I have been coming here since I was little, and it's still the best Salvadorian food in San Mateo! The restaurant offers self-seating counter service, and the staff is helpful and attentive. There are many different Salvadorian plate options, but you can't pass up their delicious pupusas. The pupusas are made right in front of you and are served hot. The walls are decorated with beautiful paintings that highlight Salvadorian art during your meal. read more

This place was yummy! I needed some soup since I haven't been feeling well and this helped me feel better. I ordered the sopa de pollo. It had a piece of leg and thigh and it was so tender. It fell off the bone! The broth was comforting and it came with carrots, celery and potato. The rice alongside was so delicious though the portion was tiny! They made up for it with the thick tortillas. Overall the dish was amazing and great comfort food. I ordered this to go. read more

La Pinata Mexicatesen - Sopa de pollo - Latin American Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Great restaurant for Salvadorian food. I enjoyed the options to mix and match whatever filling you want, and the food was well made. I had a little terrible figuring out what everything on the menu is, but now I know for next time. The staff was very friendly, and there is lots of sauce for each table. There is a good amount of seating, but finding parking was a little challenging. Lots of people coming and going, mostly for takeout. Overall would totally recommend for a casual tasty meal at a good price. read more

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Los peores tamales de elote que he probado en mi vida que pecadooo malísimos,ojalá mejoren

I paid extra for a good pupusa revuelta with extra cheese and they gave me a simple cheese pupusa and they attended me with a rude mode. bad service and bad food. read more

I feel in love with this place! The food, the staff, all of it... AMAZING. I had two pupusa's and a tamale, the flavor was just perfect. Everyone there was in a good mood, laughing , it was a warm feeling being there. I have nothing to say more than this is a must try! Parking can be tricky! read more

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Real disappointment picked up food to go and they handed me my tamale's cold still like they were refrigerated.I understand that they were premade, but you could have warmed them up for me.I also ordered the yuca with pork and the pork was very chewy.Rubbery almost could tell it had days on it. Pupusas have always been a favorite.However, they did not hit home this time not sure.If the holiday season have them overwhelmed, but tummy was upset to say the least. read more

Staff is rude - I wish they would be more friendly. They roll over their eyes at you . And to give you 2 pupusas they take like 20 min

Yelpers got this one right! Was looking for pupusas, and found this place on Yelp. Finally, good Pupusas instead of the crapppy ones that I've tried via food trucks, Mission side streets, or that one in Pacifica. Absolutely fresh outside seared perfectly with great flavored pork and cheese. Bought 4 of them! The sour vegetables and sauce were awesome, and the Horchata wasn't too sweet and had a good balance of rice milk and cinnamon. They cook them near the front! Would definitely come here again and buy more Pupusas in a variety of other flavors. read more

La Pinata Mexicatesen - Latin American Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Came for pupusas and left very happy. This is a hole in the wall where everything is made right in front of you by hand. Order at the counter if you can decide what to get off their extensive menu! We came on a mission for pupusas so we got a variety. They were pretty greasy but delicious. Two was enough to fill me up! Cheese and loroco - This was mostly cheese with a few pieces of loroco, would probably get zucchini over this. Cheese and chicken - awesome. The chicken is so flavorful. Beans/rice - these weren't too notable in my opinion, I would not order them again. Sweet plantains - served w crema, so soft inside and crisp on the outside. Yum. The servers were so nice, I felt like I was in a family member's kitchen. read more

The food, staff and energy pulsating through out the restaurant affected my family in a positive way. It made me order more food to take home not just leftovers from dinner but extra meals!!!!! read more

Fresh yummie tortillas, I ordered the Pupusas and the fried chicken soup was outstanding, I will definitely return try different items.

I really love coming to this place. The menu has many excellent choices. Still, when you hear pupusas being slapped around, and knowing that they are made fresh-to-order, I tend to order the pupusas here. You can specify what is inside, and 2 of them come with a plate of rice, beans, and country salad (vinegared cabbage). People here are very friendly, and helpful. You may want to ask which agua frescas are available that day (the horchata is delicious). They also have deserts like alfajores cookies, and other sweets I still would like to explore. This is a casual place where people come to watch a soccer game, have lunch/dinner and maybe a beer to be with their family. What a neighborhood treasure. read more

This place seemed like a little hole in the wall restaurant but it was packed on a Tuesday night, so I had high hopes. They were not disappointed! Food was quite cheap (at least in relation to the rest of downtown San Mateo) and quite tasty. The pupusas in particular were decadent, cheesy, and delicious, and I'll be coming back to try more of their tacos and burritos as well. Food took an extremely long time to get after ordering, but honestly, worth it for the quality. read more

La Pinata Mexicatesen - Pupusas de arroz/Pupusas made with Rice Flour doug Quesadilla - Latin American Near Me - San Mateo, California

Big fan of Mexican food! The shrimp taco is the best, also the beef soup tastes so yummy! The service is nice and honest! I also love the family environment here! read more

My dad has been taking us here for years. Everyone is great along with the food. Small business but if you eat there you're able to watch as they make your food. read more

Solid pupusas. Friendly atmosphere. Super delish pouches of happiness. You have to eat it hot right away. You can use knife/fork but it's so good just tearing it up with your hands. The pork and cheese one (chicharrón y queso) was velvety. I guess you could almost think of it as a quesadilla but this is a much more manageable size. I had some tomato soup and crunchy pickled cabbage. Then the Loroco leaf was new to me. It reminds me a little bit of the skin part of a chile relleno, but it's fine enough that it's just the taste. The rest was cheesy softness in the corn pouch. Times visited: 1 read more

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Muy sabrosa la comida pero la atención deja mucho q desear , necesitan más amabilidad para un negocio así no tienes q estar enojado

This was really great! I ordered on the app for a pick up and it was done early! Everything was correct and tasted delicious! You can sit down or you can take it to go and it reminds me a place I use to go to when I was in High School! The people are friendly and fast! read more

Food is delicious, friendly service and very clean. I ordered tamales and they were savory. I will certainly go back again. read more

Well unfortunately this place did not work out for me. First thing I didn't like was seeing 3 bins full of dirty plates by the cash register. That's gross. Second, and this happens to all restaurants, why do the floors look so dirty? They felt sticky and was not swept. I walked in when it was fairly empty. Someone should have sweep when the tables were empty. The lady who took my order had a long face and seemed impatient. You have to order at the register and the food is brought to you. We had a total of 3 plates and only two sets of utensils were brought to us. I had to go and ask for more. Also, since we had children I needed more than two sets. The fried fish order came with a small fish. In my experience at other Latin restaurants the fried fish is usually a good size, not here. It's a small as can be. The beans!!! Ugh! Make sure you ask for whole beans otherwise they'll serve you powdered version of refried beans. The carne asada was dry. And the rice, well to each their own, but not for me. I've never liked rice with corn and peas and green beans; don't come at me, that's how I don't like it. So, all in all, I will not be returning. They have been in business for years so either their customers have a sentimental value to it and/or it's one of the few places that is the best of the worst. Oh! And when the lady came to give me change, her face was amarga, wish I could translate it but I have no idea what it is in English. As always, thanks for reading my review. Cheers! read more

Well as i noticed i expended bucks for a super quesadilla where i saw was that it was really poor on the meat i chose. Well, i wasn't expecting the bunch but at least they would complete make the difference. Everything was more for the cheese side than the rest. Although, i enjoy i think that making the difference on the ambiance and customer service would need improvement. read more

A staple place to come grab pupusas! I make my way over the from East Bay to come whenever I get cravings. A small place that was introduced to me by some friends and I have kept coming back ever since! It was confusing the first time I stopped by because I showed up and it said this was La Pinata - and I was getting it confused with the Hayward and Alameda locations. But this is a completely separate entity. There is usually plenty of street parking and you can smell it when you're outside on the street. They have remodeled recently, so it looks a lot cleaner on the inside. As you walk in, you head straight to the cashier to order before sitting down with a number or waiting on your to go order. You pass the ladies making your food to order. Know a little bit of basic Spanish before heading in since the menu is majority in Spanish. My go to pupusas are the pork and cheese and the chicken and cheese. They are massive, always pipping hot, and the crispest of bottoms. They also come now with a (downsized portion) of curtido, which used to come in massive jars that are free and you could help yourself. I've ventured out once and ordered the camarones al mojo de ajo - it was alright, too spicy for my liking and not with the white cream sauce but a tomato based version. Otherwise, if you come here specifically for their pupusas, you can't go wrong! Great for a snack or a meal. There are tables inside so you can eat it fresh. They take card and cash! read more

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I was craving pupusas after the niners game so I stopped here after randomly finding them on yelp. Omg they were so big & they were pretty good! I got 3, but the Loroco pupusas were my fav. I ordered for pick up and they were still hot and fresh when I got home. I'd def come here again. read more

La Pinata Mexicatesen - Latin American Near Me - San Mateo, California

Pupusas were decent, but service was extremely slow. Very authentic feel. Horchata was a little too sweet and sludgy on the bottom. I ordered plantains, but they never came. It was too much of a hassle to tell them given how slow they are, so I gave up. read more

La Pinata Mexicatesen - Horchata - Latin American Near Me - San Mateo, California

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Cheese pupusas Savory delight Pickled cabbage, horchata Authentic flavors, rich and bold Salvadorian read more

We have been eating here for about 8 years and they never disappoint. If you want authentic Salvadorian food, this is the best place. All of the dishes are true Salvadorian and taste delicious. We have probably eaten almost everything on the menu. Of course their papusas are the best! Please note - Dishes take time, usually about 20 minutes so please be patient or call in your order ahead for pickup. The curtido and salsa for the papusas are delicious and not spicy. All of the ladies are wonderful - so kind and sweet. We love you all! Don't miss out on the best Salvadorian food in the bay area. read more

La Pinata Mexicatesen - Do it yourself papusas! Cook them at home so they are fresh. - Latin American Near Me - San Mateo, California

Only ordered pupusas to go. The masa is hard/chewy and greasy. Staff is super nice, but struggle with instructions. Maybe I will try something else, but I wouldn't recommend getting pupusas here. My search will continue. read more

Pésimo lugar. No vengan. Las personas que están en caja tienen una pésima actitud y me hicieron esperar por más de 50 min, para decirme que lo había pedido estaba disponible. Al final, ni me regresaron mi dinero porque yo tenía que elegir algo del menú. No podían regresar el dinero. Pésímo lugar! read more

Every day on my way to the Caltrain station, I see the flat-top grill through the window at La Pinata, a friendly neighborhood Salvadoran cafe. So it was about time that I tried out the freshly-made pupusas (stuffed corn flatbreads) that this restaurant churns out! You can choose from a variety of fillings, but the most popular is the beans, cheese, and chicharron (pork), which had just the right balance of creaminess from the beans and salty flavor from the cheese and pork! It was served with a side of cortido, a slaw made of shredded red cabbage, green cabbage, and carrots, which added a nice refreshing crunch! I asked the super friendly server who took my order for some recommendations from the menu, and she enthusiastically touted the carne asada torta! This turned out to be a messy-looking but very tasty sandwich filled with freshly-grilled, thin carne asada steak, onions, jalapenos, lettuce, tomato, avocado, mayo, and at least two kinds of melted cheese. And the most surprising part was that it all came on a chewy Dutch Crunch roll (a Bay Area favorite!)--what a cool fusion element! The flavors and textures of the torta just popped, from the creamy, unctuous cheese to the acidic tang and spiciness of the jalapenos to the meaty steak! Finally, I tried the carne asada plate, which came with more of the grilled steak along with grilled onions served with rice (with mixed vegetables), liquified beans, and a simple lettuce-tomato-avocado salad. But the best part was that the plate came with two super thick handmade corn tortillas on the side, which were basically the same as the pupusas but without filling! What a great cafe, and what delicious food too! The service was beyond friendly and everything came at a great value--if you only try one thing, make it the pupusa, but the carne asada torta will be calling your name too! read more

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Alright so decided to come here since my little one had a hankering for some pupusas. My wife also was having a similar craving and I opted for some simple tacos. The food was ready fairly quickly although parking was a whole different adventure. Arrive with time as it is very limited to only street parking. Place was fairly clean and service was welcoming. Food came out and I can honestly say I was impressed with not only the portions put into the tacos(2 Asada and 2 AlPastor) but the pupusas had chicharrón that was genuine chunks not the almost pork paste I have encountered in other places. Food was piping hot when we received it and the flavor was spot on. Definitely give this place a try. Not the fanciest place but good food doesn't need to be pretty. read more

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Food is actually 5 stars. Nothing wrong with the food. Food is delicious. How ever be prepared to wait a long time. And expect to pay extras. Ordered some popusas queso con loroco... extra charge for the loroco. Did an order for 8 popusas and only received one ziplock bag of curtido. So I asked for more and that was another extra charge of $4... but like I said before food was good though... read more

Come for pupusas and pupusas only Long line which is a good sign! You just need to know what to order and I made a mistake. I got a super burrito, chicken tamale and horchata. Bland flavor, white rice was used in the burrito. The chicken didn't seem to have any seasoning on it. Tamale was mush. Horchata was overloaded with cinnamon. It was literally brown horchata. read more

Such authentic food the cooks were making the pupusas on the grill from scratch. Delicious!

La Pinata is the one place in San Mateo I cannot shut up about. I absolutely love that they have ladies making the pupusas on the grill at the front of the store. I never get tired of watching. It's a little bit off the main B street drag, but totally worth it. Full disclaimer: I've only ever had the pupusas and Agua Fresca here. I keep meaning to actually order something else but every time I come here, I can't bring myself to dismiss my craving for some of the best pupusas I've found not in San Francisco, possibly in the bay (but my experience is very limited so far). Cause while I won't drive to the city for pupusas, I sure will drive to San Mateo. I've tried the cheese and chicharron, the bean and cheese, and the bean/cheese/chicharron. I've basically confirmed to myself that I don't really care for beans, but I also think that the cheese/chicharron combo is the most flavorful out of the combos. Love the cabbage too. Definitely gotta eat it with the cabbage. Their agua fresca is pretty damn tasty too, though I try really really hard to not think about how much sugar is in it lol, especially the fruit punch sorta one. 2 pupusas are super filling, usually enough to actually make me pretty full. They're suuuuper cheap too, so you can feel less guilty about buying some to take home. The space itself is nothing to write home about. Kinda on the smaller side. There's a juke box that sits at the front of the restaurant where you're kind of at the mercy of the other patrons. When you're done eating you just leave your plates at the table (at least I really hope that's the case, I'm always paranoid even though the ladies behind the counter told me to do that) - I was super confused the first time I came here and had to ask. Service was par for expectations. read more

La Pinata Mexicatesen - Probably too many pupusas for one sitting but what the heck :) - Latin American Near Me - San Mateo, California

I'm Salvadorian, I go to El Salvador at least once a year and these are not good. I had high hopes for this place because of the reviews and the great things people were saying about the pupusas. I went on a Saturday for dinner and got a pupusa revuelta and tacos, tamal de gallina and atol de elote. Let's start with the tacos- they were lacking all flavor and the meat was very tough. Even with adding the lime and extra salt we couldn't really enjoy them. The tamal was okay but too oily and no meat just potatoes and 2 olives. The atol de elote was my favorite, it wasn't overly sweet, had a nice thickness and reminded me of the once from El Salvador. Now the main event, the pupusas- the filling to masa ratio was not equal, the pupusa taste like nothing, they added no flavor to the chicharrón or the beans or the masa itself. There was a hint of salt and that's it, the cheese was not stringy as it should be and the curtido was old and tasted horrible. The restaurant is pretty small but the service was fast and the cashier at the front was very nice. The only thing I liked was that. I don't think I'll come back and I'll try looking for better pupusas. Maybe it was a bad Saturday for them and forgot to season everything but I won't be going back. read more

La Pinata Mexicatesen - Latin American Near Me - San Mateo, California

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This place has the best papusas! They make it right there, we ordered so much food it was crazy but we had to try it all! read more

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I was looking for a restaurant that served sopa de res and happened to come on this one. Based on the ratings, I decided to place an order. The soup was great, with plenty of vegetables and a reasonable serving for the price. I'm definitely going back again. read more

Ordered 16 Pupusas- 6 cheese only, 5 pork and cheese, 5 chicken and cheese- for a work group lunch. They were all gone! Everyone loved them. This is a really good pupusa place. It's better to order through Door Dash they have a more complete menu. read more

I was transcended to El Salvador. Muy Bueno. Well done. Beyond every other factor, I love that the most. Built like a combination of a liquor store / meat market / fast foodie shop, it's not deluxe AT ALL. Smokey, from the grille, even with ventilation. My clothes smelled after an hour stay. While I am not the resident authority on Salvadorian food, I dated a Salvadorian for a couple of years, and have eaten Pupusas all around LA and NY. Spoiler alert: thr pupusas here are very expensive, but totally wonderful. I knew what I wanted: pupusas, rice, and sweet plantains (I forgot that beans goes great with them, next time, forget the rice). Thankfully, I had the pleasure of speaking English with the counter person/order taker/cashier (with Spanish, I would have ordered a used boot). As I said above, I think La Pinata's expensive. What I ordered, 3 pupusas, rice, half order plantains, and a large horchata was $17.43. In my experience, they are usually $2.25-$2.50, here they must be $3.50 or more. However, quality ingredients are used. The three I got: Cheese [5.0 stars], Chicharrón & cheese [4.5 stars], and Frioles & cheese [3.5 stars]. I haven't been to the other 2-3 Salvadorian places nearby, but for lunch it's fantastic, and for dinner, not as great. A side note: very interesting indeed. A guy behind me had a very loud and consistent yawning problem, and if that's not irritating enough, also a loud belching issue. When I said something, he replied back to me in Spanish. Nice. Don't know if he said "Sorry, I'm sick", "Drop dead", or worse, "Get ready for my silent but deadly farts." read more

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