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Cuca's Restaurant

4.0 (65 reviews)
InexpensiveLatin American, Mexican
Closed • 9:00 am - 7:00 pm

Cuca's Restaurant Photos

CUCA'S RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Divey
Quiet
Good for groups
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - Cuca's Restaurant

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Doña Cuca
Denise M.

Just like Abuelita's homemade food. Everyone is extremely welcoming. We will return many times

Cuca's cooking is amazing
Eli M.

A great place for a home cook meal, awesome comfort food. We stopped by for a quick bite after grabbing a Tierra Mía across the street. Wifey & I were going to have a very busy day and wanted to fuel up before we got started. Once we grabbed our caffeine, we wanted something tasty...something different. We decided to give it a try, after so many years of just driving by this little gem. I was craving something savory, so I ordered a Carnitas burrito con todo and Wifey got the breakfast burrito; chorizo con papas. Both were great! I prefer carnitas myself. Great portions. Plenty of energy now...EDC here we come!!!

Torta

I got recommended to this place by a local business not to far as I was waiting for some parts to arrive. I checked it out, thought it was going to be just your regular Mexican restaurant. Got there at 2:30pm not busy so service was quick. The spot is decent size and it's decorated old school lots of Raiders décor. Ordered the Torta de Carnitas and goodness gracious I was in aww. It was top notch and worth the money. If your near the area try this place out and you may run into Dona Cuca.

Taco de chicharrón. I didn't like the taco. The beans and spicy green sauce were ok, but the chicharrón& clumpy rice were tasteless.
Jacqueline H.

This was our first time. Looks like the place is well known to regulars that live or work nearby. The older waitress seemed impatient to our questions. Served us and never came back to check on us. The place is in great need of up keep and maintenance.

a partially eaten plate

It's a hole in the wall, which does not bother me. Some of the best food is in these kind of places. I've been trying to find a place that has good authentic tamales. I've tried a few places already & decided to try Cuca's based on reviews. I ordered 6 red pork tamales. They took forever to come out with them. So they a obviously frozen & it took a while to steam them or boil. I think they were boiled. The masa was hard, no flavor, the meat & red chili had no flavor. I couldn't even cut into the tamale, that's how hard it was. I ate one and threw the rest away. I was actually afraid of getting sick from eating it. I do not recommend the tamales at all.

Machaca and Huevos Rancheros
Monica R.

Talk about authentic! We stopped by for a late breakfast and felt like we stepped into a little piece of Mexico. From the amazing, family style customer service from Al, who made us feel right at home as if in a family member's kitchen. The menudo is amazing, and some of the best we've had! And the Machaca and the Huevos Rancheros were so delicious and fresh! And the salsa's were very good and savory too! I will definitely be back any time I'm missing my abuela's cooking.

Extra dinning tables
Maria G.

Looking for a favorite (Menudo) Google recommends this place. As I entered the place, which outside look is a bit sketchy, it took me back to childhood places in Mexicali. Waxed cement floor, comfy big sofa like chairs, happy music LOVED IT I order the menudo, got a nice big plate for 10$ beautiful red color soup, nice eatable pieces of meat cuts but The Smell of NOT washed cow meat made my nose CRINGE!!! I tried adding extra lemon juice, extra onion and salt but it was embedded. A nice long lemon water wash takes THAT SMELL away beautifully PLEASE TRY IT!! They where nice enough to exchange the order, not many restaurants do this. Since I had ordered a Michelada, that was one classic delicious prepared mix, by the way. The second dish ordered, I had chosen was Eggs with Chicharron. Spicy Uff! Well over all the environment was happy, the service courteously, prices good.... but disappointed on my meals. If in need of a GOOD MICHELADA, I'll try it again this time I'll order TAMALES. Hopefully its better than the Menudo. ; )

Inside at front by kitchen
Kim G.

Awesome homemade food! When you look at this place from the outside, it doesnt look like much, but once inside, it kinda reminds u of one of those little stalls in Olvera Street, cooking up some authentic mexican food. Dona Cuca, is still cooking all the food, so plates do take a bit to come out. I had the huevos rancheros this weekend which came with stewed pork meat, rice and beans and two eggs. Very good. Chile sauce was tart and spicy. Homemade tortillas...mmmm My wife had the chilquiles rojos, which came with beans and rice. They make there chilaquiles here by mixing the red or green sauce with scrambled eggs, which i thought was interesting, but very tasty non the less. Everyone was ordering these. It looks like the place had an addition added next door, so more tables. We also tried a tamale with cheese and chile.. Very good. Only complaint, with more tables, they need at least one more server. So yes, service lacked. Im sure this will get taken care of.

a car parked in front of the restaurant
John B.

I love holes in the wall so the repaired-but-not-yet-repainted-drywall didn't throw me too bad. They didn't have Al Pastor so I opted for tacos con Carne Asada, Chile Verde y Carnitas. The Carne Asada had a great crispy consistency but no flavor. The Chile Verde was good mostly because of the salsa. The redemption came with the Carnitas! It was wonderfully crispy and flavorful, it saved the meal. The tacos were larger than average and topped fairly heavily with chopped tomato. Kind o' different. If I had gotten 3 Carnitas tacos I'd rate the place a 5 but 2 of 3 tacos were at par or below and they were out of aguas frescas. I'm tempted to give 'em a 3 but we all know that's generous for this visit. If the tamales are good I'm willing to reconsider.

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Reviews are generally positive. People highlight the homemade food quality, welcoming staff, and cozy, home-like atmosphere.

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9 years ago

The best burritos I've ever tasted,taqueria Tacos are the best too. Everything is very tasty.The prices are not bad either.Yummo

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7 years ago

Ate here with my friends peter and Andy Cervantes when I was a kid back in 85 86 and they're food was the best I ever had .

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11 years ago

If you like Great Mexican home made food then this the place. Reasonable prices and cold cervesa!

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11 years ago

I read some of the reviews I believe it taste like it was refrigerated food they did not even have a menu would never go back

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This is the spot if you love homestyle cooking. It is family owned and run with awesome service and food.

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El Molinito - Lengua en salsa

El Molinito

4.1(142 reviews)
1.2 mi
•$$

Gracias a este restaurante !!!…read more pudimos pasar un bello y agradable momento junto con mi pareja , el restaurante y nosotros nos dimos la oportunidad de que sería agradable poder compartir un plato (( bandeja Paisa)) para dos (( dividir el plato)) ya que sería más llamativo en un futuro para ellos ya saben que nos pueden ofrecer para atraer más clientes Muchas gracias !!!!!!

My wife and I enjoy and encounter and try different cuisine from other nationality because of the…read moreflavors they use and depth of flavors in the ingredients they use in their dishes. My wife and I went to El Molinito restaurant in Pico Rivera just across the street from Walmart. This our first time trying Colombian cuisine,I have eaten Colombian cuisine before I enjoy the flavors and depth of flavor of the food. We're greeted by the owner of the restaurant she told us we can sit anywhere in the restaurant and we did find a table. She came and hand us the menu then she our drinks order we both order coffee. The restaurant is very nice e cozy little restaurant of full of Colombian adornments that you feel you are in Colombia. We both decided to order the Huevos Pericos it's scramble eggs Colombian style it comes with rice and Arepa with cheese. It's like a Salvadoran Pupusa but Colombian version of the pupusa. The waitress brought our meal it looks so good and delicious and the aroma was overwhelming from the Arepa and the Huevos Pericos or scrambled eggs. I try the scramble eggs they so good incredible flavors in the egg including the other ingredients like the tomatoes and onions and spices they use in the egg they were fluffy and good. The rice was amazing it have good flavor in the rice and fluffy that we enjoy. The Arepa was so good like a pupusa but cheesy that I really like including the cheese they use in Arepa. Overall we enjoy the food at the El Molinito restaurant, we come back again and try different items from their menu.

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El Molinito
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Mandala Cantina

Mandala Cantina

4.2(310 reviews)
2.6 mi
Speaks Spanish
Locally owned & operated

In order to honor Cinco De Mayo, with festivities that were okay for me, I went to Mandala Cantina…read morefor Latino beats and Loteria--- otherwise known as Mexican Bingo, which kind of takes the red, white and green flavor of the game. But quick understanding the term suffices. As I entered Mandala Cantina, I knew that I had stepped inside a vibe of Latin frenzy and buck--- it was replete with a sophisticated backyard boggie energy. Or in other words, the carne asada barbecue had adopted an elegant, glamorous and modern Talum motif that hit with bright mellow lights, beige beauty all around and a good time fueled by tequila shots and cocktails. I was sat at the bar, but I was warned that my sit would be bellow the regular bar line. So I sat alone, and I could look up at everyone else sat from by de-elevated sit. I was ok, I had arrived late, I was by myself with no reservation and on a whim, so I took my corner seat and did my best to forget that I sat below everyone's eye level. The party vibe was strong and palpable all across the bar. In fact, I have been to very few bars where the move was to sit, yet, the music and crowd almost demanded that we acted like we were on a club, but sitting down. More clearly, I wanted to move and dance but since there was no space, and we were playing Mexican bingo, we were implicitly required to sit and dance. For those who did not, the party still pulsed. There was this huge Cantaro (Mexican clay cup or vase) with six straws. So like a fishbowl drink that is commong in Tiki or Island theme bars, but in a large Mexican mug. This guy was moving it around while he was filmed in a way where he showed the drink for six like Mufasa showed Simba to the residents of Pride rock. So I am basically saying that all the people in the bar and crowd found a way to honor the old school hits of Reggaton and Banda that dominated the airwaves of the spot. I could not help but beat my head back and forth when Oye Mi Canto played and the lasers of the spot moved around wildly. In short, it was an experience that can be described as lit. The experience of game play was also electric. As soon as you entered, you were asked to pick a card from a large stack. You were also required to get some frijolitos-- small beans, that did not jump. I put all my beans into my card and removed them as my cards were called. I came close to winning, and maybe I did, but it was hard to focus amidst the noise and bop, so maybe I did win and did not register that one of my cards had been called so its frijolito remain on top of that square. Regardless, of the lack of victory I expeirenced I was still very happen I went here to celebrate Cinco De Mayo with appropriate festivities. After I soon sat, some tacos were placed in front of me. They were for my neigbor. I was honest and made them aware that they were not for me. After all a Mexico Hero-- Benito Juariez reminds us that respeto a lo ajeno es la paz. Or in other ways, respecting what is not yours equals peace.

If I could give 0 stars, I would. I'm honestly disappointed with how disorganized Mandala was…read moreduring the Mexico game on July 5, 2026. I've tried multiple times to call and speak to a manager about what happened, but after receiving no response, here I am leaving a Yelp review. This wasn't my first time at Mandala, but it will very likely be my last. I made my reservation the same day Mexico won and reservations opened. I reserved a table for 8 people at 3:45 PM, which was the maximum party size available. I arrived around my reservation time, definitely before 4:00 PM, and security directed me to wait in the line designated for guests with reservations. By around 4:30 PM, the reservation line had barely moved, yet I watched other people walk up, give their names, and be let inside. At the same time, I could clearly see two reserved tables for eight sitting completely empty.I finally asked one of the waitresses, "I reserved for 8 people, and I see those two tables are empty. May I ask what the hold up is?" She asked for my name, looked up my reservation, confirmed it was there, and then told me, "It was canceled." I asked, "What was the reason? I've been here." She replied, "You never checked in before 4:00 PM." Which in fact I did, and security even confirmed that I had arrived before 4:00 PM. Despite that, no one was willing to honor my reservation. At that point I told her, "Only three people from my party of eight are here. Can we just get a table for the three of us?" She spoke with another waitress, and they came back saying it would be standing room only. I asked, "Why?" Again, they referred me back to my supposedly canceled reservation. By now I was beyond frustrated. While they spent another five minutes trying to "figure something out," I continued watching people walk up, give their names, and immediately be seated. Meanwhile, the two reserved tables for eight were still sitting empty. Then I was told, "The best we can do is standing room at the bar, or you can stand anywhere in the restaurant with one of the cocktail tables, but there's a $100 minimum per person." That requirement was never advertised or mentioned when I made my reservation. I reminded her, "This isn't my first time here." She simply replied, "Or you can stand at the bar. No minimum." At that point, it was so close to game time that I just wanted to get inside. We were never greeted--menus were simply placed in front of us. And throughout all of this, those two reserved tables for eight remained empty. The biggest lie I heard all afternoon was, "We're at capacity." I must have heard that at least 10 times. If Mandala was truly at capacity, how were people continuously walking in without reservations and being seated? Why were guests with confirmed reservations turned away while empty reserved tables sat untouched? Thankfully, the game was delayed until 6:00 PM, which gave us enough time to leave and take our business elsewhere. This was poor planning, poor communication, misleading reservation practices, and some of the worst customer service I've experienced. I wasted my time, my gas, and what should have been an exciting afternoon watching the Mexico game with family and friends. I expected much better from a place I'd enjoyed before. Instead, I left feeling ignored, frustrated, and completely disappointed. I rest my case.

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Mandala Cantina - Sin City refreshing

Sin City refreshing

Mandala Cantina - Mandala cantina

Mandala cantina

Mandala Cantina - Flan with a birthday candle

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Sivar Treats  - hechas frescas por orden

Sivar Treats

4.5(358 reviews)
4.5 mi
•$$

I went on a 4 mile walk on the Whittier Greenway Trail, and decided to treat myself to some pupusas…read moreon my way back. I had a pupusa revuelta and a pupusa de frijol y queso. Both hit the spot. The pupusas were fresh (I could hear them being made) and they had aguas frescas, my favorite de melón. I think I'll Make this a habit :)

I really wanted to like this place. This was my second time ordering from them through Uber Eats…read more The first time, I ordered because they were running a buy-one-get-one-free breakfast special. They forgot the cheese I paid extra for, but the food itself was so good that I was willing to overlook it and order from them again. Unfortunately, today's experience was completely different. The order took quite a while to prepare, which I don't blame on the delivery driver at all. I could see that he was waiting at the restaurant for an extended period, so I assumed they were just busy because of the promotion. When the food arrived, however, there were pieces of eggshell in the scrambled eggs. Even worse, while my boyfriend was eating his plátanos fritos, he found a hard piece of plastic in the food. Thankfully, he noticed it and was able to pull it out before swallowing it or getting hurt. I called the restaurant directly and also reported the issue to Uber Eats. I'm not writing this because I'm looking for free food or because I want to hurt a family-owned restaurant. I spent over $90 between the food, fees, and tip, and I ordered again because I genuinely enjoyed the food the first time. But finding hard plastic in someone's food crosses a line from an order mistake to a serious safety concern. Promotions and busy days happen, but food safety and basic quality control still have to come first. Unfortunately, after this experience, I would say eat here at your own risk. We were lucky enough to notice the plastic before someone was seriously hurt.

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Sivar Treats  - Restaurant inside

Restaurant inside

Sivar Treats  - Pupusas up to 23 flavors of pupusas

Pupusas up to 23 flavors of pupusas

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Mi Pueblo Salvadoreño - Lunch Specials! Pacayas Envueltas- Mon-Fri only at Mi Pueblo Salvadoran Restaurant in East Los Angeles.

Mi Pueblo Salvadoreño

4.8(69 reviews)
4.6 mi

My boyfriend is Salvadoran, so we're always on the hunt for great pupusas and yuca frita. We…read moreusually make the drive to North Hollywood, but decided to give this place a try--and it definitely did not disappoint! We started with the ensalada, which was refreshing and had just the right amount of sweetness. For pupusas, we ordered the revueltas, loroco con queso, and frijol con queso. We tried both corn and rice dough, and honestly, both were delicious. My personal favorite was the frijol con queso with the rice dough- so flavorful and perfectly cooked. The yuca frita was exactly how it should be: crispy on the outside, soft and fluffy on the inside. The chicharrón was cooked perfectly as well, and the homemade green salsa that the sweet lady helping us made was the perfect addition. She was so kind, welcoming, and always had a friendly smile, which made the experience even better. Another thing that really stood out was how clean the restaurant is. It's spacious, with plenty of seating whether you're coming with a large group, your family, or just stopping by for a meal on your own. We absolutely loved this place and will definitely be back. Next time we're bringing my Salvadoran in-laws- I have a feeling this place will get their authenticity approval too! Spanish! :) Mi novio es salvadoreño, así que siempre estamos en busca de unas buenas pupusas y una rica yuca frita. Normalmente vamos hasta North Hollywood, pero decidimos probar este lugar y, la verdad, ¡no nos decepcionó para nada! Empezamos con la ensalada, que estaba deliciosa, fresca y con el toque perfecto de dulzura. Pedimos pupusas de revueltas, loroco con queso y frijol con queso. Probamos unas de masa de maíz y otras de masa de arroz, y las dos estaban buenísimas. Mi favorita fue la de frijol con queso; tenía muchísimo sabor y estaba perfectamente preparada. La yuca frita estaba en su punto: crujiente por fuera y suave por dentro. El chicharrón también estaba perfectamente cocinado, y la salsa verde casera que preparó la señora que nos atendió fue el complemento perfecto. Ella fue muy amable, atenta y siempre nos recibió con una sonrisa, lo que hizo que la experiencia fuera aún mejor. Otra cosa que realmente me llamó la atención fue lo limpio que está el restaurante. Además, es bastante amplio, con mucho espacio para sentarse, ya sea que vayas con un grupo grande, con tu familia o incluso si vas a comer solo. Nos encantó este lugar y definitivamente vamos a regresar. La próxima vez traeremos a mis suegros, que son salvadoreños, y estoy casi segura de que también le darán su sello de autenticidad.

So many five star reviews, I'm here to add another!…read more Ordered online, picked up for lunch, what a treat! I got 3 pupusas revueltas to go. Service was quick, there is a big dining room with plenty of seating in case you want to dine in, looked very clean. Massive pupusas with a lot of filling, not one of those restaurants that give you nothing but masa, these pupusas were legit. They come with Curtido and the usual salsa roja. So much flavor packed into these things, these are some of the best pupusas I've ever had, good size and they do not cheap us out on filling. Definitely try em if you're in the area! Parking on the street, or in the back very limited in the alley.

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Mi Pueblo Salvadoreño - Inside

Inside

Mi Pueblo Salvadoreño - Lunch Specials! Pollo En Crema - Mon-Fri only at Mi Pueblo Salvadoran Restaurant in East Los Angeles.

Lunch Specials! Pollo En Crema - Mon-Fri only at Mi Pueblo Salvadoran Restaurant in East Los Angeles.

Mi Pueblo Salvadoreño - Molcajete de Mariscos at Mi Pueblo Salvadoran Restaurant in East Los Angeles.

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Molcajete de Mariscos at Mi Pueblo Salvadoran Restaurant in East Los Angeles.

Tito's Market - Nosotros comiendo sanguches de salame!

Tito's Market

4.3(1.5k reviews)
6.9 mi
•$$
50 years in business
Casual dining

Living in the SGV area for over 30 years and never knowing about Tito's Market until now is one of…read moremy biggest regrets as a foodie. Though their sandwiches are not the fanciest sandwiches, Tito's Market make solid sandwiches. I arrived at Tito's Market with a party of 4 on a Sunday. It was around 12:30PM and a lunch line had started from the cashiers that went to the refrigerators. The line was pretty fast though and it seemed like patrons knew the gist and tables emptied out just as they finished their meals. My group ordered 4 of Tito's hot sandwiches: milanesa de res, lomo de res, and two ribeye. All large/full sizes. My group also ordered one of each of their empanades (beef, chicken and cheese) and a side order of fries. I had the lomo de res and was able to sneak a bite of each of the sandwiches. Although the sandwiches looked fairly identical, all the meats were noticeably unique. The lomo de res (filet mignon) was very tender, but I have to admit that the ribeye was my favorite from the 3. Fries breaded and a great addition to the meal. Empanadas were also very tasty. The meat was ground meat and are the doughy (rather than flakey) kind. Expect a cheese pull moment with their cheese empanada! The only quip that I have with the empanada was that they left a pretty gnarly oil stain in the bags they were packed it. I felt pretty guilty at the sight. Water is available if you ask for cups, but they also have a variety of imported drinks. As the name mentions, they have a small grocery store as well that takes up a third of their shop. Tito's market had plenty of seating when we came in. It seemed packed, but people did their due diligence, cleaned up and left after having their meal. Parking was fine although the spaces are on the smaller side (if you have a SUV or bigger.) There seemed to be plenty of parking when I visited, but there was curbside parking as well.

I tried the cold pastrami since they had a BOGO on UE, and it was okay. The portion size is just…read moreenough to fill you up. Nothing too crazy, but I like that they do cut it in half for you. It is kind of expensive though, as I realize it cost about $20 for a sandwich, so it is very unlikely that I would return. Even with the BOGO deal, there are better sandwiches that are cheaper like bahn mi or even Subway.

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Tito's Market - Empanadas

Empanadas

Tito's Market
Tito's Market - Chicken

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Chicken

Cuca's Restaurant - latin - Updated October 2026

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