This place recently opened to very good reviews.

It’s super-popular and hard to get in at this time…even with a decently large space (for an SF restaurant), the place is PACKED and cramped. It’s fairly casual and very loud inside.

Service was fine…no real complaints.

My complaints come with the food. Two appetizers we had were decently good, but I can get just as good appetizers for half that price (or better appetizers for the same price…see Limon or a dozen other places).

My entree, a london broil, was very good, though, again, not as good as I could have gotten for that price (Maverick’s pork chop is far better). Other people’s entrees weren’t even impressive at all.

Dessert was a sort of apple tart…decent, but completely underwhelming. I didn’t come here for decent, I wanted something special.

They were super-busy that night, so perhaps the cooks were over-worked, but a restaurant at the level they want to be at should not have such a problem.

Halfway through their dining hours, they even ran out of the london broil (which I got befoer they were out) and the pork chop…no restaurant of this level should be running out of TWO entrees halfway through the night.

It’s not that the place is horrible or anything, it’s decent, and the service was fine. But running out of entrees and the underwhelming quality of the food are NOT what you’d expect from a place that tries to be at the same level as a lot of other, far superior SF restaurants (Maverick, Limon, Tablespoon, Slow Club, Coco500, all about the same price).

NOPA does it right. When you eat and drink here, your body takes is everything with ease. That’s a solid proof that everything on the plate and in the glass is fresh. I have never had a bad meal here.

Food: 4.5 stars
The menu changes frequently, but the format of the menu somewhat stays the same. You can find all the crowd favorite most of the time on the menu: the little fried fish, baked beans, the best burger in the world (on brioche and with gem lettuce!) and the heavenly pork chop. Unfortunately, the rotisserie half chicken (another standard on the menu) can be a hit or miss. Occasionally it can come out quite dry.

Beverage Program: 5 stars
Emphasis on “new” classic cocktails: classic combination of liquor with the fresh ingredients of Bay area, the cocktails here are amazing. The wine list is quite extensive and the bottles are at a great price point. Wines by the glass menu changes often and it is a great way to try what they have in under the sleeve.

Service: 5 stars
The servers here are always very knowledgeable and professional. Surprisingly, they are very personable as well. Always always ask these professionals any questions you have on the menu. The chances are you will learn something new about good food and drink.

Atmosphere: 5 stars
Great space. Open kitchen, beautiful bar with large community table, counter seats in front of the kitchen with the view of all the action and upstairs terrace seat with the view of the whole restaurant. Always busy and vibrant. The only complaint is that they are always busy, and if you are going with a group in a middle of the dinner time, you will have to wait.

great atmosphere and energy, feel like you are in New York City, great creative dishes and cocktails!