When you pass by Pupuseria Mana, you may think that it is another one of many Salvadorean restaurants 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. read more

PUPUSERIA MANA - Mana Platter - Salvadoran Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

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Food: Gratefully delicious. Service: Great. Ambiance: Amazing. Food and drink was delicious and quench - full. read more

PUPUSERIA MANA - Espaguetis con camarones. Horchata. - Salvadoran Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Pleasantly Surprised - Great Food & Service! I visited Mana Pupuseria & Taqueria in Alexandria, VA, for the first time and was pleasantly surprised! From the outside, it may not stand out, but inside, the warm and friendly atmosphere makes you feel welcome. The décor is your typical Hispanic restaurant style--simple yet inviting. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent--attentive, friendly, and efficient. This hidden gem definitely deserves more traffic because both the food and service are top-notch. If you're in the area, I highly recommend giving it a try! read more

PUPUSERIA MANA - Desayuno Mana - Salvadoran Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Not a bad spot. The tables were pretty wobbly and uncomfortable The sauces on the table looked like they needed to be cleaned out and replaced The menu was very busy and confusing Like 3 different menus... I didn't know what I was supposed to look at. But the food was pretty good, the service was fast, and the staff was friendly. It had a little more of a bar feel to it but overall not a bad place to eat for decent price. read more

Ordered tajada and a chicken tamale. The tamale had bones. Obviously, chew carefully. read more

PUPUSERIA MANA - Salvadoran Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Pupusas were great! Good atmosphere! They were worth the price. Would definitely eat there again.

We came for a date night and I ordered a NY strip. I was severely disappointed by the quality of meat they serve at a price of $20. It took more than 30 mins in an empty restaurant. The meat was overcooked and flavorless. The vegetables were dull and had a sour taste. I don't recommend this place for food. Maybe drinks are good. Who knows. I didn't stick around long enough. read more

PUPUSERIA MANA - Look at this sorry piece of meat and the dull vegetables. I get this is a bar. Don't recommend.. - Salvadoran Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Been out of town and came home to see that the Magic Skillet is gone and been replaced by a new eatery Mana. Like to try new places, even replaces, and it was nice to find out that they are still doing the old menu with the new one. I would think that would be tough, but while we were there it seemed to be working as it was easy to tell that there were quite a few regulars from the skillet days. We went with new menu, and ordered Pupusas and Fajitas (combo steak, chicken, shrimp). The Pupusas were very very good, in fact ordered two more of the cheese as my wife really thought they were delicious. We shared the Fajitas, they came out with a nice sizzle and a nice mixture of all three proteins along with vegetables. They also came with plate of rice & beans. My only complaint is that it came with only two small tortillas. Even if we were not sharing two small tortillas seems like not enough. We asked for some more & two did come, but when hungry the wait seems like forever & the sizzle has sizzled out. The waitress (very nice & helpful) did ask if we needed more to just ask, we did but this time they sent out two pupusa type tortillas. Kind of messed up what was delicious Fajitas with skimping on tortillas. We were charged $2 extra for tortillas on top of $17 something for the original dish. The place itself seems way cleaner and nicer than what it was before, the food and service was good. Really enjoyed the Pupusas !!! read more

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So much good food! Hubby had the chicharron with pupusa and a side of fried plantain. I ordered a chicken tamale and Tajada with carne asada. We shared guacamole. Needless to say bringing home lots of leftovers. The plantains were my favorite, slightly sweet with with crunchy edges. Everything is cooked to order, nothing pre-made. Wish I had taken pictures before we ate so you can see how big the portions are and how good everything was. There is karaoke at 9 PM on Saturday so it got noisy, but we were almost done with our food so no issues. Was fun to listen to the music. read more

Our group of 5 ordered to-go with quite a bit of food ranging from a dozen pupusas and Camarones Al Ajo. Food was hot and plentiful. All sides were included and enough to go with each bite. I ordered Camarones Al Ajo and I could definitely split it into two meals for two different days. The shrimp were springy with the delicious taste of a bbq sear still on them. Happy to order again! read more

We came here looking for a breakfast spot and we were very happy with what we got. The servings were large and our server was just the sweetest, she kept my coffee cup full and made sure we had everything we needed. read more

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La comida rica el lugar es agradable la encargada virally creo se llama algo haci que manera de tratar estoy pagando no estoy pidiendo nada gratis espero tomen cartas en el asunto no es primera ves que manera tan tosca de atender y exigir tip y por lo que se no solo con nosotros es haci read more

Mana pupuseria (Formerly Elsie's Magic Skillet) is a place to enjoy both Latin Amrican Cuisine and diner style breakfast. The owners kept the Elsies menu is still available. The menu is full of options and available with pictures so you see what your ordering. This place is very clean and the staff is very friendly. read more

PUPUSERIA MANA - Grilled Chicken Salad - Salvadoran Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

First time here today. Food was delicious with bean and cheese pupusas and 2 burritos which they awkwardly call tacos. While the food was delicious the service was slow. Another thing to take note of is the fact that when paying for your meal you have to do so using th qr code rather just paying using your cash or card. I dont know what other restaurant does this. Because of these caveats its not worth coming back despite the delicious food. read more

The pupusas are great and for comida tipica (typical Hispanic food) I enjoy the salads. This is a more of a cheap eats for hungry teachers gem. Service is also great! read more

This place is under rated!! We were visiting from Southern California and were craving some Mexican food (we're spoiled with delicious Mexican food back home being so close to the border) Anyways, we stopped in here and it was the best meal we had on our trip. I had the Camarones Al Ajo (Shrimp in garlic sauce), it was served with rice and beans, salad, and freshly made tortillas. I can't remember exactly what the other person in my party got because I was so wrapped up in the deliciousness of my food, but she did say that she really liked her food too! The service was great as well. My only complaint is that it's all the way in Virginia, can they open a location in sunny So Cal? Haha! I'll be thinking about this meal for a while! read more

Beyond Bad: Ordered Country Fried Steak with eggs over easy this morning. The attached picture shows what was put on the table. No toast, potatoes, grits etc. Paid the $15.80 check included a tip and asked the server to give the plate to the cook and tell him/her they should be ashamed to serve something like that. Bottom of eggs was burnt, steak was about a quarter inch thick and fried in oil that hadn't been changed for weeks. She took it to the kitchen but never came back. Servers were polite but English is their second language and they haven't a clue. Ate there shortly after they reopened. ordered the same thing and it was fine. They may do a good job of Central American food but unless you speak Spanish I suggest you try any of the many restaurants on route 1. read more

PUPUSERIA MANA - Salvadoran Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

Delicious! Servers were very nice & restaurant had a friendly, family-run type vibe. Food took a bit to cook but that's because it's made to order! Pupusas were absolutely amazing. Will be eating here again. read more

The food was amazing, the owner was really attentive & everyone overall provided a good service! I like the music but this is definitely A spot from more grownups that's the vibes I got read more

When I take my Family to a restaurant, I don't expect, or want to see graphic Latino dance videos on a tv monitor hanging from the ceiling. The food was not the old Elsie's quality either. First visit......and last visit. read more

The pupusas were super stuffed and fresh! They were amazing. The curtido was very good too. I got 4 pupusas and ordered 5 more to go home with. I'm giving 3 stars because the service was incredibly slow. They forgot to let me know that part of my order couldn't come out because they were out of tamales de elote. We asked for mangonadas and they were apparently out of that as well. We asked for the bill and for it to be separated and sat for another 45min, she didn't separate the bills and it took another 20 to come back with our cards to sign and leave. The pupusas were great so I'll order ahead of arrival to go eat elsewhere. read more

Excellent food at reasonable prices and good service. Kinda old school dive. Full bar. Highly recommend.

Las pupusas más feas que he probado. Pedí de frijoles con queso y solo puro frijol salieron en mis pupusas nada de queso. Creo que no merece ni una estrella. read more

This is a hidden gem! The food was delicious and the staff was very friendly and engaging. We were visiting from NC.

The American breakfast is a must! They also have wonderful Latin dishes. Ask for Maria! She is the best server and is super bubbly, charming and helpful. A nice surprise awaits you right off of Rt.1 in Mount Vernon. read more

Espectacular lugar, el servicio es el mejor, Vanessa muy amable y sonriente todo el tiempo pase a tomar desayuno y me hicieron sentir tan importante y la comida deliciosa, definitivamente este se convertirá en mi lugar de desayunos read more

There was apparently an issue with the printer in the kitchen and my total order wasn't received. I could see that they had just thrown my omelette together with no effort. The bacon was supposed to be diced and was given whole strips. The so called home fries were the worst I've ever had. Large chunks of potato thrown on a skillet with very little oil which lead to an extremely dry plate. read more

The pupusas here are amazing!!! Who ever makes them deserves a gold metal because the are truly good and taste amazing. And you can't say that about a lot of popuserias! You can tell a true salvadorian is making them! read more

Such a great find! We had the pupusas and tacos and they were so incredibly tasty. Everything is made fresh to order. Their salsa and hand made tortillas were delicious. They offer two menus - 1 is an all day breakfast and the other is their Hispanic food menu. We can't wait to come back and try more on the menu! read more

Husband & I eat here weekends & mid week because its fantastic home made food.I had this morning Huevos Rancheros or Ranch Eggs in English.Was Perfecto!Husband had 3 sunny side up eggs with lots of bacon he loves.Perfect meal.The food at this restaurant is Always Great & the service is always excellent. Will continue visiting always. read more

The omelette was not fluffy and it was full of relish, very little bacon and not cheese.

The food was fantastic. The service was excellent. Will definitely be coming back. We were two of the few gringos in the place, which is always a good sign. read more

Excellent Food, Service With Good prices! Husband & I Have eaten here 3 times before today & Love this restaurant.Staff is Inviting & Friendly making sure our needs are fulfilled each time we are here.Excellent food with American or Latino which we love. We will continue to come back here often! read more

me encanta este lugar la comida super rica las meseras muy amables me siento en casa cuando estoy allí veronica Nicole keila fabiola Vanessa muy buena atención siempre llegaré a este lugar me encanta . read more