San Francisco’s Primo Patio – A Caribbean Escape with Great Food

I'm so sorry that after 25 years Primo Patio CLOSED.

Last Thursday it was 80 degrees in San Francisco…that is pretty exceptional for early May in the city. So when a co-worker suggested we go to a restaurant with an outdoor terrace for lunch I was thrilled, there just aren't that many in San Francisco. Little did I know that the entire restaurant is a terrace!

Primo Patio is located in the SOMA area near the baseball park where the San Francisco Giants play, but unless you are looking for it, you'd miss it! Once inside you follow a corridor (which I am now calling “the route to the good stuff” and pass the kitchen into the terrace, or in this case, the patio.

Primo Patio may be a restaurant in San Francisco, but once you pass that corridor you leave the city and enter the Caribbean.

The entire restaurant is under umbrellas that allow just enough sun to peek through, but not so much that you really have the illusion that you are just on the other side of a beach on any number of Caribbean islands. It's lovely, but if you don't get there early, there can be a long wait to eat.

But oh is it worth it.

We were approached by our friendly waiter (I wish I had got his name!) who was a doll and a hoot all wrapped in one!

My colleague provided some guidance on their best dishes I selected one of the two she suggested, the grilled swordfish sandwich with fries and primo sauce. Sounded pretty darn good to me! She selected the other favorite, a jerk chicken sandwich with the same sides. However, the first thing I spotted when I sat down and looked at the menu was plantains which I have a total weak spot for, so I had to get some of those as well.

They were piping hot and yummy, the three of us eagerly washed them down with glasses of Buli-Buli, a Cuban cocktail with beer, fresh lime juice, sugar & ice. It was very tasty and a pitcher amongst the three of us went down smooth and fast!

When the meals came everyone patiently let me photograph them, the smell was incredible and I could not wait to dig in!

Mine was really tasty, the snapper extremely fresh and not overcooked so it was too dry. Perfect. I have said this before, I am not a huge fan of fries, but I did have a few and they were also extremely fresh, not too greasy and tasted great with the Primo sauce (Not sure what is in it!). (You can see the buli-buli in the background, including the empty pitcher!)

My friend offered me a bite of her jerk chicken sandwich and I almost didn't give it back. It was the best jerk chicken I have EVER tasted. The spices are amazing and not over-powering, again it was just right, perfect. I will definitely be having that next time, but instead of the sandwich, I think I will have the plate which came served with black beans which I love.

The meal was good (and not too expensive), the atmosphere contagious, the service efficient and the staff super friendly. Primo Patio is located at 214 Townsend Street (if you past The District you've gone too far) in San Francisco. They are just around the corner from Little Skillet, the place with the awesome fried chicken and waffles that I blogged about a couple of weeks ago.

More of my San Francisco food stories and guides:

• A San Francisco Weekend for Foodies
• Where to go for Coffee in San Francisco
• Great Mexican Restaurants in San Francisco
• 5 Places to Eat Oysters in San Francisco
• Best Burmese Food in San Francisco
• Burgers in San Francisco
• San Francisco’s Best Cheeseburgers
• Hawaiian in San Francisco
• Great Grilled Cheese in San Francisco
• San Francisco Bay Area Dimsum Guide
• San Francisco for Vegetarians
• Baked Bear in San Francisco – Custom-made Ice Cream Sandwiches
• Classic San Francisco Food Treats
• Eating in San Francisco’s Financial District – Around the World in 24 Hours

Highlighted Restaurants in San Francisco

• San Francisco’s Sushirrito
• Liba San Francisco
• Bacon Bacon San Francisco
• Fried Chicken and Waffles in San Francisco
• Let me see your Lobster Roll

How about you? Where have you eaten the best Caribbean food? Where?