My wife and I had an amazing meal at Mesa. Salvadoran is truly unique Latin fare. The tamales are cooked in banana leaves and rich in flavor, way elevated from traditional Mexican tamales. The best I've had. The papusas are delicious and there is a large variety to try. The owner was awesome, describing the cuisine uniqueness and just chatting about FOOD! Can't wait to go back. read more

Food 5 Stars Service 5 Stars Atmosphere 5 Stars They offer 2 different hot sauces with the pupusa's. An original mild and a spicy. The spicy one is definitely spicy and full of delicious flavor. We tried a variety and almost all the types they offer of pupusa's between the 4 of us. All were superb. Service was excellent. She came to our table to take our order as we were visiting with each other, tho I believe it's standard to order at the counter. :-) We live a couple hours away, but when we come back to the area we will definitely be back and try some other items. read more

Mesa 503 - I dove in before the picture was taken lol couldn't wait! - Salvadoran Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Fantastic food! Great choice for takeout, travels really well! I was new to Salvadoran food, so I just ordered a bunch of random things and every dish was a smash hit! read more

Pupusas are perfect every time. Best curtido I've had, can just eat it by itself. Love that it's family owned and operated right here on the east side of IC. read more

This did not disappoint. The owner and staff were incredibly attentive, coming to our table for service as we sat at a table trying to figure out what to order, even though it looked like we should order at the counter. They immediately offered up suggestions... I think we looked overwhelmed with the choices. The pupusas were wonderful. We also tried the chicken sub and the ribs in Salvadoran sauce. They had an interesting selection of a few drinks outside of your standard selection of sodas. The prices were moderate, the serving sizes were good for the prices. The flavors were wonderful. We plan to return soon... We need more pupusas! read more

Mesa 503 - a poster on the wall above a sink - Salvadoran Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Ww heard that there is no flour in this restaurant and I confirmed that with the owner/chef. As a celiac that was very important to me. The woman helping us was great at explaining the dishes and brought samples of the drinks and a complimentary delicious cheese and garlic pupusa! read more

Mesa 503 - Chicken with grilled caramelized onion, rice and soft corn shells - Salvadoran Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

So good! It was our first time trying Salvadoran food, and a great experience. Very friendly and accommodating service! Excellent food! We will be back! read more

This is a welcome addition to the Central American food scene in Iowa City. We shared the Chicken Enchiladas, which are more like a tostada, with a Salvadoran tortilla that is fried and topped with chicken cooked with vegetables, then a cabbage slaw, a slice of tomato and a slice of egg. The Chicken with caramelized onions is kind of like pollo loco, a pounded chicken breast that is fried and served topped with the onions, served with a small salad and a delicious scoop of rice on the side. My spouse had the Churasco, which featured a side of the beans mixed with rice that was also great. The pupusas are good as well, and the prices are very reasonable. read more

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So delicious! We got the veggie pasteles, chipilin tamales, and fried plantains. Will certainly be coming back! read more

Mesa 503 - a plate of food on a table - Salvadoran Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

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I had the papusas here, some of the best I've had!!! So good! My favorite was the garlic and cheese (ayo). Service was really good, you could tell they cared about what they are doing. there was much seating. At all, but the food made up for that :) read more

Toda la comida es muy rica pero lo más importe el personal es muy amable un lugar con ambiente familiar acogedor. Ni importa viajar 30 minutos . read more

Nice little place to eat in, but i agree with another reviewer that their pupusas are small and they don't give you a lot of cabbage. The pupusas are good and because so small, you can make cabbage last. I'm not sure I'd go back for pupusas. But it seems like everyone is getting cheap and making smaller pupusas nowadays. I'd have to compare to other local pupuserias. I would go back just to try other things on menu. read more

Mesa 503 - a meal in a styrofoam container - Salvadoran Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Writing on behalf of myself and friend. Pupusas revueltas were served hot! Always my go to for a filling meal. My friend was raving about his dish camarones al ajillo. He is a pescatarian and they have great options for him. They were so flavorful and when he went to the owner/chef to give his compliments, the chef was very prideful in detailing the work it takes to get this delicious meal even if it takes hours to prepare. Cute hole in the wall with great flavor and fast service, can't beat it. read more

Mesa 503 - Camarones al ajillo - Salvadoran Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

We were in from out of town and happened upon mesa 503. We've never had Salvadoran food but were given excellent recommendations! Very friendly and helpful--and delicious food! Thank you! read more

Delicious food!!! The pupusas are so tasty and the food is incredibly authentic! This is definitely a mom and pop causal dining spot with super good food. The service was great too! We ended up chit chatting with the owner for a bit and he was so kind and welcoming. If you've never had authentic Salvadoran cuisine, definitely give this place a try! read more

My kids want to move to El Salvador after eating here! Food is always outstandingly delicious and service is great. Highly recommend!!

Not being familiar with the flavors of the cuisine, I asked the young lady at the counter who offered some good suggestions. I tried the cheese and zucchini pupusa and the cheese and edible flower pupusa. I enjoyed them most topped with the red sauce and what I think was pickled cabbage. For the entree I chose the chicken with Salvadorian sauce. It came with a small green salad, a side of rice and two tortillas. The portion size was enough that I made two meals out of it. I will go back and try more things, and I encourage others to give this place a try! There are a few tables for dining in but not suitable for a large group. read more

We don't usually eat out much, because I can usually do better at home-but this wonderful little place Has brought us back three times in three weeks! We have tried many of the different varieties of Pupusas, and the ones with the edible flowers and leaves are especially good for the vegetarian palate - definitely something I cannot do at home! Very inexpensive, fast, and the nicest people you will find, which somehow seems to make everything taste better. We recommend this very highly! read more

Wow, what a fabulous addition to Iowa City. The food, the owners and staff are all a delight. The tamales are moist and tasty and most filling. Queso con Espinaca Pupusas have the greatest combination of flavors. Huevos rancheros has a mild and heavenly sauce that is good on every dish on the table. We have eaten in and had take out....both work well. read more

Tried them out for the first time. Not impressed. I got the chicken and cheese pupusa and the mixed. The chicken, I couldn't find it or taste it, very boring. The mixed seemed like it was all beans and no meat to be found either. I've had fantastic pupusas full of flavor and these were NOT that. The salsa was more like tomato sauce and had zero kick to it. The slaw was meh. They were small and thin and not much inside either. I'll stick to the ones I usually get that are way better. Won't go back. Considering the chicken one was more expensive and is cheaper than pork makes no sense. Like I said, I couldn't even find the meat in either one! read more

I love this place! I got pupusas one evening and then the next...and now tonight only about a week later. They are so delicious!

Great food. Friendly service. Meal was ready quickly. Fried plantains were a highlight.