Pupuseria La Bendicion
3685 W 105th St, Cleveland, OH, 44111
Pupuseria La Bendicion Menu
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Visit below restaurant in Cleveland for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Cleveland for healthy meals suggestion.
Visit below restaurant in Cleveland for healthy meals suggestion.
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Address :
3685 W 105th St
Cleveland, OH, 44111 - Phone (216) 688-0338
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Tue
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Divey
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : No
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : No
WE SERVE THE FOLLOWING STATES
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Jillian S.
This place is amazing! You must give it a try! The steak tacos! Oh mannnnn
(5)Sheena W.
Finally checked this place out and all of the other reviews are pretty spot on: 1. NO ONE speaks English in this place, not even the 20 other customers surrounding you. So unless you can speak Spanish you should know what you want to order beforehand, don't ask questions, just point at the menu. 2. The food is simple, good, and cheap with generous portions. We got 3 pupusas with salsa and slaw, 1 tamale, 1 quesadilla with lettuce and tomato, and an order of 3 flauntas with sour cream, avocado, lettuce and tomato for $20. 3. This place is not very sanitary. It's definitely a hole in the wall with dust and grime, but what made me cringe was the cook who kept nibbling on the food as she made it. I'm talking no hand washing, just direct contact with your food and their hands then pinches of the food off of your plate into their mouth. Sooooo, if you're looking for good cheap Salvadoran food and don't care about the conditions it is cooked in, then this place is for you. I mean, I saw what they were doing and I still ate the food. I don't know if that says much about me and my standards though...
(3)Victor N.
My review is pretty much the same as Karyn's below. Between two of us, we got the fried fish dish (tilapia), two pupusas (the one with pork rinds and the other with the cheese and herbs), and two tacos (pastor and beef tongue). It was a little over $20 for all that I believe. I'll start with....holy smokes that was so much food. The tilapia dish alone is enough for 1.5-2 people. The pupusas are cheap but super filling as they're stuffed. The tilapia dish was good, didn't have a fishy smell. But like Karyn said, a little too salty. You need to eat it with the rice provided. Good crisp level without being over burnt. The papusas were really good, star of the meal IMO. The one with pork rinds was really good, the other not as much. Tacos were pretty good too. I've had better al pastor tacos, but the beef tongue was quite good and not something I see in many Hispanic restaurants. We went on a Sunday,on which they have a beef soup special. To be honest, it didn't look that good, but perhaps it tastes very good as most people seemed to have gotten that while we were there. Lastly, the place is very authentic, from Spanish only speaking cashiers to the clientele. If you're expected some super clean place, you'll be disappointed. The place is gritty and looks like a home kitchen in the back.
(4)Karyn C.
After trying El Arepazo, I wanted more. My daughter recommended this little bitty place. While El Arepazo is a mix of Columbian and El Salvadoran food, this place is more El Salvadoran. I did not understand the difference, but she assured me the pupusas here were better. Holy pupusa heaven!! We had the chicharones and cheese. (Yes, she mocks me every single time I attempt a word in Spanish.) I was so full, but I kept taking bites. I also had the fajitas with steak, chicken and shrimp. The veggies were perfect, and the meal was incredible. I could not come close to finishing it. The menu is in Spanish, but with enough English for someone like me. My daughter helped navigate anyway. (Whew!) There is no sign outside, so as another reviewer mentioned, look for the Gyro George sign. The place could not be smaller. But, the space is used well. The folks are friendly, and seem to tolerate poor attempts at Spanish. The food more than makes up for the lack of ambiance. This place is rough. But the food is freaking heavenly.
(4)Yuanjia Z.
Very cheap. Very authentic. I like combo 1 on the menu, huge amount of steak with very very delicious beans. I also tried the tilapia dish, didn't like it so much. It was just fried tilapia with some salad and rice on the side. Didn't seem that different from something that I can make my own. The food will take A WHILE to come so make sure you have plenty of time to spare. Also be prepared that the bathroom they have is not really usable. No lights in the bathroom, floor is super sticky. I didn't want to use it in complete darkness, plus there is no place to wash your hands. So prepare yourself before you go! Otherwise, a great, cheap place to get some authentic food without breaking your bank!
(5)Amy Y.
I have been wanting to try this place for a very long time. Finally made a trip out to try the pupusas. I ordered 14$ of food: horchata, pupusa with the pork rinds and cheese, pupusa with the flower cheese, yucca, and beef tongue taco. Horchata is way too rich and grainy for me. I guess I am not a big fan of sweet drinks. Pupusas were flavorful but I wasn't a big fan of the cornmeal. They did taste very good with some lime juice though. Beef tongue taco was refreshing but again, I wasn't a fan of the corn tortilla. Yucca was very very oily but flavorful. They came with several large beef chunks which sort of reminded me of chinese beef stew meat, lol. I ordered everything to go and they gave me a ziplock bag of the slaw and the sauce. I wasn't sure what to do with these so I just dumped it on everything I ate hahah. Overall, not bad. I think I am just not a fan of corn-based food.
(3)Cody F.
Delicioso!! That just about sums up this place. I had it on my restaurant bucket list for the last two years and I should encourage you to not make the same mistake I did. If you wait more than a couple weeks to go try some ridonculously delicious pupusas then, well, that's two weeks less of pupusas in your life. Price: All of the appetizers are ~$2, that's dang cheap. My wife and I had 2 pupusas, 2 tacos, 2 tamales, and 2 horchatas for $17. The regular dishes are still pretty cheap but we've yet to try them. Food: The pupusas are where it's at. The tamales weren't that great but tacos were awesome. I can't wait to go try the rest of the menu. Overall, I loved this place. You probably need to speak Spanish to avoid any problems during your visit but I would imagine that pointing to the menu will get you by just fine if you have no questions or problems. It is a small little place with just a few staff and I love how authentic it is. I plan on returning very soon.
(5)Naser A.
I have been at this hole in the wall restaurant and have never been disappointed with the great tasting meals. The best fish dinner in Ohio. Been here alone and with guest and always fresh tasting , you might have to wait a bit but it is worth it.
(5)Liz L.
I was definitely shocked when I first heard there was a pupuseria in CLE. In the years that I've lived here, I was always disappointed with the Latin food I've tried out in CLE restaurants. Coming from L.A., we have so many options to choose from, and usually the best foods are in trucks/carts or hole in the wall places. This is exactly what Pupuseria La Bendicion is- a hole in the wall with amazing, AUTHENTIC food! I got everything to go since it was pretty crowded. You know the food is good based on the clientele eating there. If latin people are also waiting in line for latin food, you knowww it must be good! The prices are fairly cheap, so you can splurge and order a lot. I filled out a form which listed all the items they had and how many I wanted. I ordered two types of pupusas (you definitely should get a pupusa...it only makes sense!), as well as some tacos, and the chicken meal. They ran out of tamales that day....yes, I was totally bummed out because of that. There's always next time though! :) I will be back for mas pupusas...yummy!
(4)Daniel C.
Have had 2 bad experiences here. First time I came here, I dined in and noticed a roach crawling on the wall next to me. Very disgusting. The place did not look well maintained. Food took over 40 minutes to get to my table. I would rate the pupusas 3/5 on that occasion. My second experience was what made me give up on this place and will never go back. I called in for a pick up order. I ordered SIX pupusas, and was given a 35 minute wait time. I arrive one time to find out my order was not ready and had to wait an additional 45 minutes. The pupusas I ordered where disgustingly greasy to the point that I could not pick them up with them falling apart. Never again.
(1)Jared M.
Best Latin-American food I've ever had. I got chorizo tacos and the herb papusa, both insanely good. BE AWARE, however, that orders take a while to complete, upwards of 25 minutes, so order ahead if you don't want to sit down for the meal (the restaurant and seating itself is not that nice).
(5)Young P.
Pupuseria La Bendicion is one of my favorite places to eat in Cleveland. The flavors are crazy! I mean, it's authentic El Salvadorian food. I tried everything from the fried tilapia and chicharrón to the weekend stews and protein plates. The tacos are amazing. The pupusas are good as I like to drench mine with cortido and tomato sauce. I order the Horchata EVERY time if they have it. Most of the time I come here, it's packed with families and people who just got off work. I think it's family owned. The same lady always makes my pupusas. I could easily eat this stuff everyday if I had to.
(5)Erinn S.
I constantly crave latin food and this is one of the rare places in Cleveland that offers food well done. It really is a "hole in a wall" sorta restaurant but it definitely is worth a try. Main dishes are pretty huge and their pupusas are tasty. The place at the time had one cook and a server, I was impressed by how efficient they were even with the amount of customers they had. One thing to point out is that the place can get a bit stuffy. Overall, their food is great and well worth it.
(5)Adi S.
Went here with a buddy of mine after hearing rave reviews from co-workers. I must say that any place where you can get a meal for two at $12 that isn't from an assembly line at a fast food joint merits a great review for that alone. The papusas were freshly made, warm, and delicious. Clearly this place is a great find...I would say that the only thing missing from the food would be an equally delicious sauce on the side.
(4)Jen M.
Very good and authentic food. You won't hear a lick of English spoken here...todo en Espanol. The pupusas are delicious, and at $1.60 a shot, you can eat like a king for pennies on the dollar. Steak tacos are okay (much prefer the ones at La Plaza Supermarket). The platter with eggs, beans, fried platanos and a chicken tamale was delicious. Now, for the chink in the armour...this place is filthy. Many tables had dirty dishes on them and the bathroom was disgusting. Just because the place is small and ethnic does not mean it has special license to be un-hygienic. So either know that going into and turn a blind eye to it or don't go.
(3)Ilovecleveland W.
Went here last week for lunch and really enjoyed the food. This place is definitely not fancy by any means, rather the ambiance is VERY minimal but the food is worth it.
(4)rebecca t.
The food is prepared right in front of the customer. I paid $3.10 for a papusa & a side of rice, the flavor was fantastic. Great food at a great price! The decor is old but for take out it works. Would definately recommend.
(4)Yuan C.
A true hidden gem in Cleveland!!! This is great for those on a budget, or for anyone who wants to treat themselves to some delicious food without breaking the piggy bank! When you arrive in the restaurant, seat yourselves first, and the server will bring over some menus (you may need to ask them for menus). There aren't too many pictures on the menu, so you just need to order what sounds best to you. Once you've decided on what to get, you then go up to the counter to make your order. If you don't speak Spanish, take a menu with you so you can point to the item you want!! Then, it's a waiting game for the food to come. My friends and I came here on a non-busy weekday for dinner, but our food didn't come out until 30-45 minutes later. They are pretty short staffed (2-3 workers who man the kitchen and counter), so I don't blame them for the slow service. I ordered the pupusa with chicken and cheese. What is a pupusa? It's a traditional Salvadorian food made with corn tortilla on the outside and stuffing inside. I normally steer away from anything with corn tortillas because I never really liked the texture or flavor. But at my friends' persistence on how delicious these are, I caved in and ordered one. It's safe to say that these pupusa changed my thoughts on corn tortillas entirely! I absolutely LOVE the pupusa here! The chicken and cheese inside the pupusa was super savory! I can't believe it only costs $1.90! I also ordered the carne taco. They put a lottttt of meat in those tacos for the money you pay ($2)!! I also tried some of the beef tongue taco, and both are delicious! I finished my meal with some plantains. Nothing too special about these. They were a bit oily, but still good for $2! So for less than $6, I got myself a satisfying meal! There's nothing like the feeling of getting a bargain :) To be 100% honest though, I was at first slightly turned away from this place because it doesn't look very sanitary. But you just need to overcome this feeling and rejoice in the delicious food :)
(5)Karen S.
This place is the bomb! A hole in the wall restaurant with some of the best dishes in Cleveland. They don't even speak English but who cares! I just point to what I want and bam! I get hit with deliciousness!
(5)Katherine S.
The wait was pretty long and I would suggest calling ahead of time but the food was excellent!
(4)Erin O.
OMG... I found this place on a random afternoon via Yelp when my husband and I were starving and on the opposite side of town. AMAZING. Just like we're used to at home in Latin America. I ate so many pupusas its embarrassing - but it seemed like they were too good to be true! Now - the physical space is limited. No heat, no air conditioning, and definitely not much in terms of decor. That is NOT why you go to this place. If you want a taste of El Salvador, you must try this place. I am making myself want these just writing the review!
(5)Selena Y.
This place is truly a hole-in-the-wall! There's no signage outdoors (other than a misleading Gyro sign out in the parking lot) but the restaurant definitely doesn't need any marketing to keep itself busy. The place was packed at noon on Sunday, with plenty of people buzzing in and out for take-out. For only $3.80 I was completely stuffed from a horchata drink (a nutty/cinnamon-y/milky beverage), a revueltas pupusa (stuffed with pork rinds, cheese, and refried beans...the beans definitely had a dominant taste), and a queso con loroco pupusa (suuuuper cheesy but still tasty). The pupusas were served with a side of cabbage slaw and tomato salsa, which were great complementary toppings. Service was slow but it's such an authentic and delicious experience that it's worth the wait. I'll be back!
(4)Karyn M.
You have to communicate in whatever Spanish that you might know or point to the menu really well. I've been here twice now and I've been satisfied each time. On weekends, this little hole in the wall is quite full. It doesn't really focus too much on setting (some might be turned off by it) and the patrons are mostly Hispanic - all good indicators of its authenticity. Food: while the pupusas are not listed in main entrees, a couple of those can be quite filling. This was my first time trying them and they were delicious. The coleslaw and tomato-y sauce balanced well with it. The beef tongue taco also stood out to me. I've had the fried tilapia dish and while it's good, it was a tad salty. I would stick to the smaller dishes that they're known for.
(4)Diana L.
Be prepared to either know Spanish out know how to order in Spanish. The pupusas area very reasonable and a good size. I like the chicken one the best. The entrees are also large. I ordered the bistec (steak) and my boyfriend ordered the pescado (whole fried fish). The proteins and the refried beans were delicious. The rice was fine. The meals come with corn tortillas which is a lot of food. Be prepared to take food home-good thing the food is great for leftovers and to re cook into an omelet. Finally, adding the picked vegetables was great-I didn't care too much for the sauce they have you.
(4)Neha M.
Every single time I've been to La Bendición I have left thinking "why don't I come here more often?!" So when today the boyfriend and I went, I was pretty excited. I was not disappointed. We got four pupusas, two tamales and a side of beans. My favorite menu items are by far the pupusa of cheese and the loroco flower (pupusa de queso y loroco) and the beans. OMG, the beans. Did I mention I love the beans? We've been to the few other pupusa joints in Cleveland and this is by our fave. Go. Now. But, be patient, as the kitchen is small and your food may take a bit of time when it's busy but it's totally worth it!
(5)Kate B.
I'm not going to find anything to say that hasn't been said by the other fine people of Yelp who sent me here. The food is good enough to make up for the slowing service and bare bones environment. The store is clean, everyone behind the counter is busy. We started with horchata. Best I've ever had. So rich and cinnamon, but not to sweet. We ordered the chicken, herb and cheese, and bean pupusas. They're a corn meal pancake with a delicious filling. Each one was unique and fantastic. Crispy outside, gooey insides. Very flavorful, perfect texture. We also ordered one of the beef plates. A lot of beef--it tasted like it had been marinated in citrus juice and spices. Very tender, extremely flavorful. Just delicious. It came with soft, fluffy, homemade tortillas, spicy cabbage salad, incredible rice and beans, half an avocado, queso fresco, and house made salsa. The only latin american meal that has ever surpassed this for me is when my friend's sweet mama from Mexico made me the best Easter dinner I've ever thought could exist. This was so good. And so much food for a really low price. Definitely come here. We will be back with friends.
(5)Kristin G.
So glad we tried this place that we never would have even known about had it not been for Yelp. Delicious food (we got a lot of it too!) I can't even remember everything we got but everything was good so just go out on a limb, I bet you'll enjoy whatever you try. The only thing we didn't like was the horchata. I don't think that's their fault I just think it's not our kind of drink. Be prepared to wait, we waited about 45 minutes but good food takes time and as another reviewer stated you can see and hear the woman making your food fresh. I didn't have a problem with it but if we ever went back I would call in our order ahead of time.
(5)Rachel B.
Disclaimer: I have never tried Salvadorian food before. I found this restaurant on Yelp, and I was surprised at how good it was! I never had a pupusa before, but I had two of them with beans and cheese, and they were delicious! Really big though - I only finished about one and a quarter. They were fresh, soft, creamy goodness. I had also never had horchata before, and that was delicious too. I liked how the sweetness of the drink balanced out the pupusas. I didn't try the tomato sauce on the pupusas, but I had the coleslaw on them, and the coleslaw was good, if a bit too spicy for my liking (I am a wimp about spicy foods). The restaurant is very small, with only a few tables, and you should be prepared to wait for awhile for your food, since everything is prepared to order and the lady behind the counter didn't seem to be in too much of a hurry. But that was okay. I also don't speak any Spanish, but it wasn't much of a problem - I pointed out what I wanted on the menu and I got exactly what I asked for. And the food was definitely worth the wait! I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. If you're ever around Cleveland, go here!
(5)Madeline J.
La Benedicion is hands down some of the best food I've had in Cleveland. Your whole meal is made by El Salvadorian grandmas who barely speak English. We tried the bean and cheese pupusas, chicken pupusas, plantains, and tamales. Everything was fucking delicious. The chicken was so succulent and perfectly salty. The pupusas were perfectly fried without being overly oiled. The tamale melted in your mouth and was vaguely sweet. The plantains were perfect. Anyone who complains about the lack of sanitary conditions needs to get out more. These El Sal abuelas are pupusa geniuses. This is ethnic food at its best.
(5)Jocelyn W.
I am giving this place 5 stars based on uniqueness, authenticness, value. It's simple food but seems real and has good texture! And is unlike anything I've had before. Loved this little place! I ordered 2 pupusas, the pollo y queso and the lorrocco flower one. The lorocco flower looked like tiny chopped up asparagus IDK. BOth were good. I ordered a bean tamale and they said no. I couldn't quite understand why. No biggie! Just know... Sometimes it's slow! They have to plant the corn, grow the corn, harvest the corn, turn it into pupusas... This takes time I suppose. I can't knock stars if food just takes time to prepare. I was the only one in there and 2 pupusas took 30 mins almost. I didn't think the place was dirty, IDK. MAybe I'm jaded. For my take out order they did include the slaw and tomato sauce in case anyone wondered. I'm no scientist but they put hot tomato "salsa" in a simple ziplock bag for take-out. Lol I do not care tho cause DOLLA NINETY! But wait there's more! You can also buy cologne from a display case while you wait. Maybe it's mouth cologne! Again! I'm no expert and I'm not salvadorian! Here's some menu pics.
(5)Daryl C.
OMHH! Oh my holy heavens! I've been craving pupusas since I left the West Coast. And thanks to the yelpers, I found this lovely place. Pupusas... If a tamale and a quesadilla had a baby, this would be it. This wonderful El Salvadorian delight will make your stomach so happy. The Revuelta is chicharron, queso, and friol. For those that don't understand Spanish, that's basically shredded pork, cheese and refried beans in a fresh handmade cornmeal tortilla. To wash that down don't forget the platanos fritos, or fried plantains. They are starchy, sweet and fantastic. At $1.60 a pupusa and $2.00 for plantains you cant ask for better food for under $10. Spanish is the primary language, but h e no fear if your Spanish is weak or non-existent. They hand you a slip of paper a all you have to do is know what you're ordering. An after you've demolished 4 pupusas and plantains (at least I did) you pay them at the counter and they will show you the total.
(5)Cecilly F.
Took about 15 minutes or so to get the food; food is VERY good! And it's spot on to native food--having lived in Latin America for a year and a half, it was like coming home to see and taste the food!
(5)Alter K.
Hole in the wall in a shady looking area ... will leave you smelling like fried food ... but the food is awesome! You pay hole in the wall prices for authentic scratch cooking from El Salvador (I believe) ... pupusas are these great meat or cheese filled pan-fried 'pancakes' eaten with a refreshing salsa and spicy slaw. We also get the steak tacos and fried plantains every time we go. We once ventured into the plates but both the chicken and fried pork belly entrees were way too dry for our liking - so we're sticking with the pupusas, tacos and plantains for future trips. Beware - limited English here, but that's fine because you place your order from paper menu order forms.
(5)Christine L.
Great authentic El Salvadorian spot, hole in the wall that serves inexpensive great quality food. Definitely recommend this!!
(5)Tom P.
When it comes to ethnic restaurants, there are a couple of rules that I like to follow: (1) generally, you want a no-frills establishment. There are basically only tables and food there. (2) The more of the clientele that is of the same ethnicity as the good, the better! For more similar rules, you can check out "An Economist Gets Lunch" by Tyler Cowen; it's a bible for finding cheap, high-quality ethnic restaurants. Pupuseria La Bendicion definitely meets both of those criteria. The menu is very straight-forward and everything tasted wonderful. I didn't love the refried beans though; they were sort of dry and the texture was not as smooth as I would like. Overall, this place is wonderful for quick, cheap, absolutely tasty eats. Highly recommended!
(4)Gina C.
Stopped here for a late lunch this weekend, thanks solely to all the raving reviews here on Yelp. I've never been to El Salvador or eaten Salvadorian food anywhere else, so I can't speak to the authenticity, but everything we had was tasty. My husband had some kind of combo dish with scrambled eggs, refried beans, a chicken tamale, fried plantains, and tortillas - all for $8. I ordered a la cart, and got a bean and cheese papusa, a cheese and herb papusa, refried beans, and a steak taco. They also brought out a bowl of red sauce and a bowl of some kind of slaw. I'm not sure if everyone gets those or if they're meant to go with a certain item that we ordered. My favorite things were the papusas, which are huge and an amazing value for $1.69 or whatever they charge. The worst part about this place is how dirty it seems. It's been 3 days since we ate there and we didn't get sick, so the kitchen hygeine must not be too bad, but it just looked awful. You have to pretty much walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, and I really wish I hadn't seen it. The bathrooms were also gross. That being said, there are probably plenty of other restaurants that are just as bad or worse, but I don't know bc I can't see inside the kitchen. I enjoyed my meal and I'm glad we went, but I probably won't be back. Partly because of the cleanliness and partly because it's not a very convenient location for me. I would still recommend it to anyone who's looking for something new and interesting to try.
(4)Marlena L.
This experience right here is what yelp is all about! I'm working out of town and really don't want any fast or franchise restaurant food. I'm heading down 71s and decide to do a yelp search. I'm tired and want good food so I only look at restaurants that have as close to a five star rating. Bingo, Pupuseria La Bendicion! Do I know the area, no. Is it safe, not really sure. I can't even pronounce the restaurant name! I am totally depending on these yelp reviews to be accurate. Oh my gosh, they got it right! Total small, store front hole in the wall type place. If it hadn't been for the yelp reviews I may have felt uncomfortable here. As I said it's very small, maybe about 10 tables total. It's so small you get a clear view of the kitchen area. When I say view, I mean you get to see the giant vats and cauldrons of unidentifiable meats and sauces being prepared. The largest bowl I have ever seen in my life! You get to witness first hand the passion that is put into these dishes. Thank goodness there are photos hanging over the cash register and the menu is a one page checklist form, because we had a language barrier. They were totally friendly and patient with my non-spanish speaking self! I chose my dinner based on the photo - fried tilapia platter. I was a true hog this day and also tried the pupusas, because of the rave reiews. And I'm ashamed to admit one other item, a steak taco. You can't not order a taco at a Latin American restaurant! The food is cooked to order so it was a short wait. So worth the wait, the best fried tilapia I have ever had! The whole fish, eyes in, unattractive kind of tilapia. So good though! My first time experiencing pupusas - delicious! (I know these were great, since this visit I've been on a pupusas mission and tried them at two other places) Steak taco was also tender and full of flavor. Yep, the yelpers were on point with this place! The price was great too, all this food was $15 and some change! The only negative and it was not the retaurant's fault but an oblivious parents fault. I strategically sat at the booth directly in front of the entry door (for food pic lighting) by the gumball machines. Two things about this booth, the sun was baking my whole left thigh (no blinds) and there was a group of bad a$$ kids just beating, kicking and slamming the candy machines for what seemed like hours! Problem was solved once my food arrived, totally tuned them out. I can't wait to work in Cleveland again, to experience this delicious food! I have memorized the exit number off of 71 and I'll be back!
(4)Joy F.
First time trying Pupusas and they were GREAT. I lovee cheese so I was greatly pleased when I took my first bite. I also got a steak taco which was also delicious, especially with their house sauce on top The only qualm I had was with service. Not only was it a little difficult to communicate because of the obvious language barrier (luckily a few of us could speak spanish and make it work) but also the menu was a little confusing. Under the "tamales" section, there are a ton of options which aren't actually tamale fillings but just sides, so a couple of us received some unexpected orders. There was also an issue with our orders in that some of our pupusas never made it to our table. There were about 8 of us so I guess it was a big group, but we made separate orders at the front register. Overall though, the food was great and really satisfying. I swear the pupusas taste even better the second day! I can't wait to go back (maybe with a smaller group next time)
(4)John L.
I realize most people get tl;dr on long reviews, so I'll start with an assessment and move into specifics after the break if you're interested in the read. The food isn't mind blowing by any means, but on a price-to-taste/quantity/quality basis this place deserves every star. Every single thing is made from scratch, and if I had come in the middle of a regular busy period I probably wouldn't have noticed. But we watched every food item we ordered made from start to finish (took a long ass time though haha). The pupusas are huge. And filling. It came with a side of slaw that has a little kick. House made salsa (not spicy) was super fresh. It came out steaming (I think it's normally served cold). Cheap. Extremely tasty. Very filling. Can't go wrong here. ------------------- Yelp says it's open at 9:30. The sign on the door says it's open at 10:00. The people came strolling in at 10:40. I waited almost an hour. I don't usually wait that long for food, but after a 6 hour drive from Virginia and checking Yelp, I didn't feel like looking for another place so I sat in the car and chatted with my brother who I hadn't seen in almost a year. The guy was a bit surly, but the two ladies were really sweet. They told us to come in and sit at a table while they prepped. I ordered 4 pupusas (revueltas, queso, pollo, and whatever the hell the herb/cheese one was I can't think of the name), 2 tacos de carne, 1 tostada de pollo. Brother ordered yuca frites con pollo frito (fried yuca with fried chicken). I'm not a big fan of El Salvadorean / Peruvian style tacos, but I felt like trying it anyway. Was pretty good, but my unfortunate LA native taco snobbery kicked in. I can't help myself. 1. Chicken pupusa. Flavor explosion. The slaw goes perfectly with it to balance out the dense cheesy mush. 2. Herb pupusa. Very earthy, good flavor, not as salty as the chicken one. 3. Revuelta pupusa. Oh my goodness. This is very meal-y compared to the other ones. But holy, the beans, the chicharrones, the chicken... So much flavor. 4. Cheese pupusa. Should have eaten this one first. So bland after eating the first three, but I should have expected that. 5. Tostada. Solid. A real tostada should be beans with no meat, but I'm just nitpicking. Wish they had a better house salsa for the food. I had to make do with good ol' Tapatio. But seriously, if only they had better salsa... Food does take a bit long to come out, but then again 1) we ordered an inordinate amount of food for two people and 2) we were the first customers. The cook turned on the TV about fifteen minutes into opening and it's been blaring Spanish ever since. It was World Cup coverage so it wasn't unwelcome. (on a side note, I ordered a couple tamales but they said they didn't have any, which was really saddening. I love tamales. I also ordered a horchata, which again, they did not have. I had to settle for a Mexican coke). *edit: forgot to ask my brother how his food was but his plate was wiped clean so I'm assuming he enjoyed it. Bottom line. Enjoy your food. Don't order four pupusas in one sitting. I was trying to compensate for the lack of tamale and I punished my stomach in the process.
(4)Jenny S.
I was very skeptical when I walked in and ordered. There is no sign for the place and the man who took my order didn't seem to speak English. But when I got home and started eating. . ! The food was delicious! The cheese and herb papusas was so flavorful! The tamales were moist and amazing and the tacos were so fresh, they even came with a lime wedge to squeeze on. I'm definitely looking forward to being able to order from this place again.
(5)J. H.
Thank you, Yelpers! The reviews made this place a must-do, and I was finally able to make it over to the west side today for lunch. First of all, for those that complained about the ambiance...get over it. In fact, if you walked in and it looked like you were in some American joint, it wouldn't be right. Also, we had no problems with the service or with ordering our food. The girl at the counter was very friendly, and we received exactly what we ordered. As for the food...holy crap. We ordered a little bit of everything, and I'll quickly break it down here: pupusas - the star of the show. We ordered one of each, and all were excellent. If I had to pick one, the cheese and bean pupusa was the best, but you can't go wrong with any of them. If they serve a tomato sauce/soup with these, you'll love it. steak tacos - very, very good. You must squeeze a little lime juice over top, too. tamales - honestly, I've had better. If you like tamales, give them a try. If not, pass. steak w/rice & beans - the steak was very flavorful. It comes with thick tortillas, but we found they weren't necessary. They also had a couple of specials, but we had already ordered so much food. We'll see what they have next time. It is very accurate that a single person can walk out of here for under $5-6 bucks, and a couple can have a large meal for easily under $20. Just a great food experience.
(5)Sam V.
I'm from Chicago and consider myself a pupusa afficionato. I've had awesome pupusas in L.A. and here in Chicago and I can honestly say these pupusas at La Bendicion are the best I had. I loved them so much I brought 10 back for my trip back to Chicago. I may actually take the 5 1/2 hr. drive for some more. People of Cleveland enjoy these awesome Pupusas.
(5)Kyle H.
Mexican food in Cleveland may be garbage, but there is a least some really good Latin American food to be found. The wife and I were on the west side and decided to give this place a try based on the reviews. We are pretty big pupusa fans. You can almost tell right away that this place. is the real deal based on a number of important factors: crappy stripmall location, non English speaking staff, uncomfortable unairconditioned environment, tables from different sets 20+ years old and a glass case full of very random crap for sale. When it comes to authentic Latin food these are musts. The pupusas here are large and delicious. The fried plantains are a must have side. The food is ordered sushi style with an order form with check boxes for items. I definitely want to come back and try some of the entrees. The only slight negative is that the horchata wasn't the best. It was warm and tasted like that cheap mix you findin Mexican grocery stores... which it may well have been. Best to stick to a nice Mexican coke. If yout want to try actual authentic food and not Americanized bastardizations then please give this place a try.
(5)Andrew P.
This place is just great! It's well run and clean. The food is hand made to order every time. The wait is always a little long, but it's well worth it. Go up to the counter, order your food, pay, sit and wait. You get it and enjoy! It's so goooood!
(4)Amy C.
Holy Pupusas! This is the best comfort food ever. Lovingly made, super delicious, and so affordable. While English isn't every staff member's native language, I've never had anyone be anything but accommodating to me when ordering. If you don't know Spanish, look at the menu and point to things. What is a little non-traditional-they might have you pay before or after. The pupusas are so incredible. 2 for a meal, 3 for indulgence. The "cheese with special herbs" (loroco) pupusa is beyond delicious. The cheese seeps out on the edges and gets a little charred... dear god. They also bring you a wonderful, vinegar-y slaw with the pupusas, as well as a tomato concoction (is it soup? Is it dip? Not sure but it is freaking delicious... just eat it). Also, the tacos are out of this world. The beef is in little chunks, and it is moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. They are packed, and full of flavor with lettuce and cilantro and a side of (mother f-ing hot and delicious) salsa. Oh, the joint is in what appears to be an old Lawson's. Not fancy. But it always smells of bleach, and the ladies making the food (complete with hairnets) are the sweetest (and talented), even considering the fact that it looks like they are stirring the food with dirty boat oars. Which reminds me- the #2 plate, with scrambled eggs, homemade cheese, refried beans, and plantanos, is KILLER. It makes you think "whoa, I'be never had homemade refried beans-how have I lived?" It is easy to eat for between 6 $6-$10 here. And leave incredibly happy.
(5)Sandie O.
Fantastic! Cheap and delicious. My son and I ate in, but it seems as though most people get takeout. We got a lot of food for $13; we took a lot home. My coworker is from El Salvador and she said the food is authentic. Will return!
(5)Jessi N.
Ah I LOVE this place! I had been wanting to try this pupuseria for over a year and finally made it. It DID NOT disappoint! First, they don't speak English. We stepped up to the counter and he handed us an English menu where you just mark what you want. Put your name on it, give it to him and sit down and wait. This tiny hole in the wall had a lot of native customers, so we knew it would be good. After we sat down, an older man came up and asked us in Spanish if we wanted anything to drink. We told him we already ordered...but then we actually wondered if he worked there or was just being nice haha. Anyways, the prices here are very reasonable, for two of us it was about $10 and we were suuuper full. We ordered carne asada tacos and 2 pupusas (chicharron and pork+cheese). For those who don't know, a pupusa is a stuffed corn tortilla. At first, we thought we didn't order enough but after we ate it all we actually were very satisfied. I wanted to order some to-go but it does take a little while for them to make the food (they make it to order so it's fresh and hot!). We also got the horchata, which I thought was just okay. We saw a family order the carne asada plate which came with plantains and rice and veggies. It looked really big and delicious. I also want to try the queso con loroco pupusa. I'll definitely be back!
(5)Don M.
One of my favorite places to eat. Turkey a mama y papa shop. I have been to Honduras several times and have fallen in love with Central American Food. The ambiance is on the "dive" side, but the food is so worth it. Many of my Honduran friends love the Pupusas here. For my son-in-law it is like a home cooked meal. Worth a try and worth the special trip. They are closed on Mondays
(5)Shannon M.
Excellent pupusas! The place definitely has authentic Salvadoran style and made food as good as what I've had in El Salavador. The pupusas a huge - 2 is easily a meal with some fried plantains on the side. The prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get - the two of us ate for under $15! This isn't some place you go for a classy evening, but the quality of food definitely surpassed my expectations. The only alcohol I saw was sangria in what looked like beer bottles - I'll have to give that a try that next time.
(5)P W.
Pupusas here are awesome. When you step up to the counter to order, they give you a checklist of the menu, similar to that of Happy Dog, with more options than just tubes of meat and toppings. One list is in Spanish. If you cannot understand, ask for the English. The staff does not speak English. This makes the dining experience even better. The service is more like that of a fast food restaurant. After turning in the checklist, you sit and wait. It did take a while to get the food. El Salvadorian food is very good. Get some pupusa! This is a must visit restaurant to try out some authentic food from El Salvador!
(5)Joe C.
This place is fantastic! It looks like a total hole-in-the-wall but don't let that scare you off. There's also not much in the way of English spoken, but don't let that scare you off either. There's a convenient little card at the register where you check off what you want and how many of them, and that's all there is to it. I wanted to try a little bit of everything when I went, so I got a pupusa, steak taco, tamale, and fried plantain. The tamale was a little lackluster, but everything else was incredible. And considering that none of the items I ordered were more than $3/each, that counts as a win in my book. It took probably 15-20 minutes for my food, but I literally watched the nice young lady behind the counter make everything from scratch, so I'm willing to wait for food that fresh that tastes this good. One of the best kept secrets in town!
(4)Denise Y.
I'm sure the ladies in the kitchen were laughing about the amount of food that me and my tablemates ordered but I don't care! It was completely worth stuffing my face because everything was really really good. They don't really speak english there so be prepared to brush up on some polite high school spanish. And you know you're in a good place when you see the restaurant filled at 2pm on a Sunday. Order via checklist and ask for the english one if you can't read spanish. I did fairly well translating the spanish one but eventually moved to the english one to make sure I was translating ok. The staff was very sweet and kept smiling at me. So the main event is the pupusas. They have a few varieties and we got the pork/cheese filled ones. SO GOOD. The tamales are huge, we definitely over estimated their size and ordered too much. Also got a fried chicken platter with rice, beans, and spicy slaw that was deemed the best fried chicken my little brother has ever had. To top the entrees off, we also got an order of the weekend special pork soup that was similar to chinese oxtail soup--so if you're afraid of tendon and tripe, don't get it--but I thought it was really good. We also ordered fried plaintains for something sweet and they were perfectly fried and carmelized, not soggy or too oily. Everything was freshly made, and since it's an open kitchen, you can watch them make your meal. I plan on bringing all my friends here.
(5)Allie B.
First off, we'll shall start off this post with Om nom, nom, nom. And then, the second thing is, the decor leaves something to be desired. For the short wait for your food while they make it to order. And then you take that first bite and forget about the cramped seating area and the fact that it is almost literally a hole in the wall. And then that bite of pupusa with whatever goodness you choose. And I have to say, I'm addicted to their carne asada. Didn't have a lot of random stuff on the plate. Just carne asada, tortillas, tomatoes, cilantro, onions and some salt. Now though they don't speak a lot of English(I'd say barely at all), they're all about getting your food out to you. I want to go back. I was just there yesterday and I'm utterly addicted.
(5)Patricia G.
My aunt took my 3 daughters here as an experiment for "taste of the neighborhood" when she was watching them over the course of a week this summer. My daughters are not picky eaters, but they don't really like mexican food. Like, I can occasionally talk them into a "cheesy roll" at taco bell, which is flour tortilla and cheese. So, imagine my surprise when they started raving about this mexican restaurant right in my neighborhood?! I couldn't figure out where it even was for a while, they're little (10, 8, and 4), and just said it was "that one place." Helpful. So, one day I run into the convenient store next door (star mart) and they're all excited pointing it out. When they opened, I honestly thought it was some kind of church. Benedicion, right? I thought the kitchenware was confusing for a church, but, hey not everyone has start-up money to remodel right? I love pupusas. I had them at a fundraiser dinner last year and was wowed. So excited to have this place close by. And as far as I am concerned, any restaurant that goes out of their way to welcome my elderly aunt and her 3 small nieces is awesome. They were all very impressed with how special the staff made them feel, especially because they didn't even know if it was carry-out only when they walked in. WTG Pupuseria. Thanks.
(4)Jillian S.
This place is amazing! You must give it a try! The steak tacos! Oh mannnnn
(5)Miriam W.
A bit of a hole in the wall with counter service and a TV set to telenovelas. In other words, my kind of place. They may or may not have the food that's listed on their hand drawn board...on my latest visit they couldn't produce the special of the day, and this is not a language issue, as yo hablo Espanol. But none of that really matters, as everything I've had has been really good. The pupusas are the draw here...delicious masa cakes stuffed with cheese and herbs, served with a light tomato sauce on the side. They have empanaditas and tacos too. I tried to order a chicken tamale on both visits, but they didn't have them either time, so I'm still looking forward to those. They have a little card you can fill out circling the items you want, but they seem to ignore this, so it's best if you speak the language. I'm truly bothered here by none of the usual things that usually get to me...questionable cleanliness, not getting what you order...whatever. The food is good, and they're really nice people.
(4)Meredith D.
Not enough good things can be said about this place. Cheap, delicious, huge portions. Everyone complaining about the decor needs to chill out--it's clean, it's just not fancy. Personally, I'd take great food, great options, ridiculously low prices, friendly and quick service, and a clean, simple setup over a lower quality experience in a fancier setting any day.
(5)Nicole T.
Absolutely amazing meal! Get the horchata as your beverage , any of the pupusa are very yummy. Inside is simple and busy. Throughout my whole visit I saw employees continually cleaning, everyone was friendly and efficient.
(5)Kenny Y.
Wow. This restaurant made me feel like I walked into a hole-in-the-wall in El Salvador. (P.S. Not their fault, but the area around the restaurant is also a bit sketchy.) It's pretty small with not much seating area, and seems to be designed for take-out. There's a counter where they take your order, and behind the counter there's an open kitchen area where you can see a huge vat full of refried beans and countertops where you can watch them cook. The place is run by Salvadorians, the clientele comprises mostly Spanish speakers, and the specials are listed in Spanish only. There are also random ads hanging around the place for international phone cards and such. The service is a bit slow and they took half an hour to make our food. The food... was not bad, but did not quite live up to the atmosphere. First of all, the pupusas were really good. Pupusas are basically corn tortillas that are filled with meat - we ordered a pork pupusa and it was the only thing we finished. We also tried a pork tamale, the eggs, the carne a la plancha (grilled steak), and the plantains. The tamale tasted soggy, the steak was dry, and the plantains were very oily - none were very appetizing. The pupusas (and tamales, eggs, etc) are listed under "side dishes", but they can and should be ordered a la carte without a main course. If we come back here again, we will probably just order a bunch of pupusas.
(3)Douglas W.
I have eaten here twice now. It's a real dive. It's not the cleanest place you ever saw. There is definitely a language barrier. They never have the food that I want to order even if it's listed on the day's special board. They haven't even sent out the food I have ordered correctly in the 2 times I have dined there. You're wondering about the 4 stars about right now. Here's the thing. The food is great. Yeah, but they didn't send out what you ordered you say. Who cares, it's all good. I still haven't had their tamales. They've been out twice. The specials included chicken tostadas.... nada. I was striking out all over the place. I ordered the cheese and herb papusa. This they sent out right, it comes with a tomato sauce and a nice slaw. It was great. Hot corn masa cake filled with gooey cheese goodness. I also ordered a chicken taco. Fabulous with a really nice red salsa, cilantro, lettuce and tomato. Served with a lime wedge. We ordered refried beans and got scrambled eggs. I circled beans on the order form so it's not the language barrier. They were delicious eggs and I had enough food anyway. Besides, the whole meal for the two of us was $10 so if we really wanted more, what would have been the big deal!
(4)Rachael N.
Woohoo! Hole in the wall ethnic places! One of our friends who happens to be Colombian loves to eat (and eat authentic foods), so after seeing the article written in the Plain Dealer, off we went for a Saturday brunch. Nestled in the middle of a small plaza, Pupuseria La Bendicion is definitely your hole in the wall place. Me like. I started off drinking the horchata la arroz... a sweet rice drink (they were both like, what! you've never tried it??), which I gave my thumbs up on. We ordered pupusas- him the pork, our friend the cheese, and me, the flower one (I think it was loroco?).. and man, mine was the best, hands down. We ordered some eggs and beans with it..and even the eggs were cooked sooooo good.. so light and almost finely diced?? Our friend, he ordered the steak with eggs (there are more authentic names..I just can't remember)..and man, his plate was the best, hands down. We had our friend order for us, so that made life a lot easier, but nonetheless, a great place to stop if you're in the area and craving some Salvadorian food...... or just want to try it. Mmmmm. I like.
(5)Joyce H.
I will keep up the 5 star reviews of this restaurant! This place... is amazing! I first found out about it from my friend who heard about it from another friend. This El Salvadorian restaurant seems to be very authentic, and it attracts mostly Spanish-speakers. When my friends went, no one spoke English. When we went tonight, there was a waitress who did. She handed us order forms (like at some sushi restaurants) and we were pleasantly surprised at the offerings and the prices! I ordered a steak taco and a loroco (herb) pupusa, which were both delicious!!! The plantain side was very plentiful... enough to share with a few people around. I will definitely be back for the steak tacos and the pupusas!! Craving it already...
(5)Danielle A.
I'm in town on business and looking for ANYTHING spicy not typical fast food and with a homemade flare. I'm glad I combed thru the yelp reviews and chose to go here- it is home style pupusas with all the fixings. First of all not all brown people that speak Spanish are Mexicans. There is a HUGE clock with the Salvadorian flag and which says EL SALVADOR across it, kind of a dead give away even to those not familiar with Central Americans. Anyway if you're not familiar with Salvadorian food they have a menu with pictures with English and Spanish descriptions and the person behind the counter hands you a ticket to pick out what you want if you don't speak Spanish. I ordered to go they said it was going to be 20 minutes and it took less than that. I could totally see my food being prepared and I have to say i appreciate that. The lady who took my order was very nice. My whole order came to less than $12 and If you decide to eat in this place has TAPATIO!!! So my order consisted of - 1 pupusa de queso- cheese 2 pupusas de revueltas- basically fried pork, cheese and beans 1 yuca con pollo- yuca is like a potato and pollo is chicken, they didn't have any chicharrones so I got the chicken instead The pupusas here are HUGE! LIke as big as my hand huge. The curtido was BOMB, it wasn't too spicy or watery it was just right (the cabbage/slaw toppings they give you) and the red sauce totally yummy in my tummy. The yuca was fried to perfection and I have to say I've actually never had better. The neighborhood could be described as sketchy but it's not like you're going to get a cap popped in you or something. I think the sketch comes from just being in Cleveland everything seems a bit run down, dilapidated or straight out abandoned.
(5)Cami T.
Ok. So how great can this ethnic little eatery be? Pretty great. With selections of pupusas for $1.60, and plenty of other goodies on the menu, my BF and I were able to leave full with only $9.00 leaving our combined wallets. I especially loved the little cheese and herb pupusa. It was like a cheesy pancake of goodness that lined my little belly. I washed it down with Tamarind juice which tasted a lot like a mix between Sanka and Hot Chocolate. I often just order things when I don't know what they are and in this case, I was pleased. I would have never ordered the drink before, but hey...why not? I'll for sure be back. Maybe even to buy some perfume at the ordering counter...
(5)Dave L.
Superior Latin grub! I've been sorely disappointed every time I try a New Mexican food joint. While this isn't Mexican fare, it fills that void rather well. It was my first puposa experience and I'll cherrish the memory forever. Think a tasty, flat, tamale, pan fried crispy... Sorta. I so had their steak tacos and chicken tamales. All was exquisite and crazy cheap. Just do it.
(5)Rob K.
This little place is a keeper! Great size portions, well prepared. Picked up take out for dinner for two, ended up having more than enough for lunch the next day. Steak tacos were superb, fried plantain done just right and one portion was more than enough for two of us. The pupusas are out of this world, highly recommend. The only negative I found was that we also ordered the fried yucca with pork. Again an amazing portion, yucca fried just right, however there was a mild taste of fish in it. Obviously since everything is made to order they must be frying in the same oil as they use to fry fish, so the taste passed on to the yucca (mildly). I don't eat any fish or seafood, so I was not fond of this at all and will probably avoid anything fried from here as a result. Everything is prepared as you order it, fresh and homemade. We'll be back !
(4)Oscar R.
This place is great I ordered the steak tacos and my girlfriend got the cheese and herb pupusas. We had to wait awhile for the food to arrive but after the first bite I realized it was well worth the wait the steak in the tacos was perfect everything about the taco was perfect. I didn't think I would like pupusas but was willing to try it and I'm glad I did It was awesome this place is a hidden gem and I can't wait to go back.
(5)Samantha F.
I wish I had two rating options for this one. One for the stuff I liked & one for the stuff I didn't I went here w/ das mann & the chilrens on Tuesday because I read how amazing & cheap this place was on the Yelp Review of the Day. I walked out w/ a $50 food bill and some very interesting eats. Dive - YES Clean - EH (Don't use the bathroom) Language Barrier - Heck yeah Decent eats - Depends on your take. The 14 year old man-child ordered steak. (Me hungry, me want steak, me in growth-spurt). The tween wanted chix. I ordered a tamale, the yuca plate, and horchata. Das mann ordered a tamale, two tacos, and some beans. May I just say this Yuca was not the yuca I had had in my past. While it was ok...it wasn't my thing; tasted like tater-tots. The man-child LOVED these. They were like giant french fries. I wasn't expecting the huge chunks of pork on my yuca, but hey I don't read or speak Spanish, so what you get is what you get. The tween's eyes exploded out of her head when she saw the huge-a-mongeous piece of Chicken on her plate. The meals came out w/ a stack of home-made ultra-thick tortilla. The tamales weren't the best I've ever had, but das mann love 'em. The tacos, the tacos were amazing and incredilby fresh. The cilantro & the lime!!!! YUM! Everything was really fresh. The coleslaw was great and while the meal was very heavy you can't complain you didn't get more than enough to eat here. May I just say, I don't know what they put in their beans but holy moly...these might have been the best refried beans EVAH! While I wasn't expecting to drop $50, the kids did get some large portions of meat. I guess for a family of four you can't really complain for $50. If you decide to try the place out, go in with an open mind and enjoy the ultra-authentic food!
(4)Phuong D.
I live in Cleveland Heights but this is definitely worth the drive. The food is so cheap! Pupusas and steak tacos are delicious! Their tamarind drink is also amazing!
(5)Rosalie S.
I have been to this restaurant several times now and I still give it 5 stars for being consistently delicious. I've learned a few things: 1. The slaw is called curtido. I put it on the pupusa along with the thin tomato based salsa. Both come with your order of pupusas and is meant to be eaten together. 2. Try the horchata beverage. It is made from rice, sugar and cinnamon and it's served over ice. Unbelievably delicious and refreshing. 3. The refried beans are the best ever. 4. Squeeze the lime juice on the taco filling. It adds tremendous flavor to it. 5. The chicharones y yuca are deep fried. Chicharones are tender pork nuggets and yuca (pronounced you-ka) is a potato like tuber. Both are delicious. 6. I agree with a lot of the users other comments about the place's decor. Not fancy, just honest food.
(5)Jose M.
This place is awesome I'm from El Salvador and being here in OH definetly hard to find a salvadorean restaurant and let me tell you pupusas here are delicious I definetly recomend this place!!!
(5)Jason M.
The best Salvadorian food that I've had anywhere. Stupendous. One of my favorite restaurants in any city. I no longer live in Cleveland, and I still try to make it out here every time I'm in town. This is absolutely one of the highlights of the culinary scene in Cleveland!
(5)Stefanie F.
I adore tiny-little, unassuming ethnic joints like Pupuseria La Benedicion. When fellow yelpers call it a "hole in the wall".... they would be correct. So seriously? I'll tell you this straight outta the gate: do not go here if you're an ambiance snob or you're expecting a 5 star service treatment with hot towels and shit. You ain't getting it here. What you will get: - fantastic, authentic cuisine at dirt cheap prices. - smiles from the sweet ladies cooking that delicious food. - a bit of a language barrier if you don't speak Spanish. - the hilarity that ensues when the word "PUPUSA" comes out of your mouth. Here. I'll make the experience easier for ya: Walk up to the counter. They'll hand you a slip of paper to mark down what you'd like. Hand it in. They'll cook it up. Help yourself to your drinks of choice in the refrigerator. They'll bring your food out to you in about 20 minutes or so. Go up to the counter and pay after you gorge. Must try: - the yucca plate. Crispy fried potato-y deliciousness. With some super flavorful fried pork on top. - the steak tacos. Some of the best, most flavorful tacos I've had. - mixed pupusa. Damn. I wish I lived closer.
(5)Will S.
I call myself out here. I am completely ignorant when it comes to these kinds of cuisines. My experience with any food from south of the border is not much more than Taco Bell and my lentil tacos. An amigo unexpectedly making a cross-country visit for 48 hours: Perfect excuse to finally visit here ! It's located in a very unassuming previously Dairy Mart. As mentioned, there's no 'art' hanging on the walls or any that ambiance that you find in a "trendy" place. Damn right, this is a hole in the wall, how I like it. The tables and chairs are foldable, just as you ate lunch at the elementary school. They were out of tamarind juice [it was Christmas eve, so no biggie], but they had some rice drink, a bit bitter for me, but nice to try and my comrade who had it before said it tasted as expected. What the hell is a pupusa ? For only $1.80 each, they're pancake-like dough, made of corn grain, fried, about the size of a whoopie cushion, with the filling(s) of your choice. I opted for beans and cheese. They had the meal out in 20 minutes or so. The taco (also less than $2 each) was great. It's lettuce, finely chopped steak (and perhaps something else, I forget) in a fresh, fried tortilla. It also came with a very mild tomato-flavored sauce on the side. In the end, the 3 of us left with a bill of $26, completely full and satisfied. Like many other ethnic restaurants, there was a language barrier with our waitress and very limited English, and my horrible Espagnol. As a result, it was difficult to communicate our orders and also mention in a culturally appropriate manner that the bill was a dollar or 2 off then I realized after that great experience, it doesn't matter.
(4)Ferrett S.
There's a certain thrill, eating at a restaurant that's not meant for you. The food? That's for you. But the restaurant itself is clearly meant for the convenience of the owners, right down to the TV that's blaring Spanish-language TV loud enough to be heard at the back of the kitchen. They sell DVDs behind the counter because hell, why not. And the tables get cleaned up whenever the hell they get around to it; I sat there for an hour, and the crusted plate of beans on the table next to me never moved. You can practically hear them mutter: "We made good food, so you can feed two people for ten bucks. They want cushioned seats? Screw it, let them get takeout. They can eat in their living room." The shame of Pupuseria is that it's only open until 9:00, because this is perfect drunk food. I will now crave this after a night hitting bars, since the food is cheap, filling, and hot. The pupusa is a small, thick pancake of fried cheese and meat, somewhere between a pancake and a quesadilla, but it's pretty damned delicious. The hot sauce that comes with it is surprisingly citrusy and tangy, not so much hot as flavorful, and the refried beans are a solid dark purple smear that goes down easy. Is it the best food ever? No. Is it the best food you're likely to get for four bucks? Oh hell yes. It's so good you don't begrudge them the slivers of meat they use; my daughter ordered a chicken tortilla, and it was probably 95% tortilla and 5% chicken. But they'd saturated it with chicken flavor. Good enough. The people here are friendly, they serve up cheap eats, and if you can tune out the loud Spanish TV, you can even have a conversation. In their turf. They'll allow it, being magnanimous as they are.
(4)Dhanashree A.
My first pupusa experience was at a farmer's market in LA during a whirlwind California trip. I thought those pupusas were fantastic. And then we stumbled unpon Pupuseria La Bendicion... The friendly woman behind the counter handed us a order form/checklist. Husband had a hard time getting me to focus on the checklist because I was enamoured by the pictures of food posted above the counter. He finally managed to grab my attention long enough for me to yell 'Pork and cheese pupusa! Tamales!' until the long strips of plantain bubbling and sizzling in a cast iron pan of hot oil earned my focus. Cast iron pan....not fryer...just a cast iron pan, like the one your grandma probably handed down to your mother who then gave it to you. At this point, I knew the food was going to be good. The restaurant is a true hole in the wall including plastic tablecloths that (on a HOTand sunny afternoon) wrap around your bare knees/shins and cause rivers of sweat to run down your legs. Gawking unashamedly at every plate of food that was delivered to tables around us kept me distracted though. Everything looked good - pupusas, cabbage, fried chicken and rice, tall styrofoam glasses of fresca de frutas. And then our food arrived and boy, do these pupusas overshadow the ones we had before! My taste buds reveled in the soft but crunchy, melt in your mouth, cheesy, porky goodness of the pupusas, the crunch of the shredded cabbage, the balanced tartness of the tomato salsaesque sauce (husband spooned it up like soup) and the hearty steak tacos. It was extremely hard to not run to the counter and place a second order but we had committed to trying out the beers at the Market Garden Brewery later. They were out of tamales when we were there - no worries, we will be making the drive from Cleveland Heights soon enough. Maybe not in shorts though...
(5)Stefanie F.
I adore tiny-little, unassuming ethnic joints like Pupuseria La Benedicion. When fellow yelpers call it a "hole in the wall".... they would be correct. So seriously? I'll tell you this straight outta the gate: do not go here if you're an ambiance snob or you're expecting a 5 star service treatment with hot towels and shit. You ain't getting it here. What you will get: - fantastic, authentic cuisine at dirt cheap prices. - smiles from the sweet ladies cooking that delicious food. - a bit of a language barrier if you don't speak Spanish. - the hilarity that ensues when the word "PUPUSA" comes out of your mouth. Here. I'll make the experience easier for ya: Walk up to the counter. They'll hand you a slip of paper to mark down what you'd like. Hand it in. They'll cook it up. Help yourself to your drinks of choice in the refrigerator. They'll bring your food out to you in about 20 minutes or so. Go up to the counter and pay after you gorge. Must try: - the yucca plate. Crispy fried potato-y deliciousness. With some super flavorful fried pork on top. - the steak tacos. Some of the best, most flavorful tacos I've had. - mixed pupusa. Damn. I wish I lived closer.
(5)Will S.
I call myself out here. I am completely ignorant when it comes to these kinds of cuisines. My experience with any food from south of the border is not much more than Taco Bell and my lentil tacos. An amigo unexpectedly making a cross-country visit for 48 hours: Perfect excuse to finally visit here ! It's located in a very unassuming previously Dairy Mart. As mentioned, there's no 'art' hanging on the walls or any that ambiance that you find in a "trendy" place. Damn right, this is a hole in the wall, how I like it. The tables and chairs are foldable, just as you ate lunch at the elementary school. They were out of tamarind juice [it was Christmas eve, so no biggie], but they had some rice drink, a bit bitter for me, but nice to try and my comrade who had it before said it tasted as expected. What the hell is a pupusa ? For only $1.80 each, they're pancake-like dough, made of corn grain, fried, about the size of a whoopie cushion, with the filling(s) of your choice. I opted for beans and cheese. They had the meal out in 20 minutes or so. The taco (also less than $2 each) was great. It's lettuce, finely chopped steak (and perhaps something else, I forget) in a fresh, fried tortilla. It also came with a very mild tomato-flavored sauce on the side. In the end, the 3 of us left with a bill of $26, completely full and satisfied. Like many other ethnic restaurants, there was a language barrier with our waitress and very limited English, and my horrible Espagnol. As a result, it was difficult to communicate our orders and also mention in a culturally appropriate manner that the bill was a dollar or 2 off then I realized after that great experience, it doesn't matter.
(4)Jen M.
Very good and authentic food. You won't hear a lick of English spoken here...todo en Espanol. The pupusas are delicious, and at $1.60 a shot, you can eat like a king for pennies on the dollar. Steak tacos are okay (much prefer the ones at La Plaza Supermarket). The platter with eggs, beans, fried platanos and a chicken tamale was delicious. Now, for the chink in the armour...this place is filthy. Many tables had dirty dishes on them and the bathroom was disgusting. Just because the place is small and ethnic does not mean it has special license to be un-hygienic. So either know that going into and turn a blind eye to it or don't go.
(3)Karyn C.
After trying El Arepazo, I wanted more. My daughter recommended this little bitty place. While El Arepazo is a mix of Columbian and El Salvadoran food, this place is more El Salvadoran. I did not understand the difference, but she assured me the pupusas here were better. Holy pupusa heaven!! We had the chicharones and cheese. (Yes, she mocks me every single time I attempt a word in Spanish.) I was so full, but I kept taking bites. I also had the fajitas with steak, chicken and shrimp. The veggies were perfect, and the meal was incredible. I could not come close to finishing it. The menu is in Spanish, but with enough English for someone like me. My daughter helped navigate anyway. (Whew!) There is no sign outside, so as another reviewer mentioned, look for the Gyro George sign. The place could not be smaller. But, the space is used well. The folks are friendly, and seem to tolerate poor attempts at Spanish. The food more than makes up for the lack of ambiance. This place is rough. But the food is freaking heavenly.
(4)Daniel C.
Have had 2 bad experiences here. First time I came here, I dined in and noticed a roach crawling on the wall next to me. Very disgusting. The place did not look well maintained. Food took over 40 minutes to get to my table. I would rate the pupusas 3/5 on that occasion. My second experience was what made me give up on this place and will never go back. I called in for a pick up order. I ordered SIX pupusas, and was given a 35 minute wait time. I arrive one time to find out my order was not ready and had to wait an additional 45 minutes. The pupusas I ordered where disgustingly greasy to the point that I could not pick them up with them falling apart. Never again.
(1)Jared M.
Best Latin-American food I've ever had. I got chorizo tacos and the herb papusa, both insanely good. BE AWARE, however, that orders take a while to complete, upwards of 25 minutes, so order ahead if you don't want to sit down for the meal (the restaurant and seating itself is not that nice).
(5)Gina C.
Stopped here for a late lunch this weekend, thanks solely to all the raving reviews here on Yelp. I've never been to El Salvador or eaten Salvadorian food anywhere else, so I can't speak to the authenticity, but everything we had was tasty. My husband had some kind of combo dish with scrambled eggs, refried beans, a chicken tamale, fried plantains, and tortillas - all for $8. I ordered a la cart, and got a bean and cheese papusa, a cheese and herb papusa, refried beans, and a steak taco. They also brought out a bowl of red sauce and a bowl of some kind of slaw. I'm not sure if everyone gets those or if they're meant to go with a certain item that we ordered. My favorite things were the papusas, which are huge and an amazing value for $1.69 or whatever they charge. The worst part about this place is how dirty it seems. It's been 3 days since we ate there and we didn't get sick, so the kitchen hygeine must not be too bad, but it just looked awful. You have to pretty much walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom, and I really wish I hadn't seen it. The bathrooms were also gross. That being said, there are probably plenty of other restaurants that are just as bad or worse, but I don't know bc I can't see inside the kitchen. I enjoyed my meal and I'm glad we went, but I probably won't be back. Partly because of the cleanliness and partly because it's not a very convenient location for me. I would still recommend it to anyone who's looking for something new and interesting to try.
(4)J. H.
Thank you, Yelpers! The reviews made this place a must-do, and I was finally able to make it over to the west side today for lunch. First of all, for those that complained about the ambiance...get over it. In fact, if you walked in and it looked like you were in some American joint, it wouldn't be right. Also, we had no problems with the service or with ordering our food. The girl at the counter was very friendly, and we received exactly what we ordered. As for the food...holy crap. We ordered a little bit of everything, and I'll quickly break it down here: pupusas - the star of the show. We ordered one of each, and all were excellent. If I had to pick one, the cheese and bean pupusa was the best, but you can't go wrong with any of them. If they serve a tomato sauce/soup with these, you'll love it. steak tacos - very, very good. You must squeeze a little lime juice over top, too. tamales - honestly, I've had better. If you like tamales, give them a try. If not, pass. steak w/rice & beans - the steak was very flavorful. It comes with thick tortillas, but we found they weren't necessary. They also had a couple of specials, but we had already ordered so much food. We'll see what they have next time. It is very accurate that a single person can walk out of here for under $5-6 bucks, and a couple can have a large meal for easily under $20. Just a great food experience.
(5)Ilovecleveland W.
Went here last week for lunch and really enjoyed the food. This place is definitely not fancy by any means, rather the ambiance is VERY minimal but the food is worth it.
(4)rebecca t.
The food is prepared right in front of the customer. I paid $3.10 for a papusa & a side of rice, the flavor was fantastic. Great food at a great price! The decor is old but for take out it works. Would definately recommend.
(4)Kyle H.
Mexican food in Cleveland may be garbage, but there is a least some really good Latin American food to be found. The wife and I were on the west side and decided to give this place a try based on the reviews. We are pretty big pupusa fans. You can almost tell right away that this place. is the real deal based on a number of important factors: crappy stripmall location, non English speaking staff, uncomfortable unairconditioned environment, tables from different sets 20+ years old and a glass case full of very random crap for sale. When it comes to authentic Latin food these are musts. The pupusas here are large and delicious. The fried plantains are a must have side. The food is ordered sushi style with an order form with check boxes for items. I definitely want to come back and try some of the entrees. The only slight negative is that the horchata wasn't the best. It was warm and tasted like that cheap mix you findin Mexican grocery stores... which it may well have been. Best to stick to a nice Mexican coke. If yout want to try actual authentic food and not Americanized bastardizations then please give this place a try.
(5)Andrew P.
This place is just great! It's well run and clean. The food is hand made to order every time. The wait is always a little long, but it's well worth it. Go up to the counter, order your food, pay, sit and wait. You get it and enjoy! It's so goooood!
(4)John L.
I realize most people get tl;dr on long reviews, so I'll start with an assessment and move into specifics after the break if you're interested in the read. The food isn't mind blowing by any means, but on a price-to-taste/quantity/quality basis this place deserves every star. Every single thing is made from scratch, and if I had come in the middle of a regular busy period I probably wouldn't have noticed. But we watched every food item we ordered made from start to finish (took a long ass time though haha). The pupusas are huge. And filling. It came with a side of slaw that has a little kick. House made salsa (not spicy) was super fresh. It came out steaming (I think it's normally served cold). Cheap. Extremely tasty. Very filling. Can't go wrong here. ------------------- Yelp says it's open at 9:30. The sign on the door says it's open at 10:00. The people came strolling in at 10:40. I waited almost an hour. I don't usually wait that long for food, but after a 6 hour drive from Virginia and checking Yelp, I didn't feel like looking for another place so I sat in the car and chatted with my brother who I hadn't seen in almost a year. The guy was a bit surly, but the two ladies were really sweet. They told us to come in and sit at a table while they prepped. I ordered 4 pupusas (revueltas, queso, pollo, and whatever the hell the herb/cheese one was I can't think of the name), 2 tacos de carne, 1 tostada de pollo. Brother ordered yuca frites con pollo frito (fried yuca with fried chicken). I'm not a big fan of El Salvadorean / Peruvian style tacos, but I felt like trying it anyway. Was pretty good, but my unfortunate LA native taco snobbery kicked in. I can't help myself. 1. Chicken pupusa. Flavor explosion. The slaw goes perfectly with it to balance out the dense cheesy mush. 2. Herb pupusa. Very earthy, good flavor, not as salty as the chicken one. 3. Revuelta pupusa. Oh my goodness. This is very meal-y compared to the other ones. But holy, the beans, the chicharrones, the chicken... So much flavor. 4. Cheese pupusa. Should have eaten this one first. So bland after eating the first three, but I should have expected that. 5. Tostada. Solid. A real tostada should be beans with no meat, but I'm just nitpicking. Wish they had a better house salsa for the food. I had to make do with good ol' Tapatio. But seriously, if only they had better salsa... Food does take a bit long to come out, but then again 1) we ordered an inordinate amount of food for two people and 2) we were the first customers. The cook turned on the TV about fifteen minutes into opening and it's been blaring Spanish ever since. It was World Cup coverage so it wasn't unwelcome. (on a side note, I ordered a couple tamales but they said they didn't have any, which was really saddening. I love tamales. I also ordered a horchata, which again, they did not have. I had to settle for a Mexican coke). *edit: forgot to ask my brother how his food was but his plate was wiped clean so I'm assuming he enjoyed it. Bottom line. Enjoy your food. Don't order four pupusas in one sitting. I was trying to compensate for the lack of tamale and I punished my stomach in the process.
(4)Don M.
One of my favorite places to eat. Turkey a mama y papa shop. I have been to Honduras several times and have fallen in love with Central American Food. The ambiance is on the "dive" side, but the food is so worth it. Many of my Honduran friends love the Pupusas here. For my son-in-law it is like a home cooked meal. Worth a try and worth the special trip. They are closed on Mondays
(5)Amy C.
Holy Pupusas! This is the best comfort food ever. Lovingly made, super delicious, and so affordable. While English isn't every staff member's native language, I've never had anyone be anything but accommodating to me when ordering. If you don't know Spanish, look at the menu and point to things. What is a little non-traditional-they might have you pay before or after. The pupusas are so incredible. 2 for a meal, 3 for indulgence. The "cheese with special herbs" (loroco) pupusa is beyond delicious. The cheese seeps out on the edges and gets a little charred... dear god. They also bring you a wonderful, vinegar-y slaw with the pupusas, as well as a tomato concoction (is it soup? Is it dip? Not sure but it is freaking delicious... just eat it). Also, the tacos are out of this world. The beef is in little chunks, and it is moist on the inside and crispy on the outside. They are packed, and full of flavor with lettuce and cilantro and a side of (mother f-ing hot and delicious) salsa. Oh, the joint is in what appears to be an old Lawson's. Not fancy. But it always smells of bleach, and the ladies making the food (complete with hairnets) are the sweetest (and talented), even considering the fact that it looks like they are stirring the food with dirty boat oars. Which reminds me- the #2 plate, with scrambled eggs, homemade cheese, refried beans, and plantanos, is KILLER. It makes you think "whoa, I'be never had homemade refried beans-how have I lived?" It is easy to eat for between 6 $6-$10 here. And leave incredibly happy.
(5)Sandie O.
Fantastic! Cheap and delicious. My son and I ate in, but it seems as though most people get takeout. We got a lot of food for $13; we took a lot home. My coworker is from El Salvador and she said the food is authentic. Will return!
(5)Jessi N.
Ah I LOVE this place! I had been wanting to try this pupuseria for over a year and finally made it. It DID NOT disappoint! First, they don't speak English. We stepped up to the counter and he handed us an English menu where you just mark what you want. Put your name on it, give it to him and sit down and wait. This tiny hole in the wall had a lot of native customers, so we knew it would be good. After we sat down, an older man came up and asked us in Spanish if we wanted anything to drink. We told him we already ordered...but then we actually wondered if he worked there or was just being nice haha. Anyways, the prices here are very reasonable, for two of us it was about $10 and we were suuuper full. We ordered carne asada tacos and 2 pupusas (chicharron and pork+cheese). For those who don't know, a pupusa is a stuffed corn tortilla. At first, we thought we didn't order enough but after we ate it all we actually were very satisfied. I wanted to order some to-go but it does take a little while for them to make the food (they make it to order so it's fresh and hot!). We also got the horchata, which I thought was just okay. We saw a family order the carne asada plate which came with plantains and rice and veggies. It looked really big and delicious. I also want to try the queso con loroco pupusa. I'll definitely be back!
(5)Adi S.
Went here with a buddy of mine after hearing rave reviews from co-workers. I must say that any place where you can get a meal for two at $12 that isn't from an assembly line at a fast food joint merits a great review for that alone. The papusas were freshly made, warm, and delicious. Clearly this place is a great find...I would say that the only thing missing from the food would be an equally delicious sauce on the side.
(4)Madeline J.
La Benedicion is hands down some of the best food I've had in Cleveland. Your whole meal is made by El Salvadorian grandmas who barely speak English. We tried the bean and cheese pupusas, chicken pupusas, plantains, and tamales. Everything was fucking delicious. The chicken was so succulent and perfectly salty. The pupusas were perfectly fried without being overly oiled. The tamale melted in your mouth and was vaguely sweet. The plantains were perfect. Anyone who complains about the lack of sanitary conditions needs to get out more. These El Sal abuelas are pupusa geniuses. This is ethnic food at its best.
(5)Erinn S.
I constantly crave latin food and this is one of the rare places in Cleveland that offers food well done. It really is a "hole in a wall" sorta restaurant but it definitely is worth a try. Main dishes are pretty huge and their pupusas are tasty. The place at the time had one cook and a server, I was impressed by how efficient they were even with the amount of customers they had. One thing to point out is that the place can get a bit stuffy. Overall, their food is great and well worth it.
(5)Rachel B.
Disclaimer: I have never tried Salvadorian food before. I found this restaurant on Yelp, and I was surprised at how good it was! I never had a pupusa before, but I had two of them with beans and cheese, and they were delicious! Really big though - I only finished about one and a quarter. They were fresh, soft, creamy goodness. I had also never had horchata before, and that was delicious too. I liked how the sweetness of the drink balanced out the pupusas. I didn't try the tomato sauce on the pupusas, but I had the coleslaw on them, and the coleslaw was good, if a bit too spicy for my liking (I am a wimp about spicy foods). The restaurant is very small, with only a few tables, and you should be prepared to wait for awhile for your food, since everything is prepared to order and the lady behind the counter didn't seem to be in too much of a hurry. But that was okay. I also don't speak any Spanish, but it wasn't much of a problem - I pointed out what I wanted on the menu and I got exactly what I asked for. And the food was definitely worth the wait! I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it. If you're ever around Cleveland, go here!
(5)Jocelyn W.
I am giving this place 5 stars based on uniqueness, authenticness, value. It's simple food but seems real and has good texture! And is unlike anything I've had before. Loved this little place! I ordered 2 pupusas, the pollo y queso and the lorrocco flower one. The lorocco flower looked like tiny chopped up asparagus IDK. BOth were good. I ordered a bean tamale and they said no. I couldn't quite understand why. No biggie! Just know... Sometimes it's slow! They have to plant the corn, grow the corn, harvest the corn, turn it into pupusas... This takes time I suppose. I can't knock stars if food just takes time to prepare. I was the only one in there and 2 pupusas took 30 mins almost. I didn't think the place was dirty, IDK. MAybe I'm jaded. For my take out order they did include the slaw and tomato sauce in case anyone wondered. I'm no scientist but they put hot tomato "salsa" in a simple ziplock bag for take-out. Lol I do not care tho cause DOLLA NINETY! But wait there's more! You can also buy cologne from a display case while you wait. Maybe it's mouth cologne! Again! I'm no expert and I'm not salvadorian! Here's some menu pics.
(5)Marlena L.
This experience right here is what yelp is all about! I'm working out of town and really don't want any fast or franchise restaurant food. I'm heading down 71s and decide to do a yelp search. I'm tired and want good food so I only look at restaurants that have as close to a five star rating. Bingo, Pupuseria La Bendicion! Do I know the area, no. Is it safe, not really sure. I can't even pronounce the restaurant name! I am totally depending on these yelp reviews to be accurate. Oh my gosh, they got it right! Total small, store front hole in the wall type place. If it hadn't been for the yelp reviews I may have felt uncomfortable here. As I said it's very small, maybe about 10 tables total. It's so small you get a clear view of the kitchen area. When I say view, I mean you get to see the giant vats and cauldrons of unidentifiable meats and sauces being prepared. The largest bowl I have ever seen in my life! You get to witness first hand the passion that is put into these dishes. Thank goodness there are photos hanging over the cash register and the menu is a one page checklist form, because we had a language barrier. They were totally friendly and patient with my non-spanish speaking self! I chose my dinner based on the photo - fried tilapia platter. I was a true hog this day and also tried the pupusas, because of the rave reiews. And I'm ashamed to admit one other item, a steak taco. You can't not order a taco at a Latin American restaurant! The food is cooked to order so it was a short wait. So worth the wait, the best fried tilapia I have ever had! The whole fish, eyes in, unattractive kind of tilapia. So good though! My first time experiencing pupusas - delicious! (I know these were great, since this visit I've been on a pupusas mission and tried them at two other places) Steak taco was also tender and full of flavor. Yep, the yelpers were on point with this place! The price was great too, all this food was $15 and some change! The only negative and it was not the retaurant's fault but an oblivious parents fault. I strategically sat at the booth directly in front of the entry door (for food pic lighting) by the gumball machines. Two things about this booth, the sun was baking my whole left thigh (no blinds) and there was a group of bad a$$ kids just beating, kicking and slamming the candy machines for what seemed like hours! Problem was solved once my food arrived, totally tuned them out. I can't wait to work in Cleveland again, to experience this delicious food! I have memorized the exit number off of 71 and I'll be back!
(4)Kate B.
I'm not going to find anything to say that hasn't been said by the other fine people of Yelp who sent me here. The food is good enough to make up for the slowing service and bare bones environment. The store is clean, everyone behind the counter is busy. We started with horchata. Best I've ever had. So rich and cinnamon, but not to sweet. We ordered the chicken, herb and cheese, and bean pupusas. They're a corn meal pancake with a delicious filling. Each one was unique and fantastic. Crispy outside, gooey insides. Very flavorful, perfect texture. We also ordered one of the beef plates. A lot of beef--it tasted like it had been marinated in citrus juice and spices. Very tender, extremely flavorful. Just delicious. It came with soft, fluffy, homemade tortillas, spicy cabbage salad, incredible rice and beans, half an avocado, queso fresco, and house made salsa. The only latin american meal that has ever surpassed this for me is when my friend's sweet mama from Mexico made me the best Easter dinner I've ever thought could exist. This was so good. And so much food for a really low price. Definitely come here. We will be back with friends.
(5)Sheena W.
Finally checked this place out and all of the other reviews are pretty spot on: 1. NO ONE speaks English in this place, not even the 20 other customers surrounding you. So unless you can speak Spanish you should know what you want to order beforehand, don't ask questions, just point at the menu. 2. The food is simple, good, and cheap with generous portions. We got 3 pupusas with salsa and slaw, 1 tamale, 1 quesadilla with lettuce and tomato, and an order of 3 flauntas with sour cream, avocado, lettuce and tomato for $20. 3. This place is not very sanitary. It's definitely a hole in the wall with dust and grime, but what made me cringe was the cook who kept nibbling on the food as she made it. I'm talking no hand washing, just direct contact with your food and their hands then pinches of the food off of your plate into their mouth. Sooooo, if you're looking for good cheap Salvadoran food and don't care about the conditions it is cooked in, then this place is for you. I mean, I saw what they were doing and I still ate the food. I don't know if that says much about me and my standards though...
(3)Victor N.
My review is pretty much the same as Karyn's below. Between two of us, we got the fried fish dish (tilapia), two pupusas (the one with pork rinds and the other with the cheese and herbs), and two tacos (pastor and beef tongue). It was a little over $20 for all that I believe. I'll start with....holy smokes that was so much food. The tilapia dish alone is enough for 1.5-2 people. The pupusas are cheap but super filling as they're stuffed. The tilapia dish was good, didn't have a fishy smell. But like Karyn said, a little too salty. You need to eat it with the rice provided. Good crisp level without being over burnt. The papusas were really good, star of the meal IMO. The one with pork rinds was really good, the other not as much. Tacos were pretty good too. I've had better al pastor tacos, but the beef tongue was quite good and not something I see in many Hispanic restaurants. We went on a Sunday,on which they have a beef soup special. To be honest, it didn't look that good, but perhaps it tastes very good as most people seemed to have gotten that while we were there. Lastly, the place is very authentic, from Spanish only speaking cashiers to the clientele. If you're expected some super clean place, you'll be disappointed. The place is gritty and looks like a home kitchen in the back.
(4)Yuanjia Z.
Very cheap. Very authentic. I like combo 1 on the menu, huge amount of steak with very very delicious beans. I also tried the tilapia dish, didn't like it so much. It was just fried tilapia with some salad and rice on the side. Didn't seem that different from something that I can make my own. The food will take A WHILE to come so make sure you have plenty of time to spare. Also be prepared that the bathroom they have is not really usable. No lights in the bathroom, floor is super sticky. I didn't want to use it in complete darkness, plus there is no place to wash your hands. So prepare yourself before you go! Otherwise, a great, cheap place to get some authentic food without breaking your bank!
(5)Amy Y.
I have been wanting to try this place for a very long time. Finally made a trip out to try the pupusas. I ordered 14$ of food: horchata, pupusa with the pork rinds and cheese, pupusa with the flower cheese, yucca, and beef tongue taco. Horchata is way too rich and grainy for me. I guess I am not a big fan of sweet drinks. Pupusas were flavorful but I wasn't a big fan of the cornmeal. They did taste very good with some lime juice though. Beef tongue taco was refreshing but again, I wasn't a fan of the corn tortilla. Yucca was very very oily but flavorful. They came with several large beef chunks which sort of reminded me of chinese beef stew meat, lol. I ordered everything to go and they gave me a ziplock bag of the slaw and the sauce. I wasn't sure what to do with these so I just dumped it on everything I ate hahah. Overall, not bad. I think I am just not a fan of corn-based food.
(3)Selena Y.
This place is truly a hole-in-the-wall! There's no signage outdoors (other than a misleading Gyro sign out in the parking lot) but the restaurant definitely doesn't need any marketing to keep itself busy. The place was packed at noon on Sunday, with plenty of people buzzing in and out for take-out. For only $3.80 I was completely stuffed from a horchata drink (a nutty/cinnamon-y/milky beverage), a revueltas pupusa (stuffed with pork rinds, cheese, and refried beans...the beans definitely had a dominant taste), and a queso con loroco pupusa (suuuuper cheesy but still tasty). The pupusas were served with a side of cabbage slaw and tomato salsa, which were great complementary toppings. Service was slow but it's such an authentic and delicious experience that it's worth the wait. I'll be back!
(4)Douglas W.
I have eaten here twice now. It's a real dive. It's not the cleanest place you ever saw. There is definitely a language barrier. They never have the food that I want to order even if it's listed on the day's special board. They haven't even sent out the food I have ordered correctly in the 2 times I have dined there. You're wondering about the 4 stars about right now. Here's the thing. The food is great. Yeah, but they didn't send out what you ordered you say. Who cares, it's all good. I still haven't had their tamales. They've been out twice. The specials included chicken tostadas.... nada. I was striking out all over the place. I ordered the cheese and herb papusa. This they sent out right, it comes with a tomato sauce and a nice slaw. It was great. Hot corn masa cake filled with gooey cheese goodness. I also ordered a chicken taco. Fabulous with a really nice red salsa, cilantro, lettuce and tomato. Served with a lime wedge. We ordered refried beans and got scrambled eggs. I circled beans on the order form so it's not the language barrier. They were delicious eggs and I had enough food anyway. Besides, the whole meal for the two of us was $10 so if we really wanted more, what would have been the big deal!
(4)Jenny S.
I was very skeptical when I walked in and ordered. There is no sign for the place and the man who took my order didn't seem to speak English. But when I got home and started eating. . ! The food was delicious! The cheese and herb papusas was so flavorful! The tamales were moist and amazing and the tacos were so fresh, they even came with a lime wedge to squeeze on. I'm definitely looking forward to being able to order from this place again.
(5)Joy F.
First time trying Pupusas and they were GREAT. I lovee cheese so I was greatly pleased when I took my first bite. I also got a steak taco which was also delicious, especially with their house sauce on top The only qualm I had was with service. Not only was it a little difficult to communicate because of the obvious language barrier (luckily a few of us could speak spanish and make it work) but also the menu was a little confusing. Under the "tamales" section, there are a ton of options which aren't actually tamale fillings but just sides, so a couple of us received some unexpected orders. There was also an issue with our orders in that some of our pupusas never made it to our table. There were about 8 of us so I guess it was a big group, but we made separate orders at the front register. Overall though, the food was great and really satisfying. I swear the pupusas taste even better the second day! I can't wait to go back (maybe with a smaller group next time)
(4)Yuan C.
A true hidden gem in Cleveland!!! This is great for those on a budget, or for anyone who wants to treat themselves to some delicious food without breaking the piggy bank! When you arrive in the restaurant, seat yourselves first, and the server will bring over some menus (you may need to ask them for menus). There aren't too many pictures on the menu, so you just need to order what sounds best to you. Once you've decided on what to get, you then go up to the counter to make your order. If you don't speak Spanish, take a menu with you so you can point to the item you want!! Then, it's a waiting game for the food to come. My friends and I came here on a non-busy weekday for dinner, but our food didn't come out until 30-45 minutes later. They are pretty short staffed (2-3 workers who man the kitchen and counter), so I don't blame them for the slow service. I ordered the pupusa with chicken and cheese. What is a pupusa? It's a traditional Salvadorian food made with corn tortilla on the outside and stuffing inside. I normally steer away from anything with corn tortillas because I never really liked the texture or flavor. But at my friends' persistence on how delicious these are, I caved in and ordered one. It's safe to say that these pupusa changed my thoughts on corn tortillas entirely! I absolutely LOVE the pupusa here! The chicken and cheese inside the pupusa was super savory! I can't believe it only costs $1.90! I also ordered the carne taco. They put a lottttt of meat in those tacos for the money you pay ($2)!! I also tried some of the beef tongue taco, and both are delicious! I finished my meal with some plantains. Nothing too special about these. They were a bit oily, but still good for $2! So for less than $6, I got myself a satisfying meal! There's nothing like the feeling of getting a bargain :) To be 100% honest though, I was at first slightly turned away from this place because it doesn't look very sanitary. But you just need to overcome this feeling and rejoice in the delicious food :)
(5)Karen S.
This place is the bomb! A hole in the wall restaurant with some of the best dishes in Cleveland. They don't even speak English but who cares! I just point to what I want and bam! I get hit with deliciousness!
(5)Katherine S.
The wait was pretty long and I would suggest calling ahead of time but the food was excellent!
(4)Sam V.
I'm from Chicago and consider myself a pupusa afficionato. I've had awesome pupusas in L.A. and here in Chicago and I can honestly say these pupusas at La Bendicion are the best I had. I loved them so much I brought 10 back for my trip back to Chicago. I may actually take the 5 1/2 hr. drive for some more. People of Cleveland enjoy these awesome Pupusas.
(5)P W.
Pupusas here are awesome. When you step up to the counter to order, they give you a checklist of the menu, similar to that of Happy Dog, with more options than just tubes of meat and toppings. One list is in Spanish. If you cannot understand, ask for the English. The staff does not speak English. This makes the dining experience even better. The service is more like that of a fast food restaurant. After turning in the checklist, you sit and wait. It did take a while to get the food. El Salvadorian food is very good. Get some pupusa! This is a must visit restaurant to try out some authentic food from El Salvador!
(5)Kristin G.
So glad we tried this place that we never would have even known about had it not been for Yelp. Delicious food (we got a lot of it too!) I can't even remember everything we got but everything was good so just go out on a limb, I bet you'll enjoy whatever you try. The only thing we didn't like was the horchata. I don't think that's their fault I just think it's not our kind of drink. Be prepared to wait, we waited about 45 minutes but good food takes time and as another reviewer stated you can see and hear the woman making your food fresh. I didn't have a problem with it but if we ever went back I would call in our order ahead of time.
(5)Karyn M.
You have to communicate in whatever Spanish that you might know or point to the menu really well. I've been here twice now and I've been satisfied each time. On weekends, this little hole in the wall is quite full. It doesn't really focus too much on setting (some might be turned off by it) and the patrons are mostly Hispanic - all good indicators of its authenticity. Food: while the pupusas are not listed in main entrees, a couple of those can be quite filling. This was my first time trying them and they were delicious. The coleslaw and tomato-y sauce balanced well with it. The beef tongue taco also stood out to me. I've had the fried tilapia dish and while it's good, it was a tad salty. I would stick to the smaller dishes that they're known for.
(4)Diana L.
Be prepared to either know Spanish out know how to order in Spanish. The pupusas area very reasonable and a good size. I like the chicken one the best. The entrees are also large. I ordered the bistec (steak) and my boyfriend ordered the pescado (whole fried fish). The proteins and the refried beans were delicious. The rice was fine. The meals come with corn tortillas which is a lot of food. Be prepared to take food home-good thing the food is great for leftovers and to re cook into an omelet. Finally, adding the picked vegetables was great-I didn't care too much for the sauce they have you.
(4)Neha M.
Every single time I've been to La Bendición I have left thinking "why don't I come here more often?!" So when today the boyfriend and I went, I was pretty excited. I was not disappointed. We got four pupusas, two tamales and a side of beans. My favorite menu items are by far the pupusa of cheese and the loroco flower (pupusa de queso y loroco) and the beans. OMG, the beans. Did I mention I love the beans? We've been to the few other pupusa joints in Cleveland and this is by our fave. Go. Now. But, be patient, as the kitchen is small and your food may take a bit of time when it's busy but it's totally worth it!
(5)Cody F.
Delicioso!! That just about sums up this place. I had it on my restaurant bucket list for the last two years and I should encourage you to not make the same mistake I did. If you wait more than a couple weeks to go try some ridonculously delicious pupusas then, well, that's two weeks less of pupusas in your life. Price: All of the appetizers are ~$2, that's dang cheap. My wife and I had 2 pupusas, 2 tacos, 2 tamales, and 2 horchatas for $17. The regular dishes are still pretty cheap but we've yet to try them. Food: The pupusas are where it's at. The tamales weren't that great but tacos were awesome. I can't wait to go try the rest of the menu. Overall, I loved this place. You probably need to speak Spanish to avoid any problems during your visit but I would imagine that pointing to the menu will get you by just fine if you have no questions or problems. It is a small little place with just a few staff and I love how authentic it is. I plan on returning very soon.
(5)Naser A.
I have been at this hole in the wall restaurant and have never been disappointed with the great tasting meals. The best fish dinner in Ohio. Been here alone and with guest and always fresh tasting , you might have to wait a bit but it is worth it.
(5)Liz L.
I was definitely shocked when I first heard there was a pupuseria in CLE. In the years that I've lived here, I was always disappointed with the Latin food I've tried out in CLE restaurants. Coming from L.A., we have so many options to choose from, and usually the best foods are in trucks/carts or hole in the wall places. This is exactly what Pupuseria La Bendicion is- a hole in the wall with amazing, AUTHENTIC food! I got everything to go since it was pretty crowded. You know the food is good based on the clientele eating there. If latin people are also waiting in line for latin food, you knowww it must be good! The prices are fairly cheap, so you can splurge and order a lot. I filled out a form which listed all the items they had and how many I wanted. I ordered two types of pupusas (you definitely should get a pupusa...it only makes sense!), as well as some tacos, and the chicken meal. They ran out of tamales that day....yes, I was totally bummed out because of that. There's always next time though! :) I will be back for mas pupusas...yummy!
(4)Young P.
Pupuseria La Bendicion is one of my favorite places to eat in Cleveland. The flavors are crazy! I mean, it's authentic El Salvadorian food. I tried everything from the fried tilapia and chicharrón to the weekend stews and protein plates. The tacos are amazing. The pupusas are good as I like to drench mine with cortido and tomato sauce. I order the Horchata EVERY time if they have it. Most of the time I come here, it's packed with families and people who just got off work. I think it's family owned. The same lady always makes my pupusas. I could easily eat this stuff everyday if I had to.
(5)Daryl C.
OMHH! Oh my holy heavens! I've been craving pupusas since I left the West Coast. And thanks to the yelpers, I found this lovely place. Pupusas... If a tamale and a quesadilla had a baby, this would be it. This wonderful El Salvadorian delight will make your stomach so happy. The Revuelta is chicharron, queso, and friol. For those that don't understand Spanish, that's basically shredded pork, cheese and refried beans in a fresh handmade cornmeal tortilla. To wash that down don't forget the platanos fritos, or fried plantains. They are starchy, sweet and fantastic. At $1.60 a pupusa and $2.00 for plantains you cant ask for better food for under $10. Spanish is the primary language, but h e no fear if your Spanish is weak or non-existent. They hand you a slip of paper a all you have to do is know what you're ordering. An after you've demolished 4 pupusas and plantains (at least I did) you pay them at the counter and they will show you the total.
(5)Cecilly F.
Took about 15 minutes or so to get the food; food is VERY good! And it's spot on to native food--having lived in Latin America for a year and a half, it was like coming home to see and taste the food!
(5)Kenny Y.
Wow. This restaurant made me feel like I walked into a hole-in-the-wall in El Salvador. (P.S. Not their fault, but the area around the restaurant is also a bit sketchy.) It's pretty small with not much seating area, and seems to be designed for take-out. There's a counter where they take your order, and behind the counter there's an open kitchen area where you can see a huge vat full of refried beans and countertops where you can watch them cook. The place is run by Salvadorians, the clientele comprises mostly Spanish speakers, and the specials are listed in Spanish only. There are also random ads hanging around the place for international phone cards and such. The service is a bit slow and they took half an hour to make our food. The food... was not bad, but did not quite live up to the atmosphere. First of all, the pupusas were really good. Pupusas are basically corn tortillas that are filled with meat - we ordered a pork pupusa and it was the only thing we finished. We also tried a pork tamale, the eggs, the carne a la plancha (grilled steak), and the plantains. The tamale tasted soggy, the steak was dry, and the plantains were very oily - none were very appetizing. The pupusas (and tamales, eggs, etc) are listed under "side dishes", but they can and should be ordered a la carte without a main course. If we come back here again, we will probably just order a bunch of pupusas.
(3)Ferrett S.
There's a certain thrill, eating at a restaurant that's not meant for you. The food? That's for you. But the restaurant itself is clearly meant for the convenience of the owners, right down to the TV that's blaring Spanish-language TV loud enough to be heard at the back of the kitchen. They sell DVDs behind the counter because hell, why not. And the tables get cleaned up whenever the hell they get around to it; I sat there for an hour, and the crusted plate of beans on the table next to me never moved. You can practically hear them mutter: "We made good food, so you can feed two people for ten bucks. They want cushioned seats? Screw it, let them get takeout. They can eat in their living room." The shame of Pupuseria is that it's only open until 9:00, because this is perfect drunk food. I will now crave this after a night hitting bars, since the food is cheap, filling, and hot. The pupusa is a small, thick pancake of fried cheese and meat, somewhere between a pancake and a quesadilla, but it's pretty damned delicious. The hot sauce that comes with it is surprisingly citrusy and tangy, not so much hot as flavorful, and the refried beans are a solid dark purple smear that goes down easy. Is it the best food ever? No. Is it the best food you're likely to get for four bucks? Oh hell yes. It's so good you don't begrudge them the slivers of meat they use; my daughter ordered a chicken tortilla, and it was probably 95% tortilla and 5% chicken. But they'd saturated it with chicken flavor. Good enough. The people here are friendly, they serve up cheap eats, and if you can tune out the loud Spanish TV, you can even have a conversation. In their turf. They'll allow it, being magnanimous as they are.
(4)Rachael N.
Woohoo! Hole in the wall ethnic places! One of our friends who happens to be Colombian loves to eat (and eat authentic foods), so after seeing the article written in the Plain Dealer, off we went for a Saturday brunch. Nestled in the middle of a small plaza, Pupuseria La Bendicion is definitely your hole in the wall place. Me like. I started off drinking the horchata la arroz... a sweet rice drink (they were both like, what! you've never tried it??), which I gave my thumbs up on. We ordered pupusas- him the pork, our friend the cheese, and me, the flower one (I think it was loroco?).. and man, mine was the best, hands down. We ordered some eggs and beans with it..and even the eggs were cooked sooooo good.. so light and almost finely diced?? Our friend, he ordered the steak with eggs (there are more authentic names..I just can't remember)..and man, his plate was the best, hands down. We had our friend order for us, so that made life a lot easier, but nonetheless, a great place to stop if you're in the area and craving some Salvadorian food...... or just want to try it. Mmmmm. I like.
(5)Joyce H.
I will keep up the 5 star reviews of this restaurant! This place... is amazing! I first found out about it from my friend who heard about it from another friend. This El Salvadorian restaurant seems to be very authentic, and it attracts mostly Spanish-speakers. When my friends went, no one spoke English. When we went tonight, there was a waitress who did. She handed us order forms (like at some sushi restaurants) and we were pleasantly surprised at the offerings and the prices! I ordered a steak taco and a loroco (herb) pupusa, which were both delicious!!! The plantain side was very plentiful... enough to share with a few people around. I will definitely be back for the steak tacos and the pupusas!! Craving it already...
(5)Danielle A.
I'm in town on business and looking for ANYTHING spicy not typical fast food and with a homemade flare. I'm glad I combed thru the yelp reviews and chose to go here- it is home style pupusas with all the fixings. First of all not all brown people that speak Spanish are Mexicans. There is a HUGE clock with the Salvadorian flag and which says EL SALVADOR across it, kind of a dead give away even to those not familiar with Central Americans. Anyway if you're not familiar with Salvadorian food they have a menu with pictures with English and Spanish descriptions and the person behind the counter hands you a ticket to pick out what you want if you don't speak Spanish. I ordered to go they said it was going to be 20 minutes and it took less than that. I could totally see my food being prepared and I have to say i appreciate that. The lady who took my order was very nice. My whole order came to less than $12 and If you decide to eat in this place has TAPATIO!!! So my order consisted of - 1 pupusa de queso- cheese 2 pupusas de revueltas- basically fried pork, cheese and beans 1 yuca con pollo- yuca is like a potato and pollo is chicken, they didn't have any chicharrones so I got the chicken instead The pupusas here are HUGE! LIke as big as my hand huge. The curtido was BOMB, it wasn't too spicy or watery it was just right (the cabbage/slaw toppings they give you) and the red sauce totally yummy in my tummy. The yuca was fried to perfection and I have to say I've actually never had better. The neighborhood could be described as sketchy but it's not like you're going to get a cap popped in you or something. I think the sketch comes from just being in Cleveland everything seems a bit run down, dilapidated or straight out abandoned.
(5)Cami T.
Ok. So how great can this ethnic little eatery be? Pretty great. With selections of pupusas for $1.60, and plenty of other goodies on the menu, my BF and I were able to leave full with only $9.00 leaving our combined wallets. I especially loved the little cheese and herb pupusa. It was like a cheesy pancake of goodness that lined my little belly. I washed it down with Tamarind juice which tasted a lot like a mix between Sanka and Hot Chocolate. I often just order things when I don't know what they are and in this case, I was pleased. I would have never ordered the drink before, but hey...why not? I'll for sure be back. Maybe even to buy some perfume at the ordering counter...
(5)Dave L.
Superior Latin grub! I've been sorely disappointed every time I try a New Mexican food joint. While this isn't Mexican fare, it fills that void rather well. It was my first puposa experience and I'll cherrish the memory forever. Think a tasty, flat, tamale, pan fried crispy... Sorta. I so had their steak tacos and chicken tamales. All was exquisite and crazy cheap. Just do it.
(5)Rob K.
This little place is a keeper! Great size portions, well prepared. Picked up take out for dinner for two, ended up having more than enough for lunch the next day. Steak tacos were superb, fried plantain done just right and one portion was more than enough for two of us. The pupusas are out of this world, highly recommend. The only negative I found was that we also ordered the fried yucca with pork. Again an amazing portion, yucca fried just right, however there was a mild taste of fish in it. Obviously since everything is made to order they must be frying in the same oil as they use to fry fish, so the taste passed on to the yucca (mildly). I don't eat any fish or seafood, so I was not fond of this at all and will probably avoid anything fried from here as a result. Everything is prepared as you order it, fresh and homemade. We'll be back !
(4)Oscar R.
This place is great I ordered the steak tacos and my girlfriend got the cheese and herb pupusas. We had to wait awhile for the food to arrive but after the first bite I realized it was well worth the wait the steak in the tacos was perfect everything about the taco was perfect. I didn't think I would like pupusas but was willing to try it and I'm glad I did It was awesome this place is a hidden gem and I can't wait to go back.
(5)Dhanashree A.
My first pupusa experience was at a farmer's market in LA during a whirlwind California trip. I thought those pupusas were fantastic. And then we stumbled unpon Pupuseria La Bendicion... The friendly woman behind the counter handed us a order form/checklist. Husband had a hard time getting me to focus on the checklist because I was enamoured by the pictures of food posted above the counter. He finally managed to grab my attention long enough for me to yell 'Pork and cheese pupusa! Tamales!' until the long strips of plantain bubbling and sizzling in a cast iron pan of hot oil earned my focus. Cast iron pan....not fryer...just a cast iron pan, like the one your grandma probably handed down to your mother who then gave it to you. At this point, I knew the food was going to be good. The restaurant is a true hole in the wall including plastic tablecloths that (on a HOTand sunny afternoon) wrap around your bare knees/shins and cause rivers of sweat to run down your legs. Gawking unashamedly at every plate of food that was delivered to tables around us kept me distracted though. Everything looked good - pupusas, cabbage, fried chicken and rice, tall styrofoam glasses of fresca de frutas. And then our food arrived and boy, do these pupusas overshadow the ones we had before! My taste buds reveled in the soft but crunchy, melt in your mouth, cheesy, porky goodness of the pupusas, the crunch of the shredded cabbage, the balanced tartness of the tomato salsaesque sauce (husband spooned it up like soup) and the hearty steak tacos. It was extremely hard to not run to the counter and place a second order but we had committed to trying out the beers at the Market Garden Brewery later. They were out of tamales when we were there - no worries, we will be making the drive from Cleveland Heights soon enough. Maybe not in shorts though...
(5)Alter K.
Hole in the wall in a shady looking area ... will leave you smelling like fried food ... but the food is awesome! You pay hole in the wall prices for authentic scratch cooking from El Salvador (I believe) ... pupusas are these great meat or cheese filled pan-fried 'pancakes' eaten with a refreshing salsa and spicy slaw. We also get the steak tacos and fried plantains every time we go. We once ventured into the plates but both the chicken and fried pork belly entrees were way too dry for our liking - so we're sticking with the pupusas, tacos and plantains for future trips. Beware - limited English here, but that's fine because you place your order from paper menu order forms.
(5)Christine L.
Great authentic El Salvadorian spot, hole in the wall that serves inexpensive great quality food. Definitely recommend this!!
(5)Tom P.
When it comes to ethnic restaurants, there are a couple of rules that I like to follow: (1) generally, you want a no-frills establishment. There are basically only tables and food there. (2) The more of the clientele that is of the same ethnicity as the good, the better! For more similar rules, you can check out "An Economist Gets Lunch" by Tyler Cowen; it's a bible for finding cheap, high-quality ethnic restaurants. Pupuseria La Bendicion definitely meets both of those criteria. The menu is very straight-forward and everything tasted wonderful. I didn't love the refried beans though; they were sort of dry and the texture was not as smooth as I would like. Overall, this place is wonderful for quick, cheap, absolutely tasty eats. Highly recommended!
(4)Shannon M.
Excellent pupusas! The place definitely has authentic Salvadoran style and made food as good as what I've had in El Salavador. The pupusas a huge - 2 is easily a meal with some fried plantains on the side. The prices are very reasonable for the amount of food you get - the two of us ate for under $15! This isn't some place you go for a classy evening, but the quality of food definitely surpassed my expectations. The only alcohol I saw was sangria in what looked like beer bottles - I'll have to give that a try that next time.
(5)Erin O.
OMG... I found this place on a random afternoon via Yelp when my husband and I were starving and on the opposite side of town. AMAZING. Just like we're used to at home in Latin America. I ate so many pupusas its embarrassing - but it seemed like they were too good to be true! Now - the physical space is limited. No heat, no air conditioning, and definitely not much in terms of decor. That is NOT why you go to this place. If you want a taste of El Salvador, you must try this place. I am making myself want these just writing the review!
(5)Samantha F.
I wish I had two rating options for this one. One for the stuff I liked & one for the stuff I didn't I went here w/ das mann & the chilrens on Tuesday because I read how amazing & cheap this place was on the Yelp Review of the Day. I walked out w/ a $50 food bill and some very interesting eats. Dive - YES Clean - EH (Don't use the bathroom) Language Barrier - Heck yeah Decent eats - Depends on your take. The 14 year old man-child ordered steak. (Me hungry, me want steak, me in growth-spurt). The tween wanted chix. I ordered a tamale, the yuca plate, and horchata. Das mann ordered a tamale, two tacos, and some beans. May I just say this Yuca was not the yuca I had had in my past. While it was ok...it wasn't my thing; tasted like tater-tots. The man-child LOVED these. They were like giant french fries. I wasn't expecting the huge chunks of pork on my yuca, but hey I don't read or speak Spanish, so what you get is what you get. The tween's eyes exploded out of her head when she saw the huge-a-mongeous piece of Chicken on her plate. The meals came out w/ a stack of home-made ultra-thick tortilla. The tamales weren't the best I've ever had, but das mann love 'em. The tacos, the tacos were amazing and incredilby fresh. The cilantro & the lime!!!! YUM! Everything was really fresh. The coleslaw was great and while the meal was very heavy you can't complain you didn't get more than enough to eat here. May I just say, I don't know what they put in their beans but holy moly...these might have been the best refried beans EVAH! While I wasn't expecting to drop $50, the kids did get some large portions of meat. I guess for a family of four you can't really complain for $50. If you decide to try the place out, go in with an open mind and enjoy the ultra-authentic food!
(4)Phuong D.
I live in Cleveland Heights but this is definitely worth the drive. The food is so cheap! Pupusas and steak tacos are delicious! Their tamarind drink is also amazing!
(5)Rosalie S.
I have been to this restaurant several times now and I still give it 5 stars for being consistently delicious. I've learned a few things: 1. The slaw is called curtido. I put it on the pupusa along with the thin tomato based salsa. Both come with your order of pupusas and is meant to be eaten together. 2. Try the horchata beverage. It is made from rice, sugar and cinnamon and it's served over ice. Unbelievably delicious and refreshing. 3. The refried beans are the best ever. 4. Squeeze the lime juice on the taco filling. It adds tremendous flavor to it. 5. The chicharones y yuca are deep fried. Chicharones are tender pork nuggets and yuca (pronounced you-ka) is a potato like tuber. Both are delicious. 6. I agree with a lot of the users other comments about the place's decor. Not fancy, just honest food.
(5)Jose M.
This place is awesome I'm from El Salvador and being here in OH definetly hard to find a salvadorean restaurant and let me tell you pupusas here are delicious I definetly recomend this place!!!
(5)Jason M.
The best Salvadorian food that I've had anywhere. Stupendous. One of my favorite restaurants in any city. I no longer live in Cleveland, and I still try to make it out here every time I'm in town. This is absolutely one of the highlights of the culinary scene in Cleveland!
(5)Joe C.
This place is fantastic! It looks like a total hole-in-the-wall but don't let that scare you off. There's also not much in the way of English spoken, but don't let that scare you off either. There's a convenient little card at the register where you check off what you want and how many of them, and that's all there is to it. I wanted to try a little bit of everything when I went, so I got a pupusa, steak taco, tamale, and fried plantain. The tamale was a little lackluster, but everything else was incredible. And considering that none of the items I ordered were more than $3/each, that counts as a win in my book. It took probably 15-20 minutes for my food, but I literally watched the nice young lady behind the counter make everything from scratch, so I'm willing to wait for food that fresh that tastes this good. One of the best kept secrets in town!
(4)Denise Y.
I'm sure the ladies in the kitchen were laughing about the amount of food that me and my tablemates ordered but I don't care! It was completely worth stuffing my face because everything was really really good. They don't really speak english there so be prepared to brush up on some polite high school spanish. And you know you're in a good place when you see the restaurant filled at 2pm on a Sunday. Order via checklist and ask for the english one if you can't read spanish. I did fairly well translating the spanish one but eventually moved to the english one to make sure I was translating ok. The staff was very sweet and kept smiling at me. So the main event is the pupusas. They have a few varieties and we got the pork/cheese filled ones. SO GOOD. The tamales are huge, we definitely over estimated their size and ordered too much. Also got a fried chicken platter with rice, beans, and spicy slaw that was deemed the best fried chicken my little brother has ever had. To top the entrees off, we also got an order of the weekend special pork soup that was similar to chinese oxtail soup--so if you're afraid of tendon and tripe, don't get it--but I thought it was really good. We also ordered fried plaintains for something sweet and they were perfectly fried and carmelized, not soggy or too oily. Everything was freshly made, and since it's an open kitchen, you can watch them make your meal. I plan on bringing all my friends here.
(5)Allie B.
First off, we'll shall start off this post with Om nom, nom, nom. And then, the second thing is, the decor leaves something to be desired. For the short wait for your food while they make it to order. And then you take that first bite and forget about the cramped seating area and the fact that it is almost literally a hole in the wall. And then that bite of pupusa with whatever goodness you choose. And I have to say, I'm addicted to their carne asada. Didn't have a lot of random stuff on the plate. Just carne asada, tortillas, tomatoes, cilantro, onions and some salt. Now though they don't speak a lot of English(I'd say barely at all), they're all about getting your food out to you. I want to go back. I was just there yesterday and I'm utterly addicted.
(5)Patricia G.
My aunt took my 3 daughters here as an experiment for "taste of the neighborhood" when she was watching them over the course of a week this summer. My daughters are not picky eaters, but they don't really like mexican food. Like, I can occasionally talk them into a "cheesy roll" at taco bell, which is flour tortilla and cheese. So, imagine my surprise when they started raving about this mexican restaurant right in my neighborhood?! I couldn't figure out where it even was for a while, they're little (10, 8, and 4), and just said it was "that one place." Helpful. So, one day I run into the convenient store next door (star mart) and they're all excited pointing it out. When they opened, I honestly thought it was some kind of church. Benedicion, right? I thought the kitchenware was confusing for a church, but, hey not everyone has start-up money to remodel right? I love pupusas. I had them at a fundraiser dinner last year and was wowed. So excited to have this place close by. And as far as I am concerned, any restaurant that goes out of their way to welcome my elderly aunt and her 3 small nieces is awesome. They were all very impressed with how special the staff made them feel, especially because they didn't even know if it was carry-out only when they walked in. WTG Pupuseria. Thanks.
(4)Miriam W.
A bit of a hole in the wall with counter service and a TV set to telenovelas. In other words, my kind of place. They may or may not have the food that's listed on their hand drawn board...on my latest visit they couldn't produce the special of the day, and this is not a language issue, as yo hablo Espanol. But none of that really matters, as everything I've had has been really good. The pupusas are the draw here...delicious masa cakes stuffed with cheese and herbs, served with a light tomato sauce on the side. They have empanaditas and tacos too. I tried to order a chicken tamale on both visits, but they didn't have them either time, so I'm still looking forward to those. They have a little card you can fill out circling the items you want, but they seem to ignore this, so it's best if you speak the language. I'm truly bothered here by none of the usual things that usually get to me...questionable cleanliness, not getting what you order...whatever. The food is good, and they're really nice people.
(4)Meredith D.
Not enough good things can be said about this place. Cheap, delicious, huge portions. Everyone complaining about the decor needs to chill out--it's clean, it's just not fancy. Personally, I'd take great food, great options, ridiculously low prices, friendly and quick service, and a clean, simple setup over a lower quality experience in a fancier setting any day.
(5)Nicole T.
Absolutely amazing meal! Get the horchata as your beverage , any of the pupusa are very yummy. Inside is simple and busy. Throughout my whole visit I saw employees continually cleaning, everyone was friendly and efficient.
(5)