1630 Powell St (at North Beach), San Francisco, California, USA, 94133
Located in a historic speakeasy in San Francisco's old Latin Quarter, 'Peña' means a circle of people coming together and 'Pachamama' means Mother Earth. It features South American food with live performances after dinner most evenings. Menu is half raw and half cooked and fully gluten-free. Try the house-made vegan ice cream or raw kale chips. Check its webpage calendar for special events. Open Mon-Sat 11:00am-2:30pm, Tue-Thu 5:30pm-9:30pm, Fri-Sat 5:30pm-10:30pm.
Category: Vegan, Organic, Raw, Delivery, Take-out, Gluten-free, Bolivian, Peruvian, Latin American
Reviews (43)
First Review by SynthVegan
Contributions +16
very expensive and tastes just ok - Edit
very expensive and tastes just ok.
service is really good and the place is very authentic
Pros: many gf options and raw food
Cons: expensive
Contributions +20
AWESOME - Edit
This place has the best and most creative organic vegan food in the city! They told us there was a new menu and one side was all live food and gluten free. The other side was cooked vegan but also gluten free. Our favorites were the raw empanadas and live food BLT.and raw pecan fudge chocolate brownie. My sister had the Portopancho from the vegan cooked side of the menu. She is gluten free so was so happy knowing that everything on the main menu was gluten free. Her husband had the vegan burger, non-soy, he said that it was better than any other burger in the city. Another noteworthy food aré their Kale Chips, leagues above others! They had a great Cuban singer the night we were there, some Latín Grammy musician and one of the best violinists I have ever heard. A transformative night for my friends and i. We even danced in spite of all we had eaten. The owners are also the musicians, very special people. I am going to sign up for their raw food meetup group. Unlike any other, this place is a treasure!
Contributions +34
secret hideaway - Edit
These people know how to cook. Put it this way, my husband dropped a kale chip and he ate it because they are that good! The entertainment started towards the end of our meal. They wanted donations- no problem! It was a family affair that made it feel as if we had crashed a wedding party, that was happening!
Pros: vegan cuisine , music, family
Contributions +28
Amazing food!!! - Edit
I am extremely impressed with this place!!! Everything we ordered was absolutely wonderful, especially the raw vegan male chips and vegan meatballs - definitely some of the best vegan food I have ever had. The servers were all extremely friendly, and we had a great experience. Would highly recommend!!!
Updated from previous review on 2017-05-13
Pros: Delicious food, Raw and cooked options, Nice staff
Contributions +44
One of my fav vegan restaurants of all time - Edit
This restaurant is so good that I ended up going there twice during my 1.5 day stay in SF. I tried the vegan albondigas and portobello burger and they were both delicious. They also make the most amazing kale chips. Oh, and the coconut cream pie was heavenly.
The service staff and the owner were very lovely and welcoming too. Would definitely go there again the next time I'm in SF.
Contributions +249
Nice latin food - Edit
Very interesting concept of food and ingredients. I'd love to try some of the raw menu next time.
Contributions +38
Amazing food! - Edit
This place was on my must eat list on my visit to SF and I was not disappointed!! The food was so so tasty. Lovely, little and independent place. Great authentic food with good customer service.
Pros: Location, Good value, Authenticity
Cons: Dated decor
Contributions +30
Great pizza in a quaint atmosphere - Edit
I had a pizza for lunch here and it was really tasty! Walked here from Fisherman's Wharf. Interesting place with a few different family members wandering around, waiting on tables and talking to customers.
Contributions +36
Best Vegan Meal in San Fran - Edit
I love this place. I had planned a trip to SF with my daughter and we were planning to go to Beach Blanket Babylon and so I wanted to see if there was a vegan-friendly restaurant close by. Turns out there was--Pena Pachamama. I went that night and have been there another 3 times since then--once with a dear friend from high school and two times with my husband.
Let's start with the ambiance. This place is adorable. It is cozy with lots of pillows so that you can be comfortable. They have live music and dancing.
They have two menus--one that is raw and one that is cooked. Everything is 100% vegan. Somehow I have a good eye for picking out the best dishes on the menu. The first night, I ordered the Raw Housemade Buckwheat Crackers with Guacamole and the Vegan Chef Plate. Both were amazing and I had to purchase their recipe book so that I could make my own buckwheat crackers. Amazing! I have tried the Bolivian style Portapancho and the Vegan Albondigas. Both were delicious.
Love this restaurant--a must if you are in South Beach!
Pros: Nutritious, Cozy, Absolutely delicious
Cons: None!
Contributions +991
Mediocre but fresh food. Way too overpriced. - Edit
We went there on a Saturday evening. We just wanted dinner but we got just in time for the show.
The whole atmosphere made us feel like we were in a time capsule.
If you are there for the show you need to pay a ticket $18. If you only want dinner and don't stay for the entire show you don't need to buy tickets and they'll seat you in a separate part of the restaurant. More info on this on their webpage.
The food was ok, fresh and tasty, but really simple and portion size is medium.
I can't understand how they came up with the price, which is way beyond what it's worth. One of the most overpriced foods ever.
I ordered the vegan albondigas (3 vegan meatballs with onion sauce and peas, a couple of baked potatoes with spicy cashew sauce, some rice and fresh tomato salsa) and my husband got the vegan cheese burger (beet patty, vegan cheese, a couple of baked potatoes and a spoonful of salad). Each of them costed $17.
We also tried the lentil dip with fried plantains which costed $9.
The portions were medium, and the price was way beyond the true value of the dishes. The food was fresh and tasty, but not worth the price, and not something I'll never forget.
So, if you want to go there for the food, i wouldn't recommend it.
If you go there for the show, might be worth it, but I'm definitely not an expert in this and I can't asses the quality of the show.
Updated from previous review on 2017-01-15
Pros: 100% vegan
Cons: street parking hard to find, payed parking across the street, overpriced food
Contributions +86
okay but empty at lunch...probably telling - Edit
All vegan with a raw and cooked menu.
I've been on and off raw so always amazing to find places for time intensive raw dishes. Had a combo raw pizza and corn taco plate. Pizza was only okay, but would never order again. The Greene Boheme makes amazing raw pizza in comparison. The taco was pretty good, but mainly avocado so how can you go wrong? At $17.95 really quite steep.
Ambiance was okay. A bit run down and hokey. Not a great place to bring non vegans. I imagine the evenings with crowds and live world music to be fun.
I'm not too likely to return. Wish I'd liked it more....
Contributions +14
Big Love!! - Edit
To call this place a restaurant is to not do it justice. It is an experience on many levels. The main ingredients being connection and kindness.
We(my partner, Mother and I)came to SF from Santa Cruz and found this spot through a search engine. We walked in to a large crowd of people being entertained by a woman on stage. This woman welcomed us in and greeted us as family, openly and warmly. The large group soon after left and we the woman came to our table. Come to find out this was Quentin, the owner. So sweet.
Conversation flowed from our histories to dietary choices to living situations to music and all points in between. The food came out and we were blown away. This is not your typical vegetarian/vegan restaurant. The heart and soul of this place is present all over, and especially in the food. I don't feel the need to review the food individually as I say check the menu and you will see this is not your run of the mill food option. Many flavors present themselves as we passed around multiple plates. Finally, order the ice cream!
Thank you Quentin. You and your restaurant are a breath of fresh air.
Pros: Community vibration, Fresh/organic options, Love
Contributions +36
Great place for lunch (or dinner)! - Edit
We went to (all-vegan) Pena Pachamama for lunch today while in North Beach. A former speakeasy from way back in SF's history the restaurant—although a bit dark inside—was really welcoming and comfortable. I had the plantain chips with lentil dip, an empanada and their brownie with coconut ice cream. Fantastic food and Quentin, one of the ultra-friendly owners, stopped by to chat and we ended up staying another 45 minutes after our lunch. All in all an awesome time we'll be back soon! Don't mis this place!
Pros: Great food and nice big selection to choose from, Super friendly staff and owner, Convenient location near Columbus/Broadway
Cons: A bit darker inside but not a big issue
Contributions +21
Tastey and friendly - Edit
Great little place with charm and character. Food was tastey and staff friendly. :)
Had lunch but would like to come back for dinner and show one day. :)
Contributions +16
AMAZING - Edit
One of the owners, a very youthful looking lady, told us she has been vegan for 16 years. She was so lovely, as are all of the staff. Awesome food, we have been twice in less than 24 hours and will probably be back tonight. Must visit if you're in San Fransisco.
Contributions +23
OK - Edit
We didn't want to order a burger or a pizza and we didn't want to see the show. (Maybe this is the reason, why's lot of people are so flashed?!) Our food was ok.
Contributions +38
One of the best dining experiences - Edit
My boyfriend and I went for an early dinner there because we were wandering through San Francisco and found this place on Happy Cow (didn't even read the reviews!). We had a pretty crappy day and our mood wasn't the best. When we got there, the restaurant was completely empty which was quite interesting. But we decided to eat there anyways. That was such a good decision. We ordered roasted potatoes as a starte. My boyfriend called them the best potatoes he ever had. As main dishes we had the beet cheese burger and the Chef's plate. Both was super good! The spinach was a little bit too salty but I loved the dish anyways! We ordered the brownie with ice cream and the chocolate crepe which were both perfect too. The atmosphere was really pleasent. The service was high quality too and we had a super nice talk with the owner (woman) who recommended us our mains. We were too early for the show but we'll definitely come back when we're in San Francisco. We left this restaurant with the best mood and a big smile, totally satisfied and it saved our day! All in all: This place is just perfect. The price is good, the food is excellent, the portion size is satisfying, the atmosphere is nice and you can bring omnivores (they'll love it!). We are just sad that we don't live in San Francisco otherwise we'd come here all the time.
Pros: perfect food, perfect atmosphere, excellent service
Cons: NONE
Contributions +70
Fook was OK - Edit
Food was OK. We went at 2 pm and we were alone in the restaurant.
Contributions +75
Fun environment with interesting food - Edit
Pena Pachamama was an all-around enjoyable dining experience. It's a tiny spot in North Beach that you'd miss if you weren't seeking it out. Upon entering, the hostess told us they had a show starting in 20 minutes, so we'd either have to do their dinner special or pay $20 each for the show, on top of whatever we ordered. While the show aspect was unexpected, it was a pleasant surprise. The restaurant had many 8-10 tables surrounding a small stage - the decorations and atmosphere were very festive, there also seemed to be a small bar in the back of the restaurant. It's Peruvian food but all vegan, a very rare twist!
Food - The menu was generally quite vast, but the food was strongly good at best, not anything particularly special (if anything, a bit salty). I had the tacos and my boyfriend had the spicy chef's plate. The tacos were definitely preferred - there was a generous helping of guacamole, cashew cheese, some type of fake meat and spices. His chef's plate had tapioca, a black bean sauce and quinoa served in a pyramid-type structure and was surrounded by cashew cheese cooked-kale chips. His had a lot of flavors going on but they didn't necessarily work perfectly together, I did like the texture the kale chips were cooked to however. We'd split plantains with a black bean dip with friends for an appetizer - while they were a bit greasy, the sweetness combined with the saltiness from the black bean dip worked well together. For dessert we had a white chocolate cheesecake - particularly impressive and the texture was spot on with the creaminess and denseness of a true cheesecake - I loved the crust!
The show that evening was a flamenco show - three ladies singing and dancing and a guitarist, in total about 40 minutes long (two separate 20 minute segments). They were quite entertaining and a nice diversion from a typical dinner out. Service was as attentive as possible given the show going on as well. All in, it was a bit pricey given the overall experience, but it was a fun evening out with friends. While I wouldn't run back, I'd definitely go back again.
Contributions +14
beautiful place run by lovely people - Edit
I found this place while passed through San Fran with my dad. I walked in at about 1pm feeling kinda average and hungry. After hearing Eddie and His wife play and sing some Bolivian music, eating a cheeseburger that my omnivorous father loved, and talking with the owner about veganism, travel and music for about half an hour; I walked out with a full stomach a positive mood and a new friend. I will be back to the this place every time I pass through San Fran if I can. it was amazing.
In short:
Fully gluten free menu. half raw menu and half cooked. Raw deserts. go there. we played $70 for one platter (for two) one cheese burger, one desert and a glass of wine. definitely worth it
Pros: Fully vegan, live music, fully gluten free, lovely
Cons: a tad expensive compared to others but you pay for
Contributions +20
WOW!!!! - Edit
I can't praise this place enough, it was spectacular! I will recommend it to anyone who will listen. I loved everything about it. I went in for lunch and got chatting to the owners Eddy and his wife Quentin who were just charming lovely people. They told me all about their music and I had a great chat with Quentin about raw food cooking. My husband ( carnivore) came back with me the following night for dinner and a show. I had the raw sampler plate which had a bit of everything on it and he had some from the cooked side menu. We enjoyed our evening which included a show from some supremely talented musicians ( Eddy is a famous Bolivian musician) and a divine raw dessert. I love this place and if I lived in San Francisco, they'd probably have to give me a job there!
Pros: food was spectacular, hospitality of the hosts, music
Cons: I don't live in SF so can't go all the time!
Contributions +16
Great Energy! Almost a mystic vibe - Edit
The food tastes really good. I had something from m both the raw side and cooked vegan side of the menu. I like be on the east coast but I'm coming back here. The owners are music artists and took time to tell me their story. It's a cool one. A special special place for sure.
Pros: The food is local, organic, raw, vegan
Cons: Just a tad bit pricey
Contributions +44
delicious - Edit
Went here for lunch after seeing it on Happy Cow. It was very quiet but the reception was very friendly. The menu is great and our food was delicious. Some of the best food I've tasted. Also loved the history of the place. Next time I'm in San Francisco, I'll definitely go back for one of the nights they have music.
Contributions +34
Delicious - Edit
Entirely vegan Latin fare. The food was extraordinary. I ordered a dish with quinoa, greens, and kale chips as well as the plantain/black bean dip appetizer. I wish I had time to go back and try more items from the menu!
Pros: all vegan, moderately priced, cozy atmosphere
Cons: none!
Contributions +22
Excellent - Edit
An intimate and atmospheric restaurant. We went on one of the evenings without music, and found it to be wonderfully peaceful. However, I imagine it would be rather more lively when bands are playing. Service was excellent - then again, compared to the UK, service everywhere in the US is excellent - and the food was interesting, offering something different to the usual vegan options of burger, pasta or salad. We particularly recommend the beetroot neatballs.
Updated from previous review on Wednesday November 18, 2015
Pros: Atmospheric, Friendly staff, Interesting menu
Contributions +13
LOVED it!! - Edit
This place is so cute. I went in there to eat by myself and they made you feel like you were part of a community. It's owned by a married couple who are so sweet. When I was there they took turns entertaining us and serving us. The man brought me lots of food and drinks that I didn't even order to try them! I ended up buying their book. 100% recommend this place.
Pros: Ambiance, Entertaining, Cultural
Cons: If you like eating quietly, it's noisy
Contributions +71
All vegan Bolivian food! - Edit
Very tasty food, nice atmosphere, a real experience.
All the food tastes fresh and healthy. Though I have no experience of Bolivian food I really enjoyed my meal.
Pros: All vegan menu, Vegan desserts
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