Outstanding food, service and renovations! We enjoyed this lazy Saturday in Seaside, CA. Ordered the Plantanos with Horchata and Cola Champagne. We went to Fiddler on the Roof in Salinas that was also outstanding and still playing until this Saturday. read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Outstanding food, renovations, drinks (Horchata and Cola Champagne) and service. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Great service TAMALES DE GALLINA ARE SO GOOD! Me encantan Clean Good environment read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Pupusas y Tamal - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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In Seaside after a baseball game at MPC, we had not been here since 2015, so I was very excited to stop here again. We kept it simple, popusas and the sweet corn tamal, I have tried popusas from allot of different places and these have been the best I have tried to this day. They remodeled since the last time we were here and it looks great, clean bathrooms, there is always a soccer game playing. We have always had great service, fast and helpful and friendly. read more

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Great food and service.. every time I go they impress me!! Highly recommend going if in the area

Small family restaurant. BEST carnitas I have ever had!! The pupusas were also great!

Excellent food. Reasonable prices. Good service. Have never had a bad meal here. Good for lunch or dinner.

I came with my mom and holy cow! The pupusas are so good!! We are Salvadoran and I was impressed. I got the tamal de gallina and the 2 pupusas (bean and cheese and queso con loroco). They are filled the way they should be and the curtido and salsa is not spicy (the way they are made at other places). I also got the shrimp cocktail and it was delicious. I highly recommend this place and will most definitely be coming back. read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Shrimp Cocktail - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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El Salvadorian review- Pupusa revueltas that are VERY sad. No filling, absolutely from the freezer, paper thin. Cortido had no salt, no vinegar, no oregano, too much jalapeño. Salsita was fine. Tamales salvadoreños were watery. Probably frozen. Beans and platanos were good. Hard to mess up. We have been eating here for years as a family and the food has never been this quality. We hope they make a change to bring it back to way out once was. read more

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My friend suggested this place and I am so happy I got to try it! A no-frills Salvadorian restaurant, the spot had a low key, welcoming vibe. We were served complimentary chips and salsa, which was great - the chips were satisfyingly crunchy! I ordered the horchata and it was very tasty. The drink was made fresh with cinnamon and additional spices that made the drink even more wonderful. It was incredibly creamy, milky and refreshing with the right amount of sweetness. My friend and I decided to share everything. We started off the papusa with a chicken tamale. The restaurant allowed us to choose 2 different types of papusa. I opted for the pork and cheese, which was absolutely delicious! The outer breading was moist and tender, and there was plenty of well seasoned and tender pork, along with tons of cheese, making it all mouthwatering! The tamale was also good, with yummy shredded chicken. For the entree, we went for the Tex Mex Fajitas and were allowed to choose 2 different kinds of meat, so we selected steak and shrimp. This also came with rice and beans, onion, green peppers, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, chopped tomatoes, and onion. And homemade tortilla, of course. The steak was perfectly seared, juicy and bursting with flavor. The shrimp was also enjoyable and they were generous with the amount. Both were cooked to perfection and tasted really amazing in the tortilla with all the trimmings. Our waitress was lovely and she knew the menu well, so made informed recommendations for us. She was friendly and kind. I also appreciated that she was so accommodating with our order. The prices were reasonable, as everything is below $15. Also, the portion sizes are large. I would definitely like to return, as there are so many appetizing choices on the menu! read more

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We stopped here on the way to 17mile drive. Just looked for some food. We had a very pleasant experience. Good food. Very clean place. Everything was fresh. Bottom line: I recommend this restaurant read more

The food was horrible I order 6 pupusas. It was supposed to beans and cheese and it had no cheese on none of them. I will never order there again . They don't care for their customers. It was my first and last time I go there. They should care about their customers even if it's a small order. The food could read more

Pupusas de chicharron with their curtido and salsa! Can't go wrong!! Service is friendly

Amazing. Pupusas r fire. The bistec is life changing. You can tell they put time into the food. Come for the food, stay for the fun salvadoreño vibes read more

Personally one of my favorite restaurants in the Monterey Bay are!!!!! So glad I have been to this Salvadoran restaurant!! The service is absolutely Great!! I love the ambiance of this place as it is casual and festive. The food is delicious on so many levels and the presentation is the Best!! Enchiladas Cancun are a must!!!!! read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Enchiladas Cancun (With Rice & Beans) - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

This is the worst burrito I've ever had . Chicken was so dry, must have been sitting around for awhile. And there wasn't much in there, i could only finish half and it was a tiny burrito. Was not happy after this. read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Chicken Burrito with Bic for size comparison - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Pretty great little local spot. I was craving seafood and got the breaded shrimp and fish tacos. The shrimp were breaded freshly and super jumbo! The tacos had big portions of fish and very well prepared. My kiddo isn't a huge seafood fan and ate everything! Pupusas my husband ordered were nicely made and not soggy like other places. We were glad to find this place and will come again when we visit again. read more

Me and my gf decided to give this place a try. Huge mistake we order a total of 5 popusas. On the first popusa my gf found a nice gift in her food (hair). Nasty read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Popusas with extra protien - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Walked in to the restaurant and was immediately greeted, even though they were serving a party of 16. Was provided a menu and a few minutes to look it over, no pressure, ordered the bistec encebollado, and a couple of bean & cheese pupusas, as well as the orchata. Everything was served hot, perfectly cooked. The steak was so tender I was able to cut it with a fork. The salsa was some of the best I've ever tasted. The pupusas were full of beans, cheese, yet not greasy. Not sure why this place only scores a 4.2 but it's 5 star in my travels and lord knows I've been just about everywhere in my lifetime. read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Bean & Cheese pupusas - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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The Filete Migueleno (grilled fish with red sauce, served with guac, a cheese enchilada with green sauce, and sour cream) is delicious and a thing of beauty. Pupusas are good (as one would expect). The restroom was a bit dark and sketchy. No soap and no paper towels is a "no no." read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Filete Migueloeno (fish fillet served with cheese enchilada)--delicious - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

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Exploring Salvi food with a born and raised Salvi babe is challenging at times because they now well great cooking of hand. Well. 2 dishes and and horchata later we both had smiles. Food was just great. The pupusas were not greasy, taste was great. The soup was as they mentioned free range. It was overall an awesome taste bud experience, especially for someone who is particular about hometown cuisine. read more

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The service is amazing and so is the food,drinks,everything and the employers are amazingly nice I really recommend this place and everything is always clean and nice! read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Dessert nuegados, Pupusas (a la Carte) Pupasas y Tamal (2) Tamales de Gallina (2) - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Had a very pleasant lunch today with my gentleman friend after getting pedicures at our favorite spot around the corner Pro Top Nails (on Fremont Ave.). I ordered a Tecate to get things going and he orderd the Orchata (they didn't spell it with an "h" for some reason, I know it's silent in Spanish and all but...) We started with a Pork& Cheese Papusa and a Loroco & Cheese ( a vine flower indigenous of Central America) and they were killer especially the pork one so I ordered 7 "para llevar". I got the #14 a combo of one enchilada, one taco - soft or hard and a chili relleno served with a small salad, rice and beans. Everything was pretty good... I opted for chicken since our server liked chicken better and it was tasty but almost too healthy tasting for me (lacked a rich deep chicken fatty flavor)... which is good for people looking for healthy Salvadorean fare and my gentleman friend ordered the carnitas which too was tasty but again lacking the fatty flavor that I craved. His carnitast dish came with 5 nice sized somewhat large chunks of carnitas, salad, beans and a side of piping hot tortillas - flour or corn. I ordered another beer and 2 Salvadorean Chicken Tamales, 1 Salvadorean Elote Tamale served with Salvadorean Sour Cream to go with my Papusas... why not? Super friendly and very prompt service, I truly look forward to going back. Our young good looking waiter said that they started serving breakfast too... at 6am!!! 6am!!! I go to bed closer to 6am than anything... Next time I'm definitely trying one of their soups... my partner said he used to come here all the time to get the Caldo de Siete Mares to cure a hangover. They offer the seafood combo soup, a shirmp soup and a beef one too. read more

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The best, I'm glad I found this spot. It's away from all the expensive touristy restaurants. The service was great, price very reasonable. Please believe whenever I visit Monterey. read more

I love this place! My boyfriend and I come here all the time and absolutely love it. It is very authentic, which is refreshing. It is one of the only Salvadorian places, if not the only. I always get pupusas. Cant go wrong there. But today we decided to change things up. He got carnitas with beans and rice, and i got fried yuca with cheese and honey. Delicioso. The music was great, the environment is great. Dinner time is fun, and chill here, and the jukebox brought back memories from my home in Mexico. Might switch it up! I usually come here at lunch, but dinner was fun! Service is prompt and friendly. We are happy people. read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Basically the only Salvadorean restaurant in Monterey bay. I'm happy to say that their pupusas are really good. Not as good as my grandmas or El Salvadoreno in SD. But it's good enough to come back every two weeks for my cravings. Their menu is limited not many dishes I'm accustomed to eat that are regularly in a Salvadorean restaurant. There's a bar and a couple of tables and a tv that is alway playing soccer games. I recently noticed that there's more seats behind a wall. I wouldn't recommend to sit back there unless you like to feel your in a basement or close to the bathroom. read more

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We for pupusas and ended up buying plantain empanadas with dulce leches the owner also fried plantains for the order fresh . The pupusas were really good especially with the hot sauce they were not greasy but crisp on the outside, the fried plantains came with beans and cream that were interesting combo , overall I highly recommend read more

Was looking for a Mexican alternative and found this great little place. Had an amazing chicken soup dinner for only $16.50! read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Had an amazing chicken soup dinner for only $11! - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Came here per the recommendation of a friend and it did not disappoint. It is hard to find authentic, reasonable priced food here in the 831. This place had bomb tamales and pupusas (I had two de revuelta) the tamale de pollo and two pupusas were 6.95 or something like that-- they also make decent mexican tacos (we had some de asada). The papas fritas were perfection-- crispy outside soft inside-- I will definitely come back here! Street parking makes it easy (we parked right outside) read more

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Huge portions, tasty fare. As a vegetarian, it's always a treat to have authentic Mexican food with NO lard in the beans! The flour tortillas are made fresh on site, and that is evident... when you hold one up, you can see the light shining through, the ultimate tortilla test. Great for breakfast or lunch, they even have several egg dishes. read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Clean and inviting. - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

I got 2 pork and cheese pupuas and a chicken tamale for $6.50 + tax. It was my first time trying El Salvadorian food and it was amazing! The pupusas were so flavorful and the tamale masa was so soft. read more

El Migueleno Restaurant - Pork & cheese pupusas, chicken tamale - Mexican Near Me - Seaside, California

Been a long time fan of this Salvadoran haunt, but I was a little disappointed with my last meal here! Now I should mention that I didn't order any seafood dishes, which is their specialty, so perhaps this review is a tad bit skewed. I ordered 3 dishes to go: chile verde, chicken enchiladas, and carnitas. The chile verde and enchiladas were delicious. Flavor for both were on point! The chile verde was sooo tender and the pepper pieces added a wonderful and savory kick to each bite. The enchiladas were *not* soggy (yay!) despite being smothered in sauce and transported in a styrofoam shell all the way home. My only qualm with that evening's food was with the carnitas. I was really looking forward to bites of savory and tender shredded pork... but when I opened the container a piece of pork tumbled out and literally bounced off the table and onto the floor. The carnitas were super dry... almost to the texture of thick jerky. I found a few tender morsels at the bottom of the pile, but overall I was really disappointed in the quality of this dish. El Migueleno otherwise is still one of my favorite Latin restaurants in the area. Next time I will just stick to their seafood dishes instead ;) read more

good salvadorian food and the pupusas the best in seaside city. and the attention excelent.

I was in the mood for Papusas and this place did not disappoint! They're not on the main drag in Seaside, but they're definitely worth finding. The only parking I could find was on the street and there was plenty of room when I went. I ordered the two Papusa and Tamal plate with a Pork and cheese and Loreco Papusas. Everything was great, fresh, and homemade. The cortido was great and also very fresh. The staff was super nice! I enjoyed my order so much I got one more pork and cheese. They also have plenty of Mexican dishes if you're more in the mood for tacos, enchiladas, etc. The next time I'm in the area, I'll definitely go back. This place was probably the best meal I've had in Seaside. read more

My food was okay - not extra good, but fine. But there were no other customers and it took a ridiculously long time to get my pupusas & tamale combo. And when it did arrive, the pupusas were hot but the tamale was room temperature. I was a bit concerned how long had it been sitting out. I would have enjoyed the taste of it much more if it had been hot. It was also pretty noisy, considering I was the only customer at a table. To-Go customers, friends, family, kids coming in from school - it got LOUD, in an annoying way because it was continuous throughout my time there. I'm not sure I'll be back. Probably not but may give it another go. read more

Definitely one of the best pupusas I have tried. Right amount of filling and perfect on the outside. Service here was exceptional, and the ambiance of the place is great! Will definitely visit this place again when out in Seaside. read more

What do you do when you have a pupusa fixation after camping in Big Sur? You go to El Migueleno Restaurant. After a good 26 mile drive from Big Sur we looked for restaurant to serve our morning needs of pupusas. I am born and raised in LA which is a pupusa empire only second to El Salvador. So I expected a good meal here. It did not upset. When we got there the sign on a Sunday, it said they were closed until 11am (time was 10:30). My girlfriend already in a hangry fit released a tear of rage. That is when we saw the waiter unlock the door and let us in! My mother was like we Salvis are everywhere far and near and the servers agreed! Pupusas: the pupusas were brought out quickly! They were not greasy which was a plus! I had a revuelta and a loroco one. The sauce was warm, it had a taste like that of my grandmas spices. The curtido had chile pieces which is uncommon in curtido but nevertheless was still good. Overall the food was great and next time we come up here we shall go to El Migueleno. read more

Too often, the foods of Central and South America are overshadowed by the more popular fare of their neighbor, Mexico. While many of the same ingredients find their way into the dishes of Mexico, Central America and South America, each country gives these ingredients signature flair. Around the Monterey Peninsula, you'll find a number of taquerias serving traditional Mexican favorites. But look a little closer, and you'll find spots that specialize in the food of other Central American countries. One of the best examples is hiding in plain sight--El Migueleño, specializing in El Salvadoran food and offering many traditional El Salvadoran dishes, like pupusas, yuca and tamales. The pupusas--stuffed masa fritters--come in three combinations: pork and cheese, bean and cheese, or loroco and cheese. The loroco and cheese was my favorite, the fluffy, fried masa stuffed with the earthy loroco vine. The yuca frita included chunks of yuca root--better known as cassava or manioc root--lightly fried and served with chicharrones. The yuca was a little dry, and needed some sauce to cut the starchy root. I loved the spicy salsa on top, even if it was a little watery for my tastes. I'm a big fan of tamales, and I loved the traditional El Salvadoran preparations on the menu--tamal de gallina and tamal de elote--stuffed with moist shredded chicken and potato or sweet corn, respectively. The menu also includes more traditional Mexican dishes. I ordered enchiladas verdes, with a green tomatillo sauce and topped with sour cream and avocado. The portion was quite generous, especially considering the price. Atmosphere and service were a little rough around the edges, but the value of the food more than makes up for the shortcomings in appearance. read more

PUPUSAS! OMG the best value for the most amazing pupusas. Kinda hungry? Order two pupusas and a glass of water and you will pay about $4. If you are really hungry order 4 pupusas and pay less than $8. Comes with amazing salsa and cabbage slaw. A nice treat for cheap. read more

I crave good pupusas at least once a month and I love this little place. They make some bomb pupusas. I usually order loroco w/cheese or beans w/cheese...although I wonder if they would make me some with chicken... Based on some hesitant looks I've seen about this restaurant, I'd say if you want higher-end waiter service, don't come and don't complain because that's not the point, but you're missing out and more for me. I've always had a pleasant time here. I like the casual atmosphere, the crazy jukebox and the fact that everyone here seems to always be kiind of drunk, I think its charming. Nothing snooty here, just beer and good pupusas. :) read more

This place has excellent food! The Pupusas everyone raves about are rave-worthy! Very interesting, had never had them before and now I have come back 3 times! Inexpensive food and good service! My husband and I both leave with our bellies full and to-go boxes for under $20! Don't let the exterior of this place fool you! Stop in! DO try the Pupusas! :) read more