I came here an a whim because I was craving pupusas. Service was fast and friendly and the restaurant was a decent size. Very clean restaurant. Pupusas were fantastic and came out piping hot! They are all made to order so be patient. It took about 15-20 minutes to come out. Yes, it takes a while, but totally worth the wait. I highly recommend giving this place a try! read more

Literally the best place in the OC to get pupusas. It's a little hole in the wall place but legitimately some of the most delicious food. It does take a while for the food to be made so you just got to be patient. Well worth it though! read more

My coworker and I decided to get some food from here during our lunch break. We got there a little after it opened on a Monday morning and it was totally empty. We ordered a few things and it took almost 25 minutes before getting our food which seemed like a long time. Last minute we changed our mind and decided to get our food to go and eat at local park because it was extremely hot and stuff in here and it was really uncomfortable to stay in. The food was really good. Especially for the price. I wouldn't mind coming back in the future. read more

El Pulgarcito - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

El Pulgarcito is definitely worth a visit once you actually find it! My Apple Maps couldn't even locate the place, so I had to switch over to Google Maps. Even then, I circled around for a good 10 minutes because it's hidden in the back in a little plaza. So just a heads up: don't give up, it's there! I even bought some snacks while I was there, but of course the main event was the pupusas. I ordered the jalapeno & cheese and the regular cheese pupusa. Portions are no joke these things are filling! I was only able to finish one and took the other to go. Everything was hot, cheesy, and super comforting. The curtido and salsa on the side tied it all together perfectly. Prices are very reasonable too, especially considering how generous the portions are. The atmosphere is unpretentious with that true hole in the wall vibe, which makes it feel even more authentic. I went with my YE gf who's Salvadoran, and she gave this place her stamp of approval. Our server, Ayli, was so sweet and really on top of everything, making sure we were well taken care of the entire time. This place gets busy, and with food being made to order, patience is key. But if you're craving authentic Salvadoran pupusas, this is the place. Just plan ahead for parking and navigation, it's a hidden gem in more ways than one! read more

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When you're craving scrumptious Salvadoran food that delivers on flavor and value, come to El Pulgarcito. This unassuming spot in an oddly spacious strip mall is well worth the visit. My first impression when I stepped into the shop: This place is hella clean! Usually, hole-in-the-wall spots are a bit rough around the edges (which gives them character and, to be fair, ain't nobody got time to clean in this economy), but this place is the exception. Even the restroom was immaculate in terms of cleanliness. The service is great, too! Prompt, friendly, and efficient. And my server came to check on me after dropping off my food. I ordered a Coke Zero and two pupusas: 1) the jalapeño and cheese, and 2) the cheese, bean, and pork. The former actually had a kick to it, and the cheese pulls were impressive, and the latter was bean forward, but I was more than okay with that. I think it could've used a pinch of more salt, though. These came with a container of curtido and salsa roja. The accouterments were a bit too mildly seasoned for my taste, but they still provided a welcome touch of acidity and crunch. And all this came out to $11 (which includes tax but before tipping)!! This is the best meal deal I've encountered all year. read more

El Pulgarcito - Jalapeño and cheese pupusa (left) and cheese, bean, and pork pupusa (right). Coke Zero, cortida, and salsa roja in the background - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

Whether dine-in or take out, El Pulgarcito always delivers! Aside from Balompie in San Francisco, if you find yourself in this area and craving true authentic El Salvadorean food, there's no need to look elsewhere. I made that one mistake in Antioch, Ca (1-Star review on Yelp & Google) so trust me- this trip made up for it 110%! As for food experience, we usually order chicharron con queso or just plain loroco but this time, we opted for a couple of new items on the menu: Rigua con crema and a breakfast plate. A large Horchata order can be shared for two. Friendly and attentive staff even though at the time of visit there were a couple of large parties (6+) she made sure we were good! The overall set-up of the restaurant is almost like cafeteria style :) read more

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Just wow amazing pupusas! We got one of each chicken, shrimp and pork all of them are just so tasty! Best pupusas we ever had and the price, extremely affordable during these kind of economy, service friendly and kind. It really is a hidden gem of OC you have to have to try it. read more

A hidden gem in Orange. I have passed by this restaurant so many times I didn't even know it was there! Popped in for dinner with a friend and it didn't disappoint the cravings for pupusas! They were delicious. And I loved the pina ensalada drink, it tastes really authentic. The service was quick, fresh, and the server was kind and attentive. Check it out! read more

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Very good and convenient location, place is very big, clean and organized, they do have a stand for snacks which is great, we didn't order much but enough to try, we like it very much, cheese was great but the beans that they used are not exactly Salvadorian beans, drinks flavors also were a little too sweet for my taste but like I said, the cheese is really good. Also the service was amazing the girl was very nice she explained everything to us and the food came very fast. read more

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I've been craving pupusas but they don't have many options in north OC. I'm glad I found El Pulgarcito because the reviews are on point when they say this is one of the best spots to get pupusas. We got the pork and cheese, jalapeño and cheese, and chorizo pupusas. They make them fresh to order and came out piping hot. Still crispy like it was right off the grill. They were delicious and pretty big. I like that you got a good amount filling and not too much masa (unlike a few other places I've visited). We also ordered Yuca fritas and chicharron, which were okay. The pupusas were definitely the star of our meal. Plenty of curtido and salsa on the table to add to your plates which was much appreciated. I love adding a good amount curtido to my pupusas. The pina drink was so good!! I ordered a medium but definitely ordering a large next time. We came around 6pm on Saturday and it wasn't crowded. Our server came over to us quickly to get us started and was attentive the whole time we were there. They have a lot of tables and the restaurant looked clean. read more

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Loved this place! It's was so cute. I felt like the pupusa's were very tasty, made fresh, and reasonably priced. Everyone was super sweet and helpful here, and the restaurant was very clean. My only complaint would have to be the corn tamale, probably one of the driest tamales I've ever had. They didn't necessarily have it on the menu, I had to ask if they had it. So if you don't see something on the menu, it's not always good to ask for it I suppose. read more

El Pulgarcito - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

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This place is the real deal. A family run buisess. Their papusas are stuffed generously and the sourkraut mixture they put on top is perfection. read more

I am so happy that we were recommended to try this spot! We came around 7pm for dinner and this spot did not disappoint. It is very small and the tables were pretty full but we sat down right away. The food was amazing and honestly some of the best pupusas I have had! I ordered the squash and the shrimp and cheese pupusas and although I did inhale them I don't think I would order the shrimp ones again. It just didn't hit but the squash were very good!! My husband ordered the chicharrón and beans and cheese and he loved them both! I loved the size of the pupusas! The ones I've had at other spots are much too big and I can never finish more than one! I prefer to get different flavors so I'm very appreciative of the size of these because I can have more! The curtido and salsa were also spot on! We also had the platano and beans with crema and the fried Yuka without the chicharrón. Hands down the beans were some of the best I've had. I don't know what they did to them but they were absolutely delicious! The yuka was also fried really well and I like dipping them into the beans it was very satisfying. The service was great and the girls were very sweet but the ONLY downside I would say is that they did take a very long time to make the meals. I'm assuming because they are made fresh to order so with that in mind I don't mind the wait. I can see this being an issue if you were ordering to go. I did unfortunately come in starving so the wait time felt worse but either way I love this little spot! read more

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So good I forgot to take a Pre-photo so I will take a midway one lol. Best Pupusa place in OC hands down my husband and I love it I will never go back to that one other place I went last night,. I love the customer service how they check on you to see if you are good and how kind and respectful they are if I could give 10 stars overall I would read more

El Pulgarcito - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

You wanna eat some good pupusas this is this place to eat by far one of the best spots out here in this area. I really enjoyed my dinner last night and the service was really really good. The food had that good taste if you're in the area stop on by. read more

Pupusas are yummy, yucca frita is yummy, pastelitos de plátano is yummy. This place is a 20min drive for me but that's ok because the food is so good. I also like that they have horchata salvadoreña and also, they are not stingy with the curtido and salsa roja. It does take some time for the food to be made but it's all worth it. read more

These are really good pupusas, they're a good size and have a good amount of filling. I got the revueltas and was satisfied with the flavor. The horchata also tastes authentic! They were still nice and hot by the time I got home while sitting in 45 minute traffic. The only thing I wished was they had an option for non-spicy salsa and curtido so my toddler could eat it. Besides that everything was amazing and authentic. read more

El Pulgarcito - Pupusa - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

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Best pupusas hands down! Have been here multiple times, quality of the food is excellent. read more

El Pulgarcito - Pupusas - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

Best pupusas in the OC! Everything tasted made to order. Try the chicharron and revueltas. Super friendly service. read more

El Pulgarcito - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

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If you're craving for some delicious savory pupusas, then this is one of the places that will satisfy them cravings. There are wide variety of choices to select from. And on top of that, there are other options other than fhe pupusas as well, such as the pescado plate that comes loaded with stir fried carrots and jicama on top of a fully filetted fish along with a heapful of crispy fries. The service staffs were very friendly and helpful with the menu. The place is clean, well-lit and spacious. The location can easily be missed as it is in a somewhat darkened plaza with no big signs. But overall, this place is a definite try if you're ever in Orange and wanting to try some Honduran/El Salvadoran food. read more

El Pulgarcito - Indoor - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

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The pupusa with pork and cheese was delicious! Only $3.95 each pupusa. The Tamale $4.25 wasn't that good but that's my opinion people might like it but it wasn't for me. The people working there are very nice. The Horchata was good! I would come back here again. read more

El Pulgarcito - Pollo de Tamale - Chicken Tamale - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

Boy oh boy oh boy! Pupusas can't get better than this! Fresh and piping hot with a heaping serving of fresh and crunchy curtido and warm red salsa. At first we were getting a little frustrated by what seemed to be a very long wait but all that changed when the food arrived and we were blown away by how good everything was including the carne asada platter. Check out dine_n_dish_socal on IG for a detailed video of our experience here. read more

El Pulgarcito - Bomb pupusas - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

This place is definitely great ! The food was awesome , ordered two breakfast plates usually very bland but so much flavor here . Definitely coming back The pics won't do it justice read more

Great food, the customer service is amazing even if they r busy they check on you, the menu is huge so u have multiple options really great place read more

El Pulgarcito - Pupusa de queso - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

Ordered to go, late night eats hit hard. 20-30ish min wait for picking up; well worth as all the different pupusas we got were delicious! We got a mix but stand outs were the jalapeño and cheese one and the chicken and cheese. Also tried the pork and chicken tamales- I liked the smoother masa compared to other places. read more

We've only been to two Salvadorian restaurants so far, but El Pulgarcito is great enough that we haven't felt the need to try any more. The food is outstanding, and we have settled in with the pupusas revueltas and the albondigas soup as our go-to order. The staff is always friendly and helpful, and the jamaica agua fresca is among the best that I've had. read more

I used to always come here to buy pupusas and lately, the service and quality has dramatically dwindled. I went last week to place an order to go. One of the young ladies at the front was ready to take my order when another woman chimes in with a whole attitude and says,"FYI you're looking at at least an hour for your order". Mind you- she didn't even know what I was ordering and there was like 3 tables busy. I get it, you have a lot of orders but don't choo off customers like that, it's a total turn off and it's so rude. I will not be returning and I'll find a pupusas spot that has better service. This is why so many mom n pop restaurants close, lack of good service and quality. Do better Pulgarcito. read more

The service continues to be spot-on. EXAMPLE: I ordered a chicken tamale, the consistency was inadequate, the masa was soft and watery. I told the server and she was apologetic and told me that the tamales had just been made so the tamales did not have time cool. I wanted to try something new, so I ordered a LOROCO & cheese pupusa. I did not like it, there was nothing wrong with it ( simply not for me) FORTUNATELY as always the bean and cheese pupusas are DELICIOUS (my favorite) The true wonderful flavors of pupusas are found in the mixture of the refried beans and cheese. The Frijol y Queso are always DELICIOUS! This time I did order a large Horchata, perfect for a hot summer day. Normally the curtido is FANTASTIC, this time it was just ok. I think it was probably made today, so it was missing the normal curtido fermentation taste. Will I return to El Pulgarcito? YESSSS I WILL, as it still has great frijol y queso yummy yummy pupusas SIDE-NOTE: The pupusas are served with curtido and red salsa. I see people pouring the red salsa on top of the pupusas, I don't like wet tortillas, therefore I have no idea if the salsa enhances the pupusa flavor. read more

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Muy Buena comida ,El servicio efeciente ,los precios muy bueno ,lo unico esta muy escondido ,pero vale la pena encontrarlo yo regresare muy pronto read more

One of my favorite Pupusa spots in OC. My go to for a nice meal when we have trouble deciding on dinner.

The servers are sweet, the food is good, and the prices are fair. Solid pupusa spot!! read more

El Pulgarcito - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

Papusas were delicious! We ordered the revuelta and the chicarron and there was a good amount of filling inside. They also gave us a lot of the sauce and pickled veggies which is a definite plus. The restaurant itself was a decent size, we went in and ordered for to go (next time we'll call and order since it did take awhile). Service was good as well, the ladies at the front were nice. Will definitely come back! read more

This place is the spot for pupusas in OC. Call ahead on the weekdays for your pupusas since they are made to order and take a while. Prices are good and so is service. This place is very casual which is all the better considering i am always struggling to leave with how full i get! read more

El Pulgarcito - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

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Tried this restaurant today and it was delicious! Staff was so friendly to me as soon as I walked in ! Very clean inside ! Was a 10/10 for us. Will be back soon :) read more

Food great and the staff was friendly. This is not a fast food place, takes some time but you can tell by the quality of taste that the wait is worth it. We got there right before closing so I am happy they still served us and a-lot more people started to show up. There is no live music, some tv's but I think it's good so that you can carry a conversation. read more

El Pulgarcito - Pupusas with curtido. Sorry couldn't help myself to eat some before the picture. - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

El Pulgarcito in Orange is my favorite Salvadoran spot for takeout! The service is always timely, and the food--especially the pupusas--is consistently delicious. They offer great vegetarian options too, which keeps me coming back. Flavorful, fresh, and satisfying every time! read more

If you like good pupusas you will love this place. The customer service is great and they speak spanish and english. This spot is usually busy but it's understandable because the food is so good. It's a cute restaurant with plenty of tables. The horchata is not Mexican horchata but Salvadorian so it's thicker. Their pina drink is soo good I recommend it! It has little chunks of pineapple and apple in it. The curtido is amazing and has the perfect flavor. I love their rice as well read more

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On an outing today. My husband wanted to take me here because he'd been here once before. When I called to confirm they would be open (12/24 @ 12:45pm) the woman said, " Yes, until 4pm". I said, "Okay, great we'll stop by". Upon arrival we were told to order anything would be a two hour wait. What? There was no apology on her behalf. Two suggestions, place a sign on the door or better yet inform your customers on the phone before making a trip to the restaurant. This review is not based on the food but on the approach of customer service. read more

Tried giving this place another shot and there's nothing but continuous disappointments. On top of the fact that they take forever for an order whether it's dine in or take out. read more

El Pulgarcito - Salvadoran Near Me - Orange, California

We have been ordering our pupusas here since moving to the OC eight years ago. Our pupusas always taste delicious, the staff very friendly, and our order is always correct. We must dine in soon. read more