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Pal's Takeaway
Category: Restaurants Sandwiches Sandwiches [Edit]
Tony's Market2751 24th St
San Francisco, CA 94110
Neighbourhood: Mission
(415) 203-4911
- Hours:
Tue-Sat 11 am - 2:30 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
115 reviews for Pal's Takeaway
Review Highlights
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"...unbelievably delicious 5 spice roasted chix banh mi today." In 17 reviews -
"...and organic ingredients, and Dynamo is across the street." In 3 reviews -
"Roast chicken on Acme bun w/ celery root remoulade, and..." In 4 reviews
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115 reviews in English
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Review from Anna A.
Chicago, IL
4/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is an unassuming place in the Mission. You have to enter through a local neighborhood general market. This is purely a pickup and go place, no real seating. The store has one little table if you need to eat there in a pinch.
They use organic, local ingredients, freshly baked bread. You can pre-order on line. If you go, you must try a sandwich, it will rock your taste buds. The owner puts passion, love and care into the food preparation and you can taste the love in each bite. You can also buy a prepaid sandwich card for those who frequent. -
Review from Caroline L.
Hayward, CA
4/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came here the other day after reading so many 5-star reviews. I have to agree that the sandwich was de.lic.ious! I was in heaven, and ate the whole thing despite not feeling that hungry to begin with.
I had the Chile-lemon-cilantro chicken. Description: Acme roll, avocado crema, corn chips, wild arugula, green tabasco mayo
Seriously, the arugula + tabasco mayo + avocado + corn chips was freaking amazing! The chicken was cooked perfectly so it wasn't dry and had plenty of chile-lemon flavor itself. I was a huge fan.
My only gripe is everyone's gripe: the price. $8.50 is a perfectly fair price for the delicious, local, and fresh ingredients. What it is not, is cheap enough to be a daily sandwich. Which is fine, because I would consider Pal's a special treat, not an everyday occurrence. I thought the size was pretty good (I was stuffed after mine).
Can't give it 5 stars because I've only tried one thing, but when I go back, I'll update accordingly. In the meantime, you should try it for yourself as a special "Happy Friday" (or "made it through Monday") treat! -
Review from Prattle P.
San Francisco, CA
4/5/2012
Had my first sandwich here today... thumbs up. No gallons of gloopy mystery sauce piled atop a mountain of ballpark snack shack reject items. Just seriously fresh, well-balanced ingredients that I could actually taste.
I think I was talking to Tony when I ordered... if you're reading this Tony: Yes, you got it right. -
Review from Anthony R.
San Francisco, CA
5/10/2012
Pork Confit & snap pea slaw sandwich. $8.50. Well balanced flavors. Tender confit. Acme poppy bun. I like what they're doing here.
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Review from Frank Y.
San Francisco, CA
4/2/2012
Pal's Takeaway, I wanted to love you. I really did. I wanted to us to be happy together for the rest of our days; you with your perfect blends of high quality ingredients and ingenious combinations, and me with my ever open-minded approach to food. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.
I've tried Pal's countless times and have always been impressed with their flavor selections and innovations. Tony, the man behind Pal's, always thinks outside of the box and takes old classics and methods of preparation and gives them his own twist. I mean who would have thought to mix Asian pears with tumeric and saffron? The sandwiches as well as the boxed lunches always satisfy my taste buds like no other. Everything from the bread, which have a brioche-like quality every time, to the meats, which are always tender and cooked to perfection, to the greens, which have enough bite and dressing to complement the entire sandwich, is masterfully crafted.
So why didn't things work out between us? Well, I really can't justify $8.50 for a sandwich that barely eclipses the average bagel. I realize the finer things in life will cost more and will justifiably be more expensive, but I would rather be full than left wanting more at the expense of possibly $17. Given its place in the Mission, there are far better values at the expense of gustatory delight. Strictly speaking, the cost benefit analysis forces me to knock Pal's down to 3 stars.
Bottom line, if you're willing to pay for these sandwiches and aren't ravenous, Pal's is the way to go. Otherwise, you'll be left disappointed by such short-term pleasure. -
Review from Andrew M.
Pal's Takeaway is a pleasant sandwich surprise tucked in the land of burrito titans that is 24th Street.
The B.A.C. is a rich as a sultan in its wonderful blend of flavors. The crispy bacon allows successive bites without having the entire piece dragged out of the sandwich; the brussel sprout slaw provides an eye-closing tang that defined the B.A.C.'s character; and the acme roll is fresh, while lending balance to the other potent tastes in the sandwich.
It is admirable that Pal's ingredients are from other local shops, but as much as I would like to be an everyday patron, the almost-$9 price tag for the snack-sized sandwich is a limiting factor. However, this will not prevent me from episodes of indulgence in Pal's huge variety of sandwiches in the future! -
Review from Blake B.
3/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
After planning on going here but completing missing the store multiple times (even though I had my phone out) I finally found Tony's market and the Pal's Takeaway sign.
I had read so much about the banh mi that I had to get it and was blown away by the flavor. Everything worked together really well and the jalapeno gave it a nice kick. I'm curious to try out other sandwiches here but the banh mi was so good that I might just stick to that one. -
Review from Lame Lake Meese Z.
Bay Area
2/24/2012
On Thursdays at 1pm there's no line and the few raggedy tables are free.
I don't understand complaining about the price, these are high quality ingredients- they cost more- that makes sense.
And complaining about the size... it's normal sandwich size.
How big a gut do you have?
It's overfilled with stuff.
I took out some meat and was going to give it to my dog, but it turns out if it's in the car (even if I have to pop out a humerus and use it as an extension pole to reach it) while I'm driving, I'm going to eat it.
Sorry, Ging.
The potato salad is dry with dressing on the side.
The dressing was too vinegary for me, so I used my own on when I got home.
It was really good- baby peas in the pod, cabbage, scallions and great potatoes.
I'm waiting while my sandwich is being made and a man
(Tony, based on the photo in Serious Eats)
walks in, goes behind the counter and grabs potato salad with his hands out of a large bowl.
That was my potato salad. He's helping get my order ready. I'm pretty sure he didn't wash his hands, but I'm gonna pretend that he did.
The chocolate babka was very different from babka I've had before- this was pound cakey and granulated sugar-infused.
They are many variations on babka.
I like the less cakey, more bready, less sweet kind (less-more-less; got that?)
I'll definitely be back for sandwiches. -
Review from susan s.
Emeryville, CA
4/19/2012
I don't understand why some people are saying these sandwiches are expensive. They are the same $ or LESS than comparable sandwiches at trendy cafes like Coffee Bar or Atlas Cafe and they use organic, locally grown ingredients which most other lunch places do not offer. They are always SO friendly. They aren't very close to my work but I'd happily walk the extra few blocks for their big, delicious, local, organic, friendly sandwiches.
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Review from Mark i.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012 2 photos
+5 for the sandwiches - crafted by brusque gentleman for the discerning consumer. Literally.
-2 for the spot - 2 or 3 seats outdoors on the sidewalk - and if it's lunchtime, there's dudes in scrubs from some veterinary clinic or whatever nearby that occupy those like they $%^&* own the spot. Grrr. -
Review from Gloria C.
Pal's continues to blow me away.
Tony is like a freaking Santa Claus of Delicious Sandwich Town, bringing joy and smiles to all sandwich seekers that have been good this year. I can't say enough good things about Pal's and their ever changing daily menu full of pleasant surprises.
Today's sandwich was a marinated hangar steak on Acme roll with rutabaga, crispy onion, and balsamic mayo. The other sandwich available was bacon with a spicy asian pear, cheddar and river dog arugula on an acme roll with soy mayo.
I mean... wow (again and again).
Their non-bread choices in a box are also UH-MAZING. Sometimes, I look in my box (or at my sandwich) and I see yams. Or bacon. Or some weird vegetable I've never tried. Or meatballs with Annabelle's rapini which was one of the best darn meatball sandwiches I've had in a long time.
Although $8.50 is quite pricey for a dainty sandwich, the fresh ingredients and creative arrangements make it worth it.Listed in: SFGH Lunch Hotspots
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/21/2011
Wow.
Fresh ingredients, creative ideas, great bread plus amazing sandwich-crafting ingenuity left me… Read more »
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Review from Cherylynn N.
San Francisco, CA
11/21/2011 1 photo
Nothing gets me more excited than FOOD PORN. So when I saw Earl G.'s picture of the Auntie Malay's Lao Sandwich and wanting to lick my computer screen, I knew I had to pay Pal's Takeaway a visit.
While running errands last Friday, I made a pit stop into Pal's. I was sorely disappointed when I found that the Lao Sandwich was not on the menu. Supposedly the menu changes daily so make sure to check their website beforehand to see if anything peeks your interest. I didn't just drive across the city for nothing so between the meatball sandwich, curry chicken sandwich and eggplant sandwich, I went for the curry chicken sandwich.
CURRY CHICKEN SANDWICH w/ Heirloom Tomato, Arugula & Toasted Marcona Almonds on a Sesame Kaiser Acme Bun ($8.50)
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
I appreciate that Pal's used top-notch ingredients like from 4505 Meats, Riverdog and Acme (my fav) but I totally agree with Lolia S. that the flavor and textures were just not there. Though the white chicken chunks were tender, the curry mayo blend was very bland and had no spice to it. The marcona almonds gave a subtle nuttiness but the slices were so thin that you couldn't detect a texture contrast to the soft ingredients. Sadly, the best part of the sandwich was the toasted Kaiser Acme bun.
I love supporting small mom & pop establishments and I appreciate it when they use local, high-quality ingredients. However, I can't justify spending almost $9 for a small mediocre sandwich.
I have to note that from the time I stepped in and from the time I left with my sandwich, the owner (?) was talking on his cell phone while handling customers. It seemed he was on a personal call and I thought this was a bit rude.
OTHER NOTES:
*Only open Tuesday to Saturday 11 AM - 2:30 PM
*Located inside a corner market
*2 tables for sitting
*$25 minimum for delivery
*CC's acceptedListed in: SAMMIES!!!
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Review from Earl G.
9/5/2011 3 photos
My search to find the best damm SF sandwich brought me here to Tony's corner market across the street from Dynamo donuts in the mission for lunch. There's a deli counter in the back with friendly dudes.
Just like their website says, "OUR CONTINUING SEARCH TO FIND SOME GOOD F*CKIN STUFF TO PUT BETWEEN PIECES OF BREAD"
Damm right. Their signature and cosmically famous, Aunt Malai's Lao sausage was pretty F*CKIN good! The sausage is made by the sisters over @ Vientian Cafe in East Oakland. Skinless, juicy, and tender, it's made from ground pork, chilies and lemongrass which gave it a unique flavor. Add the Acme roll, pickled cucumber, cilantro, and soy yuzu mayo and it's a banh mi on locally sourced and sustainable steroids. A little small for the size @ $8.25 but I really liked the flavor and uniqueness. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
If you see their Oregon bay shrimp and avocado sandwich on the menu. Skip it. The tiny bay shrimp didn't have any flavor and wasn't a good match with the crusty bolillo roll. Not a great value considering you can get a way better grilled prawn suiza @ El Farolito down the street for the same price. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
They even deliver to close by neighborhoods. -
Review from David M.
10/25/2011
Yes, I am a fan! Stopped in to grab a quick sando for lunch, and was quite impressed with the product their pushing out of this corner market. On the particular day I visited, they were serving up the almost globally famous Lao sausage sandwich on Acme roll w/ cilantro-pickled cucumber relish, Annabelle's wild arugula, and yuzu-soy mayo. Wow, this was awesome!
As someone who is quite familiar with Lao sausage (I eat Hmong sausage almost monthly, basically the same thing), I was skeptical about the quality that I would receive at Pal's, but boy was I wrong. The sausage was cooked perfectly, juicy, full of lemongrass flavor, spicy and had just the right amount of fatty goodness. Not to mention that it was served on an Acme roll, which helped to elevate the entire sandwich.
Anyways, if you're in the neighborhood or not, definitely make sure to check out Pal's Takeaway for your sandwich cravings, this place is bomb. One more thing, it's only open for lunch M-F. -
Review from Joseph N.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2011
Greek yogurt-sweet Thai chili chicken banh mi/Acme roll, cilantro, cucumber, pickled carrot-daikon, jalapeno, mayo
This was the best Bahn Mi sandwich I have had in SF. Delicious. -
Review from Jo W.
San Francisco, CA
8/2/2011
Free delivery for orders over $25!
I had a BLT there with mozzarella that was Ah-Mazing! -
Review from Fred C.
San Francisco, CA
9/8/2011
This place is ridiculously awesome.
It's a travesty that they are rated anything below a full 5 stars.
Their sandwiches range from really good to GOD THAT'S GOOD.
Jeff is the man. -
Review from Danny B.
San Francisco, CA
12/23/2011
Amazing fresh food. Awesome dude. Wish they were open when I was around more!
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Review from Shannon B.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2011
When you walk into Tony's Market on 24th Street on the corner of Hampshire St, within Tony's they offer a Pal's Takeaway deli counter.
The menu is very small and everything tastes very fresh. The sandwiches are $8 each, not huge in size. Pal's is not open on the weekends and is pretty much a lunch place. They always offer one vegetarian option, however when I went it was also vegan. I go the 'Veg on Wheat'; roasted kabocha winter squash with greens, avocado and slaw. The bread was really nice but it lacked protein and I felt hungry still after I ate, even though I was full of bread starch.
I am impressed with Pal's ingredients and the fact that they use local farms and bakeries for all their products. I only wish the were more creative with the vegetarian/vegan sandwich options.Listed in: Sandwiches
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Review from Ashley C.
San Francisco, CA
8/3/2011
I've been out of the country for a few months and have been craving a delicious sandwich that is more than mostly bread and a slice of cheese and tomato. Pal's Takeaway finally let me indulge in the sandwich I've been dreaming about.
I got there around 1:30 and they were already sold out, except for the Veg sandwich, which is what I was after. Oftentimes a veg sandwich is just an afterthought where someone just makes the regular sandwich without ham or turkey. That can be alright, but when you get a Veg sandwich where it's obvious that there was some care and consideration into the vegetables that would go into the sandwich, then you've made my day.
This sandwich was ginormous and stuffed with yummy marinated vegetables & beans, hummus, goat cheese and arugula. Although the price was a little steep (welcome back to San Francisco) it was definitely worth it and I didn't need the bag of chips that I bought along with it. -
Review from Dong T.
San Francisco, CA
2/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great sandwiches with a surprise menu everyday. There's only 2 tables outside the mkt, which is cool for a total of 4 chairs. They always have a veggie option for those who want it. I'd like to see more tofu sandos.
Metered street parking only. -
Review from Chris J.
San Francisco, CA
7/19/2011
I definitely like what they're doing here. They don't take themselves too seriously ("the best fucking ingredients between two slices of bread"), and seem to use good quality ingredients from local sources.
I'm a big fan of "up-scale down-scale" food...as in reasonably priced food that's a little elevated with good ingredients or higher-end takes. Why buy a simple tuna salad sandwich on wheat when you can have a chorizo-bay shrimp-avocado salad on torpedo roll? It's a simple choice on my end.
The chorizo-shrimp was a surprisingly nice combination and you could tell they put some thought into the flavors. So I'm cool with Pal's.
They don't reach their full potential in my opinion since the sandwiches are pretty small--you can't go in with too much of an appetite. Also, the options are somewhat limited. Very similar to Kitchenette in those two regards, although Pal's is much more conveniently located.
All in all, a very solid lunch option. -
Review from Jice E.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2011
San Franciscans have a thing for sandwiches lately. I'm not sure that's a good thing as many of the new places seem a bit gimmicky and really not all that great.
Yeah, people have always liked sandwiches. I remember a friend telling me about 15 years ago that it was his favorite food type. Maybe now he's in the majority.
I guess I like them as well as the next guy (unless the next guy is an SF hipster dude). But I like the ones that I go out for to be well made. Seems that a number of SF places make amateur attempts that remind me of something I might have found in my grade school lunch box. I'm not going to analyze here why so many might find that attractive (that's for another review).
To be fair, I've only been to Pal's once. Although it's close to my home, I had to make a special trip to search it out (as it's hidden in the back of a corner market). Maybe the hype did me in.
The owner (is that Pal?), was nice enough. It was slightly off hours, so it was pretty empty and we chatted a bit. His helper made the sandwich. I brought it home to eat (10 minutes later).
Was alright; I didn't get sick. But, was strictly amateur hour. Some filling glopped onto bread. Looked more like home made left overs. Flavor wasn't particularly interesting. Was also left suspicious of the cleanliness of the operation and food.
If you're near by and in need of an American style sandwich, it should be OK. But, I won't go out of my way for it. -
Review from Kimble M.
Culver City, CA
12/22/2010 2 Check-ins Here
Ok, I admit that I was a little sketched out at the surroundings. It looks like a normal, little corner grocery, the kind that has it's windows covered to prevent break ins. But everyone said Pal's is pretty good, so I went in anyways.
I had been checking their menu online for weeks, waiting for the perfect sandwich to come up, but now that I've eaten it, I bet every sandwich they make is the perfect sandwich. i had their 2-way bahn mi, extra jalapeños, and was practically licking the wrapper when I was done. The choice of sausages was outstanding, only to be supplemented with their great house made pickles and damn tasty mayo. I'll definitely be coming back here for their bahn mi or whatever else they're making, because they are seriously good sandwiches. -
Review from Honey T.
San Francisco, CA
6/13/2011
Delicious sandwiches, but what's with the crap hours? If they stayed open til even 4pm through the late lunch hour, this would be a 5 star review... but 2:30? I have wanted a sandwich SO MANY TIMES around 3pm and, oh damn, just missed em, yet again. Closing at 2:30?? No weekend hours? C'mon!
That being said, they ARE delicious. Good quality ingredients, which is the most important to me in choosing what to eat for lunch. Feels like a healthy sandwich. Tastes delicious. In fact they are so good that I WANT ONE RIGHT NOW... but oh damn, looks like I just missed em, yet again. -
Review from David L.
San Francisco, CA
12/26/2011
i got the roast beef, and Aunt Malai's Lao sausage on that day, It was pretty expensive bro, 8:50 for each one, and it wasn't even that big either bro. the small was small, the beef and sausage was sandwitch was small, the beef more round, the sausage more long.
BUT it was hella fcking good. The beef tasted extremely good bro, it wasn't fully cooked a little rare, the way beef suppose to be like. The sauce on that roast beef was amazing, iono if it was special barbeque but i was pretty good, the roast beef was definitely better than the lao mai sausage. The sausage was good but the roast beef was good, the sandwitch looks really small but decent satisfaying roast beef was in it. the sausage was good but there just wasn't ass much sauce and flavor as the roast beef. they also had a salmon that day wanted to try it but cousin wanted the sausage.
The sausage was good, a little spicier in the end. -
Review from Eric S.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2010
I thought Rhea's had the best sandwich in the Mission until I had Pal's. This dude slangs sick sammies from Tony's market- a different one every day. They're always fresh, tasty, and made from good ingredients. I call my order in and it's always ready in 15 minutes max.
The guy really cares about making good food. He is friendly and has great stories about how he used to own DNA Lounge in the 90's.
Plus, delis in liquor stores rock cuz you can grab a tall boy too! -
Review from Too M.
San Francisco, CA
3/22/2011
I like this place a lot. I had the Poached chili, lime mint chicken Acme bun w/ cucumber, bean sprouts & pea sprouts, coconut curry mayo. It was very good, very refreshing, and the combination of tastes was one rare to be find in a sandwich. Also it was very unique, and I don't think there's any other place which offers anything similar to it.
For a side dish I took their cabbage salad (or in their words: River dog Farm cabbage salad w/, sugar snap peas parsley, radish, fresh herbs, grainy mustard vinaigrette) was good and refreshing, but the dressing was way to aggressive. So aggressive that it hurt the tastes of the sandwich.
The service was very friendly - and you can tell they enjoy what they do, and take great pride of their product.
The selection is somewhat small, but changes everyday - so I am definitely back to try more.
They take credit cards, but not amex. -
Review from Michael B.
San Francisco, CA
10/26/2011
Ditto on Jice E's review.
Roast pork sandwich with avocado, tomato, lettuce, pickled radish, tabasco mayo on a roll... seems like a winner, no?
Pork was chunks (not so manageable on a sandwich vs. slices) of meat, gristle and big globs of fat... sort of like what you'd expect carnitas to be except it wasn't cooked long enough (tough meat and an aggressively porky flavor) and wasn't picked through.
Tomato was roasted which contributed to a too-earthy flavor and high acidity that was accentuated by the pickled radishes and the tabasco. All of that completely dominated the avocado cream. It was kind of a sullen, angry sandwich with chunks of gristle and green liquid spewing out. It's as if the aliens in Aliens opened a sandwich shop.
Mind you, I ate the whole thing. And the guy at the counter was super-nice. -
Review from Genevieve Y.
San Francisco, CA
8/25/2009 3 photos
Date & Time: Tuesday August 25, 2009 @ 1pm
Location: @ Tony's Market
Company: Michael
Crowd: Hipsters
Vibe: Chill
Decor: Local Grocers w/ Deli Counter
Service: Nice Guys
Devour: Roast Beef Sandwich w/ Miti Cream Cheese & Egg Salad Sandwich w/ Apple Wood Bacon on Acme Rolls $7.75. Lavender Cream Brulee $4 by Curtis, Blackberry w/ Lime & Thyme Gobba Gobba Hey $2 & Boozely's Pickles
Total: $23.50Listed in: UnderGround Street Food Scene
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Review from Liz S.
5/6/2009 ROTD 1/25/2010
This place is so awesome, I almost want to keep it to myself. But I'll be a Pal and share...
Outside: Typical Mission corner store, oldish sign saying Tony's Market
Inside: Tiny counter with Pal's Takeaway sign and daily menu of 3-4 mains and some side dishes.
(Check the website for the the day's specials)
What: High-end sandwiches and salads at Regular Joe prices.
No seating. ("take...away")
We ordered a variety of things, and because my friends are generous, I was able to try everything.
Get ready to salivate:
Becker Lane Lao Roast Pork Wanna Bahnha Mi with Blue Herron Baby Scallion, Cilantro, Carrot Daikon, Cucumber and Jalapeno on Acme Roll. Herbed Canola Mayo. - This sandwich was rich and filling, heartier that your typical Bahn Mi that you would get in little Saigon. Very very moist meat.
Indian-style Chicken Salad Sandwich with Pickled Shallots, Shredded Blue Herron Little Gem Lettuce and Asian Celery Leaf. - a light-ish version of chicken salad, with good spices and flavor.
Riverdog Real Free-Range Egg Salad Sandwich with Asparagus on Acme Pain de Mie bread - my favorite sandwich of the day - fresh fresh fresh, satisfying, great bread
Compendium of Spring Peas Salad with Fresh Shelling, Sugar Snap, and Snow Peas, Fresh Herbs, Mint, Champagne Vinegar, Olive Oil - simply lovely, crunchy, a beautiful cacophony of green things.
If I lived or worked in the neighborhood, I would be there every day. As it is, I know I will find an excuse to end up there one way or another. It's the perfect mix of old world charm and new world tastes that suits my palate to a tee.
**Almost forgot - house-cured pastrami will soon be available!**
From the website:
COMING SOON! OUR OWN LOVINGLY CURED AUTHENTIC EAST-COAST NYC PASTRAMI!
OUR RECIPE COMES FROM UNCLE MANNY "SHOULDERS" IN
BROOKLYN. A RETIRED RENOWN PASTRAMI MAKER. WE HAD TO
WATERBOARD UNCLE MANNY 142 TIMES WITH SELTZER WATER BEFORE HEGAVE UP THE RECIPE...BUT WE THINK IT'S GONNA BE A REAL TASTE TREAT.
STAY TUNED! -
Review from Rita C.
San Francisco, CA
8/12/2009
I have been following Pal's on Twitter since about the time they opened up and started using the Twitter method as a means to communicate to a vast group of people (see, some people actually understand and use Twitter in a very useful way, rather than thinking it the same as Facebook). In any sense, Pal's tweets had been taunting me every day. Pretty much every single day I bring some sort of lunch to work... And pretty much every day I would drool over Pal's tweets, swearing that the next day I'd skip the bagged lunch and instead treat myself to a delicious sandwich for lunch.
Well that went on for a good two months or so... Then one day I saw that they had posted something I constantly crave: a banh mi. It was their first edition of their version of a pork banh mi... The pork banh mi two ways. I went crazy when I saw it on the menu. I knew I had to get one that day... Fuck the lunch I brought, it was banh mi time... Or so I thought. I arrived at 1:30 and to my disappointment they were all out of their banh mi. I was distraught; I had my heart set on their banh mi and wanted nothing more than that!
Indeed I was quite saddened by this news, but knew there would be other better days for lunch at Pal's to come... And you know what? I was right! My friend James I. and I wanted to hit up some place new to both of us in my work 'hood. I gave him a slew of suggestions, but it all came to a halting stop as soon as we saw Pal's menu for the day: braised short rib sandwich with a spicy jicama slaw served on an Acme kaiser roll. Drool-worthy much? YES... And hot damn, that was one of the best sandwiches I've had. I love braised short ribs and try to make them as often as possible when the time permits... But short ribs on a sandwich? I never ever thought of such a thing! But thank you for the idea... I'll be sure to make you proud!
After that first visit I knew I had to go back to get that banh mi I was craving and yearning for. I finally saw it on the menu again and made sure that I got there at an earlier time to ensure my safety in consuming a delicious banh mi... It was so worth the wait. Tasty, satisfying, and reasonably priced (especially for the quality of their products!).
I for sure will taunt myself with Pal's daily delicious sounds tweets and will come back again when the time is right!Listed in: Sandwich Cravings..., M-F, 9-6
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Review from Victor G.
6/10/2010
Pal's Takeaway is in the far left corner inside tony's market. just a deli display case and a sandwich making area to the side. the takeaway means you take away food from here.
music: middle east rock?
sampling:
-seared tuna on acme roll with black olives, celery relish, daikon spouts, heirloom greens, soy-yuzu mayo(8)
tuna pieces was of a good size but it was cold. shouldn't seared tuna be at least warm? bland, crunched all the celery. not any particular taste noticed. all on a soft round bun. bigger than a slider but smaller than bagel sized.
crumbs:
-average sandwich taste, seem pricey. small portion. pal's was 3 stars. downgrade to 2 cuz sr24 (berkeley) has awesome sammies also at 8.
-friendly service
-metered parking but i parked my commercial vehicle in a yellow zone.
-no alcohol sales here. license suspended.Listed in: the mission, san francisco
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Review from Luis C.
Updated - 5/14/2009 12 photos
On Tuesday, the pastrami was not up to their high standards, so it was not made available for sale. Instead there was a few new items including dessert. I bought one of their deviled eggs, seems expensive at $1 each, but it tasted very good. Also David told me that he recognized me from my Yelp review. Well, here are some more pics for you to drool over. Enjoy!
Grilled chicken sandwich, with cabbage, greens, & cucumber raita - super tender and tasty.
http://static.px.yelp....
http://static.px.yelp....
Sugar snap peas, shredded carrots, radish, with champagne vinaigrette - crisp & healthy veggies!
http://static.px.yelp....
Fresh fruit salad - doesn't this pic look good? delicious too.
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Strawberry, rhubarb & apricot crisp ($2) - really well made.
http://static.px.yelp....Listed in: Nonstaurants (non-restaurants), Sandwiches for lunch
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/9/2009
Another gourmet sandwich business venture opened 3 weeks ago in the Potrero area. A recent review by… Read more »
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Review from Lolia S.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 9/28/2009 3 photos
Pal's isn't mobile and it isn't cash only (yay)! I love their sandwich descriptions. They make sandwiches to order and the menu changes all the time (usually they have a meat sandwich, a seafood sandwich and a veggie sandwich).
I had the Vietnamese chicken salad w/ cucumbers, Early girl tomato, cilantro, lettuce, chili mayo on Omega bread roll ($7.75). A good sandwich needs good bread and I didn't like the Omega roll at all. It was extremely dry, almost like those sprouted wheat breads that I sometimes try but never really like. The chicken salad had nice big chicken shreds. It tasted very fresh and the veggies were crunchy, but it didn't taste Vietnamese at all. The mayo didn't have a strong chili taste.
Hmm, overall the sandwich was made with local, fresh, quality ingredients but the flavors and textures were somewhat disappointing.Listed in: August is National Sandwich…, Hole in the wall restaurants…, Ode to banh mi (Bay Area), Lunch in Bernal…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/27/2009
* Riverdog roasted pig on Dynamo biscuit, cheddar ale sauce, pickled shallot, wild arugula, mustard
*… Read more »
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Review from Jamie D.
6/12/2009
So, it wasn't that I was in the hospital sending out a little S.O.S. (Save our Stomachs) to a very dear friend that I think Pal's is 5 stars.
Yes, anything would have tasted better than hospital food, but the sandwiches my Pal picked up for me have been in my dreams ever since and it has been nearly a month.
This is the kind of place you Yelp and try not to get drool on your laptop over recalling your meal!
1. Lamb on wheat with cabbage
2. Shrimp curry salad on a soft roll
3. AB&J (almond butter & strawberry jam) with mangoes! on a poppyseed bread
I can't imagine anything tasting ordinary here and I can't wait to pick up takeout in person. In the meantime, my Pal and Pal's are at the top of my memorable meals thus far in '09.Listed in: Somebody call 9-1-1!!!
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Review from Cameo W.
San Francisco, CA
4/25/2009 5 photos
The Short: Delicious, Nutritious, Local Sandwiches & Salads
The Long: The food here is absolutely delicious and amazing - made from locally acquired fresh ingredients. This is the sort of place I'm proud to get my lunch from. A friend of mine got me a sandwich here last week, and today, I got to go in and get my own delicious mountain ranch, pasture-raised, aged roast beef sandwich on kaiser roll with knoll horseradish sour cream and watercress. So damn good. The ingredients are fresh, and Jeff and David are always doing their best to make sure nothing goes to waste, and everything looks and tastes delicious.
With Dynamo just across the street, Pal's is a great place to go for lunch, coffee, and dessert.
Best of luck, Jeff & David! -
Review from Mariko F.
11/14/2009
When they say "tucked away", they really mean tucked away. Had I not been hand lead here by a friend, I would have walked right on by. But I'm so happy I found it. Because now, I will never forget it.
I am always skeptical of the $8. I mean, it's a normal price nowadays, but come on... it's a bit much. That said, the sandwiches here are so worth it. The daily changing menu is fantastic. You can come here every day, and get something new.
Today, I had the "Artisan ham and Fontina Val dosta on Pan de mie w/ house-pickled nardello peppers, radicchios, and maybe somethin else" sandwich. I have no idea what the "somethin else" was, but it was fabulous. The onions and the pickled peppers gave the sandwich a sweet flavour, while still giving that sharp bite. The amount of stuff that is jam packed between the two slices of break is huge, and I struggled to wrap my mouth around it. Ok ok... stop it with the dirty jokes already.... It really was a fantastic sandwich, and I can't wait to go for round two.
There is no place to sit down here, so make sure that you have somewhere to go afterward. But you know, even if you eat this sandwich sitting on the curb (which I feel is totally acceptable in the Mission), it will be a great sandwich. -
Review from Dan H.
San Francisco, CA
9/27/2011
I just had the Two-way banh mi w/ Hapa Ramen's smoked ham and house pate on Acme roll w/ Blue Heron cucumber & cilantro, pickled carrot-daikon, jalapeno, minus the mayo. Soooo Good yum. Love this food.
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Review from Dario B.
6/1/2009
Don't you love all these little gems nested in other stores?
It adds another layer of complexity to your daily chow-hunt.
And when it comes to lunch, another sammy place is more than welcome.
I like everything about this place: local purveyors, networking with other businesses (like when they get Dynamo's biscuits) and most probably (but haven't checked yet) respect for seasonality of ingredients.
Now, my Banh-mi today was gorgeous but I'm not sure I can pay $7.50 every day.
So, I decided that I'll get my sammich here only the first day of the month, when my paycheck comes.
So, you know where to find me now.
