Marisole’s

you’re gone now and i shed many tears. you had shady poker games in the back and poured strong drinks. nobody thought you were a real restaurant and now you join the great Unilocal graveyard in the sky. Much love Marisole whoever you may be. Oh and thanks to the shady asians for the poker winnings!

I came into this place with my boyfriend on Valentines day. We walked into the restaurant and there was someone behind the bar and someone talking to the girl behind the bar. We literally stood there and then said «dinner?» and the two people said «yeah» and kept talking! There was not a single person in the place other than the people working and there was a childs skateboard and napkins all over the floor. We backed out the the door and we wont go back. As everyone said, there is definitely something other than fine dining going on there.

Been here. There is literally NO ONE HERE. Like no one in the restaurant. When I ordered the food here, it was like… typical. Not something I thought a place like this would be. Like the other reviewers said, something is way way way «up» about this place. But it probably sustains itself on its «delivery» service? Who knows. Food was forgettable. Not coming here again unless I’m desperate.

In this city world-​famed for the variety and excellence of its restaurants, I have had myriads of interesting and occasionally, disappointing culinary adventures. My experience has been that, due to the competition and the general expectations of the clientele, surviving restaurants must, perforce, maintain a standard that invites ratings not so much in a range from «Excellent» to «Poor,» but rather more of a range from «Ecstatic» to «A Little Less Excellent.» However, I have discovered an exception.
On a weary Friday evening, I, my boyfriend, and our good friend Symon (of the previous post) were ready to relax with cocktails and dinner, but were not in the mood to stray too far from our Parkside homes. Conscious of the Cinco de Mayo approaching, we were drawn by the Latin-​flavored promise offered by Marisole’s bright blue awning offering Mexican and El Salvadoran cuisine, and the banner proclaiming, «New Ownership.»
Upon entering, we immediately noticed an enticing wooden bar to our left, with comfy stools and a wall of shelves displaying every conceivable size and shape of liquor container, filled to capacity with numerous varieties of alcoholic treats that begged to be tasted. Visions of carbohydrate-​laden comfort food and icy Margaritas began dancing in our imaginations. However, the bizarre thing was that this promising establishment appeared to be completely uninhabited! The bar invited, the television displayed its images, the key was in the cash register, the tables were set with white linen, glasses and cutlery, but there was NO ONE THERE — no patrons, no bartender, no waiters, no cooks… no one at all. We shouted in vain.
My gentlemen companions immediately suspected something heinous — maybe a robbery was in progress. Presented with this possibility, I began to retreat to a spot nearer the exit, but my intrepid heroes began to explore the inner reaches of the restaurant. My boyfriend went into the kitchen, our friend into some upstairs supplemental dining area, calling out to see they could flush out some form of life. At last, Symon returned triumphant with a petulant-​looking young Latina. We asked if they were open. She reacted with that particular facial expression which states so eloquently, «No hablo Ingles, and I have no idea what you are saying.» We switched to Spanish, and asked again. She responded that the bar was open, but only served beer…(flag 1)…sigh…
We exchanged glances, but since we were there, sort of mutually decided to stick it out. Our «waitress (?!)» ineffectually waved us in the general direction of the vacant dining area. We seated ourselves and she brought water and menus. Concerned, and thinking about the vacant restaurant and obvious lack staff, we asked if everything was OK. She responded, «We were in the back opening bottles (?!).» The menu appeared to be pretty standard Mexican fare, with a few El Salvadoran offerings. My boyfriend ordered «Mar y Tierra.» I asked for «Caldo Siete Mares.» She told me that she didn’t even know it was on the menu (another flag!). I showed her. She said that they didn’t have any. I asked what kind of soup they had (there were 6 or 8 on the menu. She told me, «chicken.» So I ordered chicken soup.
We then asked if it would be possible to get a bottle of Cabernet. She had never heard of it (more flags!). She brought a couple of bottles of red Spanish wine to the table. We pointed to one. She brought it back opened and plunked it down on the table. It was excellent! Things were looking up.
Next came the chips and salsa. The chips were WAY overdone. The salsa was watery.
When the entrees came, I found that the chicken soup was Knorr soup base with a chicken leg in it and a little chayote and carrot. The guys had thin, dark (and not because of black beans), frijoles, white rice with frozen veggies, undressed iceberg lettuce, thin, overdone beef (I’m not even certain what cut) and 2 or 3 shrimp. The whole adventure ended up costing us around $ 80.00.
This establishment is not supporting itself by being a dining establishment. The owners obviously find restaurant patronage to be extraneous and intrusive to whatever enterprise is really sustaining them. I’m with Symon — let me know if you find out what’s REALLY going on… but don’t go there to eat.

The most horrible eating experience ever. My boyfriend and I went in one night at around 7pm as there’s not much else within walking distance. The waitress seated us after about a minute of standing there and never came back… ever. There is never anybody in the restaurant and we walk by it every night. There were two little kids playing on the floor next to us and watching cartoons on the big screen in the restaurant eating area. The waitress/​workers never came back to give us even water let alone take our order. We wanted margaritas really badly so we just kept waiting and waiting but after walking outside of the restaurant a couple times and never even making eye contact we decided to get up and leave. We made a lot of noise thinking that maybe they forgot but they never came. My boyfriend even had two cigarettes and every time he came back in they just peeked around the kitchen (we could hear them in there watching tv) and then looked away. We waited 45 minutes and they never came back. Horrible place, horrible service and horrible food (I had been there once before but thought I’d give it another try). How rude can you be? If you don’t want to serve food then close for the night. Don’t ever go here.

The service was friendly. The food was terrible. Awful. I could barely finish half my plate, and they don’t offer big portions. The beans ran like water through my fork, the badly overcooked pork tried to destroy my teeth, and the almost-​raw rice finished the job.
Don’t go. If you need late night food on Taraval, try Rick’s or Island Café or Seniore’s.

Wow, what’s to say about this unsavory locale that hasn’t already been said? Me and my girlfriend came here the other night, on the continuous quest for good Mexican food in the Bay Area, and let me just say that it will be hard for me to even think of Mexican food after this place.
We go into this place at about 8:30 on a Friday night. We are the only ones there. The waitress sitting at the bar watching her Spanish soap operas was seemingly stunned when we walked in. That should have been a red flag. We get seated and she comes to take our drink order. Then we find out she doesn’t speak English, so whatever, Coke and Corona are the same everywhere right? Here is where things got interesting, she had to leave the restaurant and walk across the street to a liquor store to buy the coke and coronas with ice. Everything went downhill from there.
We ordered nachos as an appetizer and we hear it being microwaved. FUCK that. When our meals came, piping lukewarm from the microwave as well, I almost gagged. The rice looked to be leftover from a Chinese food restaurant. The refried beans were more like a sweetish gravy that I would refuse to give to a dog. The enchiladas I ordered were pretty much from a weight watchers meal, it was really disgusting. So I had three bites of my dinner and my girlfriend and I decide it’s time to go. We ask for the bill. But they ignore us. Throughout the course of the meal, many new ‘members’ of the family showed up and were hanging out in the bar area. It was like we were intruding in someone’s house really. This place was insulting. They couldn’t give a shit about the customer, or the food. They hesitantly took our order, like they had something better to do. This is not a legit business. They are up to something.. . for sure. If you are ever walking by this place and you happen to have an extra brick in your hand, do me a solid and throw it through their window. I could open up a restaurant that serves only dog buttholes next door and this place would be out of business in a week.
Oh yeah, one last thing, if you reviewed this restaurant and you didn’t eat here, you are doing everyone a huge disservice. BOOOOOOO!!!

I wish that I’d been able to remember the name of this place before my husband and I decided to try it for dinner — I could have looked it up on Unilocal and eaten a can of refried beans and a plain tortilla instead. There was one other couple there with us, and they’d already finished eating, and it looked like they’d been waiting for their check for a while. They left right after we ordered, and we sat in the restaurant alone for long enough for me to finish a margarita made with straight saltwater and lime juice before our entrée arrived. While I waited, I lamented the fact that they didn’t serve chips and salsa, and was bothered because, since we were the only ones there, I couldn’t compare with other tables to see if they had chips and salsa, and we were just getting screwed, or if they didn’t have them. I ordered the Pancho Villa Enchilada with beef, and it came out with chicken. My husband ordered the pupusas with fried plantains, and instead he got carne asada. I wasn’t sure how our order could have been so wrong, since we were the only people in the place. My enchiladas weren’t horrible, but I wouldn’t eat there ever again. My husband was disgusted by the refried beans, which he described as having «the consistency of soup,» and wondered aloud if they had been pureed — I on the other hand, know that they probably don’t have any pureeing implements in that kitchen, and am quite sure it was a powdered mix — just add water!
Overall, It was just such an odd place… As we sat waiting way too long for our food, we tried to remember if this place had been there a long time and we’d just never noticed it, or if it just switched over from an Italian place, and didn’t bother to redecorate. We quickly decided that it was the latter, as there were Venetian murals on the wall, and I see from another Unilocal review that we were right. The music choice was quite odd as well — «Same Girl» by Usher and R. Kelly and the like («do she got a kid?»).

I was excited when I saw a salvadorean & mexican restaurant in the sunset that wasn’t a taqueria. I was even more excited that I saw chilaquiles on the menu. Too bad the excitement didn’t last long. The service was slower than slow otherwise nonexistent. (We were the only ones in the restaurant.) My bf and I couldn’t help but notice the «smell» (stanky ass bathroom mopwater smell) that filled the dining room while waiting for our food. Our server was way more interested in her tv show than working. I overheard her talking to her friends and turned out her mom wasn’t there, so she had to work. The chilaquiles and chimichanga were ok but the sides were nothing great: white rice with frozen mixed vegetables, beans were ehh… We took our dessert to go since we couldn’t stand the smell and service anymore… the empanadas something leche were great… fried plantain with a sweet cream sauce in the center which gets 1 star…
I will not try this place again.

My husband fond this place and convinced us to check it out. I was very pleased .It is reasonable and has great papusas! Not to mention a great selection of drink specials! I would recomend this resturaunt.

I had the worst dining experience ever here. It took a long for anyone to even give us our menues. When we finally got our waitress, she complained that she was actually our bartender. She took our orders and about 30 minutes later my meal shows up but not my boyfriend’s meal. She then said it would be out shorty, due to some kitchen miscommunication. 20 minutes later his meal shows up and it was wrong. There were no apologies no nothing but shite. The owner was all along shmoozing with some older couple and not paying notice to the unhappy clientele. This place cuts corners on everything, even with their staff. Their staff is obviously family that have school during the day and do their homework at work. I give this place 6 months before it’s another chinese restaurant or sushi bar.

Hmmmm, a Mexican/​El Salvadorian place NOT in the Mission? Interesting location. Interesting Italian-​inspired wall mural. After drinking all afternoon on St. Patty’s day, who cares. I’m hungry. Nothing like loading up on carbs after drinking… chips (salsa), rice, beans… mmmmm. Or having Latin food on an Irish holiday.
When I go to Mexican restaurants or even Taquerias, I usually expect a pretty hearty meal on the cheap. Usually it’s so much that i barely can finish the plate. This was not one of those places. I ordered the surf and turf… which was described a broiled top sirloin with shrimp, and beans and rice. While the serving did fill up the plate, aside from the rice and beans, the surf and turf wasn’t anywhere close to being top choice. The so-​called steak was almost as thin as beef jerky, but just about as chewey as beef jerky. The 4 measly shrimps were barely medium sized. I was expecting the typical red (Spanish) rice, but was told that white rice with some frozen mixed vegetables (lima beans???) is kinda the norm in Mexican/​Salvadorean cuisine. OK, nothing a little salsa can’t help. I sampled a little of my friends’ pupusa and the chili relleno which were good. I should’ve stuck with my 1^st instinct and just ordered a combo plate.
The service was ok. Obviously child labor laws don’t apply here. I’m only kidding… it was cute to have the little boy bring us the big check. But being open for only a short time, you’d kind of expect a little more gracious hosting and acknowledgment for stopping in. I’ll stick to the food in the Mission. 2.5 stars.