Some of the best Papusas in the Twin Cities. Definitely worth a visit if you're craving some…read moreSalvadoran food. The place is nothing fancy, it's got the feel of a small diner/cafe. But the food well makes up for what the ambience lacks. It's mostly self service although I think the'll bring you menus and do table service in the back room. I still typically end up ordering at the counter and getting a number to bus myself though.

Food was good but there was a fly in my chicken soup and I lost my appetite and I wouldn't come…read moreback here and there were flys everywhere

Food was AMAZING, got to meet the owner Juan and he had amazing service, with a nice warm feeling…read morewhen you sit down I recommend this place any day of the year!!! 10/10 Remember they're open 10am to 6pm right now!

I'm so glad we found this little East Side gem. We ordered a guanaco meal for two people. Out came…read morea piping hot platter of goodies including a chicken tamale, two baked vegetable pastries, grilled pork, fried plantains, and yuca fries. We marveled at the amount of food, and then out come our pupusas and a partially filled container of cabbage slaw. We were pleasantly surprised to find flavorful tostada-like item topped with shredded meat (perhaps pork) and vegetables broke easily in half without making a mess. (The word "tostada" does not appear in the menu, so it must be called something else.) The crisp yuca fries were among the best I've had. I was also very happy that we got extra cabbage slaw. The hearty and just-sweet-enough horchata had some nice spices I didn't recognize. For $30 we stuffed ourselves silly and had leftovers for later. Our server came back from time to time to ensure we had what we needed. The one disappointment was the ambience. They probably kept the lights off because it was hot outside, but when we first walked in I wondered if they were closing soon. Sitting near the window helped us forget that the lights were off. The bathroom was in good working order, if a little run down. In any case, we'll definitely stop by again when we find ourselves in this corner of town. The mojarra frita (fried fish) looks really good, and I want to try that next time.

I've never had authentic pupusas before and this is the spot to be for first timers! They were…read moreflavored well, had a lot of meat and cheese where the cheese was just melted to perfection. Great crust on the outside and the veggies on the side were perfectly seasoned and strong in oregano. The plantains were a nice sweet savory by itself and even better when dipped in beans and/or creama. Atmosphere was lovely and clean. Parking was a bit hard to get but I don't mind a 2-3 block walk after a big meal. Servicer was nice and always checked in on us

First time going here!! You have to try the pupusas!! We also got the yucca fries. This place is…read moreauthentic as it gets, the menu is half Spanish and it feels like a different county inside. All parking is on street but the streets are very friendly. Very nice hidden gem, go support small businesses!!

Loved our lunch here! I'd heard amazing things about their pupusas so we made this our lunch stop…read moreon a day out. SPACE There are a surprising amount of tables in this bright and colorful restaurant! It may seem small from the outside, but there's probably 10 tables for in-store dining. I love the painted murals of El Salvador and decor! SERVICE You can do counter service for takeout, or they have full service for dining in. Our server was wonderful and helped with recs. DRINKS You can get margaritas, beer, and other drinks here, but our minds were set on aguas frescas. Their tamarindo and jamaica were AMAZING! Must try. FOOD We got their: - chips and salsa - free at the table for dine-in - birria pupusas plate - must have! Delicious. Or any of the pupusas. - tacos - multiple meats. Also so good! - salvadorian tamale - with chicken Highly recommend!

Delicious fusion of Mexican and Salvadoran food! The birria flautas were to die for and really soak…read moreup the sauce even better than tacos. The tacos and tamal were also delicious with meat cooked nicely and fresh toppings and flavorful sauces. The staff here is wonderful and the inside is casual and fun. We also had a tamarindo and Jamaica drink and they were fresh and tasty, we especially enjoyed the tamarindo.

Typically I enjoy restaurants like this but not on this occasion. I had a breakfast burrito and it…read morewas horrible. The food was spoiled so I'm hoping it was just a bad day. I'll go back in support of a business like this but it won't be for a while.

Unfortunately, the covid crisis must have gutted the restaurant, because on my first visit back…read moresince before covid, it was a changed place. There are no "deals," no taco platters (tacos are not even listed on the overhead menu!), no red or green sauces are provided, and there's no water dispenser, so either pay for bottled water or go without. I ordered refried beans with my meal and got what looked like a cup of brown pudding, lukewarm, without a single bean. On the other hand, the place was not crowded at lunchtime like it used to be, I think that reflects the higher prices, which are becoming unaffordable for this area.

I'm rarely in the cities but was at the airport and didn't want to waste a drive without getting…read moresome food. We decided on pupusas and found this place. We initially tried calling for takeout but unfortunately, no one spoke english. Not to be deterred, we stopped by to place an order. We got the cheese, beans, and pork pupusas along with some plantains. With the tamarind and orange jarritos to was it all done. The pupusas were so damn good! I think this was the first time my gf had pupusas and she thoroughly enjoyed them. The sauces were great for dipping and added just the right amount of spice. It was a very generous plate of plantains which were perfectly fried and not too sweet to be unbearable. 10/10 would learn the necessary amount of spanish to seamlessly order here!

This is what I call authentic Salvadorian food! I was…read morecraving pupusas and google led me here. I was a little lost trying to locate it. It is located inside of Mercado Central. There are lots of smaller food shops. Like a food court mixed with clothing shops, dessert shops, and of course the market. Service 10/10 - the nice gentleman who took our order assisted us with the biggest and brightest smile. There's a bit of a wait (about 10 minutes) but it's because the food is freshly made! Food 11/10 - my goodness the pupusas were delicious! They don't skimp out on the curtido. You can choose spicy or non spicy salsa. The spicy salsa was perfect and also clearly home made. Everything about this shop just touched my Salvadorian heart. Ambiance 6/10 - they have lots of smaller seating arrangements. Max of a family of 4 per table. It was nice and clean. It was also pretty crowded and quite loud. It is as casual as it can get. So happy to know this place exists for when I'm craving Salvadorian food! Would absolutely come again for the food!

Delicious. Outstanding. Crazy good…read more El Guanaco is a strip mall Salvadoran restaurant and bakery, with a full bar and tons of seating. Food is made to order, so yes you might wait some. We stopped by for take out late lunch/early dinner. We ate about 30 minutes after picking it up. They have a full menu, but we ordered the Salvadoran version of dim sum. Many little bites so that we could try many things. Empanadas with different fillings. Paposas likewise. Bread and chicken sandwich, think Torta like, to cut up and share. And real, not from a mix, horchata and Tamarindo. Worth a stop just for that. Service was fine. Staff had a good handle on English and was friendly. Without a doubt, a return visit is called for

Great tasting pupusas and cabbage. Prices are amazing too…read more My Spanish is nonexistent but they're really nice and friendly to me

Amazing food and even better service…read more If you are feeling lonely, then you haven't yet walked into this restaurant. If you are having any doubts in the world, then you haven't yet eaten their food.

The pupusa was served warm and the cheese and green leafy filling were nice. But still needed a hot…read moresauce or salsa that was available but only on request. Was a pleasant but not great dish. The plantain was baked/grilled so was starchier and less crisp than other plantains, and fairly dry. And the elote was disappointing. Was told it was boiled then grilled, but it tasted pretty much boiled so didn't get any of the crispness or flavor from being roasted.

Not gonna lie, we were super shocked to find out Minnesota had Pollo Campero (As our closes one to…read morehome is in Chicago) so we were SUPER Excited!!! The chicken, the sides, ‍ And the staff here, 10/10!!

This place is so yummy! The food is always quick yet fresh. We place our order beforehand. Go to…read morepick it up and it's still hot by the time we get all the way home. The wait is never too long to get the food and the staff is efficient. It's a standard looking restaurant and clean.

Amazing food! I didn't really know what to expect as I haven't tried Ecuadorian food before but…read morewhat stood out the most to me was how flavorful the meat was. We tried entrees with chicken, steak and pork and I couldn't believe how good every kind of meat was. Whatever they marinate it in is soooo flavorful! The portion size was big and we all left really full. For the quality and portion size I think it was really reasonably priced! We went on a Saturday and it was busy, there was a line out the door. But the food was worth the wait! Most of the entrees came with a green sauce that was so good we asked for two more servings of it. Inside the restaurant it feels like you're actually in Ecuador with the colors and decorations. I'll definitely be back!

This is the first time we dined inside, since the snow is starting to fly. We were seated by the…read morefront door, but I didn't feel the slightest draft. It's cozy in the main dining area when there's people, but we had attentive service. I love their sandwiches here. The clearly bilingual waitress even indulged (and gently corrected) my broken Spanish as I ordered one! They have their specials chalked up on the wall to easily see, and the kitchen is right below it. Everyone worked in sync, bussing tables and making sure folks were seated promptly. I've never had a bad meal here. Everything is so, so good. The only downside is that they ran out of the wine I ordered, so it's a testament to how wonderful their food and drink are.