El Comalito

If you're on the lookout for an outstanding restaurant experience, I highly recommend checking out this gem! From the moment you step in, the ambiance sets the perfect tone. The staff is incredibly friendly and attentive, making you feel right at home. Now, let's talk about the food. The standout dish has to be their signature pupusas. Each one is a delightful burst of flavor, and you can truly taste the authenticity in every bite. I found myself unable to stop at just one – they’re that good! The prices are also very reasonable, making it easy to enjoy a satisfying meal without breaking the bank. Overall, this place combines excellent food, warm service, and a cozy atmosphere, making it a must-visit. You won’t regret it! Enjoy your meal!

Absolutely delicious food for really cheap. If you do not speak Spanish be prepared for a little more difficult time ordering in person, but all of the staff were wonderful and helpful, and the food is definitely worth it.

Today I went in to go eat and saw horrible things on their TV. The program was something called “Alarma TV” or “Alarma News” and showed absolutely horrible videos. There was one about a women getting murdered in her bedroom with the entire room covered in blood. Another one was about a man getting kidnapped by the cartel and proceeded to get stabbed to death my a stick. I don’t know whether it was a mistake or if they were okay with show their costumers violence on their tv. Made me nauseous and very uncomfortable.

Stay away from fajitas. The chicken was tough and the veggies were raw. They did not cut the chicken the right way thus making the bite very rubbery. Also de quality of the cut was not there, they look like scraps of meat and chicken as opposed to elaborate strips of beef and chicken. I can't even finish my plate because is not pleasant. The plate was not cheap either $20.00 for and bad experience, I'd just stick to pupusas if I come back.

Horrible customer service. They act like I wasn’t even there. I was ignored for a long time ( not busy at all, 2 customers sitting in). When they acknowledged me, I made my order , they told me no and went back to their phone. Not sure if it had to do with the color my skin. Never Again.

Called and got hung up on. Called back and made the order but when i got home, no curtido or salsa was provided and the pupusas were all burnt. They taste bitter and since i have no toppings to eat them with this is not good!

Pretty good overall! I been here a few times. I wish they were more consistent with the quality of their food. Last time I picked up an order of pupusas and although they were good, they over salty and I am used to eat savory food. I thought the level of salt was overpowering. I encourage them to keep a consistency in their product and they will definitely be a 5 star place.

So disappointed , went with 4 adults 1 Kids. Ordered pupusas and tamales, I personally got breakfast plater with eggs. Everyone got there order but me. They took so long I had to take it to go because everyone else ate. All they had to make was 2 eggs everything else was pre-made(bread, cheese, beans).

(5/5) El Comilito is such a hidden gem! The food is always fresh, flavorful, and made with love -- you can really taste the quality in every bite. For me, the pupusas are the absolute best. They're homey, filled just right, and so satisfying. I also can't get enough of the hen sandwich -- it's so good and packed with flavor. The portions are generous, the prices are fair, and the staff is always friendly. The whole place has a cozy, home-style vibe that makes you feel welcome every time you visit. Definitely one of my top local spots when I'm craving something authentic and filling. Highly recommend!

If your restaurant says it's closes at 9 then it should close at 9 don't try avoid orders by not picking phone calls nor closing the door 20 mins before 9, I called so many times since 8:10 and when I got there at 8:40 the doors wer literally closed and locked right infront of my face with 20 mins still till 9, what a horrible costumer service, they could of answer and said they wernt taking orders anymore, maybe this is God saving me from shit food I was about to buy .

Man. I was out look for a snack and the seen this Pupus spot.. The chicken and cheese was out of this world, the flavors wow. The bean & cheese was good. The service was fast, friendly and I need to work on my Spanish. Lol. This restaurant is small and quiet. But the Pupus are amazing!

I ordered ahead 60 min and when I arrived the food still was not ready. While I was waiting I did notice that the ambiance was family friendly possibly with lots of chairs and tables for dine in. While waiting it did appear that the kitchen and wait staff was very overwhelmed. There did not appear to be any coordinated person checking the orders that were going out the door. I had to ask if everything was in my bag to go because I don't like getting home and find food missing. The pupusas were actually very filled with cheese and very well done. The cabbage and the tomato sauce was tasty and fresh. The corn tamales were made with white corn so they tasted very bland. They also were dry and stuffed in a zip lock bag so by the time they got home they were mashed up and a mess. The family did not like the orchata because I think it was made with not superior ingredients. If you do go here I would stick to the pupusas and that's it. They pupusas have these down and you will enjoy them.

Lo malo de esta lugar que nosotros vimos que serán a una hora antes y de un solo nos sacan del restaurante ni restaurante que es no me gusto de la manera enojada que nos saco esa mujer

Check your order before you leave! I ordered 3 jalapeño and cheese for me and 6 cheese for my children for dinner. Get home to eat and they are all 9 jalapeño and cheese.

Las Pupusitas están galanas y Elegantes!! El servicio para llevar es rápido y correcto. De fácil acceso la pupusería.

The food quality has deteriated. Our chicharrones were not fresh. They look like they were refried and so dry. I was very disappointed. The order of plátanos con crema & frijoles portion was a joke. They gave me 4 piece of plátanos. The food and portions use to be better. I would not recommend anyone go their for take out. I am not sure if they put food that was cooked earlier in their carry out orders so you don't see it until you get home. I would check your order before you go home. That was my mistake.

I have been coming here for years now and I have nothing but good things to say about their pupusas and corn tamales. I always order the chicken pupusas and holy are they filling. They seemed bigger in size from what I remember but hey I won't complain! My sister had to ruin my gym plans yesterday and mentioned having this for dinner. Pupusas over the gym duh. My only complaint is the customer service. I picked up her order and waited for about 5 minutes until someone came to the front. I had to peek my head in the small door to be seen. They should probably add a small bell at the register/pick-up table just a tip.

Cashier was rude . She cut me mid conversation to answer the phone . Atleast say excuse me give me one second and then as I was standing there she just walked away . Short Spanish lady should atleast smile and greet customers. Employees are sitting down not attending customers.

This review is based solely on the decor, service, and pastales (sp?). I always drive by this place as I'm heading to and from working out so I decided to give it a try. It's a mom and pop, hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The decor is very old and dirty feel to it. As I walked into the restaurant, there was no waiter/waitress to help me so I just stood there looking at their pictured menu on their wall. There was a guy by the cashier so I placed my order with him. *As I was waiting for my order, a couple came in and sat down and a waitress popped out of nowhere and gave them menus. So sit your butt down when you come here, if you want to get serviced!* Everyone on yelp raves about their pupusas (and the name of the restaurant is PUPUSERIA), but being a dumbass, I ordered the pastales instead, thinking it would be like empanadas. The breading was way too thick and doughy. I ordered the beef and chicken. Both were mixed with potato and a bit of carrots. I feel like I can get these empanada-type appetizers at the local grocery stores that will taste way better and less fried. If there is a next time, I will try the pupusas.

Horrible service, avoid this place if possible. I ordered pupusas to go and was told the wait time was around 30 minutes, no big deal. As we waited and 30 minutes had passed I asked a guy who worked there how much longer he put his hand up to my face to tell me to stop talking so he finishes whatever was so important to him. I was told it would be 15-20 minutes more as we saw people come and go with their orders and pupusas being brought out of the kitchen for others. I told them to cancel my order while the front person had an attitude because pupusas from that low quality of a place aren't worth that long of a wait or the rudeness from staff. If I could give 0 stars I would.

Ordered over the phone was told 20-25 mins wait. Got there in 20 mins, waited in line for 10 mins and was told food wouldn't be ready for another 15 mins. Walked out to my car and came back, was told it would be another 10 mins. After 15 mins my food was finally ready. Waited 1 hour for 8 pupusas, really? No discount or gave anything for the inconvenience, even after asking. No manager on duty. Saw multiple customers complaining about the wait time and one of them even walked out from frustration and left. Stay away from El Comalito

OMG!! OMG!! I have been looking for a pupuseria that served pupusas de pollo y queso for years! Back at an old job of mine, I would pay a friend I worked with on whatever Friday I'd like, to make me pupusas con pollo y queso (salvadorean thick corn tortilla filled with chicken and cheese) I have not been able to find a restaurant that made them ever since! Each time I'd ask, they would look at me as if I was crazy and tell me no one makes them :-( A friend recommended this place and when I checked their menu online, I couldn't believe my eyes. I quickly called and ordered 6 lol. I was thinking of my lunch the next day. I typically do not eat after 7 but since I had one meal that whole day, I had a few calories that needed to be made up for lol. They closed at 10 which meant I had 16 minutes to get there. My GPS told me I'd get there in 13 so I threw up the deuces to my friends & ran to my car lol. I only took one wrong turn but managed to get there before closing. I rushed in, went straight to the cashier, and told him my order. He relopeated 3 pupusas con pollo y queso. Huh? 3. Did he say 3? Nooooo nooooo nooooo I said 6 (insert sad/angry/confused/tortured face) They were about to close so I didn't fuss and paid the gentleman before leaving but made sure he saw my pouty face as he apologized. Back in my car, I realized I had to eat them while they were hot, right? I opened my package of lost memories and a smile so wide you'd think the moon was full, stretched across my face. It had been so many years since I had laid my eyes upon the perfect burnt cheese that oozed out and made its own tiny brown crusty nook wherever it escaped the pupusa. First bite, not too satisfying and kind of bland. I felt jilted. Maybe I had been waiting too long and projecting too much on this first bite. The second bite was almost the same but I could now taste the cheese and chicken independently. As the piping hot cheese hung between my mouth and the pupusa, I chewed on, finally finishing the first one. There wasn't a lot of meat but something was still satisfying about it. I started to head back because now a few guys were in front of my car and eventhough I'd never see them again, I wasn't going to be the hungry chick tearing up the pupusas in her car lol. I so was though lol. I remembered the cortido and was happy to discover they gave me a fork too. Yes, when you are finally able to eat the one thing you've been craving for years and failed attempting to make yourself, you're happy about small things like forks lol. That's what was missing from the pupusas! I'll definitely be back. Come to think of it, that's probably why I only got half my order.

3.5 Stars I've been coming here for awhile now, as the pupusas are good and the price is cheap. The service is lacking though. I've found the best way to get food is to call in the order and come pick it up. They usually say 15-20 mins, but when I arrive, I'll still have to wait.. so now I show up 30 mins after I place the order. Today, I got a carne platter, but instead of beans, I requested platano, and they accommodated my request. The meat was delicious!... tender and juicy. The platano was sweet, like I like it. The little side salad that comes with the platter was nothing special. Today, I also ordered the Ensalada de Fruta, which is a juice with fruit pieces. It was refreshing! So good. I added some Malibu Rum and it was extraordinary! Today was a good day. :)

They have the best Pupusas in Gaithersburg, super good. Its a bit of a wait (20-30min) but I order ahead so its ok.

Horrible service. The one waitress was nice but I noticed she was overwhelmed. The other short waitress was rude, distasteful and was very hostile towards the other nice waitress. The rude one saw us sit down and never approached us --10 mins later a couple came in and she went over to attend them. Of course their food came out first and we waited over 35 mins for simple 2 meals. The environment was toxic and the rude waitress was giving horrible attitude for no reason. After 45 mins, we got our food and of course it was bad. Overall, not coming here again. Perhaps they should hire more welcoming NICE waitresses.

Pupusas are delicious and great value for price. I've only eaten pupusas and compared to others the best tasting and quality. Place is jammed pack on weekends

I always liked going to el Comalito the food is great but today I found a hair in my mouth that came from a pupusa I ate. It is Father's Day and me and my family just wanted to eat but this is honestly so disgusting and I can't believe that they would allow something like this to happen. I came back to the restaurant and they kindly apologized and gave me a free steak.

We open the door to the simple little restaurant with families eating at tables of 4, some brought over another clean table to extend for 6 people. Everybody looks like they are involved in eating delicious food. Big smiles on everybody's faces and every table covered with native food and drinks. Soccer games on the two big screen TVs. We went for the pupusas which arrived hot, stacked with cheese and laroco oozing from one, pork and squash breaking through the grill marks of another. big bowls of delicious salada and perfect red sauce. You might be THE local El Salvadoran neighborhood cafe.

Quality of the food has been poor recently. Ordered nuegados and they were stale. This is not the first time it happened.

The best Pupusas in Maryland hands down ! The service is fast and friendly and it is much better than it was before. My favorite pupusas place.

El Comalito is my go-to place for Salvadoran food. Super cheap and delicious. I got the pan con gallina which is one of my favorite things there. The gallina was tender and well seasoned. Comes with the sauce that it's cooked in and served on the side so you can pour over as much or as little as you want. Roll is soft and large enough to hold all of the contents of the sandwich.

Pupusa heaven. Rice pupusas, corn pupusas. Stuffed with cheese, beans, pork, squash, loroco, etc. And they give you enough cortido, which is pretty rare, I've found. They also do boiled yuca and tamales right, more awesome Salvadoran comfort foods. Not much to look at, decor or location-wise but when it comes to a pupuseria, I couldn't ask for more.

I ordered 3 pupusas to go. The wait was crazy long. It was more than 20 minutes which is def more than it should have taken. I also ordered an horchata which tasted really bad. The pupusas were good but the attention and the wait really ruined it for me. It was my first time coming too. I recommend you call ahead if it's to go so you don't have to wait. Even tho I don't think 20+ min is acceptable

This place really sucks. They have the worst customer service. There online order doesn't work. I ordered online and it said it would be ready in 30-40 mins when I get there they told me the other never went through. The machine didn't work. I asked for a refund and they said only the GM can refund me and to call Monday. I been calling for a week now and they tell me the same every time and I asked for the GMs number and they gave me a wrong number. They trying to avoid giving me a refund. Don't go there. When I was there I saw a worker picking her nose and making the food. They weren't wearing gloves and they were cleaning there sweat with their hands. Very gross!!

I would much rather prefer taking this time posting a review of the food. Unfortunately, my family and I didn't get that far. So, we walked in at around 4:30 pm. There were only one table of four seated in the restaurant. We seat ourselves, waitress walks to the table and brings one menu, paper. Mind you, there are three of us ordering. Of course I'm waiting for her to bring another menu, but damn, she never does! Check this out, she comes back to the table about five minutes later, like, yeah, we've all had time to look at this one menu you brought for three literate people, not familiar with your menu, since this is our first time eating here. I'm thinking to myself, is it me or is she just not going to bring more menus. I tell my wife to ask her, my Spanish es muy malo, to bring two more menus. She reply's, "En este momento solo un menú porque la gente lo bota", from the little Spanish I know, I think she said you only get one because people steal them. WTF? Right! You mean to tell me, with no one else in this restaurant but my wife, daughter, myself and one other table of four, you think I want to take a menu? As a matter of fact, most people take a menu because they enjoyed your food and they wanted to take one home for the next time they come back or order take out. Now by this time, I must admit, I was feeling some type of way but I hadn't reached that point yet, mainly because my daughter wanted pupusas. I kept my composure, until, I saw the waitress bring out a stack, about an inch and a half, of menus. And you know what she did, wrong, as you can tell by my rating, she didn't bring me one, instead, she put them under the hostess podium and looked my way. SMH! I gathered my family and walked out the door. Still having that craving, we drove two doors up to La Villa Tex Mex and had a wonderful outdoor dining experience. Amazing prices and yes, my daughter had her popusas.

Today I ordered 22 pupusas & they did not put 3 pupusas from my order in the bag so I called to complain & they told me to pick them up later so I told them we'd come by at 8:20PM & it was 8:31PM the restaurant was completely empty and they still couldn't give me my food in the 15min period, I cook pupusas at home & it does not take 15 mins to cook 3 pupusas, plus the crappy attitude of the workers, I just left instead of dealing with crappy workers with a crappy attitude. This isn't even the first time this happens, they've done this to me multiple times before.

The service by Evelin was by far the best even though the food was good, but not necessarily great. I tried the Cheese and Salvadorean Wildflower Pupusa and Chicken and Cheese Pupusa. Both had the delectable soft crust/skin and good flavor. The accompanying pickled cabbage salad was not all that fresh. Worth a visit though.

The best Pupusas in Maryland... i have even eat pupusas in El Salvador and this one are the more similar that it can get. I been coming in years always to pick up thou ... service is not the best people are not attentive and it looks like they don't want to be there. Even when picking up the cashier is charging you meanwhile is on the phone. So definitely for pick up don't miss on this delicious food

Great little find! This place is right by my office. The Papusas are hand made and so delicious. I ordered 3 different ones and a side of fried plantain. I am stuffed! So very good and authentic. Service was great. And all of this for under $8!

My wife has been wanting to try this place since she noticed it on Yelp, since it's within striking distance of home. Excellent pupusas, everything's fresh and tasty, and they're not skimpy, not like this place we tried in PG County (don't know the name). The cheese pupusas were crammed with good queso fresco, and the pork and cheese ones were also well-filled with both pork and cheese. The chicharon con yuca fritas was nice and crunchy yet tender, a nice compliment to the pupusas. My Bolivian mother-in-law said it was the best pupusas she's ever had in the area, a strong endorsement, and they're the best I've had. Great place, you get a lot of good food for cheap.

I took a friend there as a recommendation from a coworker, and let me say the pupusas were the best we've both have tasted, and he's from El Salvador! The food was very, very fresh, and the Maranon was great! First time I've had one. I would go often if it wasn't so far from where I live, but it was def worth the trip, and I will de def going back again very soon!

I have been coming to this restaurant for years, since I was a little girl. Today my family and I made our usual order. Half of my family is vegetarian and we usually order the bean and cheese pupusas, my brother ordered 2 pupusas with pork. Out of the entire order those were the only ones that were supposed to contained meat. We separated the pupusas and as I went to eat mine I found pork in 3 of my pupusas. We called to let them know what happened and the person on the phone did not seem to care, telling us it is not our fault that they replaced three of the pupusas that weren't supposed to have meat with ones that had pork. If I could rate them zero stars, I would. If you advertise a plate that is not supposed to contain meat then that's how it should be served.

Num num num. I go here often, and I always get the same thing; 3 chicken and cheese pupusas (usually only eat one, maybe one and a half = save the rest for next days lunchums, mmmm) and the platano appetizer, which comes with a good sized portion of deliciously fried plantain slices, the only refried beans I've actually craved for at later non-pupusa eating times, and creme for dipping. Once again I say, num num num.

Very good pupusas. 3 for about $5.00 and they tend to fill me up. One thing I will say though is I usually order a Loroco, a squash and a plain cheese and sometimes they have had a random bite of chicharrón in it, which I dont care for. The curtido (the pickled cabbage) is quite good and the tomato salsa is a traditional taste and traditional runny consistency. They also have a side that I can only call a pickled vegetable mix (its written somewhere on one of the menus next to the ordering window), it consists mainly of cauliflower, its quite tart and a good accompaniment to pupusas. The liquor store next door sells the quite tasty Salvadorian beer Regia Extra.

Pupusas are what this place does best. Pestelis (spelling?) and Fried desert plantains are very good, however the Pestelis tend to be a bit bland. Everything is made from scratch but is a little greasy. Each meal is extremely inexpensive, and always satisfies.

Unfortunately, this was a bad experience. The service is awful. Waitress wouldnt even check on us or fill our waters. I had to go out of my wait to get her attention. The food is overpriced. As an example anywhere I go and order a tamale it comes with sour cream. Here, they charged me $2 extra dollars for sour cream. Thats on top of the price I already paid for the tamale. I ordered pupusas and ive had way better ones at sardis and even at home. Then the rice and chicken meal was $12 and not filling. The chicken was dry and the rice was plain. Never going back. Rather go to chipotle and spend $8 on a flavorful meal.

Very friendly staff! Service is always fast as possible considering they do get pretty busy on the weekends. They have multiple TVs so you won't miss any games. The pupusas are really good!! The plantains con crema and frejoles have great taste. The chicken wings are surprisingly delicious. Give this place a chance!!

Unfortunately it's not worth eating at any restaurant if they can just LOSE CREDIT CARDS and give them to someone else. I ended up having my credit card given to someone else and they began to use it on other purchases. Upon calling for further details on how this happened, I was hung up on.

I missed the pupusas made by los Salvadoreños from back home in Jersey but never knew how much until a recent NPR interview about local DC pupuserias awoke a long forgotten craving. So enter Pupuseria El Comalito, long frequented by the local latin community (good sign)... The husband and I popped in one weekday for a quick lunch of pupusas: Pupusas revuelta (mix of cheese, beans, and pork) - deliciously crispy on the outside, cheesy, and porky. All around YUM Pupusas con loroco (loroco - a green flower bud) - loroco adds a nice punch of nutty bright flavor. Squash pupusa - (zucchini and cheese) again... crispy cheesy squashy goodness. Running out of noun to adjective conversions... Yuca - offered fried or boiled. We opted for fried with a squirt of lime juice. Mmm! Mmm!!! All these were snarfed down way too quickly and not savored so... needless to say we made a repeat visit the following weekend for a nice slow casual lunch. We ordered the same pupusas with a couple of additional surprise dishes Yuca con chicharrones - Fried crispy (melt-in-your mouth) cubes of pork with our old friend... the fried yuca with lime Ensalata de Frutas - fruit salad drink, which was this unreal orange yellow color, thick with mango nectar, random juices, and diced fruit. All pupusas are served with a bowl of cortida, a pickled slaw of cabbage and carrots (Really appeals to the korean in me. Salvadorean kimchi! Alright!!), and a thin watery tomato salsa, great for dipping. Must return to try non-pupusa dishes.

Best place to get Pupusas . Prices are good compared to other places that charge too much . I love the Sopa de Marisco too. Just wish they had seviche.

This place is food is good no doubt but there service is horrible. I rather go to la casasita now in Gaithersburg.

I love it feels like you in El Salvador soon as you walk in! I highly suggest to stop by for brunch, lunch and pick up!

I've been coming to this place for years! I hadn't been in over a year and was craving pupusas so I made a to go order. I ordered pupusas and chicharrón con yucca. My goodness I don't remember it ever tasting this good! The chicharrón was super tender and juicy. The pupusas were just so delicious. I'm not sure why I didn't come here for a year but I'll be back every month!

Always delay to pick up the phone, many times they pretend can't hear you to hang up. If you order for pick up better order 1 hour in advance because they slow and rude. You've been warned!

I love this place! Cheap pupusas! And my favorite ones in this area as well! I've tried almost all the food on their menu and have no complaints! Although I wish they had flan in the menu! It's best to order take out. It gets pretty full. Reviewed by a picky Salvadoran who loves pupusas! You won't be disappointed:)

This afternoon I went to Comalito of Gaitherburg, MD, and my order was not complete. and the front person assured me that it was complete. and when I call not body says sorry or apologize. they tell me I owe it to next purchase for next time. I can't believe this happened.

I had such high hopes for this place. I walked in on a Friday night and it was completely full of Salvadorian customers. I thought that was a good sign. I went over to the little window and placed my order, 4 mixed papusas and an order of yuca con chicharon. However, when my order was ready, there was a slight problem. The guy rang me up and confirmed my order for 4 papupas and plantains...ugh...they gave me the wrong item. That was fine, I didn't bother to have them make the right order again, I would be fine with plantains and left, still excited. The bill was only 11 dollars, a pretty good deal. I went home and opened my bag and was actually happy that they got my order wrong. The plantains looked delicious! It was served with sour cream and re-fried beans. I destroyed my plantains, unbelievable. I moved on to the papusas and this is why my rating isn't above a 3. The papusas were large and cooked well and everything looked fine. But one taste and I knew something was wrong. The pork was there, the beans were there and the cheese was there. But there was something additional that shouldn't have been there. The taste of fish was overpowering on the papusas. Now, there was no fish IN the papusas, at first I thought there might have been some tuna or something stuffed inside. As I ate them...it hit me. Under the window where you order, they had a sign for their new entree, fried tilapia. It seems that the griddle must not have been properly cleaned and the taste and smell of fish lingered. I'm not insinuating this place isn't clean, because it is very well kept. It's just that when you fry fish, you gotta get that fish smell and taste off the grill and griddle first. The same thing has been going on at Baja Fresh, with their new fish and shrimp tacos. They make them on the grill and put steak right over them. Oh well...maybe I'll give it another shot later.