Nopalito

Cuisine	Mexican
Price	$$$ (31-50)
Rating	5/10
Last Visit	Aug. 7, 2022
Location	SFBA: San Francisco: West

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General Notes

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I have mixed opinions about Nopalito. On one hand, the components of each dish are cooked pretty well (the carnitas in particular were so juicy and tender). On the other hand, everything felt somewhat ... bland, for lack of a better description. Each dish was missing some complexity of flavor, vibrance, or acidity to bring it all together. Especially acidity and freshness -- I think it would have brought the dishes into a harmonious balance. In practice, many of the dishes leaned a bit on the heavy side.

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Positives

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> They have a lot of lovely outdoor seating, and the restaurant is situated in a lovely neighborhood -- right by Alamo Square Park and the Panhandle.

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Dishes Tasted

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• ★★☆☆ Carnitas -- braised pork, orange, bay leaf, milk and cinnamon. Served with cabbage salad, curtidos, salsa cruda and tortillas. The carnitas themselves were so tender and juicy, perfectly cooked. The tortillas were a bit meh and the cabbage salad didn't really go well with the dish.
• ★★☆☆ Quesadilla Roja -- mulato chile-corn tortilla, crispy pork belly, salsa cascabel, jack cheese, queso fresco, onion and cilantro. Also served with some chicharron. Overall pretty decent dish -- all the components were cooked well, but it felt like it was lacking something; flavor, acidity, or perhaps something else.
• ★★☆☆ Chips & Guacamole -- Nice chips, and I like the addition of cotija + hot sauce on top of the guacamole. But overall the guacamole was a bit bland; it definitely needed more acidity + salt, perhaps some textural contrast in the form of onions or tomatoes.