Really excellent pupusas! I wish I lived close by, because I would come back all the time. I especially loved the Zuccini and cheese. The slaw is also seasoned very well and the beans are tasty. read more

Heading up to go to the Emerald Queen for some slot and table game fun and we discovered this fantastic pupusaria! Hands down one of the best pupusas I have had. The place is clean, (bathrooms spotless) and the customer service was top notch. Very friendly, and they brought our food out without a long wait. Love,love the black beans with the plantain and the Crema! I also had the Salata orange drink that has all the fruit in it, and it was refreshing too. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone that is craving El Salvadoran pupusa's . read more

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I was looking for some comfort food nearby. This place provided just that! They had a variety of options including pupusas and seafood, beef and chicken dishes. I got the the pollo suiza and it came with beans and rice. It was all amazingly flavored and fresh. The chicken was moist and cooked with mushrooms and onions. This was packed with flavor! The seasonings were perfect and I enjoyed the creaminess of the sauce. The whole dish was so yummy. They also give you tortillas. They play fun Latin music in the background. I highly recommend! Service was great too. The waiter was kind and offered good suggestions. read more

La Chele - Pollo Suiza. Amazing. - Salvadoran Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

Yum! Local no frills just good food. We will return next year. Pupusa choices galore.

I found this little hidden gem by accident, and I have to say, I'm SO sad that it's SO far from my house!! The sopa de res was delicious, with chunks of meat that melted in your mouth. It completely hit the spot on such a cold and rainy day, but the star of the show was definitely the huge chicken Tamal. The masa was so fresh and perfect. I'm not sure if they were rajas de chile or jalapeño slices, but they brought in so much flavor. The chicken though... Let me say I was not expecting a whole chicken leg in there. The meat was so juicy and it slipped off the bone. It was perfectly seasoned and delicious on its own. I am so mad at myself that I didn't bring some home for later! The restaurant was quiet when I got there but filled up as I ate. There was a good selection of refreshments in the refrigerator by the cashier. The staff was friendly and helpful. There was a TV on in the main eating area and the establishment was clean. I will be making the drive to pick up some tamales soon, because i can honestly say, this was the best chicken tamal I've had in a VERY long time. And I love my tamales, so that's saying a lot! read more

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This place is a hidden gym! I have been swinging by here for the Carne Asada burrito for over a decade. Their hot sauce is amazing

Rico, rico, rico! We are still sitting here, full bellied and honestly, everything we had was top notch. We had yet to try Washingtonian pupusas so we found this place and ordered two combos, two tamales de puerco and the fried yuca and chicharrón. My husband got a horchata, which honestly tasted like an horchata milk tea, and this was good! I hadn't had any corn pupusas but let me tell you, these are yummy! The arroz and frijoles were fresh and tasty, the sides for the pupusa were fresh and good as well. The yuca - how can you ever mess that up? Big pieces of fried yum, and big piece of chicharrón as well. If you want giant, MOIST and flavorful tamales, ordered theirs. You won't be disappointed. It almost sounds like i work for them, doesn't it?! In all honesty, each dish was great, and yes, it took the food a while to come out (there are two ladies cooking for a full restaurant), but everything was fresh, cooked to order, and the long line streaming through the front speaks volumes for this place. read more

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This review is only for their steak burrito. I first had their steak burrito in 2016 and have had it at least 6 times a year for the last 7 years and it is still, in my personal opinion, the best burrito I've ever had. The steak is tender and flavorful, the combination of rice and beans is exactly what I want, the amount of grease adds the perfect flavor, and the red salsa is smoky and spicy. To top it all off, the burrito is big enough to make me tired afterwards. I've tried some other items like the quesadillas and pupusas which were good, but I always have to get the steak burrito. Sad that the price has gone up, but the quality hasn't gone down! read more

Talk about a gem! Found this place off Yelp in November and bought papusas. They were amazing. We were finally able to come back and bough the molcajete dish to share. The presentation was spectacular, but the flavor was out of this world! The red sauce had a bit of heat that made my lips and tongue tingle, but the horchata tamed it nicely. The meat was delicious, the cactus was grilled perfectly and the beans and rice were exceptional. I highly recommend trying them out and enjoying the flavors. read more

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Oh man, I love pupusas. And the last time I ate them here, I was able to eat cheese. So I had to get a non dairy item, and I was loving it! Did not miss the dairy as much. Service was super fast. And my friend did avocado tortilla vs avocado toast! Can't remember much more, which is probably why I should write these things immediately. read more

Yummy! The pupusas are so good and have very generous servings. The prices went up quite a bit though since the last time I ate here. Food came quickly and the customer service was alright. I would definitely return here for more El Salvadorean food. read more

I'm Honduran and their food is as closed as I'm going to get to home cooking outside my cooking. The service is quick and the food is always delicious. Highly recommend it. read more

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This restaurant was on the way en route Portland to Seattle drive, looking for some place to stop for lunch on a Saturday. It looked a little sketchy from the outside because it's in a strip mall, but based on the photos, we knew the food looked good. Don't be put off by the outdated decor, and best up furniture, this place is authentic. If you go and most of the patrons are Spanish speaking, you can trust it's legit. I order a soup, that was the size of my head. It came out piping hot and tasted so delicious, comfort food! My friend order Yuka fries and they gave a generous portion. A hole in the wall, but a great find! read more

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As many reviews note, the location isn't much of an attraction. In my opinion, that's a testament to how awesome the food will be -- and was. I'm a newbie to Salvadorian food, but it resembled a mix of Mexican and Colombian -- two of my absolute favorite cuisines. I went for the 2 pupusas combo (Spinach and Cheese & Loroco and Cheese), partner got the Carne Guisada. He LOVED his meal - very tender meat and "great spices". Loroco was new for me, not a huge fan (kind of like a bitter green bean?) but spinach pupusa was excellent. Daaaang those rice and beans were amazing. The servers were lovely - mix of Spanish and English communication. Service was a tad slow, and the meals did take a while to come out, but these meals absolutely take time to make. They provided complimentary chips and salsa (salsa was extra tomato-ey, if you can imagine it) to hold us over. And the place filled up crazy quick (lunchtime on a Sunday). Gracias El Pulgarcito! read more

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Weren't open during their 'hours of operation' We were really looking forward to trying this restaurant I even called a few days ahead for hours but when we arrived they were closed. read more

It was a beautiful Sunday morning in Washington state, I was hanging out with my boyfriend and his cousin on our way to Seattle but we got hungry af and decided to check out this little joint right here. They had awesome pupusas, but the sauce was a little too watery for my taste. Still lit tho! That was all we ordered from here, and ofcourse horchatas. We even got extras to go in case we got hungry later on because Lord knows we're fatties. Definitely worth going to tho especially when you're craving that Salvadorian food! Y'all be sleeping on this stuff! read more

Anytime I visit somewhere, I steer clear of chains and do a deep search for the local spots. Came across El Pulgarcito and decided to give it a shot. Not the best location, but definitely a good find. The atmosphere was nice, felt like I walked into a restaurant on the side of the road in El Salvador. It was not crowded at all when we went, so service was pretty efficient and our food came out quickly. Since everyone was raving about the pupusas, I gave them a try. Got the cheese and spinach and cheese ones. They weren't anything to write home about, but decent. We also ordered chicken tacos and the chicken burrito. The burrito was huge and delicious! Meant to take a pic, but was so hungry that I forgot. The tacos were pretty good too and the presentation was nice. Take a step into El Salvador and give this place a try. Definitely a good local find. read more

Very bad pupusas, it's ok if you want to increase the price but don't reduce quality reduction of size made with yellow corn dough no stuffing inside. read more

Having never experienced Salvadoran cuisine before, we decided to take a gamble on this hole-in-the-wall joint. It was fantastic!!! I had no idea what I ordered, but loved almost everything it came with! Got to try some new foods, new flavors and it was all beautifully plated, as well. read more

La Chele - Salvadoran Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

I had delivery and it was amazing. Had the chicken pot roast. So homey and clean with generous portions.

I LOVE THIS ESTABLISHMENT! Growing up in a Salvadorian household I'm spoiled to the authentic taste and culture in every bite. This place by far exceeds any other location in Lakewood/ Tacoma. Omg I swear I felt like I was in the motherland eating their pupusas. I also ordered un caldo de pollo and yes, that too reminded me of my grandmothers homemade soup! Their chicken fajitas are also a go to and their asada plate never disappoints my hunger. Growing up in LA I'm spoiled to culture and taste even outside of home so finding authentic food spots in WA has been difficult but this place will forever be in my heart. OH AND IF YOU HAVE NEVER HAD ATOLE DE ELOTE, this is the place to first ever try it from. I always get a cup which out here pairs well and always warms my up like a kid inside. I always ask for a side of frijoles to go cause um, they're great. The salvi in me enjoys taking those side of beans home because all I look forward to is how I can make eggs or rice or anything to pair them with. I miss my mom and grandma's cooking and making them isn't always something I can do during busy work weeks but even stopping here once or twice a month for that side or some food makes me feel right at home. read more

This place is great. New owners and better pupusas. We been going there for awhile when it used to be El pulgarcito. I always order 4 pupusas and my boyfriend orders the Molcajete. One thing I love about this new owners is that you can customize your food. Previous owners always had issues replacing the avocado with more cheese on the Molcajete they used to do it and then they said " we cant make any changes to the orders" what the heck? you pay for expensive food and you cant make an adjustment? Thankfully, this is no longer an issue under the new management. I don't have any complains, the food is always great and the customer service is great too. The people complaining about slow service must be used to Fast food.. a good meal takes time to prep. if you don't want to wait go order some chicken nuggets and your big mac combo at Mcdonald's ;) read more

Just a heads up. We ordered through DoorDash, and asked for a molcajete salsa to be added to our order. Mind, it is not an option on the DoorDash menu, but we've ordered it before. Instead of charging us for a salsa on the side, someone had the authorization of not giving us our $10 carne asada tacos plate to replace that order with a $3 molcajete salsa. Now, this does not make any sense. I paid for a full order and asked for a charge on the side. Instead of getting a reasonable answer, the person from the restaurant instead argued that it was justifiable. We paid good money for the order, paid a good tip, and will not be doing business with La Chele no longer. read more

The food is AMAZING here. I'm originally from Texas so there's a lot of Salvadoran restaurants over there than here in Washington but the pupusas here from this restaurant are better than any I've ever had back home in Texas and their horchata taste like natural made horchata and not from powder! The ONLY issue is that they got a/c and it be cold af inside lmao but other than that service is great and the food is great read more

La Chele - Salvadoran Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh heeeeeeeellllllllllllllllllll nnnnnnnnnnnnahhhhhhhhhhhh I do not know what happened here or who runs it now but the quilty took a nose dive the extra beans and rice on the burritos is a bit much even after you tell them "pocito frijoles y pocito Arroz" like I even say it in Spanish and I get a 5% meat 50% rice and 40% beans. I used to go here all the time when it was el pulgarcito then one day they left and I noticed the attitude and smart butt mouth of the employee(s) one actually had the nerve to point out the tip jar, like wtf!!! I don't know what happened but I make sure to drive all the way to Korea town to el pulgarcito #3. don't even get me started on the expensive pupusas that well are not up to par. NO HODAS VOS read more

This is a hidden gem in Lakewood!! The food is delish & reasonably priced for the big portions they give! I had 4 steak tacos ( homemade tortilla, steak, cilantro & onions ) my friend had Mojrra frits which is a fried fish with rice & beans on the side! Both were amazing & fresh. Service was good also. The restaurant is clean. Flan dessert was $2 that is a steal!! I enjoy this place. Chips & salsa are always fresh as well but those are $2.50 unlike other restaurants. read more

La Chele - Mouth watering - Salvadoran Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

I love Pupusas. They make them authentic with many filling options. Their cortido is fabulous. They also have your classics like tacos & tamales. I'm so happy i found this place. A true diamond in the rough. read more

Wow! I found them on yelp. I wanted to eat something different. And let me tell you, this place was Delicious!!!! Freshly made food. Unlike many places that serve yesterday's food. The popusas were soft, hot and tasty! Craving them again as I write up this review. I definitely recommend this place!!!!! read more

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Have a solid Salvadorian meal at El Pulgarcito. Best for lunch, the stripmall it's located in is a bit sketchy. Count on it for great food, not ambiance. We had combo plates with 2 pupusas, a tamal, black beans and rice ($9.50) (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RclFhzOzTWi86ACGr7DH_Q?select=UHsPq3EGmvzQRDVsTaPT3g#-qW-lWlOmYxePVtxZO93Lw). It's a deceptively huge plate of food: the tamal is a moist cake of sweet corn that pairs well with the black beans, which come with a nice dollop of crema. The pupusas have an initial crunch as you bite into them, then surrender to the softness of the filling. Unctuous. "What's a couple stuffed tortillas?''' you say. "Gut busting," I must insist. The fillings are quite rich, without being overly cheesy (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/RclFhzOzTWi86ACGr7DH_Q?select=UHsPq3EGmvzQRDVsTaPT3g#ZInXKjOEn3dkrYgv-LmYPw). One of the wider varieties of pupusas I've encountered in my limited experience; vegetarians will be well-satisfied with the zuchini or spinach fillings. There are 2 different pork fillings and a simple, rich cheese. There's an entire page of breakfast items and Mexican cuisine, for variety. I'll be back to explore the menu more, soon. read more

La Chele - Combo platter with 2 pupusas and a tamal - Salvadoran Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

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Food was so good! Friendly staff, great food, and very chill environment. Would definitely recommend!

Consistent good food... but we are disappointed with the service we received tonight. We have ordered to go several times always asking for no cheese due to my wife's milk allergy. She can go into anaphylactic shock if she eats dairy. For a 3rd time they gave us pupusas with cheese. When we called to speak with someone about it, the girl on the phone stated we must have ordered it wrong and to call back at 9pm. She never apologized, she repeatedly said it was us that was wrong. We called back at 9p, and she answered and said they were closed and hung up. We have been loyal customers since this restaurant opened, we have written positive reviews and have referred many friends. It's disappointing this is how loyal patrons are treated. their customer service skills need help allergies are very serious. read more

We started out at Hoo Soon Yi but they were being soo slow. We saw this out the window and crossed the street; glad we did. The pupusas are great. I think even better than the place in White Center. Crispy oustide, creamy inside. But the menu is huge. We also got plantains with beans and crema and Chicharons with Yuca. All made to order and all delicious. Tons of food, lots of left overs. read more

The best pupusas I've tried here in WA. I miss my mommas and grandmas pupusas but I come here for my fix And feel right at home. Gracias chele and the beans omfg BOMB. The curtido the salsas (chefs kiss) all go too well with the pupusas. One of the best places! read more

Visited this cozy little place for lunch and it exceeded my expectations. This place has some seriously delicious food. I ordered the Pollo Guisado with homemade corn tortillas and it was one of the best dishes I have ever tasted. The Salvadoran herbs they used in this dish was magnificent. I also ordered the pork, beans and cheese pupusa and a cheese and spinach pupusa, both were made with homemade corn tortillas and they were delicious. It was my first time trying pupusas, I will definitely be back for more of this fantastic food! read more

La Chele - Pollo Guisado with Homemade Corn Tortillas. So delicious. - Salvadoran Near Me - Lakewood, Washington

I like food here, is deliciou. but que no mamen, I alwa have problems with my food not been complete, there's always missin items, la cagan bien culero. I stop going long time ago for this reason, but they never change estos culeros les vale madre y no checan las pinches órdenes antes de entregarlas, and then when you call them to let them know they fuck it up. they just say Oo am sorry, lo siento mucho, you can come back and we make it right, pendejos como si viviera del otro lado de la calle, no me vas a pagar la gasolina verdad que no? you mother fuckers need to pay more attention,. I been calling you right now Tuesday at 7:45 to let you know my food is incomplete and you disconnected your phone. Every person who ask me about this place I will give the worst review. read more

I'm no expert on South American cuisine, but this place has good home-style food, friendly service and fair prices/serving sizes. It's a totally worth it hole-in-the-wall! Vegetarian and kid friendly, too! read more

Just as described; off the highway in a bit of a sketchy neighbourhood strip mall, run down diner ambiance, and great food. The service was fine, nothing great, nothing bad. The restaurant is laid out like a diner, a few booths, a few tables. A spanish TV station plays on the TV. There are Salvadoran posters and a few other similar decorations. Lots of locals, the place was not full but there was a steady stream of customers that the waitress knew. The prices are very reasonable, $2.50 per pupusa (without combo). We tried the pork and the pork, bean and cheese. Both were really good. They are almost like a very thin, round perogy with different fillings, and then pan fried of course - kind of a cross between a quesadilla and a perogy.... just go try one, they are great! We also ordered a steak (carne asada) burrito, it came with a lot of white rice in the filling, but the taste was quite good so despite the rice we would order this again. Great stop when heading down I 5. read more

I let my friend pick where we ate today, and he decided on this place. The outside/inside leave much to be desired, but the food is literally so amazing. We both ordered the steak burritos. They are HUGE. At least 2-3 pounds of food. It was so amazing. We also ordered the pupusas. I believe they were the pork, cheese, and beans. They were so good. I will for sure be returning to eat another burrito! FYI, they serve beer and wine if you want! Give it a try if you're in the area. You won't be disappointed! read more

Old school hole in the wall family restaurant with a big menu. Good wholesome him made food. Had a variety of dishes and all were delicious had breakfast next day - chorizo was to die for read more

Quiet, clean, and kind. Then, there's the food and it was great. Today was a few pupusas for lunch but I'll be back to explore more of a quite extensive menu. Thanks read more