Ercilia's Restaurant

I came here for a small snack after visiting a bar, and I was not disappointed. I ordered their pupusa and it was delicious! It was also only like 3 bucks, which is amazing. I highly recommend coming here for one, probably the best in the city. I also have to praise the staff. They seemed to be dealing with a few intoxicated and rude customers, but they handled it great. They were also very polite to me. The restaurant had ample, a visible menu, and was generally clean. My only real complaint is that the restaurant wasn’t very busy, and I still had to wait a long time for my food. Highly recommend coming for quick lunch break or late night chow.

Wow this restaurant was amazing! Located in the heart of DC, it’s easy to get here by bus or metro. The menu was very diverse with many Mexican, Italian and Salvadoran options. I chose to get the Camarones ala parrilla (grilled shrimp) and a Pupusa de queso (cheese pupusa). You could tell this is authentic the food is from the taste. The staff was also quite helpful. Prices were reasonable. I would definitely go back!

This spot is incredible. My table had a bunch of pupusas and the seafood soup, and everything tasted so phenomenal. I'm used to a pretty basic seafood soup from most places, but this had so many really delightful ingredients, like a whole crab, multiple shrimp, and several scallops. I was thrilled! I'd go back and bring friends. An extra shout-out to the staff -- they were so kind and thoughtful, and they made the whole experience so fun. Thank you again!

Huevos rancheros amazing. Great rice, amazing beans. And the tortillas were so, so good. Highly recommend. SO got the atol and loved it too. As well as the pupusas.

Best pupusas around!! They take alot of over the phone orders, so even when there were only a few people inside, we had to wait a bit for food. But it is so worth it! Horchata is delicious and pupusas are amazinnggggg

Delicious pupusas at great prices. There is a reason Cecelia’s has been around for as long as it has. Please support this amazing local gem!

Great local spot. Our daughter took us here. Heads up the menu is in spanish but the food is amazing.

I’m gonna go out on a limb here but I was totally impressed and that’s hard for me the food 🥘 was delicious 🤤 and servers were attentive you didn’t have to ask for anything I’m wondering 💭 if it’s due to the lack of business in the metropolitan area because of corona? But regardless the experience was amazing I suggest ya try it out for yourself really!!✌🏾👌🏾

My boyfriend swears by this place since he works nearby, so on an abnormal trip in this direction we stopped by to a crowded lunch service. The kitchen was swamped, but I got a handful of pupusas and my boyfriend got some platter. This is not the place for you if you're uncomfortable with crowds or people hanging with their kids. The food itself was solid--you can't go wrong with pupusas. I got an horchata that also hit the spot. I'm not gonna sit here and say you should wait in a long line just for pupusas, but if the line is reasonable...you should totally stay and order pupusas.

The food was delicious, the service was amazing tbh, ambiance it's a peaceful environment it felt like I was eating my food on a cloud !! I fs recommended!!.

A very tasty Salvadoran restaurant in Mt Pleasant! I was really blown away by the flavors of the pupusas, although the plates were a little lackluster. The steak could have been slightly more tender, for instance. This was a very tasty place and I would encourage you to eat this food--but most likely do take out. We had a very unpleasant experience in the restaurant when an argument erupted between the workers and some Mt Pleasant locals who appeared to be panhandling inside the restaurant. It was not handled quickly or quietly, which made the experience quite unpleasant for all.

Food is excellent. It's not a cozy restaurant but there are a few comfortable tables to sit at. I prefer to call in advance and pick up my order to eat at home. I've never been disappointed with the quality of the food. Service is fine.

I had a craving and this spot is a local favorite. Crema platanos, eggs, tortillas bean and avocado!!!! Plus some really good horchata. I really have nothing bad to say it's just a great spot and I love eating here

Let me start off my saying... THE WAIT IS WORTH IT!! I was introduced to Ercilias from a friend whose been coming here for over 10 years. The food is delicious and coming from someone who was raised on pupusas this is a must try! The tacos are delicious, the tortillas are homemade. The pupusas are "rellenas" perfectly with fresh ingredients. If you don't try anything else, get the revueltas and an agua de Marañón. The horchata is so good too but it's not the same as Mexican horchata. Trust me, 1000 times better! Staff is nice. Yes they take forever and they stay busy but its worth it. The place is small and you kinda have to grab a table if you have luck one is open! Must try!

Estás pupusas Sean serios parece spaghetti y salsa no es nada comparación con la salsa para las pupusas parece la cocinera 1 tomate la medio licuó decepción de pupusas y caras Disappointed about this place I pick pupusas taste bad and look bad I give 1 star for bad sauce and bad presentation

Me encanta la comida. Los sandwiches y platters con El aguacate y cebolla. El servicio es usualmente lento pero vale la pena si tienes El tiempo.

Delicious pupusas and plaintains. The pupusas reheat wonderfully, you can eat them for days and they still taste great. We always get bean and cheese or pork and cheese.

I've come to this restaurant a couple of times for work to but for my after school program. I recommended it to my coworker for her after school program and not only was the lady on the phone rude to my coworker, she started saying for large pick up orders it needed to be 2 days in advance. Mind you never had this communicated to me and I've ordered there a couple of times. When I called to ask why her tone was rude and she raised her voice at me. I don't know if the restaurant is under new management or what but I was embarrassed to even recommend this place.

Perfectly fine. Decent pupusas, nothing amazing, but not to my taste. The cheese tasted cheap: it was saltier and not as soft as other pupusas I've had. They skimped on the meat in my pupusa revuelta. The masa isn't salted enough. The curtido is bland. There are so many other amazing DC pupuserias I would go to before this one.

A tasty hole in the wall in Mt Pleasant. They menu is huge, but you have to try at least one pupusa. We had a cheese and one bean and cheese, and both satisfied and came out fresh with tasty, slightly burnt cheese for a rich decadent flavor. Maybe only behind El Tamarindo for best pupusas. We also shared a garlic shrimp plate. The shrimp was swimming in a delicious garlic sauce, with sides of rice and refried beans, plus two small corn tortillas to soak it all up. The wait for your food is always looong, even on a slow day, so expect to wait at least 20-30 minutes if you order for dine in. Bonus points for serving horchata.

A cute neighborhood Mexican/Italian/Salvadorian cafe in Columbia heights! Delicious food at an affordable price! They have a huge menu but must try their pupusas!

Pupilas were super cheesy and good. I highly recommend the cheese one and the cheese with beans. I also got a revuelta but it was a little too dry for me. The curtido was a bit dry compared to others I've had. We also ordered the ajillo shrimp (garlic shrimp) I wasn't really into it but my finance enjoyed them. They had plenty of sauce to go around. The shrimp was served with rice and beans. I would highly recommend calling ahead. Maybe like 10-15 min. The lady quoted me a 30 min Ute wait but when I arrived in 15 mg food was ready. They had tons of orders on the counter ready to go.

Stopped in for a quick bite - the pupusas are wonderful as are the corn tamales (which are huge). Very cheesy. We tried a few and the chicharron was probably my favorite - great subtle flavor in there. I probably wouldn't get the shrimp one again, it was mostly peppers and tomatoes, but was still fun to try.

Very slow, waited over half an hour and had to cancel my order because the food never came.

PUPUSA HEAVEN!!! Yes yes yes! So good!!! More bean & cheese please!!! Ercilia's has become my go-to for housewarmings, parties, etc. A perfect plate to bring! Prices are cheap too. Can be busy and take a bit of time, so prepare for that.

Hey if you like popusas that's definitely the place They made daily progress Fresh dc

Ercilia's Restaurant is an eatery that offers Mexican and Salvadorean eats, such as pupusas, chicharrones, fish platters, and various drinks. A group of us came here having dinner in the area, as we wanted to try their pupusas. I tried the cheese pupusa and the cheese & pork; the pupusas are on the thicker end of the spectrum and not as crispy as I would have liked, but it was definitely packed with a lot of the filling. The cheese pupusa was okay, but I really enjoyed the cheese and pork version more! The pork had a good savory flavor to it, and it was shredded and was of a generous combination with the cheese. I also tried their horchata, which wasn't housemade; it was just okay, and grainy in taste with more of a milk emphasis. You order up at the front, and then they call the number on your receipt. This spot seems to be a favorite of the locals, as there were a few dining-in and doing take-out. +cheese & pork pupusas +order up at the cashier; wait for your number on the receipt to be called out +limited parking off of Mt. Pleasant

Simply put: awesome food at a great price! We got several pupusas, and the bean and cheese and pork and cheese ones were my favorite - perhaps because when you add more fillings than that to the pupusas it becomes harder to taste the individual ingredients. The chicken tamale was also tasty, and the tamarindo drink is nice and refreshing. The food felt fresh and belongs in the "comfort food" category in my mind. Fair warning though - the wait is no joke. We waited upwards of 35 minutes from when we ordered to when our number was called, so avoid going here when you're in a time crunch (or just call ahead for a take out order instead). I'll definitely be back the next time I'm craving some good Salvadorean/Mexican food and have time to spare!

Yummy food but expect terrible service because no one speaks English and seems like they hate their job. Me, my bf and a friend came here on a rainy Friday night for dinner. Their menu is in Spanish so good luck trying to understand what anything is because their accents are thickkkk. Also, they ran out of a lot of their options. I ordered my familiarity's (though I would've loved to explore), a sopa the marisco (seafood soup $8.25), and a camarones (prawn $3) pupusa. The soup was yummy but had better, the pupusa was fiiiiire though. GET IT. I wanted a horchata which they didn't have so I ordered an orange soda.. My group waited half an hour for the food though the restaurant was not full and we were the only ones ordering. Total damage: $15~ Next time I am in town, I will stop by but only to check out neighboring shops because HALF AN HOUR is a long time to wait on a slooow night.

Ercilia's is one of those places that I am reluctant to review because I don't want other people finding out about it! I drive by it every morning, and, after reading reviews claiming they have the best horchata in the US and Mexico, I knew I had to try it. To start, the hype about the horchata is true. It is delicious! It is perfect on a hot DC summer day while you wait for your food. I may or may not have had two.... For food, I had una pupusa de queso (cheese pupusa) and burrito de pollo (chicken burrito). Both the pupusa and the burrito were easily the best I have ever had. I am actually having to restrain myself from going there daily on the drive home from work.

Very yummy papusas. Great prices and a cute hole in the wall atmosphere. Would highly recommend.

Me: "Is this the pork and cheese one?...I don't think that one is mine. I ordered the pork and cheese. Look inside to see if there's meat!" Husband: "Did you order Pork and cheese?" Me: "Yes! I told you to Oder it for me when you were at the counter!" Hannah: "See, that's why I do all the ordering. I just tell my husband to sit down and relax." Flo: "Girl that's why you have to order for yourself. Don't worry, you can try some of mine...don't worry about it.." At this point, my side eye is so strong my eyes started to hurt. I still don't think I'm over it (I CLEARLY SAID WHAT I WANTED), but anyway... With the look of disgust on my face, I reluctantly tore into the cheese papusa. I'm not a big fan of cheese, so I huffed and puffed my way through every bite. The cheese papusa was just ok. No real distinct flavor. Minutes droned on in anticipation for the rest of the party's papusas. Table full of hot papusas and forks ready to dig in, I asked to taste the pork one (again). Honestly, it was just ok. It was good, but not as strong as flavor as I would have liked. Much like the cheese, it was a pretty weak pork flavor overall. The cabbage slaw was really fresh and flavorful. The salsa was also pretty good which made the overall dish one to try again (one day).

Local hole in the wall - stellar food, wait can be lengthy. Try the loroco or revuelta.

I can't believe I've lived in Columbia Heights for the past three years, and hadn't visited this place until today! The pupusas, particularly the chicharrones y queso ones, are tasty, hearty, toasted, and delicious, without being oily. The cabbage and sauce they are served with are very fresh. The camarones pupusas had perfectly melted, stringy cheese but lacked salt. Both the veggie and lengua tacos are perfectly seasoned, topped with fresh avocado. The lengua texture was a little tougher than I'm used to, more meaty. The tacos themselves seem to be masa based, like a thinner pupusa. The restaurant seems quite clean. You order at the counter before finding a table. While Spanish seems to be the dominant language, and I ordered (poorly) in Spanish, the lady taking our order responded in English and seemed friendly. I'll definitely be coming back!

This place is so bomb I love it I love the food, I recommend it. Especially if you wanna try something new you can stop by and try some of their delicious Salvadoran food they got in there. 10/10

I always want to support local business and ones owned by people of color but 30+ minutes for 3 pulusas is wayyyy to long of a wait

The pupusas de frijoles y queso are always a good bet here. But what makes my mouth water is the thought of la trucha frita (fried trout). It's comfort food at its best -- fried fish with a tomato soup on the side, rice, and beans. Yes, there is a wait but totally worth it.

I absolutely love this restaurant. They have the best pupusas in the area. Tacos are great too.

Hands down the best pupusas in DC. The wait time is the only thing that sucks. I recommend calling before pick up or dining in.

Not much to look at, nice neighborhood food spot, they do have tables for in-house dining but I am unsure of if they have wait service or if you order at the counter and stay if you want. Takeout was the option for me. Guy at the counter was funny though a tad weird, why he licked his tongue out at me when he was trying to sell me lengua in my taco, (yes I know it's beef tongue but not human tongue as he appeared to be offering me), I don't know but okay. Menu is simple but a variety of options, I went with the tacos, 3 for a reasonable price, chicken, lengua and bean are the proteins of choice. Tacos were a good size and well prepared. Chicken was nicely seasoned and moist, vegetables, cheese and avocado were all ripe and fresh. I'm interested in trying different menu options as this place is so close to where I live I'd like to make myself a regular, so I will definitely return.

Very authentic Salvadoran restaurant. They serve delicious pupusas, tacos, burritos and other Hispanic foods. The food was very cheap. I got 2 pupusas de camaron and a lengua(tongue) taco for $9.50. The meat was very tender and absolutely delicious. It was my first time having the pupusas it was like a warm pancake filled with different toppings. Mine was filled with seafoods. The taco comes with a few slices of avocado, salsa, and cheese. You know it's an authentic restaurant when the staff barely speak English and the menus are in Spanish/english. A little Spanish goes a long way. Highly Recommend this place.

I became obsessed with pupusas when I moved to D.C., and Ercilia's was supposed to have delicious ones. One Saturday, I dragged my friend over here to try them out, and we were not disappointed. I ordered frijol y queso (beans and cheese) and queso (cheese) pupusas, and I think they were $1.75/pupusa. The prices are really great, and the quality was awesome. My Spanish skills aren't good so I did a little guessing as I tried to figure out what all was on the menu, but it was fun! As others have pointed out, you will wait 30 minutes for two pupusas, but this place is doing a solid business. We just had fun hanging out and catching up so it worked out for us. You can also call in and order if you don't want to wait.

This is place that was completely unexpected and unassuming from the outside. The food is absolutely AMAZING and the prices are jawdroppingly cheap for what you get. It's all made fresh so know that you will have to wait but it's completely worth waiting for. It's authentic, delicious and something to go back to again and again! The portions were huge too.

The service wasn't too slow when I went early on a Monday evening, around 6pm. There was a lot of space, and the restaurant's large windows let in a lot of light, which was nice. The tacos are not that much cheaper than they would be at higher end restaurants, but they seemed to be composed of very cheap ingredients. I strongly disliked my tacos de res. The cheese reminded me of feet, and the meat smelled like dog food and was super tough/chewy. The taco shells were really thick, apparently made from the same kind of tortilla as the pupusas. I liked the pupusa with frijoles and queso more than the one with loroco and queso, but both were pretty good. The cabbage slaw and tomatoes that came with them were good--their slightly sour crispness balanced out the cheese. But I think it would be better to just get one as a snack rather than trying to make a dinner out of them. (To be fair, I think that's just how I feel about pupusas, not Ercilia's in particular.) I did also see a roach during the half hour I was here. It might be a good cheap, casual hangout spot if you live nearby, but I'm not planning to come here again.

Best pupusas in the city!! If Anthony Bourdain (RIP) had come to DC I would tell him to film here. Lol'ing @ the folks who are complaining about the Spanish menu and service, more for the rest of us! My Spanish is embarrassingly terrible (nonexistent) but I have never had an issue ordering horchata, bean and cheese pupusas, and a side of plantains.

My boyfriend grew up eating at Ercilia's and tried to get me to go several times. I was "eh" on the whole idea, but after enough raving about the pupusas, I gave in. That said, Ercilia's is awesome! My favorite menu item has to be the pupusas revueltas (chicharron and cheese)--I usually get three or four at a time. Otherwise, the pupusas de camarones (shrimp) are pretty good, as are the pupusas de frijoles y queso (beans and cheese). What's more is that it's pretty easy on the wallet--four pupusas only sets me back $7 and leaves me full. Definitely worth it!

Being a Salvadoran who grew up in the states, this is by far my favorite spot, the pupusas are very authentic and so are the tamales de elote, not to mention the soup selection, if you want to have good Salvadoran food, come here, they even have rice flour pupusas! Be prepared to wait though as everything is made to order.

I went to Ercilia's today because it was recommended by one of my Salvadoran clients. It did not disappoint. It is a quaint restaurant with a lot of heart. I tried pupusas at another restaurant and didn't like them but now I am a convert. Even the simplest chicken taco was delicious. I absolutely recommend pupusas and this restaurant. What a gem of Columbia Heights.

Love this place! It was my go-to spot when I lived in Mount Pleasant. Pupusas are amazing!

Great pupusas! Beans & cheese, shrimp, & amazing tacos! You have to try the horchatas: a sweet rice milk drink! Each comes with pickled cabbage cole slaw & a touch of salsa. Yummmm! If you like Jarritos soda from Mexico, they have most flavors. I really enjoy this place! Rustic, they take a long time, but well worth it!!

Got the Loroco y queso and the chicharron y queso pupusas. Definitely liked the chicharron more than the loroco because it was more flavorful. Will have to be back to try their Mariscos soup and their postres. You can tell a lot of locals come here and it's the spot, I think I'm just not the lupus's type.

All be very careful in the Ercilia's Restaurant are selling food and come with cockroaches is a disgust. I got a cockroach in my food on November 4, 2014 instant I saw the cockroach in my food started to vomit so be very careful that place is crap. Todos tenga mucho cuidado en el Restaurante Ercilia's estan vendiendo la comida con cucarachas que asco a mi me dieron una cucaracha en mi comida el 4 de Noviembre del 2014 al instante que vi la cucaracha en mi comida comence a vomitar asi que tengan cuidado en ese lugar que es porqueria.

I like the savory-sweet yellow corn tamales, wrapped in steamy green husks with a side of light sweet cream. The corn is soft, fluffy, not dry at all -- and the sweet-but-sort-of-salty combo is a pleasure. The loroco pupusas are good too -- the slightly greasy white cheese oozes from the fried dough. Comes with generous portions of cold pickled cabbage and red sauce, which help make the dish feel somewhat cool and healthy, to balance all the hot melted cheese. My husband had a carne asada plate. He found it "a little tough but ok." Convenient to the 42, S-buses, and the Green Line -- it's on the corner of Irving and Mount Pleasant.

Me gusta mucho la trucha frita! Pero, hay que hablar espanol para obtenirla. Oh - and they make their own tortillas by hand... fresh fresh fresh!

1) order ahead or be ready to wait a long time 2) I haven't even eaten my food yet but wish that was the first thing I knew about going here 3) I bet the food will be great bc that's what all the other reviews say

Right at the intersection of authenticity, affordability, and delicious taste! Perfect place to stop in for lunch without breaking the bank ;)

Ordered three bean and cheese pupusas and waited between 25-35 minutes. I hope they taste good. Wouldn't consider this place if you are rushing or starving.