When it comes to Salvadoran food, "El Pulgarcito" is definitely the real deal. Not only do they serve Salvadoran food but they also have a full-on Mexican food menu as well. Located at the McCarran Plaza directly on E. Prater Rd and adjacent to N. McCarran Blvd in the heart of Sparks, this has been one of the top rated spots for papusas in the northern Nevada area dating back to 2012. And if my family (that live north of here in Spanish Springs) didn't tell me about this hidden gem, I would have no idea it even existed. I came here with my lady during the afternoon on Saturday 6/20/2026 at around 3:00pm. Since this is an outdoor strip mall with lots of other businesses and eateries, parking was fairly easy to find; especially since we came in between lunch and dinner. The exterior showcases the business name while the interior actually has two separate dining areas. In fact, it is so spacious inside, there is ample room to accommodate a lot more tables and chairs. I do think the layout is also designed to where people can dance if they have hold private gatherings. Even though the decor looks a bit dated, this only adds to some of the charm and authenticity of this small business. As I mentioned, their menu consists of both Salvadoran food; papusas, sopas, pollo fritos, etc. as well as Mexican food; tacos, burritos, quesadillas, etc. All types of traditional Central American meats are prepared here as well as a variety of seafood options, a-la-carte items, soups, sodas, and juices. I ended up ordering one frijoles (bean) papusa and one fish taco while my lady ordered two frijoles (bean) papusas. Total price for everything after tax + tip only came out to around $20; not bad at all even with skyrocketing food prices. We were given complimentary chips & salsa, a number, and proceeded to sit at one of the booth tables. Both our orders arrived in less than 10 minutes by the same lady that took our order. We received the traditional cabbage slaw with our papusas (a.k.a. curtido) with the savory tomato salsa roja. One bite of my bean papusa and the flavor absolutely hits perfectly. The ratio of beans combined with the crispiness of the tortilla shell hit all the high notes for me. As for the fish taco, this was absolutely delicious as every single bite had an abundance of crispy fried (tilapia) fish. It also included amazing crema sauce, avocados, and other fillings to elevate the overall flavor. All in all, "El Pulgarcito" is the real deal and if you're looking for a place that serves up amazing Salvadoran food in the greater Reno-Sparks metropolitan area, this hits all the high notes. Prices are very competitive, service was top notch, and the food was a grand slam for me. Keep in mind that they are closed on Mondays but are open for business Tuesday through Sunday from 9am-7pm. My rating for this small family-owned business, a perfect five stars. read more

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This business is my cup of tea for gorditas and popusas The popusas are the best in my opinion because I love plain bean ones. They do have other options but something about simplicity is what I love. The gorditas also have beans and the choice of meat you want. I get something different every time. They offer lots of other options they have a great menu with variety of different things. There is lots of seating . You seat yourself and order at the counter. But they do bring you the food once ordered. You pay before as well. Parking is easy because it's in a area with lots of other businesses. The service is great and if you dine in you get chips and salsa while you wait for your food. The food does come out quick as well not much wait time. Go and try the popusas you might enjoy the simplicity just as much as I do. read more

This was my first time visiting this restaurant, and I was immediately impressed by the friendly staff and spacious dining area -- they have two separate sections available for customers to enjoy their meals. I was a bit disappointed to learn that they no longer serve tamales, but any disappointment quickly faded once I tried the food. I ordered the sopes combo plate, which came with rice and beans, along with a small agua de Jamaica. The drink was flavorful and reasonably priced, and the entire meal was excellent. The sopes were perfectly cooked, and the rice and beans were just right -- the rice was moist and well-seasoned, not dry at all. I also noticed that the old menu posted on Yelp lists soups as being available only on weekends, but the updated menu now offers them daily -- a nice improvement to note. Overall, this Salvadoran/Mexican restaurant has quickly become one of my new favorites. Español: Esta fue la primera vez que visité este restaurante, e inmediatamente me impresionó el amable personal y la espaciosa zona de comedor: tienen dos secciones separadas disponibles para que los clientes disfruten de sus comidas. Me decepcionó un poco saber que ya no sirven tamales, pero cualquier decepción se desvaneció rápidamente una vez que probé la comida. Pedí el plato combinado de sopas, que venía con arroz y frijoles, junto con una pequeña agua de Jamaica. La bebida era sabrosa y a un precio razonable, y toda la comida fue excelente. Los sopes estaban perfectamente cocinados, y el arroz y los frijoles estaban perfectos: el arroz estaba húmedo y bien sazonado, no seco en absoluto. También me di cuenta de que el antiguo menú publicado en Yelp enumera las sopas como disponibles solo los fines de semana, pero el menú actualizado ahora las ofrece diariamente, una buena mejora a tener en cuenta. En general, este restaurante salvadoreño/mexicano se ha convertido rápidamente en uno de mis nuevos favoritos. read more

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This place is my jam. And my kids love it too (which says something because they are the world's pickiest eaters). We eat here whenever we are in the area at a meal time. They love the soft rice and the cheese Papuass's. Alllll of their Papuass are piping hot and made to order. You can't go wrong. We usually get it to go, but eat in their new dining area they opened and it's nice. The music is a bit loud sometimes. I do love their casual style, order at the counter sit to eat (no waiters). I do have to say that I don't know Spanish and the sign has two names so it's confusing when I want to find it in gps (what's the name of that place, and which Spanish word do I use- the words are foreign so it's hard to remember!) I like to call my order in ahead but their phone doesn't seem to work most of the time. read more

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It isn't every day I try a new place, but today I did, and I wasn't too pleased. The pupusas lacked seasoning. The tomato sauce was not on point. The shrimp seem freezer burnt on the shrimp soup. I won't, I tried it, and I may not be back. read more

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My husband and I tried their Pupusas combination plate (our first time trying Pupusas). It was delicious! The rice that came with it was so moist and delicious too. The service was great. We will be back. read more

This is the best Salvadoran and Mexican food I've ever had in Nevada. Starting with their amazing salsa, everything we ate was absolutely delicious. I will definitely be back! read more

The food was good, but the tables at the booth's were hard to get in and out of. Kind of awkward and requires flexibility. We had papusas which you could tell were made fresh!! On the other hand, the chips were....meh. read more

The Restaurants food is spectacular! I had the carnitas Gordita with rice and beans, the carnitas here are some of the best I have ever tried! Higher recommend this place for Salvadoran cuisine and service that Is quick and friendly! read more

El Pulgarcito - Carnitas Gordita rice and beans on the side - Salvadoran Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

I have had their pork and cheese pupusas several times. They are excellent. I also recomend the fried yucca and pork. This dish is a little dry but has excellent flavor. read more

Food is always delicious, Service was good staff are very friendly! Love dining Here! Was my 3rd time for breakfast hehe! read more

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The food is excellent and the salsas are highly rated by myself. Items I routinely order are the taco combo with pastor, Papusa combo with pork and cheese, and the Platano Frito Combo. I particularly enjoy the cabbage salsa alwith the red hot salsa. The green salsa is excellent as well but the heat from the spicy red salsa is more to my liking. read more

Amazing food. The pupusa and plantains were amazing! If it was closer to my home I would eat here every day!!!

Yum! Really good food, very authentic. Good service, very friendly people. The prices are very reasonable. It is an order at the front and rear yourself kind of place. I can imagine when they are busy there would be a problem getting a table. There was a steady flow of orders while we were there 50/50 to go. My family ordered 10 asada tacos, 10 pastor tacos, chilli verdi and an asada plate. They have a salsa bar which is really good for a larger party we could go and get what we each wanted and didn't have to bug them for more salsa or toppings. The pickled cabbage and carrots are good there, not too spicy. The food was all really good, the tacos were street tacos, so very small. For a meal a person would probably order 4 or 5 a la carte to get full. The asada plate and chilli verdi had very good flavor and was a lot of food. Probably the best thing about the place to me was HOMEMADE TORTILLAS! Yum. I love homemade tortillas and not many places do it. The chips were kind of lacking because they were just kind of stale bagged chips, but the tortillas made up for it. Definitely going back. read more

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So this is a hole in the wall place that I have seen and wanted to try for years. Mi querida pulgarcita is mexican and salvadorian food. I keep seeing it and forgetting about it. I have never had salvadorian food. I finally tried it yesterday and my son and I really liked it. I had mojarra frita and a papusa. The papusa was ok. It was bread with pork and cheese inside. Mojarra frita is fried tilapia. Super crunchy and good. Served with lime, beans, and rice. I really enjoyed it. My son wants to go again soon. He had burrito de destino ( breakfast burrito) with ham. Next time he wants to gave the mojarra frita and I might have fried plantains. This place is a little cramped but very good. I would recommend it. read more

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It's really hard to find good Mexican food in Reno but this place was delicious! I'm Mexican so I can be a bit critical of how it taste. I went with a group of 7 and we all ate all our food and everyone said their food was amazing. read more

Good tasting reasonably priced food. Service was great and they allowed us to order & eat there even though they were closing within 30 mins

i love this place...the food is delicious!! You barely see it cause it's a small business but should try it out. And easy to get you food. Must try!!!! Definitely recommend it. I love the Gorditas and caldo de rez!! read more

El Pulgarcito was recommended by my friend from El Salvador and this did not disappoint. Got a few pupusas and a sope to go. Pupusas run at $2.99 and are freshly made, typically taking about 20 mins to make. The sope was great too. I would've loved to try their Salvadoran tamale but unfortunately they don't make them anymore. They combine the convenience of a grab and go restaurant with plenty of comfortable seating in an open spacious layout. This is the place to go for pupusas in Reno. Can't wait for my next visit! read more

If you are looking for a French Laundry haute cuisine ambiance, this is not the place. If you want homemade tortillas and Chile rellenos like I had when I was growing up in Mexico, this is the place for you. The sauces are homemade and yummy. The location is basic, but the staff are very friendly, and service was prompt. Leave you tiara and pearls at home and go try some seriously delicious Mexican food. They also have delicious pupusas. read more

I tried the pupusas there and I really liked them! I was really in love with the red sauce that comes with it. The front lady was kind and it did take a bit of time for my order but I did order a lot lol. I would definitely go again, I wouldnt know what its like to eat at the specific location for sit in but it seems like a comfortable area read more

El Pulgarcito - Pupusas - Salvadoran Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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This place is not a Diner, not Drive In, and not a Dive. It is a hole in the wall in an old shopping mall. If you are looking for fancy this is not the place to go. But WOW the food is so good. On my first and only visit so far, I got two pupusus and I was not disappointed. The prices are really good and the lady who helped me (I think the owner) was incredibly helpful. They have your typical bar of pickled jalapenos and salsas. I look forward to my next visit. 20/3 read more

It only took us 8 years to find a very awesome, delicious authentic mexican/Salvadoran restaurant in Reno. This will be our to go spot when we crave Mexican food because the wife and husband team are very friendly and they make some BOMB a$$ food. I always wanted to leave a 5 star review but never had the chance to take a picture of the food we ordered to go, but this time we dine in and everything we order was DELICIOUS! My daughter order the carne asada combo plate that comes with rice, beans and salad. didn't get a picture because she started eating it right when it got to the table and she loved it especially with the grill slices of onion and my daughter barely eats onions. She killed it! I was surprised!! My wife favorite food is Mexican food and she ordered the Pozole that came with big chunks of pork with hominy and side of lettuce, lime cilantro, onions ,raddish, chili flakes and tostada shell. She loved it especially the broth of the soup. She said it wasn't gamey at all but very flavorful unlike other Mexican restaurants. I ordered the carnita enchiladas combo plate that came with rice, beans, and salad. Carnita that was inside the enchiladas was very good and very tender. Rice and beans was also very good. The hot sauce we asked for goes very well with everything we order and three 16oz soda that comes with free refill. So far we been ordering to go once a week from this place and we have no complaints or had anything tasted gross. Everything there is very fresh. I have tried there pupusas, Salvadoran tamales, asada quesadilla, asada street taco, asada and lengua(beef tongue) burritos and my all time hung over cure tripe menudo(soup). Top 3 best ever menudo I've had in a long time and it wasn't gamey at all. It came with alot of tripe and 1 beef joint or knuckle. Everything is good! Definitely for new people who wants to try this place must order the pupusas and Salvadoran tamales( so moist and yummy) I'm sad that this place doesn't have alot of reviews since their food is so good and fresh. They are super busy on the weekend, weekdays is mild. We came in today around 12 o'clock and 3 other partys was already inside with table separating us from other as they have to follow with the covid 19 social distancing guidelines. We order and sat down at a table. I'm not lying and I'm dead serious, about 2 minutes later there was a line from the register to the front door. A place that is pretty small and being that busy only means that we have found a hidden gem after 8 years,lol. I WILL HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO FAMILY AND FRIENDS. Definitely have to try other dish on their many selections of food on the menu next time I stop by. read more

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El Pulgarcito OFFICIALLY has my vote for the BEST pupusas in the Reno/Sparks area! I have been searching for the best El Salvadoran pupusas since the El Salvador restaurant in Midtown Reno closed last year. Well, 6 months later and 5 different restaurants I finally found the Pupusa King!!! The pupusas at El Pulgarcito are the best because of the freshness, fluffy yet crispy texture, size and price! All of the prices at El Pulgarcito can't be beat. Everything is an amazing deal for the quality & quantity! My husband and I just moved to Sparks and we were excited to discover that El Pulgarcito was only about a mile from our new place. It's a small little restaurant tucked into a strip mall, you wouldn't know that it's a gem unless you were looking for it! It's a small dining area and it was busy at 5:45 on a Wednesday night, but we didn't have to wait long. They gave us chips while we waited for our meal. I ordered 2 pupusas and 2 chicken tacos & my husband ordered 3 pupusas and 3 carnitas tacos. We were both thrilled with everything! I LOVED the chicken tacos and they're only $1.25 per taco! My husband was very impressed with the carnitas tacos and the amount of meat in each taco. The man working the front register was very nice & helpful. We will definitely be visiting El Pulgarcito frequently!!! read more

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The food is excellent and the salsas are highly rated by myself. Items I routinely order are the taco combo with pastor, Papusa combo with pork and cheese, and the Platano Frito Combo. I particularly enjoy the cabbage salsa along with the red hot salsa. The green salsa is excellent as well but the heat from the spicy red salsa is more to my liking. read more

I did like this place until they made a mistake on a order for me that my husband picked up right before they close . My shift ends at 7pm and my sweetie pie wanted to surprise me with some cheese and loroco pupusas , we are vegetarian and don't eat meat , when we got home we noticed brown coloring that resembled the meat they use , chicharron , of course they were closed because it was passed 7pm . Fast forward to now after calls and voicemails I finally spoke with a woman who assumes I ate them and said the only way to do anything would be to bring them back !!! Mind you this was days later because they never called me back and said no one answers the messages . This is crazy and have lost my business for sure . read more

El Pulgarcito - Pupusas : 2 Cheese & Loroco , 2 Cheese & Bean . Plátanos : Fried Banana W/ beans & sour cream - Salvadoran Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Freaking love their tamales. It's one of those hole in the wall Mexican food places that are really good and authentic. They also have great pupusas. Highly recommend read more

I love coming here for my posole and champurrado!!! Food is good service is good. And alot of seating places !! They are always busy so you know the food is good l! read more

Yay, I finally found some good enchiladas in a casual take out type venue (they have plenty of seating there too)! The rice and beans were also great. Everything tasted delicious, even after my 20 min drive back home. I will definitely stop here again when I'm in the neighborhood! read more

Have been craving pupusas for a long time and this establishment did not disappoint me!! They have the best horchata in town!! The fish taco was amazing!! Chips were average but the salsa bar was on point! Burrito was good according to bf. Wasn't a fan of the beans. Will definitely be back soon!! Small place. Bathroom in need of cleaning/fixing up. 1 star removed for that reason. read more

A long time Sparks resident, I recently moved to the East Coast and boy do I miss authentic Mexican Salvadorian. El Pulgarcito has made this location on Prater Way and Mccarran into the perfect place to grab a quick and tasty lunch or dinner. Real plates, real silverware, reusable cups, and glass bottles of authentic Mexican Coca-Cola and other liquid refreshments. Fast and friendly service and the food was fresh hot and tasty. I ordered a Relleno combination plate and an asada taco on the side. I definitely could not eat it all and my companion ate only half of his burrito because it was enormous! read more

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I ordered the Sope & Gordita combo , however It looks like everything just got tossed in there & it seems like they underportioned me, I am not one to complain but as I opened the box this is what im greeted with... food is still good , however I dislike how i got underportioned read more

We've been to most of the pupusarias in Reno and this is our favorite! The pupusas remind us of El Salvador and I also really like the carne asada with grilled onions. The people who work here are very friendly and make us feel at home. It's definitely worth checking out! read more

While browsing for Mexican Food in the Reno area, I came across this place and was taken aback by Anthony C's tasteless, inappropriate and un-American review.  I surmise that Mr. Anthony C. is not a good person, as his review indicates a predaliction to use race as a quick "catch all" for even the slightest inconvienience he "suffers."  Reviewing restaurants is a new and usually very helpful benefit of the digital age but as with any technology, its value rests on the quality of the person invested with its use, in Anthony C's case an obvious juvenile devoid of reason or couth.   I will frequent this place in hopes of being a classy counterpoise to such a gutteral knave. Sent from the all new AOL app for Android read more

Was recommended to check this place out and have been there twice now in the last week. So far, Ive had their pupusas, salvadorean tamales, and barbacoa tacos. Everything was 100%! So delicious. I love that it's local and the people who work there are super friendly. Probably the best pupusas I've had in town - I've been to 3 other places (to compare). read more

El Pulgarcito - Barbacoa tacos with grilled onions and cilantro. - Salvadoran Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

Racist! Went in for lunch made an order. The old lady in the back wouldn't make our food util we brought back a receipt. I've been there over the yrs. & this never happened. A latino family were after us, we waited to see if see would do the same thing. She asked them to get a receipt They were puzzled & didn't seem to happy. Because that's no what they do w/ their own. That's cool & all. But don't pick us to pay first when it was never done before. Their in the same boat as any other race. I asked the heavy set cashier @ the front why do we have to pay when I never done it before. She said that the way it's ran. W/ an attitude. BS! Their on that racist . I'll Never Give Them Another Cent Of My . Never! They can keep their food & their racist . read more

Really really good, Salvadoran food and Mexican. You walk in and order at the back of the restaurant. The food comes out fast and the salsa bar is really good. I like the green salsa the most with the hint of avocado. We came on a Wednesday, pupusa special day, really good pupusa. The slaw and papusa sauce are great with it. They are fluffy meza patties filled with cheese or meat. I order the burrito mojado, with egg instead of meat. Then a pupusa and side of rice and beans. The burrito was smothered in an enchilada sauce and melted cheese, inside fluffy eggs, avocado, rice, beans, onions, and cilantro. My friend ordered 2 burritos, rice, steak and cheese. And he said it was really good. After his first one, he had to order a second. Chips are free and a great thing to take up the very short time you wait for your food. It's a mom and pop family shop so, they were very nice and it was very authentic. It actually closes at 9pm. The prices are really good and the portions are large. I finally food good Salvadorian food in Reno, I've been to a few others in Reno, and was left kinda meh. read more

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I really wanted to like this place more, but the food just did not cut it. Do not get me wrong, the food was OK, but to me it was a bit bland. I have never had Salvadoran food, so I did not know what to expect. I am judging it against Mexican food, which I love. My maiden name is Munoz, so Mexican is my first love. I order the pupusas, stuffed with cheese and pork. They just did not have alot of taste. They definitely fill you up. Like I said, it is probably my taste buds. I probably won't be back. read more

El Pulgarcito - Pupusas - Salvadoran Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

A little amazing hole in the wall!! We live in Fernley and will drive here to eat at this place again. Yum!

Wow delicious how can I begin to explain before waltzting in and thinking pupusas are fast food they are not, 30 minutes well worth the wait, they have thee best pork and cheese pupusas or ever you can get bean and cheese or just cheese either way give them 30 minutes trust they always come out shocking those tastebuds they will wrap them in foil and can stay super hot for at least an hour for your family don't hesitate dove in totally worth the money please do tip as we all know this is Nevada like no other state We expect tips and work for them and deserve them going out to a club or casino means you have the means to do so. read more