Criolla Kitchen

Great job on the serried catfish, the tomato adds something extra!
the oyster apps not a fan of.
The shrimp po boy was good to the last shrimp.
& guys give more than a teaspoon of wine for $ 8

I had a hard time ordering, since everything on the menu sounds good! In the end, I went for their chicken and waffles. The chicken was delicious, nice and crispy skin with juicy meat. I like how their waffles were not dense. I can’t say if this was the best chicken and waffles I’ve had but this was pretty good.
My vegetarian friend didn’t have many options for dinner but she had their beans and rice. I thought those were delicious.
This place is pretty small and I thought that it was weird how the bathroom was in the kitchen area.

My friend wanted to get breakfast so I decided to take her here.
By the time we got to the place it was already lunch time… so we got lunch instead. No big deal. The place was really empty when we got there so we were accommodated right away.
The lunch menu is pretty small and limited to po’boys (at least when we went). This is okay because I like po’boys a lot.
I ordered the Rich’boy (filet mignon, foie gras mayo, other stuff) while my friend got the Shrimp Remoulade po’boy (shrimp with remoulade sauce). Food took about 10 minutes to get to us.
Both sandwiches were good. I liked mine a lot although I expected more of a foie gras taste in the mayo and a better texture from the meat. My friend’s sandwich was good because they were very generous with their shrimp (like, it was spilling out of the whole thing) and the sauce they used was good.
Total came out to be around $ 30. Expensive for sandwiches but I didn’t think it was that bad.
Quite good. I would like to come back to try the catfish po’boy.

To be quite honest, when it comes to dining in the Castro, my expectations are just a bit lowered… and so maybe that’s why I was pleasantly surprised when I turned out to really enjoy my meal at Criolla.
Three huge pieces of chicken and a waffle for $ 14, with $ 1 each extra for syrup and gravy (don’t bother with the latter, it’s pretty meh.). The sweet potato waffle was delicious, though my friend’s corn one was remarkably less tasty. But the chicken– perfectly seasoned and not at all dry; completely on par with Little Skillet and Brenda’s, two of my faves for fried chicken.
The white wine sangria is really, really good too. And it’s so nice to have a go-​to spot in the neighborhood for a solid, well priced meal!

Today was our first visit to Criolla Kitchen. We arrived a little early for our lunch date with a friend, but were promptly seated along the window — best place for people-​watching.
My partner had the three-​piece fried chicken with yam waffles while I had the two-​piece chicken with the plain crispy waffle. We both ordered limeade.
Our friend had a small bowl of gumbo with a half po-​boy and bread pudding for dessert. He said the gumbo wasn’t as good as Queen’s Louisiana Po-​Boy, which is our favorite place for genuine gumbo. But he liked it all well enough to finish everything.
I enjoyed my meal. The chicken was fried just right, then coated with a tasty seasoning salt. And the waffle was light and crisp. They were all so good, I finished everything.
The limeade was good — tart but not too sweet. Our only complaint is that our server had to be asked twice for our refills. I couldn’t tell if he was too busy or just forgetful.
All in all, the food was excellent but the service needs to improve a little.

We happened on this restaurant by accident, but were happy that we did! The waitstaff was very nice and attentive, the people watching was great, so sit by a window.
the chicken & waffles= so good!
the po’ boy & gumbo= good
good selection of drinks… a bunch of stuff that we want to go back & try!

When it first opened it was packed to the rafters from the second they unlocked the door.
Lack of consistency hit. Numbers dropped.
All these weeks later I have now been to eat and came away impressed.
Very well sourced and prepared ingredients + skillful palate + good service= a winner.
Don’t know if they’ve figured out when they’re open and have sorted staff issues with kitchen that messed them up, but my meal, and the meals of my 2 friends were wonderful and tasty, well priced as well.
Enjoy!

Criolla Kitchen is definitely a step-​up from it’s previous Baghdad café. There is finally a Creole taste coming into SF with Boxing Room and now Criolla. The chicken and waffles rival those of The Front Porch and Farmer Brown but it is set apart with it’s choices in selection of waffles and toppings. The rice and gravy is a staple of southern cuisine so it’s nice to get that homey feel with a selection of varieties on their menu.
The staff is friendly and seem to know what they’re doing. The host was weary about seating us next to the door since it was a cold night but allowed us to sit that if we didn’t want to wait. We gladly took seat and about 5 mins later a table opened up. Without hesitation the host came back up to us and told us to grab the great table by the window that just opened up.
I would highly recommend checking out this hot little spot in the Castro. Although the food didn’t knock my socks off it was definitely good mood food and worthy of a «see-​for-​yourself».

Despite being 24 hours and serving decent food for late night bites, I was never a big fan of Baghdad Café, when they were in business.
In comes a brand new soul food restaurant that just opened earlier in the year. The configuration is still the same. But inserted is a huge brick wall right behind the bar and better food with a soul concept.
From the bar, there is not much of a bar with just a couple of wines and beers on tap. I started with two freshly made Sangria. The $ 6.00 wine punch has a red wine mixture with fresh and pulp fruit purée and a hint of brandy. My drink looks very tropic and artful. This is a very refreshing alcoholic wine drink and good enough to build my appetite. Sangria:
I also had the two pieces of Fried Chicken with Rice and Beans. For $ 12.95, the Fried Chicken was seasoned with a combo of spice and a hint of sweetness in a crispy outer layer of skins. The interiors of the two chicken parts were very moist. The red bean and rice was just okay, but nothing too alluring. My meal:
Eric, my bartender and waiter was cool and entertaining.
I give this place a three star, but I’ll definitely come back again. Hopefully come here for lunch and try the renown Chicken and Waffles. And maybe by that time, the restaurant will be get a full bar and blend infused alcoholic beverages. Just a suggestion.

I thought the food here was ok. I tried some fried chicken that my friend had ordered and it was pretty good. I like mine to have a little more fire and spice in it but it was still crispy and tasty.
I ordered the beef brisket and it was ok. It might have needed a little more flavor to it. But after dipping it into the accompanying bbq sauce it was ok. The cole slaw needed more flavor though. It tasted like raw cabbage with a light dressing. It needed more time to soak and get a little limp.

My friends and I came here after an enjoyable time at the local water hole. Hungry as heck, I ordered the baby back ribs and my partner, the beef brisket. The baby back ribs were tender, but I found it to lack flavor. Dipping the meat in the bbq sauce helped add the flavor needed. The beef brisket on the other hand was juicy and flavorful. I’ve read the previous reviews of the service being not up to par, but I found our server to be on the ball. He made lots of recommendations that made the dinner enjoyable. Not that we weren’t already in high spirits.
The next time I come here, I’m going to try the fried chicken gizzards. Cuz I like all the offal stuff, y’ know?

Came for a late lunch around 2pm on a Saturday and was immediately seated, though the place was very full and bustling. I ordered the regular breakfast with eggs, sausage, potatoes, and toast. Very standard breakfast/​brunch fare. I’m giving 4 stars because of the menu though, that does deviate from your traditional eggs and toast breakfast. Beignets (which were a little too dense for my taste), fried chicken & waffles, red beans & rice, etc. Would come back to try the chicken & waffles.

Worse than already-​low expectations. Here’s the simple facts:
1) slow service — the wait staff is nice, but clearly non-​professional. You see up to five of the waiters standing behind the ‘coffee station/​bar’. Baffling… considering the 14 minute wait for a coffee («We ran out…» — at brunch they let the coffee «run out»?)
2) the food is plain as plain. Waffle? nothing special there. Salad? Literally, a handful of chopped romaine on your plate. $ 6.90. Nothing else. Not a sprinkle of cheese, not a radish nor carrot. Just a flat plate of chopped lettuce. Maybe this is what Creole folks call a $ 7 «salad», but it’s nothing more than a dump out of a bag from Safeway. $ 2 more gets you a few avocado slices. The 3-​egg breakfast? We saw maybe 1.5 eggs worth in that scramble.
3) orders brought out wrong. Not just our table, but several others. Overheard from two tables down: Customer: «That’s not a Po-​boy that I ordered.» Waiter: «If you take it, we’ll give you a free dessert.»
4) horrid kitchen and restroom space. They didn’t remodel a thing in there. Same grease slathered split back kitchen from Bagdad Café. Worse: 1 toilet for 14 staff and upwards of 50 customers. I repeat: ONE toilet. Line up with 4 or 5 others and stand right in the walkway to the kitchen. My god, why close and «remodel» and not fix these things?
5) The clincher: they «Surcharge for Healthy SF». Here’s a suggestion, Criolla: Instead of cutesy prices like «$ 6.90», just write down $ 7 on your menu and stop wheedling about HealthySF. As if every cost for a restaurant needs to be line-​itemed on the menu. What’s next, a «expensive gasoline month Surcharge»? Stop already. It’s just politics (Okay, Chef Lewis, you hate having to cover health care for your staff. Horrible to have to do that for people handling your customer’s food. We GET it. Lame to make it so obvious by line-​iteming it on the menu. Maybe Creole cooking includes being tacky?)
Won’t be going back. Don’t recommend this place if you haven’t been.

I have to admit I didn’t get teary-​eyed when Bagdad Café closed its doors for good since Orphan Andy’s and Blue offer the same sort of diner-​style Castro comfort food nearby. Food was always on the meh side there, but lo and behold, chef Randy Lewis took charge and has revamped it as a Deep South eatery with some West Indies influences. I like the change a lot, though the execution still needs a bit of work after its soft opening early in May. It’s been super-​crowded at the dinner hour, so after a hard’s day work, Jamie W. and I were able to grab an open table at around 10PM on a weeknight.
Although the menu is chock full of traditional soul food items, our eyes zeroed in on the Chicken and Waffles collection where there’s a choice of four different batters — Original Crispy, Yam-​Yam Sweet Potato, Johnny-​Cake Corn, Savory Herb. Now that’s a unique approach compared to other Southern places I’ve patronized. I immediately went for the Original Crispy accompanied by three pieces of Fried Chicken, all for $ 12.90 (see photo). My risk-​averse selection paid off handsomely since the freshly-​made waffle was excellent, but the chicken was the midget variety and tasted suspiciously like it was microwaved earlier in the evening.
Jamie went for the same combo but got all adventurous on me and ordered the Johnny-​Cake Corn batter (see photo). Nice choice as his waffle had a savory cornbread flavor undercut by the sweetness of the warm syrup. But again, the fried chicken was smallish and overheated. We ended up splurging an extra dollar for the Herb Chicken Gravy to dampen the white pieces. And yet, we managed to devour it all with room to spare for the $ 3.90 serving of Bread Pudding, very tasty except it was tongue-​burning hot (see photo). Was a microwave involved again? Could be. By the way, Nate was a terrifically friendly server, shaking our hands as we sat down and even remembering my appearance on «Check Please! Bay Area».
FOOD — 3 stars… excellent waffle but the chicken could use some plumping
AMBIANCE — 4 stars… nice rustic touches added to move the café from Bagdad to N’awlins
SERVICE — 4 stars… Nate was near-​great
TOTAL — 3 stars… expect an extra star once they give the fried chicken a makeover or I try other dishes, whichever comes first

I came here because Lime was too crowded for Sunday brunch.
I’d recommend getting one of the items in the section where all the «benedicts» are. I don’t remember what I got exactly, what it was andouille sausage, cheddar cheese, and eggs on a muffin. The potatoes on the side were pretty good. In this section, it can interpreted that the dish comes with a side of an English muffin, butter, and marmalade. However, the dishes aren’t meant to come with this so you have to inquire to get it. The marmalade was incredible.
Service was good. Try not to get a seat near the door since it can be windy.
Nice location since other good finds are nearby.

Criolla Kitchen
First of all, I have to say that I’m going to miss Bagdad Café. I had so many hazy post-​Café/​Transfer/​Jet (rip)/etc binge-​eating sloopy nights there. As sad as I am, I have to say that Criolla is a big upgrade. For one, the dishes are well made, delicious, hearty and nicely priced. I almost felt guilty when paying because it was about $ 40 yet my date and I manage to order 2 appetizers, entrees, and share a dessert. Not bad at all.
Décor: The place looks A LOT better and cleaner. Very simple and welcoming. Warning, because it is a new spot, it can get a little crowded inside especially after 7PM, so try to get there early. PS – Criolla, managed to upgrade everything yet the bathroom is still the same. No bueno. However, we found out that they are still planning on renovating that end of the restaurant. Thank God.
Service: Quick! They are definitely not understaffed and everyone is on top of things. Something that impressed me was that the owner was walking around introducing himself to the tables and making sure each table was enjoying their meal. The last time that ever happened to me was at my favorite spot, Chapeau. I rarely see that nowadays.
Food: Served smoking hot. I had to let my plate sit for a minute because it was too hot. Definitely better than getting room temperature food. I hate when that happens.
–Shrimp Hushpuppies — normally not a huge hushpuppy fan BUT the sauce made up for it. Came out smoking hot and to be honest, there aren’t that many restaurants that serve it so I do recommend ordering. Plus, it was less than $ 5. Super cheap.
— Yam Yam Tator tots — Sweet potato + tots, honestly you can’t really go wrong. Fatty fat goodness. I think I hogged the entire plate, leaving my date with just one measly tator tot.
— Gulf Shrimp Criolla & Creamy Ridge Cut Grits (my dish) — I love grits, don’t get me wrong, but I never manage to finish my plate. For me, it’s the type of dish where I would take about 8 bites then easily get tired of the taste and then move on to the next dish. However, my fatass managed to eat my entire plate. Something about the creaminess of the grits and the tomato sauce just blended together perfectly.
–3 piece chicken with rice and beans (my date) — he was skeptical at first because it really did not look as appetizing. However, he finished the entire plate without even offering me a bite. RUDE! He raved about the dijon-​vinaigrette sauce that was on the table. He drenched his chicken with the housemade sauces that Criolla provided.
–Bread Pudding — As a previous Nordy’s worker, I still firmly believe that Nordstrom’s Bistro has the best bread pudding. However, Criolla wins for the best caramel sauce.
To sum it all up, A+ Criolla. Nicely executed. I know that the liquor license is on the way so I’m not going to knock you down 1 star for not having wine with my meal. Perfect date spot, especially if it’s your turn to pay, because it’s not only nicely priced and the food is amazing.

First time trying criolla kitchen out lucky for us we got a table right away even though it was packed !
My friend and I ordered the two piece fried chicken with red beans and rice and salad — delicious ! The chicken was so good that I saved it for last I will definitely be back again
as other reviewers mentioned there are a lot of staff and they don’t seem to be smooth and organized yet at least in our experience but this is their first week and I’m sure they will iron out the wrinkles I think this place has great potential
one other thing is that the corner was really sunny a shade would be a good idea as I noticed people shading their eyes with menus
great food I recommend it !

Harsh to rate Criolla Kitchen two stars in its first week of inception? The old adage of ‘you only get one chance to make a first impression’ is especially true in SF’s competitive restaurant culture. With endless options & a new joint opening every three minutes, you’ve got one opportunity to grab my attention.
I didn’t want to bring down my gavel until I tried their chicken & waffles, but considering Thursday’s visit, there may never be a next time.
We ordered:
– shrimp po’boy (~$ 11): bread was not properly toasted, filling was a little skimpy & breading was crispy but desperately needed seasoning. I drowned my sammich in hot sauce for flavor. Side salad was overdressed.
– catfish (~$ 15): SO tough, chewy, rubbery. The extra thick steak was topped with salsa. Unappetizing.
Service is enthusiastic & friendly, but there are more staff members than patrons, which is never a good look. I like Cajun/​creole food, so I want CK to improve & succeed. Whoever is cookin’ in the kitchen needs to step up their game.

Where do I start went to dinner Friday ⁵⁄₁₃ the place was PACKED we ordered …
Rl’s Charbroiled West Coast Oysters with crunchy baguette:
I used the «ORANGE» sauce on these and it was fab!
Shrimp Stuffed Hush puppies with bread & butter pickle remoulade:
Great texture have to use the remoulade!
Mirliton Salad with avocado & lemon-​cumin vinaigrette:
Nice crispy and light!
Two-​Piece Chicken & Waffle:
The waffle is TO DIE FOR! must order with the gravy!!!
Plancha Seared Louisiana Catfish with rice & beans:
OMG the seasoning is out of this world, the fish was moist and light wonderful!!!
Gulf Shrimp Criolla & Creamy Ridge Cut Grits eight perfectly cooked white gulf shrimps over creamed country grits, smothered with rl’s holy trinity tomato sauce, with fresh scallion and herbs:
My husband is from NOLA and is pretty picky this was a HOME RUN!!!
Chicory coffee in a french press and the bread pudding with Wild Turkey hard sauce
… we’ll be back!

When my good friend told me that Baghdad Café closed down since my last visit to the area, I couldn’t have been more ambivalent. It was the privately-​owned Denny’s of the Castro neighborhood. I haven’t met a person who particularly liked the food there, when I’d go by during dinnertime and there are plenty of other options, it was empty. In fact, I ate there three times and I couldn’t tell you one thing that I ate. That forgettable. It was simply a place that was open at 2am where people could sober up before driving home. Not exactly the endorsement you’re looking for when choosing a fine eatery.
We decided to walk by the new restaurant and check out the menu out front. Everything looked good, so we decided to give it a try. It was rather busy for so early, but there was a table open, so there was no wait. I also noticed that it was VERY well staffed, and wondered how long that would last, if it was simply a side-​effect of an overly-​cautious opening week. Fair enough, either way.
We actually asked to be reseated because there was a blinding glare hitting my friend in the face. Like, eye surgery bright. We were quickly and politely accommodated and moved to a table closer to the door. There was a very cold draft when the door opened and closed, and a concerned server noticed and offered to reseat us again, but it wasn’t that bad, and it’s certainly not the restaurant’s fault for chilly San Francisco weather, so we just stayed put.
Our server was very happy and enthusiastic, and attentive throughout the meal. He made recommendations that were happily what we were thinking anyway… so we ordered and then chatted a bit as we waited an appropriate length of time for the food to be served.
The Shrimp Hushpuppies we had as an appetizer were delicious and golden brown. The portion size was even a touch larger than we may have expected. The sauce which came with it wasn’t to my liking (it contained pickles, which are cucumbers soaked in evil, in my book) but the alternative sauces presented were nice, particularly the cilantro-​lime.
The Shrimp Po’ Boy I had wasn’t the best, honestly. It was good, I’m sure a lot of people like it, but it just wasn’t as good as others I’ve had. The shrimp weren’t quite as hot and crispy as I’d have liked, and the flavor was very mild, I could have used a little more kick, perhaps from a garlic sauce or something of the like. The bread could have been a bit crispier too, like a baguette. The sauce was good, except that it seems that horseradish is a component, and that’s a rather harsh flavor, which some people love and some people don’t. I’m in the ‘don’t camp and wasn’t that excited about it, would have liked to have been warned about a controversial ingredient that dichotomizes diners such as myself from those who enjoy the flavor.
The Chicken and Waffles my friend ordered were very nice. The flavor of the chicken and the textures were all spot-​on. The syrup wasn’t quite as sweet as, say, Roscoe’s Chicken & Waffles, but let’s face it, they’re the comparison by which all chicken and waffles are judged. I didn’t expect it to be THAT good.
No review for desserts, we were too stuffed. Which is saying something.
Honestly, it seems like a good concept, the servers are on their game, the menu is interesting, the location is outstanding. I really do hope that they do some tweaks to the menu, because it really wouldn’t require dramatic reinvention, just some fine tuning.
Also, some opaque window treatments would go a long way toward making it more late-​afternoon friendly.