I used to enjoy this place for inexpensive tasty comida that I would order from a simple, straightforward menu with prices clearly listed. Now the menu is this big, heavy book and you have to use a QR code to see the prices. Very inconvenient! I ordered the chicken mole enchiladas and my companion ordered the medium fish taco. Neither come with sides, so we ordered a side of rice and refried beans do $7 that came out without a serving spoon and was just ok. Fish taco was large. Enchiladas were good. But all in all, food was kinda average, service just OK and the menu just annoying. On the plus side, there is parking. read more

See all

This place is such a fun little spot offering a bit of the Salvadoran experience. People here are so friendly and the space is great. Service is awesome and they make sure you leave satisfied. They even handed out free pupusas to us! We got various kind of pupusas, smoothies, stewed beef and tacos. It was all fantastic and flavorful. They really do a great job preparing some amazing dishes off their unique menu. My favorites were the beef stew which was so so tender and the guanabana smoothie which I've never had before. If you can definitely check this place out for a great experience. We will be back. read more

See all

Portions are huge, food is tasty and service is friendly. Nothing fancy but nutritious and filling. There's different food options and even some vegetarian ones. read more

See all

My husband and I were born and raised in Miami Florida, but we moved to Vermont about 3 years ago. In our experience, this place certainly has authentic Salvadorian cuisine. The staff there were very warm and friendly. Thank you for reminding us of home! read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

Something has changed here ?! New owners ? Employees ? Tgere used to be a guy who order tgere for like a decade ! Where did he go ? It's not the same without him . The food was ok today , better than the last time .its hard to take a phone order if you do not speak English . Got a side order of beans the charged me for beans and rice , good thing I was paying attention. $4 each for pupusas is real steep . The pupusas are not consistent.they also run a church here so if that suits you have mass and a pupusa ! read more

See all

Stopped by for take out last night. It was my first time ordering from there. I got a burrito bowl with chicken and my friend got the burrito. I was super happy with my bowl and liked how it came with chips although, I would probably order an extra bag bc there weren't enough for me. Additionally, I would also go ahead and get the chips and salsa because I think the bowl would be a lot better with some on there. With that being said, it's affordable, quick and laid back there. Can't wait to return and try that whole fish! read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Burrito - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Finally! Delicious pupusas in Maine! We are sooo happy to have found this place. Truly worth the drive.

The food was authentic and tasty. The staff was super friendly. Welcoming vibe. Great portions.

I LOVE TAMALES soooo much, but the SO (who's Guatemalan), just WON'T MAKE THEM ENOUGH! So somehow Tu Casa popped up on my radar while browsing, and I looked at their menu, saw $2 tamales, and said, yup we're going there. And so I drag the SO there to eat some food from the neighboring lands on a day where we have to rush to go somewhere else right away after eating...oops! The Cocina people seem to mostly be in the back so we didn't meet with any workers in the beginning. One of the ladies came out and let us know we could seat ourselves anywhere in the small but humble dining area...probably big enough for about 20-30 people. The menu is of a good size. I immediately start looking for tamales and low and behold, the first item on the menu is the golden tamale for $2. We went directly up to the window to order -- 1 tamale, 1 pupusa con frijoles, y 1 burrito. Our order came out about 10 or 15 minutes later. My tamale was fantastic, but I realized I like my tamale masa to be slightly grainier than their version was. Not that it was bad by any means, but it was a lot smoother in texture than my personal preference. The pupusa was perfect and everything I expected, served with delicious sauces. The SO's burrito was giant! It was about the size of two baby heads and filled with rice, refried beans, and chicken. Unfortunately, he wasn't a super fan of the burrito -- it wasn't pan fried on the bottom and wasn't as flavorful as he was hoping, so overall it wasn't to his preference, but still not bad. As for me, I was super satisfied. Finding a $2 tamale is already so good and if that means coming here to get it, I don't care about his burrito! read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Tamale y pupusa con frijoles - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

Lovely folks, fresh ingredients & yummy choices - definitely make most of their business by take-out

I had not been here in a really long time ... so happy I returned. Tucked away on Washington Ave the person taking the order was great and the food was absolutely wonderful. Dining room I ok. Was nice enough day we sat outside and they brought our food out to us. Delicious vegetarian wrap. The chicken , rice and beans was excellent the Steak and rice was so good . The food looks just like the pictures on the menu . Definitely going back the prices was great and food and service were excellent. read more

See all

Friendly window service with limited outdoor seating. Food was good and packed well for takeout. Will recommend.

Delicious Food, great fast service. I love their carne asada, fried fish, and always top it off with a fruit smoothie! read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Carne Asada with avocado - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

I believe I may have been "ripped off" I assume on accident? I ordered, specifically, a veggie burrito $5.95 and a plantanos Fritos $3.95. That's everything I received and ordered. Which comes to $9.90. I drove to the location to pick up for take out, and the bill came to $16.96? That can't be right? Where did that extra almost $7 come from? Maybe it was a mistake on their part? Maybe it was implicit bias? I don't know. Either way. Make sure they ring you up correctly. Otherwise, I used to live in Portland Maine a few years ago and I loved this place! Maybe now they are under different ownership? Any comments will be appreciated. read more

Y'all. They got my order wronf and I cpuld not care LESS because they knew what I really wanted. This place is fire. read more

This is a cozy little place with a good food selection. I ordered the Carne Guisida (meat stew with potatoes and carrots over rice), meat pupusa, and Carne Asada tacos. I enjoyed the tacos the most--these were authentic. The stew was flavorful; I would've liked even more of the sauce it was in. I didn't care for the pupusa as it was a bit bland and didn't have much meat filling at all. Overall, this is a good authentic place to check out if you're looking to escape the Portland hipster vibe. This was only my second time trying Salvadorian food so I will try some other options next time. Almost forgot: I tried the horchata and it was nothing like I expected. There was a chocolatey taste that I didn't care for at all. Keep that in mind before you order. read more

Don't be fooled by the appearance! This divey restaurant has great flavors and character as well as delicious food. The portions are generous, the service is fast and friendly and maybe you'll try something new! The Plato Montenegro was delicious and I loved the generous amount of avocado. I liked the flavors of the trio of enchiladas but my partner wanted more food at the end of the meal. read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Plato Monanero Order Of Three Enchiladas Pupusas De Queso Y Loroco - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

The best Salvadorean food I've had since I left California. Seriously, the flavors, textures, everything is spot on. I had the meat and cheese pupusa and the carne taquitas. The meat is SO flavorful, the salsa is dynamite, and you get a really healthy portion of avocado on every one. The pupusa is hands down the best I've had. nuff said. read more

I absolutely love this restaurant. Their food is delicious, decently priced, and reliably consistent. Very friendly staff. I was sad to see that the dining room was closed, but ordered many of my go-to meals to go. Visit this place for the real deal Food. read more

We are so glad we decided to stop here while on vacation! Hands down best Salvadoreño food I've had! Erlinda was such a sweetheart and very friendly staff. I wish I could take her back with me so she can cook me pupusas! It was so good we went back twice! First day we tried the cheese pupusa and the Plato Monanero and both were delicious! The horchata is very good as well! Second day we had more pupusas of course! I also tried the fried fish and wow best mojara I've had as well! Highly recommend!! Will be one of my go to places when I'm in Portland! You won't be disappointed! Very flavorful food! Wish we had a place like this back home! read more

See all

Not much for ambience, but great food. Always has been. I wish it were open on Saturdays though. There' is nothing I've had here that I didn't like. read more

Delicious food... chicken enchiladas in a green mole sauce were excellent as was the carne asada pupusa. My son enjoyed his burrito. Very nice employee, but the 4 stars because the review gave no indication that they were not set up well for take out nor did it say take out only, way overpriced side of rice, and sadly the gate to the porch w picnic tables didn't open. But kudos to what seems like a really neat family restaurant and I hope they recover post Covid because the food was truly delicious. read more

Tu Casa is one of the only restaurants in Portland that transports me back to my childhood in New York City. A place run by new immigrants, serving home cooking from El Salvador which primarily serves the local El Salvadorean community. This authenticity is refreshing and unusual. There is NO attempt to lure in hipsters with craft cocktails, mini flans and pupusa pops. The service is friendly, the menu is comprehensive and the prices are pretty cheap. I came with one of my kids and we ordered a few things and shared them all. The pupusas (a signature corn cake with stuffing) were delicious. We got them stuffed with both cheese and meat, piled sauce and shredded cabbage on top and gobbled them up before moving on to any other dish. We then moved on to the fried plantains, a generous dish of 4 perfectly fried plantains served with sour cream, which was completely unnecessary as the plantains were perfect and flavor filled on their own. Finally we ordered carne asada which was surprisingly well cooked with a fresh salsa, rice, beans and a salad. We were both more than stuffed and still had leftovers to take home. On a whim we ordered flan for dessert which I would not recommend, it was watery and under cooked, the only negative in what was, overall, a great meal. read more

See all

No frills dining areas do not scare me. In fact, I tend to be a bit more optimistic when a restaurant remains open without depending heavily on environment or location. Tu Casa proved my point. The seating was simple and sort of retro without trying but the food was fresh, delicious and undeniably traditional. If you're new to the foods of El Salvadoran start out with a puposa. They're cornmeal filled with cheese. My not too open minded about food dad was even convinced to try one when we compared it to a "cornbread grilled cheese" and he LOVED it. They also make them with cheese and bean or cheese and meat. Simple, handmade and delicious. They give you some fresh chopped cabbage and hot sauce to spice it up nicely. I'm also a fan of the fried plantains (of the ripened variety.) They're sweet and could almost substitute a dessert. Super affordable prices. The futbol match kept us entertained as we waited for the food. Remember, good food is worth waiting for. They also have an outside seating area with umbrellas which is nice during the warmer months. A small onsite parking lot makes for convenience as well. read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Great outdoor seating! - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

Yo this place blows dog. Waited 50 mins for our food, 30 mins more than expected. They were just playing on their laptops while me, 2 friends, and 2 other parties waited for food (which was already prepared!). All our food was ready once they decided we were ready to be served. Food was absolutely balls. Zero flavor, very wet-napkin esque. Tasted like gas station, microwavable burritos. Very obviously microwaved. Tortilla super sweaty. Buddy got a tamale, which was just mushed up corn bread smashed into a zip lock baggie. No meat? Molle sauce tasted rancid. Food was also ice cold once we got it, as it was just sitting on top of a table for 30 mins. Very disappointed. Love "whole in the wall spots" in portland, but this is str8 trash. Also v expensive: read more

Of the variety of restaurants I have tried since moving to Maine 4 months ago, Tu Casa was absolutely amazing. The food was wonderful, and the employees are friendly. I came with a guest too that agreed the food was authentic and worth coming back for more. A parking lot is available with on street parking too. There is outdoor and indoor seating for whichever you prefer. The prices are fine, especially because it's hard to find Latin places in the area serving up authentic style cuisine. I would definitely come back and recommend this to people I know! Don't hesitate to come read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Plato montenero. Amazing dish! - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

You can't lose on this road when it comes to food in Portland Maine. Get away a bit from the Old Port hustle and bustle to the east side and you won't be disappointed. We were lucky to have booked an airbnb in this location, close by to diverse cuisines including Ethiopian, Mexican, Vietnamese, and El Salvadorian. Each of these awesome for special diets, like gluten free, vegan, etc. We tried here vegetarian burrito, enchilada, and quesadilla. All were great and authentic. read more

Finally back in New England and we drove 3 1/2 hours to have lunch here! As good as it always is! So good, we ordered 4 (yes 4) to take with us back to Connecticut! Sadly, I think passenger man left one of the bags of food on the roof of the car or in our hotel room (and dangit - it was the bag that had the cups of their habenero sauce!) That is some good stuff! Day later and I'm enjoying my take out! Wish I had some El Yucateco Salsa Picante de Chile Habanero in my fridge. We love you Tu Casa! Well worth the drive! read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Enchiladas Salvadorenas - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

See all

I just finished off the Plato Montanero and I am satisfied and delighted. I have been here twice and twice I have not been disappointed . I was the only one in the restaurant at 5pm on a Sunday and they brought my food out in timely fashion. All the food was hot and delicious. Still trying to figure out if it's counter service or table service when you order, either way you're going to get a great meal ! read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Plato Montanero. ..yummy - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

The papusas are incredible. In house sauces and that cabbage slaw, not sure what it's called, the whole thing is incredible. Highly recommend this place to anybody looking for El Salvadorian. read more

Best of the best ! I have been a Parton since opening of this establishment . Most delicious and well served Hispanic restaurant in all of Maine ! Keep up the wonderfulness ! read more

Such a good meal and fresh! Must go to, all the food was good and easy to find. Family friendly. Heard about this downtown, didn't want pub food or beer. Great ending to a great day in Portland! read more

Tu Casa Restaurant - Salvadoran Near Me - Portland, Maine

Since I've had pupusas in El Salvador and Honduras, when I heard there was a pupusería in Portland, Maine, I just had to mosey on down south to check it out. Am very glad I did. For those not in the know (and most who are informed are either Central American or gringos who go adventuring in this part of the world), a pupusa is a round patty of masa that is filled with maybe cheese, maybe meet, or maybe a combination of the two. It is very different in Salvador or Honduras, but the pupusas I had in Portland, Maine, were a good effort at reconstructing the original dish. Or maybe I was nostalgic for some good Central American cooking This time I was not concerned about the santitation and in fact, while the exterior of Tu Casa is very modest and simple Maine, the interior is clean and cozy. The fellow at the counter did look a bit uninterested and was distant, even though I automatically ordered in Spanish. A gringa apparently can't speak the language even if she's speaking it to you but I persisted, and at one point he kind of smiled. I'm used to this, because in the US many latinos are protective of their culture and do not understand others are simply wanting to communicate normally. They are surprised when not meant with the English Only mentality. I was pretty much the only non-latina in the place, but that was fine. There was CNN en español to watch and clearly locals stop in for a meal that resembles their home cuisine. The menu has a good variety of typical dishes besides the pupusa - such as tamales and more. Also, I recommend the jugo de marañón, which was good although it is doubtful that it was made on the premises. Not sure the marañón fruit is often imported to the US. What was fun for the language-oriented person was to read through the menu and see how many errors it had, not just in English but in Spanish. No offense meant, but it was the work of someone who was not used to writing in his or her native language. There was an impulse to take out the red pen and make corrections, but that was suppressed. The pupusas (mine were queso con loroco) were $1.75 each and with the juice, the meal was under $6. Other dished were also inexpensive and on a second trip I plan to check them out. This could be a place to go on a regular basis, practice Spanish if you feel so inclined, and especially to get a bead on the local Hispanic immigrant population. One gets the sense that the regulars would eventually try to get to know you, even if you're a gring@. Meanwhile, if dining unaccompanied, there's always the Spanish TV and if you're lucky you'll see handyman Bob Vila, who is hispanic but doesn't know the language trying to make a sales pitch to those who do, in a heavy gringo accent with lack of noun/adjective agreement. Lots of cultural levels in this small space. Probably as much a reason to go to Tu Casa as the good prices and Latin American menu. read more

See all

The hardest part of moving away from San Francisco was moving away from authentic Salvadoran food. I mean I LOVE PAPUSAS!!! Which if you have never had the pleasure the best way to describe them are two homemade tortillas that are cooked with the meats and cheeses in between the two. Similar to a quesadilla but a quesadilla has two cooked tortillas reheated with meat and Cheese in between. PAPUSAS are uncooked when the filling is added so the tortillas cook together and kind of remind you have a Latin Calzone. Absolutely heavenly. Now most of the food in a Salvadoran restaurant is very similar to Mexican with just a few other amazing additions. Like tamales de elote- sweet white corn tamales made with out filling and dipped in crema. And Yuca.. A root similar to potatoes that can either be made fried or boiled. And always amazing gucamole. If you decide to eat here a heads up- it's not much to look at. Clean but no frills and very limited decor. Who cares when the food is so good and so inexpensive. PAPUSAS are a couple bucks each and very filling!! OMG I forgot the fish tacos... yummy!!!! read more

They're kind, authentic, I love hearing the Spanish language spoken while I eat the delicious food! I'm visiting from Vermont and couldn't be happier to have stopped here!! read more

See all

Great salvadoran food. But closing at 6pm on Friday nights?!?!?! I don't even get out of work that early on any weeknight. Their papusas are nice and cheesy. Adding a little salsa, especially the neon green habanero stuff, adds just enough heat. If you're really hungry get the Plato Montenegro plate: huge slice of beefsteak, rice, beans, fried plantain, and some avocado. read more

Authentic. Quick. Delicious. Reasonably priced. Adore this place. It's BYOB. Hard to find this particular cuisine so on point like this in Maine. read more

I came in on a Sunday just before the lunch rush at noon. Louis was my server and he was very friendly. The horchata and enchiladas salvadorenas were delicious. The enchiladas salvadorenas looked like two freshly fried tostadas topped with shredded chicken and a cabbage slaw. Red and green sauce were included on the side in little dispensers. The portion size was very generous and came with rice and pureed beans. The prices were very reasonable! Next time I will come back for the pupusas and tamales. read more

See all

Ya got a hankering for some seriously delicious Latin American food? Want to taste a yummy pupusa? Got some time to kill to sit around, watch some futbol, and enjoy a delicious meal? Tu Casa is a local fave and slowly finding its footing among tourists. The staff are quite friendly and the food is delicious. I often get the taquitos or the chicken mole, hubs usually gets a burrito. We ALWAYS get pupusas, a traditional Salvadoran dish. Be forewarned - this is leisurely, Latin American eating at its finest. You will have to wait for your food, sometimes it feels like a long wait. If you know that going into it, you'll be fine. Just don't expect hop-to-all-we-need-to-do-is-reheat-a-plate-of-food speedy service. This food is made, as you order it, in the amount of time it will take. If you're like me, you just like sitting and listening to the families all speaking in Spanish, watching some futbol on the tiny TV in the corner. They make their green salsa every single day. It's wonderful. Also - closed on Saturdays! read more

Eager to try foods outside of American cuisine all the time, I picked the right dinner companion to enjoy foods from Salvador with since she's from Bolivia and certainly understood the menu and provided gentle guidance. Decidedly casual and authentic, there's no question this is a family affair where Spanish is the primary language. Another friend had recommended highly the Horchata, a sweet cold milk drink with spices reminiscent of cookies. Great idea, it was terrific, I will remember this and order it on every visit. The food was ample and came from the kitchen in a reasonable amount of time. The seating and acoustics do not allow for much privacy so we conducted what should probably have been a more exclusive conversation with the hope that the diners next to us were disinterested in our conversation. Way to much food for the two of us, we packed up a large take home container, divvied up the the $28 bill and were on our way in under an hour. The longest wait was for the bill which never came, I had to approach the counter to ask for it, then approach the counter again to pay. My dinner companion informed me that it is customary to let the diners stay as long as they want and not to interrupt. Hmm, I would have preferred not to have to approach the counter, but overall - not a big deal. The price was outstanding for the quantity and quality of the food we got, the service was appropriate for the genre of restaurant, and the timing made me smile. The only thing that would have made this a better experience for me might have been a more engaging atmosphere. read more