599 Railroad Avenue, South San Francisco, CA 94080(650) 583-8091
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Lunch Tues-Fri 11:30am - 2:30pm, Dinner Tues-Sat 5:30pm to 9:30pm, Sun 5pm-9pm, Closed Mondays
http://www.basqueculturalcenter.com/
Last Visited: December 19, 2010
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$
Alan and Sandy brought us to the Basque Cultural Center (BCC) about a year ago. After watching the television show Check Please, they were excited to go check out BCC and share the experience with us.Sunday Lunch
While BCC is not officially open to the public on Sundays during lunch, we were invited to join the regular BCC members for their family style lunch. Upon our arrival in the dining room, we noticed
that all the tables were set together to make several long tables for 20 to 30 people. A small loaf of French bread had been set out at each seat and the meal was about to begin. The noise level in the room was high as the regular members were enjoying telling stories and fellowshipping with one another. We sat across from Lucian (shown here in his cute beret), a regular, and his family and neighbors and learned about how the Basque members purchased the site and built the building on their own in the early 1980s. The BCC currently has about 500 members. Each Sunday, a number of them gather in the dining room for lunch – one of the men referred to the BCC as his church :) and his family.Unlike meals that are open to the public,
these Sunday lunches have a set menu served family style for 6 to 8 people. The meal begins with the aforementioned French bread (no butter, unless you’re not Basque and you ask for it), and starts with a soup served in a large stainless bowl. The soup is divided amongst patrons of the immediate table and we enjoyed a hearty vegetable soup with zucchini, potatoes, carrots, and more. Next, the first course comes. Today, the first course was stewed pig’s feet. The whole dish was so incredibly tender that many asked for seconds. Next up was the second 
course – chicken thighs braised in onions and tomatoes until tender. This came in a large casserole and the flavors melded together wonderfully – a little sweet, and the meat fell off the bone. Saffron rice and French fries are served on big plates alongside the chicken. And the French fries at BCC are really good. Everyone passes the plates around and serves one another. Lucian explained to me that the French have their salad first. The Basque however end their meals with salad. This fresh salad of mixed greens had a creamy dressing and like everything else, it was also served family style in a large bowl. If that weren’t enough, a 
cheese plate follows – each person enjoys a big slice of Basque cheese. If you go to Costco or Trader Joe’s, you’ll find Petit Basque cheese which is pretty close to what we had – it’s soft and has delicate flavors, but served just below room temperature, it’s quite good. Lastly, we enjoyed individual cakes that were filled with a lot of liquor, and those whom were interested were served liquor as well. This is in addition to the wine on the table throughout the meal. The quality of the food was wonderful! And they definitely know how to have a good time!Since this experience, I have been to the BCC at least three more times. Regular dining is equally good when it comes to food, but there is really something special about the camaraderie shared during the Sunday lunch.
The people are incredibly warm and inviting. During the meal, people told stories and jokes, asked us where we were from and how we came to know about the restaurant, and we enjoyed great conversation. Bowls and dishes are removed frequently and the servers are really on top of things, including joining in on the great conversation.All of my recent dining experiences at BCC have been for dinner. Reservations are recommended because there are some occasions when the center closes for special events and other times when you might find yourself waiting a long time for a table. Each time, the hostess and waiters have been the same. The staff know their individual jobs well, and while you see that they have the makings to be a well-oiled machine, service 
can fall short when the restaurant is crowded. I prefer to eat dinner early to avoid the crowds and have a better experience.
All entrees are served with soup or salad. One of the Basque gentlemen from lunch shared that when he first arrived in this country, he went to a restaurant and asked if he wanted a soup OR a salad. He said he was disappointed because in Basque culture, it’s always soup AND salad. And with that, the BCC is successful in giving you a true Basque experience. The waiters are happy to answer any questions for you, but as mentioned earlier, there are times when they miss a beat or are slower than preferred.
At my most recent visit, we had a party of five. Upon our arrival, we were given two loaves of bread. Their bread is quite delicious and you can keep going back for more. I initially thought that the quantity they gave us was too much, but after seeing how everyone went back for a second piece of bread, clearly, they know what they’re doing.
The salads are served in cold plates with a creamy house dressing made with tarragon. The vegetables are fresh and served very cold too. Topped with a little bit of red cabbage, the presentation is simple and the dressing has a nice flavor. The soups are always served in a large stainless bowl and the server usually serves you the first bowl. Almost always, there is plenty for seconds. So far, we’ve had vegetable soup a few times and a
pureed squash soup for the rest. I find the soup to be flavorful, but a touch saltier than what I would make at home. The salt in their soups have seemingly been consistently saltier than that of other restaurants, but equally as salty as other Basque places, so maybe Basque tastes prefer saltier soups – this question remains unanswered.
The menu features regular entrees that are served with soup and salad and daily family style dinners that change with the season.
The daily family style dinners feature a different pair of items each day of the week, and like the lunch, they have a first and second course. The first course is usually served in a smaller portion, similar to an appetizer, but more substantial. The second course is served smaller than what you might find at another restaurant, but still very sufficient. Examples of recent family style dinners include chicken roulade and boneless beef short ribs, braised oxtail stew and roasted pork shoulder, and salmon cake basquaise and roast leg of lamb. If you’re a vegetarian, this probably isn’t the best place for you. Even their pasta dishes have meat, but perhaps they could accommodate you upon request. Entrees include cassoulet, duck legs confit, pepper steak with cognac sauce, and veal sweetbreads. There really should be no reason to go hungry when you go to the BCC. Family style dinners also offer a choice of ice cream – vanilla, chocolate, or spumoni. If you still have room, there are a number of desserts available for reasonable prices – all of the desserts are under $6. There is a cheese plate, crème brulee, frozen almond nougat, and port wine sabayon glacee amongst other offerings.
- Roast Rack of Lamb - BCC's roast rack of lamb is super generous. The bones are frenched, the outside of the lamb has been seared until it develops a little crust, and the meat is tender and delicious. This is one of the best and most generous roast rack of lamb dishes that I have ever had. There were seven bones in this rack, and the flavor was terrific. The dish is accompanied by pan-roasted potatoes that are crisp on the outside and tender inside. There is also a side of fresh vegetables including green and yellow string beans, broccoli, zucchini and carrots that have been sautéed with some finely chopped garlic. I was really pleased with the dish and the portion. I would definitely order the roast rack of lamb again! Excellent! $26.95
- Fresh Salmon of the Day with Beets and Potatoes - The salmon is pan roasted and finished in the oven. While the presentation was a bit unusual with the beets spread out on the bottom of the plate, they were just the right texture and tasted good. The potatoes are shaped like quenelles which made me think they might be made from mashed potatoes, but they’re just like a sliced potato in texture, but bigger. Another large portion that is sure to fill you up. Good. I've forgotten the price, but it was probably around $20.
- Sunday Dinner - Lamb Stew & Roast Prime Rib - I ate the stew before taking a picture of it. Chunks of lamb cooked in a brown gravy came in a small casserole dish. The flavor was rich without any gaminess and the lamb pieces were very tender. They melted in your mouth. The prime rib was sliced thin – a little more than a quarter inch. It was also covered in brown gravy, a different one than the lamb though. While I prefer prime rib cooked in au jus, this was good. The same side dishes that came with the roast rack of lamb were also included with the prime rib except the broccoli had been replaced with brussel sprouts. Since a thick gravy covered the meat, it cooked more on the plate and was not quite as medium as I would have liked. I would probably order it medium rare in the future. I tried the spumoni ice cream for dessert and as characteristic of BCC, the helping was generous.
$21.95
can fall short when the restaurant is crowded. I prefer to eat dinner early to avoid the crowds and have a better experience.All entrees are served with soup or salad. One of the Basque gentlemen from lunch shared that when he first arrived in this country, he went to a restaurant and asked if he wanted a soup OR a salad. He said he was disappointed because in Basque culture, it’s always soup AND salad. And with that, the BCC is successful in giving you a true Basque experience. The waiters are happy to answer any questions for you, but as mentioned earlier, there are times when they miss a beat or are slower than preferred.
At my most recent visit, we had a party of five. Upon our arrival, we were given two loaves of bread. Their bread is quite delicious and you can keep going back for more. I initially thought that the quantity they gave us was too much, but after seeing how everyone went back for a second piece of bread, clearly, they know what they’re doing.The salads are served in cold plates with a creamy house dressing made with tarragon. The vegetables are fresh and served very cold too. Topped with a little bit of red cabbage, the presentation is simple and the dressing has a nice flavor. The soups are always served in a large stainless bowl and the server usually serves you the first bowl. Almost always, there is plenty for seconds. So far, we’ve had vegetable soup a few times and a
pureed squash soup for the rest. I find the soup to be flavorful, but a touch saltier than what I would make at home. The salt in their soups have seemingly been consistently saltier than that of other restaurants, but equally as salty as other Basque places, so maybe Basque tastes prefer saltier soups – this question remains unanswered.The menu features regular entrees that are served with soup and salad and daily family style dinners that change with the season.
The daily family style dinners feature a different pair of items each day of the week, and like the lunch, they have a first and second course. The first course is usually served in a smaller portion, similar to an appetizer, but more substantial. The second course is served smaller than what you might find at another restaurant, but still very sufficient. Examples of recent family style dinners include chicken roulade and boneless beef short ribs, braised oxtail stew and roasted pork shoulder, and salmon cake basquaise and roast leg of lamb. If you’re a vegetarian, this probably isn’t the best place for you. Even their pasta dishes have meat, but perhaps they could accommodate you upon request. Entrees include cassoulet, duck legs confit, pepper steak with cognac sauce, and veal sweetbreads. There really should be no reason to go hungry when you go to the BCC. Family style dinners also offer a choice of ice cream – vanilla, chocolate, or spumoni. If you still have room, there are a number of desserts available for reasonable prices – all of the desserts are under $6. There is a cheese plate, crème brulee, frozen almond nougat, and port wine sabayon glacee amongst other offerings.
- Roast Rack of Lamb - BCC's roast rack of lamb is super generous. The bones are frenched, the outside of the lamb has been seared until it develops a little crust, and the meat is tender and delicious. This is one of the best and most generous roast rack of lamb dishes that I have ever had. There were seven bones in this rack, and the flavor was terrific. The dish is accompanied by pan-roasted potatoes that are crisp on the outside and tender inside. There is also a side of fresh vegetables including green and yellow string beans, broccoli, zucchini and carrots that have been sautéed with some finely chopped garlic. I was really pleased with the dish and the portion. I would definitely order the roast rack of lamb again! Excellent! $26.95
- Fresh Salmon of the Day with Beets and Potatoes - The salmon is pan roasted and finished in the oven. While the presentation was a bit unusual with the beets spread out on the bottom of the plate, they were just the right texture and tasted good. The potatoes are shaped like quenelles which made me think they might be made from mashed potatoes, but they’re just like a sliced potato in texture, but bigger. Another large portion that is sure to fill you up. Good. I've forgotten the price, but it was probably around $20. 
- Sunday Dinner - Lamb Stew & Roast Prime Rib - I ate the stew before taking a picture of it. Chunks of lamb cooked in a brown gravy came in a small casserole dish. The flavor was rich without any gaminess and the lamb pieces were very tender. They melted in your mouth. The prime rib was sliced thin – a little more than a quarter inch. It was also covered in brown gravy, a different one than the lamb though. While I prefer prime rib cooked in au jus, this was good. The same side dishes that came with the roast rack of lamb were also included with the prime rib except the broccoli had been replaced with brussel sprouts. Since a thick gravy covered the meat, it cooked more on the plate and was not quite as medium as I would have liked. I would probably order it medium rare in the future. I tried the spumoni ice cream for dessert and as characteristic of BCC, the helping was generous.$21.95
Service varies with the evening. On busy evenings, they may not come back as frequently to check on you throughout the meal and they may not come back to ask if you would like fresh ground black pepper on your salad. On a good day, they will. On a bad day, you’re waiting to be seated after your reservation time has come and gone. On a good day, you’re seated immediately. In general, service is still good.
While the restaurant décor is very traditional – you could be stepping into the 1980s, the food is hearty and tastes like what you might get at grandma’s house. One other item to note, depending on the time you go, you may find the crowd to be mostly comprised of senior citizens. During my recent visits, I’ve seen a variety of patrons – sometimes very old, but mostly, lots of families of various ethnicities. Either way, it’s a great bargain for the variety and quality and I will certainly be back.
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