Wow, Thrifting next-door I realized I was hungry. So I decided to give this place a try…read more It was about 3 PM on a Saturday and there weren't many patrons. Wasn't sure if I should be concerned about that or it could've possibly been because of the extreme heat that day. I ordered the chicken and cheese, pupusa, and the melon and piña drink. They make everything fresh so I had to wait about five minutes. I got the food to go. The pupusa was tasty but very, very hot so I had to wait quite a while for it to cool off. The drink had a lot of fruit bits in it and that was hard to drink because I was drinking and chewing. I waited until I got home so I could strain it . Tables so they can accommodate quite a few in restaurant eaters. The menu has a nice selection.

Sadly, this Alexandria location is now permanently closed. They made my very favorite papusas…read moreincluding spinach and jalepeno.

I came all the way from California to visit D.C, and we came across this place while passing…read morethrough Alexandria. I'd say these are some of the best pupusas that I've had by far. Service was good, they continually checked on our table to see if we were okay. On top of getting the pupusas, I also shared a chicharrones platter with my girlfriend. It came with a side of avocado, cheese, rice, and that side salad. Our table also ordered different dishes from the menu including the plantains, and nothing disappointed. Very underrated spot, just wish they spell-checked their entire menu haha.

When you pass by Pupuseria Mana, you may think that it is another one of many Salvadorean…read morerestaurants on Richmond Highway. You would be correct, but there is more! Pupuseria Mana also has an American menu for breakfast and lunch/dinner. I was curious about the name "Mana". It is the Spanish word for "manna", the light bread/pastry food item that supposedly came down from the skies to nourish the starving Israelites in the desert back in Biblical times. But anyway, we came for breakfast this morning. Manna, per se, was not on the menu, but I did discover the Mana Platter, consisting of either a waffle or French toast, two eggs and protein (either bacon or sausage). $16.95. The French toast was spot on, coming with butter, cinnamon and maple syrup on the side. The scrambled eggs were well prepared. The bacon was pretty good, but it did have a plentiful number of black charred spots. When we came in, Mexican music was being played at a fairly high volume, but without us saying anything it was muted shortly after we arrived. It started back up again as we were leaving. The restaurant is very clean. There's a full bar too. On a late weekday morning, we were the only customers. Service was excellent, but our bill had to be fixed because somehow a coffee we didn't order slipped onto the bill. By the way, as is the common custom in Latin countries, they don't plop the bill down on your table. When you are ready to pay and leave, you either signal your server or go up to the cash register. The thinking is that the restaurant doesn't want to rush the customer, and instead, let the customer indicate that they are ready to go.

Food: great. Service: great…read more Ambiance: great. Asado con chorellana was very good. Delicious.

I came in here yesterday for lunch. I had never had Bolivian food before, so I had to try it. I…read morehave had Mexican, Cuban, and Salvadoran, but never anything South American. I got the pique meal and a couple of sodas. The meal was served with llajua ( spicy Bolivian sauce, https://boliviancookbook.com/sauces/llajua-spicy-bolivian-salsa/) as an appetizer. The pique had roast steak, chopped beef hot dogs, hard-boiled eggs, red and green peppers, tomatoes, onions, and green chilies served over french fries. The serving size was very large, so I took it home and had the other half for dinner. All of the ingredients were fresh and tasty. The service was friendly and reasonably quick. The meal was brought out in about 15 minutes. The decor was interesting with Bolivian folk themes. There were about 20 or 30 people in the restaurant, which is a good sign. They seemed to be a regular crowd. The total came to about $30.00. No complaints. Keep up the good work. I found the receipt and updated the review. The pique was $19.95, the Refresco de Sangria soda was $3.50, and the fruit juice was $3.75, for a total of $27.20. There was a sales tax of 6% ($1.63), and a Fairfax County food and beverage tax of 4% ($1.09). There was a 15% service fee that I do not recall being disclosed ($4.08). The total was $34.00; I left a $6.00 tip. A $27.20 meal thus became a $40.00 meal. Are you serious? This is 25% in fees and taxes before the tip is even left. If you include a 20% tip, that would be 45% in fees, taxes, and tips on top of the cost of the meal. The restaurant should charge the full price instead of adding on a 15% non-optional fee. Fairfax County should know better than to charge a tax which can and does hurt restaurant sales.

I came in here recently for dinner. I got the steak fajitas which were excellent. They were…read moreserved on a hot platter with wheat soft-shell tortillas. As I recall I had some shrimp on the side, and an unsweetened tea. The decor was very colorful, probably much like a restaurant in Latin America--I believe the food here is Salvadoran. The service was friendly but could have been quicker. There was a crowd of regulars, which is always a good sign. The ingredients were fresh and tasty, and the facilities were clean and well maintained. The prices were moderate with large servings. I saved the leftovers for dinner the next day. Keep up the good work.

I went over to get me a BIG PUPUSA LOCA and for my surprise this is what I found…read more A burn pupusa. Very disappointed. Come on people you can do better specially when you are selling this for almost $25.00. NOT A HAPPY CUSTOMER

Food: Great. Service: Great…read more Ambiance: Great. The pupusa loroco & cheese, pork & cheese, and the bean & cheese were delicious. Very good and tasty.

Las Carnitas is an ok restaurant that I'm giving 5 stars to because of family feel and customer…read moreservice. I was looking at the menu and the waitress's English was only slightly better than my Spanish (which is nothing). I told her was I was looking for and she pointed to something on the menu which didn't mesh with what I said. She left and the cook (owner also maybe) can to my table, asked what I was looking for so I told him and he said no worries. He leaves and 5 minutes later, I had a platter of goodness in front of me. Wait staff is attentive but there's a language barrier. I'm not worried about it as she knew the drinks and overall menu. And when she wasn't sure, she asked someone to help who spoke English. Great service! Quality and quantity of good was very good and they treat you like family or at least like they appreciate you coming in. Ambiance is ok. I'm coming back to this place. It's a highly recommend. They treat you well so I'm spending my money here!

Great food, Great service. Ambience really nice Waitress…read morevery professional. Clean place.

We were randomly in the area and decided to give this place a try, but it didn't really stand out…read more The pupusa was a bit dry and lacked the flavor and richness I usually expect. Service was fine and the place itself was okay, but the food just didn't do it for me. Unfortunately, I wouldn't go out of my way to come back.

Very nice couple serving the best tacos I've ever had. I got a chorizo taco and a beef tongue taco…read more I will definitely be going back.

The choices of tacos keeps it simple for me. So far I am enjoying juicing up the tacos with lime!…read more Well seasoning in the beef and the choripollo. Matches up well with their double layer tortilla that is crisp, rich and juicy in each bite.

First time visiting with my son and met the owner, James. Really enjoyed my experience. The catfish…read moreand shrimp were fresh and fried perfectly. The hush puppies were really good too. You really get a lot with your order. The fried shrimp I ordered was an order of 20 shrimp and came with two sides and a canned drink. The portions were big. James even threw in an extra drink. Chatted with James while I ate and enjoyed the conversation. He's such a nice guy with a great personality. He truly cares about the community he serves. The one and only disappointment was they were out of Mac n cheese. I really wanted some Mac n cheese! lol

Y'all know your girl loves some catfish! My boyfriend told me about this spot because he knows my…read morecatfish obsession, so we turned it into a little after-work date night. It's a cute food truck parked in a church parking lot, and I was hype to eat. And just to be clear--I do not believe in reheating catfish. We dove straight into our styrofoam platters and were both pleasantly surprised. The catfish was fried to crispy perfection. Flavor-wise, it's no Aunt Glenda (let's be honest, who is?), but it was still solid. Personally, I'll always prefer my catfish with grits--just saying. We both ordered the greens and macaroni--yes, we failed to diversify, don't judge us. The greens were okay. The mac? Also okay. Being from the South, my taste buds for soul food come with high expectations and a very judgmental palate. Would I go back? Absolutely--especially if they start offering grits. Oh, and the portions are huge. You definitely get your money's worth. Go check them out and support the catfish cause.