SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA – It’s hard to find Middle Eastern places in the Bay Area these days that lean into a specific part of the region.
The temptation to call oneself “Mediterranean,” and take advantage of the Bay’s obsession with the Mediterrranean diet, “Blue Zones” and all that–is simply too high.
One restaurant in San Francisco is different, though. Sababa (71 Stevenson street in San Francisco) proud leans into its Israeli cuisine concept.
Sababa calls itself an “Israeli Street Food” restaurant. Located in the bottom level of an office tower near the Montgomery Street BART station, it functions a bit like an Israeli Chipotle, serving a simple menu counter-service style.
You select a protein (falafel, chicken shawarma, etc.), several salads, and optional accompaniments like extra pita and sheep feta cheese. You can have your items as a bowl or as a pita sandwich for those who are truly on the go.
I stopped by and got a falafel bowl with Israeli salad, quinoa and Moroccan carrots.
Everything comes drizzled with tahini, and the protein is served over hummus.
I could have used a bit more hummus, but the flavors were excellent–crisp falafel, fresh salad with the veggies cut nice and small, and a sweetness to the carrots. The quinoa felt like a too-Bay-Area twiest on tabbouleh, but overall the meal was delicious (and, it must be noted, Mediterranean diet compatible!)
One clue that this is a truly an Israeli cuisine place is the fact that you can get amba (a sweet mango condiment).
And zhug, a Yemini hot sauce.
Sababa is delicious, and it’s an easy stop before hopping on the train back to the East Bay. I’ll definitely be back when I need my Israeli food fix!
