We came for lunch on Mother's Day. The service was excellent, the atmosphere clean and comfortable. The food was AMAZING and so well priced. Thank you for such an enjoyable experience!! . (Only negative but not a biggie: the bathrooms could use a bit of love.). Brooke read more

One day in like April I had a class near here. Was excited to try it out but even though the online times said it was open, the doors where locked. I came back the 4th of may on my last day of living in Richmond. Came with my friends and my dad. Got 2 pupusas with cheese and bean. Amazingggg! I hadn't had good pupusas in a while. Also got the yuca. I didn't really like the sauce it was a little to spicy for my taste, but other than that everything was amazing. Menu was easy to understand especially for my friend who had never had pupusas before. Def recommend to everyone loved it! read more

Holy moly. What an unexpected yummy surprise. The food was absolutely amazing. I had a a sample of a few menu items - the zucchini pupusa, carnitas taco, yuca fries and the pork torta. The pork torta sandwich was delicious!! The only negative was when our food came out it was grouped by type of dish, not by who ordered it. So my taco came out with my neighbor's tacos and my pupusa came with my husband's. After a little plate swapping, we got it figured out. read more

Came in on Conco De Mayo. It was a long wait as the small staff seemed unprepared for the huge surge in customers. Groups at every table and more waiting. Despite this, the food came out and was totally worth the wait! I loved the tilapia and fried yucca sooo bomb read more

Cute little restaurant. When we arrived there was just on person working the whole restaurant. We almost left because he was so busy.. but after about 12 minutes he brought us chips which were really good. The salsa that came with them was also amazing. We ordered papusas. The curtido had jalapeno in it and tasted really fresh. Taking a star off because the bathroom was dirty. My shoes were sticking to the floor. But I would go back. The food is filling and delicious. read more

El Pope has 4+ stars for a reason. Everything here is good and it's affordable!! Best carnitas tacos I've ever tasted and delicious papusas. Why are you still reading?? Hop in the car and go! read more

We just came back for brunch today and had a great experience. Looks like the menu in addition to the name have changed since our first visit, but we confirmed that the owner is the same. The value and quality of our food was really good. Definitely would hit them up for brunch again and I'm curious to now try them for dinner. read more

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great service and great food! i've come here more than a few times since i moved to richmond and i've never regretted it! very affordable too! read more

Nothing like a delicious, juicy torta from your local Latin American restaurant! Flavorful every time, with consistently good service (I've been eating here for 3 years and have never had a single complaint). This is definitely a hole in the wall restaurant you'll fall in love with. Quality food, kind owners, fair prices and great atmosphere. Ps- If you want a drink try the Salvadoran Breeze! read more

El Pope - Chicken Torta - Latin American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Food is always amazing and authentic. They never disappoint. Drinks are strong, plates are cheap with great portions, do yourself a service and come here! read more

You and your friends discuss which is the best track on the Boygenius EP while waiting for pupusas. You feel something steadily form in the space between all of you. You cannot locate what it is at first but you sense that place is not just about location. You experience belonging among loved ones. Everywhere you've ever been has been informed by others. You become aware of your personhood informing your friends. Their impression of their surroundings is touched slightly by your presence. a. If you become self-conscious and need to escape go to Sally Beauty (https://www.yelp.com/biz/sally-beauty-supply-richmond-8?osq=Sally+Beauty) b. If you find yourself losing track of the other places you can run off to and something pleasant floats around you and your friends, your adventure ends here read more

Great tacos omg. The pupusas are also amazing. Yuca fries as natural as they come. Not a single flaw here 10/10 taco spot. Wish they had birria tacos though I bet they would make some great ones. read more

This was a great little find in the fan. It is an unassuming place, but ohhh so good. The service was friendly and personable. It was surprisingly not crowded for a Saturday night. We shared Pastelitos, which came with choices stuffed with potato, veggies, shrimp or cheese. My whole party ordered different items and were all pleased. I had the fish special which was reasonably priced and full of flavor. I look forward to returning again. read more

Please do yourself a favor and give this place a try! The shrimp and crab sopapilla is like nothing I've ever had - 12$ for the freshest tasting seafood I've had in Richmond, smothered in a perfectly-balanced tangy cream sauce. Ate here with one of my friends for his first visit and he no joke teared up after his first couple bites of the shrimp and crab sopapilla. One of the best hidden gems within Richmond! read more

El Pope - Latin American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Such good service. Loved the dude who took the order over the phone. Super nice and helpful and even helped us decided our food options. Very happy with the costumer service. read more

This restaurant was delicious. I attended dinner here with people who had not been either, so we were all trying each other's food. I really liked my carnitas tacos, BUT I had someone's crab and shrimp sopapillas and holy cow that was so good. I also had some calamari, but I wasn't a huge fan because of the olives. I had some of their grilled romaine salad as well and that delicious. A couple of people ordered the mojito as their drink and they thought it was good, so hopefully I'll be back and order that! The service was great! I'd definitely give this place another try! read more

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We went there early on a weekend. The overall ambience was cozy and clean. Our server was good. Loved the Pollo Loco and Chicken Sopapilla! Sadly, there were no chips and salsa starters and no happy hour deals. read more

El Pope - Pollo Loco - Latin American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

First the food. The papusas were great. Three out of the four in my party got them and were happy. The downside was the menu and the service. The menu had spaghetti on it. Spaghetti is not what I think when I think Latino cuisine. Neither are burgers. The menu is schizophrenic. The service was so so, with a lack of detail vibe. Our server didn't have a pad, and had to come back to verify our orders. Not horrible, but again, not optimal. read more

First time visit: I went to lunch here for the first time. I had 1 shrimp and cheese pupusa 1 Tilapia and cheese pupusa and 2 Chorizo tacos on corn tortillas. The pupusas were very cheesy and it was kinda hard to taste the shrimp and tilapia. But they were well made. The chorizo tacos were beautiful. They were spicy and delicious. Each dish came with a nice spicy cabbage slaw and homemade salsa which was delicious. Four items came to a total of $11 and some change. I bet the entree's are awesome. I will be back for those. read more

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Glad I got to check out this spot with some foodie friends, after much anticipation. I tried a BLT salad and the Shrimp & Crab Sopapilla. Okay, was I wowed? No. Was the food good? Yes. The service was ok, but felt a little off. Maybe like a feeling of trying to hard by checking in too much, yet not trying hard enough by not listening and ensuring order accuracy. I'll give that a pass since fairly new, but definitely noted. Now, on to the food. The BLT salad sounded good on the menu. Little did I know it was a wedge salad-the word wedge wasn't mentioned in the description AT ALL. I'm not impartial to a wedge salad, but it wasn't what I thought I was ordering. Also received blue cheese dressing when I'd asked for ranch. I eat both, but the blue cheese was super thick, so I definitely had to switch these out. The salad was okay, but I think I already wasn't feeling it since being thrown off by the description. The shrimp & crab sopapilla was good. It had a little unexpected heat, but nothing too crazy. Again, just unknown that it would. The portions were big and I actually ended up boxing up half of my dish to take home. I think like all new establishments, there may be a few kinks to work out. The food was good, service could use a little work, and menu could be updated to reflect true description and heat levels of dishes. I would give this spot another try in a few months, and try something different as well. read more

El Pope - Small BLT Salad. Menu doesn't say this is a wedge salad, but FYI it's a wedge salad. - Latin American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Always delicious food! Service is excellent and rarely ever crowded...for now. Also incredible brunch prices.

Honestly there isn't much to say about this place. Not because its bad, but also not because its good. It's overpriced for portion sizes, and the food quality doesn't make up for it. The staff is by no means rude or uninviting, but strangely never present. It's as though you walk into an empty building and eventually someone materializes and asks what you want, then brings it to you, and on the third visit to the table brings the check. One of the biggest problems with this restaurant is its just a place. IT IS BORING. The food, staff, decor, atmosphere, and overall experience leaves much to be desired. I wouldn't recommend this place. Which bothers me because with only a few changes it could be an awesome place to eat and meet friends. read more

SO GOOD. It's super good an definitely recommended the pupusas! They are super good! And the punch is super yummy! read more

El Pope - Latin American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I met the owner a few months ago when I heard him say he was opening a Latin Mediterranean fusion restaurant. I was extremely interested and couldn't wait to try it. I finally did the other night and I'm extremely thankful I did. My friend and I were taking a Friday night art class across the street when I saw how close it was I thought it would be perfect for our break. My friend order the chicken with artichokes and spinach which had an amazing lemon sauce on it! She gave me a bite, and I wanted to steal the rest!! My dinner was good too, but hers was better. I order chicken (was supposed to be a sub, but they put it on a bed of lettuce since I'm limited on my carbs) that came with pickled vegetables and a yummy tomato type salsa/sauce. This place was good, we were able to get in and out in an hour and I plan on coming back to order the chicken with lemon sauce. read more

Ahhh el Pope - picked up takeout- elderly couple sitting at the bar ( bars are supposed to be closed for Covid 19) owner standing in front of them all having a nice chat- no masks to be seen on anybody. If you can't follow the rules to not die or kill people of Cv19 what else in sanitation do you not follow???? It really concerning of such obvious disregard for your customers. read more

We finally tried ElPope. There was no disappointment! The only bummer due to Hurricane Flo they did not have any of their fresh, fish that sounds amazing. The server was delightful. L My husband ordered the Dragon Burrito! Wow can you say delish? If you are a bacon lover this is a MUST have. I ordered the crab and shrimp sopapilla. It was amazing. The beans are just perfect too. One of my favorite things was the chips and salsa. Rather then tortilla chips they served perfectly delightful thinly sliced plantain chips. We will be back! read more

OMG... how this place has never been on Yelp is a mystery to me. This place is has the best food.. the nicest staff and CLEAN !!! IF you want the BEST food EVER in Richmond come check this place out. The Tortas are to die for!!! Happy National Tequilla Day!! Dan read more

They had me at bacon! This close by restaurant has a varied menu and a good beer selection. I was greeted promptly and politely. The atmosphere was nice. For my first visit I tried the "dragon burrito" to go. This is a large hearty burrito wrapped in bacon. This is my new favorite burrito. The jalapeño sauce was served on the side. This was nice because a little goes a long way with me. read more

El Pope - Takeout menu - Latin American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Absolutely delicious! This was my first time here and it impressed me so much! I will definitely be back. The cocktails are $5 and the beers are $5-$6. The pupusa's are out of this world! Make sure to try them as well as the tacos! 10/10 would recommend! read more

I've been here three times in the past week for drinks. The first time, they were delicious. The second time, the person who made my drinks did not know what they were doing and I seemed to know the drink recipe better than he did. They weren't very good. The third time, I was hopeful, as I thought the same bartender who made my drinks the first time would be making them. However, when she started making them, someone else working just shoved her out of the way and took over. Lame. Sufficed to say, i ended up with bad drinks again. Three stars for inconsistency and also the curly haired guy who oversteps every time i go in there. read more

PAPUSAS!! I love this place. It's so cheap, so fresh, fast, friendly employees, it rocks. I now love papusas.

El Pope has the best Papusas in town! I can't believe I didn't know this place existed until yesterday but I'm so happy I stumbled upon this little gem! The restaurant is cutely nestled in the fan area so it can be easily missed-but it's within walking distance to VCU campus so I urge you to make the adventure to go check it out! The ambiance here is very nice (almost gives me an island feel) and the Latin American food served is unparalleled! The papusas and steak tacos were a big hit among our group and the best part is- it's all very reasonably priced (including drinks). We will definitely be back soon for more! read more

Great food and great service! My friend and I stopped in after a class at the Visual Arts Center. We really enjoyed our food. The Chicken Breast Limonata was delightful. The chicken was cooked well and the sauce was fantastic. My friend got the Pan Rellano which she said had a nice bite to it. We will be sure to check this place out again. read more

El Pope - Latin American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Best papusas in town. Solid dishes overall. Very clean and low-key place to take a date or eat lunch solo. It's family owned and they're the kindest people ever. Brunch is pretty banging for less than $10. The Jalapeno peach margarita is super legit. Not too sweet, just enough spicy to get your afternoon right. Been here two days in a row now. read more

El Pope - Super good papusas - Latin American Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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Two tacos al pastor, and a pupusa, and I am really impressed with how each item had just the right touch. Fresh ingredients, hot right out of the kitchen, the pastor had a great taste - not too sweet, but still juicy while having a slight char or caramelization effect going on - and the slaw/cabbage with the pupusa was great, and the different salsas that came with everything were fresh and perfectly spicy (but I do like a little heat in my salsa). If you're Yelping, make sure to look at a recent menu photo as I think it has changed from some of the older photos - the menu link on Yelp is outdated. Confession: I caved from my non-sugar diet and got the tres leches for dessert. It was definitely homemade, and was resting in a little puddle of milk in the delicious way that it should. I felt it was a touch sweet for my taste, and I think the whipped topping was maybe cool whip, but I swiped the whipped stuff off and inhaled as much of the cake as I could. Good service too, and I hope they stay in business because it is clear that the owners put a lot of effort in the quality, freshness and authenticity of their food. This place should have been packed because it is also a nice place to chill in. Staff was more than attentive and really good natured. This place will be on my mind for some time and will be my first meal stop next time I'm in Richmond. read more

Not sure why it took me so long to head over to this spot. The tacos are killer. But yo, best Bloody Mary in Richmond - hands down! Looking forward to trying out brunch next weekend. read more

This place is great! Food is delicious, fast and inexpensive. They served the best carnitas I have ever had and the pupusas were so good I just had to come back for another one. The chips and salsa were also great. The service is excellent because they are usually pretty slow but I can't figure out why because it is so amazing! read more

This place was awful. I don't know what happened but I've been a regular at this place for the last two years. Today I came in ordered the Elote brunch which quite literally has corn in the name (it's the main ingredient), which i've ordered plenty in the past and haven't had problems with. My friend ordered the pupusa brunch, both our orders had egg shells in them and there was no flavor. Our chips came at the same time as our main dishes which has never happened usually we're seated with water and chips. Our water was never filled until we had to ask. We were handed no utensils until we once again had to ask for them at least 30 minutes into being seated there. The service was just plain bad and I was seated by a door that hit my chair every time the door was opened. Really disappointing. read more

Hubby and I wanted to try something new. We walked in and were asked to sit at a dirty table. We opted to sit at the bar. We ordered drinks. I was excited to try the jalapeño peach margarita but was told by the bartender that he had six other drinks to make. A waiter came to take our order and brought us chips and a ridiculously hot salsa. It was literally chopped vegetables in hot sauce. Still no drinks, not even water. And that's the end of this review. We left after 20 minutes. There were three front employees and six tables. Don't bother! Zero stars! read more

Good pupusa. Enjoyed my meal. Look forward to returning.