Cancel

Open app

Search

Balompié Cafe #1

3.9 (774 reviews)
Closed 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

Order Balompié Cafe #1 Takeout or Delivery

Balompié Cafe #1 Photos

Business Info

BALOMPIÉ CAFE #1 ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - Balompié Cafe #1

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Nancy T.

Menu has changed just a little. Had to ask for their combo with pupusa's and tamale. The tamales got smaller for sure but maybe it was an off day? The pupusa still hit !

Piece of pubusa, dipped in, they're red sauce that has a cockroach in it.
Ramsey A.

Yeah, I ordered 2 pupusas, finish one. Then yeah, upon further inspection found that there was a cockroach in the last papusa. It's it sucks, that they had Insect issues there because the food was okay. It's pretty good..

Number 1 breakfast with Casamiento
Claudine R.

I've had breakfast here two times. The food is good, servings are a little smaller and service can be a tad slow. Both times I came in (Sunday and Saturday mornings), it seemed like there were only 2 servers working. The service wasn't horribly slow but I notice the small wait. The portions are a little smaller for the price but the amount of food still fills me up. Regardless, this spot is worth trying. I'd like to come back and try other things than breakfast.

Loroco con Queso Pupusa
Nora F.

The service was great! Ambiance perfect too - not too loud, they have fútbol playing, draft beer, aguas frescas, and sangria too!! Unfortunately pupusas were super greasy compared to others. My friends said the same :/ Yucca and chicharrón were good! I did try the loroco por primera vez and loved it!

Pescado Frito
Thiri T.

We barely slipped in around closing time, and got the whole fried fish, fried yuca and chicharon, the jalapeño and ground pork pupusa, and the shrimp and cheese pupusa. As Yelp recommends, get the shrimp and cheese pupusa!! It was my favorite pupusa and it was super cheesy and yummy. Honestly, Balompie's pupusas are better than Panchitas. You should make that extra walk from the Bart station! We were really surprised by the fried fish and the fried yuca. The fried fish was really well seasoned, and the onions were on the sweeter side, but pickled. The onions suit the savory fish, and we liked how the rice was very umami. The rice was a bit undercooked. The fried yuca was very "umph" and it's the best fried yuca I've ever had. Both are must gets, especially that fish! The wait time can be a little long, but you can entertain yourself with some cheap beverages (;

pupusa
Cynthia S.

The food here is pretty good, but I honestly would probably not come back just because of the overall service and experience. I came on a weekday for lunch and there were a few parties seated there already, nothing crazy, and there was maybe one person in line in front of me to order. I only ordered two pupusas (a queso y loroco and a revuelta) and only after paying did the lady tell me it'd take about 25 minutes to come out, which surprised me but there was not much I could do and it wasn't that big of a deal. It ended up taking almost 45 minutes for just two pupusas, and only when I got home hungry and tired of waiting did I realize that they didn't even get my order right. They gave me a frijole pupusa instead of revuelta pupusa, which was really disappointing because I was really excited to try the revuelta. They were honestly both tasty (although extremely greasy), but I really can't justify coming here again if it means waiting for a crazy long time without notice and not even getting the right order. I even noticed as I was waiting that every single seated table also seemed to be waiting and had no food in front of them. Maybe ordering online is the way to go, because ordering there in person seemed inefficient and disorganized.

Mexicana y Queso pupusa
Fatty L.

Big ass pupusas! Warning it gets hot in the restaurant, sit by the open window. I've been here a handful of times over the years. It's incredibly full on weekends, especially if their is a match on. Recently popped in on a Thursday afternoon, it was rather empty. If you eat pupusas on a regular basis you know how long it takes to get them on your table. Having the place virtually to myself was great. Ordered the two pupusa plate. I had a revuelta, Mexicana with casamiento. Do not eat these if you are lactose intolerant, you will hurt yourself. Thankfully I am able to process lactose and ate the f*%k out of them. The revuelta was just as I remembered, hearty. This was the first time I ordered the Mexicana. It was stuffed with a stunning amount of cheese, super satisfying cheese pull. I love hot spicy foods, the jalapeño didn't kick, they were fresh not pickled jalapeños. I'm not a fan of ground meat but the ground pork in the Mexicana gave the pupusa a great texture contrast to the jalapeño bits and gooey cheese. Casimento was bland, I slathered it with red sauce and that made it pop. I would bring my Salvadoreña mother here, she'd love it but still find something to complain about.

Mary S.

Randomly found this place in the city. Ordered delivery to work. Food arrived HOT. We had bean & cheese, revuelta pupusas with plátanos and beans on the side. Flavor was delicious and the pupusas are stuffed with cheese. So tasty with tons of flavor. The overall prices are decent for Salvadoran food. I would definitely order from here again. Excuse the mediocre photos, I was so excited to try them that I forgot to get a good photo with all the fixings.

Chicken pupusa
Yassine F.

The food was ok, but the service was the worst I've ever experienced, I ordered a to go order and they made me wait over an hour and half for few pupusas, and I could clearly see that the priorities delivery orders that came through apps ( DoorDash and Uber eats) . The stuff was extremely rude and unprofessional I would never go back

Queso Pupusa
Colette J.

This place is great. They're probably one of the best pupusa restaurants in San Francisco. I always order from them on uber eats--I get 3 cheese pupusas. The wait time isn't too long, they're pretty quick with the food. And my food has never been delivered cold! You should go in person too, which I've done before as well. Parking might be a little hard to find so unless you live close by I'd recommend uber or lyft. It kind of reminds me of your classic neighborhood sports bar as they have a giant TV in the corner that normally plays soccer. The staff is really great too!

Not well cooked Bistec, hard rice and "salad" (just small portion of carrot.

I always thought this place had a bad costumer service. The only time I been here and loved it, is when Evelyn is around, always smiling and giving good vibes. I was here tonight with my family, they all loved pupusas but not the rest of the food, tiny portion, my bistec was under cooked, not well done like I asked, I got hard pieces of rice. I hope they change the workers, for someone that really likes to work and is happy to welcome people. I will be back for to go pupusas

See all

9 months ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 1

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ramsey A.
138
11
14

1 year ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of K. K.
0
59
8

1 year ago

Some of the best pupusa around. It's pretty far out of Mission Street but worth the drive.

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 1
Love this 1
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 months ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0
Photo of Fatty L.
0
43
233

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Anya Z.
29
29
14

2 years ago

Food was good, portions could've been bigger, especially considering the prices. I think my scrambled egg dish had only one egg

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1
Photo of reina c.
84
16
10

1 year ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 2

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 2
Love this 2
Oh no 0

1 year ago

Food is really good. But the empleoyes are ruee af. Need to be more nice. Like, my food is not for free

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Karla R.
97
48
39

2 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 1
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

2 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 24
Thanks 0
Love this 21
Oh no 0
Photo of Michael G.
76
61
136

2 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

I've been going here since I was born! Delicious, affordable, and always has a home-like/ authentic environment!

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 2
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

5 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

3 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

Page 1 of 20

Balompié Cafe #1 Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Balompié Cafe #1

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for Salvadoran 8,873 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Balompie Cafe No 3 - Popusas

Balompie Cafe No 3

4.1(506 reviews)
1.8 miBernal Heights
$$

One of the best spots in the city for pupusas, hands down. I'm not listening to the…read morenaysayers--these pupusas hit the perfect balance of cheese, beans, and pork. Other spots I'm eating masa. Unlike many places that serve greasy pupusas, these are nicely made and not greasy. We usually order takeout since the dining area is small unless you go early. Parking can be a headache, but I've always managed to snag a spot (knock on wood). The staff are friendly, and we always leave full and happy!

Here's a cIf I'm being honest, the only thing on their menu that lives up to any of the hype is the…read morepupusas. Everything else falls pretty flat. Even then, the pupusas are hit or miss. I'd give them about a 3.5 out of 5. On a good day, they come out with that perfect golden-brown finish. On a bad day, they look and taste undercooked to the point where I've had to throw them back on the stove at home just to make them edible. The ambiance doesn't do much to help. It's your typical Mission-style Latin restaurant, kind of sticky and worn-in, but in a way where you can't quite tell if it's part of the aesthetic or just a lack of upkeep. Now, let's get into why this leans closer to a one-star experience. The staff consistently come off like they'd rather be anywhere else. They don't smile and often come across as rude. Timing is basically a suggestion here. If you place a takeout order, plan well ahead, at least 45 to 60 minutes before pickup. Every single time I've called, I've been told 25 to 30 minutes, only to arrive and wait another 15 to 20 minutes. Without fail. And in a neighborhood where parking is already a headache, with limited meters and tight timing, you'll feel that delay. Your patience will absolutely be tested. Don't say I didn't warn you. Update: Today's order included a hit inside the cheese mixture of the Pupusas. Disgusting.

Photos
Balompie Cafe No 3 - Beverage station behind the counter

Beverage station behind the counter

Balompie Cafe No 3 - Slaw and salsa

Slaw and salsa

Balompie Cafe No 3 - Made fresh!

See all

Made fresh!

Estrellita’s Snacks - Bean and cheese pupusa

Estrellita’s Snacks

4.8(26 reviews)
1.6 miTenderloin

I've been going to Estrellita's since they were in the stall at the La Cocina space in the…read moreTenderloin (forget what that was called). My first visit there I wasn't sold on their pupusas but when their brick and mortar location here opened up I went again to see how it was since I love pupusas and now they are in my regular rotation. The space is big and service is friendly with the free coffee (which I don't actually drink since I'm not a coffee guy). While it's not the fastest, the food is terrific so I am fine waiting for my delicious pupusas! I usually get the pork, bean and cheese pupusas which are really good but mixed it up last time and got the jalapeno and cheese ones but felt like there wasn't quite enough cheese in those so I'll prob just go back to the pork, bean and cheese ones since they seem more balanced. I also love both Balompie locations for pupusas if you need a reference on the types that I like.

I had the pork and cheese pupusa and it was BOMB. what makes it even better is that you hear the…read moreslapping sounds of them making pupusas fresh in the back. a single pupusa is $6 and generously sized. the server told me pupusas are only $4.50 on Fridays! on top of all this, you can get a free cup of coffee when dining in. yes this place is nestled in the tenderloin, but the food and service is worth it, and the bathroom is surprisingly clean

Photos
Estrellita’s Snacks
Estrellita’s Snacks - Bean and cheese pupusa

Bean and cheese pupusa

Estrellita’s Snacks

See all

El Salvador Restaurant

El Salvador Restaurant

3.9(117 reviews)
0.1 miMission
$

Alright so I had a friend that wanted to try this place and I was like let's gooooo! This was my…read moresecond time coming here and wow... every single time they swing for the fences and knock it clean out of the park. The pupusas here are out of this world. I got the bean and cheese and the cheese and jalapeño and both were absolute flavor bombs. The outside had that perfect golden crisp while the inside was warm, soft, and packed with cheesy goodness. That homemade taste hits like comfort food poetry -- the kind that makes you pause mid-bite and just appreciate the moment. Each pupusa felt like a little edible hug straight from someone's family kitchen. This place is a true mom and pop gold mine tucked right into the Mission. The people here are so friendly and so hospitable it honestly felt like I walked into my grandparents' house for Sunday dinner. Warm smiles, welcoming energy, and food made with the kind of care you can taste in every bite. The restaurant itself is clean, organized, and full of that authentic neighborhood charm. Nothing flashy, just honest food that speaks for itself -- and trust me, it speaks loud. Now this is the Mission District so parking is basically a city sport. Park wherever you can and then walk, jog, or straight up power march to this place. Because once those pupusas hit the table, the smell alone will have you feeling like you struck culinary gold. The food here isn't just good... it's the kind of good that lingers in your memory long after the plate is empty. And when I'm back in the city, best believe I'll be following that pupusa trail right back here again.

Honestly these hit the spot. I paid like $9.34 including tax for 2 pupusas. They were GENEROUS and…read moreso delicious. I got revueltas. I absolutely loved the flavor inside and they left me full for so long. The lady was really nice and she was very sweet. The curtido was also very tasty and the tomato sauce (salsa roja) was perfect. Overall I really enjoyed my dish! The restaurant inside is nice and clean.

Photos
El Salvador Restaurant
El Salvador Restaurant - Dry, rock hard pupusas

Dry, rock hard pupusas

El Salvador Restaurant - Fish soup

See all

Fish soup

Balompié Cafe #1 - salvadoran - Updated May 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...