We were looking for something a little different in downtown Bakersfield. We heard good things about this place with the name gringos can't pronounce. ;) When I asked the server about the name, she said she thought it was a city in El Salvador. Later, because I needed to find out, I turned to Google and discovered that the name is reserved for the older generations of Salvadorans. I took this to mean it was more traditional Salvadoran food. It is a simple dining area with an open layout. Our server came out quickly, but because we needed more time with the menu, we asked her to come back. That took a while. The food was good and the portion sizes were ample. I had the Pachuga de crema. It comes with rice and beans. The beans had a different, thinner texture. I had some of the salsa to add a bit of flavor. Everyone at our table ordered something different. Everyone enjoyed their food. If you're looking for Mexican food, but want something a little different, try El Cuscatleco. read more

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Pupusas anyone?? You can either eat inside or order to pickup. I love calling this place for a quick bite for lunch. Wait time on a slow day 10-15 mins and 20/30 Mins on a busy day. Ambience: Central America .. vacation near by the Pacific Ocean with some palm trees just missing a piña colada Price: moderate 4/5 Customer service: moderate 4/5 Do I recommend: yes I do read more

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Got there around 4 pm and was greeted by Jimena. I was given the choice of any table because there was only one other family. When ordering I asked Jimena her opinion on the "Happy Hour" appetizers and was guided to try the yuca and chicharrón. Definitely recommend it. The yuca was not soft but not overly cooked. The crunch on them was perfect. The outer core of the chicharrón was crispy but the inside was very juicy. I also had 2 pupusas revueltas. I only finished one and the other became my dinner. The Pupusa was full of flavor and was not greasy. The curtido was also very fresh and had a chilled sweet pleasant spicy taste to it. read more

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Looking for some nearby take out to take next door to off the rails. This place was quick; friendly and had easy to read menus. Waited about ten minutes for my order ; it was nicely packed up : Feach pupasa was divided by a liner ; so they wouldn't stick together. They were piping hot and fresh. They tasted delicious. Even extra tastier with the slaw and sauce on top. They have plenty of toppings for the order. Super good; good location in downtown. Went on a Saturday nite and they had a Dj. Music was good! read more

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A nice piece of Salvadorian Culture in down town. Staff was all very welcoming during the grand opening! Nice little place for a small group. All the food was fantastic, fresh and HOT! There was so much flavor in everything from the pupusas, to the empanadas de pollo! Portion sizes will leave you full and content. The Horchata was was perfect balance of sweet And refreshing. The staff here definitely goes above and beyond to make sure you are taken care of. Best of luck to this new business read more

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See edit below. The food was delicious. I had tortilla chips and chili sauce to start Ordered Chili Verde, rice, beans, salad and tortillas for lunch. The only thing I missed in the Chili Verde was the chunks of peppers. The only reason I gave four stars is after I got the food, I never saw a server again. I ran out of soda halfway through the meal and never got any more. Edit: I returned to El Cuscatleco for a second try. Once again I enjoyed the food, although the carnitas beef was very dry. The rest of the meal was great. I believe the star of the meal is the homemade tortillas. They are absolutely wonderful. Next time I will order the tortillas and beans. That will be a great meal. I really enjoy the rice. The flavor and vegetables in the rice complement each other perfectly. The server was very attentive and replaced the beef with chicken. This was a much better experience and I willingly give five stars. read more

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My family and I went in around 12:00pm and our first impression coming in was no music ? Maybe a little quiet, it was a little awkward at first but ...... Food and service in the other hand was exceptional. Food was prepared and served with great visionary. So tasty it was worth it . I also got the salad fruit drink . So sweet but yet very refreshing. As we ate and enjoy our meal , it definitely becomes more comfortable. read more

This restaurant moved into the old location of Tacos Las Salsas (corner 18th and Chester). The menu we were given does not match the one on their website. It was very limited. The prices are higher than TLS. This was a lunch spot and the servers were on top of getting your order, food, and check quickly. First, our order was not taken but other patrons' orders who arrived after us were taken. We had to go locate the server so that we would not be late back to work from lunch. The food was okay but definitely not what we were accustomed to from TLS. First, the combinations permitted you to choose rice or beans. We ended up ordering a side to split. We did not see any chili verde on the menu. No lunch specials were offered. This was our visit so we will try it again. We miss TLS already. read more

The food was amazing!! Our waiter was very welcoming, her service was great ! We were first costumers in the morning and the environment was nice and quiet. Perfect place to get your Salvadorian fix ! Will come again and highly recommend. read more

El Cuscatleco restaurant - Pup Desayuno Tipico Desayuno El Cuscatleco Chicharron Pupusas Platano Frito Con Creama Tamal De Elote Empanada De Pollo - Salvadoran Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Driving threw Bakersfield CA craving popusas! this is our second time eating here had popusas, Caldo de Gallina, yuca frita con chicharrón, agua de maracuya and atol de maíz AMAZING Great service read more

Well I seriously hate leaving a bad review especially since this place had only been open for a month. Tonight my wife and I decided to give them a try. The are located in the old Fish Lips or the latest Hot Pot building. There are about 25 tables with 4 big screen tv's on the walls. We ended up sitting under one of the tv's which unfortunately had the volume up high and a combination of the tv's, the music up loud and the fact that everyone had to raise their voices made it extremely loud. We were greeted right away and was instructed to sit anywhere which pretty much the table we choose was to only one available. The server super nice young lady brought us menus and took our drink order. At the present moment they do not have any alcohol. I got sweet tea which was really nice and tasted fresh brewed. My wife got the Jamaica. Our server came back about 15 minutes later and took our order. We order 2 different type of Papusa's and 2 different type of empanadas. I ordered the bistec flat steak with marinated onions. My wife ordered the mar y tierra which was a shrimp dish. So I'll start with the Papusa's. The chorizo Papusa's was a decent size but unfortunately didn't have much flavor. The jalapeño and cheese Papusa's however was delicious. Normally at other Salvadorian places you'll get a sauce to dip them in and a coleslaw which they forgot. The empanadas one chicken and the other was pork were both over cooked an super dry. The Bistec had a good flavor but was a little on the salty side for me. The rice and black purée were delicious. The shrimp on my wife's dish were clearly over cooked to the extent they were almost chewy. The main staple to any Mexican/ Salvadorian restaurant is chips and salsa. The salsa was watery and really didn't have much flavor and the chips most of which were fresh however there were either old chips of under cooked chips which had a chewy texture to them. As I said in the beginning I really didn't want to leave a bad review but they need to know and will hopefully make adjustments. Also I should mention the was just advertised on Facebook and the news and I think they were overwhelmed and under staffed. We will give them another chance in a month or so to give them a chance to dial things in. read more

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Sheeesh where to start.... So we walked in to a nice clean environment and a friendly smile. Unfortunately I came here to eat and enjoy our food. That did not happen. Here was my order..... Augachilies verdes we're not at all spicy and had zero flavor. They were also in a creamy sauce so nothing like aguaschilies. (The amount left on our plates is what we did not eat) HUGE Waste of money. Salsa was terrible.... Honestly who fucks that up? Lol Pupusa we're NOT good at all. Tamal de elote was very Good so I'm glad I ate something. The waitress asked, how are food was, and I told her I did not like it and did not eat it. That was her opportunity to make it right and avoid me writing this review. Makes you wonder how some places are in business. Oh crap almost forgot, it doesn't bother me much but my wife pointed out 2 roaches while we sat so there also that. Lol Good luck if you choose this place. read more

El Cuscatleco restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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A friend recommended this restaurant to me, and I am glad I gave it a shot. She told me this is the most authentic Salvadoran restaurant in town. I could not agree more. This food was SOOOOO good. Every bite and sip was incredible. The flavors are amazing and the food was juuuuiiiccyy. I will be returning for sure, as well as recommending this spot to anyone who wants a fire pupusa and a michi! read more

El Cuscatleco restaurant - El Trio Molcajetes - Salvadoran Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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There is little to say about this place. It was my wife's birthday and I tried to make reservations but they don't respond to phone calls or messages. I needn't have worried. Why? At no time was there more than my wife and one other couple present. It was cold inside and we had to wear our jackets. For the first time in my senior citizen life, I could not drink the margarita they served me. What could be worse? Coke from a bottle that we agreed was undrinkable. What could be worse? I added my tab incorrectly. Instead of contacting me for correction, they added $10 to the tip. My credit card company contacted me saying they thought a 30% tip was too much. Need more? read more

My family and I ended up coming here after we drove all the way over to Roses to eat, only to be closed from a staff shortage. I truly believe this place would be busier if they were in busier area. We arrived before 5 on a Sunday. It's very clean inside. There was one other customer with one waitress, and one other girl that went in the back. They took a little bit to sit us down and to get our drinks. We had to ask for chips and salsa. They do need bigger bowls for their salsa because we had to ask for 4 extra salsas. What they put it in are those 4 oz cups to go. She finally got around to taking our orders. One of my daughters, my husband, and one of my SIL ordered the Mar y Tierra. They all said it was really good, but my husband wished he had more steak, because it was really small. My other SIL had the trio Molcaletes bowl. He said it was really good. My husband tasted it and said the chicken was seasoned really well. My daughter had their enchiladas, and said they were some of the best she'd had. I had their Camarones A La Diabla. They were good but I wish they came unshelled. No one wants to sit there taking the shell off. Everyone liked the rice and beans. Oh we also had chicken empanadas. I liked how they were cooked, but I didn't like the taste of the chicken. Now the Pupusa's we ordered, are the best we've had in Bakersfield. read more

Un nuevo restaurante Salvadoreño/Mexicano pero podemos disfrutar en el corazón de Bakersfield. La comida super rica y auténtica. La frescura y sabor se puede sentir en cada mordida. El ambiente de música moderna lo hacen único. Definitivamente algo para tu paladar. Pruébalo read more

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The food was really really good and so fresh and hot!! The service was great, constantly checking on us. Definitely going back as it has a great ambiance!!! read more

This place has wonderful food a live Dj every Friday and Saturday night. P tried the frejol pupusa file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/fd/13/459FD635-DFC3-4E71-9A74-8903ABF753FC/IMG_7510.heic Very tasty. The pollo empanadas good but the shrimp may have been better, the Cameron tostada great and the Salpicon Rico, a diced beef mixed with tomatoes, onions, radish and fresh lemon. file:///var/mobile/Library/SMS/Attachments/b9/09/0DE4182C-904F-48C1-9DF1-17DE5BA1F59A/68084582634__BB52681C-C603-46C9-AF37-A279BCC7A144.HEIC The musicia fun by Dj Blue read more

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Wow! The food here is flavorful. I visited on a Sunday afternnoon and it wasn't too busy, which I was so surprised because the food here is delicious! The pupusas are fantastic. I typically eat 2-3 but they don't skip on the fillings here. I ate 1 and a half lol I highly recommend the cheese and jalapeño, the bean and cheese, and the mixed pupusas. Those are the ones I tried and absolutely loved. The complimentary chips and salsa they give once you sit down is out of this world fresh and delicious. We had to ask for a second plate of salsa for our meal. This place is a hidden gem! read more

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Food is amazing! Service is okay. I always get the pupusas-- the revueltas are delicious. They taste authentic and the curtido always tastes fresh. I believe the service would be better if there is someone who always stays in front to take care of the customers. Sometimes they get busy and have to go to back while the customers are left unattended. The pupusas here are definitely 10/10. If you're ever craving pupusas, this is your place! read more

El Cuscatleco restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Traditional salvi food. Absolutely delicious. Great customer service and very clean. Great atmosphere. read more

Well done, Cuscatleco. Well done! This place was super satisfying. Great selection across the menu and everything was decent to great! El Salvadoran food is pretty no frills (including the venue), so manage your expectations - it's simple, tasty, and easy. We ate family style grabbing a selection of papusas, tamales, tacos and ceviche for my kiddo. Everything was solid. Portions were reasonable, prices were decent and service was attentive but not overbearing. Only criticism was the guacamole might have been a single avocado and was ~$8 and we got some yucca fries without chicharrón and it was ~$12 - both were a bit of rip off. I'd go definitely come back, but would not get the guacamole or yucca. read more

We found this Salvadoran place and we had to try it out. We ordered multiple items from the menu. Each plate was really tasteful! We will be coming back soon. read more

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First time to this restaurant. It was convenient considering its near my work. It was clean and service was clean and service was okay. They serve chips and salsa while you wait which was good. I ordered Empanadas de Camaron, which didn't have no flavor. I would like to try this place again, perhaps order something different. Therefore, I do recommend this place, simply not this dish. read more

El Cuscatleco restaurant - Empanada De Camaron - Salvadoran Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Good place. I enjoyed it. Food was good and prices were reasonable. I'll definitely be coming back here again sometime.

Ambiance was good , the service was also good. It's the food where they lost me . I ordered the salvi staple which is pupusas. They did not meet my expectations, they were a bit deformed , not round and consistent with the food spread . Did not taste like it was made by salvadorean cook . It's a let down when a restaurant tries to sell both Mexican and Salvi food because one or the other will be of less quality . It was the salvi food in this case . The ensalada drink was also bad , taste like cool aid with fruit in it . I had to cut the entire crust off the pupusas because they were so thick and parts were uncooked. You want real authentic in Bakersfield, go to Los Cabos off Ming. read more

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Food was delicious. Service was great. Food came out very quickly. Prices were great. I would absolutely come back if I'm ever in the Downtown Bakersfield area. read more

Excellent service and very good food, more than 5 stars located in the center of Bakersfield read more

El Cuscatleco restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Food is VERY SALTY and over priced !!!!! they have very extremely rude servers like you would think they would want to at least pretend to be nice for a good tip but Nope that is NOT the case ! definitely never coming back here read more

El Cuscatleco restaurant - DO NOT EAT HERE - Salvadoran Near Me - Bakersfield, California

Best Pupusa's in Town! Made fresh! Excellent price. Friendly service. Gotta love pupusa!

The pupusas are delicious! Nice and hot delicious cheese and cooked perfectly. They have a drink special that's very budget friendly. The place is very clean and the music is great! Nice downtown location. Try the Salvadoran horchata. read more

El Cuscatleco restaurant - Yuka - Salvadoran Near Me - Bakersfield, California

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Omg! Amazing food! Service great! Prices are pretty darn freest if you ask me! I've been here at least 3 or 4 times and have never been disappointed the pupusas are fire! Oh the plátanos fritos so soft and sweet read more

All this for under $12 dollars! Wow. So glad I decided to risk it and Try it out. Will definitely return. They provide great clean service. Pupusas are pretty good read more

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Food was good. The variety of papusas was nice. We ordered the bean and cheese, chicharron and cheese, and chorizo filled papusas with a side of fried plantains. Whole family loved them and the meat dough ratio was good. Service was on point and the interior didn't make you feel underdressed but you could still come here for a dinner date no problem. read more

Wonderful food and service. We came here because side another restaurant was closed but are so glad we landed here. The pupusos we amazing. 5 stars read more

First time eating this type of cuisine. Everything was amazing! The steak/shrimp in their cream sauce was even better than my expectations. Steak was very tender, shrimp cooked perfectly, rice and beans were also great. My friends had their fish tacos and said they were 5 stars. I'll be back! read more

El Cuscatleco restaurant - Mar y Tierra - Salvadoran Near Me - Bakersfield, California

I can't decide what i like more, the ambiance, or the decor. food was fire, waiter was kind, and the BEANS are to die for

Yum! This place is on point. I've been twice since they opened, once to dine in and once for take-out. Everything has been incredibly fresh and flavorful. I've tried three different non-meat pupusas (Loroco y Queso; Queso y Frijol; Ayote), all excellent. My friend ordered the Bistec and really enjoyed it. She let me try her (Salvadoran) tortillas, which are delicious! She said she's anxious to return and try more from their menu. The place is new and clean, and the service has been impressive. read more

Arrived at 7:50 as soon as we get in lady in red said "Owh we are already close!" Sign says they are open till 9 o'clock. Last time we were here food took forever to be served, they don't check if we need anything once served, only 1 server serving 2 tables. read more

Best Carne Asada in town! It's a flat steak which is what I prefer and difficult to find at restaurants in Bakersfield. It was cooked perfectly and seasoned well. My husband got the carnitas, which he loved. We will be coming back for sure! Others in our party got pupusas and no onel had any complaints, said they were delicious and the size was bigger than most places in town. read more