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Category: Latin American [Edit]
Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
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from the moment i set foot into this place, i absolutely fell in love with salvadorean food. then why the 4 stars you ask? because...unfortunately, i've found a better place for pupusas...right down the block at balompie. but...the curtido here at la santaneca is sooooo much better. it leaves me torn!
the texture of the pupusas was just not what i remember from a couple of years ago...it was rubbery today. i don't remember them being like that. the service here has always been great...they're quick, efficient, and the atmosphere is just super friendly. i've taken quite a few peeps here...and no one has ever left disappointed.
even though we are torn between the 2 places...i will never forget my pupusa roots. la santaneca...i will be back...and this time, i will hope that my pupusas aren't so rubbery.
I've been to El Salvador. This is my go-to Salvadorian restaurant in the city. The pupusas are very tasty and the curtido is finely chopped and perfect for topping. The sopa de camaron is to die for. You can tell this place is authentic because this place is always crowded with Salvadorians. Whole extended families come to this place!
The only reason I won't give them the fifth star is because the service is sometimes lacking. Even on a relatively un-busy night, it's sometimes hard to get the attention of the wait staff. They are usually chatting it up with other patrons and don't realize others need attention as well. But that's common here because they have so many regulars and customers-turned-friends coming in.
I can't comment on the Mexican food here as I've never tried it. That would be stupid. It's a Salvadorian restaurant.
I've never tried nor heard of Salvadorian food before but wow, I am so glad that we randomly decided on a whim to try this place after a local's recommendation!
Totally hole in the wall place where families and true Salvadorians go, so its not surprising that the food was awesome. I had a plate of mashed beans and rice served with eggs and plantains, and it was sooo good. Kinda simple but delicious none the less. Definitely try this place!
Pupusas were really yummy! A co-worker told me that her mom doesn't like bought food, yet she goes here all the time! Cooked to order and served with veggies, my friend and I went there on a winter evening. Cheerful lights and simple homey atmosphere.
They're open late into the night on the weekends, so if you're in the neighborhood, you can swing by and get some.
I love this place! Cheap, great food, with friendly service. I love how no-frills the atmosphere is. There's a jukebox in the corner that plays Spanish music, and tons of happiness and yum to go around. Plus, it's open late and near my house! I love the cheese in these pupusas - definitely the best I've had yet in the city. Delicious.
Being Salvadorian, I'm always in good search of Salvadorian food! This place is off the hook. We come here all the time and know the ppl that work here, they're awesome!!! Very friendly place and the pupusas are always great!
Even after a long night they're opened till 3 am.
I have a friend who lives in San Salvador...When he flies up to San Francisco, he wants nothing more than...a pupusa. Every time! His flight gets in after midnight, so we usually end up at El Zocalo. One time we mixed it up and hit La Santaneca. He was suspicious - it was empty at 1:15 - but then people starting rolling in and it was packed by 2.
Oh, how was the food? Only OK. We returned to El Zocalo the next time he was in town.
They make the best fresh pupusas I ever had. love the zucchini, the queso con loroco and the chicken. Just thinking about it makes me want to go there again. They have bomb tamales too. And their plates are great, but I always get full with pupusas before I can get a plate.
The restaurant is small and friendly. Every time I go there they are crowded with families, unless you go late at night.
I'm sure this place is worthy of a four, if not five, but I made the mistake of not trying the pupusas. We stopped here Sunday evening, barely beating the rain, and snagged a booth near the kitchen. This cozy restaurant was not cramped despite the small size. The chips were fresh and not too salty, and the salsa had a nice hint of lime with a kick to follow.
Having had homemade pupusas the night before, I decided on the "crab" enchilada.... BIG mistake (1 star for the "crab" enchilada). This Salvadorean dish was served with beans, rice, salad and one "crab" enchilada, or so I thought. Now don't get me wrong, I was not expecting a 5-star fancy schmancy crab enchilada, BUT I was also not expecting a tortilla stuffed with what should be an illegal amount of imitation crab. They should have an asterisk, footnote, disclaimer, something warning you. I've had real crab enchiladas elsewhere and they were good, and made with the real stuff. I'm not completely opposed to imitation, but a little goes a long way and this was too much. Blah, the thought of that first bite is enough to make me nauseous.
The beans and rice were tasty and the rest of my group enjoyed their pupusas, so I'm not giving up on this place. I'll be back to try the pupusas. Inexpensive. Service was not bad. Sucks that the only accept cash though.
I visited my all-time favorite pupusa shop today and it was a fabulous experience!
You never go wrong when you go to THE SANTANECA!
They don't just sell salvaddorean food but also mexican food so you can satisfy all your latin cravings!
As ususal, I ordered my favorite pupusas de queso and pupusas revueltas! They was of course, delicious & amazing! And they have such reasonable prices: $1.40 for a pupusa!
When you are in the mood for some good Salvadorean or Mexico food, make sure to stop at THE SANTANECA!!! If you don't wait to eat there, just call and they will have your order ready! CALL: 415-648-1034!
La Santaneca has the best great Salvadorian food and prices in San Francisco! They have been in… Read more »
Thank God for La Santaneca.
I came here a while ago for a graduation dinner. When you come out of the car, you kinda wonder what kind of restaurant you are at. It's simple, very discreet, not necessarily what you would expect for a big graduation dinner. Don't let the decor put you off though, the food is beyond amazing.
I don't know what we ordered because my cousin pre odered everything before we arrived. But let me tell you, the food was some of the best Latin food I have ever had. Honest. I know we ordered a lot of different dishes, so don't be scared, try it all.
my bf and i decided to try a local place that makes pupusas. with the help of yelp, we decided on a place 1.5 miles away from home. this was all on a whim since we went to the glen park flea market earlier in the day and had some street pupusas that were really greasy and good!!!
in comparison to the street pupusas these were okay. the shell of the pupusa at the restaurant was much thicker and had a real smoky flavor which kinda took away flavor from the filling. we had 3 mixed pupusas [$1.40 each] and a chorizo soup [$7.50ish], and a refreshing mixed fruit drink. the mixed pupusas consisted of beans, cheese, and some pork i think. the chorizo soup was very good. the mixed fruit drink with chunks of fruit was really really good =)
not a bad deal for dinner but we're going to have to search for another pupusa place in the meantime.
It's been a while since I've eaten here, but I've been itching to go back. All I can really remember were the pupusas. Man, those are yummy. I believe I had a chicken entree afterward, but it wasn't as memorable, and I suspect it's because I filled up on pupusas before eating. (They gave me more than I was expecting, especially considering how inexpensive they are.)
I also recall that horchata here is very different the Mexican kind. It almost tasted a little coffee-like. Still pleasant.
I'll probably add to this review after I visit again...and I definitely will visit again.
after seeing a bunch of open houses in bernal the wifey and i had a hankering for pupusas. ty yelp mobile app for helping me find this gem!
i ordered two mixed pupusas (pork and cheese) with rice and beans. comfort food at its finest, service was pretty top notch too :)
I am not from El Salvador but last year, I had the REAL pupusas in El Salvador...went to Los Planes and had the ones in the stands near the airport and now I feel that I have officiallly tasted a good pupusa. Til then I just thought pupusas here in SF were good. Na ah...not til I went to SAL and then I tried this place. I had the pupusa with zucchini (my fav) and the family had the ones with cheese, mixed, etc....OK this place is now MY #1 place for pupusas! They open late...til 3am on weekends....now I know where to go when I want some really good pupusas. Hubby had the pan con pavo...the sauce was great! I orded the chilate...nah! Going to stick to the ones from over there! These are boiled and I like those fried. Going to work on trying out the rest of the menu. Oh this place for Mexican...not a place for Mexican food. Def not!
My first time having the cheese & mixed pupusas and homemade cocoa horchatas. Mmm, i`m definitely a FOODIE by nature and to all cultural delights!! i'm a FAN :)
Don't let Yelp fool you; this place specializes Salvadorian food, not Mexican. We made the trek up Mission to get some papusas, and I was definitely not disappointed. La Santaneca delivered some amazing pork and cheese goodness, next to some of the best refried beans I've tasted. The saltiness was just right, and I walked out a very happy and full camper.
It's a little out of the way, but worth a visit.
Yeah, that's right. 5 stars.
All five stars go straight to the pupusas.
In no way am I giving stars to the ambiance (white icicle light alllllll year round), or the safe feeling of the neighborhood.
But for $1.40, you really can't beat it. Pupusa revuelta (mixed) sorta rocks my world. Stina ordered some to-go, for breakfast!
$1.40 for a DELICIOUS pupusa!
Go, and try a few of them: cheese, mixed, meat....YUM! They're sorta…
Read more »
Unique. Warm. Homey
The Mamey drink deserves a 5 star. It's this Salvadorian citrus drink that immediately quenches my thirsts.
Pupusas- warm, lightly toasted authentic goodness that sits really well with my stomach. They have vegetarian pupusas for 2 which is perfect for an economical date. These pupusas are not greasy at all, they are finger-licking food.
I definitely want to come back and try some of their Mexican dishes. Any suggestions? My vegetarianism kinda limits my choices.
The topic of SF's best pupusas has been of great debate among my circle of friends lately. Everyone has an argument defending their spot but in the end, it comes down to Balompie, El Zocalo and La Santaneca.
I came here recently, seemingly for the first time. But as we grabbed the table against the wall near the entrance, flashbacks of a cold, wet, drunken night replayed in my mind.
Ah yes, the seat right by the foggy window. I remember now.
It was here that my buddy Mooch suggested we go after a round of bar hopping.
"Better than El Zocalo", he claimed.
That night, and the dining experience that followed, was a blur. So, in a way, this really was my first time here. Our server gave us menus but they weren't needed. I knew exactly what I wanted - pork and cheese pupusas, two of em por favor.
No more than five minutes after taking our order, my pupusas came piping hot. Served with a side of hot sauce and whatever that pickled coleslaw looking stuff is, at $1.50 a pop it really can't be beat. As soon as I cut into it, cheese was gushing out. Taking a bite however, I noticed the tortilla was dough-y and seemed a bit undercooked.
Ok, it's starting to come back...Patron shots, losing my voice, undercooked pupusa.
This is the drawback of La Santaneca. I'm no expert when it comes to these things so maybe that's the "authentic" way of doing it. But I like the way El Zocalo cooks em to be honest. There, you can see the charring on the tortillas which gives it a firm and slight crispy texture. Fortunately, the pork inside was awesome and saved the entire meal from complete failure.
Two down, one to go. El Zocalo is in the lead right now. Balompie is literally across the street and will be the next destination when my stomach calls for pupusas.
...La Santaneca...Balompie Cafe...hmmm...that's a hard one...
BUT...La Santaneca WAS my first experience eating pupusas...and they DO have the habanero sauce that's actually spicy...not like that tapatio ish! and...they have mr. valdez...who's secretly crushin' on my friend! =D...hmmm...i don't think you can go wrong wherever you go...it all depends on where you and your pupusa appetite are!
Best pupusas I've ever had. So affordable. Platanos plate so delish.
The food here is top notch. Nothing like hearing the sound of pupusas being shaped in the kitchen right after you order them....so fresh! My hub and I had a huge amount of food for around $14, so you can't beat that. Wish they served beer - that's my only complaint, as a cold beer would have been awesome with my meal.
I love the place!
They have the best papusas I've ever tasted. My friends from El Salvador recommended this place to me. I've been told that this is as closest to real authentic Salvadorian food you can get in San Francisco.
The papusas was perfectly cheesy & greasy! :)
That is the way I like it! :)
The service is really good and the people that run the place are very friendly people. You can't go wrong eating here.
Not all I figured this would be.
Pupusas were just okay in my opinion, however the price was superb.
Tamale was great, probably best i've tasted.
Chicken, dry...just dry as hell.
Everything else is about average.
Not super expensive but not super great food, its just average to me.
Located way down Mission, we arrived at this little eatery with super high hopes. After reading the great reviews, we narrowed down our Pupusaria choice to Santaneca.
I'm sad to say that the food and experience was just oook for me. The platanos weren't as caramelized as I'd liked, the Pupusas were just ok, and the brown horchata was a strange surprise. It was decent though and we did clean our plates!
Would we come back? Probably not... I've had better.
Luckily I had great company and we got the nicest seat in the house, next to the caged window that looked out to the busy streets of the Mission District. :P
Read the reviews, went and convinced another yelper to go, but I wasn't all that flattered with the experience. Pupusas were good, but not where I would rate theirs better than the other pupusas I've tasted {comparing this with Chalateco.} So the rate was hovering at around 3 stars.
I've never tasted a chocolate milk horchata. I'm still a little indecisive from rating it 3 or 4 stars. 4 for the uniqueness, but 3 for the taste. I guess you just have to get used to it. I kinda miss the little gravilly texture from the white/puti horchata. That's just me. That's the horchata i know with a little chewing invovled LOL.
So the experience was at a 3, but then after getting my left knee introduced to the bottom of the table, I got a little suprise hello from something stick below. My jeans were stuck for a sec and was curious to WTF was under there. I pulled it out and BAM, there it was pre-chewed gum. Had to go and wash the hands and was pretty grossed out.
p.s. The table beside the window was pretty cool / romantic / chill except for the metal bars in between the table and the view.
A late night hot spot in the mission. Hope you brought your patience if you come by after 100am. Pupusas are mighty fine here. Super hot. Super fresh. Super good. Omnivores, go for the mixed. It has beans, cheeese, and chicken or pork. You also need to try the platanos, frijoles, y crema. Who would've thought fried plantains would go well with refried black beans and sour cream.
Everything here is fresh and made to order and their pupusas are the best in the city. It's worth it to stay and eat at the restaurant as they lose something on the trip home. Their beans and rice are realy good too. enjoy!
I've found the perfect combo for after drinking meals at like 2am in the morning. a papusa and a tamale....its perfect and all under $4.
I had me a cheese papusa and a chicken tamale last night and it was gooooood. Hit that spot, you know what i'm talking about, that empty craving you get when you've had a good amount of alcohol that says you have a really big appetite and you want something cheap but your stomach isn't that hungry. yes, that's the one
First heard bout this place like when i was in middle school before 1998. It's been at the same… Read more »
This place is riding on the hype and because its been here a long time. That pupas are not that good. This place is too expensive. You can eat at any other place at a cheaper price. Simply too much $$$ for what you are getting. Watch for you receipt and the menu because you might get ripped of. The menu can be misleading. THIS PLACE DOES NOT HAVE THE BEST PUPUSA IN TOWN!!! I would give Balompie and rinconcitom which are next door a try.
Edwin...my first Salvadorean bestfriend brought us here after watching the Chelsea FC vs Club America football match at Stanford last year and Im glad we went.
The place has a "homey" feel mainly because the patrons are probably all or mostly Salvadoreans (or Latinos)...everyones speaking Spanish would think that you are in one of those South American countries.
I got the pupusas and the Platanos con crema, Edwin got the soup and I think Stevie and CJ got the enchiladas.
My second Salvadorean bestfriend Elvira came here with me as well with her tow kids in tow. She like the whole thing but claims that she can make better pupusas.
If youre looking for a good Salvadorean Restaurant you got to try this.
Best Papoosas i've ever had!
After reading lots of 4-5 star reviews, I was very excited to try their pupusas and other Salvadorian dishes.
We ordered 3 pupusas (zucchini, pork, cheese), chicken tamale, and shrimp soup. Service was rather slow - maybe because we were the only non-Spanish speaking customers, our food came later than other customers who arrived after us.
Food was okay. I mean they were good but not spectacular. Our tamale didn't have almost any chicken in it, and it didn't even come in banana leaf like how other places serve. And they don't serve beer either (no liquor license, I guess). Last night didn't turn out to be my exciting Friday Salvadorian dinner night.
I am totally biased to this restaurant since I've been going to it since I was a little girl. The lady that used to work here when I was younger used to let me poor my own horchata which is the coolest thing when you're about 7. So naturally, the first words of Spanish that I ever learned to speak was to order my food from here. The closest I've ever gotten to my Salvadorean background.
It's right down the street from my house so easy to get to. And I love coming here after a night of waaay too much drinking...I swear it prevents any type of hangover I would have the next day if I didn't go there!!
Haven't had too much from the menu besides the pupusas, shrimp soup, and platanos...but love it for the service, bad for me food, and the memories!!
I was a big jerk and didn't order the ever popular pupusas.
Why, you ask?
Because I was effing hungry and when Sammy S. is effing hungry people lose their limbs. No joke. So don't ever, ever tell me what to order, because there will be a battle between my teeth and your arm.
I did try a bite of boyfriend/Mr. Sammy's non-pork end of the pupusa and was pleasantly impressed.
The only reason I didn't order the pupusas was because by quickly perusing the menu I only saw the pork option and a bean and cheese option. I wasn't at liberty to discuss other possibility for pupusa fillings with our waiter because I was hungrily eying his meaty leg, and he was afraid....so I went with a chicken and cheese enchilada.
After two beers and hunger meltdown at El Rio, Boyfriend and I headed toward the restaurants on Mission. We were on a Mission of our own! Oh man, I'm the punning queen when I'm hungry, and I'm always hungry. We were on a Mission to go to a new restaurant. Anywhere but El Farolito. We are loyal customers of El Farolito, but decided our wings needed to be spread. There were so many dinning options for us to utilize. So we followed our noses.
"Which one is the restaurant that smelled sooooo good last time we were in the Mission."
"That one, there, next to Mr. Pollo!"
And voila! We had made a decision.
Our meals were both tasty. Mr. Sammy inhaled every scrap of food on his plate, except for the side of slaw, which he wasn't into...not because it was bad, but because he doesn't like slaw. I also made a large dent in my plate and was happy that I decided to order only one enchilada, because that sucker was big and juicy. The rice and beans were delicious and the home made tortillas were heavenly. I silently cursed them as I broke me "I'm not eating carbs" diet that I so openly suck at. Beer, check. Tortillas, check, rice, check. Ya Sammy S. and diets don't mix well.
Moral of the story is, La Santaneca is effing amazing. The food is orgasmic, the waiters are hot little tamales, and the bathroom is surprising clean and smells like lemons. I'm coming back when peoples arms and legs aren't in danger from my dolphin teeth (yes, I sharpen them every night) and ordering the god damn pupusas! And I better be able to get something in those fuckers other than pork, cause us Jews aren't so kosher with the split hoofed.
I have about 4-5 places I frequent for pupusas- This is one of them. I usually get it with a side of beans and rice. The pupusas are not super greasy, and the masa is cooked just right. The curtido (kind of like a pickled cabbage) is the best thing ever! If you've never tried the cheese pupusas with loroco it's a must try. Besides, I hear that loroco is an aphrodisiac, bet you didn't think you'd find aphrodisiacs in your pupusas, but you do.
The restaurant is so well lit with white christmas lights you almost feel like you've stepped inside a disco ball. I also ab-so fuckin' lutely love that they are open late, sometimes til 1 or 2 depending on the day, and how many customers they get.
Well, 3 1/2 stars is more like it. They get an extra half star for taking credit cards. These stuffed masa goodies are VERY tasty. I had the Pupusas with Chicharron and cheese. Very nice and cheap at $1.50 each. I still don't know the proper way to eat one, if there is a proper way. I just spoon the red sauce over, and top it with the cabbage. (If I'm doing this wrong, please let me know!) The pork was good, but I wanted a little more in there. I ordered a mess of them, as they go quick. You can get a meal with two pupusas, rice and beans for about $7.
I also ordered the Bisec Encellobado, and that was very good too. It's a tough choice between the Bistec or pupusas, so I'll get both.
There is plenty of seating, and a good jukebox.
I can't believe it took me this long to get over here, especially I'm within spitting distance. I want to try the other Bistec specials next!
Pupusas and plantains. That's all you need to know.
Seriously, the pupusas here are every bit as good (if not better) than at La Pinata. I tried both the chicharrones and the queso y loroco (loroco being some sort of Salvadorean flower/vegetable). It's advisable to get a variety because too many of the cheese ones will surely knock you out. Also, the cabbage-y pupusa topping here (real name: ?) is the best I've had.
The fried plantains just melt in your mouth. They come with pureed beans and sour cream, which seemed a little odd at first but actually works amazingly well. Also, the drinks here are the real deal. I ordered a tamarindo and was expecting the Jarritos soda, but it was this delicious homemade concoction with real tamarind chunks.
Overall, La Santaneca is the real gem of this gritty, oft-ignored strech of Mission. It's not a total dive either; there are waiters and an attempt at coziness. Definitely a must for pupusa fans, or anyone curious to try one for the first time.
The papusas and plantains are mouth-wateringly good. In fact my mouth is watering right now, Pavlov style ...*ahem*
The food and ambiance is very hearty and homey. During dinner a random sweet Salvadorean woman walked in, doing her rounds, selling CDs and DVDs. The service was extremely friendly and like Casey mentioned the bathroom/toilet was impeccable!!! 5 stars!
Happy hour!
Neighborhood: Mission
Amazing Happy Hour!
Neighborhood: Mission
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Latin American
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