I finally made a pit stop here after passing by it five days a week for nearly a year and a half. With a four and a half star rating on Yelp, this was one place I was excited to remove from my 'To Try' bookmark. Since I'm not a ravenous carnivore, I kept it simple; two pupusa queso con lorocos. In English: cheese pupusas with Loroco flower buds, a popular Central American flavoring used like a herb. The verdict? Delicioso. The price? $1.50 each. Cheap eats! They come with a small Baggie of slaw and a small bag of sauce. They are worth the wait. Be patient my friend. The friendly lady inside this food truck is cooking your food to order as fast as she can. read more

La Preferida - Pupusa queso con Loroco - Food Trucks Near Me - Takoma Park, Maryland

These are the best papusas I have had since moving to the east coast. Hands down my favorite! This is a little good truck in the parking lot of a gas station, so not a sit down restaurant, but they have done a better job in that truck than any of the fancy el Salvadoran restaurants I've visited. Sometimes I go and just want the cabbage and sauce. Perfection. And the folks who own this truck are so nice. Their whole menu is delicious! The papusas are just my personal favorite. read more

Was the best pupusa I've ever had. She puts some crispy cheese on top to mix up the textures. Makes everything fresh so it takes a couple minutes but it's well worth for delicious and fresh pupusas read more

Ugggg.... another ruined couch cushion... ...thanks Christine Y. Another successful trip to La Preferida. This time, the wait was thirty minutes, but I would wait longer knowing that they were making the corn tortillas by hand and griddling them fresh. You should know at minimum how to count in Spanish and the words "y tambien". "Dos lomo saltado por favor, y tambien tres tacos de lenguas, y dos tacos al pastor, y uno baleadas, y tambien dos pupusas revueltas. Gracias" Yeay rudimentary Spanish! read more

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The pupusas here are excellent!!! I don't know what they are doing, but dammit its the right thing! The Horchata is also the best I have ever had!!! The tamales were mushy and not recommended. Super cheap and good portions! You gotta order in Spanish... read more

Even though they made me wait FORTY %$^#& MINUTES for my 2 pupusas and 2 tacos I still give them five stars cus the food is that good. But here is a tip, if they tell you the order will take ten minutes, keep pestering them at the 10 minute mark if your order is ready, or they might forget. It sounds like the thing to do is call ahead and then go pick it up. They hand form all the pupusas and make each one from scratch. The tacos are quite a bit different from mexican corn tortilla tacos I have eaten in the past, the green sauce they come with is awesome. Obviously, the service kind of sucks but oh well. Im so conflicted because I am so mad I could slash their tires for making me wait 40 minutes but also the pupusas were SO GOOD. On the plus side they put the sauces in these thin little plastic bags and you can stab them angrily with your fork and splatter sauce everywhere like a Dexter episode and that sort of relieves some frustration. *edit* I have returned several times since this review was written and I get my food fast. The difference is I call ahead now. *edit #2* I forgot to mention I order in spanish. You can order in spanish too if you want, be brave. It really is not too hard. Use the numbers you learned in spanish on sesame street, insert the dish you want, and add "y tambien" (and also) to link dishes together, and add "por favor" at the end. Example: "Un pupusa, y tambien dos tacos de carne, y tambien un horchata por favor' done! Also a great way to impress a friend/date! read more

At the very busy intersection of East West HIghway and New Hampshire Ave, La Preferida is pretty easy to overlook. Its a box truck converted into a kitchen that serves up mainly Salvadorian quick food. But luckily my hawk eye and love of food has me pulling into the parking lot it camps out in ordering up some grub. Everything here takes a few minutes as everything is prepared fresh. A must have here is the pupusas. Cooked to order and teeming with cheesy goodness, these things are heaven in a cornmeal delivery device. Also notable are their tacos that come with fresh cilantro and big slabs of fresh avocado. The staff speak little to no English, but are very accommodating if you don't know the language. Wash down your meal with a ice cold horchata, a drink made from ground almonds that is a little like a sweet milk. While dining out of a taco truck isn't for everyone, I believe that everyone should try it once as they would surely be pleasantly surprised by the authentic awesomeness served. read more

WHAT THE EFF???? La Preferida, I hate you. You have ruined all other tacos for me, for life. Thanks to your taco al pastor, my poor roommates now know what it's like to watch me orgasm. I'm eating the lomo saltado as I write this. Holy hay-soose, it's saucy, spicy, and delicioso. Really, I don't know what else to say, besides that I'm cumming back, ASAP. Because I could eat your taco, all night long. Dizzamn. You owe me a new couch seat cushion, btw. read more

La Preferida - Lomo saltado - Food Trucks Near Me - Takoma Park, Maryland

It is fresh, because even though it is a food truck, it took 20 minutes- in which they told me in advance. However there was some tom Foolery going on, and a dude that ordered tons of food after me got his in 5. I did see the one worker blowing her nose, I hope she washed. They are slightly rude because I don't speak Spanish, plus it is hard to hear with the traffic (great for kids to play in). I went to the window, and the other woman (the cook) just stood their giving me a funny look... No she never asked what I wanted. Clearly they don't pay much attention either, the guy who got his food quickly put some money in the tip jar, and they snatched it when he was walking away. I got the pupusas (but couldn't understand which one I purchased), nor could I tell. It was pretty good until I put the Orange colored sauce on it (nasty), and the cole slaw substance with cheese in it was even worse. the seafood soup (#10) was that instant nacho cheese power extremely watered down. The soup wouldn't reach the bottom the the bowl and I only found two pieces of food until I poured off half the cheese soup. and Beef Lomo Saltado (#22) was interesting to say the least. It is basically fajita components in a sauce / soup saltier than the ocean. Then to add to the confusion they put French fries on bottom. The beef was good, the sauce could have been if they used one hundredth of the amount of salt, and the fries were the best part of the meal, except for the soggy ones in the horrible salt bath. I tried this item last (5 minutes after I got the food), and the cardboard carton was dripping through it from the sauce. I had to pour out all the juice just so I could take it home. I have traveled to several Latin countries and have to say this place is near the top of my list for terrible food. I would be extremely ticked off if I had to pay for the sloop, instead my work did. read more

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SALVATRUCOS!!! Your Pupusas, I love them. La Preferida does what i love most, they make cheap and very delicious food. Pupusas run for about $1.20 and it only takes about 3 to fill me up and I can EAT, so you really cant beat them. I normally come here after playing basketball marathons in the summer and order 10 pupusas(a variety of queso: cheese, revuelto:mixed cheese and bean), loroco: pork and cheese) and spend about 12 dollars(Don't judge me.... I eat ,reheat and repeat). Pupusas will come with a varity of different sauces and cabbage...USE THEM your mouth will be happy. It's hard to beat the the cheesy,beany, porky deliciousnes for the price. If you don't speak spanish it will probably be somewhat of a struggle for you to order but the people will definitely work with you to get fresh piping hot food into your belly. Be Aware: The line can be pretty long, so don't come here if you're so hungry your stomach is going to eat, itself. I suggest staying away during lunch hour. Cash only! You can't miss it they have a huge sign in the parking lot now AND their truck is huge and white. Horchata, if you like cinnamon and can handle the texture of skim milk you're going to love it....it can be addicting. Que viva EL Salvador! your food is delicous! read more

Wait is 10-15. Just dangle your feet off the back of your pickup and kick it like the locals. Spanish only. Nice people. Authentic. Actually it's not like I've ever been to El Salvador but this blows away one gringo here. Tacos. read more

Great tacos al pastor, which doesn't do them justice, perfect balance between avocado, cheese, slightly crunchy pork. Tacos hand made on site. Their green salsa sauce is not too hot and you are deciding how much to put on anyhow. The corn tamale (de elote) was almost sweet, which works well with the salsa. Very much loved the place, ordering/pick up is a bit tricky if you don't speak a little Spanish, so be prepared/patient to communicate clearly. This is also applies to the wait, they give you estimates how long you have to wait, so have something to read or friends to hang out with. We came at 7.30pm on a Friday and they were out of chicharron and yucca, so come early and be prepared that favorites are precisely that. read more

Ugh! I hate to do this but my last experience made me realize i won't be making a 30 minute drive to get these tacos any more. They used to taste a lot better with the tomato and cheese on top not they have gone cheaper and put cucumber on it. They also moved locations which is only a few minutes down the road. Was definitely disappointed that they decided to change it up. On top of that the girl who took my order wasn't friendly at all she seemed bother to be at work and so taking my order. read more

kept driving by thinking "I really need to go there" so I did and was pretty pleased with my food. My lengua taco wasn't bad but the tortillas were kind of soggy and my pupusas were particularly good. read more

A lot of outdated reviews to this place. I have ordered the chicken sandwich, tacos, and quesadillas 4-5 times over the past several months. The balance between price/quality/portions just isn't there with this place. read more

I am upset that this place is slowly going down hill. I remember going there last year and two years ago. I live in falls church so every time I go out to Tacoma park I go and eat at this food truck. The food has always been great. But that two last times that I have gone there the food has been very upsetting. I ordered the chicken milanesa, one grilled steak, and 5 popusas. All of my food was burnt. The chicken had no flavor, and the steak felt like I was eating tar. I will definitely try to find a new place that is around that area. Who knows maybe I'll go back to this food truck in half a year if not in a year. read more

La Preferida - Pollo milanesa - Food Trucks Near Me - Takoma Park, Maryland

This is the only place me and my husband go for pupusas and tacos. While the price has gone up (like $.50) it is well worth it. As other posters have stated, it is well advised to call ahead or expect a wait. Also, they do now accept credit/debit cards. I'm not sure of the minimum purchase but the last few times we have paid with a credit card. Also, even though ordering in Spanish maybe helpful they can understand English enough to get your order so speaking in Spanish is not a necessity. read more

Idk if it's the competition around the area with new food trucks but she's now charging $1 for her pupusas. Not bad. I love queso con loroco. I haven't tried anything else but the pupusas but I gotta say she's not as consistent as before. One time the pupusas will be nice another it will look as if it was reheated from the previous day. Regardless they are still good so I'll keep going back. Hopefully she keeps up with the $1. read more

La Preferida - $1 pupusas lights - Food Trucks Near Me - Takoma Park, Maryland

Great food truck. Note they moved closer to the DC line in the Sunuco gas station lot. Good tacos, solid tamales and bomb atol de elote. Call your order in, if the wait is too much read more

The BEST pupusas in the area! 2 make a meal for me cuz they're huge! These ladies do such a good job and the sweet corn drink for a buck is amazing to say the least! Call in though or you'll be waiting in the parking lot with the not so greatest folks in the area BUT it's definitely worth it! read more

Loved their food really traditional their tacos and pupusas are really good and they got nice prices

What do you call just meat and tortilla ??? I'm not sure either .. I ordered a chicken taco and I just got meat and tortilla no lime no onion no sauce and then the customer service was not good at all it's like they ( 2 women) didn't want my business. I've seen this place a couple times while driving and finally decided to stop .. well that clearly wasn't a good decision. read more

I needed two stomachs! The one I have was empty when I decided to check this place out after driving past it for over 5 years. I'd heard good things about the tacos and lomo saltado, but I opted for the carne asada. For the price I figured I'd get an OK amount, but when I opened the container I was shocked. There was enough for me AND a friend (and I'm not a small guy). Quantity is one thing, but it's the quality that counts, right? Well, the food was frickin *fantastic*! If I weren't so stuff, I'd would have headed back for more. I hope they think I'm cute, because they're going to be seeing my mug a lot! UPDATE - 7/19/2010: Yeah, that's right, one day later and I've already been back. I was headed over to watch a movie with friends and stopped by La Preferida on the way. I got 2 burritos (one pollo and one res), 3 pupusas con queso y frioles and a repeat of the carne asada. My friends were amazed and none of were able to finish out massive meals. The chicken in the burrito was nicely marinated and not dry at all. I cannot recommend this place enough! read more

Really solid tacos - be careful, the green sauce that comes with it is spiiiiiiicy. The pupusas are also fantastic, and the sauce really compliments them. Definitely stop by if you're in the area! There isn't much seating (one table) so we take it to go. read more

I don't get the hype granted I only ate their food once and it wasn't a taco. I had the carne asada steak and it was decent but nothing to rave about. I just feel like a lot of places get more hype simply because they're serving food in a truck. I've never been to a taco truck I liked in the DC area. read more

Yay!!!! The taco truck, the taco truck! I finally cajoled the woman to let us go to the taco truck a few months ago. Having done my time in the Lone Star state, I know well that there is good food to be had at taco trucks. She was dubious.... but, eventually relented. And now she is on a mission, to try everything on the menu. Go, you will be glad you did. read more

The pupusas are worth the stop but the tacos might be the best in DC. Forget your hipster eatery and make the trip. Already planning my next commute around these guys. ***** read more

Coming from LA, I can easily say this taco truck rivals Southern Cali trucks. Definitely recommend.

Awesome chicken burritos with delicious fresh tortillas. Slow service (esp. if you're ordering pupusas). Definitely call ahead.

Excellent pupusas, but definitely call ahead (301-787-5946) or prepare to wait--everything is made to order and takes a very long time if you haven't called first. All of the different pupusas have excellent flavor and are cheap ($1.25 each) so you can go hungry or feed a crowd with them. The Horchata is also very good. There is limited seating outside the food truck under the tree -- a table and a few metal chairs. read more

Like others have said, this place is yummy; however, my coworkers went back last week and the truck wasn't there anymore. Where did it go?

The best Central American Foodtruck around! just bought 10 pupusas and 2 side of fried plantains for 20 bucks! Awesome price and quality. read more

La Preferida - Pupusas hondureñas!! - Food Trucks Near Me - Takoma Park, Maryland

Get the Pupusas! But have also had the steak ( I think it was flank steak.) SOOOO good you want to eat it all at once. But you can't because they give you so much food. read more

Best mexican food yet in DC area. Comparable to some southern california establishments. Carne asada burrito highly recommended.

The service is slow, but it's well worth the wait. I usually order the same thing every time but I'm never disappointed. Definitely try the costilla de res asada--it's well-grilled, and delicious! read more

Wow! What great food truck food. The pupusas are truly wonderful. This was the first time I tried Horchata - delicious, thirst quenching, and refreshing! Great for a hot day. I parked my car in a shady spot and had a delicious Salvadorean lunch. read more

Ugh this food is delicious . I had tacos al pastor and mixed papusas. The taco tortilla was made of the same stuff as the papusas. So it was thicker than your regular corn tortillas, which frankly annoy me when they fall apart so easily. It had this amazing cheese on it. The meat was seasoned so well and had like a light char, and it was so so good. The side sauce was VERY spicy but in a good way. The papusas were also the best I've had in the area so far! (I've been to 3-4 different places) They had a great filling to breading ratio. They are also only $1.25/papusa, which is a great deal. I'm super happy this place is on my way home. Lately it's been parked between the Sunoco and the Marathon gas stations on New Hampshire right before the DC border. read more

CALL AHEAD! CALL AHEAD! CALL AHEAD! This is where I go to get my taco and pupusa fix. And when they have atol de lote, it's time for a happy dance. read more

Back in 2015 and in 2016 the food here was amazing. I've been giving them a try (a bunch of tries with different food items) different months of 2017, and they are failing. The steak tacos are made of the steak that has a lot of chewy tendon which is not the same they used a couple of years ago. I also gave a couple of tries to their Yuca con chicharrón (casaba and fried pork) they only give you like 4 pieces of chicharrón and a couple big yucas not crispy and both bland. Other places make this very flavorful and crispy without the Yuca being so huge that the fryer can't even get it to crisp, and for the price and the amount they give you it's not worth it. Now they had $1 pupusas that were so good and now I guess they either changed the recipe or the person that makes it because just yesterday (and last month) I got lumpy, uneven, watery filling center $1.25 pupusas with a bonus hair and piece of plastic in them that made it unedable, and it looked like a child made them too. I have given this place a bunch of tries and I'm just done, it was convenient because they aren't too far from where I live but when the food quality goes away (when it used to be great) it's time to move on and find a different truck or place for better food, there are many other places in the area that make authentic Salvadoran food, look I'm not Salvadoran but I've had their food since I was 9 years old and my husband's family makes these foods for us so I know how what it's supposed to taste like. I will take our business elsewhere. read more

Just got back from my first visit here. I ordered the pork tacos which were delicious. As the other reviews mentioned, there was a significant wait (20 minutes for me). I will try and call in my order next time. I don't speak much Spanish but the woman who took my order spoke English very well. The area where the truck is parked is not so nice--I watched a homeless woman brush her teeth while waiting for my order--but for good food, it was worth it!! They do accept credit cards but only for orders over $10. I will definitely be back. read more