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    La Santaneca

    4.6 (243 reviews)
    InexpensiveSalvadoran
    Open 9:00 am - 8:00 pm

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    LA SANTANECA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for groups
    Dogs allowed

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    Coco's Taqueria y Pupuseria

    Coco's Taqueria y Pupuseria

    4.2
    (71 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    There food is delicious! The same folks have worked here for years. My only problem is the service…read more I could tell they were understaffed because the guy who works in the kitchen took my order. Rude and SASSYYYY! People behind me got there order first. The staff has always been friendly but there service has always been this way... under staffed and takes forever to get your food. It's super sad honestly because there food is delicious.

    I've never had Salvadorian food before and a friend I was visiting suggested this place. It's…read morelocated out on East Carson past Airport road. Parking isn't bad, there's spots along back. Inside is very clean and modern, so it's not like going into a third world place like some places ... but sometimes those place have great food. You just put your order in with the guy at the cash register. The menu is up on the wall. My friend got some pupusas, sort of like grilled stuffed tortillas. I went for the super burrito and we shared some street tacos. Tacos were just $2.25 each and the burrito was $9.99. I got both with al pastor for my meat choice. The salsa bar has lots of different choice to choose from from mild to super hot ... all labeled. The cooks just call out your order, so you better listen for it. The street tacos had a ton of meat on them and I just put some salsa one all of them as well as adding onions and greens. Wow, these were some of the best tacos I ever had! Just pick them up and fold and shove in mouth! Tasty! The burrito was a little different than other burritos I've had. The tortilla shell wasn't as thick of doubled over in the folding so it wasn't as easy to get it to stand up to eat hand held from one end, but having less tortilla is better cause it's easier to bite into and the taste of the fillings come through better. I like this burrito! I'd come back here again if I'm in the area. Sometimes I have my crew with me for work out on East Carson sometimes, I'll bring them here.

    Photos
    Hwy 50 going east on right.
    Hwy 50 going east on right.
    Yummers burrito!
    Yummers burrito!
    Menu

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    Menu
    San Marcos Grill

    San Marcos Grill

    4.0
    (584 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    We always love our meals at San Marcos. Tonight was paint night here. We had just tacos and coconut…read moreshrimp. The each of the proteins in the tacos were cooked perfectly and flavorful with sauces that complemented them. The coconut shrimp were mouth watering good! Unfortunately tonight we only had water as every drink we ordered they were out of (including margaritas ). We definitely will be back and hopefully the bar will be better stocked.

    Every now and then I have one of those where have I been moments?…read moreWell, today was one of those times. I was at a plaza, not far from where San Marcos Grill is located. We were hungry and decided we wanted Mexican food. We've been really tired of the place we've been visiting as we are regulars there. We've been really wanting to try something new and I remembered there was a place down the street from the plaza we were at. San Marcos Grill is not very hard to find. It's just off the main drag going through Carson City on Winnie Lane. We pulled in to the parking lot and I have to be honest. My first thought was wow I hope this place is good. Because I had my doubts being in a strip mall. But you never know unless you try. So we walked, and I was amazed, how awesome this place looked I'm talking very festive, very clean. Tables were well spaced out. The lady greeted us immediately and pointed us to a table where we could sit at. She was there taking our drink orders very quickly. As we sat and looked over the menu, I could not get over the size and beauty of the bar that they have in this establishment. Complete with a great selection of any kind of drink, you could possibly want also TVs that are spaced around the establishment so if you want to watch a sport event, there's not a bad seat anywhere in the restaurant. After looking over the menu, our server came to our table was a very nice young lady and took our orders. My wife chose the beef enchiladas, and a taquito, which comes with rice and beans As I always do with a new establishment, I chose the Carnitas plate. I am a Carnitas aficionado and I always try everyone's Carnitas to see if they are legit. As we're waiting for our food, I noticed an older gentleman who was just helping everybody, come to find out he is the owner. I do not know his name, but he's very friendly guy and very warm and welcoming. As I said, the establishment is very spacious and clean. The bathroom was even clean, so it was a real joy to be there, even though we were waiting on our food, which did not take very long. My wife ordered a margarita that she really liked and I just had a Modelo with a lime. The gentleman I just told you about who I think is the owner brought our food to us and it looked amazing. Needless to say, we dug right into our food and I could not get over how great these Carnitas tasted. Not everyone can make really good Carnitas, they're either dry or they're cooked too long to were they are too crispy. These are so tender and flavorful. I enjoyed every bite. My plate came with rice in a small bowl of beans, a garnish of avocado, sour cream and pico. It also came with very hot corn tortillas The tortillas, however we're spoiled and tasted really old. In fact, you can smell how old they were. I let our server know, but it was no big deal because I had tortilla chips still on the table. She offered to get me some new tortillas, but it was fine because I only use the tortilla to kind of put my food onto the fork. So the tortilla chips worked just fine. I kept trying to eat the Carnitas slowly because I was savoring it so much. I did not want to hurry and be done with the meal too fast. This was our first visit here, and I can tell you that we will be back and probably become regulars. The staff here is very wonderful welcoming and I cannot recommend this place high enough to anyone that wants a great place to eat really great Mexican food. Kudos to the staff.!

    Photos
    Decor
    Decor
    Burrito Especial
    Burrito Especial
    San Marcos Tostada

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    San Marcos Tostada
    El Pulgarcito

    El Pulgarcito

    4.2
    (104 reviews)
    25.2 mi
    $

    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.

    Photos
    El Pulgarcito
    Pupusas Combo: Chicharon and Beans
    Pupusas Combo: Chicharon and Beans
    Pupusas Combo: Chicharon and Beans.

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    Pupusas Combo: Chicharon and Beans.
    El Rincon Restaurant

    El Rincon Restaurant

    4.3
    (83 reviews)
    25.5 mi
    $

    I've eaten food from here before because my friend did a lunch run for work one time, but this is…read morethe first time eating at the restaurant. The pupusas were excellent and they have a combo plate that includes 2 pupusas, rice, and beans with the usual curtido and salsa. They also include a hot salsa if you want more spice. I think they should have given me more curtido but I was told that you can ask for more and they'll happily give you more. The quesadilla was excellent! I should've bought another one for the mornings when I have my coffee. The employees are very friendly and the dining area was clean. I can't wait to come back again for some more pupusas and eventually try other things on their menu!

    The name of this place quite literally translates to "the corner." Which is where they are hidden…read morebut definitely a place to try if you're in the area. The dining area is a little smaller but the dishes/drinks are full of flavor. The service is great as well. The staff are very attentive and friendly. I tried the sopes combo with your choice of meat, served on a fluffy and crunchy piece of fried dough, beans, lettuce, tomato, Salvadoran sour cream, queso fresco w/salsa (Fair warning the salsa is super spicy) and rice & beans on the side. I also had a Fresco de Tamarindo and it was freshly made just like all of their drinks. Glad I gave this place a try and can't wait to try their Salvadoran tamales on a weekend!

    Photos
    Dining area
    Dining area
    Menudo
    Menudo
    This is the front of El Ricon Restaurant in Sparks, Nevada

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    This is the front of El Ricon Restaurant in Sparks, Nevada
    El Paisano Taqueria y Pupuseria

    El Paisano Taqueria y Pupuseria

    3.8
    (115 reviews)
    25.4 mi
    $

    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!

    Photos
    Counter
    Counter
    Pupusas combo
    Pupusas combo
    Menu boards across the whole counter!

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    Menu boards across the whole counter!
    Cielito Lindo Taqueria

    Cielito Lindo Taqueria

    3.9
    (464 reviews)
    25.6 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Nice decor.
    Nice decor.
    Taco Combo, Horchata
    Taco Combo, Horchata
    Burrito

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    Burrito

    La Santaneca - salvadoran - Updated July 2026

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