Wonderful family owned restaurant with delicious food at a great price (and large portion sizes). The chips and salsa are also fantastic! This is the place to go when you're hungry and want to get a bang for your buck! read more

The papusas are great here, the yuca fries are crispy and delicious. The rest of my food was good and the service was friendly.

The food was really good. Inside the place, it almost seemed like I was in Mexico, though I have never been to Mexico. I ordered an dish from the Salvadorian side of things, very good, and good portion size. read more

I love this place!! I moved to Durham from Arizona and was not expecting to find good Mexican/Central American food. I was wrong! This place is delicious and cheap! The pupusas are amazing!! And as a huevos rancheros fanatic I can honestly say the huevos at El Cuscatleco are the best I've had at a restaurant. I highly recommend this place. read more

The pupusas really are great, and the tortillas so Central American. Portions are huge and yummy. But there's a tad too much Salvador- it is HOT. read more

Delicious alternative to Americanized "Mexican"--this is more like food I've had in my travels in Latin America. Loved the Pupusas & maduros, but everything we had was good. The only criticism is the air conditioning didn't seem to be working, so it was steamy on this summer night. We will definitely be back! read more

See all

I come here often, pupusas are worth the wait! I wish they had a more authentic horchata

New favorite Mexican place! Everything is authentic and excellent. The salsa was to die for and the margaritas (on Monday, margarita night) were incredible! read more

Yes, Yes, The chimichanga is the best, I had tried the pupusas also very good and the price is also very considerable for the amount of food in the plate. I recommend this place. read more

My favorite restaurant they have the best Pupusas ever!! They also have really good steak and the restaurant's atmosphere is very nice and laid back! read more

Bandeja salvadorena! My fav. Also love the pork/cheese papusas and ceviche. The food is so delicious and in large portions that I'm not taking away a star for the weird looks received by the waitresses (possibly for being non latina like another reviewer mentioned) or by the dudes at the bar watching soccer. I always order ahead for takeout now. Problem solved. read more

To begin with they do not deliver. Second, their service is horrible.

Great hole-in-the-wall type of place for authentic Salvadoran food and some more American-accessible types of pseudo-Mexican/Latino food. I'd go with the authentic stuff, myself, as that is far and away the best. In particularly, the soups are really, really good. The place can be loud, particularly when they have had live music, so if you like a quiet dining experience you'll want to go at off-hours and/or when the music isn't playing. The staff has always been friendly and attentive. English competency varies, but there's almost always somebody around who speaks good enough English and if you're just a little patient, you'll get what you want. read more

The food here was very authentic and unique. It was very affordable for a family of four and the portion sizes were well worth the cost. As tourists in the area, it was very nice to be able to find a small restaurant such as this with quality food. I would definitely recommend to anyone who is a fan of Mexican cuisine. read more

As you park outside the restaurant you notice that is not in the best condition the parking lot need some updating and it's a little crowded especially during the weekends. The restaurant over all is quite small and cramped but the food is great, I had the Plato Tipico that includes chicken tamal, pastelito, pupusa, yucca and fried plantains with sour cream all authentic Salvadorian dishes. I definitely was satisfied and I couldn't forget to order Salvadorian typical Maranon which is a cashew plant drink. Waitresses here are very friendly yet they are always in a hurry there are typically around 3 waitresses for the whole restaurant. The food takes a little longer than usual to be served probably around 20-30 min wait although is very good. read more

An entree, a papusa, and an imported beer, all for just $11! All authentic great tasting meals. Service is very good and bonito.

A co-worker introduced El Cuscatleco to us at Duke about 4 months ago. Since then my boyfriend and I orders to go about 3 times or more a month. Please try their "Chicken and Rice". Of course that's not the proper "Mexican" name for it, but every time that I call they are aware of what I'm requesting. You get a big bang for your buck. It comes with Nacho's and Salsa, pita bread and beans on the side. A lot of food... Don't let the image, location, and the size of the parking lot turn you away. I'm a very picky eater. Their food is delicious and very full filling. I highly recommend it. read more

I came here for a late lunch the food was totally amazing. The popusas revueltas are one of my favorite will go back soon.

My first visit was great. But unfortunately we just left there on Father's Day for lunch and it was aweful The soccer game was 100% more impotant than anyone who was there for a fathers day lunch. Food was over cooked and not made to order and staff was not interested in helping and actually told us to wait when we asked a question so they could watch the game. So disappointed as I have practicality bragged about this place after the first visit. Will never return. And there were more way past capacity for peiple which is a major fire haxard to boot. MAY SOUND PETTY TO SOME BUT I DO NOT LEAVE REVIEWS LIKE THIS UNLESS I FEEL LIKE MY HARD EARNED MONEY WAS COMPLETELY WASTED. read more

Pupusas are some of the best. Drinks on point. Food was hot and delicious. If u love hispanos u best come here to get that great experience.

My boyfriend and I decided to try this place after a Groupon Now deal. We have driven by it multiple times and we were interested, but always a little apprehensive about the appearance. Inside is nothing like that outside. It actually does not look that bad. My boyfriend ordered the Plato Tipico, which included a pupusa, yucca, platanos, a tamal pollo, and a pastelito, and I got the Carne Guizada or beef stew. We also ordered two drinks, a horchata and a tamarindo. The horchata was very good, not as heavy as the kind at other restaurants. I quite liked it. The papusas were really good, some of the best I ever had. My boyfriend is El Salvadorian, and he was really enjoyed his food. The beef stew was delicious and well seasoned. The beef was tender and the carrots had good flavor. The proportions are huge. We definitely should have shared one dish. But now we have leftovers. :) I really loved this place and would be back for more. I guess we should never judge a book by it's cover, or a restaurant by its appearance. read more

The food here is really good, and they have a descent amount of vegetarian options. Also, you get so much food that you'll definitely be able to make 2 meals out of it (I love leftovers!). read more

Really excellent. I had the platos tipicos, and everything on it was fantastic. Particularly enjoyed the pupusas, the pastelitos (might have been my favourite, savory and delicious) and the tamales. Nice sticky-sweet plantains on the side. Quality cooking. read more

Salvadoran food has always had a special place in my heart, and El Cuscatleco did not disappoint. We started with their margaritas which were good despite a large amount of ice. The Platanos Fritos were delicious with a perfect accompanying amount of sour cream and beans. The Yucca con chicharrones was the star of the meal. The yucca was perfectly cooked so it was crunchy on the outside and pillowy soft on the inside. I had Pupusas for my meal - pork and cheese mixed. They were very good, but I did not discern any pork. My husband had the Tacos al Pastor for his meal which he thoroughly enjoyed. The prices are phenomenal and we will definitely be going back. Thanks for a wonderful meal! read more

Another gem in the rough. Small parking lot, and not very flashy. However, the food is great. I had the Mojarra Frita -- whole fried talapia. It was fantastic - fried perfectly, not greasy and seasoned well. read more

You may pass on this because it looks like a Latino convenience store from the outside. Certainly not fancy. But, as soon as you step through the door you'll know you made no mistake. The smell is amazing and the food on the patrons' plates is generous and appetizing. And, you'll feel transported to Latin America. All the standbys are there that you'd expect on a Mexican menu, but skip that stuff and be a little more adventurous. You won't be disappointed. We had a pork and cheese stuffed papusa that arrived with a side of crunchy fresh cabbage drizzled with salsa. We split a single large tamal that had a creamy texture to the masa and a marinated chicken center. Delicious. Platanos Fritos (fried plantains) were served with sour cream and refried beans. They were a little crunchy but soft inside and just slightly sweet. Yum. We did ours as desert because it arrived a little later, but glad it did. We split an entre of Carne Asada. Thin sliced, marinated, tender beef grilled perfectly and served with rice, beans, guacamole, lettuce and certainly home made steamed tortillas. So home made were the tortillas and papusa, that you could picture the preparation in the kitchen. All this plus two top shelf margaritas for $27. We'll be back again and again until we've thoroughly sampled the Mexican and Salvadoran menu. read more

Tasty veggie food, nice staff. The daily drink specials are pretty good, too, so you should check those out. The food is inexpensive, so it's a great deal. read more

LOVE the pupusas. Whenever I go they are surprised that that's all I'm ordering, but they're just so good I have to fill up on them. The curtido (lightly fermented cabbage) that accompanies the pupusas is not to be missed. SO good. read more

Their pupusas with pork and cheese ( chicharrón y queso) are freaking awesome!!! Their other dishes are great as well. This place is a must for Salvadorean food. The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is because I did take out once and they put the salad in with the hot food in the same container so the salad wilted and wasn't cold by the time I made it home. Which was 25 min away. read more

I agree with the majority of reviewers - excellent home style Salvadoran food, massive portions, restaurant has a divey appearance from the outside but absolutely worth getting over it and going inside. Have been here a half dozen or so times in the past year, with groups, always good. Get the pupusas and platanos for sure, the Salvadoran meals are the best. read more

chips were very bland and stale, salsa was pretty good. the real problem was our server, who was rude from the get-go; didnt provide drinks timely and then took a while to take our order. then when i ordered (with the actual names on the menu) the confusion really started. the server argued with me about what i was ordering and i ended getting something completely different. will not be back. read more

Great food in Durham. Glad the wife and I stopped by. We split the Plato Tipico and liked everything that was included. We don't live in Durham, but would be happy to go next time we come into town. I'd check it out if you're a fan of "mexican food" and want to expand to something different than the standard rice and beans combo fare. read more

Great selection and at very reasonable prices. It is always a good sign when there is a lot of take out orders by people that look like they work on construction sites because you know that you get a good value for your money and no different here. $7 for lunch will get you a very satisfying meal and the atmosphere is so authentic, I was relieved they did not require me to order from the menu using my high school Spanish. very nice and friendly staff, complimentary chips and salsa and huge portions. read more

We stopped by on a Friday night, craving Mexican food, and the place was hopping. A lively atmosphere and good service. The food was also good. My wife had a fish dish she enjoyed and I had a steak dish that came with an egg and hard cheese (don't recall the name, on the list of specials). It was tasty -- the steak was cooked perfectly. The salsa was definitely better than average. The biggest miss on the evening for me were that the chips were stale. We'll be back. read more

delicious bean and cheese pupusas with tamarindo drink!! great price. Restaurant is a salvadorean/mexican gem in durham,nc.

Exceptional Mexican and Salvadorean food. The papusas and tamales were delicious. Had the camarones a la plancha. Shrimp was fresh and crunchy and came with delicious refried beans. Will definitely be coming here again! read more

This place is so good! Great service and the food is authentic and very tasty! This place is very small and your not into staying to eat they have fresh takeout! read more

Truly fabulous Mexican and Salvadorian food. Tasty with generous portions and not too expensive! Will go hear consistently to fill my taco and pupusa cravings. read more

Never been here before and read reviews and found interested.... Great food and service ... Decent portions.. Very satisfying.. Had the fajita for two meal excellent read more

The pupusas and the plantanos are my favorites. Don't shy away from the tiny parking lot or the outside appearance. The staff are kind and your fellow patrons are warm and friendly. Great place to take kids. read more