Saturday night is date night for the wife and I, so, to make things interesting, decided to select a restaurant neither of us have ever been to. Chose Frida's because I drive past it often while getting around San Francisco and it seemed to always have diners in there, implying that it's probably a decent restaurant.
Parking was a breeze, as there was ample spots available. We were greeted by a server, who opened the door for us with a smile, always a good start. The manager, sitting by the door was the opposite, as he seemed unhappy to be there, but, they verified our reservation and provided us table options for us to choose from. We selected the corner table at the upper, left side of the dining area, beside what appears to be their iconic floral swing.
For the appetizer, we had the Patacones Mixto, which were excellent - freshly made patacones topped with succulent ropa vieja, shredded chicken, beans and grated cheeses, provided a flavorful, promising start to the dining experience. Unfortunately, things did not improve from there.
For the main course, my wife had the Risotto del Mar - a dish that she loves to order when we go to a good restaurant, as it is one of her favorites meals. The decision was an unfortunate one this night, as the risotto was overcooked, with the consistency of oatmeal vs. the rich pasta dish it should be. I chose the Costilla de la Casa - selected because of the many positive reviews as well as the appealing presentation. For me, this was another unfortunate mistake. The meat, though plentiful, was very dry, with not much flavor - again, like the risotto, was overcooked and not seasoned well. Frankly, the best part of that meal was the tortilla strips covered with their house sauce. I couldn't eat much of the ribs, as it was so disappointing. The sides were also a bit overcooked as well - Yuca en Mojo (was mushy) and Vegetales Salteado (too soft, though flavorful).
At this point, we decided to end the experiment, as patrons were beginning to come by the swing to take pictures. Fortunately, I chose to sit alongside my wife vs. sitting across from her, otherwise, my chair would have been against the swing and in the way of all the traffic generated from diners wanting to snap photos there. With this in mind, that table should not be offered as a seating option - another ding against the experience.
To their credit, after asking for the check and to box the large remains of my meal, the server inquired about our experience and we were honest about it. After some delay, the kitchen provided a raspberry cheesecake desert in a martini glass, courtesy of the house, to somewhat compensate for the poor culinary experience. To be fair, the desert was quite good, one we would certainly recommend.
In summary, our server was very good (pleasant, timely and efficient), the ambiance of the restaurant is actually great also (good music at a reasonable volume, tastefully decorated, with a contemporary, al fresco feel for the indoor dining area). The primary issue was the main course, as the appetizer and desert were both excellent.
We would be reluctant to visit again based on the overall experience, however, it's possible that the kitchen was simply having an off night (strong tendency to overcook dishes). Certainly was a disappointment for our date night, as there were hints that this could have been a great dining experience.
