Popoca Oakland

You think you pupusas should only be from a street stand? You only eat rice and beans when it comes with the food you ordered? Don't put limits on yourself or the chef and come herePupusas got the crispy edges and more cheese than you thought was possible - in the best way. We got all 3, the mushrooms we're the best. Rice and beans are mind expanding. You haven't had beans this comforting foreal. You can already sense the nap you'll have later is gonna hit. Salvadorian noodles are like butter noodles with awesome mushrooms (they just do mushrooms better than you lol). The carne asada plate is a whole lotta fun. There's plenty of sauce to dip your rice in. The veggies cooked in it balance everything.Still really liked their squid ceviche, I liked the volcanic black chips with it even more lol.Great music will be played and servers full of personality will take care of you

I visited this restaurant on a Wednesday evening with some friends. The ambiance is nice. Our favorites were the noodles with the mushrooms and the mushroom pupusa. We had drinks. I wasn't a fan of the highball; it had a licorice taste. We got the sweet potato tamale, which was too salty.

This was my 2nd time there. My partner and I loved it the first time we went about a year ago but could not remember what we ate or drank and I somehow didn't write a review so here I am this time. For drinks he had the Tia Mia and I had the martini colada. Explosion of flavors. Strong drinks. The Tia Mia was a little sweeter and more tart. The martini colada was a pineapple coconut-y take on a martini. Not sweet but complex flavors. For mains we shared the cangrejo en alguashite (half a crab) and the pollo campero (fried chicken wing). 10/10. The sauce that came with the crab was amazing and so was the rice. The crab was delicious and half a crab was actually the perfect amount for the two of us. The chicken wing batter was incredible. It reminded us of Korean fried chicken. Extra crispy flavorful skin, juicy chicken meat inside. A yummy sauce went on top. For dessert we got the flan which was like an 8 or 9 out of 10. The flan itself was and a 10 but it came with this passion fruit sauce that was extra tart to our liking but the seeds were so aggressive that it was kind of a lot. But I'd still order and eat it again LOL. Our waitress was so delightful and helpful. If the food wasn't soooooo good I'd probably given this place a 4/5. We didn't have a reservation because there weren't any available on the website. We figured we'd sit at the bar like we did last time. We arrive around 7:40pm there are 4 empty tables and 4 empty spots at the bar. We are told we can't sit in any of those spots due to reservations at 8pm so we are sat at the community table. On opentable it shows there are 8pm reservations for standard seating and the community table. We choose standard seating and let the host know. He tells us oh that's for the community table, which is contrary to what opentable said. So I think they have some disconnect between opentable and their system they're working with. Throughout our meal several tables seemed to remain empty, which was frustrating. But it didn't distract from the food so we'll most certainly be back.

We finally tried Popoca! Seeing Salvadoran cuisine highlighted in such a beautiful and thoughtful way is awesome! Faves:1. Tamal de camote, WOW! Flavor central! Perfect texture, caramelizas onions, house made goat cheese on top!2. Camarón en alguashte, so good! Delicious flavors that compliment the crab so well. All with a yummy side of sliced güisquil!3. Waiter said the quesadilla was better than the one in El Salvador and i knew I had to try it. Honestly some of the best quesadilla I've ever had. A Salvi classic! 4. Tried multiple drinks and they're all great! Unique flavors! Very creative! The service was amazing to top it all off. Diana was wonderful and we look forward to coming back and trying other seasonal items on the menu!

Popoca was an amazing experience from the staff to the tasting menu! For around $68 a person we got a delicious assortment of foods I had honestly never tasted before ending with a beautiful tasty trio of pupusas with beans and rice. (Other standouts included the pork with mole I believe and the hot chocolate and bread at the end!)One of the best meals I had and a great introduction to El Salvadoran food.What wasn't so great was our car was broken into parked less than 50 feet away from the restaurant. If you come to Popoca come by BART and walk or be willing to risk getting bipped/car broken into. I found the guy selling my stuff online but Oakland Police said there was nothing they could do. Def be aware that the area can be sketch and keep your head on a swivel.

Wow, the flavors you experience at this place...absolutely fantastic. Full disclosure for my fellow Latinos, this is NOT your typical Salvadoran food. So don't come on here and complain about it being upscale or pricey, because it's meant to be. Don't knock em for doing their take on some bangers. If you want that, go to a more traditional spot.We started with the Ceviche de Calamar. Which incorporated some delicious squid AND squid ink. Then we did the pupusas, one of each (mushroom and octopus). The mushroom one was just ok for me, but HOLY COW the octopus pupusa was fire. The green sauce was my favorite to top the pupusas with the curtido.Last was the chancho con yuca. An IMMACULATE pork chop in this delicious salsa on a bed of red cabbage, yucas, and some pickled onion. This main was the knockout dish that will make me comeback.Cocktails were the Tia Mia (clarified) let the ice dilute it a bit before drinking. Or not, do you lol. Martini colada, essentially a coconut fat wash gin martini. Offrenda, which is a hot cocktail with rum (I guess you can consider it a hot toddy take). My one criticism would be that the Offrenda be hot and not lukewarm like the one I had. I was expecting something warmer and cozy, but the flavors are there.Andres was dope, the young lady working front of house was super attentive, one of the bartenders was quick to offer me a drink when I was waiting for my friend. And there's a pinay manager or something that's easy on the eyes.All in all, a fantastic dining experience. And as a half Salvadoran, was pretty dope to see an eater of my heritage get some high acclaim in the food scene here in the bay.

Really wonderful Salvadoran restaurant in downtown Oakland in walking distance from Bart! It's a lovely space, and the staff is very sweet and attentive. The food was wonderful and full of flavor. Enjoyed dinner here, and definitely recommend it to anyone who wants some solid food for a night out and/or wants to try Salvadoran food.

I loved Popoca, it was intimate, quiet, and wonderful service from Andrés. Upscale Salvadoran is a new concept and they execute on it nicely. For example the shrimp pupusa has a mousse filling that gave it a Frenchy influence, both it and the pupusa de hongos were lovely. The curtido and other pickled veggies sing with a vinegary clarity that cuts through the savory dishes. The "Salvi side plate" is a must, nice execution on rice and beans that would be a nice meal in itself. Also - as someone who remains Covid-conscious, their back patio is a warm, welcoming space. The service was excellent, you never felt forgotten. And must mention their drink menu, nicely designed and carried out. I had a martini colada, their take on a piña colada martini, very interesting and creative. Also consider their beer + shot deal, very affordable.Last they really take care of their staff, including a mandatory 20% tip and on their website they list all the workers by name, stating "Popoca is a staff-led restaurant. We look to our team to create the atmosphere, new dishes, and cocktails." Worth a visit to try this creative and professional approach to Salvadoran cuisine.

Nice ambience, great michelada, and citrusy food! The service is very, very slow - I'd be prepared to spend a solid 2.5 hours here for dinner.

Went to Popoca on a weekday and the restaurant was till quite full and we had to be seated out in the patio. The space was heated well but the concierge forgot to inform the server that we were seated in the patio. We had to wait for quite some time before our order was taken.The food is decent. The oysters were very interesting and flavorful. A burst of sweet and sour flavor with the crispiness of pear.The pupusas were good. The service was very slow and it took a long time for each of our dish to arrive and the drinks were delayed too.Popoca seemed to be an elevated take on Salvadorian food and therefore quite pricey.