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Kababayan

3.8 (87 reviews)
Open 9:00 am - 6:00 pm

Kababayan Photos

Business Info

KABABAYAN ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Divey
Moderate noise
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Kababayan

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The bomb.com of filipino foods
Tom S.

The is always great, especially me being half filipino. Me and a friend went here today 5-5-2025,for cinco de mayo. We decided instead of Mexican food, let's have filipino food and our choice was the best choice.

a kitchen with a television and a refrigerator
Ron G.

tl;dr solid cheap food + variety for lunch Kababayan Cafe, located in the heart of the Mission District, is a place that could easily be overlooked due to its inconspicuous nature. It's a fundamental hole in the wall joint, run by just a solitary person - a potential setback for those in a hurry, but ensuring a meticulous execution of each dish. The restaurant, despite its humble appearance, offers generous servings of food without putting a significant dent in your pocket. My hearty plate that was basically just meat was just $12. Depending on the day of your visit, the menu varies. On my stop in, the pancit noodles had good texture but fell a bit short on flavor. The sisig was flavorful but suffered slightly from the chewiness of the pork. While the individual dining atmosphere might turn off some, those who appreciate solitude in their culinary adventures will find it to their liking. The service is mostly run by 1 person so you go up to the counter and order nand there's not much else - so good if you're going in-n-out for lunch. Kababayan Cafe lacks the Instagrammable vibe we often seek out, and it may be a bit better on price/quality point in Daly City in terms of quality, but it's certainly not a venue to write off and is very solid for a Mission Lunch spot and offers a hard-to-find variety of Filipino food in SF (compared to Inion city/Daly city).

Johnny V.

one of my favorite go-to small filipino shops in sf! - food is quick, served fast food style (like chipotle), and the prices are even better (huge plus) unfortunately, they were short on balut when we came by, but we still ended up being satisfied with our meal. - the worker there was super helpful with recommendations and was quite friendly! - ambiance wasn't amazing, they do have spots to sit down but it's more of a 'grab & go' type of spot. parking situation was a bit difficult as it's in a busy area as well. all-in-all though, very satisfied with what they offer here at Kababayan. i'll be back the next time i'm in SF. :)

Ginger chicken soup w/ what tasted like kugua (chinese pronunciation, bitter squash) and spinach
Daniel B.

Great neighborhood lunch spot. The chicken soup was on hitters. It was a light homemade soup without noticeable amounts of MSG, just like my wife cooks. Perfect ratio of ginger and seasoning to broth and soft, lovely chicken flavor. Served with bone in and a bitter squash that really adds to the flavor of the soup. I've been looking for a clear broth soup like this for 6 years since we moved to SF. Finally! The other dishes I got were ok, too. Nothing special, but juicy and good. The pancit noodles had a great texture but lacked in flavor. I also prefer thinner noodles. The sisig was juicy and flavorful, but the pork was a bit chewy. Both dishes were ok, and I'd have them on the side with the soup again. I would recommend this place if you're in the area, or if you're like me and have been craving a light, clear broth soup but are too lazy to cook it yourself. Of course, it seems like this place kind of just makes whatever dishes they feel like on any given day (e.g., today no lumpia), so not guarantee it will be there if you make the trek across town. In any case, this is a great little spot with no fuss. One of the main reasons this place does not get 5 stars is because $13 for a 2-item box and small soup seems pretty steep. I have leftovers for tomorrow. While affordable, this place is not truly cheap. And that's really kind of what it would need to make up for the otherwise unappealing restaurant vibe, i.e., no one who ordered in front of me stayed to eat inside. Not a perfect place, but I'll definitely be back. Happy eating!

My chicken adobo pieces were mostly bones.
Mz J.

The pancit is good and the longanisa ($1.75 each) as well as the sisig is very good. My chicken adobo pieces were mostly bones. Skip the dinuguan as it had too much vinegar. I haven't tried to balut yet. Not sure if I will be back.

Mmmm
Gil M.

Once you accept that this place is one of those old school hole in the walls that doesn't focus on aesthetics, you can appreciate the quality of the food. I am very hard on Filipino restaurants knowing how to cook dishes to my liking. But this place has the taste that I love! I have ordered their Filipino breakfasts, lumpia, bistek, sinigang, and chicken curry. All these so far has satisfied more then to my expectations. The service is good. There are a couple Filipino restaurants near by, but for this area, Kababayan is the one! Catch up on Filipino pop culture or news from The Filipino Channel while eating your meal. TFC is on all day! So if you ever find yourself in the Mission district of San Francisco craving Filipino food, I recommend coming here. Happy Yelping and stay hungry adventurous!

Filipino Home Cooking
Rudy H.

stumble upon a Filipino hole in the wall restaurant while I was walking on the Mission. I ordered ala carte of two items (Pork Menudo & Dinuguan) with a dessert (Halo-Halo). this is a place to get some Filipino food if you don't want to go to the Tenderloin or Daly City. not bad, but the menu is a bit confusing.

Skiidoz H.

Wasn't that friendly !! Couldn't explain what was inside of the Sausage but that it was Pork.. I really feel customers should be able to sample ideas to ensure the taste is correct when the viewing of the food doesn't look that pleasant !! Especially when the Food is sitting out .. After Purchasing & Tasting the Food : It was very dry (sausages) and tasted Old!! I asked for some juice from the sausages tray on my rice I received None .

Pork with coconut + shrimp base and rice for $5.99 and karioka for $2... With Filipino drama in the background
Sally L.

Hole in the wall Filipino restaurant in the Mexican-dominant Mission district. Given my obsession with Filipino food and not wanting to go down to Daly City, I gave Kababayan a shot. The options are rather limited and didn't seem very fresh when I went at 5pm on a weekday. I wanted the kare kare but unfortunately they didn't have it that day. I opted for another pork dish that was coconut+shrimp paste based and it tasted ok - would not order again. I also got the karioka - which I LOVED at Fil-Am - but here, it tasted a day old and was too hard. There were a lot of blue collar solo diners, so everyone kind of just eats in peace. Not somewhere you bring your friends. The lady was super nice and patiently explained what every dish was and helped me pick one I would like. Prices are average for the area but overpriced for the quality. So if you have time, I'd definitely recommend venturing to Daly City for your Filipino fix.

Manny F.

I needed some food and figured that some adobo might hit the spot. The lady that served the food glared at me the whole time and then went from handling food to handling money and then back to food with no glove or hand washing in between. It's cheap but not very good.

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9 years ago

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17 years ago

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19 years ago

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11 years ago

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15 years ago

I got a BBQ chicken on a stick and rice. It was delicious and it cost around four dollars. The food is great and it's cheap.

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14 years ago

the cashier always remembers what i get and shes vry nice. i love their buto

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Ask the Community - Kababayan

Are they open for business anymore?

yes they are but open mainly during the day

Does anyone know if this place closed? Walked past it yesterday and today and it wasn't open :(

They were closed over the weekend also, but the last time I was there was probably a week and a half ago and there was no sign that they were closing down. I’m hoping they are just on vacation🙏🏽🙏🏽.

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Smokin D’s BBQ

Smokin D’s BBQ

4.0(185 reviews)
3.5 miOuter Sunset
$$

I ordered the brisket sandwich and a corn muffin. The…read morebrisket sandwich was absolutely delicious and went well with some leftover baked beans I hade made. The corn muffin is perfectly made and delicious. I am stuffed but can't wait to order again.

3x I went 2 hours before they closed and SOLD OUT ! They WILL NOT ANSWER THE FLIPPN PHONE !! so you…read morecan't find out if they are SOLD OUT. I finally tried one more time. The BBQ brisket was not so good. I ask the cook for lean brisket and was given 30% fat From 1/2 lb . Payed for extra pickles and got 4 small pieces in it to go cup. The staff really acts like they don't care. No personality made to order from a computer screen. With a staff standing there, playing on their phones. Small amount of sauce. The banana pudding was good, but didn't have very much flavor. But I could tell they made the effort to make it a special dessert. Mac & cheese was OK. But wouldn't order it again. I live in the neighborhood and found them through a TikTok video. Really sad they can't run the restaurant like adults. Adult restaurant tours answer the phone adult restaurant tours have enough food to sell at least 30 minutes before closing. Adult restaurant tours make sure their customer happy. The place is run by children. I've spent 25 years in the restaurant industry and cannot understand the way this place is run. Was really hoping to find a good barbecue place in SF . This one is not IT

Photos
Smokin D’s BBQ - Seating

Seating

Smokin D’s BBQ - OG Brisky Bao | IG: lisaeatsf

OG Brisky Bao | IG: lisaeatsf

Smokin D’s BBQ - Smac S'mac-N-Cheese w Brisket  | IG: lisaeatsf

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Smac S'mac-N-Cheese w Brisket | IG: lisaeatsf

Yakiniq

Yakiniq

3.3(1.8k reviews)
2.3 miJapantown, Lower Pacific Heights
$$$

YakiniQ really said "leave hungry? never heard of her."…read more Pulled up with my homie Jun because this man treated me to lobster last time and you already know... Asians keep receipts but in a wholesome way We don't split love, we rotate blessings. For $49.99/person, this AYCE Korean BBQ was straight violating my self-control. The short ribs?? HELLA BUSSIN. Like actually criminal. Every bite had me ascending like a TikTok food review in 4K. Meat so juicy I almost stood up and thanked the cow personally. The grill smoke got us smelling like seasoned warriors walking outta there but honestly worth it. Staff kept the meats coming faster than my auntie asking why I'm still single. And let me put y'all onto some elite Chinese vocabulary real quick: "好吃到舔手指" (hǎo chī dào tiǎn shǒu zhǐ) = "so good you lick your fingers." That's EXACTLY the vibe. Finger-licking good fr fr. YakiniQ got me fighting for my life, unbuttoning my pants in the parking lot, and already planning my return. 10/10. No crumbs left. Their "Red Hot" peanut sauce is the carry here - no doubt. Highly recommend with my utmost respectful regards!

Came here last night to celebrate a friend's birthday. Had poor experiences at the Livermore…read morelocation in the past, so wasnt really expecting much from this spot either. Granted we were a bit late for our reservation, we ended up having to wait another 30-40 mins. The place (2nd floor) is small & awkward. We were all cramped waiting on the stairway and the actual seating area is also fairly small for a busy KBBQ place/big parties. The 8 of us squeezed into a booth with 2 chairs on the side. You can also feel whenever the table next to us got up and stomped/yelled/moved in their chairs-- which was really often. The basic AYCE menu is fairly limited-- esp for the side options. The marinated meats were pretty good as was the tteokbokki. Side & meat portions were alright, but the kicker is having to flag down staff to make sure they put in the order & bring it out. We asked for japchae about 5 times before it actually reached our table towards the end of our meal. The server/manager also told us that he had accidentally brought out 2 bottles of soju for us and that he'd COMP 1 bottle. We didnt notice that he had actually charged us for 2 and comped/subtracted a "third" one. So none were really comped at all. I just realized after we paid and that felt really sketchy. Idk if it's worth coming back here.

Photos
Yakiniq - Short ribs

Short ribs

Yakiniq
Yakiniq - Seafood pancake

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Seafood pancake

Fikscue Craft BBQ - 2 Dino Ribs, 2 beef back ribs, one sausage

Fikscue Craft BBQ

4.3(314 reviews)
9.9 mi

Ambiance - 5/5 Walking in I didn't have much expectation…read more But as I step foot into the place. I was fascinated but the wall art. The street art vibe with the cartoon style character. Super awesome. The kitchen is wide open. Everything was super clean and well put together. Service - 5/5 Great recommendations from the staff. The house slaw and banana pudding were clearly popular choices, and they definitely knew what they were doing when guiding the order. I told them it's my first time. These were what they recommended me. One of the staff actually gave a piece of brisket to try. Very nice of them to give a free sample before I order so I know what I'm expecting. Food - 4.5/5 Dish Ordered: Dino Rib, Brisket ( 1/2 lb), House Slaw, Banana Pudding 5/5 Dino Rib Wow. This was the highlight. The meat was unbelievably tender--every single part of it. Usually with ribs, especially the upper portions, you get some toughness or dryness depending on how it's smoked. Not here. This one was melt-in-your-mouth soft, juicy throughout, and you could practically pull it apart effortlessly. The seasoning was perfect--balanced, not too salty, not bland, just right. Every bite hit. 4/5 Brisket ( 1/2 lb) About two slices. Visually, it looked great--nice color, juicy, with a solid fatty portion. But after eating the Dino rib, it felt a bit underwhelming. Still good, just didn't hit as hard flavor-wise. Might be better appreciated on its own next time. 5/5 House Slaw This paired extremely well with the meat. Sweet, tangy, and refreshing. The hint of peanuts adds a nice nutty layer that makes it stand out. It cuts through the richness of the meat perfectly. 5/5 Banana Pudding Not your typical pudding--it's more like a banana cake. The sweetness not too overwhelming, smells amazing, and just hits the spot. A great way to finish the meal. Additional Comments The Dino rib alone makes this place worth it. It sets a very high bar, which honestly makes everything else feel secondary. The best Rib I have ever had in my life so far. Important thing to note is that the rib will be weighed. I don't think you can ask to get the portion you want like you can with the brisket. My Dino rib came out to be 1.6lb. The sides and dessert complement the meal really well and round out the experience. Price is bit is definitely in the higher end but the experience is definitely worth it.

Son wanted to try so we are here…read more The line was long, the selection limited but the taste was good. There were many big orders, likely for parties. A $300 order can fit nicely into a regular paper grocery bag with room to spare, so make sure your wallet is mentally prepared so it does not go into shock. We had a sandwich. A pound of brisket and some baby back. My advice... unless you really want to suck the gravy off the bones or want to bring gift to your canine friend, don't get anything with bones as everything is by weight and I don't know about you, I can't chew on the bones. After close to $80, I had some meat off the rib and a piece of brisket, and craving some instant noodles ... The place is very transactional and noisy. But that is how it should be with a busy place where majority of orders are to-go.

Photos
Fikscue Craft BBQ
Fikscue Craft BBQ - Chicken balado plate, Beef rendang plate and Their famous brisket.

Chicken balado plate, Beef rendang plate and Their famous brisket.

Fikscue Craft BBQ - The line 30 mins before they opened.

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The line 30 mins before they opened.

Kababayan - filipino - Updated May 2026

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