I made a Yelp just to leave this review. First, when my boyfriend picked up our order, the employee working at the counter literally threw the check at him, which immediately made him feel uneasy. The bigger issue came when we got home and opened our order. We specifically ordered bean pupusas, but they were made with cheese. Since I have a dairy intolerance, this wasn't just a small mistake--it meant I couldn't eat the food we had paid for. When I called to explain the issue, the woman on the phone was incredibly rude and dismissive. Instead of acknowledging the mistake or showing any concern about the intolerance, she repeatedly told me that this is how they have it in their system and implied that it was our fault for not specifying otherwise. I explained multiple times that we ordered "bean pupusas," but she kept talking down to me and making me feel like I was the problem. She eventually said the kitchen would remake them, but only if we brought the original order back to exchange them, which felt like she thought we were making up an excuse to get free food. At no point did anyone apologize for the mistake or show any concern that a customer with a dairy intolerance had been served something they couldn't safely eat. The entire experience was frustrating, disappointing, and honestly upsetting. Mistakes happen, but the rude treatment, lack of accountability, and complete disregard for a food allergy are what made this experience so unacceptable. I reported them to the Chelsea City Health Department so they can "fix their system" so no one else has to experience this. read more

I did my first take out order in person on 1/9/2025 around 5:15PM (paid cash); NEVER AGAIN! The worst experience ever; my iphone12 went missing after using the ladies bathroom. I realized after leaving the restaurant and walking up fifth street that my iphone was not on me and that my takeout order was wrong (took forever to make). I ordered chicken wings on a bone with french fries in Spanish I also bought 2 fresh hot quesadillas which are a well known pastry in the Salvadorean culture; the server who served me told me they had chicken wings instead I got 6 chicken fingers with french fries. The owner did nothing to help me find my iPhone; she did not give a damn (she did not refund me either). The worst dishonest employees and business owners. Beware if you go there and forget an iPhone or any of your belongings. Hice mi primer pedido para llevar en persona el 1/9/2025, a las 5:15 p.m.¡NUNCA MÁS! La peor experiencia de mi vida; mi iPhone 12 desapareció después de usar el baño de mujeres. Me di cuenta al salir del restaurante de que no tenía mi iPhone conmigo y de que mi pedido para llevar estaba mal (tardaron muchísimo en prepararlo y pague en efectivo). Pedí alitas de pollo con patatas fritas en Español; también compré dos quesadillas calientes recién hechas, que son un pastel muy conocido en la cultura Salvadoreña; la camarera que me atendió me dijo que tenían alitas de pollo, pero en su lugar me dieron seis dedos de pollo con patatas fritas. La dueña no hizo nada para ayudarme a encontrar mi iPhone; le importó un pepino. Los peores empleados y dueños de negocios, totalmente deshonestos. Tengan cuidado si van allí y se les olvida un iPhone o cualquier otra pertenencia. read more

I got two chickens that were totally uncooked, the rice was super salty and when I called to talk about my chicken. being uncooked they gave me an attitude clapping back at me with no reason when I was being nice. read more

Food is amazing especially the pupusas. It's so gooddd. The other food options are great and healthy for an amazing price. The prices at the restaurant are cheap for what they give. The service is good the waiters are nice and checking up always. read more

Got cheese and beans plus pollo pupusas. They barely had ingredients. More like plain tortillas. First time encountering this issue. Hope they fix it. read more

Delicious. Have been here many times for breakfast. Fresh orange juice is amazing and I love the breakfast options which include pupusas and tamales. read more

El Santaneco Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Chelsea, Massachusetts

Excellent food, very authentic, service was also good and price was very reasonable, Will be back for sure!

Una verguenza que le vendan esto a uno llame para un servicio adomicilio y esta porqueria le entregan a uno cuando regreso de mi trabajo pensando q me comere las empanadas me topo con esta porqueria y las cobran a $3.50-$4.00 cada una read more

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So good! Came in during lunchtime and it was a quiet, nice vibe with some soccer playing on TV. The owner was so friendly and made everyone feel welcome, especially since I haven't tried this type of cuisine before. The papusas are the highlight. Order a few so you can try all the flavors. Also, the cabbage salad is delicious, I'm not sure if it's pickled or just made with vinegar but it's a really nice and frankly low cal/healthy accompaniment! read more

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Good quality and a good portion for lunch today. I made a mostly healthy choice with the chicken and rice which was filling and tasty. A quarter chicken, grilled and spicy (tasty, not temperature) with a lot of rice and beans and a small salad. Service was good and and quick. The restaurant was clean. Great spot for lunch and I'll bet this place gets really busy for dinner. read more

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Very authentic, delicious food. Loved the pupusa con queso y loroco.. Casual location read more

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One of the things I look forward to staying in Chelsea is the abundance of Latin American restaurants. El Santaneco is just off the main strip (Broadway Street) but definitely worth checking out! After recently being introduced to pupusas, I had to give theirs a try. I tried their Pupusa de Camaron ($2.25) which was lightly fried and filled with lots of cheese. I could barely taste any shrimp, but my colleague told me you could usually barely taste the filling anyway. My colleague being the the 'pupusa connoisseur' suggested that El Santaneco made better pupusas and their curtido slaw was much better than a competitor restaurant down the street. I also ordered the Salvitalian Dish ($11.25) which is carne asada, spaghetti in a white sauce, and a side of vegetables. This was one of the BEST carne asada steaks I've had as it was seasoned beautifully and cooked to perfection. While the spaghetti was nothing to write home about, mixing the spaghetti with the jus of the steak gave it that extra flavour it needed. I think trying different restaurants in Chelsea might come to an end and I might just stick with El Santaneco. I couldn't decide between multiple menu items and seeing and smelling other diners' dishes already has me excited for my next visit! PS: I appreciate that the staff gave me a small shake, even though I didn't specify the size. Their "small" was pretty big! read more

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The pupusas de queso were steaming hot even after I brought them all the way home! So unbelievably delicious, I can't even explain it. And the horchata!! SO GOOD. And they were so kind, too. I was on crutches, and they went back to get me a bag that would be easier to carry. I wish I could give 6 out of 5 stars!! read more

The food is amazing. It's not too salty or over flavored. The was cleaning eating, healthy and authentic. Service was great too. Highly recommend it. read more

Nice spot for fresh Salvadoran food in Chelsea! I had been meaning to try this place for a while after moving to Chelsea and my husband and I finally went for dinner on a Thursday night. The restaurant is off Broadway with street parking (free after 6pm). We walked in and took a seat in the dining room. Our server took our drink orders and then brought some chips with green salsa. I ordered the pollo en crema and my husband got the carne asada and fries. Our food came out promptly with great portions for the price. My chicken was covered in a cheese cream sauce along with broccoli and cauliflower. It was also served with a veggie rice and beans. The chicken was very juice and the sauce was tasty too! The rice and beans were not quite warm enough for my taste though. My husband also loved his carne asada. The beef was cooked perfectly and served with rice and beans. We got our fries a bit after the dishes but they were nice and hot. The service here is friendly and the interior very clean. Our meal totaled only around $24 and we took leftovers! read more

El Santaneco Restaurant - Pollo en crema - Spanish Near Me - Chelsea, Massachusetts

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if i could give this place negative stars i would. I love their food but the service is not Good at all. Not only did i order food yesterday but they didnt add napkins or forks. On top of that my meat was not properly cooked. Today i called at 9:05pn for a delivery to hear the one that answers the phone that they are closed when their time says 10pm. Here are some pics from yesterdays food and the call i did today at 9:05pm read more

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Good quality of food for the price. It has an authentic homey Salvadoran taste. I got Pupusas and they have just the right filling, some places are xtra skimpy on the loroco, a staple Salvadoran food (it's a flower) but they add enough here. My husband got the carne guisada and the flavors were all just right, not too heavy either. They also had a Barca game (soccer) going on the TV so every Salvadoran in the room was focused on the game. Felt right at home! I did deduct a point because the horchata did taste a little watered down, but this could happen if a batch didn't get enough of the horchata mix. Otherwise, the food is delicious I'd go back, it has a great family vibe. It is located down a side street off of broadway so we weren't planning to go in there but rather found it, and I'm glad we did. And they give free starter tortilla chips with a homemade sauce! read more

El Santaneco Restaurant - Típicos salvadoreños- typical salvadorian dishes - Spanish Near Me - Chelsea, Massachusetts

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I somehow got lost in this area after getting off on the wrong stop. I walked by this restaurant and thought I give this Salvadorean place a try since you really cant find anything in Boston that has good hispanic food. Am I even using that term correctly? As a mexicana living in Boston I have attempted to find decent mexican food, and I am not talking about a burrito or the bowl version. As soon as I entered this place I knew that it was a legit place. I knew that I wanted to try the pupusas because I know that Salvadoreans make the best! I was not disappointed. I ended up ordering the cheese and chicken pupusa with a side of rice. It was definitely great to taste these flavors again and I liked that the pupusa was not as thick as some other places tend to have. The rice was also great but I order mostly out of habit as I bite into a pupusa, rice must follow. Whats even better is that you get large portions at an unbeatable value! Definitely try this place out! read more

El Santaneco Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Chelsea, Massachusetts

The mixed plate...Steak is so tender and flavorful as well as the porkchop and 3 jumbo grilled shrimps!! The tortillas are homemade and are like no other I've had before, you can taste the love!! read more

El Santaneco Restaurant - Mixed Plate!!! - Spanish Near Me - Chelsea, Massachusetts

Overall a terrible experience, a waste of money and a waste of time When I placed my order, (2 bean and cheese pupasas, 1 cheese, and 2 chicken, and a Guanabana milkshake) I was told that there would be a 10 minute wait. Ten minutes then turned into 40. As I was waiting I noticed that other people that came in after me and ordered the same exact thing, received their orders before I did (I suspected that this is due for a preference for locals). The Guanabana milkshake tasted more like milk and water than anything else and there wasn't even a hint of sugar in it. The workers chose not to separate our pupasas by each type and tossed everything together. The chicken and cheese pupasas were inadequate at best and lacked any flavor, the bean and cheese was decent at best. read more

While traveling in Boston from California we were craving some yummy pupusas and this spot is amazing and delicious!!! Try it, you'll love it!!! read more

Authentic! So good and I can't wait to go back. I've only tried the Pupusas so I can only give them 4 stars. The menu is in Spanish, and restaurant is frequented by Salvadoreans so you know the food is true to it's roots! SO YUMMY. Passed a table of other patrons with great looking dishes. Can't wait to try other things on their menu. read more

One of my favorite spots to eat but they could literally take forever sometimes I ordered a pick up was told 25 mins and still waited an hour for my food how does that even make sense? Almost just asked for my money back it seemed to me like they just put my order in as I got there read more

If you like Papusas, look no further. I keep this spot in my list of secret gems to bring my people to on the other side of the harbor...

It used to be a great place... Extremely dissapointed with my order today. To star they said it would be 40 mins for delivery, which is reasonable, but it was a lie and took 1 hour and 40 mins...Another thing, I ordered pupusas but they had little filling, were pretty much just tortillas, and dont even get me started about the masty salsa. ....too bad their quality went out the window, it wasnt this way a few years back. read more

This Is Really a Good Restaurant, You guys should try the Banana Smoothie . It is really good . I think they could do a better with some foods but overall it's a nice place to go with with your family and eat. read more

I love this place! first time ever having salvadorean food & my experience was great! my favorite plate is "El Montañero". their pupusas are very good. read more

First time visiting this restaurant. I had the Salvadoran tamales which were very good. They were just the right size and not over seasoned. The waitress was attentive and we did not have to wait long for our food. They also had great music playing in background. We will definitely be back. read more

Went here once as i was in the area for a training. Food is great and the prices are definitely reasonable. You have to try the pupusas. Revueltas are my favorite. But all of the different kinds are yummy. Looking forward to going back!!! read more

Some of the best pupusas in Chelsea, that's really all I've had from here but great none the less.

So, I started getting food here back in May 2016. The first 2 times I ate here, it was really good. However, every time after that it's been so SALTY I literally can't finish my food. I love salty food, so for me to say this means something's not right. I'm sitting here mad AF bc I can't finish this burrito my BF brought home and I'm starrrving. SANTANECO- your food is good just CHILL with the SALT. You're making your food impossible to eat. Thank you. read more

I had tamales and there were huge bones all throughout them. I couldn't even finish. The wait staff were extremely friendly and nice, but the food was terrible. read more

I only get pupusas here. They're one of the best around. I ordered a carne asada I was very excited until I took a bite and had to spit it out. About 1/3 of the meat was fat. I appreciate a nice grill mark on my steak but this one was too much. It was horrible more like a biter burnt taste. It was awful I had to basically scrap them off and drown my steak in lemon to even make it edible. I'll stick to pupusas read more

Best Pupusas in the area and they are only $2 each. Other restaurants are changing 2.50 minimum. Their curtido and sauce are on point too.

I love this place! Everything is good but I especially love the fried yuca

Their tamales are the best I have had in Chelsea. I can't complain about the prices for the quality of food that they provide. Very satisfied read more

Family oriented restaurant. The atmosphere is very pleasant and the menu offers a good variety of Latin American dishes.

El Santaneco was my first introduction to Salvadoreans cuisine. Since you enter the restaurant, the atmosphere is different from a branding restaurant. I was impressed by its large menu and combination of ingredients and flavors. The dishes are well served and its presentation is amazing. About the servers and managers, they all are friendly and kind. The owners and managers are originally from El Salvador so you will have the truly and real experience of El Salvador in your food. Great service! read more

Las pupusas son muy ricas lastima que en ocasiones dan salsa ya echada a perder! ...