When it comes to Salvadoran food, "El Pulgarcito" is definitely the real deal. Not only do they…read moreserve 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.

This business is my cup of tea for gorditas and popusas The…read morepopusas 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.

Customer service was excellent- cashier was so friendly, answered questions about food items, was…read moresuper apologetic that they were out of pepperoni for their pepperoni pupusa pizza, and refilled our drinks with a smile. Watermelon agua fresca and horchata were refreshing but kiddo and hubby didn't really enjoy the pupusa pizza.

While at RPM, I recommend trying this spot for some great pupusas. They will take about 10ish…read moreminutes to make, but that's quicker than some other businesses around town. I chose 2 revueltas and 1 queso. They are not shy with the filling, and they come out with those little bits of crispy cheese that leak out during cooking. If you are hyper sensitive to spice, I recommend easing your way into the toppings. While restaurants at RPM are known for premium pricing, this spot is one of the more economical options. Check them out for some delicious flavors!

It's been a while since I've been here, but this is classic Taqueria. The salsa station everything…read moreis in Spanish. It's delightful. It's how you know when you walk in that food is about to be absolute Fuego. That said the pupusa's here are by far. My favorite thing on the menu doesn't matter which one you go with I've had them all I like being able to know whatever I get on the menu it's going to be good. There's plenty of space to sit down inside lots of tables and like I noted above there is a salsa station. My preference is still to get it to go and it doesn't matter whether you order ahead of time or you order right there. It's always quick. 10 out of 10 would recommend.

Always very consistent with the food and the service. They are friendly enough, I've been coming…read morehere for about 5 years now and the faces tend to remain the same. I'm only giving it 4 stars because I've had a couple of issues with my pickup orders, such as receiving the wrong food. They are quick to remedy and provide a solution, it's only an inconvenience because I live a bit far away and have to drive back to get it fixed. Other than that, they are great! I will say they probably need to clean the salsa/toppings area more. The salsa never looked old and neither do the toppings, but due to spills (probably from customers) they should wipe it down more often in case anyone has allergies. The rest of the restaurant is usually clean, sometimes there are tables that haven't been cleaned yet. They usually are pretty packed so it's understandable. The food is always great and I've never had an issue that route. They're my go-to restaurant when I want tacos, enchiladas or pupusas. Give it a try if you haven't!

Tasty food, good portions and friendly staff. They also have a salsa bar available and even provide…read moreziplock bags for filling up for to go orders! We got carne asada fries, 2 gorditas and a side plate of plantains. All so yummy - the carne asada fries came with lots of meat and toppings as well as extra cheese sauce for pouring over or dipping! Plantains were perfectly sweet and delicious and served with beans and sour cream. Gorditas were messy, crispy and greasy in the best way. Next time we come we want to try the pupusas. We saw them being made on the grill and they looked incredibly fresh and delicious! Perfect location near Costco and the airport.

El Paisano is a hidden gem in Reno! I drive by this place every time I go to Costco but only…read morerecently checked it out. I am disappointed I didn't visit sooner. First of all, the staff here is super nice. I was deciding between a few different menu items and the lady taking my order made suggestions. Second, the prices are unbelievable! My husband and I dined here and only spent $22 for both of our meals. Third, the food is delicious! We ordered tacos and two different types of pupusas and we're blown away. Everything we ordered was delicious and now we can't decide if we want to stick to what we know we like or venture out and explore the rest of the menu.

Tierra y Sazón has THE best pupusas in town! Everything was so yummy and the homemade Jamaica was…read morethe perfect drink to go with just about everything we ordered. The staff is so nice and helpful, the restaurant is super clean and spacious, and they even have pool tables which makes it such a fun vibe. The guy who helped me was so kind -- he even threw in some free authentic Salvadoran food for me to try, and it was SO good. I'll always come back!

This place is almost hidden in plain sight. They still have the old restaurants vinyls on the…read morewindows at this time with the only indicator of you being at the right place being the main door having the right name. Very much a small family run business. Everyone was nice and the food came out pretty fast considering pupusas are usually a decent wait. I got a couple of revuealtas pupusas and classic bean and cheese. Their curtido is some of the best I've had and same with the pupusas. My best friends wife is Salvadoran so I'm a little bit of a snob with pupusas and will definitely be back for more of these and to try more of their menu. I also got to try some of their chicken and a cup of their atol de elote which is a warm sweet corn drink. That was surprisingly fantastic. Definitely something I'd throw down on a cold day.

We went here at 1pm so it was pretty quiet. The food is super good! I got a veggie quesadilla and…read moreit was huge and very fresh. The salsa is also very fresh tasting. I think they should play some music or something to liven up the atmosphere but the food is really good.

Absolute 10/10!! Beyond excellent service. Always super nice and accommodating every time without…read morequestion. I am completely obsessed with the round tortilla chips and both green salsas. And it is an absolute must to put both green salsas on whichever you choose. It's just so good! The first thing I ever tried was the regular chicken quesadilla and I was instantly hooked. The chicken is perfect so flavorful, and has the right amount of cheese. Same thing with the stacked quesadilla which has a fried flour tortilla inside, genius! The only thing I haven't liked very much so far is the suizo burrito. The cheese sauce got cold very quick and the Carne Asada was a little too fatty for me. It's more of a personal preference and not anything at all wrong with the food. The flavor was still very good with everything else. I'm so excited to come back and try out the rest of the menu items, especially the items from the online menu (not listed in restaurant) such as the Carne Asada fries and nachos. Many thanks Bistro Hanbanero crew! Can't wait for the next visit.

There are taco spots, and then there are taquerías that remind you why simple food done well never…read moregoes out of style. From the first bite, you can tell the recipes come from tradition rather than trends. The tortillas were fresh, the meats were perfectly seasoned, and every topping from the cilantro and onions to the house made salsas let the flavors shine instead of covering them up. Nothing felt overcomplicated or watered down. Just honest, well executed Mexican food that speaks for itself. The portions were generous, the staff was welcoming, and the whole experience felt like the kind of neighborhood place you hope never changes. I'll definitely be back to work my way through the rest of the menu.

We are a big fan of Celito Lindo. We frequent the one on lemon valley. Unfortunately we paid $15.25…read morefor a 3 taco el compadre combo dinner and was sorely disappointed. As you can see from the picture, the tacos were barely 1/2 full. Maybe 2 oz of meat for each taco and a tablespoon of beans and rice. Nowhere near $15 worth of food. This is pretty horrible compared to the one on Lemon. The flavor was good so that the 2 stars. But no way will we ever come back here. Very sad that there's no consistency between the two restaurants. The toolbox is small and still looks empty. We feel cheated. $15 for a tablespoon of rice and beans and a few ounces of meat. On the bright side, we will continue to go to the one on lemon valley as we have never had an issue like this.

This is my favorite pupusas ever! All pupusas here are great. It's not in the best area but it's…read moreworth it. We don't usually eat there but rather would order for pickup especially when pupusas can take some time to make. They have just cheese, bean and cheese or pork and they are all great although cheese is our favorite. They give you a lot of the red pupusas sauce and coleslaw on the side to go. Or if eating there thy have a little bar of sauces and other fixings.

We were in the mood to get a snack and decided on trying some pupusas. We haven't tried El Paisanos…read moreand I like to try new places so yeah.. We made an order to go and when we arrived they were still preparing. I asked for some ice water while we were waiting, and the girl just gave me a bottle of water. It was very nice of her. What we ordered: 12 pork/cheese pupusas They put two pupusa's in each aluminum foil packet. All 12 pupusa's were put in a aluminum dish. The sauces and the vegetables were put in a separate bag. So when we got to the park we could mix them There was plenty of Condiments to go around. Just the room from the bag, you could tell these are fresh made. Not frozen. Really delicious can't wait to try other stuff.