Poc-Chuc Menu

Poc-Chuc Restaurant Review:

From the street, Poc-Chuc might look like just another Mission District hole-in-the-wall, albeit tidier than most, with a flapping metal gate and a rough-hewn sign out front. Inside, however, a cozy welcoming glow surrounds every table in the narrow space. Epic Mexican westerns and goofy classic comedies flicker on wide TV screens positioned overhead, but their presence is silent, a discreet accompaniment to the first-rate Mayan fare. Begin with an appetizer platter, and snap up salbute with their puffy shells fried chewy and topped with stewed turkey bits. Try the restaurant's namesake, an enormous platter of thin-sliced grilled pork served with shredded cabbage, stock-seasoned rice, plush corn tortillas, and a small bowl of luxurious black bean purée. The pollo pibil is chicken, of course---nearly two leg quarters' worth---slow-braised into soft, collapsing richness with onions and peppers---particularly nice with a splash of the restaurant's brutally hot habanero-lime sauce. You'll want a beer to go with that, but unfortunately, Poc-Chuc sells no alcohol and does not permit brown-bagging.