Fodor's Expert Review Cha Cha Cha

A Haight Street institution, boisterous Cha Cha Cha serves island cuisine—a mix of Cajun, Southwestern, and Caribbean influences—tapas style, in a setting with Technicolor tropical plastic decor. The food is hot and spicy: try the fried calamari or chili-spiked cajun shrimp, and wash everything down with a pitcher of Cha Cha Cha's signature sangria. Reservations are not accepted, so expect a wait for dinner at the original Haight location (or at its sister space in the Mission).