I regularly order the bean and cheese pupusas, they're fabulous reminds me of my childhood. The…read morenueganos and plátanos fritos are chefs kiss. Their aguas frescas like the horchata and the tamarindo are a gamble, it's a hit or miss depending on the time of day.

I stopped in before a showing at the Larkspur Theater, looking for something quick and familiar. I…read moreordered two pupusa revueltas and a horchata. The pupusas came out hot, which I appreciated, but something was off from the start. They were visibly misshapen compared to what I'm used to, and the filling was just... strange. The texture inside was almost mushy grainy, like cooked rice, which isn't something I've ever encountered in a pupusa. I kept waiting for the flavor to win me over, but it never did. Mediocre and a little flat. Not offensive, just uninspired. The horchata was fine. I finished it. If you're in Larkspur and craving Salvadoran food specifically, I'd keep looking. If you're just hungry and nearby, it'll get you through the movie. That's about the best I can say.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

They make your pupusas fresh and over-sized within 10 minutes! I chose cheese, spinach, zucchini,…read moreand pork. Very tender and savory inside. The outside was grilled to perfection--well done... *not* undercooked like some pupuserias. Lively Latin music played at a nice volume where you can talk with your companions. Merengue and more. You give your order and are given a number. You pick your own seat. Signs are bilingual--mostly Latin patrons, which is my usual litmus test that usually means the food has authentic flavor, which I love and look for from ethnic dining experiences. It's very clean and looks freshly painted. I was here just before noon and there was a steady stream of patrons.

La Esperanza Pupuseria and Diner opened 5ish years ago where El Perol Pervuian once was. Inside…read more and outside seating available. Greeted quickly, courteously upon arrival. Ordered, pay at counter. Food came within 15 minutes. Cashier not English prolific. Enough to process my order. Decor of pics, paintings. Guatemalan/El Salvador artifacts & flags. Soft music in background. Offerings (El Salvador): pupusas, breakfast, lunch, soups, entrees, best sellers. Bites: Bistec Encebollado (steaks & onions 20.69) -heated up warm corn tortillas, not freshly made in house. Commercial grade. Ok. Nothing special. -dab of fresh salad of iceberg lettuce, tomatos, cucumbers, lime squeeze. Deliz it was. -fresh fluffy rice helped soak up juices from steaks -beans smooth creamy texture. tasty. -many steak pieces: some chewy, some tender. Mostly large. Grilled tomatos and onions added sublime savoriness. 4.5 stars. Service: great! Quality: pretty good. Corn Tortillas a minor issue. Quantity: reasonable.

I've been meaning to try this place for a while now and finally did today since I had a job close…read moreby. I'm glad I did ! They have jalapeno con queso pupusas I got a bean/cheese, jalapeno/cheese and rebuelta. I'm a foodie and let me tell you I know when someone puts love into their dishes. The pupusas were delicious. The lady that took my order was super sweet and welcoming. She asked me in the middle of my meal if I needed anything else and how everything was. This place got a new customer for sure, I will be back to try other dishes

Popped by after a weekend of camping. Ordered a bunch of different pupusas…read more Excellent: revueltas and chorizo with extra cheese were def the best and most flavorful of the bunch. Top with the cabbage mix and salsa for extra zing! Fried plantains were great too. Good: beef and cheese Skip: jalapeños and spinach, horchata (odd flavor) Good friendly service, big screen showing the World Cup matches.

Took my daughter here on our quest for the best taco in marin. Definitely stood the test, good sign…read morethat we were the only two gringos. We definitely liked the el pastor the best! Juicy, grizzly, tasty!

I don't know if they changed owners , since the food wasn't very good . Until I tried it again…read moreafter 2 years and let me tell you , the burrito especially was goood I give it 5 stars !

My husband and I went here immediately after porchfest and yes, it was crowded and yes, we had to…read morewait (a fairly long time for food, but our table was available immediately). We have been coming here off & on for about 10 years since we moved to Marin and I'm so glad we remembered this place as we were walking back from the porchfest in gerstle park. I had a shredded chicken burrito and took half of it home to my teen son. The flavors were all there and just incredibly tasty and not too salty like a lot of Mexican food can be. It was one of the best burritos I ever had and having lived in the city for 15 years before here we ate a lot of great Mexican food in the mission. My husband had the steak plate and loved it, with refried beans and salad. We had the sangria and I was nervous about it because I don't like very sweet drinks, but it was only mildly sweet and very refreshing after a long day at porch fest. I heard someone saying there was a new chef and that he was a bit overwhelmed by the unexpected crowd of the porchfest, but I must say he sure handled it well as did the entire friendly welcoming team of staff. My husband actually is there right now the next day, eating lunch on the patio and getting in order to go for our son (the same chicken burrito)! If you are craving Mexican food in Central MARIN, I highly recommend this gem - very family, friendly vibe of staff caring and upbeat. Food is delicious and the restaurant is very relaxing and spotless clean.

I used to come here weekly, decades ago, when I worked down the street. I was back in town and came…read moreback for nostalgia. It's the same great quality! This is NOT some typical below par Mexican restaurant where all dishes taste the same, like is common at strip malls across the country. This is fresh and everything is delicious! I would still be here weekly if I lived or worked in the area. Strong recommendation!

This is a small but delightful restaurant in the fast, casual ethnic food category. There's a lot…read moreof Mexican food restaurants out there, which are great, but this restaurant specializes in central American food. If you haven't become familiar with it yet, give it a try! Their pupusa and their tamales are delicious. And you don't have to spend a lot of money to get great tasting food. I only spent $11 for example on my recent lunch there and got two items which filled me up sufficiently. I'll definitely be going back to Cocina Antigua on my rounds through Novato

Homemade tortillas, great flavors/seasoning. I've been looking for good tacos in Marin and there…read moreare only a couple of decent spots - this is definitely at the top for me so far!

This review is long overdue! The food here is absolutely incredible…read more I'm originally from Southern California, so I'm pretty picky about Mexican food. It's surprisingly hard to find truly great Mexican food in Northern California, but this is, without a doubt, one of the best spots I've found. Everything we've tried has been consistently delicious...the burratas, the burritos, the corn... every meal has been outstanding. You can genuinely taste the care and love that goes into the food. Thank you for delivering such consistently amazing meals. We're always happy to support your business and look forward to many more visits. Keep doing what you're doing! Thank you!

It's the best Mexican food in Marin…read more Looks like Betzy's taking over the entire strip there... hopefully she can do 4th street next!!! Haha

My partner had eaten here before and was craving it post trail run…read more We ordered the pork ribs combination plate and the roast pork sandwich. The service was impeccable with helpful workers constantly monitoring and making sure everyone was taken care of. One of the workers was friendly and gave us the run down on recommendations and what was popular. The interior is so colorful too! This place is amazing !! The sandwich hit the spot with the perfect amount of meat and veggies along with the sauce. The pink beans were nice to try and were a nice side to the perfectly salted ribs. The ribs were made so well and had the perfect amount of salt to meat ratio and went well with the rice. The lemon zesty salad was refreshing and the garlic platains really hit the spot. We both enjoyed the meal so much and need to try other items.

Everyone raves about the food here so of course I had to stop by and try it…read more The menu is overwhelming but there was a person at the door who explained that the combinaciones are their most popular items, so I ordered pollo al horno which is baked boneless skinless chicken thighs served with organic salad, white rice, black or pinto beans, and plantain or P.R. fries. The food is good but I don't think I would order this meal again. What I will rave about is their house made hot pepper sauce. It's delicious, mild, sweet and tangy. The seating is family style or community seating where sitting with others at their table is encouraged. Service is fast and the restaurant is usually busy. It's a unique experience and I'm sure I'll go back to try another menu item.

My favorite local Salvadorian restaurant. This is their second branch and imo the best one! I love…read moretheir unique platters and how they're named after places in El Salvador. The service is great, the food is fresh and there's good parking nearby. The staff is always friendly and they also have a kids menu for the little ones who aren't familiar Salvadorian cuisine. I love their El Tunco platter and it's great to share with 2-3. Their rice is always perfectly seasons and fluffed we always order extra. The daughter loves their yucca cob chicharrón.

We arrived too late for the pupusas (get there by 8pm to order them), so we scrambled to come up…read morewith a suitable substitute. The savory pastelitos were delicious as was the tamale, which featured potatoes, green beans and chicken. The whole fried plantain was flavorful and ripe. The beans came out cold, but our attentive waiter Jose quickly swapped them for a piping hot plate. The less than appetizing dish we ordered was the shrimp cocktail with "salsa Rosa" which turned out to be heaping with mayonnaise. It was a confoundingly creamy sauce. Spacious restaurant that could use a little decor update. Would return (before 8) to try the pupusas.

If you're looking for authentic Guatemalan cuisine, this place is a must-visit! The restaurant was…read morevery clean, and the ambiance was warm, welcoming, and comfortable. The wait staff was attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. The food was the highlight, some of the most authentic Guatemalan flavors I've had. Everything was well-seasoned, fresh, and full of traditional flavor. They also offer a nice variety of dishes, making it easy for everyone to find something they'll enjoy. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be coming back!

#30 of 31 for 2026!!!…read more Get the garnachos! So good!!!!!! The surf and turf we got was really tasty. I think this was the first time I had Guatemalan food before and I would def come back. Tastes authentic (: