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El Caracol Café

4.1 (78 reviews)
InexpensiveMexican, Salvadoran
Closed • Closed

El Caracol Café Photos

Business Info

EL CARACOL CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Casual
Outdoor seating
Good for kids

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Recommended Reviews - El Caracol Café

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Reviews With Photos

Barbacoa de res

Food was good and with lots of flavours. The girls was very friendly and helpful on what to order

Chicken burrito
Mari E.

I stopped by while waiting a bus in the snow. As soon as I learned 30 mins delay, I hopped into this restaurant and the owner lady was very kind and sweet let me stay there. I asked chicken buritto for here but she prepared like to go being wrapped with alminium foil and pertiment paper. It was clever because the burrito was huge and couldn't finish before the bus arrival. But later I noticed the tortilla was very crispy cooked like pressed sandwich. I guess old ladies in the kitchen left earlier due to the bad weather and it was pre-made one. I totally understand it and it was delicious as usual. I appreciate they still opend besides of terrible weather.

Guacamole and chips with an order of tamales
Cecilia M.

My friend was visiting in town and we decided to do a small dinner gathering as we haven't seen each other since the pandemic started. I was excited to try this hole in the wall as this cafe has been around forever! Plus finding an authentic Mexican and Latin restaurant in South Vancouver is hella hard to find. We got to the restaurant at 6pm and already the restaurant was almost full on the Saturday night. We were able to grab the last large table for our party of 4. Pro tip: the restaurant accepts cash only and you need to go up to the counter to order and pay. If you don't have any cash, there's an ATM across the street at the Chevron gas station. It was hard deciding what to get so I decided to get an order of pupusas, an El Salvador food staple, with beans, cheese, and pork that comes in an order of three ($13.50). They also have pupusas with zucchini & cheese and chicken & cheese but I wanted to try the staple to get a flavour of the place. The pupusas took awhile to arrive but they came out fresh and pipping hot served with the traditional salsa and pickled cabbage with carrot slaw. It was almost as good as my El Savador friend Mom makes it and would recommend ordering this. Unfortunately they were out of the chicken tamales so I ordered the regular tamales ($4.50) with no stuffing inside but served with a side of sour cream. The tamales came served with the corn tusk, or banana leaf, off and the corn masa used was really sweet which is not something that I am used to. As there was no stuffing inside the tamales I found it bland to eat aside from the sweet corn masa flavour and ended up putting sour cream and hot salsa on it for some kick. Would love to try the chicken and cheese tamales next time, if available. Lastly, I ordered chips and guacamole ($8) for the table. They had to check if they still had guacamole but we lucked out. Portion wise, we got a good quantity of homemade tortilla chips and guacamole for the price. I was hoping for more onion, cilantro, and spice flavour profile in the guacamole but it was still fine. Not sure if it's a North American thing but the guacamole didn't come with tomatoes in them. Overall, great local joint in which I am excited to try more dishes from. Lucky for me, this cafe is located nearby my sister's place so I have a good excuse to grab some take out every once in awhile.

Enchilada Mexicana (11.99)
Brent L.

*This is a back-dated Pre-Covid19 Review** I'm a huge fan of this unassuming little hole in the wall and at one point, I think I was going here weekly to try more and more of their menu. One of my favourite dishes here is their Enchilada Mexicana (11.99). I tried the one with carnitas, which was a bit chewy and firm with a nice savoury flavouring that was a bit smoky. The salad consisted of some preserved carrots, beans, and a slice of avocado. The beans were re-fried and the sauce itself was like a mild tomato chili with some cheese, but it wasn't an overwhelming amount. It kind of reminded me a lot of eating a lasagna from a texture standpoint. I LOVE the rice that they use on all of their meals. It's just so....hard to describe. I'm not sure if it's some sort of broth that they use with it, but I think I could eat an entire bowl of it until I go into a full on carb crash. The Carne Asada (12.99) was very similar to the Enchilada in terms of sides, though it came with bits of beef instead. It was very nicely seasoned and quite juicy despite being so thin. The Pupusas (10.50) appear to be one of the crowd favourites here. They had some very thick dough and some stringy, tender pork inside with a bit of cheese and beans. By themselves, they're just okay, but they can be made amazing by using the pickled cabbage and salsa that comes with it. The Yuca Con Chicaron (7.50) was another crowd favourite that I managed to try here. The fried cassava was very crispy on the outside and reminded me a lot of roast potatoes with a creamy inside. It goes really well with the tangy pickled cabbage that's provided. The pork itself was very crispy on the outside, almost like dry rub pork ribs but inner texture reminds me a bit of roast lamb. The meat tastes slightly salty and a bit tangy. I've also tried their Nachos (9.00). These are very warm, cheesy, and has a lot of sour cream, avocado, tomatoes, and a bit of cilantro with beans. It's a decent sized plate. One of their cold weather favourites is the Sopa De Pollo (11.99). This is a chicken soup that has bits of chicken, carrots, zucchini, green onion, potatoes, and pepper all in a creamy broth. The broth reminds me a bit of corn chowder. The large size is REALLY big and is super filling. It comes with a side of that awesome rice. Their other cold weather favourite is the Sopa De Mariscos (14.99). This one is similar to the chicken soup but it has seafood. It's extra rich and creamy with salmon flavouring, hint of shrimp, and has big pieces of salmon, prawn, and mussels. It has a bit of a coconutty aftertaste. The large size is also quite big, much like the chicken one. Servers are very friendly here and yes there is a public bathroom. You just have to cut through the kitchen to get to it. No wifi though.

Menu
Brenda K.

My sister and I were about to go to Adelitas and they were very busy so we went to El Caracol instead. It was a small restaurant when we walked in and the server greeted us warm smile. The decor wasn't too fancy but it totally reminded me of Mexico trip I've went back in 2010. Even the washroom decoration reminded me of Mexico as well. By the way you have to walk behind the counter and then walk through the kitchen to go to washroom. Food was pretty delicious and filling. We ordered Yuca Con Chicharron $6 and Enchiladas Mexicana (chicken) $9.99 they were so good. Yuca Con Chicharron -Yuca(cassava) were nicely deep fried and pork were tender and delicious. Enchiladas- this dish was delicious as well. I wish it came with more beans and there was very little on the plate. It was such a filling dish as it came with salad and rice as well. Forgot to mention that we had to get water on our own. Water fountain is placed by the entrance along with empty cups. I'd love to go back there to try Pupusas.

Shafique P.

Really good authentic Salvadoran and Mexican cuisine. Take out only during Covid. Made fresh so be sure to ask how long till it's ready to pick up. Cash only

Menu

Really amazing food. I love coming here, great service. My favorite dishes are chicken enchiladas and soup a del ima.

Pupusas of the gods!
Abigail S.

El Caracol really takes it to the mat with their pupusas--thick corn cakes embedded with savories like cheese and chicken, offset by lashings of their piquant housemade curtido (pickled cabbage). Pair this with an ice cold Coke and you have yourself a holy trinity of sweet, sour, and savory. You are also ensured a full stomach for at least a week, and the portion of 3 pupusas is more than enough to provide leftovers. I also started things off with an order of their freshly-prepared guac--chunky, flavorful, and perfect for spreading on top of the pupusas. Overall the prices seemed a little high to me for the casual fare and ambiance (I ended up spending $20+ for the pupusa main, guac, and drink). Perhaps I am too much in the mindset of utilitarian Mexican joints back in the US that usually offer similar kinds of fare for less. It would be great if they gave the option of a side portion of guac, so that especially if you're dining alone, you don't have to sink in for the full appetizer size. Also, I'm fairly certain that they don't have a public washroom. I could've misunderstood the signage, but this was a bit of a bummer, especially after biking 40 minutes over hill and dale to get there. Otherwise, El Caracol fulfills a unique and much-needed role in Vancouver's dining ecosystem.

Wall menu has photos and pricing.
Stan L.

Nothing fancy. Just good, honest Mexican food. The fact that about a dozen Latino customers were eating in this joint probably means that this place is legit. One overworked waitressed took our order. But we had to wait almost 20 minutes to get our takeout order. This suggested that there might have been only one cook as well. But, like I said, this place had about a dozen other customers waiting, so it might just have been a busy night; we were there around 8pm on a Monday night. The chicken burrito we got was dense and filling. There was a lot of rice and beans. It could have used more chicken. Surprisingly, there was cauliflower in the burrito which is a first for me. The salsa came in a little baggie and was extremely hot. I was quite pleased with the burrito, and I can see why this place is popular.

AMAZING Sopa de mariscos (seafood soup).

This place has been our go-to restaurant for Mexican food for years. It's simple, honest food at its best. On a weeknight, you will find that the majority of the customers here are Mexicans--a very good sign. We've tried many items on the menu and we were rarely disappointed. Every time we come here the biggest problem is our stomach--we simply can't order everything we want to eat! The must tries are: Yuca con chicarron, pupusas, and sopa de mariscos (seafood soup). These are the items you see most Mexican customers order so you know they are yummy and authentic. If you fancy something different, try mojara frita (fried tilapia). Their taco al pastor is also pretty delicious but I suspect that they changed the recipe. It doesn't seem to be as good as before. It's worth noting that their rice is AMAZING! As for the service, it is a small, family style establishment. They can get very busy on the weekend so don't expect to be greeted at the door immediately by big smiles and over-the-top "how are you tonight"s. You go in, find a seat (if you are a regular), grab yourself a glass of water and wait for the waitress to come by with the menu. They have a very small kitchen with two grandmas who barely speak English as chefs (at least it used to be the case). The food is amazing but sometimes you have to wait a while when they are busy. So don't come starved expecting to receive a 5-star service. The waitress is friendly but not overly so. We like the no-nonsense style. It feels real.

Burrito and enchiladas. Burrito is very good!
Shyla C.

This was a nice find! Came here for lunch on a weekday. The prices are good and the portions are large. Had the chicken enchiladas and beef burrito. The burrito was a real star! Enchiladas were not as flavourful as the burrito. They come with a side of rice, beans and salad, which is very generous. The decor is authentic and the service was good. There are a lot of regulars who come here and call in their orders in advance. I recommend doing this if you are on a tight schedule (lunch break etc).

Chicken enchilada

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3 months ago

Really great food , generous proportions, and friendly staff! Would recommend the pupusas and enchiladas.

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2 years ago

Love love love this place, best pupusas in the lower mainland. Fresh homemade and lots of red sauce.

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3 years ago

Pupusas are wonderful! We've been coming here for many years. Bring a jar for extra salsa verde

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El Caracol Café - mexican - Updated May 2026

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