The food was absolutely delicious. Super hot and super fresh. Like you hear them beating your papusa into shape in the kitchen. This is an AUTHENTIC restaurant, very little English is spoken. Pull up Google Translate, remember your high school Spanish, or point! Your food will be delicious, it's worth it. read more

Tipicos El Encanto - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

See all

I had called 20 minutes for my food I usually come here but today very disappointed my order wasn't even ready waste of time tbh read more

Tipicos El Encanto - Latin American Near Me - Gaithersburg, Maryland

I usually get the sopa de res from here and it is quite good. Their "locas" are also very good.

I have mixed feelings. Food is tasty, but portion size are small for the price. Also, I'm not a fan that the tip of 18% is already included in the bill. Not against tipping or the percentage, but something about it being imposed feels wrong for something that is an option. read more

Food is overpriced. Ordered some fajitas, it was more onion than meat. The beans were one scoop and same with the rice. Not worth what i paid. Only thing worth it was maybe the horchata. Save your money. read more

This place don't deserve a star at all cause of the lady at the front named Claudia! She was so rude, she doesn't speak English and got my order wrong over the phone & when I got there she was being all defensive when I didn't raise my voice once. Simply told her she got the Order wrong and when the nice English speaking waitress translated for me she freaking rolled her eyes at me while I was standing right there. She is very rude and because of her the place doesn't deserve my business! I will NEVER go back & none of my friends or any acquaintance will EVER go here. Everyone over there is unprofessional & doesn't even greet you when you walk in. Such a shame. Maybe get someone who speak English to work at the front? read more

Everything that came out the kitchen looked absolutely delicious! The woman who assisted me at the cash register, Catalina, is was super nice and helpful. I recommend this place! read more

Their food is THE TRUTH! Pupusa Loca, Bistec Caballo (carne asada with 2 fried eggs), carne asada w/cheese tacos. Our favorites. This has been our go to spot if we ever crave carne asada or tacos. El Encanto is tucked away in a strip mall off snouffer school road. Staff is always friendly. The Horchata is good too. Portions are huge. Hubby is also a fan of their lengua tacos. We now live all the way out near Dulles, VA, but it is always worth the trip. read more

Food is good but the service is terrible. If you ask for water don't expect them to bring any to you. The chefs are great and have the food waiting on the counter but the waitresses are slow and complain about you in Spanish. Please understand that just because your customers may not look Hispanic or Latino doesn't mean we can't speak or understand the language. read more

FIRST a minor vent...if you are going here for the first time- the outside sign does not say Tipicos. It says El Encanto. And it is next door to the 7-11. I'm a dingbat and spent 10 min driving up and down the street because I was looking for the wrong name. Ok...so that's my public service announcement for the day. On to the food. I ordered the Pupusa Loca, the handmade guacamole, and the fruit shake (not sure what flavor but it tasted like carrot juice and fresh squeezed oj). My friend ordered 2 tacos and a diet coke. Our entire bill came out to 20 bucks. Cheap right?? I have never had a pupusa before- it was like a fried dough pattie about the size of a rather large dessert plate. Inside it was melted cheese, beans, and ground up pork (I think). It was served with some time of unusual coleslaw, and a bowl of hot sauce (that was not very hot). I really wasn't sure how to eat it-- so I just cut it into 4 slices and topped it with the slaw and hot sauce and ate it with my hands. (i hope they weren't laughing at me behind the counter...) It was pretty tasty considering i don't like beans...so if you like beans- I think you'd really enjoy it! The guac was delicious. It was so fresh and it was dirt cheap. I will definitely come back to have that again. And the frothy juices...those were my favorite. I had 2 of them. They tasted fresh squeezed from a juicer. I wish I could read the meny and know what the flavors were because none of it was really in english and I went on the recommendation from the waitress. We had no trouble getting seated at noon on a Saturday. And the service was prompt and friendly, although the communication was a bit tough. It was seriously authentic and if you like Mexican food, you have to come here. read more

Great reviews of El Encanto led to the small "Horizon Center" plaza for a weekday lunch. However, I can't say I was overly impressed. I ordered the Taco El Encanto platter as the lady behind the counter tried to watch the loud television near the front door over my shoulder. I mean, I really didn't mean to interrupt her daytime viewing, but I was actually hungry after all. I waited for a little while at one of their small tables before she delivered the large plate with two chicken tacos, one pok taco, rice and beans. At least I think the thick, brown sauce was beans. Although the double tortilla shells were filled with meat, they were rather bland, lacking taste or spice, as was the rice. For $9.00, I'd expect to have higher quality and quantity versus just the latter, especially with the much better Taco Bar in town. 2.5 Stars read more

Was craving Papusas and this is for sure the place to go! My favorites are the bean and cheese and the Loca (large ones). Food is priced right and is always made pretty quick when I order. Small little place but easy to get to and order from. read more

This place gets the 5 stars it deserves it has the best taco platter EVER! If you end up arriving at this restaurant the 2 Must Trys are: 1. Tacos al Encanto - they offer this platter with your choice of chicken, cow tongue or Steak. Personally I have always got the steak tacos and it's 3 of them with an avocado on each as well as a side of rice, beans and a delicious salad! 2. Pupusa Loca - the biggest pupusa I have ever seen and it's suprisingly inexpensive. read more

I have to thank Yelp yet again for helping me find great food in an otherwise unfamiliar area. What would I do without my Yelp app? In any event, this review is specifically for the tacos. They were excellent. I tried the carne asada, puerco and chorizo. My favorites were the pork and chorizo. All of them were served on two corn tortillas (check), cilantro, a slice of avocado (plus) and green salsa on the side all with a Jarritos to wash it all down (check). Based on the tacos and the reviews I read I would definitely want to try the other items on the menu. This is as hole in the wall as you will find next the 7-Eleven and thanks to all the fellow foodies I was able to find it. read more

I liked the food, it was good to try a pupusa. I liked it, but propably woudn't order it next time cause it was drippy and i had to cut it with a knife and fork. I ike just picking thigs up, like a taco. I was totally turned off by our waitress. She asn't very busy with actual customers, and liked to hang out and chat with the girls in the kitchen. My wife got her favorite dish...fajitas, which is served with tortillas. Except Ms. Wonderful forgot the tortillas. By the time she asked "flour or corn" the steak as half cold. Two other notes. They don't have beer and they do take AMEX. read more

I used to come here a few times per week for papusas revueltas. They used to be so good. The last 5 times I've been here, the food was not ready in the 20 minutes they told me it would be. The papusas were not cooked enough with no crispy goodness and tasted bland. The service was not good and they didn't give enough tomato sauce.. Unfortunately, I have moved on to other places, which there are plenty of here in Gaithersburg. read more

1 star because the steak was the only good thing apart of the whole meal. I got two carne asada and Pupusas the cheese ones. The tortillas were really thick and chewy and just nasty bland. The rice was ok except the vegetables tasted like it was from a frozen mixed vegetables from the grocery store . The tomatoes were not even red but they were orange and yellow and the the lettuce was old and yellow . The only thing that was fresh was the lime and it was tiny . The beans were cold and just very gross . Carne asada is my favorite and I had it from many different restaurants and this by far was the WORST and a WASTE OF 35$ . The carne asada said 10$ on menu and I paid 12$ for each one when the bill came total rip off. If you don't have taste buds then this place is delicious read more

Delicious Pupusas. Giant Horchata serving! First time and will go back again. Happy Customer!

Jose Andres eat your heart out....I got guacamole for 4.50$ and tongue tacos for 2.50$...and they were as good as any I have eaten. Make sure you order the pausas especially the loroco and the loca And the chicken tamales was amazing....creamy and fatty.... The only thing that was forgettabke was the chicken taco which were slightly dry Ohhhh and don't forget to order a fresh squeezed oj And the best part all thay food came out to $30! read more

Pretty good place for mexican food but service is really slow. I tried the pupusa loca which is a fried dough filled with cheese, beans and pork and it was pretty good but I wasn't a big fan and it takes 20 minutes to make which I didn't think was worth the wait. I also go a steak and pork taco which was pretty authentic and simple with a little slice of avocado, green sauce and lime and filled with meat on 2 corn tortillas. They have a pretty large menu and the prices are pretty reasonable so I will come back to try out other things. read more

Love the food and the service!!!! I usually get pechuga de pollo- chicken breast with side of rice, beans and salad..... and it's delicious I also love there mixed tacos and pupas loco. read more

Pupusas and more. Huge chimichangas that made to order, packed with chicken, beef, pork, or tongue and lightly fried, and variety of nicely grilled steaks. Very tasty smooth black beans, good rice, and a salad with avocodo come with all entrees. We shared a pork chimichanga and a Bistec Encebollado (thin, latin-style steak with a onions and a tasty house sauce. We had two pupusas. The Loroco was good, but yeah, the Pupusa Loca is worth dealing with the loud, raucus music (one star off for the really too loud music). It's large, and it comes stuffed with melted cheese, smooth beans, chicharron, and loroco, which is the edible flower of a vine grows in the eastern part of Guatemala, El Salvador and other Central American countries. Did I mention that there's no beer here, so you might want to have one before and/or after at the estimable (and not quiet but quieter) Buffalo Wings and Beer just a few doors down, http://www.yelp.com/biz/buffalo-wings-and-beer-gaithersburg#hrid:-8KH4vxzm-4MUiTnloKnAg read more

Tipicos El Encanto is a small restaurant near the Flower Hill area that serves authentic Latin American cuisine. I live close by and I've eaten here several times. The beef fajitas are very good and the portion is huge. I usually have enough left over for a second meal. They normally serve the thick corn tortillas, so I always request the thinner flour tortillas instead. The Carne Asada is also very good. Overall, this place is great value for money and the food is consistently good. read more

Great authentic food clean plays great prices and yes they can accommodate a larger family but not a lot larger larger group because it is a medium size restaurant will definitely go back again read more

Tipicos is where you will find great, authentic tacos and pupusas! The lengua tacos are melt in your mouth tender and the pupusa locos are a meal in itself (not to mention just $2.75)! Just about everything is homemade including the pupasas at their tortilla making and stuffing stand. The atmosphere is 5 star in my books because it's probably similar to a place you'd find in Mexico - Spanish version of "Jerry Springer" playing on the lone and loud television accompanied by laughter of all the hispanic patrons in the restaurant, the glass bottles of soda, and the difficult to read menu. The torta on the other hand, was unimpressive. I received about a 10 inch sub roll covered in excessive amounts of white cheese, meat, and a hearty serving of refried beans. Where was that delicious fresh baked bread from the local bakery, toasted to perfection? All the flavors seemed to "mix" and it was pretty hard to decipher the complexity of flavors. All too bad because I love me a torta! But that's my one complaint so far... the inauthentic torta. As long as there is something delicious for me to eat sonewhere, I find it deserving of a good review, and Tipicos delivers! read more

If I could rate this zero I would. Worst food and overpriced. There are way better options out there. Not to mention the server added 18% gratuity for a table of 2 adults and a toddler... that's stealing. Avoid at all costs! read more

Really bad experience 12/5/2020 the cashier rude and If they are busy ok just give to the customers exactly time for pickup the orders , no instead she say I don't know maybe 15 more minutes I understand but the part may me feel upset was when the lady in the kitchen was yelling at me send me to sit to telling me she will do the order how she received yes I understand that the reason I was asking was is because I want to be waiting on the car instead wait inside since the situation of COVID 19 , we like the food for the reason we order and always order about $87 dollar nothing is free to deserve the service and to be treaty like that If I this review I hope the owner do something about our manager I don't know at: Beatriz read more

I would definitely eat there again, though I think from now on that I'll call and order for pickup. The restaurant is small and cramped. The door kept opening which was letting cold air in and the service wasn't great. Also, they don't serve liquor so the margaritas we were hoping for were a no-go. The water that we ordered in lieu of this was bottled Deer Park and cost $1. There were no complimentary chips and salsa and there was quite a wait for our food, even though it wasn't very busy when we came in. The food was very good. I got a pupusa loco (filled with pork, cheese AND beans). It was about the size of a dessert plate and was very filling. It was served with coleslaw and hot sauce, neither of which I cared for but I put sour cream on them and it was delicious. I probably could have eaten just that if I wasn't extremely hungry. I also ordered the Tipicos El Encanto (3 tacos, beans and rice) and chose the steak. They were delicious. The tortillas seemed fresh, the meat was tasty, well cooked and decently seasoned (not spicy), and it was served with a slice of avocado on each, fresh lime, some sort of green salsa, a little fresh salsa with shredded lettuce, beans and rice. Next time I'll just order the tacos on the side though because I didn't think the beans and rice were anything too exciting but they weren't bad. Also, for $9 for the whole plate the quality to price definitely couldn't have been beat. I did see that you can order the tacos a la carte but I don't recall the price for each. Overall, I was pleased. Definitely would recommend for a take-out place. Probably won't be sitting in the restaurant next time though. read more

The food is decent, but after going and being a loyal customer, we were treated like trash. We ordered by phone (like many other times), when we got there, order was non-existent. We placed order again, and noticed how people that came after us were being served. Inquired about why food was taking so long, and cashier was rude, she dd not care. Waited some more and later were told our order was handed to someone else in error. They wanted us to wait another 20 minutes... We said forget it and never been back since. When restaurants make mistakes, they should try to make up for them... Not just continue to make customer unhappy. A little better attitude would have meant the world, but the attendant there are the worst! read more

First of all, this place has AMAZING papusas and tacos. It's pretty close to my house and after reading reviews on here, my husband and I became addicted. I'm not a huge fan of their Tex-Mex food, mostly because I don't really like their rice and beans. However, if you get something Salvadoran, you won't be disappointed. The reason this place doesn't get 5 stars is because of service. If you can't speak Spanish, don't even attempt to order delivery. My Spanish is decent, and the one time I tried to get delivery, it was a total nightmare. Actually, if you can't speak Spanish, you might just want to avoid calling all together. My poor husband tried ordering over the phone last week because I was still at work, and instead of 4 tacos (which are like $3 each), we ended up with 4 burrito platters, which resulted in our order costing $50 instead of the usual $20. I made no argument about paying for the mistake, but I felt like they were expecting some kind of confrontation (we order from there enough that I'm pretty sure they recognize us on the phone, and we always order the same thing, so something tells me they were well-aware that I did not want 4 burrito platters). As soon as I stepped up to the counter, the manager and every other employee gathered 'round and proceeded to stand there mocking my husband's Spanish (in Spanish). I tried to ignore it, but I guess being mocked while paying a $50 check was too much for me. I said to the cashier, "Puedo entender esta diciendo," and she basically just shrugged and gave me the stink eye. I'm trying some other papuserias in the area to see if they can replace El Encanto. The food is sooooo delicious, but I'm not sure I can go back after my last experience. read more

I just ordered tacos. It was just meat and guacamole with a lime. Did I miss the taco bar? Was hoping to add toppings as it was a bit plain.

The only bad thing about this place is the wait time. If you order something as simple as a pupusa you have to wait at least 13minutes. Order your food before you get there if you're doing take out. read more

Wow, this was a find. I can't take total credit because I got a tip that this was the place to get pupusas in Gaithersburg. I definitely think that has the best pupusas in the area as well as the best tacos. Actually, everything that we have tried is delicious. Tipicos El Encanto is in a strip mall two down from the 7-11. Parking can be tight and cars seem to be hanging out for spots. I recommend getting one of the fruit drinks as well as an appetizer. The guacamole is an excellent bet. It can be busy and takes a while for the food even if it isn't busy. There are always a couple people waiting for take out orders. If you go, you must try the pupusa loca (I think that is what it is called). It is about double the size of a typical pupusa with cheese, beans, and pork inside it. Yummy! The soup is pricey but comes in a huge bowl and is totally homemade style. The tacos are excellent and come with a nice slice of avocado and double tortillas. I like to order the tacos separately. I don't think that you can go wrong at this place. My only complaint is that sometimes the TV up front is too loud, but I can live with that for the food. read more

BEST Latin food around hands down! Chimichanga is definitely the way to go. The location is pretty awful. There are very obvious drug transactions going on out the window as you are chowing down. The dealers are good enough to hold the door open for you though. Safety in numbers. Go in a group. Oh, the service is a little slow. Absolutely great otherwise (besides the dangerous location). read more

I would drive for three hours to get their fruit juices made from 100% natural pulp. I have never gotten a juice like theirs in the DMV. About the food, you should believe when they says "como echo en casa" fresh and tasty. I'm so happy that they opened a new location in Glenmont because I live close. There is a nice lady in the cashier named Sandra whom is very nice. Definitely I will come back to both locations specially at Glenmont. read more

I have to agree with the other reviews, the pupusa loca is awesome. It comes with red enchilada sauce and curtido, with what I can only describe as latin sauerkraut. The pupusas are made fresh so it might take a little while but it's worth it. Get the pupusa and a glass bottle of mexicoke when you stop by. read more

My wife and I were looking for authentic mexican a few years ago and actually thought to look in the yellow pages. This place -Tipicos El Encanto- had an ad that was entirely in spanish, so we thought "It's gotta be authentic." We couldn't have made a better choice. (Make sure you google map it or have your navi handy in the car - the reports that this place is a *semi-hidden* gem are true). Food = best Mexican I have ever had north of the Rio Grande. Tacos come in a soft tortilla with fresh avocado and a great mole sauce (we always get steak it is cooked to charred perfection every time). My wife likes the fajitas and they are served sizzling to your table - excellent veggies come with. I get either a burrito or an enchilada platter - again, wonderful and not too overwhelming. Platters come with a salad, refried beans, and rice: amazing value. And their selection of mexican and other latin bevs is a great complement to the food - they have Hecho en Mexico Coca-Cola in the bottle! One thing you won't find here is sour cream or a million different taco sauces or excessive cheese on everything. You know why? It doesn't need it. The primary ingredients stand on their own because the dishes are cooked so well, with the help of their secret marinade of course. Leaving here, we ALWAYS feel like we ate enough (always leaving with a doggy bag), had delicious food, and got great service. Notes: - no alcohol - small place (maybe seating for 25) - can get chilly - TV always set to telenovelas or futbol - they offer take out - if you need tortillas, make sure you ask for flour (taco bell style) or corn (soft pupusa style) This place deserves to be successful, and you deserve an excellent Mexican meal. Go, you won't be disappointed. cheers/dom read more

I LOVE this place, the pupusas revueltas are AMAZING! Also the Ensalada de fruta (fruity drink) is to DIE for. However, last time I was there there was a baby cockroach floating in my drink. So I wanted to throw up! then I saw another baby cockroach walking up the wall next to me. It kinda made me feel better because I knew the baby cockroach had fallen into my drink and did not float in there for hours. Still really gross. Now I only get takeout! because the pupusas are still sooo good! read more

My only complaint is that, if you aren't able to speak Spanish, you're not able to place an order for delivery. You would think that they would have someone bilingual working there to capture the English only speaking people who order by phone. I was about to spend over $60, but was unable to place the order because no one could understand me. read more

I got the tacos al encanto and the pupusa loca (way too much food I know but I couldn't decide and took the rest home). The pupusa was huge and delicious. A little oily so be sure to have napkins handy. It's a full meal in itself and ridiculously cheap. For the tacos I got one each of chicken, pork, and steak which were all well-cooked and seasoned. The platters come with the usual sides of beans and rice. The interesting part was avocado slices in the tacos, which was a zesty change of pace. They have a nice drink selection of sodas, and even a few desserts. The reason they don't get five stars is the place is small and bright like a fast food joint. Then again, it's take-out/sit-down so maybe I'm too picky. Also, the television was loud and Spanish soap operas aren't exactly neutral ambiance. All in all, a great establishment with friendly owners and waiters. I don't really know what the difference between Mexican and El Salvadorian cuisine is, but this place is definitely a good choice for a fan of either. read more