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Category: Latin American [Edit]
Neighborhood: Bernal Heights"I had been a devoted fan of Puerto Alegre since I moved here. It was one of the first times I've had the more authentic California Mexican…" read more »
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I went to El Zocalo for a birthday dinner the other night. I heard amazing things about their papusas and was dying to try them. I was definitely satisfied!
I ordered the plato tipico (if I remember the name correctly) and it came with 2 papusas, a pastelito and something that resembled an open faced taco (with a hard taco shell). This was priced at $7 so I didn't think the portions would be very big, how wrong I was! I could barely get through the whole meal and it was delicious from beginning to end. I am by no means a lightweight eater, but this meal gave me a run for my money.
Once I finished my meal I realized that the papusa plates at $6 are also portioned generously. Believe me, you will not go home hungry
I'm giving it 4 stars just because this was my first time and I don't have a lot of experience with the menu, but (just to give you an idea of my experience) I will definitely be going back soon :)
LATE NIGHT MEXICAN COMFORT FOOD
This is another old reliable in the Mission for me. The food is a blend of Mexican and Salvadoran food. You must try one of their pupusas and some cortido (Latin American sauerkraut) if it is your first visit. The waiter brought us chips in a foil-lined bowl served with salsa on the side.
Cheese Enchilada and Chili Relleno
I forgot how big their portions were until my dish arrived. I was considering a three-item combination plate but I am glad I decided on a two-item combination. The cheese enchilada was great but I thought the chili relleno had too much cheese. Refried beans, rice, and a small salad with Thousand Island dressing joined the enchilada and relleno.
Zocalo Enchiladas
L ordered the Zocalo Enchiladas. Two enchiladas were covered in a spicy sauce and filled with chicken. Refried beans, rice, and salad rounded out the plate. L really liked the spicy enchilada sauce and could barely finish the dish. The waiter asked if we wanted tortillas to go along with our meals but we said no. You will not go hungry here!
The service was excellent and I have never been disappointed with the food. A great inexpensive restaurant in the Mission.
A few friends and I were craving some late night Mexican cuisine. One of my friends suggested this place, which had a mix of Mexican and Salvadoran food. I had never eaten Salvadoran food before so I was curious. The place was pretty comfy, there weren't a lot of people and it felt like an ordinary cafe/diner.
I ordered the steak with tomatoes, bell peppers and onions and it came with rice, salad, and refried beans with cheese. It was alright, I don't eat a lot of Mexican-Salvadoran food so I can't really compare it to anything else. The price for it was okay and the portions were decent.
The service was mediocre. Although, the waitress we had was nice, the wait for our food took a while, about 30-35 minutes. Some people who came in after us ended up being served their food before us.
Overall, it was a good experience, the prices are not bad and the food is alright. The servers there seem nice but be prepared to wait a while for your food.
I love this place for one reason, and this reason alone.
Pupusas=Heaven in your MOUTH. No joke.
Yeah there are a couple places I know in Sac that do offer them, but this just trumps all.
Best steak burrito in San Francisco! The actually grill the meat AFTER you order it. Sure it takes a while, and there certainly is no rush, but after you get your food, you realize it is well worth the wait.
Oh yeah, and they're open really late. That is how I stumbled upon this place after the bars closed.
I ate here and it was tasty. However, I saw a mouse run across the room, so keep that in mind.
Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 stars
Service: 1 star
Cleanliness: 1 star
Ok, I don't even want to give such a low rating, but when we walked in, there was this piss smell around us and it was a bit gross b/c we're there to eat.
Then we witness this waiter drop a spoon on the floor and throwing it onto the pile of the clean ones. That's super gross. We dont' expect much in the mission, but at least hide it better. We can't pretend that we didn't see that. And the service was much worst. It was not only slow. But they started taking orders from another table when we've been waving to them first!
The food though is great and cheap. A quesadilla is only $5.50. One pupusa goes for $1.90. I have nothing to say about the quality of the food. But I guess I might rate it higher if I took the food to go.
After a night of partying, boozing, or just plain fun, this is a place where the food will taste delicious as the cooks put much heart and soul into the El Salvadorean food that comes off their grills.
The prices are amazing, where you can get a large enough meal for yourself for under $10! The service is a little slow, but everything is made to order, and while you wait for your meal you can eat chips with tasty and hot salsa. Their signature product is their pupusas. Simply amazing at this hour, so you must try it folks!
It may get crowded at late hours, but this place is worth the wait. However, do note that their bathrooms are clean enough and the place isn't as well-kept as other places, so their food is the main reason people flock there after hours.
I must love this place because I've been back like 10 times.
This was the first place I was introduced to pupusas after a night of clubbing.
The last time went I walked from 24th and Castro to the SF Street Food Festival. When I got there it was WAY too crowded so I left and walked to El Zocalo and had 2 Empandas and a pupusas. The staff is always friendly and while it can take a while for your order to arrive at least you know it is freshly made.
The food is great and moderately priced. The papusas are delicious and authentic. The causal ambiance works well with the neighborhood and menu. Problem here is the horrible service. The cooks and waitresses are these little old sassy El Salvadorean ladies who move at a glacial pace. Kind of hypnotic to watch though, they are all plump and sort of waddle around. If you go here make sure you have the plenty of time and patience.
If it weren't for the siren's call of the chorizo taco at nearby Taqueria Cancun, I probably would have eaten more meals here during my stay in San Francisco. Regardless, this was a very solid choice for getting some Mexican food before hitting the dive bars on and around Mission St.
I ordered the pollo encebollado, which those of you who speak Spanish would recognize as "[roasted] chicken with [grilled] onions," but which I, basically ignorant of that language, recognized as "chicken which may or may not turn out to be delicious when it arrives at the table and I see what it actually is." Turns out I got lucky, since the roasted quarter chicken was incredibly juicy and tender, with a flavorful, crispy skin. The onions nearly melted in my mouth. I don't recall specific details on the rice & beans but they were entirely sufficient as side dishes.
I washed it down with $2 cans of Tecate. In fact, the entire meal was relatively cheap--I think with two or three of those beers plus my entree and tip I spent less than $15 to fill my stomach.
The service was a bit slow, but on the balance, when you consider the prices and the flavor, great option for some quality Mexican food.
My boyfriend had raved about pupusas and looked like he would faint when I first told him I had never had one, so he took me here about a week ago. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon and the restaurant only had a couple patrons. Out of excitement my boyfriend quickly ordered two plates of pupusas.
They were delicious! I could barely eat them at first because they were hot and fresh off the skillet, but once I had a bite, I was sold. Normally my boyfriend can finish off any leftovers from my plate and he was happy when I couldn't even finish my two pupusas. But this was one time where even he had trouble finishing our meals. We were so full we skipped dinner that night.
The pupusas were delicious and very cheap. (Less than $20 to fill us both up) I will definitely be back!
Had the Enchilada Salvadorean which is a plate of two crispy tostadas topped with beans, pork and sauerkraut. So YUM! Great service and prices too.
This was after a pretty horrible experience at K.O. Though, I'd suffer through K.O. again just to eat here afterward.
I've eaten a pretty wide variety of dishes from El Zocalo before. I've had papusas, I've had enchiladas, I've had the bacon wrapped shrimp. Overall, all of the dishes were fine and I had an OK impression of the place.
Until last night.
*queue horror music now*
After barely surviving a horrendous day, I was dying for a lomo saltado from Mi Lindo Peru. Alas, for some odd reason, they were closed. The bf tried to salvage the moment by disappearing into the night and triumphantly returning (almost 45 minutes later) with what he claimed was a similar dish from El Zocalo.
Uhm.... not!
The beef (at least I think it was beef) looked like a piece of old grungy cardboard and tasted like petrified wood. The sauteed bell peppers on top of this abomination reminded me of soggy McDonalds fries that had been soaked in lysol. Rice was ok..but was on the mushy side. It took them 45 minutes to make THAT?!!
I'm personally offended that El Zocalo served this thing and charged money for it, cos I basically paid $9 to eat mushy rice last night.
So.. why am I giving them two stars instead of negative 2000? Well, in the past the food has been decent and sometimes cooks just have bad nights. However, Zocalo, be warned that for now you are definitely on my s**t list.
Like this place. The pupusas are good. However, the last time i had them they were kinda thin, they need more stuffing! Overall, it is one of my to-go places. The downside and reason i didn't give 5stars is because they don't have some of my favorite salvadorean must have- atol de elote(corn soup)!
the one in El Camino is really good too.
Really good Salvadorean food!!!! Love the pupusas and chilate(sweet potatoe & plantain cooked in… Read more »
Good food and an excellent value. The trout is only $10, and you get an entire fish on a platter covered in a tomato sauce with baby shrimp AND an even bigger platter with all your sides (rice, beans, and salad).
How awesome is going out for drinks then being able to get a great pupusa afterward? In my book, really~really awesome.
Besides being really inexpensive, the pupusas are super yummy and hit that spot. Plus being open late - 2:30 a.m. was a plus. Very satisfying after a night on the town.
My first ever pupusa was in this place. In fact, my only pupusas have been at this place. Now, I love me a fatty pupusa.
Chicken! Cheese and beans! Pork! Pork, beans and cheese! You can find all these pupusas at El Zocalo. Here's where I really wow you: $1.90. Yep, for under two dollars you can get a pupusa that will fend off your hungries or order two for full stuffation. Comes with complimentary chips (some of the best deep fried tortilla bits in the City) and salsa.
The eatery is basic in decor, never crowded and if your companion speaks Spanish and orders thusly, the lady servers get all charmed & sweet on you.
I love this spot for a quick bite, a beer and some chatting with the boyfriend on the cheap.
P.S. Chances are you'll get a chance to by a fake flower bouquet for your sweetheart; at least three different floral merchants stopped by our table last visit. We declined, but if you are into that sort of thing...
3.5 stars.
Juicy and I ended up for a late night dinner here after 3 hours at Mission Cliffs ... where we mostly continued the conversation regarding the ridiculousness that I've been getting myself into. Since Mi Lindo Peru was packed, we came in here instead. The dining room itself is a bit bright for my liking and when the loud music kicked in, I thought people were going to start dancing next to my grubby, sweaty butt ... but turns out it was just a big Mexican family dinner.
We ordered 2 pupusas and the chili verde. I liked the chicken and cheese pupusa ... which is like a pancake that you put sauerkraut and salsa on. The chili verde was huge - tasty, but pretty standard.
OK, it may seem to be one of a million Latin American cusine spots in the Mission, could there ever be too many places for beans/rice/meat combinations of deliciousness? No. El Zocalo is special, it's a sweet, unpretentious (reasonably priced) date dinner or good for a group of family/friends.
The menu has whatever plato you are looking for. I stick with the Enchiladas Zocalo, sin cebollas (satisfies my craving for savory red sauce, tender chicken and gooey cheese- hold the onions for me please). My dude favors the Bistec con Cebollas (big, juicy steak covered in sauteed/grilled? onions- even I will eat some of these onions as they are so flavorful and perfect with the red meat). With a meal like this, I choose an ice cold coca cola classic, done deal, perfect meal.
Keep in mind that it is conveniently, or not so much, located around 30th/Mission = often times no parking, but the 14 stops right outside all day and night.
I love fat pupusas. David N. and I happened to walk by El Zocalo and upon noticing that he has never tried pupusas, a quick look at yelp's 4 stars rating led us into the restaurant eager to give this place a try. The people there make good use of what might have been a diner by adding photographs and cultural symbols of El Salvador. Although the barred windows and doors prevented us from a good view of the interior before walking in, we later find the décor spaciously arranged with good natural lighting.
Each pupusa is $1.90 and I end up choosing their two pupusas with menudo combo ($8). I thought our complimentary chips were decent but the salsa was a bit diluted and did not make an impression. The pupusas however, were huge with thick doughy texture and plenty of hearty fillings. I loved the texture as it did not come oily and was soft like warm bread--nicely browned and blistered. My queso con loroco had a good amount of stringing melted cheese and a very mild hint of loroco (Salvadorian flower), and my revuelta con frijoles was dominated by beans with ruminants of pork and beans as secondary elements to a savory pupusa. The combination of semi-sweet and savory complimented each other and was a nice change of pace next to a big bowl of menudo. Although the broth lacked flare and could use more salt, diced onions, jalapenos and cilantros, there were tons of chucky tripes with a thick ultra humongous piece of tendon at the bottom. I didn't finish the soup but everything else in that bowl are long gone.
David N. loved his pupusa. I also tasted his pierna de pollo asada, and his grilled chicken thigh was juicy, tender and bursting with flavor. His dish was also generously filled with refried beans with cheese, salad, rice, and a sizable piece of chicken. I thought his dish was more delicious than mine!
Service was absent and distanced. Aside from the weak salsa and the menudo soup base, I thought the main course was pretty good and almost 4 stars worthy. 3.5 stars for the overall experience.
El Zocalo is the perfect late-night post-bar, post-club recovery spot. There's always an interesting, diverse crowd, and the service is decent. But that's not what you're here for. You're here for the excellent, ridiculously cheap pupusas (~$2 for most fillings-- aren't you glad you didn't tip the bartender so much after all?). Or the huge fish platters. Or the dude who occasionally comes around with his guitar to serenade you with Mariachi music.
I usually get distracted by the free chips and salsa at restaurants like this (if food is in front of me, I will eat it), but their salsa is pretty watery, so that's not an issue. Actually, it's a good thing because it saves room in my stomach for all the other delicious, cheap food I'm about to stuff my face with.
A couple of notes from when I was there at some ungodly hour of the night/morning:
-El Zocalo seriously has the most amazing pupusas (at $2 a pop)
-They have the best horchata I've had in the city
-There was a random guy selling fake red roses stuffed with red crotchless thongs from a bucket in the restaurant.
1 star for being open until 4am, 2 stars for the food and drink, and another 2 stars for the crotchless panties.
This place is been around for years i remember going there as a kid.
Well a lot of years had passed since i had been there and it seems like the service got worse with time. We came in for lunch and off course i ordered pupusas that's what they're known for. The waitress took a long time to take our order, once she took the order she only came back to serve our food which took forever and didnt come back to ask us if we needed anything else to drink or eat. The place was practically empty that day i dont know why the service was so crappy. I was kind of dissapointed since i've been going there since tiny Tim but i think that restaurants and places where people eat have to improve their business as time passes. Not only remodel the place but also service wise.
Most places I've encountered seem to focus on Mexican and then as an afterthought throw in a couple of pupusa options and call it a Salvadoran restaurant. Not at El Zocalo. This is the real deal.
I had a Salvadoran feast of loroco pupusas, plantanos and crema and a Salvadoran tamale.
The chips were stale and the service was slow, but I'll excuse that for great, made-to-order pupusas with generous portions of curtido (Salvadoran cabbage salad) that cut through the cheesy goodness and provided the perfect tanginess to the pupusas.
i heart el zocalo.
the food is delicious (the cactus flower pupusa is out of this world amazing). the prices are amazing (under $10 for a large meal with leftovers!). the service is good - a little slow, but everything is made to order! and besides, while you wait for your meal you can eat chips with this amazing salsa.
yeah, i am a fan.
my one word of advice: avoid the el salvadorian cola. it is kind of foul.
Take note: late night spot on Mission!
I came here for lunch with my boss and we were both very pleased with the quality of the food and the value.
For $8 I got a plate of carne asasda, rice, tortillas and beans. It was probably one of the best values for lunch I have had in SF for the amount of food I received.
I have been here before at 1am and had their pupusas. They claim to have the best pupusas in town, which I am uncertain about but they are definitely very good.
The horchata is here is quite good as well.
If it matter to you (as it did to my boss) they do take American Express and other forms of credit cards
We've eaten there twice now. My boyfriend always remembers this place because he loves the name - "El Zocalo" which means "The Plaza".
Generally though, the the food is not that memorable. It's solid. But not particularly special. If there was a 1/2 star rating between 3 and 4 I would rate it a 3.5.
In my opinion, there are bettter Mexican and Salvadorean places. For example, Balompie 3 is much better for Pupusas and for atmosphere.
Late night hours, close to sidespot, and did i already say, LATE NIGHT?...
el bistec con camarones, y papusas....
only wish they had greater selection of aguas frescas...
but the hours, proximity, food and prices......
Late night, ALL THE TIME....
I came here for my birthday last year. I had these really good flat things with cheese, beans and meat in them. They must have been flat tamales but I must say they were even tastier. I washed them down with this sweet seasoned milky tastting water. it was pretty good stuff!
i really liked how opportunites to shop came right to the table!
My wife and I ate there yesterday. The place was not busy (4 tables of patrons) and there were two servers.
The food was OK, but the service was poor (10 minutes to get chips and salsa, water was never refilled and server never came by to see if we needed anything else after food was served) and it took 40 minutes for our food to get served.
I probably won't go back.
I stopped in here during a Saturday afternoon stroll in the Mission for a little lunch. Their chips and salsa left something to be desired, as did the enchillada plate. I was wishing I had stopped a bit more downstream for a bit more tasteful meal. Nice service, but don't go out of your way. In fact, don't go at all.
Papusas are one of my favorite comfort food. The are greasy and cheesy and filling.
El Zocalo is a great place to get popusas even though the wait can be long. Just order a Regia, have some chips and play a song in the jukebox. If you are lucky people will come through the restaurants selling all kinds of things... brightly painted mini guitars, bootleg cd's, roses (real or cloth). Your wait for your papoosas will be over before you know it.
I recommend the cheese papusas with corn masa or the revuelta purposas with rice masa. But all combinations of pupusus are good.
Also order some platanos with your papasas you won't regret it.
PUPUSAS.... sigh
I'd have to say I was rather disappointed in El Zocalo.
We got retched service. When we walked in, it was pretty busy, but we weren't sure if we were suppose to just sit down or wait to be seated. We asked a server, and she told us just one minute, but then she just left us for the next 5-10 mins while she took food out and lounged around. We almost walked out because nobody had said anything to us for so long. Finally got seated, but still took forever just to get menus and service.
I've never had papusas before, and got totally excited for them based on all the positive reviews. When they came, I realized they were just fluffy tortillas stuffed with some meat and a ton cheese. Definitely an overload of cheese. At least they were really cheap.
The papusa's revuleta (pork, cheese and refried beans) with a dab of sour cream are to die for. My man loves the chicken mole but thinks the portions are too small for his man gut. Also love the tacos dorado. Chicken or ground beef, both are great. Just about every order comes with beans, cheese and marinated rice. Never had a bad meal here. Great chips, salsa and guacamole. The customer service is great. They even hook up the chips, salsa and water when you make a take out order. Yum.
Minus one star for the long wait and the lack of take out menus, but still so so good. Parking is aight. Just swoop on a spot near the Burger King and hoof it up the hill.
And they're open late nights until at least 2am!
El Zocalo is a place I like to go late at night have some pupusas and some cheep beer with friends. We always share a big bottle of Regia. Not a place to go when you are in a hurry. They have decent pupusas, but not my favorites. I like going there because they are open really late at night and they have a chill environment, perfect to spend with friends and not being hurried by waiters. They have a slow service. But I don't think it is a big issue unless you go there when you are starving.
The environment is classic mission style. The people that works there are very friendly. Once in a wile you get the dude selling red roses, the city mariachis or people selling random stuff. They have a jukebox that once in a wile someone will blast with ranchero music.
Pupusa heaven. Be sure to go to this place with an empty stomach, hungry for some love in your tummy.
You seat yourself and they bring you menus, chips, and hot salsa.
I always order the same thing: 2 frijoles y queso pupusa y el pollo soupa (I hope I put the proper grammer). Plantanos with crema y frijoles are yummy too if you have room in yo belly. They have pretty quick service and a rockin jukebox with a lovely selection of mariachi classics.
I love that they are open late nights which is the best time to go anyways because the food is prepared with more love and care.
I roughly eat here about once a week; I may be pregnant with pupusas.
I've never had the mexican food..so something else to try if you're daring and adventurous. But I'll stick to my Salvadorian-luvin side for now.
A good friend of mine has been telling me about this place since I moved to the city. We're both nocturnal, ravenous creatures, and think there's nothing wrong with consuming a huge meal at 3am. I finally came here a few weeks ago with another old pal after a long night of dancing over at Mission Rock, starving and cold.
The menu is huge and food was pretty good. I had two enchiladas, one cheese and one chicken, coated in sauce with a hefty portion of rice and beans on the side. My friend grabbed a burrito which was pretty big. The food was filling and the portions were substantial. No complaints here.
I'm giving ths pupusa restaurant just two stars.
First thing - parking: Parking is terrible. The place is located in mission and it seems that when one goes out of his spot, another will take place. It took me and my friend to look for parking for about 20 mins.
Place - it is just decent looking! It does not have the "WOW" factor or any of that sort. Maybe the term I should use is it just looks ok or normal.
Price - very affordable. (we got 12 pupusas for $25 - that includes the tip)! Mind you, I tip because it is just etiquette rules. Besides, parents taught me to tip!
And finally the pupusa (which everyone is talking about) - accordingt to my friend - it is the bomb and the best place to get pupusa! According to my taste - they are just ok! Their pupusa just look bigger! (I tasted a pupusa before - my first time and I fell in love with it..am trying to find the restaurant! Oh jeez help!) Maybe I don't eat pupusa a lot that's why it tasted ok! (I think the cabbage part just got chopped way too big - I prefer my chopped cabbage smaller)
Service - we ordered take out so I am just gonna rate the cashier! I used to work at a restaurant and I was taught that even if you're putting in some extra hours or are tired, you better smile and offer help! Oh yeah! When my friend and I came, they just stared at us! (yeah even if we spoke in Spanish) and yes, they didn't bother asking us if we needed something! Hello! So yeah for other restaurants out there: try asking "may I help you?" I think this is the polite way to go especially if you're in a restaurant business. So overall, I am still looking for the best pupusa restaurant (that includes the food and the service---nevermind the price and parking!) I am disappointed! I am not gonna be raving about this restaurnant to my El Salvadorean friend because I would be embarrassed!
Embarrassingly enough, this was my first papusa ever and I'm definitely a huge fan now. Truly homemade by mom and grandma in this kitchen, which are made to order and not coming from a stocked freezer.
My belly was definitely thinking for me this fine Sunday afternoon because I ended up ordering a huevo & chorizo plate, which came with rice, beans and a salad, on top of a hefty little queso papusa.. not to mention the two basket of tortilla chips and salsa I killed prior to my meal. I was tempted to unbutton my jeans at the end of my meal, but decided to spare my boyfriend the embarrassment. The chorizo had a nice smoky flavor to it.. definitely not the same stuff you'd find at the market. I also really enjoyed their spin on things by adding fresh bell pepper, onion, and tomato chunks in their scramble.. yumm-o!!
Our meal took some time to get to us, but only because everything, and I mean everything was made from scratch and to order, so the wait I didn't mind. Our server was also very attentive and super friendly.. he even struck up a nice convo with my boyfriend about the Pacquiao/Delahoya fights last night.
Great affordable menu in a friendly and spacious atmosphere within the Mission. Definitely try a papusa with the salsa if you haven't already.. freakin' delicious!!
Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
Category: Latin American
South San Francisco, CA
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Bernal Heights
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Latin American
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