El Rincon

So I have been here twice. The first time I was there was for a 18 and over Halloween event. Oh boy… Let me tell you this was one of the worst club experiences I think I will ever have. My friends and I waited 20 minutes in line… paid a cover of $ 20 bucks each. and got really dolled up for NADA. This place looks runned down and dirty. The kitchen is exposed for everyone to see and it did not look pretty. The appliances looked really rusty and old… plus they obviously weren’t very sanitary because everything was collecting dust. Seriously, you have got to be out of your mind if you even think about ordering food from this place. If they can leave their kitchen looking like that for all the customers to see, I can only imagine what your food would look like.
Oh, and get this. Online and on their flyers they were suppose to be playing electronica and hip-​hop… They played reggeton all night long! Not one electronic or hip-​hop song. I was really pissed off about that because I can only tolerate reggeton to a certain extent. I swore that I would never go back but surprise surprise… I did.
I went with a friend to see Ty Segal play at a show and absolutely nothing has changed. It still looks run down and dirty… And drinks were a piece of crap. It took 20 minutes (literally) to buy two drinks. I was in shock. And on top of that the women’s bathroom is Disgusting with a capital d. There is two toilets and no privacy what so ever! I seriously don’t see what’s the point of having two if there is no divider. Now this just means a longer line to wait in… Great.
If you are thinking of coming here for any reason… All I gotta say is get ready to be disappointed.

Here’s what I perceive the problem with this place. It’s the old woman who runs the place. She is hella seriously outta touch with the times. So what does she do? She complains that things ain’t what they used to be so why the hell bother. This place has a strong potential of being a hot spot in San Francisco. If she would only give it up and sell the business, this would be a much better run place.

I’d like to add that the guy that is posting about Michael being a bad manager and making lots of bull shit claims. Michael did everything in his power to make this club run better. I worked with him on 7 shows here and the only problem is the crazy old woman that runs the club. Michael never fabricated any stories to us and always told us he was just the bar manager. Everyone that attended any events there loved him and know the truth about what happened. Don’t believe any of the lies they are spreading him. This club was ruined by the old lady.
Also they tried to blame Trauma the old Thursday weekly. Trauma put this club on the map! The people that did the weekly worked hard for 3+ years and made them thousands of dollars. There were tons of people who came out to these shows so you are bound to have a few bad apples in the bunch. They were not in control of who came to their shows because this is a public club. The problem was that they are to fucking cheap to pay for real security. If they had security from the begging there would be no graffiti or anything else bad going on. I also attended several hiphop shows here and I personally witnessed tagging in the back room. They like to try and pass the blame on someone else when in reality their greed is what caused their down fall. My last show there we packed the house and made the bar over 10,000 in one night and they had the never to ask us for $ 200 to pay for security.
If you run a club you are responsible for paying your employees NOT THE PROMOTER!

OK can You say HELLA HELLA wack even the sound tech engineer whatever gave it a 3 and he works for the place WTF.
I just tried to book a party and the owner said we get the door they get the bar… Ok cool typical I have been a promoter for awhile and that can be standard
Oh yeah Parking great parking Nobody is there
I don’t think this place will be making a comeback anytime soon
but then you want me 2 pay security and then you want me to bar guarantee your GIANT ASS DIVE BAR with 7 well drinks WTF for that dive
In a dive bar you wanna be paying DIVE Prices
Promoters beware… Club Goers beware
this spot gets a big hell The F NO

The band I came here to see was excellent, but everything else was pretty shady. The sound guy was not helpful when the band asked for help with the monitors. The sound equipment was bad. There was no one at the door. The drink I asked for was weaker than water, and there were several under-​age kids running in and out to play pool in the back.

Imagine you’re in 4^th grade and the class smartass decides to invite the entire class to her birthday party. Thats what El Rincon looked like.
I am SO glad my friends paid the cover for me and my other female friend. It was completely dead. Less than 20 people in here and about 4 of them were half heartedly dancing.
El Rincon was the 3^rd place we went to that night too and also the last. It was one of those nights where your plans fall through and you end up driving/​walking all over the city looking for shit to do.
Good thing for good company huh?

I always used to pass this place on my way to the gym, and this place seems way shady. The bouncer tried to frighten me once as I jogged by. Nice job attracting customers & women to your bar, dude!
I finally went here to see a friend’s band a few months ago and it was ok. No problem with the sound system, but the service at the bar was pretty poor. 2 ladies older than my mother tending the bar, one of them who didn’t know how to pour anything (can’t make a jack & coke? really?), both serving up seriously inconsistent pours while the owner sat on the sidelines looking on.
Overall, pretty weird vibe to this place.

I love El Rincon. I have thrown an event here before.
The owner Michael is an awesome guy and a pleasure to work with.
They have really awesome cuban and mexican food and a full bar with almost every drink you could imagine.
The best night to come here is Trauma on Thursdays. There is a smoking room in the back of the club so you don’t have to go outside to smoke and they allow you free re-​entry. It really doesn’t get much better than this place.

This place was dead on a Saturday night. There was a cabernet show performing which wasn’t that great either, and a few souls dancing on the dance floor. Plus it was $ 15 bucks to get in to the bar to see the show!
On a postive note, it is kinda a cute place in a dark cajunish way…

Went there to see a friends’ band play. It was a Tuesday night, and seemed everyone else was there for the same reason. I don’t know what the scene would be like otherwise, but the kudos to the place for having small rock bands perform there. I would love to come by again on a different night, and I may have to edit this review.
El Rincon is spacious, the stage is decently sized for a small venue, and I loved the giant paintings of predatory animals all over the walls. With $ 11 to my name and thirsty, I was relieved to find that they have $ 2.00 Tecate, perfect for us poor musicians, and they also serve food, always a plus. I didn’t get to order anything, but will give it a shot next time since I love to eat when I’m drunk, and my friend got a larger-​than-​life pork quesadilla that looked fantastic. Though I must say that in general the place strikes me as more about the music than the food.
I neglected to ask about drink specials when I first approached the bar, so before I discovered the obvious Tecate deal, I ordered Maker’s on the rocks. Unfortunately they use the standard rocks glass, but when the bartender saw the disappointed look in my alcoholic eyes, he dumped half the ice out. Thanks, barkeep, you really can read ‘em.

People, people, people. *shakes head sadly at the high marks this restaurant has received* Seriously?
The only reason I can see for the high marks is that, with the emphasis on Mexican food on this coast, you guys have never had authentic Cuban/​Island Food. But listen up:
I was raised on chicaron, arroz, moros y christos, y tostones b*tches and this place ain’t sh*t.
Granted, I was raised on Puerto Rican food, which, while not Cuban, is very similar in ingredients, tastes, seasonings, and preparation.
This place messed up beans! How can you mess up beans, dammit! Throw some Sason in there and let it cook – that is how easy it is to make good beans.
I’m not saying that the food was terrible but the pollo was over salted, the rice was mush, and the beans were undercooked and bland.
Two stars for the friendly «waiter» and $ 2 Tecates.
Oh, and for the people complaining about the neighborhood? Grow a pair, seriously. It is not bad. Of course, my standards may be different as I moved here from DC and am used to hearing gunfire out of my window so…
Bottom line: I’ll come here for the Tecate but if I want authentic food, I’ll stick to cooking at home.

Can’t review the food, but as a concert venue, this ranks as one of the top in town… at least for latin/​afro/​funk on a Saturday night.
LOVE the vibe, friendly crowd, and what looked to be a standard selection at the bar (I had a Red Stripe & bottled water)
Will be back for sure!

This review is BIASED as we throw an event there every now and then but let me ask you to list the venues where you get:
1. Proper Loud Drum & Bass
2. Cheap Drinks
3. Smoking Room
4. Latin Food
5. 18 and up Dancing
el Rincon gets a star for each point!

This is a review for the food.
I have a love of Cuban food and had heretofore not found an acceptable place in SF. I saw El Rincon several times over the last 4 – 5 years in my travels (the area is a «through» place, not your typical destination). The pronouncement on the outside that they had Cuban food peaked my curiosity, but I had never been in th neighborhood when I was hungry. A few weeks ago, I finally was, and have since made the trek here specifically for dinner.
The Cuban food is super tastey and the chef, who appears to run the bar and wait the tables, is terribly nice and cute. All the meats are moist with perfect salivation-​inducing flavor. There is a great selection of sides, I recommend the plantains and the congri. The beans could be more flavorful, but are acceptable. Def. go here for the food, if for no other reason, the price is right. Between the $ 8 entrees and the $ 2 PBR’s can have dinner at lunch prices (P.S. at least on Mondays, happy hour is all night with $ 2 tacos and $ 2.50 beers). And believe me, every other Cuban place I’ve been to has cost TWICE as much.
A note on the scene: Looks shady from the outside (literally on the corner as the name suggests, with a doorway that appears completely black), but the inside is goofy and funky. How many places can you have such a multicultural experience: enjoy your Cuban and Mexican food while surrounded by Jamaican décor augmented with Hindu and Buddhist icons, and karaōke every Monday. Also, I have no idea about this place as bar. Both times I’ve been it was at [early] dinner time and the place was DEAD. But it makes the service good, so this is fine.
You should go enjoy the food though, especially because I want this place to continue serving this yummy food.
Special note: If you’re going for food, you have to go early. We showed up at about 8:30 on one occasion. The owner apparently rents it out for shows and thus they charge a cover. Well, we were not there to see the show, we were there to eat. And, the show was not going to start until after 10pm. This we calmly explained to the band’s manager who tried to shake us down for $ 10 cover each. He was a crazy little man on a power trip and needless to say drove my sweet mother-​in-​law-​to-​be to screaming obscenities (shocking, but not necessarily a «bad» memory). We left, and sadly, had bad Italian somewhere else. In any case, this unappetizing experience has not changed my rating, the lunatic band manager was completely unaffiliated and it was out of the owner’s hands; mini-​man was in charge for the night.
So, show up about 7 for your dinner and you’ll be well-​received

This is a fun place to get smashed and eat good Cuban food. I’ve been here several times to watch/​play shows (DNB/​Hip Hop/​Reggae). It’s OK. I’ve been here when this place is popping and also when it is just dead as can be. I will say I have fun for the most part. Its not my top pick but I do show up often and hang out with my friends. It is good for parking, there is hardly any foot traffic around this area, and you do not want to be out here if you need to get a cab. You pretty much will need to walk down to 11^th or up to Utah for a cab.
The sound here is good and overall it is an average location. My only complaint would be it seems to make people want to sit down rather than dance. Its the way this place is set up. Decent dance floor surrounded by table/​chairs which invites people to set more than dance. I’ve notice this even on packed nights.

This is a great place to eat and see music. drinks are a definite maybe.
FOOD– Awesome deal. Really good. about $ 7 – 9 for the Cuban meals. includes two sides of very nice portions. Yukka and plantains kicked ass!!! The Bisteque was good too. Very tastey and the best deal for Cuban. did not try mexican yet but looked like a good deal too. $ 2 Tacos. The fried chicken was not too hot. It was dry and kinda bland.
MUSIC– They do a rock n roll Tuesday that is fun. Sound is good and the place is set up nicely. Only problem was a pole that kinda hides stage right. DJ was ok but not annoying.
DRINKS– This was the one downfall of the place. Expensive mixed drinks and ok selection of beers. The worst thing was that the bartenders do not know how to pour a beer. the pint glases were foam on the tops for the last 2 inches. Not a very fair pint.
SERVICE– Slow but nice. People who worked there are cool.
So if they can work out the drink thing. This place would be a better place to see music. El Rincon is a must for Cuban food though. Kicks ass on Charanga on mIssion. Hands down better and at ¹⁄₃ of the cost.
F that Charanga place. they do not even know how to close the front door when it is windy and cold and freezing your meal. Go to El Rincon and save cash, have a better meal and support.

KINDERGARTEN REUNION! yes, we had a mini-​kindergarten reunion at el rincon last night. i have known these girls since we were four and five year old kids hanging out by the creek in the good old PA… palo alto, that is. the days of madeline’s class with our class pet– a really scary looking eel that ate live goldfish. it died over winter break that year and we were really perplexed… but i digress.
positives– huge space, great place to listen to music, and they serve redstripe. always necessary, always refreshing.
negatives– it’s in the middle of sketchy sketch sketch mission and really far away from anything else. i hate to echo the sentiments that you feel like when you roll to el rincon you just might get attacked, but honestly! it’s so isolated, you can’t help feeling sort of nervous.
the strangest part of the evening? getting hit on by the only other indos at the club, and both of them had the same name… all of this, mind you, while life-​sized drawings of hindu gods from our huge pantheon watched on in amusement.

As a lover of Latin food, culture, and men, I feel like it is my civic duty to write a review of EL Rincon.
I’ve only gone once, so I will try to keep it from being biased.
This was about a month ago. My friends wanted me to meet them there so that they could treat me to dinner for my birthday. I can only assume that somehow they caught wind of how I was really in the mood for Cuban food at the time and planned this out of kindness, good for them. I arrive and go inside and we all sit down. I immediately want to go someplace else because there isn’t a human being in sight and there was no music… just silence.
The waitress comes over to us with the menus and I start to mull over it. I order my standard burrito and a margarita to pass the time. After forever passes we get our food… I must say that it was really worth the wait. I think that someone in the kitchen knows that good food takes time to prepare and that customers have to fuck off so that they can get it right. Thanks Mr. Latin Cook person guy. My hat also comes off to the bartender that made my Margarita… it was perfection for 7 bucks. They finally put some Cuban music on and I felt like I was in a restaurant-​the experience became one that I would want to remember.
Would I go back to this place? Yes, but not alone… you have to have an entourage with you or the experience will be completely lame. I noticed that they have a night in which they do jungle music… It’s one of my loves, so you know I’ll be back with sneakers on.

ROCK AND ROLL TUESDAYS AT EL RINCON!
Who said rock and roll is dead in San Francisco? Well, the people at El Rincon are trying to revive the original rock scene. Twice a month, they will host Rock and Roll Tuesdays, featuring Psychokitty and other guests.
It is completely unassuming inside and out. A great sound system.
Killer drinks– although some are pricey at $ 9, those are pint-​sized so not as bad as some would have you believe. And on Rock and Roll Tuesdays, well drinks are $ 2– how much cheaper can they be?
The food is amazing– I had a Cuban dish that made me see a higher power! So come for the food, stay for the tunes… hope to see you there!
The next Rock and Roll Tuesday is December 19– I’ll be there!

Though, a little intimidating from the outside, this place has a warm & gooey center. I’ve been to this spot several times for the weekly drum & bass gig on Thursdays, and it’s been off the hook. Full bar with beer on tap, loud system, great food, space to dance. This is a restaurant, so there is usually no cover, which is awesome. The Cuban guy working there was super nice too. Definitely a diamond in the rough. Don’t come in expecting a posh club, because this place is low key, but definitely a lot of fun. Come check it out!
Check out the
forum to find out timeslots/​dj lineups for Thursdays at El Rincon.
AND THE CUBAN FOOD IS BOMB! Get two super pork tacos, you’ll thank me later. They’re substantial in size and NOT overly greasy.