Salvadoreno Restaurant
303 E Southern Ave,Ste 113, Mesa, AZ, 85210
Salvadoreno Restaurant Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Mesa for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Mesa for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Mesa for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
303 E Southern Ave,Ste 113
Mesa, AZ, 85210 - Phone (480) 835-1038
- Website https://www.salvadorenorestaurant.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :9:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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April H.
Arrived here hot and famished and thus, super #hangry when I popped in here. I can't stand pushy looming waitstaff and rest assures, you will not find that here. I indeed took my time perusing their menu and the young lady at counter was super patient. Extra points since she even accomodated my request for a cup of hot water (wanted to brew tea kind of difficult when roadtrippin'). Less than $3 for a piping hot pupusa? #yaaasss!!!
(4)Joe M.
Came here visiting for work. Order two PUPUSAs pretty good. They have won best in Arizona 2009-2011-2012. Service was great. If you have never had A Pupusa I recommend it better than a burger and more flavorful.
(4)Vienne N.
After reading the reviews here, I was looking forward to trying great Salvadorean food. My experience, however, was very disappointing. While the waitress was friendly, the service was very slow. We waited a while for drinks, refills, take out boxes, and finally the check. I would have overlooked the slow service if the food had made up for it. Unfortunately, it didn't!!! My sister and I shared the appetizer sampler plate and the shrimp & chicken entree. We enjoyed the papusas, fried plaintain, and fried taro, but were disappointed with everything else. The pork and chicken were so dried they could have been called jerkey. The salsa was bland and tasteless. The empanadas were so hard you could have seriously hurt someone with them. To add insult to injury, the prices were pretty high for a hole in a corner place. Lunch for 2 totaled over $40 (tip included). We could have gone to more than a dozen other places for better food at lower prices. Needless to say, we will not return to this restaurant.
(2)Alwin L.
Can't go wrong with their El Salvadorean sampler and pupusa combo. Had their chicken and carne asada pupusas, rice and beans, tamale, yuca, empanada, and plantain chips. Their slaw and red sauce especially delicious.
(4)Mark R.
Authentic Home Style Cooking from El Salvador with a great tasting selection of delicious items to choose from their fantastic menu. Seafood, Meats, Appetizers, Salads, Pupusas and Traditional Entrees as well as Tasty Desserts. They even provide pictures that you can see of each of the dishes on the menu. Nice! Inside is clean and tidy with fun items on the walls that give you the sensation of being in a little tucked away place in El Salvador. The service was very friendly and helpful when I arrived and when it was time to order. I saw some photos on Brother Yelp and showed a few to her and said I want this one and one of your famous Pupusas to test out. Ordered the Churrasco Salvadoreño plate which is Steak, Shrimp, Sausage, Black Beans and Rice, Queso Fresco, Fried Plantain, handmade Tortillas and then some. Had to get a Pupusa and asked her what she recommend. She happily replied Pork, Beans and a Cheese or Revueltas con Chicharrón,Queso y Frijoles as shown on the menu. It comes with a delicious side of spicy cabbage and a very tasty red sauce that you put on top for some extra kick. Hotter sauce also available on the table if you are crazy like me. Everything was packed with flavors and super good. This is not your typical Mexican style food. You must check it out to experience it. In the same complex as Family Dollar store in the deep corner. Yummo! 4.5 STARS
(4)Julius G.
This is the first time visiting this restaurant. The pupusas were very good. I have never had this style of food before. The service was very good and friendly.
(4)Courtney B.
I really like this place. It was introduced to me when a TV show featured them and boy am I glad they did. Don't be concerned or scared off by the atmosphere and appearance of the place. It's not a place where you have to get dressed up! What's funny is they are almost always pretty empty, as I am guessing a lot of people do take out but that is fine with me because that means I can find parking and a spot to sit. Everything seems to be made to order, so don't be in a hurry. It is so well worth the wait. I always go get pupusas and I make sure to get their delicious beans. The flavor is delicious!
(4)Alma B.
Pupusas! I love me some pupusas! That's all that I have ordered from there so I can't comment on the rest of the food. They are delicious, they are made to order, or so it seems because it takes a while to get the food. I order the cheese and the chicharron with cheese, they are big enough that 2 fill me up. Why only 3 stars then? They are inefficient when it comes to customer service and overall cleanliness of the place. Every time I visit there is a few dirty tables that remain dirty while I wait for my food to be served, and there is rarely more than a few customers at the same time, at least during the dinner times I have been there, their server's could not be any more unfriendly, as if you're disturbing their time by eating there. Sometimes there is a smell to the place that makes me question my decision to eat there. They have a rule of 1 dollar charge if you don't spend more than 20 dollars and pay with a credit card.
(3)George M.
Great food is authentic and the service is nice. i been to the one at 75 ave as well all around great people
(5)Diana M.
Horrible costumer service. Walk up to the counter and stood there for a bit, then finally a lady asks me to have a seat and someone will be with me...waited ..and then another group of guys come in sit down on the table next to us and finally a lady comes to help BUT completely ignores my family and helps the group of guys.. and thats when we walk out. No need to spend my money on a place like that.
(1)Courtney P.
After reading the reviews I was excited about trying this place. I absolutely love pupusa's & couldn't wait to get one. We drove 30 minutes to have dinner & was pretty disappointed. The pupusa's tasted just like a quesadilla & the "steak" that was suposed to be in consisted of 5 tiny pieces. The beans were watery & tasteless but the rice was delicious & the staff was friendly which is why I gave 2 stars.
(2)Alexandra H.
This restaurant serves fresh hot Pupusas with that delicious slaw and red sauce characteristic to the authentic Salvadoran plates. Had other pupusas before but this place takes the cake in true flavor and fresh food. It's always a plus when you can buy the Coke in a glass bottle and a homemade flan for dessert... If you have the room! Been here a few times and the food is consistently delicious. I always like to get the 3 pupusa combo that comes with slaw, red sauce and 2 sides for $8. Can't beat the leftovers either. They've got a true fan outta me.
(5)Thomas P.
In town for the weekend and this place seemed like it could have potential. The food is homemade and the workers are nice. I ordered three pupusas: Loroco con queso, black beans and cheese and one with chicharron. They were good, but the didn't have as much in the middle as I am used to. Overall it was good, but I have had many much better pupusas.
(3)Lesley G.
Great place to be at! I'm in loveeee with the pupusas. Although the I don't like where the store is located, the store and food is great! It's like you're eating at home.
(4)Hit'em Long W.
We were immediately greeted when we walked in the restaurant. In no time at all the waitress took our drink orders. She helped us make our menu selections. She also described some of the menu items that we were unfamiliar with. The food was delicious and prepared & served promptly. This was a good experience. We will return. Sure wish I knew the waitress's name. She was very friendly.
(5)Krissy H.
Wow great pupusa some of the best I have had..I will say I was worried do to the part of town . it's not a very nice place ,but clean. people were nice and spoke good English. Prices we good also. A great take home meal for family and friends.a meal everyone will love
(4)Ali B.
My first pupusa experience was a hit! Had never tried El Salvador food, and wanted to try something new so my boyfriend and I decided to check this place out, and I am glad we did. The restaurant is very tiny, hole in the wall type place. Posters of El Salvador on the walls..making me want to travel there! Our server was nice, did not speak much English, but that was not really a problem. I am not sure if we misunderstood and we were supposed to go up to the front and order, because we would ask her a question about an item, she'd answer, then run off before we could order! The food was yummy! I got the squash and cheese and the bean and cheese pupusa and they were both awesome. The squash and cheese had a bit more cheese than I would have liked, as I do not eat cheese often, but still was appetizing. It also came with beans and rice on the side. I wasn't used to eating liquefied beans, but I did enjoy them. For dessert my boyfriend and I shared the nuegados de yuca con miel. It was a little odd for my taste, but obviously something I have never had before. If I go again I would want to give a different dessert a try. OH and when you visit their website, you can find a coupon for 10% off your first visit. Though the food is pretty inexpensive, not that big of a deal if you forget the coupon like I did haha.
(4)Cheryl U.
I was up one night watching DDD on the food network and they were talking about a Salvadorian restaurant that served pupusas. I had never heard of them before but they looked so delicious that I searched to see if we had a Salvadorian restaurant in AZ. Yay!! We do!! This restaurant is tucked far back in a rundown shopping center in a not so great part of town - don't let that scare you away. The restaurant is clean and the food is AWESOME!! I have gone 2 times and both times I was very pleased. The pork and cheese pupusas are great and so are the cheese ones. The green corn tamales are the best I have ever had - EVER! The horchata is different but good and their crema is fantastic. I can't say enough about this place - I highly recommend!
(5)J C.
The pupusas were great. The plantain was not really plantain but was a banana, too sweet and too greasy. The tamales had a soft mushy outside, unusual but good. Staff were friendly and efficient.
(3)Jose C.
Decided to go here while driving through AZ. The popusas were on point regardless of the kind you get. The bisteck ensebollado was ok, not bad enough to say I won't eat it again. Definitely held up to previous reviews!
(4)Mark T.
My family loves to come here. At least 2-3 times per month we come for the pupusas. There is a combo plate that has 3 pupusas, rice, and beans for about $10, but typically I order two a la carte (just over $2 each). We usually get the chicharones, but the most recent time I ordered one chicken and one spinach. The pineapple aqua fresca is excellent as well. If you are looking for El Salvadorian food, this is the place to go.
(4)Yanira S.
We made a recent visit to this place. Being Salvadorean myself, figured I'd better give it shot. The food was okay, not great. I've had papusas all my life and I've been to a few great Salvadorean restaurants on the West Side but this Mesa place was not all that. The service was very slow, we ordered two horchatas to start and it took a while to get them. Then we ordered papusas and there was hardly any cheese in my cheese and meat papusa. And to top it all off, when I asked about the check-in offer from Yelp the girl had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. :/
(2)Ryan A.
Really good pupusas. The carne asada was my favorite. We also tried the sampler platter. It was nice to try a variety I things. I would really recommend this place.
(5)Rebecca J.
This place is awesome. Did the two papusa lunch combo--steak and chicken-- with rice and beans. Everything was awesome, especially the chicken. I will definitely come back! Edit: Came back, tried the beans and cheese. Delicious!!
(4)Kristi A.
Came here with our family and there are only 5 of us. Ordered pupusas and fried plantain. It took a while before the food came out. This place is a hole in a wall but we were willing to try it out because of the good reviews here. We got our food...plantain was good. The shrimp pupusas was my fave amongst beef and pork. It was alright...had better. We got the bill and noticed that they already included the gratuity. Coming from Vegas, I have no problem paying gratuity but for it to be included on the bill for 5 people? That's unheard of. So I came up to the cashier to inquire about it, one of the girl from the cashier pulled out the menu and said, "that's our rule...six people or more we have to include gratuity". So I stood there a little confused until I came back to our table and my sis reminded me that there are only 5 of us. So I went back and asked the cashier that there were only 5 of us so she shouldn't include the gratuity. Then all of a sudden both girls that were in the cashier counter said that the rule was changed to 4 people. Mind you...this is within 2-3 minutes time frame, their rules changed from 6 people to 4 people. When I asked why they did not mention earlier that it was changed from 6 to 5...she kept on saying "call the manager" and was saying this rudely.
(1)Enrique C.
After reading the positive reviews I decided to give this place a try. By no means am I a Salvadorean food expert but I do like Pupusas. I decided to try the chicken, cheese and combo Pupusas. Now comes the reason I gave the place 4 stars--the food had excellent taste but based on previous pupusa experiences these seemed a bit soggy. The portions are great and again I say the food prep and flavors were excellent. A nice side if beans and rice completed my meal. I did indulge in a prepackaged flan and it was meh! I would recommend this place based on the friendly service and great taste. Might retry and eat in and see if that makes a difference in texture. Enjoy!
(4)Dan L.
Pupusas?? As a hardcore Mexican food enthusiast I was intrigued by the concept but barely able to figure out how this fascinating dish was pronounced. I am proud to say that I am a HUGE fan of pupusas now. Salvadoreno popped up in a search of mine to find a low-key, nice Sunday night place to relax and enjoy some food. It definitely was worth the visit to an interesting part of Mesa. The restaurant is very similar to a lot of Mexican food restaurants anyone who has lived in Phoenix will be familiar with. One room with several tables and a counter with interestingly-named dishes posted behind it. The waitress was very friendly, but I will say that knowing a little Spanish helped. My girlfriend and I both ordered the Pupusa combo platter, real risky based on other reviews - I know. I went with Pollo and the revuelta mixed with pork, cheese and beans. She had the chicken as well with carne asada. This little dish is fantastic! I think next time I'll just stick with getting two pupusas because I was extremely full and did NOT need to add rice and beans to the mix (although those were good too.) The only disappointment was the fact that Independence Day was on the TV in Spanish, but the volume was too far down to hear. I'd love to hear the voice-over actor for Will Smith busting out a "Bienvenidos a Tierra, P***!" On a more serious note, I look forward to heading back here as soon as possible. I'd love to try the Ceviche, as it's on the Best of Phoenix list, and there are a few other dishes (think breakfast) that looked intriguing.
(4)Al C.
This little hole in the wall has one tiny but powerfully delicious kitchen that brings out the best Pupusas I have ever tasted in my life.. the food is hot, freshly cooked and packed with so much flavor, the prices are so low that I feel if they raised the prices slightly and kept the same amazing customer service and fantastic kitchen work they could easily get a well deserved bigger and more contemporary place. Regardless of the size, this place is wonderful, it's clean and the staff is so friendly and the food .. I just can't stop saying how delicious the food here is. If you want to impress someone with a non pretentious hole in the wall wonder then this is the delicious place to introduce someone to their first most amazing Pupusa!
(4)Jonathan G.
Came here specifically because of the fantastic reviews here on Yelp. Unfortunately I learned that great reviews don't necessarily translate into great food. After making my way through the terrible construction on Mesa Drive, I pulled up to this true hole-in-the-wall place for lunch with my dad. Seeing nothing but Spanish on the storefront, I wasn't even sure if the employees would speak English. Fortunately my meal was made easier by the fact that the waitress did, in fact, know my language. I started off with the Tamarindo drink, which had a similar artificially sweet flavor to Thai iced tea. I wasn't a big fan. I then ordered one cheese and one chicken pupusa. I didn't find either particularly tasty, and the food was very heavy. It kind of sits in your stomach after you eat it. Overall, the service was fine and the divey atmosphere didn't really bother me, but the mediocre food means I can't give the place more than 3 stars.
(3)Krysta R.
Delicious! Had some bean with cheese, revueltas and chicharron pupusas. The salad drink wasn't the best but hey I finished it AALL! Will def b coming back
(4)Gary H.
First let me say I have had no experience with El salvador food, but have heard good reviews about it. It may be that it is just not my taste. I want to just base it on preparations and quality of the food. I had the pupusas which is the signature dish I was told in their country. To be honest, it seems like a quesadilla to me except the tortilla is different in texture, mine was a little grainy almost like corn meal. I ordered chicken, beef and just cheese. The chicken and beef had very little chicken or beef and mostly you taste the beans and cheese. Really had no flavor to them except the cheese. The cheese pupusas was exactly like a cheese quesadilla because had no beans in it and except for the texture, It would be a quesadilla. The salsa is very thin and a liquid like water. It really had no strong taste like a regular salsa. the topping of cabbage was okay, like a slaw of some sort. The sides were rice and beans which was really bland and I only had a couple of bites of it. The other item I tried was the pastelitos with steak. The outside was so greasy, I could not even swallowed it. I dried them off with 5 to 6 napkins before I could take another bite and it was so bland and dry, no seasoning at all and just tasted the oil and probably old oil at that . I don't think I would go here again, but maybe I will try the food maybe another dish or dishes, but again maybe it is just not my cup of tea but the quality of the food seems pretty plain or subpar.
(2)Isabel B.
I went here based off reviews. But Sunday during brunch may not have been the most ideal time. The place was hot and muggy. The food was edible, but not to my standards of the good salvadorean food I am use to in Seattle. Beans were runny. Pupusas super greasy. Pork over fried. Not the best quality. Service was polite yet minimal. Will stick to my Salvadorean place back in West Seattle.
(2)Eddy Y.
I want to start by saying I really liked the food...service was a bit slow but the food was freshly made. While walking by the kitchen, I did notice raw chicken on the counter while they prepared food...not sure how long it has been sitting there. I would have given this restaurant more stars except that they gave themselves an additional tip on top of what I already gave them...which was 20%. Keep your receipt and check your credit card statement!
(3)Scotty A.
I thought this place was great. I had had pious as before, but my date hadn't. They helped me explain how things worked. Food was great. Couldn't have asked for better food or better service. Thanks guys! I'll definitely be back!
(5)Brittany M.
The pupusas are amazing, and they're cooked fresh so it does take quite a while to get your food however it is worth the wait! I'll be bach.
(5)Elena R.
I have been coming here since they first opened. Seems like every year the Pupusas get smaller and the price gets higher. But I still enjoy their food.
(4)Carlos R.
Pupusas are awesome. Tried all five, chicken, pork, and carne asada were my favorite.
(4)Reggie Q.
Food is great food is authentic and the service is nice. Nothing wrong at all. My fav place. I'm gonna try the fuego pupusas today
(5)Just M.
This was my first time ever eating there. From having homemade pupusas made from my Salvadorean friends, there's where a bit salty and the salad was dry! What the heck?! Luckily I was able to use the red sauce to make up for the dryness of the salad. I ordered a side of the fried bananas and I should have checked before I paid, but she charged me for the meal! It should only have been $3 bucks for the fried bananas. Will I go there again? Hmmm...I may not and thinking of just making my own next time! Fresh and less salt! And the salad will not be dry at all!
(3)Eric M.
I have been driving past this intersection for years and never knew an awesome lil restaurant sat in the corner of the over sized strip mall. I actually found out about this place originally at a Yelp event at the Arizona Science Center. They were handing out pupusa's. I never even heard of a pupusa before, but it was love at first bite. They handed out a coupon for buy one get one free pupusa that sat on my coupon board in the garage for almost a year. When Abby was mentioning she wanted to eat some pupusa's, I was thinking no way I have a coupon for a place down the road!! So last week after being too lazy to cook, we hit this lil spot up. I had a bit of trouble finding it, so it's on the southwest corner of Mesa and Southern, in the corner of the plaza. The inside reminded me of a mom and pop Filipino spot, except they had some Salvadoran channel instead of TFC and pictures of islands are replaced with colorful homes in El Salvador. There were some bomb looking things on the menu that we wanted to try but tonight was pupusa night so we got 6 of them with a few different stuffings. They were amazing!! Again, they turned into leftovers and still tasted hella good. The pupusa also came with some black refried bean side and some other side dish that I can't describe but was very good. Oh and to wash it down, they have mexican sodas so I killed that import Coke right out the bottle. Just like all the other mom and pop restaurants we have been visiting lately, the staff was extremely friendly and really went above and beyond. We for sure plan on going back to try more dishes and more pupusa's!
(4)Donavon R.
A coworker and I went here a few weeks back...amazing! I had never had el Salvadorian food before. I am hooked. The owner was great...two white boys asking about the food and getting advice on what to order next AND he didn't skip a beat.
(4)C H.
VERY friendly wait staff and consistently incredible food. Visit this place as soon as you can! I'm generally very conservative with my ratings ...this place definitely deserves the 5 stars I rated it.
(5)Travis F.
Great ceviche, friendly staff, and good service. The only downside is the continuous construction on Mesa Drive makes getting in and out of the plaza a pain, otherwise I'd visit more.
(4)Nam D.
The drive from my apartment to this restaurant along Southern Avenue is an interesting 5 mile stretch. We start near a retirement community, replete with 70-80 year olds who have absolutely no shame in flaunting themselves in speedos on a hot summer day on thereafter desecrated sidewalks. Continuing on, a veritable gauntlet of strip malls appear offering all types of wares, services, in a strictly lower middle income suburbia. The next area is a heavily hispanic area with nary an English sign in sight, besides Massage brazenly displayed along shaded glass storefronts. Finally, our destination appears, and it is truly in an imposing corner, flanked by a Big Lots, great america, and a pawn shop, complete with a watchful security guard along the storefront. In this truly welcoming environment, we damn near sprinted from the Red Dragon ( also known as my car ) into Salvadoreno. And this is where the magic begins. The legend of pupusa has been ringing in my soul for nearly an hour, and I was not about to leave without satisfying that call. Never having had it before didn't prevent me from ordering 3 varieties, with the steak being my girlfriend's favorite, mine being the pork and beans, and the simple cheese coming in at a comfortable third. Pressed pockets of incredible goodness inside a expertly pressed tortilla, was served with a mild salsa and curtido- spicy, peppery pickled vegetables. Combining all of these components, I have abandoned my long-standing vow to hate all those who use bumper stickers and have been inspired to promote the cause, I love (heart symbol) pupusas. As this was my first foray into Salvadorian food, I also ordered Lengua Guisada, which came as 3 slabs of stewed beef tongue, covered in a slightly sour tomato based sauce. The sourness combined with the beef tongue's gamey texture I found very pleasing, but this was slightly below room temperature, and definitely marred my enjoyment of this dish. Both of our entrees also came with pedestrian rice and watery black beans, with the latter being flavorful but far too liquidy. I also had a cup of Sopa de Res con Chipilin with my entree, which tasted like countless other Sopa de Res elsewhere. Pupusas were absolutely wonderful, but the full experience was marred by my weaker entree and the side dishes. With that said, I will gladly challenge the land of hispanic / lower income / scary gun-wielding-guard-outside-a-pawn-shop again if only I can have once again the sublime experience of pupusa once more.
(3)B A.
Yummy Pupusas. I still can't get them to come out right at home, so I go here.
(5)Giana R.
Visited from Chicago and was pleasantly surprised with the pupusas. I didnt expect the "mexican" versions of a traditional pupusa but I expect that is due to the area or customers requests. Decor is basic tables with a tv playing in the background. Good food , Nice staff and feels traditional. Dont forget to buy a bumper sticker!
(4)Cory A.
Papusas! This is one of the few places that I actually have cravings for. You can't go wrong with any of the papusa flavors (carne asada is my favorite followed by loroco flower) and the fried plantains are an excellent treat. Eat the papusas topped with the curtido (coleslaw) and salsa, it really pushes the flavor over the top.
(5)Richard P.
Pupusa trio is very filling. The carne asada was extra but the most flavorful of the bunch. The loroco flower tasted of pollen but the curtido and salsa eclipsed the flavor, but you can never have enough of those two things on any pupusa. The fried yucca was plain but the pork included was very tasty. The fried plantain was the best I've ever had, the cream gives an initial tart but then follows it with a carameled sweet that astounds the taste buds.
(4)Ryan J.
It was blind luck that I stumbled across ceviche over 10 years ago as a young lad living in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. Since then it has become a signature dish in my heart and I've gone out of my to find restaurants whose reputations are tied to this savory dish from the sea. I was excited when I recently read a piece in Phoenix Magazine lauding the ceviche of Salvadoreno as one of the essential dishes of the valley. I soon headed east to determine whether or not this dish would rival my favorite versions of the dish; the beach side shack outside of Topolobompo and the Halibut Ceviche of the Foundry Grill up at Sundance in Utah. We were greeted by the friendly yet chaotic smile that it so common with Latin American dives. We quickly ordered some horchata, very strong, and some pupusas, above average, before we prepared to dine the reason for our visit. I certainly wasn't disappointed. My only real hang up was their interpretation of what a portion should be. The dish could serve 4 people without a problem. The ingredients were standard to ceviche and all tasted very fresh. The only slight difference was that the shrimp on top were grilled. We finished the meal with Nuegados de Yuca con miel, fried but not too heavy, and called it a meal. While it wasn't the best ceviche it was certainly among the top tier. The restaurant is just close enough to warrant a semi regular visit. A great place that deserves your attention. Just remember that when you order the ceviche bring a friend or three along for the ride.
(4)Karla H.
Loved it!! came back twice... authentic pupusas, I'm only reviewing pupusas, i have not tried other dishes. P.S. I'm Salvadorean so I think I'm critic...
(4)Kelly R.
While a much broader diversity of world eat's is sometimes lacking in the greater Mesa area, there is zero lack in diversity of Latin and Hispanic influenced food. Salvadoreno definitely stands out based on its uniqueness (it's 1 of 1 restaurant serving Salvadorian cuisine in Mesa, and accounts for 3 of the 5 noted Salvadorian places in Phx). Everything on the menu looks pretty great, but I decided on the 3 Pupusa Combo (1 steak w/cheese, 1 chicken w/cheese, & 1loroco flower w/cheese). With the rice & beans, this makes for a sizable meal. Each of the Pupusas was a little different, and topping them off with a little bit of the provided spiced tomato sauce and pickled cabbage, onions, & carrot mixture made the flavors even better. Combined with a Mexican Coke, my total was around 10 bucks. I'm definitely looking forward to heading back for the tamals, and homemade flan!
(4)Eric B.
I've never had a pupusa before, but it was an awesome thing to eat. A meat filled pancake? Yes, thank you! Well worth the fiasco of getting into the plaza with all the construction on Mesa Dr.
(4)Russ R.
Discovered this little hole in the wall while pinging my Yelp Blackberry app looking for adventure (and lunch). It is close the the Southeast Annex of the Maricopa County Superior Court. If you are interested in some good ceviche, this is a great place to go. The ambiance is definitely humble. The restaurant is situated in the corner of a strip mall containing a dollar store, a rent to own place, and a pawn shop. Upon walking into the restaurant, I immediately noticed it was clean, and that there was no overpowering smell of seafood; both were good signs. I was confused as to whether I should order at the counter, or sit down at a table. (Silly gringo.) If you are dining in, sit down at a table and they will bring you a menu. The Diet Coke I ordered was brought to my table in a can with a glass of ice. It appears that they have Mexican (cane sugar) Coke in glass bottles for those of you so inclined. The menu had quite a few seafood choices. There were also other items on the menu that i was not familiar with. Salvadoran food is similiar to, but different from Mexican food. Note that the pictures of the food on the menu do not do the actual food justice. I ordered the ceviche and after a 10 to 15 minute wait, I was brought a very large plate piled with ceviche on top of lettuce ringed with tomato, cucumber, and avocado, and topped with grilled (hot) shrimp. I was also brought a small bowl of chips. This was a little different than the way I have had ceviche served in Mexican restaurants. I am not sure if this is Salvadoran, or just this restaurant's unique take on ceviche. I picked the grilled shrimp off the top with my fingers, squeezing off the tails. I then dug into the ceviche with the chips unti I ran out of chips. With the chips gone, I picked up my fork and finished the dish including the lettuce. Everything, seafood and veggies, was fresh and tasty. The serving was extremely generous. I left with a very happy panzita. I will definitely be back to try some of the other items on the menu.
(4)Eireen C.
When so many restaurants here are closed on Sundays, it was great to find a good one that was open. And not just good - we had an absolutely marvelous meal here. Tasty bean pupusas made with rice flour (instead of wheat), scrumptious and moist chicken tamales, and delicious fried plantains for dessert. (We did not get the sweet plantains & cream but the 'dinner' ones with pureed black beans, and I found those sweet enough by themselves.) The staff was quite friendly to us, and it didn't hurt that my companion could hold her own conversing in Spanish with them. Yet the food by itself was so enjoyable, my stomach was grinning the whole way home. ¡Ricissimo!
(5)Candice F.
I've been to this restaurant twice in three days. My niece and I went on Sunday my suggestion after reading a review in new times. My niece decided she couldn't eat there as soon as we entered. I ordered a bean and cheese pupusa and a chili relleno. The chili relleno was stuffed with a ground or cubed meat. I didn't expect the meat so I pushed it over to my niece to nibbled on. The pupusa was good, the beverage I ordered was super sweet.... So I went back today. Again I ordered the bean and cheese pupusa, it wasn't as good as Sundays. I also ordered a dish that was very similar to a tamale, it was wrapped in a leaf and was stuffed with cheese. IT was very good. I also ordered the plantains with cream and beans. The beans were very soup, traditionally so? I don't know and didn't care for them regardless. I have no real reference for Salvadorian food so ... I've had similar tamale type dishes wrapped in banana leaves, this version was very good but I must say not the best I've had. I will eventually go back to try the ceviche. I'm not in a hurry. I'm posting my review with a bit of reluctance. My experience was not what I expected and doesn't fall in line with the reviews posted here or the review a read in new times. Again my experience with Salvadorian food is limited. So plesae consider my two cents with a bit of salt! Peace!
(3)Ryan C.
I had the pupusa with asada and cheese. It was delicious. I've had pupusa's many times before and these definitely satisfied my craving. The food was awesome. My girl had machaca and it was delicious. The service was good and the wait time for the food wasn't bad either. The place is a bit small so make sure you pick a table next to someone sexy, cause you might end up sitting very close to a stranger.
(4)Elizabeth S.
Tried this restaurant with a groupon. Probably would not have, if I didn't have the coupon. Don't let the storefront and decor stop you from going in. The restaurant is super clean and the wait staff is very friendly. And the food, WOW! We split the Shrimp Ceviche and the combination pupusa plate. The portions were very generous. I ordered the fruit drink. Everything was absolutely delicious. One of my new favorite restaurants . Will definitely be back.
(5)Nicole M.
I really wanted to like this place because is close to my house. I am sad to report I was not impress. These is what i order: 2 corn tamales with cream (very delicious) 4 pupusas ( the pupusas were delicious but the curtido and salsa were awful not spicy or tasty at all). If you are a fan of this kind of food the curtido is so important and it was so bad that it tasted old. 2 horchatas (it tasted more like water with sugar) they could do a better job at this. I would go back to this place for corn tamales only.
(2)mark g.
after writing this review I was contacted by mangt w/a very nice letter apolgizing for the mis communication between the server and us and explaining the dishes we ordered ..my mis conseption of the beef dish w/eggs my wife had. Any business that takes this kind of action to make sure it's patrons are satisified deserves 5 stars!!!!!!!!! WE WILL BE BACK THANKS
(5)Michael T.
Wow, not what we were expecting at all. But that's a good thing. The restaurant would qualify as a "Dive" in most circles, a tiny 20 seat affair with recycled refer units as cabinets located in the corner of a strip mall with a 99 cent store and a BigLots. Not exactly a high-end neighborhood. But after having heard of this little cafe in The New Times and finding that Phoenix Magazine rated their Ceviche and Shrimp salad as one of the Valley's top 50 dishes, we decided that we must give it a try! The article in New Times raved about something called a Pupusa and description sounded familiar, once we were there I realized why. Every culture on earth seems to have developed some form of stuffed hand pie. You know the formula, a regional bread or pastry dough, formed into a pocket and stuffed with savory or sweet fillings. Food on the go. Well in El Salvador it's called a Pupusa, and they were delicious! A kind of thick corn tortilla type bread, filled with several different types of fillings, pork and cheese, beans, chicken and cheese, beef and cheese or beef, bean and cheese. Now this is NOT your typical Arizona/Mexican food. The cheese is a freshly made cheese that is a Salvadoran tradition and is one of the best fresh cheeses I have ever had, smooth and soft yet very flavourful. The tortilla is not what you might be used to either, they are corn tortillas but they are not the course chip like corn tortillas so prevalent in Americanized Hispanic foods. They are thick, soft and delicious. It is this tortilla that is the basis of their Pupusas. Don't expect to find the standard "Mexican Restaurant" re-fried beans here either. Spicy, flavourful and smooth, having been mashed right after cooking, they are among the best example of simple yet wonderful tastes you will experience here. We had some of all of the different Pupusas offered on the menu which are priced very reasonable indeed, and were impressed with all of them, though the pork and cheese and the bean were my personal favorites. We also had a corn tamale that was sweet and moist and tasty, rolled in a banana leaf instead of the corn husk we are used to. Perhaps that is why it was so much more moist than your average corn tamale. To finish off our repast we enjoyed the fried plantains, actually an appetizer on the menu, they were crispy on the outside and starchy and tasty inside. Served with freshly made salsa and the Salvadoran version of Crème Fraîche that was also a hit. The owner was our server and I am still not sure she spoke much English, but she was very nice to us and the orders were always right. As well as very very hot! I had to let my Pupusas sit a few minutes before they were cool enough to consume, and a word of warning, Plantains retain heat even better than potatoes do so proceed carefully. As I've said the Ceviche and Shrimp salad is an award winner and the Carne Asada that the folks at the next table had ordered looked delicious. However I could not ask their opinion as they did not seem to speak English either and my Spanish is worse than terrible. But they seemed to be enjoying it, I'll give it a try next time. They serve breakfast too and I can hardly wait to give that a try as well. Stop in, you'll be glad you did.
(4)Dani O.
YES! Thank you Salvadoreno for making my pupusa loving dreams come true! I just moved back to the valley after 6yrs away, having discovered and fallen in love with El Salvadorian food in the mean while. I was worried that I wouldn't find a good spot here as we some times lack in fine ethnic cuisine that isn't Mexican. I was tickled pink last night to discover Salvadoreno in an unassuming strip mall in Mesa (they have 2 other locations around the valley). The food was blissfully authentic as was the price. They even suggested a deal on the menu for 20 pupusas for $30. I might add this place to my bi-weekly grocery shopping list. I can't say enough about how happy I was to get real El Salvadorian food that hadn't been taken over by the flavors of Mexico, U.S. or Arizona. One of the family members who runs the joints was even there and everyone who worked there was quite friendly. I'm happy to support these guys. I will definitely be returning.
(5)Jennifer O.
I went here the other day, as I had a Deal Chicken for this place. I used to go to a really good Salvadorian restaurant in Seattle, and was excited to see there was one right near where I live now. So the BF and I got here at around 8 at night on a Sunday and it was actually pretty busy. This place is in a tiny strip mall that does not look like it gets much business, and I would have never seen it from the road, so it must be good to still be in business. So I ordered a pollo pupusa, a carne asada pupusa, and a polla tamale, and the BF ordered two bean and cheese pupusas and a carne asada pupusa and we split the pastelitos con papas y queso. Well, the pastelitos were pretty tasty, like fried mashed potatoes, and they came with a spicier cabbage slaw which I liked a lot better than the regular cabbage slaw for the pupusas. All of the pupusas were really good, my real problem was with the sauce. The red sauce that came with them was just kind of flavorless. The place I used to go to had some really good red and green sauces for the pupusas... it was kind of disappointing. Also, about 5 minutes after we got the pupusas, the waitress came by and said 'oh I forgot to tell you we don't have any tamales.' Well, that kind of sucks, why did it take til we were already in the middle of eating to tell us? Also, it screwed up the amount I was trying to spend (since I had 20$ to spend on the deal chicken) which I guess shows that this place is cheap, which is good, but for this particular trip that wasn't good. So we decided to order a dessert to replace the tamale. We got the empanadas de platano with sweet cream. So this was a big deal for the waitress, she had already totaled out the bill and for some reason it was a huge deal to add a dessert at the end (which I thought was weird, but felt guilty about giving her extra work). Anyway, the empanadas were ok, but I've had better. The sweet cream is in the middle of the plantain and it isn't all that sweet. Oh well, I would definitely come back here for some yummy pupusas and maybe try a different dessert next time, the central american quesadilla looked pretty tasty....
(4)Andrea N.
If you haven't been to this place - go! Seriously. It's amazing. It's the best little hole-in-a-rundown-strip-mall you can find. And it's cheap! Nestled between stores like Big Lots and some electronic place with Mexican ranchero music blasting, this tiny place is hidden in the corner. The owner is from El Salvador, so don't expect it to be Mexican food -- there are many similarities, but the dishes themselves are different. Walking in, you can smell the homemade pupusas -- seriously, it smells like the roadside stands along the bus routes in central America. It's amazing. There are only a couple waitresses, and I don't think they speak much English, but the menu is in pictures, as well as in Spanish and some English, so you should do just fine. Get the pupusas - they're like thick, hand-made tortillas stuffed with either pork, cheese and beans or, my favorite, cheese and loraco flower, which is some green and edible plant that tastes a bit like asparagus, to me. It's definitely the best one. These things come with salsa and some coleslaw (if they don't, just ask for the salsa) and are very filling! The other dishes are really good, too. For a low price, you can get an entire plate of things like meat with rice and beans - and this place doesn't skimp on the fixin's. They put slices of fresh tomatoes, avocado and all kinds of other stuff on the plates. I honestly LOVE it here. If you want to avoid the crowds, come at an off-hour... then you can just sit, relax and watch the telenovela on the TV in the corner. For dessert, pick up a piece of the cheese pie near the cash register. I can't recommend this place enough!
(5)Colin G.
Initially I went to this place for the tamales which were recommended by a coworker who is from El Salvador. Someof the people in my office also said that they were amazing (and I trust their opinions). So I went in looking forward to that and ended up ordering all the pupusas as well. I must say I'm not a big fan of the tamales, they are too moist for my taste. The banana leaves do give a great flavor though. The true stars are the pupusas, which I had never had before and have since become addicted too. I literally order at least 6 for myself every time I go now. They are asininely delicious!!! I grab a large bite of pupusa and some of the curtido (a kind of slaw-ish awesomeness) and just chow down. Beware the post-lunch coma though as eating that many will knock the average person on their ass. This brings me to my one bone to pick with this stripmall gem, their coffee sucks! I was expecting super-strong coffee with mud at the bottom when I ordered the cafe listo but it tasted like gas station coffee. They didn't even have any milk, just powdered non-dairy nonsense... I'm already a diehard fan but if they stepped up the coffee I would pretty much call it my mecca. This is the kind of food that makes all seem right with the world... Holy Shit!!! I almost forgot about the ceviche! It's a little pricey but it is soooo worth it. I split it with one of my people at work and ended up sharing it with the whole office......very much against my will. People thought it looked so good they just kept poaching forkfulls off my plate. Definietly a must have dish
(5)Marie w.
The service is slow. I saw the 2 waitress carrying 2 bowls at a time. I ordered chicken and mix (pork and beef) Pupusa's, but the only thing I can taste is the cheese. My daughter ordered chicken that looked good but was raw inside. Call their attention to fix it. They re-fried the chicken but man it comes out overcooked. The chicken is really hard and my daughter lost interest in the food. Not everything was bad. I like their refried beans.
(2)Tim H.
This place could be called a dive, but it's clean and cheerful inside. Tried pupusas (pork and cheese) for the first time and thought they were on the bland side but still enjoyable (the weak red salsa didn't add much). But the beans were excellent, smooth and soupy, just a touch too salty, but not in a bad way. I ended up dipping the pupusas in the beans and thought they were both perfect that way (next time I will order bean pupusas). The little salad of slightly pickled cabbage was fresh and good, reminded me of kimchi without the heat. I will definitely go back and try other things.
(3)Lisa M.
Yes!! I have been sneaking Salvadoran nostalgia here for several years. Besides the eye-rolling pupusas, the platanos con frijoles y crema is definitely worth it. I am a regular appetite, 40 yr old woman & if I just order 1 pupusa, I can finish the plantain dish. :)
(4)April Q.
I am from hispanic decendency so I appreciate a good central-american-themed 'local joint'. We went at dinner time and it was just us an another set of 'locals'. We ordered popusas (3 or 4 different kinds) and I ordered the grilled tilapia (I can't handle that much grease). The photo in the menu showed the tilapia REALLY large and plentiful. What came out were 2 small (looked liked a total of ~3oz portion) fillets that were highly overseasoned with salt and some other flavors. The handmade tortillas it came with were awesome... but that was it. Since I had a disappointing portion of fish, I nabbed half of my husband's popusa and it was gooey and yummy but oh so greasy. For sure I had a very upset stomach that evening from the grease. Oh well. So, the popusas are great if you are OK eating that much grease at once... but I don't recommend the fish just for it's over-salted flavor and misleading portion size. I'm sure we'll return again one day in the future where I'll probably order 1 simple popusa (beans) instead of one that has too many fatty ingredients... and not the fish.
(3)Megan G.
although this location is no longer open, i LOVE the food here. i do wish they spoke more english though....
(4)Thomas P.
In town for the weekend and this place seemed like it could have potential. The food is homemade and the workers are nice. I ordered three pupusas: Loroco con queso, black beans and cheese and one with chicharron. They were good, but the didn't have as much in the middle as I am used to. Overall it was good, but I have had many much better pupusas.
(3)Lesley G.
Great place to be at! I'm in loveeee with the pupusas. Although the I don't like where the store is located, the store and food is great! It's like you're eating at home.
(4)Krysta R.
Delicious! Had some bean with cheese, revueltas and chicharron pupusas. The salad drink wasn't the best but hey I finished it AALL! Will def b coming back
(4)Isabel B.
I went here based off reviews. But Sunday during brunch may not have been the most ideal time. The place was hot and muggy. The food was edible, but not to my standards of the good salvadorean food I am use to in Seattle. Beans were runny. Pupusas super greasy. Pork over fried. Not the best quality. Service was polite yet minimal. Will stick to my Salvadorean place back in West Seattle.
(2)Scotty A.
I thought this place was great. I had had pious as before, but my date hadn't. They helped me explain how things worked. Food was great. Couldn't have asked for better food or better service. Thanks guys! I'll definitely be back!
(5)Brittany M.
The pupusas are amazing, and they're cooked fresh so it does take quite a while to get your food however it is worth the wait! I'll be bach.
(5)Gary H.
First let me say I have had no experience with El salvador food, but have heard good reviews about it. It may be that it is just not my taste. I want to just base it on preparations and quality of the food. I had the pupusas which is the signature dish I was told in their country. To be honest, it seems like a quesadilla to me except the tortilla is different in texture, mine was a little grainy almost like corn meal. I ordered chicken, beef and just cheese. The chicken and beef had very little chicken or beef and mostly you taste the beans and cheese. Really had no flavor to them except the cheese. The cheese pupusas was exactly like a cheese quesadilla because had no beans in it and except for the texture, It would be a quesadilla. The salsa is very thin and a liquid like water. It really had no strong taste like a regular salsa. the topping of cabbage was okay, like a slaw of some sort. The sides were rice and beans which was really bland and I only had a couple of bites of it. The other item I tried was the pastelitos with steak. The outside was so greasy, I could not even swallowed it. I dried them off with 5 to 6 napkins before I could take another bite and it was so bland and dry, no seasoning at all and just tasted the oil and probably old oil at that . I don't think I would go here again, but maybe I will try the food maybe another dish or dishes, but again maybe it is just not my cup of tea but the quality of the food seems pretty plain or subpar.
(2)Kristi A.
Came here with our family and there are only 5 of us. Ordered pupusas and fried plantain. It took a while before the food came out. This place is a hole in a wall but we were willing to try it out because of the good reviews here. We got our food...plantain was good. The shrimp pupusas was my fave amongst beef and pork. It was alright...had better. We got the bill and noticed that they already included the gratuity. Coming from Vegas, I have no problem paying gratuity but for it to be included on the bill for 5 people? That's unheard of. So I came up to the cashier to inquire about it, one of the girl from the cashier pulled out the menu and said, "that's our rule...six people or more we have to include gratuity". So I stood there a little confused until I came back to our table and my sis reminded me that there are only 5 of us. So I went back and asked the cashier that there were only 5 of us so she shouldn't include the gratuity. Then all of a sudden both girls that were in the cashier counter said that the rule was changed to 4 people. Mind you...this is within 2-3 minutes time frame, their rules changed from 6 people to 4 people. When I asked why they did not mention earlier that it was changed from 6 to 5...she kept on saying "call the manager" and was saying this rudely.
(1)Just M.
This was my first time ever eating there. From having homemade pupusas made from my Salvadorean friends, there's where a bit salty and the salad was dry! What the heck?! Luckily I was able to use the red sauce to make up for the dryness of the salad. I ordered a side of the fried bananas and I should have checked before I paid, but she charged me for the meal! It should only have been $3 bucks for the fried bananas. Will I go there again? Hmmm...I may not and thinking of just making my own next time! Fresh and less salt! And the salad will not be dry at all!
(3)Eric M.
I have been driving past this intersection for years and never knew an awesome lil restaurant sat in the corner of the over sized strip mall. I actually found out about this place originally at a Yelp event at the Arizona Science Center. They were handing out pupusa's. I never even heard of a pupusa before, but it was love at first bite. They handed out a coupon for buy one get one free pupusa that sat on my coupon board in the garage for almost a year. When Abby was mentioning she wanted to eat some pupusa's, I was thinking no way I have a coupon for a place down the road!! So last week after being too lazy to cook, we hit this lil spot up. I had a bit of trouble finding it, so it's on the southwest corner of Mesa and Southern, in the corner of the plaza. The inside reminded me of a mom and pop Filipino spot, except they had some Salvadoran channel instead of TFC and pictures of islands are replaced with colorful homes in El Salvador. There were some bomb looking things on the menu that we wanted to try but tonight was pupusa night so we got 6 of them with a few different stuffings. They were amazing!! Again, they turned into leftovers and still tasted hella good. The pupusa also came with some black refried bean side and some other side dish that I can't describe but was very good. Oh and to wash it down, they have mexican sodas so I killed that import Coke right out the bottle. Just like all the other mom and pop restaurants we have been visiting lately, the staff was extremely friendly and really went above and beyond. We for sure plan on going back to try more dishes and more pupusa's!
(4)Donavon R.
A coworker and I went here a few weeks back...amazing! I had never had el Salvadorian food before. I am hooked. The owner was great...two white boys asking about the food and getting advice on what to order next AND he didn't skip a beat.
(4)Hit'em Long W.
We were immediately greeted when we walked in the restaurant. In no time at all the waitress took our drink orders. She helped us make our menu selections. She also described some of the menu items that we were unfamiliar with. The food was delicious and prepared & served promptly. This was a good experience. We will return. Sure wish I knew the waitress's name. She was very friendly.
(5)Nam D.
The drive from my apartment to this restaurant along Southern Avenue is an interesting 5 mile stretch. We start near a retirement community, replete with 70-80 year olds who have absolutely no shame in flaunting themselves in speedos on a hot summer day on thereafter desecrated sidewalks. Continuing on, a veritable gauntlet of strip malls appear offering all types of wares, services, in a strictly lower middle income suburbia. The next area is a heavily hispanic area with nary an English sign in sight, besides Massage brazenly displayed along shaded glass storefronts. Finally, our destination appears, and it is truly in an imposing corner, flanked by a Big Lots, great america, and a pawn shop, complete with a watchful security guard along the storefront. In this truly welcoming environment, we damn near sprinted from the Red Dragon ( also known as my car ) into Salvadoreno. And this is where the magic begins. The legend of pupusa has been ringing in my soul for nearly an hour, and I was not about to leave without satisfying that call. Never having had it before didn't prevent me from ordering 3 varieties, with the steak being my girlfriend's favorite, mine being the pork and beans, and the simple cheese coming in at a comfortable third. Pressed pockets of incredible goodness inside a expertly pressed tortilla, was served with a mild salsa and curtido- spicy, peppery pickled vegetables. Combining all of these components, I have abandoned my long-standing vow to hate all those who use bumper stickers and have been inspired to promote the cause, I love (heart symbol) pupusas. As this was my first foray into Salvadorian food, I also ordered Lengua Guisada, which came as 3 slabs of stewed beef tongue, covered in a slightly sour tomato based sauce. The sourness combined with the beef tongue's gamey texture I found very pleasing, but this was slightly below room temperature, and definitely marred my enjoyment of this dish. Both of our entrees also came with pedestrian rice and watery black beans, with the latter being flavorful but far too liquidy. I also had a cup of Sopa de Res con Chipilin with my entree, which tasted like countless other Sopa de Res elsewhere. Pupusas were absolutely wonderful, but the full experience was marred by my weaker entree and the side dishes. With that said, I will gladly challenge the land of hispanic / lower income / scary gun-wielding-guard-outside-a-pawn-shop again if only I can have once again the sublime experience of pupusa once more.
(3)B A.
Yummy Pupusas. I still can't get them to come out right at home, so I go here.
(5)Ali B.
My first pupusa experience was a hit! Had never tried El Salvador food, and wanted to try something new so my boyfriend and I decided to check this place out, and I am glad we did. The restaurant is very tiny, hole in the wall type place. Posters of El Salvador on the walls..making me want to travel there! Our server was nice, did not speak much English, but that was not really a problem. I am not sure if we misunderstood and we were supposed to go up to the front and order, because we would ask her a question about an item, she'd answer, then run off before we could order! The food was yummy! I got the squash and cheese and the bean and cheese pupusa and they were both awesome. The squash and cheese had a bit more cheese than I would have liked, as I do not eat cheese often, but still was appetizing. It also came with beans and rice on the side. I wasn't used to eating liquefied beans, but I did enjoy them. For dessert my boyfriend and I shared the nuegados de yuca con miel. It was a little odd for my taste, but obviously something I have never had before. If I go again I would want to give a different dessert a try. OH and when you visit their website, you can find a coupon for 10% off your first visit. Though the food is pretty inexpensive, not that big of a deal if you forget the coupon like I did haha.
(4)Cheryl U.
I was up one night watching DDD on the food network and they were talking about a Salvadorian restaurant that served pupusas. I had never heard of them before but they looked so delicious that I searched to see if we had a Salvadorian restaurant in AZ. Yay!! We do!! This restaurant is tucked far back in a rundown shopping center in a not so great part of town - don't let that scare you away. The restaurant is clean and the food is AWESOME!! I have gone 2 times and both times I was very pleased. The pork and cheese pupusas are great and so are the cheese ones. The green corn tamales are the best I have ever had - EVER! The horchata is different but good and their crema is fantastic. I can't say enough about this place - I highly recommend!
(5)J C.
The pupusas were great. The plantain was not really plantain but was a banana, too sweet and too greasy. The tamales had a soft mushy outside, unusual but good. Staff were friendly and efficient.
(3)Krissy H.
Wow great pupusa some of the best I have had..I will say I was worried do to the part of town . it's not a very nice place ,but clean. people were nice and spoke good English. Prices we good also. A great take home meal for family and friends.a meal everyone will love
(4)George M.
Great food is authentic and the service is nice. i been to the one at 75 ave as well all around great people
(5)Jose C.
Decided to go here while driving through AZ. The popusas were on point regardless of the kind you get. The bisteck ensebollado was ok, not bad enough to say I won't eat it again. Definitely held up to previous reviews!
(4)Mark T.
My family loves to come here. At least 2-3 times per month we come for the pupusas. There is a combo plate that has 3 pupusas, rice, and beans for about $10, but typically I order two a la carte (just over $2 each). We usually get the chicharones, but the most recent time I ordered one chicken and one spinach. The pineapple aqua fresca is excellent as well. If you are looking for El Salvadorian food, this is the place to go.
(4)Vienne N.
After reading the reviews here, I was looking forward to trying great Salvadorean food. My experience, however, was very disappointing. While the waitress was friendly, the service was very slow. We waited a while for drinks, refills, take out boxes, and finally the check. I would have overlooked the slow service if the food had made up for it. Unfortunately, it didn't!!! My sister and I shared the appetizer sampler plate and the shrimp & chicken entree. We enjoyed the papusas, fried plaintain, and fried taro, but were disappointed with everything else. The pork and chicken were so dried they could have been called jerkey. The salsa was bland and tasteless. The empanadas were so hard you could have seriously hurt someone with them. To add insult to injury, the prices were pretty high for a hole in a corner place. Lunch for 2 totaled over $40 (tip included). We could have gone to more than a dozen other places for better food at lower prices. Needless to say, we will not return to this restaurant.
(2)Alwin L.
Can't go wrong with their El Salvadorean sampler and pupusa combo. Had their chicken and carne asada pupusas, rice and beans, tamale, yuca, empanada, and plantain chips. Their slaw and red sauce especially delicious.
(4)Mark R.
Authentic Home Style Cooking from El Salvador with a great tasting selection of delicious items to choose from their fantastic menu. Seafood, Meats, Appetizers, Salads, Pupusas and Traditional Entrees as well as Tasty Desserts. They even provide pictures that you can see of each of the dishes on the menu. Nice! Inside is clean and tidy with fun items on the walls that give you the sensation of being in a little tucked away place in El Salvador. The service was very friendly and helpful when I arrived and when it was time to order. I saw some photos on Brother Yelp and showed a few to her and said I want this one and one of your famous Pupusas to test out. Ordered the Churrasco Salvadoreño plate which is Steak, Shrimp, Sausage, Black Beans and Rice, Queso Fresco, Fried Plantain, handmade Tortillas and then some. Had to get a Pupusa and asked her what she recommend. She happily replied Pork, Beans and a Cheese or Revueltas con Chicharrón,Queso y Frijoles as shown on the menu. It comes with a delicious side of spicy cabbage and a very tasty red sauce that you put on top for some extra kick. Hotter sauce also available on the table if you are crazy like me. Everything was packed with flavors and super good. This is not your typical Mexican style food. You must check it out to experience it. In the same complex as Family Dollar store in the deep corner. Yummo! 4.5 STARS
(4)Courtney B.
I really like this place. It was introduced to me when a TV show featured them and boy am I glad they did. Don't be concerned or scared off by the atmosphere and appearance of the place. It's not a place where you have to get dressed up! What's funny is they are almost always pretty empty, as I am guessing a lot of people do take out but that is fine with me because that means I can find parking and a spot to sit. Everything seems to be made to order, so don't be in a hurry. It is so well worth the wait. I always go get pupusas and I make sure to get their delicious beans. The flavor is delicious!
(4)Alma B.
Pupusas! I love me some pupusas! That's all that I have ordered from there so I can't comment on the rest of the food. They are delicious, they are made to order, or so it seems because it takes a while to get the food. I order the cheese and the chicharron with cheese, they are big enough that 2 fill me up. Why only 3 stars then? They are inefficient when it comes to customer service and overall cleanliness of the place. Every time I visit there is a few dirty tables that remain dirty while I wait for my food to be served, and there is rarely more than a few customers at the same time, at least during the dinner times I have been there, their server's could not be any more unfriendly, as if you're disturbing their time by eating there. Sometimes there is a smell to the place that makes me question my decision to eat there. They have a rule of 1 dollar charge if you don't spend more than 20 dollars and pay with a credit card.
(3)Courtney P.
After reading the reviews I was excited about trying this place. I absolutely love pupusa's & couldn't wait to get one. We drove 30 minutes to have dinner & was pretty disappointed. The pupusa's tasted just like a quesadilla & the "steak" that was suposed to be in consisted of 5 tiny pieces. The beans were watery & tasteless but the rice was delicious & the staff was friendly which is why I gave 2 stars.
(2)Alexandra H.
This restaurant serves fresh hot Pupusas with that delicious slaw and red sauce characteristic to the authentic Salvadoran plates. Had other pupusas before but this place takes the cake in true flavor and fresh food. It's always a plus when you can buy the Coke in a glass bottle and a homemade flan for dessert... If you have the room! Been here a few times and the food is consistently delicious. I always like to get the 3 pupusa combo that comes with slaw, red sauce and 2 sides for $8. Can't beat the leftovers either. They've got a true fan outta me.
(5)April H.
Arrived here hot and famished and thus, super #hangry when I popped in here. I can't stand pushy looming waitstaff and rest assures, you will not find that here. I indeed took my time perusing their menu and the young lady at counter was super patient. Extra points since she even accomodated my request for a cup of hot water (wanted to brew tea kind of difficult when roadtrippin'). Less than $3 for a piping hot pupusa? #yaaasss!!!
(4)Joe M.
Came here visiting for work. Order two PUPUSAs pretty good. They have won best in Arizona 2009-2011-2012. Service was great. If you have never had A Pupusa I recommend it better than a burger and more flavorful.
(4)Julius G.
This is the first time visiting this restaurant. The pupusas were very good. I have never had this style of food before. The service was very good and friendly.
(4)Diana M.
Horrible costumer service. Walk up to the counter and stood there for a bit, then finally a lady asks me to have a seat and someone will be with me...waited ..and then another group of guys come in sit down on the table next to us and finally a lady comes to help BUT completely ignores my family and helps the group of guys.. and thats when we walk out. No need to spend my money on a place like that.
(1)Jason B.
I stumbled upon this restaurant when performing a Yelp search for Ceviche in Mesa the other day. I was a little skeptical due to some of the low ratings, but we decided to enter the humble looking venue, in the primitive looking strip mall. We were immediately greeted and seated by a lovely hostess / server. She was extremely attentive and informative, as we were not familiar with Pupusas or much of the other Salvadorian Cuisine. We ordered and shared the Shrimp Ceviche, which was garnished with fresh Avocado and Cucumbers. The freshly fried tortilla chips were very tasty, and the ceviche was a little more on the sweet side vs. the typical intense lime flavor. It was very fresh tasting, and we both really enjoyed it. We were given a lesson in what Pupusas are, and asked our lovely waitress to pick three of her favorite choices and send them out. She chose Carne Asada, Chicharon with beans, and the last one was not quite identified, but was very tasty. Before bringing out the Pupusas, she dropped off a small bowl of a red sauce, and a bowl of spicy cabbage, which were meant to be used as toppings for the Pupusas. We both thought that the Pupusas were very simple, yet tasty. The spicy cabbage and red sauce as toppings really added flavor to the Pupusas. We were impressed with what we perceived to be authentic Salvadorian Cuisine, so we ordered one last dish. We had to try the fried Plantains, served with a black bean sauce, and Crema. The plantains were fried to perfection with nice caramelization. The black bean sauce was interesting, and the cream was a little on the salty side, rather than sweet as I would have expected. It is small details such as these which led us to believe that the food was authentic. Don't let the other reviews mislead you if you are looking for a fresh, authentic experience. If you want a fancy location with beer and wine, then forget about it. This place is all about giving an authentic, down to earth, culinary experience to those who seek quality without the distraction of interior design. :)
(4)Jeff F.
Like the other poster, we found this place via a Yelp "Nearby" search and were very pleasantly surprised. This particular branch of this restaurant is tucked into the corner of a mostly deserted shopping center in a rundown part of Mesa and doesn't look like much from outside. Inside is a different story. The restaurant is fairly humble but immaculately clean and bright with a pleasant enough ambiance and the service was friendly and quick. We had a ceviche salad ($12.95) and a pupusa combination plate ($7.95). Both were quite delicious and portions were huge. If you aren't familiar with Salvadorean food, I'd recommend you start with the pupusa with loroco (an edible flower), which is the classic pupusa and extremely delicious.
(4)Rickey Lynn G.
Salvadoreno Restaurant 303 E. Southern Ave Mesa, AZ 85202 480-964-5577 Having never eaten Salvadoran food before, I decided to try it, and am so glad that I did. This is totally different than Mexican food. This is a relatively small restaurant, with a tiny kitchen, but don't let the size fool you - that tiny kitchen turns out some wonderful food. I noticed that I was the only gringa in the place - a good sign that the food is muy authenitico. The waitress brought my drink along with a nice, crisp cole slaw type salad with some greens in it that I was not able to identify, but which gave it a nice flavor. Service is a little slow, but I attribute that to the fact that every dish is cooked to order - no steam tables here. Next, was the main course. I ordered the Lengua Guisada ($9.95). Nice, big slices of tongue braised in a wonderful mild tomato type sauce, served with rice that had veggies in it, and small dish of liquified black beans along with two of the most succulent corn tortillas I have ever eaten. Instead of being crisp and crunchy, these were firm on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside. For the more adventurous, there is also hot sauce on the table. The flavors were all wonderful, and I used the corn tortillas to mop up all of the sauce on the plate. I would be lax if I didn't mention the fact the that food was served steaming hot. I had to try the Pupupas, which are stuffed corn tortillas which are then grilled. I tried two different ones, and although I was entitled to get rice and bean with them, I opted not to have them because I was already getting full. The first Pupupas was stuffed with shrimp and cheese, and had a lovely texture and flavor. They have a tomato based sauce on the table that you can slather on your Pupupas if you so desire. I found that it really augmented the flavor and ended up using it on both Pupupas. The second Pupupas was shredded pork and cheese, and while tasty, wasn't up to the flavor profile of the camerones. Unfortunately, by this time I was stuffed and had no more room to try anything else, but I will be back to try some more. Next time I want to try the Sopa de Pata/Mondongo, which is a hearty soup of heart and beef tripe, along with the Ensalada de Camarones Asados, which is a grilled shrimp salad. It's hard to leave here hungry - you really would have to work at it! Sanitation was good and the place is handicapped aware. They also will modify menu items to make them vegetarian. I give them 4 stars for a really tasty meal that was muy authentico.
(4)Eddy Y.
I want to start by saying I really liked the food...service was a bit slow but the food was freshly made. While walking by the kitchen, I did notice raw chicken on the counter while they prepared food...not sure how long it has been sitting there. I would have given this restaurant more stars except that they gave themselves an additional tip on top of what I already gave them...which was 20%. Keep your receipt and check your credit card statement!
(3)Elena R.
I have been coming here since they first opened. Seems like every year the Pupusas get smaller and the price gets higher. But I still enjoy their food.
(4)Carlos R.
Pupusas are awesome. Tried all five, chicken, pork, and carne asada were my favorite.
(4)Reggie Q.
Food is great food is authentic and the service is nice. Nothing wrong at all. My fav place. I'm gonna try the fuego pupusas today
(5)Yanira S.
We made a recent visit to this place. Being Salvadorean myself, figured I'd better give it shot. The food was okay, not great. I've had papusas all my life and I've been to a few great Salvadorean restaurants on the West Side but this Mesa place was not all that. The service was very slow, we ordered two horchatas to start and it took a while to get them. Then we ordered papusas and there was hardly any cheese in my cheese and meat papusa. And to top it all off, when I asked about the check-in offer from Yelp the girl had absolutely no idea what I was talking about. :/
(2)Ryan A.
Really good pupusas. The carne asada was my favorite. We also tried the sampler platter. It was nice to try a variety I things. I would really recommend this place.
(5)Rebecca J.
This place is awesome. Did the two papusa lunch combo--steak and chicken-- with rice and beans. Everything was awesome, especially the chicken. I will definitely come back! Edit: Came back, tried the beans and cheese. Delicious!!
(4)Enrique C.
After reading the positive reviews I decided to give this place a try. By no means am I a Salvadorean food expert but I do like Pupusas. I decided to try the chicken, cheese and combo Pupusas. Now comes the reason I gave the place 4 stars--the food had excellent taste but based on previous pupusa experiences these seemed a bit soggy. The portions are great and again I say the food prep and flavors were excellent. A nice side if beans and rice completed my meal. I did indulge in a prepackaged flan and it was meh! I would recommend this place based on the friendly service and great taste. Might retry and eat in and see if that makes a difference in texture. Enjoy!
(4)Giana R.
Visited from Chicago and was pleasantly surprised with the pupusas. I didnt expect the "mexican" versions of a traditional pupusa but I expect that is due to the area or customers requests. Decor is basic tables with a tv playing in the background. Good food , Nice staff and feels traditional. Dont forget to buy a bumper sticker!
(4)Dan L.
Pupusas?? As a hardcore Mexican food enthusiast I was intrigued by the concept but barely able to figure out how this fascinating dish was pronounced. I am proud to say that I am a HUGE fan of pupusas now. Salvadoreno popped up in a search of mine to find a low-key, nice Sunday night place to relax and enjoy some food. It definitely was worth the visit to an interesting part of Mesa. The restaurant is very similar to a lot of Mexican food restaurants anyone who has lived in Phoenix will be familiar with. One room with several tables and a counter with interestingly-named dishes posted behind it. The waitress was very friendly, but I will say that knowing a little Spanish helped. My girlfriend and I both ordered the Pupusa combo platter, real risky based on other reviews - I know. I went with Pollo and the revuelta mixed with pork, cheese and beans. She had the chicken as well with carne asada. This little dish is fantastic! I think next time I'll just stick with getting two pupusas because I was extremely full and did NOT need to add rice and beans to the mix (although those were good too.) The only disappointment was the fact that Independence Day was on the TV in Spanish, but the volume was too far down to hear. I'd love to hear the voice-over actor for Will Smith busting out a "Bienvenidos a Tierra, P***!" On a more serious note, I look forward to heading back here as soon as possible. I'd love to try the Ceviche, as it's on the Best of Phoenix list, and there are a few other dishes (think breakfast) that looked intriguing.
(4)Al C.
This little hole in the wall has one tiny but powerfully delicious kitchen that brings out the best Pupusas I have ever tasted in my life.. the food is hot, freshly cooked and packed with so much flavor, the prices are so low that I feel if they raised the prices slightly and kept the same amazing customer service and fantastic kitchen work they could easily get a well deserved bigger and more contemporary place. Regardless of the size, this place is wonderful, it's clean and the staff is so friendly and the food .. I just can't stop saying how delicious the food here is. If you want to impress someone with a non pretentious hole in the wall wonder then this is the delicious place to introduce someone to their first most amazing Pupusa!
(4)Jonathan G.
Came here specifically because of the fantastic reviews here on Yelp. Unfortunately I learned that great reviews don't necessarily translate into great food. After making my way through the terrible construction on Mesa Drive, I pulled up to this true hole-in-the-wall place for lunch with my dad. Seeing nothing but Spanish on the storefront, I wasn't even sure if the employees would speak English. Fortunately my meal was made easier by the fact that the waitress did, in fact, know my language. I started off with the Tamarindo drink, which had a similar artificially sweet flavor to Thai iced tea. I wasn't a big fan. I then ordered one cheese and one chicken pupusa. I didn't find either particularly tasty, and the food was very heavy. It kind of sits in your stomach after you eat it. Overall, the service was fine and the divey atmosphere didn't really bother me, but the mediocre food means I can't give the place more than 3 stars.
(3)C H.
VERY friendly wait staff and consistently incredible food. Visit this place as soon as you can! I'm generally very conservative with my ratings ...this place definitely deserves the 5 stars I rated it.
(5)Travis F.
Great ceviche, friendly staff, and good service. The only downside is the continuous construction on Mesa Drive makes getting in and out of the plaza a pain, otherwise I'd visit more.
(4)Jeff F.
Like the other poster, we found this place via a Yelp "Nearby" search and were very pleasantly surprised. This particular branch of this restaurant is tucked into the corner of a mostly deserted shopping center in a rundown part of Mesa and doesn't look like much from outside. Inside is a different story. The restaurant is fairly humble but immaculately clean and bright with a pleasant enough ambiance and the service was friendly and quick. We had a ceviche salad ($12.95) and a pupusa combination plate ($7.95). Both were quite delicious and portions were huge. If you aren't familiar with Salvadorean food, I'd recommend you start with the pupusa with loroco (an edible flower), which is the classic pupusa and extremely delicious.
(4)Rickey Lynn G.
Salvadoreno Restaurant 303 E. Southern Ave Mesa, AZ 85202 480-964-5577 Having never eaten Salvadoran food before, I decided to try it, and am so glad that I did. This is totally different than Mexican food. This is a relatively small restaurant, with a tiny kitchen, but don't let the size fool you - that tiny kitchen turns out some wonderful food. I noticed that I was the only gringa in the place - a good sign that the food is muy authenitico. The waitress brought my drink along with a nice, crisp cole slaw type salad with some greens in it that I was not able to identify, but which gave it a nice flavor. Service is a little slow, but I attribute that to the fact that every dish is cooked to order - no steam tables here. Next, was the main course. I ordered the Lengua Guisada ($9.95). Nice, big slices of tongue braised in a wonderful mild tomato type sauce, served with rice that had veggies in it, and small dish of liquified black beans along with two of the most succulent corn tortillas I have ever eaten. Instead of being crisp and crunchy, these were firm on the outside, and soft and tender on the inside. For the more adventurous, there is also hot sauce on the table. The flavors were all wonderful, and I used the corn tortillas to mop up all of the sauce on the plate. I would be lax if I didn't mention the fact the that food was served steaming hot. I had to try the Pupupas, which are stuffed corn tortillas which are then grilled. I tried two different ones, and although I was entitled to get rice and bean with them, I opted not to have them because I was already getting full. The first Pupupas was stuffed with shrimp and cheese, and had a lovely texture and flavor. They have a tomato based sauce on the table that you can slather on your Pupupas if you so desire. I found that it really augmented the flavor and ended up using it on both Pupupas. The second Pupupas was shredded pork and cheese, and while tasty, wasn't up to the flavor profile of the camerones. Unfortunately, by this time I was stuffed and had no more room to try anything else, but I will be back to try some more. Next time I want to try the Sopa de Pata/Mondongo, which is a hearty soup of heart and beef tripe, along with the Ensalada de Camarones Asados, which is a grilled shrimp salad. It's hard to leave here hungry - you really would have to work at it! Sanitation was good and the place is handicapped aware. They also will modify menu items to make them vegetarian. I give them 4 stars for a really tasty meal that was muy authentico.
(4)Jason B.
I stumbled upon this restaurant when performing a Yelp search for Ceviche in Mesa the other day. I was a little skeptical due to some of the low ratings, but we decided to enter the humble looking venue, in the primitive looking strip mall. We were immediately greeted and seated by a lovely hostess / server. She was extremely attentive and informative, as we were not familiar with Pupusas or much of the other Salvadorian Cuisine. We ordered and shared the Shrimp Ceviche, which was garnished with fresh Avocado and Cucumbers. The freshly fried tortilla chips were very tasty, and the ceviche was a little more on the sweet side vs. the typical intense lime flavor. It was very fresh tasting, and we both really enjoyed it. We were given a lesson in what Pupusas are, and asked our lovely waitress to pick three of her favorite choices and send them out. She chose Carne Asada, Chicharon with beans, and the last one was not quite identified, but was very tasty. Before bringing out the Pupusas, she dropped off a small bowl of a red sauce, and a bowl of spicy cabbage, which were meant to be used as toppings for the Pupusas. We both thought that the Pupusas were very simple, yet tasty. The spicy cabbage and red sauce as toppings really added flavor to the Pupusas. We were impressed with what we perceived to be authentic Salvadorian Cuisine, so we ordered one last dish. We had to try the fried Plantains, served with a black bean sauce, and Crema. The plantains were fried to perfection with nice caramelization. The black bean sauce was interesting, and the cream was a little on the salty side, rather than sweet as I would have expected. It is small details such as these which led us to believe that the food was authentic. Don't let the other reviews mislead you if you are looking for a fresh, authentic experience. If you want a fancy location with beer and wine, then forget about it. This place is all about giving an authentic, down to earth, culinary experience to those who seek quality without the distraction of interior design. :)
(4)Marie w.
The service is slow. I saw the 2 waitress carrying 2 bowls at a time. I ordered chicken and mix (pork and beef) Pupusa's, but the only thing I can taste is the cheese. My daughter ordered chicken that looked good but was raw inside. Call their attention to fix it. They re-fried the chicken but man it comes out overcooked. The chicken is really hard and my daughter lost interest in the food. Not everything was bad. I like their refried beans.
(2)Nicole M.
I really wanted to like this place because is close to my house. I am sad to report I was not impress. These is what i order: 2 corn tamales with cream (very delicious) 4 pupusas ( the pupusas were delicious but the curtido and salsa were awful not spicy or tasty at all). If you are a fan of this kind of food the curtido is so important and it was so bad that it tasted old. 2 horchatas (it tasted more like water with sugar) they could do a better job at this. I would go back to this place for corn tamales only.
(2)mark g.
after writing this review I was contacted by mangt w/a very nice letter apolgizing for the mis communication between the server and us and explaining the dishes we ordered ..my mis conseption of the beef dish w/eggs my wife had. Any business that takes this kind of action to make sure it's patrons are satisified deserves 5 stars!!!!!!!!! WE WILL BE BACK THANKS
(5)Lisa M.
Yes!! I have been sneaking Salvadoran nostalgia here for several years. Besides the eye-rolling pupusas, the platanos con frijoles y crema is definitely worth it. I am a regular appetite, 40 yr old woman & if I just order 1 pupusa, I can finish the plantain dish. :)
(4)April Q.
I am from hispanic decendency so I appreciate a good central-american-themed 'local joint'. We went at dinner time and it was just us an another set of 'locals'. We ordered popusas (3 or 4 different kinds) and I ordered the grilled tilapia (I can't handle that much grease). The photo in the menu showed the tilapia REALLY large and plentiful. What came out were 2 small (looked liked a total of ~3oz portion) fillets that were highly overseasoned with salt and some other flavors. The handmade tortillas it came with were awesome... but that was it. Since I had a disappointing portion of fish, I nabbed half of my husband's popusa and it was gooey and yummy but oh so greasy. For sure I had a very upset stomach that evening from the grease. Oh well. So, the popusas are great if you are OK eating that much grease at once... but I don't recommend the fish just for it's over-salted flavor and misleading portion size. I'm sure we'll return again one day in the future where I'll probably order 1 simple popusa (beans) instead of one that has too many fatty ingredients... and not the fish.
(3)Megan G.
although this location is no longer open, i LOVE the food here. i do wish they spoke more english though....
(4)Eireen C.
When so many restaurants here are closed on Sundays, it was great to find a good one that was open. And not just good - we had an absolutely marvelous meal here. Tasty bean pupusas made with rice flour (instead of wheat), scrumptious and moist chicken tamales, and delicious fried plantains for dessert. (We did not get the sweet plantains & cream but the 'dinner' ones with pureed black beans, and I found those sweet enough by themselves.) The staff was quite friendly to us, and it didn't hurt that my companion could hold her own conversing in Spanish with them. Yet the food by itself was so enjoyable, my stomach was grinning the whole way home. ¡Ricissimo!
(5)Tim H.
This place could be called a dive, but it's clean and cheerful inside. Tried pupusas (pork and cheese) for the first time and thought they were on the bland side but still enjoyable (the weak red salsa didn't add much). But the beans were excellent, smooth and soupy, just a touch too salty, but not in a bad way. I ended up dipping the pupusas in the beans and thought they were both perfect that way (next time I will order bean pupusas). The little salad of slightly pickled cabbage was fresh and good, reminded me of kimchi without the heat. I will definitely go back and try other things.
(3)Candice F.
I've been to this restaurant twice in three days. My niece and I went on Sunday my suggestion after reading a review in new times. My niece decided she couldn't eat there as soon as we entered. I ordered a bean and cheese pupusa and a chili relleno. The chili relleno was stuffed with a ground or cubed meat. I didn't expect the meat so I pushed it over to my niece to nibbled on. The pupusa was good, the beverage I ordered was super sweet.... So I went back today. Again I ordered the bean and cheese pupusa, it wasn't as good as Sundays. I also ordered a dish that was very similar to a tamale, it was wrapped in a leaf and was stuffed with cheese. IT was very good. I also ordered the plantains with cream and beans. The beans were very soup, traditionally so? I don't know and didn't care for them regardless. I have no real reference for Salvadorian food so ... I've had similar tamale type dishes wrapped in banana leaves, this version was very good but I must say not the best I've had. I will eventually go back to try the ceviche. I'm not in a hurry. I'm posting my review with a bit of reluctance. My experience was not what I expected and doesn't fall in line with the reviews posted here or the review a read in new times. Again my experience with Salvadorian food is limited. So plesae consider my two cents with a bit of salt! Peace!
(3)Ryan C.
I had the pupusa with asada and cheese. It was delicious. I've had pupusa's many times before and these definitely satisfied my craving. The food was awesome. My girl had machaca and it was delicious. The service was good and the wait time for the food wasn't bad either. The place is a bit small so make sure you pick a table next to someone sexy, cause you might end up sitting very close to a stranger.
(4)Elizabeth S.
Tried this restaurant with a groupon. Probably would not have, if I didn't have the coupon. Don't let the storefront and decor stop you from going in. The restaurant is super clean and the wait staff is very friendly. And the food, WOW! We split the Shrimp Ceviche and the combination pupusa plate. The portions were very generous. I ordered the fruit drink. Everything was absolutely delicious. One of my new favorite restaurants . Will definitely be back.
(5)Dani O.
YES! Thank you Salvadoreno for making my pupusa loving dreams come true! I just moved back to the valley after 6yrs away, having discovered and fallen in love with El Salvadorian food in the mean while. I was worried that I wouldn't find a good spot here as we some times lack in fine ethnic cuisine that isn't Mexican. I was tickled pink last night to discover Salvadoreno in an unassuming strip mall in Mesa (they have 2 other locations around the valley). The food was blissfully authentic as was the price. They even suggested a deal on the menu for 20 pupusas for $30. I might add this place to my bi-weekly grocery shopping list. I can't say enough about how happy I was to get real El Salvadorian food that hadn't been taken over by the flavors of Mexico, U.S. or Arizona. One of the family members who runs the joints was even there and everyone who worked there was quite friendly. I'm happy to support these guys. I will definitely be returning.
(5)Kelly R.
While a much broader diversity of world eat's is sometimes lacking in the greater Mesa area, there is zero lack in diversity of Latin and Hispanic influenced food. Salvadoreno definitely stands out based on its uniqueness (it's 1 of 1 restaurant serving Salvadorian cuisine in Mesa, and accounts for 3 of the 5 noted Salvadorian places in Phx). Everything on the menu looks pretty great, but I decided on the 3 Pupusa Combo (1 steak w/cheese, 1 chicken w/cheese, & 1loroco flower w/cheese). With the rice & beans, this makes for a sizable meal. Each of the Pupusas was a little different, and topping them off with a little bit of the provided spiced tomato sauce and pickled cabbage, onions, & carrot mixture made the flavors even better. Combined with a Mexican Coke, my total was around 10 bucks. I'm definitely looking forward to heading back for the tamals, and homemade flan!
(4)Eric B.
I've never had a pupusa before, but it was an awesome thing to eat. A meat filled pancake? Yes, thank you! Well worth the fiasco of getting into the plaza with all the construction on Mesa Dr.
(4)Russ R.
Discovered this little hole in the wall while pinging my Yelp Blackberry app looking for adventure (and lunch). It is close the the Southeast Annex of the Maricopa County Superior Court. If you are interested in some good ceviche, this is a great place to go. The ambiance is definitely humble. The restaurant is situated in the corner of a strip mall containing a dollar store, a rent to own place, and a pawn shop. Upon walking into the restaurant, I immediately noticed it was clean, and that there was no overpowering smell of seafood; both were good signs. I was confused as to whether I should order at the counter, or sit down at a table. (Silly gringo.) If you are dining in, sit down at a table and they will bring you a menu. The Diet Coke I ordered was brought to my table in a can with a glass of ice. It appears that they have Mexican (cane sugar) Coke in glass bottles for those of you so inclined. The menu had quite a few seafood choices. There were also other items on the menu that i was not familiar with. Salvadoran food is similiar to, but different from Mexican food. Note that the pictures of the food on the menu do not do the actual food justice. I ordered the ceviche and after a 10 to 15 minute wait, I was brought a very large plate piled with ceviche on top of lettuce ringed with tomato, cucumber, and avocado, and topped with grilled (hot) shrimp. I was also brought a small bowl of chips. This was a little different than the way I have had ceviche served in Mexican restaurants. I am not sure if this is Salvadoran, or just this restaurant's unique take on ceviche. I picked the grilled shrimp off the top with my fingers, squeezing off the tails. I then dug into the ceviche with the chips unti I ran out of chips. With the chips gone, I picked up my fork and finished the dish including the lettuce. Everything, seafood and veggies, was fresh and tasty. The serving was extremely generous. I left with a very happy panzita. I will definitely be back to try some of the other items on the menu.
(4)Michael T.
Wow, not what we were expecting at all. But that's a good thing. The restaurant would qualify as a "Dive" in most circles, a tiny 20 seat affair with recycled refer units as cabinets located in the corner of a strip mall with a 99 cent store and a BigLots. Not exactly a high-end neighborhood. But after having heard of this little cafe in The New Times and finding that Phoenix Magazine rated their Ceviche and Shrimp salad as one of the Valley's top 50 dishes, we decided that we must give it a try! The article in New Times raved about something called a Pupusa and description sounded familiar, once we were there I realized why. Every culture on earth seems to have developed some form of stuffed hand pie. You know the formula, a regional bread or pastry dough, formed into a pocket and stuffed with savory or sweet fillings. Food on the go. Well in El Salvador it's called a Pupusa, and they were delicious! A kind of thick corn tortilla type bread, filled with several different types of fillings, pork and cheese, beans, chicken and cheese, beef and cheese or beef, bean and cheese. Now this is NOT your typical Arizona/Mexican food. The cheese is a freshly made cheese that is a Salvadoran tradition and is one of the best fresh cheeses I have ever had, smooth and soft yet very flavourful. The tortilla is not what you might be used to either, they are corn tortillas but they are not the course chip like corn tortillas so prevalent in Americanized Hispanic foods. They are thick, soft and delicious. It is this tortilla that is the basis of their Pupusas. Don't expect to find the standard "Mexican Restaurant" re-fried beans here either. Spicy, flavourful and smooth, having been mashed right after cooking, they are among the best example of simple yet wonderful tastes you will experience here. We had some of all of the different Pupusas offered on the menu which are priced very reasonable indeed, and were impressed with all of them, though the pork and cheese and the bean were my personal favorites. We also had a corn tamale that was sweet and moist and tasty, rolled in a banana leaf instead of the corn husk we are used to. Perhaps that is why it was so much more moist than your average corn tamale. To finish off our repast we enjoyed the fried plantains, actually an appetizer on the menu, they were crispy on the outside and starchy and tasty inside. Served with freshly made salsa and the Salvadoran version of Crème Fraîche that was also a hit. The owner was our server and I am still not sure she spoke much English, but she was very nice to us and the orders were always right. As well as very very hot! I had to let my Pupusas sit a few minutes before they were cool enough to consume, and a word of warning, Plantains retain heat even better than potatoes do so proceed carefully. As I've said the Ceviche and Shrimp salad is an award winner and the Carne Asada that the folks at the next table had ordered looked delicious. However I could not ask their opinion as they did not seem to speak English either and my Spanish is worse than terrible. But they seemed to be enjoying it, I'll give it a try next time. They serve breakfast too and I can hardly wait to give that a try as well. Stop in, you'll be glad you did.
(4)Jennifer O.
I went here the other day, as I had a Deal Chicken for this place. I used to go to a really good Salvadorian restaurant in Seattle, and was excited to see there was one right near where I live now. So the BF and I got here at around 8 at night on a Sunday and it was actually pretty busy. This place is in a tiny strip mall that does not look like it gets much business, and I would have never seen it from the road, so it must be good to still be in business. So I ordered a pollo pupusa, a carne asada pupusa, and a polla tamale, and the BF ordered two bean and cheese pupusas and a carne asada pupusa and we split the pastelitos con papas y queso. Well, the pastelitos were pretty tasty, like fried mashed potatoes, and they came with a spicier cabbage slaw which I liked a lot better than the regular cabbage slaw for the pupusas. All of the pupusas were really good, my real problem was with the sauce. The red sauce that came with them was just kind of flavorless. The place I used to go to had some really good red and green sauces for the pupusas... it was kind of disappointing. Also, about 5 minutes after we got the pupusas, the waitress came by and said 'oh I forgot to tell you we don't have any tamales.' Well, that kind of sucks, why did it take til we were already in the middle of eating to tell us? Also, it screwed up the amount I was trying to spend (since I had 20$ to spend on the deal chicken) which I guess shows that this place is cheap, which is good, but for this particular trip that wasn't good. So we decided to order a dessert to replace the tamale. We got the empanadas de platano with sweet cream. So this was a big deal for the waitress, she had already totaled out the bill and for some reason it was a huge deal to add a dessert at the end (which I thought was weird, but felt guilty about giving her extra work). Anyway, the empanadas were ok, but I've had better. The sweet cream is in the middle of the plantain and it isn't all that sweet. Oh well, I would definitely come back here for some yummy pupusas and maybe try a different dessert next time, the central american quesadilla looked pretty tasty....
(4)Andrea N.
If you haven't been to this place - go! Seriously. It's amazing. It's the best little hole-in-a-rundown-strip-mall you can find. And it's cheap! Nestled between stores like Big Lots and some electronic place with Mexican ranchero music blasting, this tiny place is hidden in the corner. The owner is from El Salvador, so don't expect it to be Mexican food -- there are many similarities, but the dishes themselves are different. Walking in, you can smell the homemade pupusas -- seriously, it smells like the roadside stands along the bus routes in central America. It's amazing. There are only a couple waitresses, and I don't think they speak much English, but the menu is in pictures, as well as in Spanish and some English, so you should do just fine. Get the pupusas - they're like thick, hand-made tortillas stuffed with either pork, cheese and beans or, my favorite, cheese and loraco flower, which is some green and edible plant that tastes a bit like asparagus, to me. It's definitely the best one. These things come with salsa and some coleslaw (if they don't, just ask for the salsa) and are very filling! The other dishes are really good, too. For a low price, you can get an entire plate of things like meat with rice and beans - and this place doesn't skimp on the fixin's. They put slices of fresh tomatoes, avocado and all kinds of other stuff on the plates. I honestly LOVE it here. If you want to avoid the crowds, come at an off-hour... then you can just sit, relax and watch the telenovela on the TV in the corner. For dessert, pick up a piece of the cheese pie near the cash register. I can't recommend this place enough!
(5)Colin G.
Initially I went to this place for the tamales which were recommended by a coworker who is from El Salvador. Someof the people in my office also said that they were amazing (and I trust their opinions). So I went in looking forward to that and ended up ordering all the pupusas as well. I must say I'm not a big fan of the tamales, they are too moist for my taste. The banana leaves do give a great flavor though. The true stars are the pupusas, which I had never had before and have since become addicted too. I literally order at least 6 for myself every time I go now. They are asininely delicious!!! I grab a large bite of pupusa and some of the curtido (a kind of slaw-ish awesomeness) and just chow down. Beware the post-lunch coma though as eating that many will knock the average person on their ass. This brings me to my one bone to pick with this stripmall gem, their coffee sucks! I was expecting super-strong coffee with mud at the bottom when I ordered the cafe listo but it tasted like gas station coffee. They didn't even have any milk, just powdered non-dairy nonsense... I'm already a diehard fan but if they stepped up the coffee I would pretty much call it my mecca. This is the kind of food that makes all seem right with the world... Holy Shit!!! I almost forgot about the ceviche! It's a little pricey but it is soooo worth it. I split it with one of my people at work and ended up sharing it with the whole office......very much against my will. People thought it looked so good they just kept poaching forkfulls off my plate. Definietly a must have dish
(5)Cory A.
Papusas! This is one of the few places that I actually have cravings for. You can't go wrong with any of the papusa flavors (carne asada is my favorite followed by loroco flower) and the fried plantains are an excellent treat. Eat the papusas topped with the curtido (coleslaw) and salsa, it really pushes the flavor over the top.
(5)Richard P.
Pupusa trio is very filling. The carne asada was extra but the most flavorful of the bunch. The loroco flower tasted of pollen but the curtido and salsa eclipsed the flavor, but you can never have enough of those two things on any pupusa. The fried yucca was plain but the pork included was very tasty. The fried plantain was the best I've ever had, the cream gives an initial tart but then follows it with a carameled sweet that astounds the taste buds.
(4)Ryan J.
It was blind luck that I stumbled across ceviche over 10 years ago as a young lad living in Los Mochis, Sinaloa. Since then it has become a signature dish in my heart and I've gone out of my to find restaurants whose reputations are tied to this savory dish from the sea. I was excited when I recently read a piece in Phoenix Magazine lauding the ceviche of Salvadoreno as one of the essential dishes of the valley. I soon headed east to determine whether or not this dish would rival my favorite versions of the dish; the beach side shack outside of Topolobompo and the Halibut Ceviche of the Foundry Grill up at Sundance in Utah. We were greeted by the friendly yet chaotic smile that it so common with Latin American dives. We quickly ordered some horchata, very strong, and some pupusas, above average, before we prepared to dine the reason for our visit. I certainly wasn't disappointed. My only real hang up was their interpretation of what a portion should be. The dish could serve 4 people without a problem. The ingredients were standard to ceviche and all tasted very fresh. The only slight difference was that the shrimp on top were grilled. We finished the meal with Nuegados de Yuca con miel, fried but not too heavy, and called it a meal. While it wasn't the best ceviche it was certainly among the top tier. The restaurant is just close enough to warrant a semi regular visit. A great place that deserves your attention. Just remember that when you order the ceviche bring a friend or three along for the ride.
(4)Karla H.
Loved it!! came back twice... authentic pupusas, I'm only reviewing pupusas, i have not tried other dishes. P.S. I'm Salvadorean so I think I'm critic...
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