Soccer, er, Fútbol Central
There’s something to be said for hopping in the car at meal time and driving with no particular destination in mind. Just head to a neighborhood, let a place – someplace you haven’t been in past – catch you eye, stop and eat. You’ll get your share of stinkers but you’ll be rewarded with some gems.
Exhibit A: Balompié Café.
Mackie and I spotted Balompié during a food seeking foray into the Mission. The neighborhood is, well, interesting. It’s located at 18th and Capp, not far from streetwalker central. (For additional local color, check out this story about a man who took a unique, if not legal, approach to driving out hookers a block away at 19th and Capp.) The modest storefront advertises Salvadorian cooking. We’d had good pupusa lovin’ in the past so we decided to give it a shot. We chose wisely.
Balompié’s pupusas ($1.60 each, except for shrimp, which are $2.50 each; platter with two pupusas plus rice and beans for $6.75) are the best we’ve had, hands down. Mackie sticks to the bean and cheese but I’ve eaten my way through most of the varieties. The ground pork and cheese is my favorite but the bean and cheese, loroco (a Central American flower bud) and cheese and shrimp and cheese are all excellent – fresh, tasty, served piping hot. For maximum effect, liberally spoon the accompanying red sauce over your pupusas.
While the pupusas rule, Balompié is no one-trick pony. It offers a wide-ranging Salvadorian menu, including a number of breakfast items.
The pupusa, yuca, and pastel combination plate ($7.50) is especially good. In addition to your choice of pupusa, the platter offers a helping of steamed or fried yuca (choose fried for the crispy texture) topped with your choice of pork, beef, chicken, fish or shrimp (choose pork – a sampling of what would be a great carnitas in a Mexican restaurant) plus a pastel (sort of a corn fritter) stuffed with pork, chicken or shrimp (again, choose pork – yes, my pig bias is showing).
The lemon chicken ($8.50) also offers a worthy choice. The boneless, skinless chicken breast is pounded down, grilled and served with a tasty but not overpowering lemon sauce. Some people might object to the sauce’s thickish consistency, not to mention the overly generous amount ladled onto the plate. But I like to mix the excess sauce with the rice that accompanies the dish. M’m! Tasty!
Good, but not quite up to the level of the other dishes, is the carne asada, chorizo, casamiento and queso combination plate ($10.95). The chorizo and casamiento, a fried beans and rice mixture, are both on the dry side and the cube of queso just sits on the plate looking out of place. The latter point may reflect my ignorance, not having cracked the code on how to properly eat the dish.
I’ve eaten out so often in so many kinds of restaurants for so many years that it’s rare when I see a dish that features an ingredient that I’ve never heard of, let alone eaten. Balompié was my first experience with pacaya, a native Salvadorian vegetable that is the initial blossom of a variety of date palm tree.
Balompié’s rendition of pacaya is coated in batter and deep fried ($8.50). The vegetable has a slightly bitter taste that I did not find appetizing and a somewhat stringy texture that was not appealing.
I suspect that pacaya is an acquired taste. I’m sure I won’t try it often enough to acquire a taste for it.
Of the many dishes I’ve tried at Balompié, the one outright whiff was the shrimp soup ($10.95). While clearly a popular dish, I found it to be disappointing – too much thin broth, not enough there there.
Many of the dishes are served with rice and beans on the side. The rice is flavorful, as far rice goes, albeit a bit on the salty side. The beans’ preparation is unique – an almost soupy puree. This may sound unappetizing but there’s something pleasant about the beans that doesn’t translate well into words. Mixing them with the rice produces a delicious combination. Trust me.
For beverages, I have no clue what Balompié serves beyond freshly brewed iced tea. Never tried anything else. Never needed to. And when I say freshly brewed, I mean freshly brewed…I’ve had to wait while they steeped the tea and poured it over ice.
The staff is friendly and generally offers good service although there can occasionally be a language barrier for us gringos.
The décor centers around, guess what, fútbol. Photos. Trophies. Balls. Jerseys. Fútbol, always fútbol, on the TVs.
Parking can be a bit tight and, as I mentioned, the neighborhood can be interesting. Restrict yourself to parking within a block of Balompié in any direction. Lock your car.
Don’t park illegally. I was about to park in front of a fire hydrant one night when a car vacated a spot across the street. While I was eating, a couple of cops parked at the same fire hydrant and came in for dinner. Whew! I had visions of my car being towed so the cops could use the space.
Balompié is my favorite cheap eats spot in the city. Two people can easily get out for less than $30 including tax and tip, less than $20 if you stick with papusas. But, while it’s cheap, I go there for the food, not the price.
Balompié Café
3349 18th Street
at Capp Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
415-648-9199
No web site
Food inspection score: 96
Symbol of Excellence: No
Note: This entry is specific to the Balompié location at 18th and Capp. The new location on 7th between Brannan and Bryant also has good food but the menu is substantially different — fewer Salvadorian items, more lunchtime fare for the Hall of Justice crowd. Check out my review of the 7th Street outpost here.
I had a big breakfast of papusas and beans and rice and chicken in this place. I can't wait to back to try the other food on the menu.
Reply to this