Restaurant that focuses on Salvadorian food and they use a wood fired hearth to do a lot of the…read morecooking. The space is vibrant and can get pretty packed (we came in on a Friday evening). The service is friendly and helpful and they also serve fun cocktails here. I was in the area and decided to grab dinner here with some family, which was great since the dishes are designed to be shared. We started with the guaca- mol and tamal. We then ordered each of the three pupusas they had on the menu, the pollo en chicha, and some broccoli asado. We ended the meal with a tres leches cake. Without going into too much detail with each dish, I would just say that we loved everything we ordered. Just the whole experience was a delight. The hospitality, the cultural aspect, and just the fun vibes.

Located across from Swan's Market and in the shadow of the Marriott in downtown Oakland, Popoca…read moresits just around the corner from the beautiful Victorian Row in historic Old Oakland. The restaurant is stylishly designed with high ceilings and three distinct dining spaces. As you enter, the bar and a dining room are on the right--I especially loved the two window tables overlooking Washington Street. Another indoor dining room is on the left, and there is also a pleasant patio. On a Saturday evening, the restaurant was completely full. Service was prompt and friendly, though the kitchen was somewhat slow. We weren't in a hurry, so it wasn't a major issue. We ordered one appetizer, two pupusas, and one main course, which was plenty for two people. YUCA CON ANCHOA This dish features fried yuca topped with marinated anchovy, pepescas, tarragon cream cheese, and macerated onions. I love both anchovies and yuca fries, so this sounded like a delicacy. Unfortunately, all I could taste was salt, which overwhelmed the other flavors. PUPUSA DE LOROCO A traditional Salvadoran masa dough filled with melted cheese and chopped loroco buds--an edible flower bud often described as tasting somewhere between squash and asparagus. PUPUSA DE BACALAO Y AJO VERDE Filled with salt cod, green garlic, potato, and cheese, this pupusa had a mild and delicate flavor. Eating the pupusas plain allowed me to appreciate the mildly sweet, earthy corn flavor of the masa, with its pillowy-soft interior and lightly toasted, crispy exterior. The fillings--whether loroco or salt cod--were intentionally subtle and paired beautifully with the gooey cheese. The balance of flavors and textures was outstanding. I've eaten quite a few pupusas over the years, and these were the best I've had. They were served with curtido, the traditional crunchy, tangy, lightly fermented cabbage slaw. I usually enjoy curtido, but this version was extremely salty, making it difficult to eat. GALLO EN CHICHA A Salvadoran chicken dish glazed in a rich fermented pineapple sauce flavored with spices and dried chiles, somewhat reminiscent of molé. It was beautifully presented. Unfortunately, the chicken was undercooked, just as another reviewer had noted. The sauce was also quite heavy on salt. The cocktails were tasty, although they seemed light on alcohol. Normally, I can only manage a few sips of a cocktail, but these barely registered. Next time, I may try one of the Salvadoran non-alcoholic drinks instead. The ambiance was relaxed, lively, and fun. Service was warm and attentive, though the kitchen could use some improvement. I had been looking forward to dining at Popoca. I love this part of Oakland and hoped this would become one of my favorite neighborhood restaurants. Unfortunately, the kitchen didn't quite deliver on that expectation during this visit. Oakland and Berkeley are not short on Salvadoran eateries, but Popoca distinguishes itself as an upscale and beautifully designed dining destination. Now the food simply needs to rise to the same level. I'll give it another try and hope this experience was just a fluke.

Don't come eat here. The owner is bitter and rude. She has a crazy rule that everyone that dines in…read morehas to order a minimum of 2 pupusas even toddlers. Ridiculous Save your money and go where you are appreciated

Best pupusas I have ever had personally. I am not Salvadoran but had my fair amount of pupusas. I…read morethink the size of the pupusas are big and I get full with two. They taste really good and not greasy or anything like that and they taste fresh.

Clean, fresh, delicious! Service was perfect. So happy to have found this new little gem…read more The tamales are THICK lol

Food is good but pricey for what it is. I got the lunch plate with the tamale which was more…read moredelicious than the pupusas, which were bland and a bit dissapointing. The price was disappointingly high, costing more than double for two pupusas alone, adding only a tamale and a small serving of rice which added about $17 to two pupusas alone. Still, the place is nice, the service was good.

I have eaten Platanos food several times and each time it has been a delivery order…read more Today's delivery was delicious. There were vegan options, cheese and loroco, bean-cheese and pork, chicken and cheese...I tried 3 different ones and they were all great. The order came with curtido and salsa. I will order from them again, the food was such a hit, per usual!

22 Feb 2025. 3.7 stars. 12:56 pm…read more Hello! Make sure you check their hours. Some days they are only open from 11am to 3pm. On our first 20 mile drive to visit, they blocked us at the inside of the unlocked front door at 3:12pm. Street parking can be difficult but a short drive\walk distance about a block away is a $3 an hour parking garage. The place looks clean and not too busy. We sit and our waitress Yanira M was perfect. Very nice, patient and attentive. We three shared two carne asada dinners with rice and refried red beans, two coffees, a coke and three pupusas. $101.36 before tip. The menu was confusing to us. First, the use of the menu words "red refried beans" confused us as refried beans have never been red in our lifetimes and these were pretty standard brown pinto bean looking and tasting. Maybe less confusion if they were called refried red beans. Then, we thought dinners came with pupusas. No. They came with two each thick tortillas (same as half pupusas with no filling as I could tell.) I enjoyed these thick homemade tortillas. The steak was not bad but I wish it had been served with its sizzle in tact. Salsa and coleslaw came as condiments though they might have been introduced with different names by Yanira. The coleslaw was a nice touch-served in a small jar with serving tongs. The salsa was tasting a bit like the V8 vegetable juice that you had as a kid or teen if you are a boomer. This meal could have really used some homemade spice sauce to add some kick to it. The main negatives today were the high music level at the back where we sat. That, and a busser man dragging some screeching and protesting chairs across the floor - to set up for a large party I believe. Real ear busters. The best part of the meal was the piping hot pupusas and our coffee. I would go back for those.

I was craving Pupusas and Platanos for months and just haven't gotten a chance to get some. After…read morerunning on Sunday, I decided to try Pupuseria Rosita. 2 Pupusas for $7, 2 Platanos for $8 and $15 was well spent. I was not disappointed as their Pupusas were actually well filled, unlike other places that I've tried. I waited about 20 minutes after placing my order. There are tables and seating on the back/side of the truck if you wanted to eat there but parking isn't the easiest in the area. I would definitely be returning for my future cravings!

Varied selection of Latin food (burritos, pupusas, sopes, etc.) at a very decent price! Food is…read moremade to order, and staff verifies that your order is correct before placing your order. Our food (4 tacos, 4 pupusas, and a horchata) were ready in 20 minutes. Their pupusas revueltas are amazing. Carnitas on the tacos was juicy but lacking flavor. Business is a food truck on a street corner, but its location is not somewhere you want to be at night. Street parking is available as well as parking across the street in an open lot. Not really a place you would eat at for the ambiance, but the pupusas are great! Also, they have great combo deals on Tuesday specifically!! Would come back for more pupusas (:

Don't let the location for you. Some of the best pupusas I've ever had (and I have had my fair…read moreshare). Cooked to having a soft center. The masa (corn flour) complements the other flavors without overpowering them. I am not a big believer in perfection, but the way these were cooked came damn close. And this was just the main dish. The cabbage salad, (curtido) that accompanied it was solid as well. Crisp, fresh with the proper acidity. I will be back.

Awesome pupusas!! Price is reasonable and I love doing take out for the whole family. Great for…read morepotlucks too

I popped in here one rainy night when my son was in the barbershop. Ambiance-wise, it's a typical…read moremom and pop casual hole in the wall, where the staff is friendly and the food is great. They offer both Mexican and Salvadorean fare, with plenty of options for a pescatarian like me. I can't wait to try the salvadorean fish and cheese pupusas as well as the shrimp and cheese pupusas, but there was only so much room in my stomach, so I went for the Mexican shrimp tacos. Yum! The shrimp was nicely seasoned. I'll be back!

This place was fire! Came here right before rush time and they were SO good! Their horchata is also…read moreamazing! I will definitely be back soon!

I believe this space was a Burmese restaurant called Tharaphu a few years back. They made a decent…read moretea leaf salad but without the tableside show. I doubt that made much difference to their clientele, but in its place is another family-run business, this time Salvadoran. This one offers more generic plates at student-friendly prices for undiscriminating palates. That's at least my take in the couple of occasions I've tried it after going to the gym. The first time I tried it I couldn't see the menu until I got up to the order counter. Then I made the server wait since the menu was so comprehensive (Photo 5). I went basic and ordered the $16.99 Chicken Platter because the kabob version was five dollars more. It was decent enough though on the bland side with rice, fresh tomato salsa, and a small side salad of iceberg lettuce, sliced cucumber, and radish (Photo 9). The menu mentioned a house white sauce. I didn't see it, but I also didn't miss it either. I came back to try them again. I tried ordering the $14.99 Scrambled Eggs with Beef Chorizo but was told they were out of chorizo. This was looking to be a recurring theme because I was rebuffed the first time when I unsuccessfully ordered the beef gyro. Ironically this time they had the $16.99 Beef Gyro Platter. The rice and salad were identical to my previous platter, the beef was just OK (Photo 10). FOOD - 3 stars...middling meats, edible but not overly appetizing AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...spacious enough and nicely decorated SERVICE - 3 stars...minimal communication on the food and when it will be ready TOTAL - 3 stars...fitting for a student appetite, good enough for the rest of us if expectations are kept in check RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places l've patronized and reviewed: https://yelp.to/KDNpY106O8

Here goes, short and sweet…read more Yes on the pupusas....no on the birria taco. So the pupusa was definitely handmade and 4 stars. Service was super slow and I was one of 3 people there when they opened. Not sure what was going on. They also took forever to make my food. The birria was lacking flavor was was super chewy. Needed to be more tender.

The food is exelente the music and the customer service ... 100% the best…read moreThe food really fresh, the salad crispy and nice . The place is really clean and spacious I'll definitely bring my whole family here

The restaurant itself was super cute. The staff were just friendly enough but not really overly…read morefriendly. They all seemed very overwhelmed to be honest. That being said the Papito sandwich was delicious. I would go back for that sandwich alone. My boyfriend had three tacos. The fish taco was really really good he said. The Al pastor and carnitas tacos were average. The yuka fries were not that good tbh. Very bland. The maduros were really really good. Overall would go back.

Do they open randomly? Because I went there today and there was nothing. I also called but no…read moreanswer.

Checked out reviews and decided to give them a try. They're okay, definitely not the best, rating…read moremore like 2 1/2 stars.