Not only was the food tasteless and poorly presented but very overpriced. Shockingly over priced for Salvadorean food. And insult to injury, we ordered an item, Yucca Frita, that was posted at 4.99 on a sign in the restaurant... we ordered it at this price since we no longer had our menus... come to check the bill and we were charged $8.99. Yucca frita is a side dish, and we're charged like it was something worth paying close to 10 dollars for. And they weren't. When I asked server and ultimately the person I thought was the owner, we were rudely told that the posted price was wrong and they didn't care either way... the bill was correct as far as they were concerned. You want Salvadorean food... do not eat here. There are plenty of well priced places elsewhere where at least the food tastes better. read more

Las Comadres - Apparently... This is what 8.99 of Yucca Frita gets you. - Salvadoran Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Everyone once in a while I crave the food of my people and unfortunately there is no place in Santa Barbara to please these indulgences. Las Comadres is a piece of heaven on earth, they have authentic Salvadoran food and the service is always great! The restaurant itself is nothing fancy but very authentic and clean inside. Most of the time the service is great too but last time the waiter was a bit standoffish. Everything I've ever had from here is exceptional, no complaints at all in the food quality department! The prices are very reasonable as well. They are non-Spanish-speaking-friendly so if your Spanish is not the best, don't worry! read more

Best pupusas, rice, beans and tamales that I have tried from a Salvadorean restaurant. Good service from a local business. Must try for a different twist on Latin cuisine. read more

This was a great restaurant, the food was excellent and staff was exceptional friendly. We had Pupusas and the plantains were perfectly fried. Highly recommend this place. read more

So I'm light skinned mexican. Guy pretends he doesn't know English cause he thinks I'm white. He then goes to ask my more Hispanic looking fiance what i was ordering. He speaks Spanish with an American accent. I know very well he knows English. Fiance doesn't believe me till a regular customer comes in and orders in English and the guy answers back in perfect English. Get the same treatment when i go to pay the bill. Waitress pretends not to know English, trys talking to my fiance instead of me. Like I didn't just hear her speaking English a few minutes before. Also was very expensive for very little food. Food wasn't very good either. Between that and the disrespect, i will not be coming back. There are much better Mexican restaurants in town. read more

Food was really good. Staff is nice and friendly. My fiancé was obsessed with their pupusas.

Las mejores popusas de Santa Maria y un servicio muy bueno mi comida favorita excelente comida

I came for pupusas. I also got carne asada. Omg, to die for. Only downside is that their ice tea is sweetened. Everything tastes amazing. I'm so happy right now. read more

Las Comadres - Yum - Salvadoran Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Their food is amazing I absolutely love their pupusa de lírico con queso staff is always kind

I think there is a misconception out there that a meal must be expensive to be first-rate. I find that if the chef is passionate and well trained (even if by his Mexican) the food is a culinary pleasure. Many people only go to high-end restaurants to explore their palettes'. I am all for the $100 meal, eat them often, but we need to lend ourselves to food exploration. That means, stepping outside the status quo (because the status is not quo) and trying an ethnic restaurant. Nouveau cuisine is so beautifully arranged on a plate, you know that someone's fingers have been all over it. Some of the best food that has entered my mouth came from small-besmirched restaurants with a chef that was pouring his soul into the food. Rant done- this week I had a SPECTACULAR meal in Santa Maria at a Salvadoran restaurant called Las Comadres. Located on Main Street (just a block from the ghost town mall) this was like leaving the country without a passport. The TV blared Spanish language soap operas, stunning tapestries illustrated street life in El Salvador and signs on the wall told Papa's to control their children. The cooks were as authentic looking as the cerveza signs stating beer keeps away sadness. We started with chips, salsa, and a Salvadorian beer, Cerveza Suprema. Gary order the Platano con miel and crema, which is a tropical plantain (brother to the banana) sautéed then covered with maple syrup and sour cream. Usually ordered at the end of the meal, this exotic blending of flavors was just right. That dessert first rule was fun to translate. The house specialty is Pupusas, a dish like no other and one of my most desired. These maze wonders are stuffed with anything from cheese, pork, beans, rice and more. They range from $1.99 to 2.25 each. They are fried and served like an extra thick tortilla. You then put the cabbage, onion, mixture on them, sprinkle the Salvadoran tomato sauce and pick them up and engorge yourself. We started with the Revueltas, which had chicharrion, cheese, and beans. I did the Loroco, which is cheese, and flour mixed and shoved into the Pupusas. Our favorite was a Queso con calabaza, a cheese and squash mix. Los Comadres also has homemade tamales that you can order in combination with the Pupusas, along with plantains and rice and beans. Everything on the menu was outstanding and so reasonably priced, I felt like I was stealing. They also do catering, so you can order 20 Pupusas with rice and beans for your next party. I did this once for Thanksgiving that we ate at the beach over a bonfire, and our friends are still talking about that exceptional meal. read more

I'm not an expert on El Salvadorian food, so I can't give them a 5 stars. I'm going to give them 4 because everything was so good and awesome, but I have no idea what to compare their food to. We were in town from San Francisco for a wedding up in Nipomo, a few miles from Santa Maria. We were staying at the Santa Maria Inn and wanted to eat somewhere that was highly rated on Yelp so we gave this a shot. I went with what other people have suggested and go the #1 combo: 2 Pupusas, Plantains and a Tamale. I went with the Pork and Cheese Pupusa and it was amazing. So warm, fresh and cheesy. The tamale was also very good, but I thought the corn/maze could have been a bit more grainy. Maybe this is the style, I don't know, but it tasted great, just a little gelatinous. The plantains were also very good. The service at this restaraunt was fast and friendly. I would DEFINITELY eat here again when passing through Santa Maria. Yum! read more

Once in a while, I get the urge to try a local joint I haven't been to before. It had something to do with the delicious-looking BBQ meats that I saw in an ad on the local papers. Curious, my family and I decided to go inside and try the place. The interior is downright simple, complete with murals that illustrated life in El Salvador as welI as a TV tuned into Univision. Not surprisingly, the entire menu is in Spanish. At least I could understand most of the items on their menu thanks to my memory of college-level Spanish (hint: "bistec" is steak, "pollo" is chicken, "camarones" is shrimp). Thankfully there is a menu with English translations on it, so it took out some of the guesswork from our orders. I ended up trying a combo plate that had chicken and beef along with a salad, rice, beans, and tortillas on the side (the real stuff cooked on the griddle, not those ones you get at Taco Bell). While it was a delight to eat, it did seem a little pricey for what I got. However, our server also gave us some drinks to try -- tamarind, guava, and a really sweet green drink (I forgot the name). All tasted like they were freshly made. He also made a point of "Try the papusas!" a lot. After I read what goes into the papusas, I'd want to try one myself on my next visit. So, if you are looking for some place to eat that's radically different from where you typically go, try Los Comadres. read more

Located in a strip of stores on Main street. Parking is along the street, first come first serve parallel park hell. The restaurant itself is small. It's been here for a while and it shows it a bit. The sign over the register hangs haphazardly. The decor is a bit off-color as if it has been here for many years. The chairs and tables are of an older design. Service on a Sunday afternoon was painfully slow. The restaurant had about 7 other families/groups in it and only two women working the tables and register. It took a while to get food after the initially speedy drink order. The sauce that came with the complimentary chips was appreciated but tasted entirely of onion. We stuck to the dry chips. I ordered the #1 combo off the laminated insert that each menu seems to have. This was 2 papusas, a tamale and a plantain along with the customary accompaniments. I had the papusas made with beans, cheese and pork. This had to be the best part of my meal unfortunately. The tamale was almost all masa and very little filling. The plantain was also not very flavorful and swimming in oil. My husband had a similar combo and was ill from all the oil by the time we left. Getting the check and paying also took a long time. I wish the experience would have been better. We will not be back. read more

I am salvadorean.. I was doubting they were going to be authentic .. And i can 100% say ..felt that i was back home! The pupusas, the yuca frita, platano frito.. Eveything. read more

Las Comadres - Salvadoran Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Amazing food! And so much. This semi-hole in the wall joint was a gem to find. The papusa's and tamales were on point. The tamales were so tender and not dry like a lot of places tend to make them. The papusas are huuuuuge. Hubby went with the beef stew that was a beautiful tomato based taste of familiar I just couldn't put my finger on. I wish only that there was fountain drinks, rather than cans. But other than that we are excited to come back. read more

Good and unique (which is what we need in Santa Maria). Service has been great and food has always been solid. We've got enough great Mexican Food in this town to turn the heads of many out-of-towners, but I get real "WOWs" when when take them here. I think everybody in town should try this place at least twice. They are hard working folks with a family feel in the kitchen. Always keeping it fresh and tasty... for that we should all be thankful in this town of to many Taco Rocos & Burrito Locos. read more

It is extremely rare for me to rate 5 stars, I only wish I could rate them with 5 more stars. I love salvadorean food and now I love this place very much so. Great workers great service and equally great food. Muy buena comida y gente muy Hermosa. read more

Las Comadres - Las mejores mujeres que uno pueda pedir para que atiendan a uno muy bien. Gente muy linda y de caracter hermoso. - Salvadoran Near Me - Santa Maria, California

I'd never had Salvadorean food before coming to this place, but everything so far has been great. The pupusas are always hand made to order, and I had to open myself to the possibility that maybe Mexicans don't have the market cornered on beans. I gave four our of five stars because I'm not an authority on any of the dishes they serve, but I do know that I've never come away disappointed. Always try to save room for some fried plantains at the end. You may even luck out and get them just a bit overcooked so they're chewy around the edges...almost like a caramel. I also have to say that although everything is different, there are about three to five different cooks in the back, and there is some variance between them in cooking styles and donenesses. They're all delicious, but I would like to see just a tad more consistensy, either that, or to learn who does what which way so I might order different things depending on who is cooking, but I suppose that is on me to do. read more

Authentic menu, and honestly one of the best meals I've had in a long time! The service was fast and friendly. And the restaurant was clean. read more

Las Comadres - The salsa's amazing and always better with beer. - Salvadoran Near Me - Santa Maria, California

Actually closer to 4.5... Came here last night craving papusas. We live in SF in the Mission District, so we have plenty of Salvadorian restaurants in our hood. We also have a friend from El Salvador whose mother makes homemade papusas, casamiento, etc. Having said that, we feel Las Comadres' papusas compared VERY favorably against the others. Perfectly cooked and great ingredients - yummy! My wife's beans were a little thin, and I prefer my casamiento more fried, but they were delicious even so. The staff were friendly and cheerful. And for those who felt the decor was funky, this is totally normal for authentic Salvadorian restaurants. We can absolutely recommend this place if you want great authentic food! read more

Great food- great pupusas. Haven't had these in years, and they were delish. Although the cheese one I wasn't too keen on, everything else was great. Great service they accommodated our large group with two babies and a 6 year old. Very attentive and great chips and salsa to start out! Completely opposite experience the second time around and the food was greasy. Our stomachs were upset after eating here. read more

My experience with Salvadorian food is limited, but this is definitely the best that I have had so far. My husband and I tried the combos. Both came with pupusas (we had the ones with beans and chicharrón), a chicken tamal, and beans. We also tried a few of the other items on the menu, including the plátanos. The portions, at least on what we ordered, are generous. Everything was great - very flavorful and fresh. The service was quick and attentive. As a bonus, when you order Coke, they give you bottled Coke from Mexico. read more

I have been enjoying the papusas for the last 12 years and they are pretty amazing. You can get them filled with beans, meat or cheese. All the entrees and meats are good. The tropical drinks are sweet and the banana smoothie is rich. Love the flan. Parrilla mixta is a really good plate with papusas on the side. The plates are big and you will leave full. Family run restaurant with kind people who remember you each time you go. Good place to take kids. read more

Super good food! As good as any papusas I had in El Salvador. I ordered a plate with papusas, tamale, fried yucca rice and beans and plantains. Other than the plantains which I'm just not a fan of in general, everything was delicious. Venue is older, but very clean. It's not Mexican food so don't go in expecting it to be. The ladies working there didn't speak much english but they were very good at communicating, and the menus has pictures. read more

One of the few good things about living in Santa Maria (along with most of the eateries there) and about the only thing I miss since I moved back to L.A. I can tell you that, when it comes to the PUPUSAS (not "papusas"), I haven't found a single place that makes them better and in certain parts of L.A. there are Salvadoran restaurants on every corner. There are those that may complain about the price and, yes, this place is a little pricey compared to other Salvadoran restaurants but in Santa Maria most mom and pop places are a little pricey compared to other cities. I have to admit that I didn't like the other dishes that I tried but I didn't try them all. The empanadas (mashed plantain stuffed with "leche poliada", a sort of custard) are incredible and well worth the price for three per serving. There are none like them even in El Salvador and most places will try to make up for the lack of flavor by making them bigger while this place doesn't need to. The drinks are incredible, especialy the "arrayan" (that green drink that a previous poster didn't know) which is made from a close cousin to the guava. When I lived there, the service was always great with the exception of a waitress that wasn't happy there but I overheard her talking to someone one day and telling them that she would be leaving Santa Maria soon. It was even better when the husband of the owner was there as he was always happy to see you and treated you like an old friend. read more

Wonderful restaurant on West Main serving Salvadorean Cuisine. Excellent food, the Pupusas are to die for! Excellent plantain. Yum, I'm getting hungry. The family that runs the place is super friendly and all the food is cooked to order right in front of you. The atmosphere is homey. read more

Interesting menu. Great place to go when you need a change!

As soon as walked in we were warmly greeted and given menus. You know this place is authentic when they start taking your order in Spanish. I have had Salvadorian food before so I knew what to expect and this place did not disappoint. The pupusas are authentic and delicious. Try not to burn yourself but you must eat right away to get the cheesy goodness inside. You can have them many ways but I like them with chicharron with cheese. I ordered the number one which included two pupusas with the cabbage salad (cutido), a chicken tamale and plantains. My hubby got the carne asada which he really enjoyed. The side rice and salad was good too but he wasn't a fan of the bean puree they gave him but overall he liked the food (mind you he is a white boy so his taste buds are limited lol). We are definitely going back to try some more of their menu items. read more

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Great Salvadorean food, especially the plantains and beans. The popusas are delicious - try the mixed ones! If you want a refreshing fruity drink (not too sweet) try the Ensalada, it's full of mango, apple and a third fruit that I can't recall. read more

This place is amazing. Such great food. Very consistent and what I get from them. Always good. Sometimes you'll have a little wait for your food, but that's because they're busy because they're great. Great "hole in the wall" read more

This small establishment has fantastic food. Flavorful dishes served by the nicest staff. Their patience answering all my questions was much appreciated and I will definitely be back! read more

I'm usually not super adventurous when it comes to food, but was taken here by some friends while in the area. I have never had El Salvadorian food before so I wasn't sure what to expect. The waitress was very friendly, but didn't speak any english. Thankfully the menu had pictures! While I didn't know exactly what the pictures were, it's safe to say that the tamales, plantaines, and pupusas were delicious. A place I'd be willing to go back to again, but first I need to learn a bit more of the language. LOL! read more

I was trying to figure out a place to have dinner with my mom and uncle that would be new for them and tasty for me. I vaguely recalled having eaten at Las Comadres long ago with my sister. I recalled the food was good but I needed a reminder. I have the #1 with 1 pupusa revuelta and the other just with chicharron. I will have to say the revuelta wins hands down, try it! Be sure to use the pickled cabbage mix and sauce with your pupusas. The other thing I am very fond of are in-house made aguas frescas. Having grown up tasting the glory of homemade horchata I am always disappointed to have horchata from a mix. Though the horchata at Las Comadres is a bit different from the horchata I am used to drinking, it was amazing. I told my uncle it reminded me of a watery, cold, atole.... maybe that doesn't sound tasty to some but this horchata got a nod from each member at our table. My sister had a squach pupusa and it was very moist and tasty too. I am half tempted to go back again today for lunch. And for 2.50 a pupusa, I don't see why not. I also want to compliment Las Comadres for having such great customer service. I had Yelped the restaurant before heading out for dinner last night. The closing time was posted as 9pm. It seems they close at 7pm now, which we did not know until after we sat down and ordered. I hate being that last customer that comes in right at the last minuted. But we did not see the time posted and were made to feel warm and welcome. I truly appreciated the experience and I am sure my mom and uncle did too. Nothing worse than feeling rushed to eat dinner. read more

Pupusa with chicharon, cheese, and beans is delicious! @ $2.50 each do it! The cheese pupusa is salty salty salty, don't do it. Their fried shrimp are the frozen ones you can buy at your local freezer aisle, no thanks, don't do it! They have some good fruit Aguas, yes, do it!! read more

We loved their Pupusas revueltas! So good && authentic. The plátano frito was amazing. They offer good combos for you to try a little bit of everything. Even the shrimp soup they served that day was good! The staff was so nice and helpful. Definitely coming back!! read more

Great food, great service! We really enjoyed the meat fritters (can't remember how they're called in spanish), they were excellent!

Pupusas are good. Nothing to write home about but because pupusas are so good in general you'll be very satisfied even with average ones. Portions are good size and the place has a pretty authentic feel. Since I don't eat meat, I can't give full review of the food. But being the only Salvadoran place in town, there's always people there. read more

Only place in town where I can get pupusas!!! I always get the chicharrones and queso ones! And it's a super decent price for one pupusa! And it fills me up fast. read more

Small place, easy to pass by. But don't!! Very good authentic Salvadorian food. Very generous portions. Had the carne asada. Charred just right. Great flavor. read more

Hands down the best Salvadoran eatery we have been to. Everything is handmade...pupusas, tamal, pastellitos, et al. The salsas and pickled veggies are outstanding. read more