beans and tacos...Kraft Meltables?? Like, I recognized it, right away. All bad. So, I got past that and went in for a bite on the fish taco. Super. Dry. I was majorly disappointed. Fish tacos are my favorite thing to get from Mexican restaurants, beside the quintessential quesadilla or burrito. In an effort to make it better, I doused it in the yummy red salsa and it made it less dry.
Next up? The shrimp taco. Before I could even get it to my mouth, one of my friends stabbed a shrimp and ate it. " Uh, is this from a shrimp cocktail? There is no seasoning or anything on it. It's not even grilled!" Fail, Ricos, absolute fail. I made it through 2 bites and had to put it down. My friends finished their meals (burrito and a taco salad with chicken) and asked for the bill. I believe it was about $50...which is ridiculous. There is no way, those 3 plates should have been that much. We've gone to much nicer spots in Palo Alto and received WAY MORE food for that price. That also left a bad taste in our mouths.
Best part? 2 out of 3 of us, got sick. Now, I'm not pointing fingers at Ricos, but that was pretty much the only thing I ate, yesterday... -
Review from George S.
San Francisco, CA
11/6/2011
I am beginning to think that presenting a menu with one price and then trying to charge a second (higher) price is business as usual around here. I walked in and pulled a menu out of the wooden box and innocently ordered a veggie burrito, listed at $4.95. The total, I was told was $6.01. I then pulled the menu out of the box and read off the price. I was treated to a nasty, condescending lecture on how that was an 'old' menu and the real price is $5.49. That somehow I should have known that. I walked out.
A good business person would have apologized and given me the $4.95 price. Or, just be pleasant about it and I'll pay the new rate. Not here. Here they need to be right, and let you know how wrong you are.
Hey, guess what Rico's? - you win. And I'll not darken your door ever again. -
Review from Surge C.
Being yelp elite, I am ashamed to admit that I went into this establishment without checking yelp first.
LET ME TELL YOU fellow yelpers, humans who must maintain their livelihood with food...starvation is better than taking a bite out of any type of food Ricos has.
Ricos- PSH yeah right! This place had nothing delicious to offer. Esta comida es asqueroso. Disgusting, disgusting, disgusting.
My friend and I were looking forward to a good meal before Mayer Hawthorne's show at Bimbos. We spotted the sign under Ricos proclaiming they had some of the most delicious burritos. Mental note for the future...never believe a restaurant that advertises "we have the best [insert food item here]". Also since we were in the North Beach, we should have reconsidered our decision to eat Mexican food and gone to one of the many delicious Italian eateries. That was a fail on our part.
We walked in and sat ourselves, grabbed our own menus, and almost had to grab our own glasses of water because the service from start to finish was beyond terrible. The waiter was disengaging and after he took our order, he made no attempt to see how we were doing. I noticed he did this for all the other 3 patrons in the restaurant.
I ordered a chile relleno burrito with black beans...I think I had bits of chile in there, but in no way was it a chile relleno. I love Mexican food and how flavorful it always is. This was by far the blandest and worst tasting burrito I ever came across. My friend got the carnitas burrito and had to drown it with salsa verde (which also did nto taste so great) because the pork was so dry and flavorless. Both of us exchanged a "WTF! Ew" face when we took our first bite. We only continued to stomach the burrito because 1. we were starving and 2. drinking alcohol on an empty stomach is never smart.
This was the first and last time I will ever eat somewhere without checking yelp first. Please avoid this place at all costs. You will leave disgusted, unsatisfied, irritated, and with a "I think I got food poison" feeling. -
Review from Casey S.
San Francisco, CA
9/22/2011
Wow. What happened to me was so ridiculous that it didn't anger me, it just made me laugh.
4:05pm-ordered food online from from http://eat24.com despite the bad reviews for Ricos. I wanted mexican food and I was too lazy to actually go and get it.
4:50-Eat24 calls and says that Rico's hasn't confirmed my order and that they aren't answering their phone and that they will cancel the order and refund my card. They also say that if the order ends up being delivered, its on them. They add that if its not there by 5:15, just assume its not coming.
5:17- Just as I am about to walk out of the door to go and get some food, the lady (owner?) from Rico's calls. She explains that they are super busy and she is very apologetic. She asks if I still want the food. At this point I am over it but she insists it will be there within the hour. Hell, she's even going to throw in one of her famous brownies (they ar pretty good) for free. Why the hell not, right? I didn't wanna leave my apartment anyway.
6:42- I called and got no answer.
6:48- I called again....no answer
6:50- Screw it! Im going to get food
7:20- As I am sitting on the couch watching bad TV I hear a knock on the door. I look over at my girlfriend and we both have that look in our face that says..."Nooooo Waaaaaay."
Its the Ricos delivery dude!! He hands me a bag of food and says, "I think thats everything," and turns around. Not an apology or an explanation...Hell man, at least make up a story. Tell me the building of your previously delivery caught fire and you spent the last 3 hours saving kittens. SOMETHING!!!
I could write another review entirely on the food, but I will just say that it is possibly one of the least satisfying burritos I have had west of Kansas. East Coast mexican food is the only thing I think that sucks worse. -
Review from Maranda S.
Walnut Creek, CA
This place has over 30 vegetarian items on the menu! Not typically something you would expect to find in a Mexican restaurant. My favorite thing on the menu are the vegetarian tamales...very yummy indeed!
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Review from Brandi G.
Alameda, CA
7/26/2011
Blandest, most boring tasting chicken burrito I have ever had. Even places harboring gringos in the kitchen could make better Mexican grub.
The chicken in my burrito was so dry, a few times I actually thought I chomped on a bone. No joke. The salsa, that came with the chips, tasted expired, it seemed all flavor and flair had left town days ago.
The crummy food matched the crummy service. We were completely ignored, even after speaking up at the counter that we were ready to order. It took two attempts to get the gentleman's attention behind the counter. He kept walking right passed us to talk with another gentleman in the kitchen.
The only kudos I can give is the place was very clean, so if you're seeking a temporary refuge from your slobby room mates, come for a drink. If your hungry, check out other options. -
Review from Danny B.
Brea, CA
12/4/2011
As far as the food goes, the rating would be pretty high because it was all pretty good. We had burritos and tacos (pretty standard) and we enjoyed our dishes. I got the carne asada and the only issue was that some of the meat was a little bit chewy, but overall tasty. Free chips and two types of salsa was a plus.
The staff was friendly and not like what the other reviews have said though I can see how they might come off that way. The mom passed by a few times to check on us and it was appreciated.
The lower rating is because of some underlying shadiness in the restaurant. The kid serving us messed up everyone of our orders. I got the burrito with black beans and it came with pinto instead. Me and my buddy both got our burritos with guacamole and neither came with any. My other friend ordered the two taco plate and it only came with one. I'm pretty sure this was on purpose. No doubt we would have paid for the guacamole and taco either way. It seemed like this is something that happens regularly.
As soon we told our server, the cook suddenly showed up at our table with two sides of guacamole. He def knew he didn't put it in and was waiting to see whether we noticed or not. And they put a lot of chips on my friend's plate to cover up the missing taco.
The food is good here, but you have to be careful not to get scammed. It's a little shady so the choice is yours. -
Review from Steve R.
Miami, FL
2/12/2012
This place doesn't look very nice, but the food was really good. We went there without seeing the reviews, thankfully; I might have been scared to go. I loved the nachos. The menu has some great looking vegetarian items. Next time I'm near I will definitely come back.
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Review from David L.
San Francisco, CA
7/4/2011
I'd rather punch my own dick in the face then eat at Rico's.
End.Listed in: My Neighborhood
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Review from Johnny Q.
Dublin, CA
10/10/2011
First the service: Ugh. I came here for dinner between my break from class across the street. I had to wait a long time before they took my order (with only two people ahead of me, and they didn't take my order until they were done making their food first), didn't acknowledge me the entire time. When they did finally take my order and make my burrito, that also took a long time, and by then, I had to take it to go, as my 40 minute break was already up.
The food: I had a grilled chicken & Mexican salad burrito. What I will say for it is that the burrito is very big, so that was good. Unfortunately, the chicken had that smell and taste of being in the refrigerator for quite awhile, it was definitely not fresh, and was rather hard and stringy to chew into. They were cut like pulled pork. The salad inside was too sour for my liking either.
Also, the chips they give you are kind of stale.
The only reason I'd come back are for the Jarritos soda, that's it. -
Review from Daisy G.
Mountain View, CA
10/16/2011
This review is based on their terrible customer service. I called in to place an order for delivery for the first time and my friend and I had a few questions about certain dishes, since we were not familiar with the establishment. Rather than assisting us in odering, she was becoming rude, she didn't even want to tell us how the portions are, or if certain things were on the menu or not, nor how certain things are prepared. The online menu is not that clear to begin with, that's we called for a little assistance. I could tell they were busy that day, however, that's no excuse for the rude attitude.
The only reason we were considering them is because they deliver, despite the expensive prices and the low reviews here on Yelp. As she was adding up our total, she came back and totally refused our order because she just didn't have time to continue assisting us since they were so busy that day during fleetweek.
That's too bad for them because we were really giving them a chance. We order delivery alot for work, and they could have gotten lots of business from of us. Customer service is important. And if they aren't going to treat me like a valuable customer, then they don't deserve my business. -
Review from Justin S.
San Francisco, CA
12/14/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Worst Mexican Food in San Francisco.The staff was friendly but the food was worse then cold Taco Bell.
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Review from Ben K.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012
I wish I could give zero stars. The staff was inconsiderate and absent minded. I ordered a margarita and was not told until much later that they were out of original mix, so I had to get a peach flavored one. The drink was syrupy and gross. What's worse is my friend's has literally like 5 dead flies in it. DEAD FLIES!! We were not offered a refund or a discount, just given blank stares and a measly offer of a fresh beer, which I'm pretty sure doesn't even make up for the cost of the disgusting margaritas. I will never be back, do yourself a favor and do the same.
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Review from Dung N.
4/21/2011
We needed to kill some time before seeing Dave Chappelle at Cobb's so we stumbled in here. A lady, assuming it was the owner, quickly greeted and seated us at a table. A basket of chips and salsa followed and I already saw what I wanted to order. "Summer Burrito'--grilled chicken, rice, black beans with a mango/pineapple salsa. I got it without the black beans. I also couldn't pass up trying out one of their fresh juices. Fresh mango, honey and ice. YUM!
When the burrito came out, it was huge! I had to cut it in half and although it looked sturdy, it so was not. My burrito kept falling apart so I just decided to grab a fork and dig in. The mango/pineapple salsa was tasty but the chicken was a bit dry for my liking. My drink and burrito came out to only $7.11 after tax but before tip. That's super cheap! -
Review from Dean L.
Alameda, CA
8/13/2011
Didn't check Yelp before sitting down to order. (huge mistake)
We were in a hurry to catch a show at Cobb's just down the block.
Nothing good about this place.
Service was terrible. Had to get up to pour my own water after waiting for 15 minutes. I got the 'Summer Burrito' She got bean and cheese burrito, both were bad. We each had maybe one or two bites of food and out the door. That was after waiting 30 minutes. Stay away! Gordon Ramsay should consider for kitchen nightmares. It's a shame they could do a good business on weekends with Cobb's near by. Disappointed, very disappointed. -
Review from Fatty A.
San Francisco, CA
11/14/2011
Yelped fucked you up. I would just rename your restaurant.
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Review from Lee L.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2011
Living in North Beach, I am excited about having a few great mexican restaurants so conveniently close to my apartment. One of these restaurants is not Rico's.
I have given this place multiple chances due to that convenience, and sure enough this place has failed me every time. The first time I went I ordered chicken quesadillas to go. I open the to go box to find a sloppily made and greased-dunked meal. Egh.
The second time I thought I'd give their breakfast a try. Not only was the breakfast burrito a complete failure, but so was the service. The waitress completely got my order wrong. It wasn't like she added sour cream when I told her none, or that she gave me brown rice instead of mexican rice. No. This shit wasn't even close. She got me a chimichanga. Do they even have that on the menu? I don't know, it doesn't matter because they both sucked.
So the third time going wasn't really my idea. On a Tuesday night, my roommate and I are chillin' watching Detective Mackey from "The Shield" beat up some drug dealers, when we decided to pause for "burrito time." I suggested going out of our way to the Mission, but as soon as we both realized how long we would be away from the beloved Shield, we decided on a short and lazy route. Hell, I just wanted a burrito. But apparently he doesn't share the utter disregard I have for Rico's, because that's exactly what he wanted. If you are standing in front of the restaurant you'll notice a sign that says, "SF Famous Burritos." Heh, okay then! Let's give it a shot.
Mackey from The Shield could have pointed a gun at me and I still wouldn't have been able to finish this damn burrito. The beans tasted awful, the guacamole looked weeks old, and the chicken was extremely bland. Overall, the damn thing lacked any flavor. Not to mention that it's also overpriced with a side of shit service. I cannot believe a tag artist hasn't added an "in" before "famous" on their outdoor sign. This place is a disaster.
Don Pisto's forevaaaah -
Review from artemis a.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2011
My boyfriend lives up the street from Rico's and we're common to the neighborhood scene (love La Rocca's)! Mexican food is definitely one of my favorites and I adore the simple stuff. A street taco with cilantro and onion is nature's perfect food and the taco-truck trend is heaven (the one at Best Buy in SF is amazing).
Growing up in SF also gave me a taste for the big heavy burritos. Mexican food was either a big plate of rice and beans at Tia Margarita (in the 70's) or the football-size ancestors of the common SF burritos you can find wrapped in foil in the Mission. Haight Street was the satellite district for burritos and I lived on Chabela's and - later - Zona Rosa throughout high school. Although I tend to stay away from them now, a good classic vegetarian burrito bomb is at Cancun: the good old mexican sleeping pill.
That being said, a fast-food mexican restaurant can exist anywhere as long as there's a grill and fresh ingredients. It can succeed with those simple requisites. Put a good taco truck at the dump and people will come. I regret to say that Rico's utterly fails, and it's not failing due to location, It's simply the food, the basic, stripped down burrito and taco that suck. In fact, they are the worst.
For many years my boyfriend and I tried to like Rico's. He's a good eater and likes his chicken and beans. Beans you can get wrong but if you put salsa on them, they'll perk up. Yet, chicken is a little more challenging. At Rico's if you order your dish with chicken, you get boiled chicken. You order grilled chicken, you get boiled chicken that has been re-heated and crusted-up on the grill. Huh??! Why would anyone do that? Is that a cost-cutting strategy or simple naivety?Ultimately, we fished around the menu hoping to find a simple, eatable no frills taco or burrito and couldn't find it.
I have to say, for whatever reason (maybe convenience) we were rooting for Rico's. We ordered our meals hoping that maybe today would be the day that the chicken was fresh, or the carne asada was chewable. We never saw that day and finally had to say 'enough'. Enough of trying to stuff down bad food that was simply a waste of calories, money and time (waited 25 minutes once for a to go order).
Enough said.
Incidentally, I've given Rico's 2 stars is because it's a woman-owned business and I want to support that. I just wish she would try a little harder so we could give her our business. -
Review from Sarah S.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2011
I work by the Wharf, so the burrito options are limited. Being vegan, I'm not sure what everyone else's beef (HAR) with Rico is. I think it's got it all: chips, two salsas, margaritas, vegan options... everything except carrot juice, which they were out of today. The choices at Rico's dumbfounded me -- do I want the Winter Burrito, the Rice and Bean Burrito, the Veggie Burrito, or all of the above? I ordered the Popeye burrito (spinach and mushroom) with guacamole instead of cheese. I thought it was odd that they spread the guac on top of the burrito instead of inside, but whatever, it was still good. Call me a gringo, but I love a soft, dry burrito, unlike the lone, crunchy, leaky veggie option at San Jose Taqueria #3 up the street.
The service was speedy and friendly, and we had a nice table by the window and a decorative birdcage. Prices were comparable to the other nearby and far inferior burrito places. It's no Mission burrito, but it's perfect for a fix.
UPON MY RETURN: Comin' back for the late-night vegan sweet potato tacos (HOLLA) and askin' for guac on the INSIDE. What it is. -
Review from Kristal R.
San Francisco, CA
9/5/2011
My boyfriend and I went to eat here after a movie. We found this place by just walking around SF. I live near by and I will order from here as much as I'll allow myself lol
The food was GOOD!!! I ordered the Ground Beef Burrito and he got The British Burrito! I would give the food 5 stars!
However, the service was terrible! The young waiter (he had to be 18) he was not so great. He didn't know the menu or policies of the restaurant. And by policies I mean, he told my boyfriend he can substitute the steak in his British Burrito for chicken and 15 minutes went by until his mother told us that there are no substitutions. But after that our food was made fresh and our burritos came at he same time!
We also had a little problem with the mother.....she implied that we probably couldn't pay for our meal and that the burrito my boyfriend ordered was "too expensive".......yea I don't know what that was about.......we happen to be black so we immediately took that comment personal because what business owner tells us the burrito is too expensive for us...
I WON'T LET IGNORANCE GET IN THE WAY OF GOOD FOOD!!!!!! THANK YOU TO THE MEXICAN BROTHA WHO MADE OUR FOOD! CHEERS!!!!! -
Review from Kathryn S.
Manhattan, NY
5/15/2011
HORRIBLE. I wasn't even a yelp member, but I signed up just to write this review!!
I placed an order online (via SeamlessWeb) and 2 hours later, still no delivery. I called the restaurant to figure out what was going on, and apparently they were slammed and informed me that they didn't have the capacity to deliver and weren't planning to. Ummmmmmmm.... I would have at least appreciated a phone call!! Canceled credit card charge would have been nice too. Instead I sat around starving, waiting, waiting, waiting... NEVER AGAIN. -
Review from Dee H.
8/30/2011
All I have to say is that it's a Mexican restaurant and it doesn't have HORCHATA?!! Wtf.
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Review from Jade H.
8/12/2010
Not fine at all. Really a 2.5
My dining companion's burrito was just about edible but very low on flavor and good textures and zest.
My beef enchilada in green sauce was better but also nothing special or fine. Chips and salsa were ok too. It was at least spicey.
The cost is ok. We were really hungry. -
Review from Brian C.
San Diego, CA
2/21/2011
Terrible. I came here while visiting from San Diego, and was craving Mexican since it's a staple of my diet. I think I'm spoiled by the fresh baja style Mexican food back home, because this place was awful. How bad? Let me count the ways.
1. When trying to dine in, you're treated to a horrible noise from one of their refrigerators. The POS must be on it's last leg, because the cacophony is unrelenting. You can't escape it. A loud and annoying buzz throughout the restaurant. They try to cover it up by playing bad pop music. I tried rolling up bits of napkin to stick in my ears. The noise is that bad.
2. Chips sucked.
3. Salsa sucked.
4. Got the Fajitas and they came out in a stew-like broth. These aren't fajitas. What the F?
Avoid. -
Review from meg w.
Chicago, IL
5/10/2010
We ordered chips, salsa, guac, a carne asada burrito, and an enchilada/crispy taco plate on delivery. There were a lot of choices I didn't expect with the burrito: mushrooms, spinach, winter veg, spring veg... (others as well...) ? I've never been asked this before and they caught me off guard. But, si, the burrito was edible, the chips and salsa were good (I didn't try the guac, not a fan, generally), and I was told the enchilada/taco combo was *awesome*
Good sized portions. -
Review from Michelle M.
San Francisco, CA
6/13/2010 1 Check-in Here
Sad face. Ricos, please change your name to Ricos Mexican Restaurant. There is just nothing fine about you :(
The service here was by far the worst I've ever experienced in the city. My friends arrived there 20 minutes before me, and even by the time I got there, they still had not even been acknowledged. After finally flagging the waitress down, we gave her our order. Luckily she gave our ticket to the cooks, because the next thing we knew, she came out of the kitchen area with her dog (gross? yes. illegal? pretty sure.) and yelled to the cooks that she'd be back after taking her pooch for a walk.
After waiting for another half hour, we received our lackluster food. I don't know how they managed it, but Rico's turned Mexican food into something bland and tasteless.
To say the least, I was very disappointed. -
Review from Natalie G.
San Francisco, CA
1/12/2009
I highly recommend the Carne Asada Burrito, but make sure to "super" it (with sour cream, cheese, and guac). The service was great, not slow at all, and friendly.
We ordered beers, chips and salsa, and two of the biggest burritos ever. They were only $5.95 or so. How can they even afford to make such a massive amount of food for so little? It was pretty good overall and since we don't have many Mexican restaurants in the area I am sure to be back!
I noticed this is a hot spot for take out and not very many people stay and eat. But, we did and it was clean, they have a big tv, and prompt waiter service. -
Review from Gloria H.
4/27/2009
Wanted to try this place for a while now and finally went inside this past Sunday. It was empty and just didn't have the smell or vibe of an authentic Mexican joint but we were determined.
While we looked at the menu, we were asked if it was for here or to go. Little did we know that they have waiter service if you eat in...oh well. There are so many choices under the burrito selection, which also told us it's not a real authentic joint - beanie weenie with hot dog and beans? ground beef? popeye with spinach, mushroom, jack cheese? Salchipapa with sausage, peppers, onion and potato? British with steak, mushroom and potato? Burrito with potato is just overload - what, not enough carb already with the flour tortilla, rice and beans? Yikes!
They must cater to the healthier crowds, there are no refried beans just pinto or black beans. Anyway, they have some standard ones as well, we ordered the carnitas burrito ($5.95) after they told us they didn't have lengua. We also got a boiled chicken soft taco ($3.25). A Widmer Hef since they didn't have any horchata.
We didn't have high expectation while we waited for our food. First came a basket of chips with two jars of sauces - one green which was chile verde and a red one that was spicier. The chip was our favorite item - it was fresh and crispy - for the first time, we finished ALL the chips! The taco didn't look very promising - shreds of lettuce and cheese topped it and the chicken looked very bland. The burrito was BIG. After a bite, we were surprised that it actually wasn't bad at all and tasted even better by adding the sauces that came with the chips. Definitely get the burrito Super to get the guacamole, sour cream and cheese for an add'l $1.65 or Mojado w/ enchilada sauce and cheese for $1.50.
The dining area is clean and relatively spacious. There is a bar w/ a few drafts - Widmer Hef, Dos Equis, Speakeasy Big Daddy and Bud? There is a tv playing sports.
Not our first choice for mexican food BUT not a bad option if in the area. We would likely order an entree of sort so we can scoop up the goodies using the tasty chips.Listed in: Places to eat in North Beach, Mexcian food
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Review from Squirrel L.
San Francisco, CA
8/4/2007
I get the same thing every single time without fail - the Popeye burrito (beans, rice, cheese, spinach, & mushrooms). I love it. It is simple, but yummy and delicious.
My fiance has done quite a bit of jumping around the menu. His thoughts about said meals have as well, so 3 stars to average it out. -
Review from Brad C.
San Francisco, CA
11/28/2007
Rico's seems to be getting smeared up in here so thought I'd chime in. Never had dinner here and probably would choose to hit up a regular taqueria instead but have to light Rico's up with a couple stars for something that seems overlooked -- their BRUNCH.
While the traditional brunch spots in North Beach are crowded and annoying on the weekends, Rico's is a shining, if somewhat ignored, gem. It is almost never crowded and even has nice outside tables for when it is sunny. Not only is their North Beach breakfast burrito with eggs, potatoes, cheese and sausage amazing (and probably big enough to share if you are not a total pig like me), but the chips and salsa are surprisingly good and they have fresh, delicious juices and smoothies.
Que Rico! -
Review from rosie m.
East Bay, CA
3/18/2010
I love going to Rico's before a show at Cobb's. I get that it's not the finest Mexican cuisine, but it's a comfortable place with a good menu -- lots of veggie options -- and the staff is always friendly and accommodating. I need that because I tend to ask for substitutions, or slight variations at the very least.
I'm a fan of the potato burrito ... honestly haven't seen that at other Mexican restaurants. -
Review from Carrie L.
San Francisco, CA
1/13/2008
I'm shocked by the low rating! I love this place :)
For a non-mission based Mex restaurant, it's pretty good! North Beach is Little Italy, the Wharf's specialty is seafood... there's not much around for Mexican food, but I'd go there more often if my jeans would let me :)
My husband describes it as "white-r-ized" which I think is an exaggeration. Chevy's is "white-r-ized." There's nothing genuinely ethnic about that place whatsoever.
Rico's has a story and is an efficient, friendly, clean place with good tasting food.
I've never left there even remotely disappointed.
(Then again, I don't walk in there expecting a 5 star snooty brown nosing restaurant either.)
The owner of Rico's is not Mexican. That's okay. But she's definitely got real Mexicans working in the kitchen and serving. These guys aren't spit-shine polished or snobby - they're dudes! They're nice dudes! They make yummy carnitas burritos for my hubby and chili colorado burritos w/black beans and no rice for me :) They don't skimp either, so you definitely get your money's worth.
The owner is your standard quirky San Franciscan woman. She puts a lot of work into the restaurant. She bakes and decorates for the different seasons and holidays, but is busy and a little frazzled sometimes too... I find it funny, as insensitive as that sounds... haha
The place is VERY CLEAN and I am not scared of the bathroom (which is common in most Mexican restaurants I'm sorry to say).
I've never had their brunch but it looks great and I've heard good things about it. I used to get a burrito for lunch and every time they'd include chips and salsa w/o me even asking... mmmm.... warm chips and yummy salsa....
I suppose I should just get more stretch jeans....Listed in: Fave Restaurants
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Review from Matt L.
Durham, NC
7/6/2009
I am suprised at all the negative reviews of this place. Its probably a 4-star restaurant, but I am giving it 5 because it doesn't deserve the engative rating it has right now.
Its a burrito, its cheap, they give you free chips and salsa which is decent, they serve brews, and they are ready fast. What else is there? I have had PLENTY of burritos that were much worse than these. If you people need to turn your nose up at these solid $8 burritos, Gary Danko's is right down the street.
