Submit your comments or a picture of yourself eating at one of the restaurants (email a jpeg to cheapeats@7x7.com) and you'll be eligible to win dinner for four at the Slanted Door!
A la Turca (Tendernob)
A la Turca will turn six in July, so some of you probably already know about this Tendernob Turkish restaurant and its pides—tender little slippers of yeasted dough filled with salty cheese, meat or vegetables (our favorite is the version with cheese and sucuk, a type of spiced beef sausage), or have eaten the beyti kebap—tender ground lamb wrapped in lavash, cut into rounds and drizzled with thick yogurt and a tomato-pepper sauce. But if you haven't, consider this your formal invitation.
Must Order: Tiny little tri-cornered dumplings called manti and filled with ground lamb, topped with garlicky yogurt and browned butter and served only on Sundays. 869 Geary St., 415-345-1011, alaturcasf.com
Balompie Café #3 (Outer Mission)
The newest location of Balompie Café (which joins the 21-year-old Capp Street original and the year-old SoMa outpost) is filled with good sounds—the hum of soccer on the television, the sizzle of yucca hitting the deep fryer and the thwack of masa dough between the palms of the Salvadoran woman hand-forming the very things you came here for—pupusas. As at the other two locations, you can order classic versions, stuffed with loroco (a Salvadorean vegetable) and cheese or ground pork and served with a crispy cabbage salad called curtido, tangy with vinegar and shot through with dried oregano. But unique to the new location is the list of specialty pupusas, which includes a shrimp-and-cheese pupusa and another filled with prosciutto and cheese—a cross-cultural triumph if ever we've seen one. Also unique to number three is the draft beer (including feel-good small producer Fat Tire), which only makes a meal here that much more satisfying.
Must Order: The Salvadorean sampler—a pupusa of your choice, fried yucca and a pastel (a meat-filled, deep-fried empanada-like snack). 3801 Mission St., 415-647-4000
Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant (Inner Sunset)
If the bright sherbet-colored walls or giant happy Buddha statue at the entrance of this cozy 40-seater in the Inner Sunset doesn't beckon you, the expansive menu (125 vegan Chinese dishes!) will. We'd venture to say even the open-minded carnivore will enjoy the lightly fried curry-potato triangles delicately wrapped in wonton wrappers, or the "salty fish" made from bean curd and seaweed and accompanied by soft tofu in an iron pot. Expect fast and friendly service from chef-owner Alice Poon, who will happily take a break from cooking to chat about the health benefits of gingko seeds, lotus root and yam flower.
Must Order: The crisp lettuce cups with shredded mushroom, veggie "chicken," sweet peas, corn and pine nuts. 754 Kirkham St., 415-682-0826
Halu (Inner Richmond)
This teensy, sea-foam-green Japanese restaurant is more than a little bit rock 'n' roll. The window displays old Beatles posters, and the front door has a sign that says "Imagine Peace." Step inside, and over the racket of a powerful hood sucking up the smoke from the grill you might hear the music of local Randy Clark playing. This all makes sense once you learn that Halu is a dream realized for musician Shig Komiyama (a member of the Shitones and a former drummer for Hot Tuna) and his wife, Mimi. Their homespun, classic izakaya menu includes ramen, but don't miss the delicately crisp kushi katsu, including one made with chicken and basil, as well as the butterflied yakitori chicken wings, served in the traditional way with nothing but salt and a squeeze of lemon.
Must Order: The gingko-nut yakitori. 312 Eighth Ave., 415-221-9165
Jake's Steaks (Marina)
A handful of places in town sell Philly-style cheesesteaks, but what makes Jake's stand out are the authentic details: Amoroso rolls shipped from the East Coast and your all-important choice of cheese on each sandwich—American, provolone or Cheez Whiz (don't knock it till you've tried it). Other classic staples—waffle fries, chicken tenders, buffalo wings—round out the basic menu; there are six beers on tap, and there's always a game on the tube. Weekends find the place filled with homesick East Coast transplants yelling for their favorite team. Bonus: For dessert, try some Tastykakes—you'll never touch a Hostess Twinkie again.
Must Order: The traditional-style "Whiz With," chopped steak combined with sautéed onions and drenched in melted Whiz. 3301 Buchanan St., 415-922-2211, jakessteaks.net
Pagolac (Tenderloin)
There might be no other place in the city that serves a seven-course, prix-fixe dinner in a chic little space (well, chic for the Tenderloin)—for $13.95. Although the menu at this friendly and efficient Vietnamese restaurant includes everything from clay pots to soups, most customers come (and often queue up) for the "Seven Flavors of Beef," which comprises paper-thin beef cooked in many ways, accompanied by a plateful of herbs and lettuce plus rice paper—not so much a carnivore's paradise as a summer-roll heaven.
Must Order: Save room for the fried bananas and coconut ice cream. 655 Larkin St., 415-776-3234
Pastores (Outer Mission)
Falling in love with Pastores is inevitable, but we'll warn you that this love will not be without heartbreak. Because someday soon you'll head to the hinterlands of the Outer Mission, ready to chow down on the best chiles rellenos, chilaquiles and homemade mole in the city, only to discover that Irma Calderon (the chef-owner who takes your order, cooks and serves your meal) has already closed up shop for the day. Try to consider the unpredictable hours and inconvenient location a charming part of the quest. And call ahead.
Must Order: It's all about the weekend Mexican breakfast here. 3486 Mission St., 415-642-5385
Sultan (Union Square)
If there was ever a reason to get over your fear of the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, you'll find it here. For only $10.95, the second incarnation of this Indian restaurant owned by a family from Mumbai (which opened in its new location last October) puts out an impressive spread of some of the most delicious Indian food in town. Made with all organic ingredients, the 20-plus options, served in copper chafing dishes, rotate daily but have included everything from khadai chicken to vegetable tawa with fenugreek and paneer to idlys (those soft little pucks made for soaking up your spicy sambar). Dinner is no cheap eat, but for good reason: Sultan is intent on serving some of the most ambitious Indian food in town.
Must Order: If the okra masala with tomato and ginger is set out, get it. 340 O'Farrell St., 415-775-1709
Submit your comments or a picture of yourself eating at one of the restaurants (email a jpeg to cheapeats@7x7.com) and you'll be eligible to win dinner for four at the Slanted Door!
A la Turca (Tendernob)
A la Turca will turn six in July, so some of you probably already know about this Tendernob Turkish restaurant and its pides—tender little slippers of yeasted dough filled with salty cheese, meat or vegetables (our favorite is the version with cheese and sucuk, a type of spiced beef sausage), or have eaten the beyti kebap—tender ground lamb wrapped in lavash, cut into rounds and drizzled with thick yogurt and a tomato-pepper sauce. But if you haven't, consider this your formal invitation.
Must Order: Tiny little tri-cornered dumplings called manti and filled with ground lamb, topped with garlicky yogurt and browned butter and served only on Sundays. 869 Geary St., 415-345-1011, alaturcasf.com
Balompie Café #3 (Outer Mission)
The newest location of Balompie Café (which joins the 21-year-old Capp Street original and the year-old SoMa outpost) is filled with good sounds—the hum of soccer on the television, the sizzle of yucca hitting the deep fryer and the thwack of masa dough between the palms of the Salvadoran woman hand-forming the very things you came here for—pupusas. As at the other two locations, you can order classic versions, stuffed with loroco (a Salvadorean vegetable) and cheese or ground pork and served with a crispy cabbage salad called curtido, tangy with vinegar and shot through with dried oregano. But unique to the new location is the list of specialty pupusas, which includes a shrimp-and-cheese pupusa and another filled with prosciutto and cheese—a cross-cultural triumph if ever we've seen one. Also unique to number three is the draft beer (including feel-good small producer Fat Tire), which only makes a meal here that much more satisfying.
Must Order: The Salvadorean sampler—a pupusa of your choice, fried yucca and a pastel (a meat-filled, deep-fried empanada-like snack). 3801 Mission St., 415-647-4000
Enjoy Vegetarian Restaurant (Inner Sunset)
If the bright sherbet-colored walls or giant happy Buddha statue at the entrance of this cozy 40-seater in the Inner Sunset doesn't beckon you, the expansive menu (125 vegan Chinese dishes!) will. We'd venture to say even the open-minded carnivore will enjoy the lightly fried curry-potato triangles delicately wrapped in wonton wrappers, or the "salty fish" made from bean curd and seaweed and accompanied by soft tofu in an iron pot. Expect fast and friendly service from chef-owner Alice Poon, who will happily take a break from cooking to chat about the health benefits of gingko seeds, lotus root and yam flower.
Must Order: The crisp lettuce cups with shredded mushroom, veggie "chicken," sweet peas, corn and pine nuts. 754 Kirkham St., 415-682-0826
Halu (Inner Richmond)
This teensy, sea-foam-green Japanese restaurant is more than a little bit rock 'n' roll. The window displays old Beatles posters, and the front door has a sign that says "Imagine Peace." Step inside, and over the racket of a powerful hood sucking up the smoke from the grill you might hear the music of local Randy Clark playing. This all makes sense once you learn that Halu is a dream realized for musician Shig Komiyama (a member of the Shitones and a former drummer for Hot Tuna) and his wife, Mimi. Their homespun, classic izakaya menu includes ramen, but don't miss the delicately crisp kushi katsu, including one made with chicken and basil, as well as the butterflied yakitori chicken wings, served in the traditional way with nothing but salt and a squeeze of lemon.
Must Order: The gingko-nut yakitori. 312 Eighth Ave., 415-221-9165
Jake's Steaks (Marina)
A handful of places in town sell Philly-style cheesesteaks, but what makes Jake's stand out are the authentic details: Amoroso rolls shipped from the East Coast and your all-important choice of cheese on each sandwich—American, provolone or Cheez Whiz (don't knock it till you've tried it). Other classic staples—waffle fries, chicken tenders, buffalo wings—round out the basic menu; there are six beers on tap, and there's always a game on the tube. Weekends find the place filled with homesick East Coast transplants yelling for their favorite team. Bonus: For dessert, try some Tastykakes—you'll never touch a Hostess Twinkie again.
Must Order: The traditional-style "Whiz With," chopped steak combined with sautéed onions and drenched in melted Whiz. 3301 Buchanan St., 415-922-2211, jakessteaks.net
Pagolac (Tenderloin)
There might be no other place in the city that serves a seven-course, prix-fixe dinner in a chic little space (well, chic for the Tenderloin)—for $13.95. Although the menu at this friendly and efficient Vietnamese restaurant includes everything from clay pots to soups, most customers come (and often queue up) for the "Seven Flavors of Beef," which comprises paper-thin beef cooked in many ways, accompanied by a plateful of herbs and lettuce plus rice paper—not so much a carnivore's paradise as a summer-roll heaven.
Must Order: Save room for the fried bananas and coconut ice cream. 655 Larkin St., 415-776-3234
Pastores (Outer Mission)
Falling in love with Pastores is inevitable, but we'll warn you that this love will not be without heartbreak. Because someday soon you'll head to the hinterlands of the Outer Mission, ready to chow down on the best chiles rellenos, chilaquiles and homemade mole in the city, only to discover that Irma Calderon (the chef-owner who takes your order, cooks and serves your meal) has already closed up shop for the day. Try to consider the unpredictable hours and inconvenient location a charming part of the quest. And call ahead.
Must Order: It's all about the weekend Mexican breakfast here. 3486 Mission St., 415-642-5385
Sultan (Union Square)
If there was ever a reason to get over your fear of the all-you-can-eat lunch buffet, you'll find it here. For only $10.95, the second incarnation of this Indian restaurant owned by a family from Mumbai (which opened in its new location last October) puts out an impressive spread of some of the most delicious Indian food in town. Made with all organic ingredients, the 20-plus options, served in copper chafing dishes, rotate daily but have included everything from khadai chicken to vegetable tawa with fenugreek and paneer to idlys (those soft little pucks made for soaking up your spicy sambar). Dinner is no cheap eat, but for good reason: Sultan is intent on serving some of the most ambitious Indian food in town.
Must Order: If the okra masala with tomato and ginger is set out, get it. 340 O'Farrell St., 415-775-1709
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