Balompié Cafe #3

Delicious stuff in a setting that you“d swear was in the middle of San Salvador,
Except it is too quiet.. .
Had a revuelta and espinaca pupusas
Tamal sour crema. casamiento horchata.
Fantastic. The hot sauce the cabbage the crema salvadorania eas thick white cooling. i was stuffed. In San Francisco
Balompie:3 Monte Cristo and Saltaneca are my go to places for pupuseria and balompie#3 is now número uno!#!
The most delightful lunch I’ve had in years!
Bien Sabroso!

This place has been on my bookmarks for years and years. Then finally I got around to trying it. From the outside it doesn’t look like a sit down place but from the inside it looks like a café! A very clean place. Decent-​good service. We asked for more cabbage and red sauce quite frequently. My group ordered the horchata, shrimp/​cheese, spinach/​cheese, ground chicken/​cheese, zucchini/​cheese, ground pork/​cheese, and steak/​cheese pupusas. The horchata is a different type from the normal one, but still good! But it is really sweet. The pupusas were amazing !!! The fillings were on point and they were stingy with the fillings. Everything was full with flavor! My favorite was the steak/​cheese and the shrimp/​cheese. It does get somewhat busy here on a weekend.

Great food. Horrible service. I come here all the time and I usually try giving them the benefit of the doubt because of there yummy pupusas. However today was the day I decided to write this review. The waitress didn’t acknowledge us, the food order was wrong, and not once were we asked if we needed anything else. They took way too long for our food to be brought. Not the first time it happens. If you do come I suggest you order in advance. Ridiculous

Food was great ! I went with a few of my friends and we all got our food at the same time. Our waitress was really nice and helpful when it came to order. Definitely going back !

Parked across the street while on my way to my dentist appointment so I ordered some food to go for dinner.
This place was totally packed for Wednesday 4pm and I’ve heard lots about it. I was actually headed to the other Salvadorian place next door but made a last minute decision to go here instead. I ordered four pupusas and a side of plantains for all of $ 20. This managed to last 3 meals! They are surprisingly filling especially with the pickled veggies which were the best I’ve ever had. Definitely asking for extra next time.
The shrimp and cheese was my favorite although at first I thought they just gave me a plain cheese one because I couldn’t find any shrimp. It’s minced pretty fine into the cheese. Plantains was a huge portion for only $ 4.50. They make everything when you order it. Service is very nice and everything is packed efficiently! Love this place!

Uno de Mis lugares favoritos! Las pupusas rebueltas son muybuenas ! Los empleados son bien trabquilos. Si no me equivoco uno muchacha Alta delgada pelo Negro Es la duena y habla espanos la señora y se la quiere yevar de muy americana eso Es el unico detalle que no me gusta, por Ella siempre tomo mi comida para yevar porque Ella actua como que si estoy pidiendo aye me regalen las cosas. 5 por comida y servicio, menos una estrella por la wanna be gringa

At first I was skeptical about going in. I grew up with my grandmas homemade pupusas and homemade horchata and it is very hard to find a place that makes them almost as good as hers.
I came here with my sister one day and I must admit, we left very happy. They serve big portions for a great price. The pupusas are big and very tasty. Nice environment. Parking is not that great but the food makes up for it.
If you are near the area, I would reccomend to give it a try. They take phone orders as well.

Ta bueno, delicioso, ricas empanadas, Salvadoreñas, Salvadoreños, ricas pupusas, tamalitos, cremita, chocolate calientito, deportes por television, musiquita ranchera, El Puma que chevere, que chevere au, au!

Good enough for me to come back and give this place another try, but our pickup order was all kinds of off.
The food was good, but I think only the pupusas were among the actual order. There was a cabbage salad and empanadas missing, and instead we got some plantains and some other dish that I couldn’t identify. The pupusas were delicious, but really greasy. I wrapped mine in a napkin to hold and eat it (we didn’t have plates) and it was soaked by the time I finished.
All of it was really good though, soooo it’s hard for me to want to stay away. Maybe eating in is a better experience in meeting expectations.

This is my favorite place in SF for pupusas. I am partial to the shrimp and cheese, but they are all excellent. You can see them making the fresh right behind the counter. The service here is very friendly and the food comes out fast. And you can’t beat the prices!

Best pupusas in SF! My family is Salvadoran so we literally have tried ALL of the places in the City and there are really good ones but Balompie is the absolute best!

Pupusas are amazing here, the service was also great! I liked the culturals memorabilia on the walls too.

Came back on a recent trip to SF and this time, I wasn’t as satisfied or impressed. Fiancé and I shared 4 pupusas– pork, pork and cheese, shrimp and cheese, and prosciutto and cheese. The latter two were from the speciality ones and were more expensive at $ 3.50 each but had less meat. For more money, I expect the same or more amount of meat. Honestly I think I would be better off getting a plain cheese one for $ 3. The pupusas are large but I don’t know if they’re worth $ 3. Maybe $ 2 – 2.50 would be more appropriate. Like last time, the pupusas take quite a while to come out because they are freshly made but of the 4 we ordered, 2 came out maybe 15 minutes later, after the rest of our table was almost done eating. Their other plates look good, too, but I still think most items can be about $ 1 cheaper.

I absolutely love their pupusas, as salvadorian I know about pupusas and this place is so far the place I know where I can go and enjoy a delicious pupusas. Other food is ok not the best but is decent.

One of my favorites places for Salvadorian food. Love their ’ pupusas de pescado «the best I have tried in CA. People are friendly, Place is clean, price is fair… I have to mention «coffee «all the refill you want. I ordered my Thanksgiving Turkey today just for $ 90.00. 18 – 20 pound oven roasted turkey, salsa, and curtido enough for everyone… Thanks to the sweet lady in the kitchen (I’m sorry I didn’t ask her name) because they weren’t taking turkey’s orders anymore and beside that they make a room for me.
Totally recommend this humble and nice place every time you want to get good latin food to a fair price.
Give them a try you wont regret !!!

I would love to give this place 5 stars but unfortunately at this time can’t. I have been coming here since they opened and j was hooked. The pupusas weren’t greasy like other places they fresh and cheesy (my fav) But lately I feel like because this place has become well known the way they make the food has gone down hill. The pupusas are extremely greasy and I’ve been getting them burnt not exactly the taste I was going for especially when I have a craving for these. I really hope they slow down a little and make their food less greasy the way it use to be in the beginning when they first opened. Or I will have to move on and sadly find another place.

I would love to give this place 5 stars but unfortunately at this time can’t. I have been coming here since they opened and I was hooked. The pupusas weren’t greasy like other places they were fresh and cheesy (my fav) But lately I feel because this place has become well known the way they make the food has gone down hill. The pupusas are extremely greasy and I’ve been getting them burnt not exactly the taste I was going for especially when I have a craving for them. I really hope they slow down and make their food less greasy the way it use to be in the beginning. Or I will have to move on and sadly find another place. Quality over quantity.

Food was good. Waiter was friendly. Would recommend. On a scale of George Clooney to Donald Trump, I give it a Neil deGrasse Tyson.

I love this place.
Very authentic and good service!
Pupusas are fresh and yummy! Def recommend

My favorite Sunday ritual. Great food, great service, so consistent. The platanos are never undercooked and the pupusas are never too «dough heavy», lots of cheese and
fillings. They have anchor and Stella on tap and the atmosphere is low key and family friendly. Total neighborhood gem!

The 3 is a charm. This by far is the BEST Balompies EVAR. I am so glad my former boss brought me here. His gf is Salvadorena. She was the one who turned him on to this place because it was the only pupuseria she would wat out at, and now I see why! Their menu has the BEST selection of pupusa types NO ONE HAS, like PROSCIUTTO! I USED to like Los Panchos down the street. El Zocalo never impressed me.
Now, I have found my pupuseria. Not only is the food GREAT, it is also pleasantly decorated, simple and understated, without florescent walls screaming at me, or the cliché old world décor. It’s hammered copper, clean taps, and I LOVE that I can watch the girls making my food, and they’re not hidden in the back with the short wall between us. Everyone is pleasant.
The servers are efficient, even when you’re drunk and bein a bit of a bitch… I will not eat pupusas anywhere else in The City ever AGAIN. They win my business everytime, and I am about to place a large order RIGHT NOW. May your doors remain open for years to come, and I wish you continued success! My only regret is that I never discovered you sooner, and that you’re not open 24 hrs ;)

It used to be my thing regularly going around with my hot mexican woman checking all the spots for the best pupusas and checking spots more then once soo we can be for sure.
This place became a regular for me.
It takes the right person and the right amount of love to make a greeat pupusa.
I love the foods presence and the way its served the brightness, the color, the texture, the smell as its coming to you .
It just makes me wanna strip it down right away an start chowing down getting me all riled up inside and my pheromones going but I maintain my cool.
The omelets are really good here too and I like how cool the drinks are here.

One of my favorite spots to get some freshly made pupusas! Fresh, non-​greasy, tasty. Two should full you up! The service here is pretty good, and the wait time is fast. Love the chicken sandwich they have with fries, and the beers on tap! Check it out!

Definitely my favorite place to get pupusas. I was first introduced to pupusas by my friend’s mother who made us pupusas and absolutely fell in love with them!
This restaurant is one of the three Balompié Cafes that are located in the city. I usually come here because it is only a 5 minute drive from my place and parking is readily available for this area as opposed to the other areas in the city.
This is a great place to go to for an inexpensive lunch. Pupusas are only $ 2.50 each! What a steal! They are made to perfection with the right amount of stuffing and the cabbage and sauces are sooo good! They are very generous with the cabbages and sauces and you can always ask for more! My favorite pupusas are always the pork/​cheese and spinach/​cheese but honestly, you cannot go wrong with any of their pupusas! They are also very quick with their service and the staff is super friendly! Their plaintains are also soo yummy! It is made with just the right amount of glaze and the portion is large enough to share between two people!
The restaurant is decently sized and is at the corner of the street so it is very easy to spot! Take out is very convenient as it can get quite busy on the weekends and during lunch time. There is also a juke box in the corner if you want to blast some music while enjoying the delicious food!
Definitely recommend trying this restaurant as the food is very inexpensive but delicious! Just the type of restaurants I enjoy going to. A must try! :)

Ahhhh I think I found THE place to get pupusas, I kind of didn’t even want to write this review. But since my tita shared this place with me, then I shall do the same.
Balompia is a small café on the corner of Mission street. It seats about 25 – 30 people and all of their staff are amazing — always smiling and ready to serve. My mom and I came in on July 4^th craving pupusas and we had an open afternoon so we went for it! We ordered four pupusas: cheese, pork/​bean/​cheese, and 2 carne asada and cheese. On top of this, from a photo on Unilocal,we also ordered the shrimp cocktail. To help all of this amazing food go down, we also ordered one horchata. Everything was DELICIOUS. My personal favorites was the cheese pupusa as well as the pork/​bean/​cheese. I could’ve done without the carne asade and cheese one, honestly. The shrimp cocktail was great, shrimp in every bite! The horchata was yummy as well.
Our bill came out to about $ 30 for all of this food.
I definitely recommend Balompie Café for great food and great service to pair!

Order pupusas to go. they are sooo gooood
They are a little bit more expensive but they are really tasty and fresh.

5 Stars for their food and 2 Stars for a 50-​min wait for lunch equals 3.5 over stars rounded up to 4 Stars.
Everyone has heard of and talked about Balompie, so there’s no arguing their food is delicious. Our pupusas, once arrived, was oozing with cheese and the tortilla was of the perfect consistency and texture. So. Good.
We also ordered 2 enchiladas which came in an unexpected form. I suppose Salvadorian enchiladas aren’t wet, but instead sat on a crunchy crust kind of like a tostada? In any case, the chicken enchiladas were excellent! Also excellent was the Ox Tail Stew plate with rice, bleans. The ox tail was tender and flavorful and swam in the most melodic tomato-​y sauce. Perfect to eat with the rice and beans.
But I don’t know if this is okay, but I don’t think a 50 minute wait on a late Saturday lunch (12:30pm ish when we got there) is justifiable for ANY restaurant. There were many cooks, cleaners, hosts. all walking back and forth looking occupied, but not super busy. We grew hungrier and hungrier… to a point it was starting to be irritating. So be forewarned about potentially waiting eons for your orgasmic food.

If you don’t know what a Pupusa is, it’s a traditional salvadorian dish made of corn tortilla stuffed with a combination of cheese, veggies, or meats. I had no idea what a pupusa was until my friend told me I had to try it from Balompie and PayPal was offering a deal so I had no excuse not to try it.
I ordered the Super Vegeteriana since it was posted in a picture and Cherylynn said get this! And I got the chicharron and queso. They’re made fresh to order so it does take some time for your pupusas to be made. But when you get them fresh and hot off the grill, it’s amazing. The cheese is all gooey as you bite through the soft fluffy corn tortilla. I’m not a big fan of the pickled veggies but that salsa or sauce they give is delish!
I’ve always ordered it to go and it took about 15 – 20 mins for it to be ready. But you can call in your order to make less wait time. I would like to dine in sometime and they have beers on tap and tvs to compliment your meal and dining experience.
Staff was friendly and helpful in trying to get our order completed asap.
Parking can be a pain in the area as your only options are on mission st or in the residential areas. But it’s not as bad as downtown.

If you google the word Café, it’s defined as:
ca·fe, kafā, k-​/​
Noun: café; plural noun: cafes; noun: café; plural noun: cafés
1.small restaurant selling light meals and drinks.
But Balompie is much more than a simple café, it’s a fabulous pupuseria on Mission Street. The restaurant is clean and fairly large for a pupuseria. Service was friendly and fairly quick. We ordered:
Revuelta pupusa: can’t go wrong with the traditional pork and cheese combo.
Steak and cheese pupusa: the cool thing at Balompie is they will pretty much make any type of meat including seafood pupusas you desire. The steak and cheese was tasty.
Along with that I ordered rice and refried beans which completed the meal. So for a really good «pupuseria» or should I say a «El Salvadorian Café», Balompie is an excellent option.

My hairdresser referred me to this spot a few months ago and I was floored with the quality of their fabulous pupusas, platanos con frijoles, crema AND it comes with queso fresco!!! The frijoles are SOOO delicious. Everything tastes just like the restaurants from Santa Tecla, El Salvador!!! Come check it out. I am REALLY picky, believe me!