SFReview
photo credit: Melissa Zink
Otra
Included In
Otra is the buzziest restaurant in the Lower Haight—and the most fun. The calaveras on the wall and bright blue papel picado add brightness to the dark and sultry space. And it’s also always packed with friends, first dates, and anyone in need of solid Mexican food once the sun goes down. The one dish that makes a trip here worth it is the melt-in-your-mouth carnitas on amazingly corny homemade tortillas—it’ll make you want to give up your first born. Many of the other dishes on the vegetarian-friendly menu are hit or miss, but if you grab those carnitas, and a margarita, you'll have a great time before going on your way.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
Food Rundown
photo credit: Melissa Zink
Frijolitos Con Chips
A pretty standard rendition of refried black beans with epazote and a salsa macha served with chips on the side. The salsa macha lacks kick (or flavor), which is disappointing, given its massive potential to have both of those things.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
Carnitas Tacos
The star of the menu. These carnitas are everything you could want and more. They’re tender and crispy, feature the right fat-to-lean meat ratio, and the homemade tortilla really shines through. The green salsa on top has the perfect amount of lime and spice, making this taco feel like a refreshing day at the beach.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
Albondigas
Pork meatballs in a red salsa with a light topping of cheese and pickled red onion. The red salsa doesn’t have much tang, and makes this dish pretty forgettable.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
Pozole
For a supposedly slow cooked soup, this is blandness all around. It also arrives in a wide, shallow bowl, so becomes colder much faster than any soup ever should.
photo credit: Melissa Zink
Burnt Corn Tres Leches
They really lean into the burned corn part of this burned corn tres leches. While a bit dry, it’s on the better side of the tres leches flavor median line.