I am not sure what may be going on with El Balcon Express. We have been here several times and simply love their food. It always seems popular too. But in the last few weeks we have gone passed it they aren't open and there is a sign on the door saying they are closed for seep cleaning. I never owned a restaurant and neither do I know how long a deep cleaning could take. I suppose it varies depending on what is being cleaned. But as of 5/9/26 the restaurant remains closed. The last social media post from Facebook was January of '26. The website associated with this profile on Yelp doesn't seem to be working and neither does the website associated when you Google them which is very concerning. Hopefully they will be open again soon and none of this is subtleties amounting to a permanent closure. read more

There were a few reasons I tried Balcon Express. 1) never had El Salvadoran food, 2) close to my house, 3) was recommended by a colleague, 4) Yelp reviews were very positive and saw that the restaurant responded to reviews which doesn't happen often - definite a plus! So, I parked - I found a street parking around the corner. It's a small establishment with an ADA bathroom. You can go and order with the staff, or you can order with a kiosk. I happened to do both! I asked the server who told me later that he was the cousin of the owner and el Salvadoran, what he would recommend. I ended up getting Combo 2 which is two tacos and a pupusa (which I've never had). Both I got pork and pupusa he said to get pork and cheese. I liked it ALL. Although the puousa is made of corn and tasty, I prob wouldnt order it again. I really, really liked the two tacos. The seasoning and taste was delicious!!! I am craving it right now as I am writing this review. They gave me condiments - 3 different hot sauces which I liked the avocado one which was a great creamy sauce. And there 3 pieces of lime and cut radishes. Plus, there were pickled onions which was tasty! I asked a lot of questions because I wanted to eat them all the way he would so The server told me to put the pickled onions on the pupusa. Oh, that made a huge difference. So delicious!!! Next time, I am just going to get 4 tacos - yep 4! lol and may try a burrito just to see how that is. I ended up getting a Jarrisco with Tamarind flavor. Oh it was a sweet and perfect complimentary drink. I will def be back! Really enjoyed it. read more

See all

Small family restaurant. It's been on our list to try for a while so we finally made it in. I was immediately welcomed in. There is a self service kiosk I tried to use that however I couldn't find the item I was looking for so when I asked the nice lady behind the counter for help she stated she would take my order there at the register. I ordered two Tortas and 1 pupusa carnitas and cheese and for the Tortas one carnitas and 1 Asada. We ordered to go. Wait time wasn't long. We loved our food my Asada Torta was full of flavor the bread has a nice crisp to it the steak was a little salty but I didn't mind that at all it was also tender. We will definitely be back!! read more

Balcon Express - Asada Torta. - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

I didn't feel like cooking today so we came here. So nice to have instant delicious food to eat in. I had the #3 - 2 tacos carnitas .... Oooo so good!! Hit the spot!! Hubby today had the #1 mixed meat on 2 and then carnitas on other 2. Mmmm. But as usual he still hungry. He went back up and is trying the Putaco! Papusa fried then opened up stuffed with mixed meat ( his choice). The helper came around to see if everything was ok. That's nice. We asked for more green sauce! Yum. It wasn't busy when we came in but got busy after that. Table were filling and orders to go. Busy busy. read more

See all

I'm so happy to finally have tried this restaurant! We were greeted warmly and lively music was playing. It wasn't too busy and we were able to get a seat after we made our order. My husband got park and cheese pupusas and I got a taco plate of three with chicken, asada, and carnitas. I loved how flavorful it all was and the presentation was great! The pupusas were piping hot with melting cheese, and although my husband ordered 3, he was pretty full after one. We had a good time and will definitely come back! read more

Balcon Express - Tacos and Pork and Cheese Pupusa - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

My boyfriend picked out this spot from my list of bookmarks in Tacoma and said he was craving papusas. I've had this place on my list for a while too so I was happy to agree and we were able to find parking nearby luckily. The exterior looks very vibrant and festive which was nice. However when you go inside, the vibes are even more festive with appropriate volume festive Latin music. The inside has a modern vibe with the wooden interior and adorned with different masks, murals, and text on the walls. There was a few tables taken and a few people ahead of us and this was consistent throughout our visit as there were people were coming to dine in or take out. Despite their small size, they are pretty spacious in terms of seating inside. The menu is concise and clear in what you will receive making it very easy to order. My boyfriend got the combo with two tacos and papusa and I got the papusa with a small rice and beans as well as a agua fresca to share. The salsa that came with the small rice and beans is spicy, even to make me feel burns on my mouth but the flavors and burn was so good. I need to ask them what that is next time cause I gotta learn the recipe and ask if other restaurants offer it. The other salsas that you usually get were okay, nothing really memorable or spicy. They do have a fridge with different glass bottled sodas, Jarritos, and much more. The service here is phenomenal too, the cashier was very friendly and courteous. The person who delivered our food was also friendly and to let them know if we needed anything else. They offered that same warm service to all those before and after us. We were really happy to get our food as we were hungry and the smell of the food was smelling so good. The papusas as well as the curtido was some of the best I've ever had. It was packed with the right amount of ingredients for both the pork and cheese and revueltas papusas. The rice and beans were plentiful for a small order of it. The aqua fresca was a watermelon lemonade (if I heard the cashier first) and the jamaica was pretty good. My boyfriend said the carne asada tacos were delicious too, not the best he's had but pretty good. The prices are super affordable and it is clear that this spot is a crowd favorite among its' community. I want to come back to try out the bowls and eat more papusas. read more

See all

It's hard to walk by this place without being taken-in by the aroma ... definitely as good as it looks in the pictures. A hidden gem and worth a visit read more

See all

Out of this world good. And when adjusted for the fact it's in the PNW it's even better. The Quesadilla was crisp and flavorful, the kids burrito was highly acclaimed and the house red and green sauces were sensational. To top it off the service was warm, friendly and accommodating. Lastly, the aqua fresca was fantastic. Flavorful, friendly and affordable. 10/10 would dine here again. read more

Balcon Express - Primary seating area - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

See all

Are you kidding me?!? This place is awesome, the seasoning and spices are just bursting out of the food. We eat here every couple weeks and it's awesome every time. The babies love pupusas and get really excited when we go for dinner. I'm so happy you're here and I hope you stay! read more

First time here and the experience was nothing short of amazing. The customer service was personable and the food was next level. I will say it was a slow time for them so the gentleman at the front had more time to connect with each customer, but nonetheless the service was A1. I had the Putaco I believe a (Pupusa Taco with Carnitas) side of rice. Id return for the rice alone thats how flavorful the food was. The Salsa was the perfect amount of spice, the Taco was a great balance between crunchy and chewy. read more

See all

One of the best taco/ Salvadoran food places I've tried. Very nice ambience and excellent friendly staff. Prices are decent but the quality of food is great. Highly recommend to check this place out! read more

See all

No frills, just great food! There was a discussion about the best burritos in Tacoma and Balcon came up multiple times. I wasn't hungry enough for a burrito when I came in so I opted for a quesadilla - it's kinda the same thing, right? I showed up a little after noon and apparently that was the perfect time since there were only 2 tables left! Not to mention there were a lot of people waiting for their takeout orders. This is a fast casual place where you can order at the kiosk if you want or you can speak with a friendly employee. There was a little bit of a wait on food, but that's due to volume and you could tell that they were hustling. The quesadilla wasn't fancy or anything - just simple, tasty food. I'll have to do some research to see if I agree with others that this place is the best, but I definitely see myself coming back here! read more

Balcon Express - veggie quesadilla - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Set on a street corner off of 6th Ave, this tiny little venue draws your eyes in from the big spacious windows and mural painted on the side wall outside. The smell of mouth watering food in the air competes with the sounds of Latin festive music. Clean looking inside, with personable hostess ordering or self-ordering kiosk. The food is flavorful and delicious, the perfect serving size to sate your hunger, without weighing down your stomach. The 3 Agua Fresca varieties are interchangeable and limitless. Highly recommend for a quick easy lunch. read more

Balcon Express - 2 - 2 Tacos, 1 Pupusa - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Wow! What a great find! Love the pupusas...but the putaco??? What?!? It's creative and tastes amazing. The cortido is yummy too! The service was fast and friendly! The ambiance is casual and clean. What a great find and definitely a must try! read more

See all

First of all, the sign above the door looks like an old timey x-rated video store which made me giggle every time I drove by. Today my partner and I decided to go in and got pupusas, beans and rice, burrito, and curtido. And you know what? MY SOCKS BLEW RIGHT OFF. GO NOW. If they're open of course. The food is so good we probably sounded like we were making a p0rn. Which now the signage above the door makes sense cause the "mmm" and "oh" came out involuntarily. The staff was so incredibly nice and friendly! My tummy was fighting with my mouth cause my mouth wanted to eat more but my tummy was full. I already know the pupusas are gonna be one of those things I'll crave for on a random day. The rice and beans were probably the best I've had in a very long time. I can't wait to come back here. read more

Food was DELICIOUS! Service was friendly and quick. We came in on Saturday evening around 630ish - ordered And got our food maybe in 10 min! Will definitely be coming back here for more food! read more

Balcon Express - Papusa tacos and "Mix burrito" DELICIOUS! - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Great papusas!! We ordered the pork cheese and beans. Yum yum yum !Great customer service very friendly and personable. Make sure to stop in read more

This is my second review for Balcon X... I've never felt it was necessary to review something more than once, but the food is so worthy of reviewing that I had to go for the deuce - because this review is about leftovers. I got my pork burrito to go, ate half before work last night and just finished off the other half for breakfast. Even after being in the air fryer to reheat, it was perfect. I continue to be obsessed. The texture, the flavor, everything is right EVERY TIME. I love this spot in perpetuity read more

CALI foodie native here. Cali has some of the best salvadorean food so I was expecting similar. We only had the bean and cheese pupusas which were average. They ran out of spicy salsas?? But what was not pleasant was the temperature in the restaurant it had to have been below 55 degrees cold!! I usually love the curtido but this had so so much Oregano, it over powered everything!! read more

A friend and I went there looking for a spot to eat and catch up with one another. The inside is really neat and clean, and the decor is simple and beautiful. There was a kiosk to order, and you could order at the counter as well. The food is extremely reasonably priced! The taste? Out of this world! We had pupusas and tacos and drinks. What a treat! And the salsa is amazing! I was so upset when the meal was over! The staff are very friendly and service is fast! I can't wait to go back. Probably today! read more

Balcon Express - Outside of the restaurant from the side street. - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Balcon Express is a welcome addition to 6th Ave! Parking is on the street and relatively easy to find. Stopped in today for a quick lunch - walked in an reviewed the menu on the screen and ordered at the counter (no wait; also self-service tablet nearby!). We ordered #2 (chorizo taco, steak taco, papusa ) and 2 papusas (bean and cheese, spinach and cheese) and a steak taco along with a drink (jamaica!) Steak tacos were so so good! Probably my favorite nearby taco as of late! I really enjoyed the spinach and cheese papusa, and it's fun to have a new type of restaurant in the neighborhood. Food was fast and easy, it tasted good, and service was friendly. Good spot for a quick lunch or grab some to eat at home. I'll be back. read more

Balcon Express - Two papusas, one steak taco - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Mario and the team here are top notch! Balcon Express catered a party for 40 people for my husband's 50th birthday party. The spread was to die for (build your own tacos, burritos, pupusas, beans, rice, chips, all the salsas, and special tortas for the birthday boy since they're his favorite), the price was budget friendly, and the food was absolutely amazing! Everything was soooo good that people were begging for 'to go' containers to take home the leftovers. If you're having a gathering, I highly recommend Balcon Express!! read more

The food is simply the best value within 50 miles. The carne asada tacos are excellent. The pork and cheese papusas are an excellent pairing and the rice and beans are great sides. read more

Stopped in after visiting Hi-Voltage Records. We did a quick search of nearby restaurants and thought we'd give it a try. SO GLAD WE DID! Even though they were out to the bean and cheese pupusas, the tacos did not disappoint. Both of us, hours later, are wishing we would have grabbed a few to go! The restaurant was super clean and welcoming - highly recommend! read more

El Salvadoran food done right! I have been wanting to try this spot for a long time. Corner location on 6th and Cedar the business screams "small business with amazing pride in ownership." El Salvador flags hang outside and there is real cool artwork on the exterior walls. Inside is super clean and well decorated. Self service ordering was the only negative for me but they are trying to be modern. Ordered just one steak street taco and a papusa just to try them out. Order came out fresh and hot. Both items were delicious and a bargain at under $10 total. Will be back another day for a full meal! read more

See all

Delicious! Love the different menu options. Haven't been disappointed yet. Also great customer service.

Good value for your money.I can understand why this place is picking up in popularity.Staff are friendly and informative.Never a long wait for your meals in this brightly coloured establishment.Burritos,Papusa's,tacos all have a Salvadoran take on them,which makes Balcon X different.I normally get meals to go but I have sat down on a couple of occasions with cheery Latino music in the background. read more

The best food ever!! And the sweetest staff! As a college student in the area it's my go to and will continue to be!! Their pupusas will heal your soul ‍ read more

This place was so good!! Got a pupusa and the mix torta. Both were delicious and I want to go back to try the burrito and tacos. There's a few tables for seating but a lot of people just do takeout. Service was amazing too. read more

Seating is a little tight, so I don't recommend large groups. They do serve all their food in to-go containers, so that's an alternative if you have more than 3 people to feed. The mini steak burrito was amazing and just the right size if you dont want to commit to a burrito for dinner. The tortilla was flaky and not at all doughy, I'm kinda wondering if they made it themselves. I wish I could have gotten more limes with my tacos, but that's more of a personal preference. The salsas were good but not spicy. The curtido for the pupusas was the highlight of the night, I think I found myself eating it on its own at some point. I'll definitely be back for more mini burritos. read more

See all

Solid Mexican/Salvadoran joint. Had the #2 combo and picked 3 different fillings to try everything. Staff was very nice too. 1 steak taco...took me back to Mexico City street taco I had back in 2007 1 chicken taco...LOVED the hint of cinnamon 1 black bean papusa...classic done right with a good cheese pull and crispy crust Bag of pickled cabbage for the win! I personally liked the red sauce with the black bean and steak, and the green with the chicken. Neither were spicy though, which is fine by me. Will return! read more

See all

Food was awesome! My favorite part of my meal was the mixed taco(chorizo, steak, pineapple). It had great flavor and I wish I ordered more. I also got 2 pupusas- flavor was on point, but texture was just ok(I've had better). I would absolutely come here again but I would love to try the combo. Service was amazing and the cashier was super super nice. Made me feel super welcome as a customer. They even had a station to the side where they offered free drinks (free horchata and Jamaica) which I thought was so sweet of this amazing business! read more

Balcon Express - Mixed taco - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

See all

Fantastic experience. Great food. Tried new things. Loved the meal. Wonderful interaction with the gracious employees.

I had such a great dinner with my family. I had a special burrito can't even tell you what was in it but was the best Ive had. Pupidss and the tacos are so fire. But more importantly the hospitality from almost everyone in the back that came to check on us. My husband Marc was talking to all the family and we were checked on through the whole time. We will be back to support as they support our hunger with the best food in Washington I've had so far. read more

We've eaten here several times, and had most everything on the menu. The food is spectacular - consistently fresh, and flavorful. Love the spice, the salsas, the ingredient combinations. I'm the vegetarian in the family and I'm especially pleased with their meatless options. They are intentionally vegetarian, not dishes that meat has simply been removed from. The veggie tacos are the best I've ever had; beans, grilled onions and peppers, thin-sliced radish and lime on the side. REALLY nice. read more

Give them a try. It's weird going to what used to be the iconic Old Milwaukee Cafe - but something unique popped up. A Salvadoran style restaurant serving tacos, tortas and the real reason I stopped by pupusas. I have longed for a local place to crap a pupusa since I first had one 7 years ago in Portland. The place isn't fancy although clean and nice use of the small space. It is walk up counter ordering but the food was good, reasonably priced and quick. I will definitely be back read more

Balcon Express - My $10 combo of 2 tacos and a pupusa - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

Food is delicious and authentic. The staff are always very cheerful and welcoming. I've always had the food "to go", but there is ample seating if you choose to eat there. read more

Food is fantastic! The side room is much quieter, but also colder. The quesadilla was a hit, as were the vegie tortas.

If you have any specific questions about the traditions for their food, be sure to ask the kitchen staff, as *some* of the hourly at the register may not have an answer, in general, as I found out. Relevant or not to whom it may concern, I tasted a pork Torta, and I was impressed by the efficiency of the item more than the taste of it was anything special. Very fun to think about, as I am rarely blown away by mediocrity--truly an interesting experience. read more

The food was delicious and the prices were reasonable. The service was friendly and quick. I had the putacos and my wife had two of the pupusa's. This was the best Salvadoran food we've had in the Tacoma area. The restaurant itself is small, and has limited seating. Definitely not family friendly. But great for a casual date night. We also tried the Agua Fresca, which was good, but we will probably stick to water next time. read more

Balcon Express - Dining area - Tacos Near Me - Tacoma, Washington

See all