El Capitan

Had a great experience with friends at this restaurant. Small plate tapas style food– we all really enjoyed every single thing we ordered which is rare. I am deducting one star because I think it’s a bit pricey for the portions. We literally paid 15 bucks for 5 nachos (nachattas) — wth?! But the food was so good that I can’t help stay mad for long at those prices. tacos…great, wings… AMAZING, octopus was so nice and tender, and the Elote was delicious! I will definitely be back here!

I’m not sure the food makes up for the incredibly slow service. We waited 30 minutes after being seated for the waiter to finally come to our table and explain the menu. Then he took another 10 minutes to get us wine glasses, and forgot to get us the water we asked for 30 minutes ago. We finally ordered our food and waited another 30 minutes for the first plate to arrive — plantain chips. A total of an hour between sitting down and receiving our apps… Subpar
Maybe we came on an off night but quite displeased with the service

Very mediocre and over priced for the quality of food and drink. Service was fine but everything else was lacking. 3 of us tried 5 different cocktails, one was actually tasty (involved cold brew and coconut milk), 3 were very «meh» (how do you mess up sangria??) and one was downright terrible (the maiden voyage — took 3 very labored sips and had to stop and switch to a glass of wine). The food all sounded awesome on paper but also came out lacking and again, best description is «meh». Ceviche was very boring and flavorless, the octopus tough, and the tacos also
quite boring. For the price this place is not worth it.

Food is great, though a bit expensive if you look at the size of the dishes. They announce it as «small» so it’s not like you haven’t been warned.
One problem I encountered there is that it’s extremely noisy.
Overall a good place to stop in this street.

I agree with some of the other reviews, the service was fine. Just not memorable. Here’s what we ate.
1) GUACAMOLE — this guacamole was good! It was fresh, chunky, and felt like it was never ending. The chips they provided were not greasy and were perfectly crunchy. Felt fresh.
2) FRESH OYSTERS — while I was so happy to see how fat and plump these oysters were, they were not fresh. Super fishy smell to them.
3) QUESO FUNDIDO (CHORIZO) — this was not good. Do not order it! They barely put any chorizo. I’m not sure what type of cheese they used, but it was not a good melting cheese. The chips broke every time I tried to dip it. When I tried to grab some with a flour tortilla, it wouldn’t budge. I literally had to use a fork and knife. I think the chef over cooked the shizz out of it.
4) CHICKEN WINGS (Cholula-​ancho glaze, roast jalapeño crema, cilantro) — these were actually pretty good! The wings were big, the sauce was tasty (could have been more spicy) and the crema was good too. Didn’t really taste the roasted jalapeño but overall a good compliment to the wings. 1lb = 7 wings
5) TRES LECHE CAKE (Champagne poached strawberries, dolce de leche, whipped cream) — This was also very good. The strawberries were soaked long enough to enhance their natural sweetness. The cake was light and the milk was soaked through the entire cake. I hate when I eat Tres Leches cake and some parts are still dry.
I would try this place again (maybe) since most of their food items were good. But overall, nothing spectacular.

Came here for HH with the girls. We had carafes of Sangria, tacos trio consisting of fish, oxtail and pork, (pork was spicy!), ceviche, plantains and chicharrones and $ 1 oysters. HH is 5−7pm. I enjoyed the Sangria, plantain chips and fry breaded fish tacos. Jerk pork tacos was a bit spicy for my taste but still yummy. Service was on par. I would totally come back for HH.

I still miss Radius, but I guess it was too gentrified for the ‘hood. Owner Jon Whitehead switched gears pretty quickly — and ba-​da-​boom, ba-​da-​bing — it became El Capitan without appearing to break too much of a sweat. I gave it a try on a relatively quiet Tuesday evening where I noticed the space changed minimally, for instance, the faux-​rustic furnishings looked the same, but it looked less crowded, a bit more casual. The menu changed, however, from local fare — meaning nothing could come beyond a 100-​mile radius — to Latin fare with a more upscale flair than you’d find in the Mission, mostly small plates and a raw bar with a few specialty tacos thrown in for good measure.
I took advantage of their Happy Hour menu and ordered a half-​dozen of their dollar oysters, which normally would have been $ 14. They were on the small side but definitely fresh, chilling over ice with a light tarragon mignonette for spooning (photo:
). Those were gone rather quickly. Then I immediately went for one of their Fry Bread Tacos, the $ 4.50 Pork Cheek with jerk rub, slaw and a mango vinaigrette (photo:
). It was puffed dough, a bit seared and very compact with the vinaigrette surprisingly on the creamy side. It was pretty tasty and a nice quick few bites of savory goodness. I decided a small plate might hit the spot at this point, so I went for the $ 15 Skirt Steak with the trimmings.
Now that’s not really a small plate price but it was indeed a small plate portion with the tender steak sliced and piled on top of some harrisa and a fingerling potato salad with a chimichurrri sauce drizzled on top (photo:
). I quite enjoyed this dish even if I would have preferred a bit more kick in the spice department. Even with three dishes down, I still treated myself to an $ 8 trio of Churros with Mocha Sauce (photo:
). No culinary art here but well executed with the cinnamon sugar dusting lending a street cart savvy to the dessert. Even though I was enjoying my window seat as I watched Folsom life walk by, the waiter became particularly forgetful once a couple of large parties took his attention away. No matter, I’ll come back with Jamie W. next time.
FOOD — 4 stars… solid Latin street fare gussied up for the SoMa foodie populace
AMBIANCE — 3.5 stars… still looks like Radius to me with a few modern touches on the wall
SERVICE — 3 stars… attentive at first, in absentia at last
TOTAL — 4 stars… nice to have a bit more culinary diversity on this stretch of Folsom

Pros: AMAZING service. Our server (Obe?) was so kind and attentive and took great care of our 12-​person party. We also met the owner who was very upbeat and happy to have us. Cocktail drinks were awesome! Very clean and bright restaurant. Their fried chicken was also very yummy and had the perfect crunch!
Cons: The food wasn’t as mind-​blowing as I had hoped. A lot of it tasted average… like something you could get at a random deli/​café. Their mac & cheese tasted like Velveeta. Their Jerk Chicken Wrap wasn’t flavored very well. The chicken tasted bland, and there wasn’t much in the wrap. It was mostly filled with lettuce, beans, and pico. I was also looking forward to their Vanilla & Olive Oil Milkshake but that was also pretty boring. It tasted like vanilla ice cream got thrown into a blender and then drizzled with olive oil. It didn’t have that smooth, fluffy milkshake texture.
I hope this place does well. The interior is gorgeous and we loved the staff & the service we got. But I think their food can definitely be improved. I would be open to coming back and trying some other items on their menu.

I stumbled in El Capitan on a Monday with my boss, a work associate visiting from out of town and my husband. To be honest, given that this is close to my home in SoMa, I was a little nervous. But once I stepped inside and looked at the menu, I was instantly impressed!
The place is great for a work or business lunch or a fun night out. The ambiance is classy but comfortable with a nice bar. The food (tapas style) is incredible and very satisfying: ceviche is from another world good! The short ribs with molé was delicious (and I’m not a molé person). The sandwiches, wraps and paninis looked good from across the table. My coworker and boss loved the Cuban panini (pork and ham) the they swear by it.
We also tried the tacos and they are good, just a tad too fishy.
Make sure you try the plantain chips. They are AMAZING.
I came back for dinner/​happy hour and got the ceviche again and it was just amazing! Their wine and cocktails are on point and enjoyed the evening atmosphere.
Service: awesome. Very great people working here from my experience so far.
Definitely coming back and bringing the friends. You gotta try it.

Went to this place for a girl’s night out dinner with 3 friends. Most of the food was great, especially the octopus, papaya salad (on the spicy side!!), and elote (Mexican style corn). However the service was so, so. Our waitress didn’t seem to want to be there and it showed. She gave us our bill without even asking us if we wanted dessert and also completely forgot about our chips.
We ended up ordering dessert anyway and decided on the churros. Based on the picture on Unilocal already we definitely did not get «churros». It looked like we got leftover batter that they tried to pass off as churros (think sticks of funnel cake with powdered sugar on top).
This place definitely looked promising, but not sure I am jumping at the chance to go again. The food was overall good but not enough to balance out the so-​so service and half-​assed dessert.

This was my first time here with 2 other people on a Wednesday for dinner towards the end of happy hour. It also took 20 minutes to have our wine served (which was the first thing we ordered, so we just sat and waited for way too long). The food wasn’t terrible but I was pretty let down with everything. They started by giving 2 of us lunch menus (easy mistake) so I had to ask for the dinner menu. It was kind of a indicator of the attentiveness of the staff though. All of our dishes came at once at least so we could eat tapas style.
The grilled octopus was really good and perfectly cooked. It was the best dish we had and wasn’t rubbery at all. The patatas bravas was good too. Papaya salad was spicy, but lacked more salt or lime. I ended up using the extra chili peppers to make my cod taco more exciting because the cod tacos also lacked salt and spice. Their tacos are super tiny 2 bite ones so it felt like a ripoff for $ 5 a piece.
The coconut milk ceviche should have had smaller pieces of fish and didn’t have much flavor. The texture was unlike other ceviche I’ve had before, and not in a good way. This was the biggest let down. Everything lacked salt. The mole short rib was good but needed more broccoli rabe on the plate to balance the overall sweetness of the dish. They literally only put one stem of it on and it wasn’t portioned well with the big chunk of short rib on the plate.
I’m guessing it’s not a bad place to come to for happy hour but they just need to season everything a bit more because it was on the bland side. I really wanted to like it more but I wasn’t the only one at my table that felt this way.
I heard that it was the former Broken Record chef. We were sad to lose them in our neighborhood a few years ago but although it’s a different style of food I definitely enjoyed the Broken Record food way more!

He picked this place because of their $ 1 oyster happy hours, and frankly it’s pretty good. We came for happy hour and met up with the SIL to pick at some appetizers before drinks and dinner eventually. I don’t remember if we ever got to the dinner part, but the drinks here are great on happy hour and besides oysters they have some other dishes that are good valued.
The spot is a little strange, but the space is open and large. The bar is great and the staff are very friendly. I came during sort of an odd time — happy hour on a Tuesday! But even then it was not bad at all and we were seated right away. I guess their oysters will keep me coming back. Solid!

Good food! Tapas style and very laid back. I think it’s a great place for a group (we were 8) before going to the bars or clubs near by. The short ribs (very tender), skirt steak (standard but good) and ceviche (house and lobster) were really good. The octopus was good but you would need to cut it up if you are sharing. We had tacos, the asparagus and other dishes to share among our large group. We also got churros for dessert. The parking situation wasn’t bad but don’t park anywhere you think you might get your car broken into. They had pitchers of sangria and the menu was made for sharing. I think each person with 2 – 3 items each was enough food.

Not just any tapas. You won’t find paella on this menu. And that’s a good thing because what El Capitan has on their menu beats the hell out of a plate of soggy rice.
The wine selection is good. The plates are amazing. I think it’s fair to say we ate at least ¹⁄₃ of the menu. The poke is stunning. So fresh and light, served with wonton chips.
For small plates, the best was the flank steak. Garnished with chimchurri and lagoon cheeses, it was cooked to perfection at medium rare. The octopus was equally delicious, strangely served with white beans. It was probably the most tender octopus I have ever eaten.
Patates were delicious but spicy. The goat cheese croquettes were fabulous. The queso fundido was the only thing I did t care for — the chorizo was too salty.
Dessert. If you don’t get anything else, get the tres leches cake. Served with whipped cream and fresh strawberries
The service was good. I thought the staff was extremely knowledgeable about the menu. The décor is lovely. I will definitely be coming back. What’s gem.

This review is 3.25 stars.
We had a reservation, but ended up coming in earlier than anticipated. Because of this, we were able to take advantage of the Happy Hour menu, which, even on a Saturday, was available until 7. We were very excited to try the Indian fry bread tacos, and the were solid. I’m used to a little more crispness to the fry bread, which surprised me with it’s soft pillowy nature, but the toppings were very flavorful. I think my brain wanted more crunch, so I was a bit confused, but it was tasty, if you put aside your expectations. We had both the oxtail and the pork cheek. The oxtail was rich and very flavorful. The pork cheek had a jerk seasoning with a kick, so keep that in mind when you order. Maybe they should call them puffy tacos instead?
The next dish was the scallop crudo. The sauces were very good on this dish, and the scallops were sweet and fresh. A definite win. We also had the papas bravas, which were yummy, though there were a touch aggresively seasoned. I liked that, and my husband (with the more delicate palate of the two of us) was not quite as excited. The goat cheese croquetas were a hit with both of us, and the sauce definitely was a win for this.
Service was friendly, and prompt, and here comes the conflict.
We also took advantage of the happy hour oysters. They were poorly shucked, which was something they could have done better with, so both of us had flecks of shell mixed in that we had to work around. Not a win on that aspect. However, my husband got one that had passed on in advance of arriving at our table. It wasn’t something that could be detected by smell, or by any actual action, but it did lead to some kind of gross maneuvering by him to extricate all of the bits from his mouth. No food poisoning, but it put him off eating the scallops we’d already ordered. So obviously, this was a negative. However, the staff was fantastic about how to make the experience better. The oysters were pulled off of the bill (which makes a lot of sense), and to compensate for the poor experience, they also comped our beverages, which was a very pleasant surprise. They checked in frequently to make sure he was doing better, and really took great care of us.
So, with the food as it was (if we ignored the bad oyster) but took all of the rest into consideration, it would have been a 4-​star experience as the base. I’d remove at least half to three quarters of a star for the shell bits in the oysters, and I think the amazing service save made up for the one bad bit of shellfish. I have a feeling they’d come up a bit if we return, but I don’t know if we could try the oysters again to see if the shucking issues have been addressed.

My friend chose this restaurant partially because they had $ 1 oysters and none of us can deny how delicious oysters are especially when they are a dollar. Parking can be found easily if you come early enough, otherwise there are plenty of alleyways in the tenderloin in which to find parking.
This restaurant is pretty new and has only been opened a few months, there is a lone picture of the titular mountain in Yosemite near the entrance, the owner must be a climber of some sort to dedicate his restaurant to el capitan.
HH is Tuesday — sat from 5−7pm, and includes $ 1 oysters, $ 2 fried conchas, chicharonnes, plantain chips, $ ¹⁰⁄₃ tacos, and a deal on drinks as well. We ordered about 6 dozen oysters to share, 2 servings of chicharonnes (highly recommended), the Korean style braised short ribs with sweet potato purée and broccoli rabe, and two pork and one fish taco. My friend also ordered a few beers which I was able to try. My favorite was the almanac which was a super creamy beer with a sweet aftertaste of horchata and almond.
The $ 1 oysters here were truly delicious, super creamy, and fresh. The flesh was firm and when you bit into them gave way to an even creamier center. The chicharonnes were made freshly, so they were still warm to the mouth, crispy and tasty. The Korean style braised ribs were so soft and tender they fell apart when you bit into them. Our waiter was friendly, and gave us plenty of time to decide what to order .
I definitely want to come here again, and probably try their other items as well.

As someone new to San Francisco, I didn’t know that this used to be a place called Radius and the owners brought out a new concept. It didn’t matter to me! I have no idea what the Radius food was like, but this food was — overall — great!
House ceviche — amazing. Truly. I loved all the flavors — the richness of the fish, the sweetness of the pineapple emulsion, the tartness of the citrus.
Arugula salad — I mean it’s hard to mess this one up: candied nuts, gorgonzola. But the perfect slices of white peach made this excellent. I’m a big salad guy and this one was a winner.
Skirt steak — had read to get this Argentinian steak and wasn’t disappointed. All the flavors were right and the steak was cooked perfectly.
Chicken wings — My only disappointment. Considering all the cool flavors or mixes of heritage in all the other dishes, this was incredibly boring to me. It just tasted like buffalo wings. A miss — either on my part (for not asking/​not knowing better) or theirs. I would think they could do a much better version of wings, considering the quality of the rest of their menu.

A little gem in SF, especially for its happy hour. $ 1 oysters? I’m there!
AMAZING house ceviche, amazing cocktails, and for dessert, freshly made melt-​in-​your-​mouth churros (with chocolate sauce). Poke was too salty. Asparagus dish was pretty small-​portioned. Will come back for tacos.
I almost don’t want to say more because it’s not an overly packed restaurant and therefore awesome — how many great restaurants are there that aren’t uncomfortably full and have waitlists to get in? Ok I’m done.

Classy yet lively ambiance, everything was so pretty. It could get pricey, unless you go during happy hour.
$ 1 oysters
3 tacos for $ 10 I loved that it had a unique flare to it. Fry bread instead of traditional corn/​flour tortillas, the texture was similar to a Peking duck bun.
Highly recommend the ox tail

3.5 STARS
When I heard Radius was closing, I could care less. Bye Felicia!
Never did care for that place…
Just several weeks later, El Capitan quickly opened up in its place serving Latin-​Carribean tapas (former Broken Record chef) with all dishes under $ 15. However, the menu seemed more Peruvian than anything; other than plantains, I didn’t see much Carribean dishes. Portions are small so 2 – 3 dishes are recommended per a person which can add up quickly with alcohol. Beer and wine only.
* ~ * F O O D * ~ *
*House Ceviche w/​plantain chips ($ 14, $ 4): 4 STARS
Normally, I’m not a fan of ceviche because the citrus tends to overpower the fish but this one was good and creamy with the avocado purée. I was only able to enjoy 2 small bites though because my body can’t handle escolar very well.
Do order the delightfully crunchy plantain chips as a canvas for the ceviche.
*Fry Bread Tacos — Oxtail, Rock Cod, Pork Cheek ($ 4.50-$ 5 each): 3 STARS
Now, these were what entice me to come. I was hoping for something similar to a puffy taco with a poofy, crunchy shell. The fillings were were somewhat tender (rock cod was cooked the best) and robust in flavor but the shell was like an indian naan (size of a kid’s palm) with no crunch. Was more like an open faced mini sammie. Disappointing.
*Ancho Glaze Chicken Wings w/​jalapeño crema ($ 14): 3 STARS
I don’t mind paying $ 14 for wings as long as they’re unique and delicious but at more than $ 2 pop, these were merely overpriced «buffalo wings».
*Skirt Steak w/​harissa, chimichurri, potato chip salad ($ 14): 4 STARS
Our favorite dish of the night, the steak was tender and flavorful. I liked the crunchy texture contrast with the potato chip salad topping,
*Short Ribs w/​mole, broccoli rabe ($ 13): 2.5 STARS
Our least favorite dish of the night, the short rib (singular) was bland and not very tender. Also, for $ 13, this was overpriced.
*Churros w/​mocha sauce ($ 8): 4 STARS
Warm, crunchy, and a nice sweet ending to dinner especially with the rich, slightly bitter mocha dipping sauce.
* ~ * S E R V I C E * ~ *
Staff was nice and food service was timely. Our waiter made great suggestions such as the ceviche, plantain chips, and the skirt steak.
* ~ * A M B I A N C E /​D E C O R * ~ *
Rustic with contemporary touches. Still looks the same as Radius (still has old signage) except they added two communal tables and changed the paintings (?).
*~ * P A R K I N G *~ *
Street parking. Very difficult on the weekends after 8 pm.