All be very careful in the Ercilia's Restaurant are selling food and come with cockroaches is a disgust. I got a cockroach in my food on November 4, 2014 instant I saw the cockroach in my food started to vomit so be very careful that place is crap. Todos tenga mucho cuidado en el Restaurante Ercilia's estan vendiendo la comida con cucarachas que asco a mi me dieron una cucaracha en mi comida el 4 de Noviembre del 2014 al instante que vi la cucaracha en mi comida comence a vomitar asi que tengan cuidado en ese lugar que es porqueria. read more

Ercilia's Restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I like the savory-sweet yellow corn tamales, wrapped in steamy green husks with a side of light sweet cream. The corn is soft, fluffy, not dry at all -- and the sweet-but-sort-of-salty combo is a pleasure. The loroco pupusas are good too -- the slightly greasy white cheese oozes from the fried dough. Comes with generous portions of cold pickled cabbage and red sauce, which help make the dish feel somewhat cool and healthy, to balance all the hot melted cheese. My husband had a carne asada plate. He found it "a little tough but ok." Convenient to the 42, S-buses, and the Green Line -- it's on the corner of Irving and Mount Pleasant. read more

Ercilia's Restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Not much to look at, nice neighborhood food spot, they do have tables for in-house dining but I am unsure of if they have wait service or if you order at the counter and stay if you want. Takeout was the option for me. Guy at the counter was funny though a tad weird, why he licked his tongue out at me when he was trying to sell me lengua in my taco, (yes I know it's beef tongue but not human tongue as he appeared to be offering me), I don't know but okay. Menu is simple but a variety of options, I went with the tacos, 3 for a reasonable price, chicken, lengua and bean are the proteins of choice. Tacos were a good size and well prepared. Chicken was nicely seasoned and moist, vegetables, cheese and avocado were all ripe and fresh. I'm interested in trying different menu options as this place is so close to where I live I'd like to make myself a regular, so I will definitely return. read more

Ercilia's Restaurant - Chicken tacos - Salvadoran Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Me gusta mucho la trucha frita! Pero, hay que hablar espanol para obtenirla. Oh - and they make their own tortillas by hand... fresh fresh fresh! read more

The pupusas de frijoles y queso are always a good bet here. But what makes my mouth water is the thought of la trucha frita (fried trout). It's comfort food at its best -- fried fish with a tomato soup on the side, rice, and beans. Yes, there is a wait but totally worth it. read more

Ercilia's Restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very yummy papusas. Great prices and a cute hole in the wall atmosphere. Would highly recommend.

Great pupusas! Beans & cheese, shrimp, & amazing tacos! You have to try the horchatas: a sweet rice milk drink! Each comes with pickled cabbage cole slaw & a touch of salsa. Yummmm! If you like Jarritos soda from Mexico, they have most flavors. I really enjoy this place! Rustic, they take a long time, but well worth it!! read more

Ercilia's Restaurant - Pupusas y un taco de res! - Salvadoran Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I always want to support local business and ones owned by people of color but 30+ minutes for 3 pulusas is wayyyy to long of a wait

Maybe it was my mistake getting chicken at a place that doesn't advertise it's chicken unlike the 7-8 chicken places within a mile or Ercilia's, but my 1/4 chicken was mad dry. The beans and rice that came with it also weren't much to write home about. I was feeling ambitious so I ordered 2 pupusas as well, a shrimp one, and a pork and cheese one. Both were ok, I'm not super impressed with this place yet but they're always busy on weekends so next time I might just do the time tested approach of "I'll have with he's having" read more

I can only comment on the MUY DELICIOSA papusas I had at Ercilia's. D.C. has no shortage of Salvadorian restaurants, but unfortunately I've been disappointed by nearly all of them. Ercilia's dishes out the best papusas I've had in D.C. and for a price less, too! A cheese and bean will set you back $1.75, while a queso y loroc - my personal favorite - will ring in at $2. Their sauce and cabbage is insanely fresh and they're generous with the amount they give you. The only downfall is the wait ..... I waited nearly twenty minutes for two papusas, which in my opinion, attests to the freshness of their product and the popularity. If you're in a rush, definitely call ahead or try and drop-in during "off-peak" hours. My new favorite papusa spot in la capital ! read more

Ercilia's Restaurant - Papusa de loroco y queso y de frijoles y queso! - Salvadoran Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Very authentic Salvadoran restaurant. They serve delicious pupusas, tacos, burritos and other Hispanic foods. The food was very cheap. I got 2 pupusas de camaron and a lengua(tongue) taco for $9.50. The meat was very tender and absolutely delicious. It was my first time having the pupusas it was like a warm pancake filled with different toppings. Mine was filled with seafoods. The taco comes with a few slices of avocado, salsa, and cheese. You know it's an authentic restaurant when the staff barely speak English and the menus are in Spanish/english. A little Spanish goes a long way. Highly Recommend this place. read more

Ercilia's Restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This is place that was completely unexpected and unassuming from the outside. The food is absolutely AMAZING and the prices are jawdroppingly cheap for what you get. It's all made fresh so know that you will have to wait but it's completely worth waiting for. It's authentic, delicious and something to go back to again and again! The portions were huge too. read more

I became obsessed with pupusas when I moved to D.C., and Ercilia's was supposed to have delicious ones. One Saturday, I dragged my friend over here to try them out, and we were not disappointed. I ordered frijol y queso (beans and cheese) and queso (cheese) pupusas, and I think they were $1.75/pupusa. The prices are really great, and the quality was awesome. My Spanish skills aren't good so I did a little guessing as I tried to figure out what all was on the menu, but it was fun! As others have pointed out, you will wait 30 minutes for two pupusas, but this place is doing a solid business. We just had fun hanging out and catching up so it worked out for us. You can also call in and order if you don't want to wait. read more

My boyfriend grew up eating at Ercilia's and tried to get me to go several times. I was "eh" on the whole idea, but after enough raving about the pupusas, I gave in. That said, Ercilia's is awesome! My favorite menu item has to be the pupusas revueltas (chicharron and cheese)--I usually get three or four at a time. Otherwise, the pupusas de camarones (shrimp) are pretty good, as are the pupusas de frijoles y queso (beans and cheese). What's more is that it's pretty easy on the wallet--four pupusas only sets me back $7 and leaves me full. Definitely worth it! read more

Context: I don't have a good benchmark for pupusas. Pupusas are basically round dough raised pancakes with fillings inside of them. Review: They were amazing! Piping hot and pan fried with doughy goodness. I thought that the filling was a little light on non-cheese ingredients but the cheesy gooey -ness is still good. The wait was really long but the food is very cheap ($3 or less). We got the: 1. Shrimp (Pupusas De Camarones) which also came with red and green peppers which made it very refreshing. 2. Fried Pork Rinds (Pupusas Revueltas chicharron y queso). This was flavorful but I couldn't tell that it was fried pork rinds - tasted more like pulled pork. It came with a side of cole slaw and some type of sauce but we didn't get a chance to eat it. We also ordered the horchata (sweet drink) but it was really sweet and we weren't the biggest fans. I'd definitely come back to try something else on the menu! This is a very popular place with lots of locals :). read more

Ercilia's Restaurant - Shrimp Pupusa (Pupusas De Camarones) - Salvadoran Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Best pupusas in the city!! If Anthony Bourdain (RIP) had come to DC I would tell him to film here. Lol'ing @ the folks who are complaining about the Spanish menu and service, more for the rest of us! My Spanish is embarrassingly terrible (nonexistent) but I have never had an issue ordering horchata, bean and cheese pupusas, and a side of plantains. read more

Being a Salvadoran who grew up in the states, this is by far my favorite spot, the pupusas are very authentic and so are the tamales de elote, not to mention the soup selection, if you want to have good Salvadoran food, come here, they even have rice flour pupusas! Be prepared to wait though as everything is made to order. read more

Ercilia's Restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Love this place! It was my go-to spot when I lived in Mount Pleasant. Pupusas are amazing!

Local hole in the wall - stellar food, wait can be lengthy. Try the loroco or revuelta.

Got the Loroco y queso and the chicharron y queso pupusas. Definitely liked the chicharron more than the loroco because it was more flavorful. Will have to be back to try their Mariscos soup and their postres. You can tell a lot of locals come here and it's the spot, I think I'm just not the lupus's type. read more

This place is so bomb I love it I love the food, I recommend it. Especially if you wanna try something new you can stop by and try some of their delicious Salvadoran food they got in there. 10/10 read more

I absolutely love this restaurant. They have the best pupusas in the area. Tacos are great too.

Hands down the best pupusas in DC. The wait time is the only thing that sucks. I recommend calling before pick up or dining in.

1) order ahead or be ready to wait a long time 2) I haven't even eaten my food yet but wish that was the first thing I knew about going here 3) I bet the food will be great bc that's what all the other reviews say read more

Ordered three bean and cheese pupusas and waited between 25-35 minutes. I hope they taste good. Wouldn't consider this place if you are rushing or starving. read more

Right at the intersection of authenticity, affordability, and delicious taste! Perfect place to stop in for lunch without breaking the bank ;) read more

Straight BOMB! These bamas don't b playin'. Real authentic food. No fake ass stuff. If you can't pronounce a dish....dats too bad you gotta point at it because they don't be speakin no english. They keeps it real. Better at least learn to count in Spanish because when they call out yo order number you don't wanna miss it! One of the girls there got green eyes and I think she like a brutha. SKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET. read more

You don't have to be an adventurous eater to enjoy Ercilia's. heck, you don't even have to proclaim yourself a fan of Mexican or Salvadoran food to order something tasty. The pupusas are worth the 15 minute wait. Warm, gooey, and chock full of cheesy goodness, the pupusas here aren't overly greasy. It's like that perfect grilled cheese your dad used to make when you were sick at home: crispy on the outside, perfectly melted cheese, and just enough grease to make it appetizing. The soup of the day is a great place to start for those who are more adventurous. Hot, steamy, brothy and satisfying. The cons are that the food isn't fast food. I guess that's not really a con, just a reality. And, there are children everywhere. A pro for some, a con for others. Little ones run rampant. read more

This place has had an extreme makeover since I first came here many moons ago. Whereas it used to be painted white and was drab, somber, and dreary, it's now got both a festive interior and exterior, and is bright, airy and cheery (I was a poet and didn't even know it!). But back to things at hand: despite advertising Mexican and Italian specialties, the thing to come here for is the Salvadoran food; I had it on good authority that they make the best pupusas (thick, corn tortillas, generally stuffed) in town, and on my most recent visit I was not disappointed. A revuelta (chicharron and cheese) and loroco (an edible flower endemic to Central America) pupusa along with a cup of horchata (a milky-white rice based beverage) came to only $6.25. The pupusas come with the traditional curtido (pickled cabbage slaw) and red salsa, and were both delicious and filling. Ercilia's doesn't have a liquor license, but it is a great value. read more

Ercilia's is a restaurant which serves Mexican and Salvadoran cuisine. My partner and I were in the mood for something different, so we went here for a change of pace and let me tell you, it was a dining experience. First I must say, the calamari here was some of the best I have had in the city. Now to the perplexing part. My honey ordered an enchilada. When it arrived, we paused because it looked like a tostada. And the taste did not hit our palates well. To say we did not like it would be very kind! So maybe I will give this place a slight benefit of the doubt and say the cuisine is so "authentic," we could not acquire a taste for it. Who knows! 2.0 stars:-)!! read more

Pupusa heaven!! We got the frijole-queso variety (that's bean & cheese, son) -- and wow, they were fantastic. Gooey on the inside, a tad firm (almost crispy?) on the outside. What a snack on a cold day?! AND, the cabbage compliment rocks your damn world. Oh, and let me not continue without praising the hell out of the red saucy goodness you will find -- hot, okay, but with the cabbage and the bean/cheese lovin, it is hard to go wrong. Finally, on to my drink selection--tamarindo! Theirs was tasty, very heavy with the tamarind and less so with the sweet. I (having grown up on sweet tea) like mine sweeter, but what the hell, maybe Ercilia prolonged my life by a few minutes with her delightful take on tamarindo. Also, never fail to order a pupusa when you go here....it is Salvadorean for crying out loud. read more

They always say don't judge a book by its cover. I would drive past this place all the time and thought nothing of it until I checked the yelp reviews. Was surprised to see it have positive reviews so decided to try it out. I was so naive. The papusas were delicious. First time I've ever had these. Super cheap and filling. Favorite one was definitely the shrimp but also had just the cheese and the cheese and beans. Comes with a salsa and a coleslaw, both great. We also had the Carne Asada (think it said fried pork on whiteboard) as our platter meal. Super tender and flavorful. Came with refried beans, rice, and a salad. Super excited to go back and try more items off of the menu. They have so many options and all so affordable. Highly recommended. read more

I tried this my first week in the neighborhood and thought it was kind of mediocre and haven't been back. 2 years later, I gave it another shot. Boy am I glad I did. Best, fluffiest yuca frita I've had in the U.S., and good chicharones to match. It brought me right back to my days of being the only woman in La Flota dive bar in San Jose, CR, scarfing pork fat and fried tuber. YUM. read more

Ercilia's is a great Salvadorian restaurant and a nice place to go when you are looking for authentic food from this region at an affordable price. However, I've been 4 or 5 times and occasionally the service has been very slow. So it's not the first place on my list if I need a quick bite. I only ever order the tacos there, which are great. The beans are incredible. Sometimes I get 2 orders. "Ghetto" is not the word I would use to describe the restaurant as a previous reviewer did, but hey, no one is perfect. read more

Ercilia's is a casual, no-frills Salvadoran restaurant. At lunch on a rainy Saturday in January, the place was nearly full. Don't let incomplete Spanish language skills keep you away. We ordered in Spanish, but the cashier responded in English. The order numbers were called in Spanish though, so I'd recommend being able to count to 100 at a minimum. Consistent with other reviewers, it took about 15 minutes for the food to be prepared, but it was well worth it. I tried the pupusas de camarones, pupusas revueltas, a vegetarian taco, and a lengua taco. All of the food tasted fresh and nothing was too oily. Of the papusas, the papusas revueltas were my favorite because they had more flavor than the papusas de camarones. Between the tacos, although the lengua taco was well-spiced, the vegetarian taco stood out more with its interesting mix of textures and flavors. read more

I had the calamari and the chicken burrito. Both were really good, the calamari has huge portions, and the burrito was big and topped with cheese. I don't have complaints with the food, but for a burrito and fried appetizer, it took them 45 minutes to get the food ready after ordering. Granted, they did have a long line of people ordering and waiting for their orders, but if they can somehow speed up the production, I'd definitely come back for another bite. Otherwise, call ahead for pickup so you're not stuck waiting there for your food. Facility is clean and the staff are nice. read more

I went to Ercilia's today because it was recommended by one of my Salvadoran clients. It did not disappoint. It is a quaint restaurant with a lot of heart. I tried pupusas at another restaurant and didn't like them but now I am a convert. Even the simplest chicken taco was delicious. I absolutely recommend pupusas and this restaurant. What a gem of Columbia Heights. read more

Perhaps it's because Washington DC does not have a plethora of truly great dives. I had takeout from Ercilia's and all I can say is: Average. Yuca frita and chicharrones, ordered because of these Yelp reviews, were dry and not terrifically flavorful. I'd say that the yuca frita at Pollo Campero -- despite the fact that it's a chain -- blows away Ercilia's. At Campero's, the yuca frita is fluffy and crispy; at Ercilia's, it's just dry and starchy. Pupusas: I ordered four, each a different flavor. None keeled me over to warrant writing extensively about. They were solid, tad greasy, not special. Horchata was average. Tamarind juice was average. Meh. Usually, I wouldn't even submit a review for an establishment this average, but I felt compelled to stand up against the tide of worshippers who may not truly know of what they review. read more

Ercilias is one of those GO TOs in the Latino community. Gentrifiers- this space isn't catering to you nor your " I had a Salvadoran friend once and now I love pupusas" friend. They're too authentic for that. Ercilia was a wonderful woman and a pillar of the DC Latino community. If staff here aren't friendly it's bc they have sh't to do and mouths to feed! They are swamped with food orders from the moment they open to the minute they close. So no, being nice to you isn't on their to dos, taking your order and providing you with a delicious home cooked meal- that IS their priority! I would post food pics but these are one of those spots that if you know, YOU KNOW. read more

This place is one of my secret great eats place in DC, but I'm willing to share a good thing when I find it. My buddies and I tried this place one time on a Saturday afternoon on a whim, and I've been coming back ever since. I generally go with the chicken tacos - all the ingredients are fresh, and the sliced avocado seals the deal for me. The fish sandwich, while it may look standard, is mind blowing. It helps to know espanol for when you order... read more