Balompié: The Best El Salvadorian Restaurant in the Bay Area?
Written by Daniel Galvez ‘27
Many things contribute to the culture of a city. Languages, values, and religion are part of making a culture, but the biggest contributor to making a culture is the people. People fill places with life and make cities what they are known to be. The restaurant Balompié, located in San Francisco’s Mission District, was made through passion and love from generations of a family and is still one of the best places to eat El Salvadorian food in the Bay. The owner’s son, Amadeo Figueroa, explained, “It brings people together to eat the Salvadorian style of dishes brought from El Salvador to the Bay Area.”
Balompié, established in 1988 on 18th Street by Amadeo Figueroa Gonzalez, has been a staple of the Mission District since its birth. Before the Balompié we know today, it was to be a local sandwich shop run by Gonzalez, until he decided he wanted to bring a Salvadorian style to San Francisco. This is how Balompié came to be. Gonzalez hired a few employees to address the sudden popularity of his store. One remodel later, Balompié became a restaurant we are more familiar with today.
Balompié’s fame is held by the incredible food exclusive to the restaurant. Not many places can rival the fresh food that Balompié offers. Pupusas are the national dish of El Salvador, and the best pupusas in the Bay are made in Balompié. Even though they are simple, their pupusa masa dough is beautifully hand-made. Amadeo Figueroa said, “It introduces people to my culture’s food and makes me proud of who I am.” With thirteen options to pick from, you will never get tired of the pupusa filling. My favorite is the bean and cheese pupusa because those beans are the most flavorful beans I have had in a long time. There is undoubtedly a wide variety, from pork, cheese, and beans to zucchini, spinach, and cheese. Balompié’s horchata is nothing to look over either. I may be biased because it tastes like my grandmother’s recipe, but it’s still top quality.
As the owner’s son, Amadeo Figueroa said, “It introduces people to my culture’s food and makes me proud of who I am. To me, it’s a way of showing my gratitude to the customers, the people around me, and the city for what it has given me. The city let the small sandwich shop flower into a beautiful family-owned restaurant, and my family owes the city our success.” Restaurants like Balompié are the ones that define our culture. Local businesses like Balompié help the community by supplying people with jobs for the people residing in the area. Balompié gives us a sense of community and helps our community thrive by supporting local businesses.
