Guanaco's Tacos Pupuseria

Delicious and affordable. The pupusas taste so fresh and I really like the salsa that comes with it. Communication with the server can be a bit tough so it’s hard to ask for modifications, but that doesn’t usually factor into my ratings as I really just care about the food. Lots of gluten free options, was able to come here with a friend that has celiac’s. The tamales and empanadas are really good as well. Pickled cabbages are amazing!! I love how spicy it is. Will be coming back regularly!

The food was okay. No flavors were memorable except the pickles cabbage and pupusa I tried. The pupusa was nice and the yucca had a great texture. (Note: This was my first time eating El Salvadorian food. This review might be skewed by not ever having this cuisine.) The gentleman at the cashier was extremely nice and helped me pick stuff on the menu. He also then taught me how to eat the food when it came out. The restaurant itself was clean and serviceable, but definitely a "hole-in-the-wall" sort of vibe.

Tasted Pupusa for the first time in my life tastes good. Tacos were also great. Had some difficulty when tried to pay with Cash as the staff mentioned they are unable to break 100, so ended up using my home card and payed more on exchange rates and transfer charges.

So good!! Amazing place for authentic pupusas. We had a craving and stumbled across this place, and it did not disappoint. Around $5/pupusa so not bad price wise either. Will definitely be back!

Pretty great! Tacos were fantastic! Papusas were tasty too. Prices are really good and for ~$10 you can get a tasty meal that will fill you up pretty good

Excellent pupusas! It is busy during lunch hours, as it is known locally as a delicious and affordable place to eat, and even when busy they make your food pretty quick. You can pick three from about a dozen fillings for the pupusas, I chose 🌵/🐔/🧀, but you could easily make them more vegetarian or more meaty as desired. I got #7, two pupusas and rice and beans, it was filling!

Wondered into this place while exploring Seattle and feeling pretty hungry, but I noticed the sign in the window that said 100% plant based. This place exceeded my expectations by far. The food was fantastic, service was great, couldn't ask for better plant based Mexican food. If I find myself in Seattle again I will for sure stop by this place again. 5/5 guys, fantastic job!

Not too much food for the price, but the fish tacos were delicious. Pupusa was a dish I hadn’t eaten before and I didn’t know what to expect, but it definitely tasted like they wanted to provide an authentic dining experience rather than a more marketable version.

The pupusa's here are top notch! They are handmade to order with up to 3 fillings each. I recommend adding Loroco as one of your choices as it adds a very distinctive flavor that you would not normally encounter outside of this cuisine. Overall, it is a fairly unassuming place, but the food is good and the service is friendly. All at reasonable prices. I recommend giving it a try.

Delish! I came here for lunch and had a pupusa and two chicken tacos! I loved every bite! If you're looking for good food, this is your stop, but if your looking for a sweet atmosphere for your Tinder date, you might set an odd vibe. Guanaco's Tacos Pupuseria is about delicious food, not environment.

I've had the food from here before and it's been great. However, I was just picking up a to-go order and while I was waiting saw a cockroach running along the side of the fridge. I'm beyond grossed out, and I'm not going to be eating this food for obvious reasons. I didn't know a good way to tell the employee working up front why I didn't want my food, and I saw it right before my food was ready, so I have it and don't know where to put it. I had already seen a small bug I didn't recognize on my table, and I had moved tables because of it. Food is great from past experience and if bugs aren't a dealbreaker for you I recommend it! I'm not going to be coming back probably though.

These pupusas are insane! They are the best pupusas I have ever had. I could eat them over and over and over again. I've had the ones with cheese and chicken, cheese and pork, and also the ones with jalapeños added and they're all incredible. I also love their fried plantains and I could eat here every day. The service is super fast and friendly and they're so helpful with recommendations. The restaurant itself is no frills and the food does all the talking.

It makes me so sad to write this review but myself and family had to take our food to go after a roach crawled up the wall at our table. Eventually I had to throw all the food out as we also found what seems to be dropping in the food as well as you can see by the darker coloration - there was more but I only quickly captured this image of a single piece as we were quick to ensure nothing was brought back to our home. The food was good, not excellent but the papusas were authentic and chicaron was tasty, although the red sauce was an odd water down version of what should be and some items were unavailable. B

Haven't had a good pupusa since I moved away from California, but I found this family owned business at UW and decided to give them a try. Pupusas are made fresh and you have a choice of corn or rice flour and you can pick up to 3 toppings to be stuffed inside. Definitely recommend one of the stuffings as cheese because it oozes out and creates a nice cheese crust. Comes with a side of salsa and coleslaw. I didn't like the slaw - didn't taste fresh, so I skipped it. I've also ordered fish tacos from here - would prob pass on this, but will be back for more pupusas! Staff here have always been friendly during my visits even though I usually just order one taco or one pupusa at a time.

I would give the food itself at least a 4 star rating, however, the service was very impersonal and not very professional. It lacked so many items that are on the menu and when asking for clarification, the guy was very short & "cold" per say. Now, getting to the ambiance... I personally will NOT be a returning customer and this was my first time even going. Why?, you must be wondering, well, just as we finished literally taking our last bite, I look up and see a baby and a medium sized cockroach protruding from a crack in the wall. My partner then looked towards the guy behind the register and there was another on the floor running towards him, then as we were leaving I saw one running under a table and you know what they say, where there's one, there's hundreds more! Definitely won't be returning and until it's cleaned and sanitized, I DON'T recommend eating here! If I could give Zero stars, I would!

I been here a few times now and think it's pretty decent. It's located a little out of the way of the main business area. I mostly ordered snacky type of food here so I can't say much about their main entree dish. Fish taco - meh, for $5, definitely not worth it, one taco with a piece of fish in it and some slaw. Nothing really special and not much flavor. Yucca - meh, nothing really special as well Pupusa - after ordering this for the first time, I feel like I can come here more often just for the pupusa, they are decently size and comes with a cup of slaw and cup of sauce. The nice part is that you can choose 3 different protein/veggies to put in the pupusa. It's freshly made and nice texture. This one is good and Worth the price.

I've walked by this place so many times and didn't realize it! Guanaco's occupies the same building as Henry's Taiwan and C Fruit Life. I ordered online via the website, which was easy: https://simplemenu.com/simplemenu/menus/1263/1530/guanacostacospupuseria5fc9203f2d3cd. However, the confirmation email took a while because I think the restaurant has to manually confirm it, which worried me for a second. The 'meals' offered a variety of options and were a delicious choice. In comparison to other places where I've had pupusas and tamales, I wish the portions were bigger for the price. But overall, I enjoyed the food, packaging, and location in the U-District. Parking is always easy and plentiful to find on Brooklyn Ave NE.

I ordered the main entree combo that included one vegetarian papusa, one veggie taco, and one yucca (fried or boiled). The papusa fulfilled my craving for cheesy goodness. It was much larger than papusas I've had before, so the outer dough layer was thinner. It was stuffed with cheese and veggies and was oh so delicious and comforting. The veggie taco was large, loaded with refried beans, tomatoes, lettuce, veggies, and white cheese. Flavor was a bit bland but still satisfying. I've never had yucca before and opted for the fried version. It was like a huge thick French fry, whose taste leaned sweeter rather than starchy. Definitely satisfied carb cravings. The entree came with a red sauce and Salvadoran slaw. The version I had at a different restaurant was crunchy and tart, so I took a huge bite of the provided container. My gosh that was spicy- I had to run for milk even with a decent spice tolerance. Eat in smaller quantities! Service was quick and polite and workers wore masks. Great place to satisfy cheesy, carby cravings!

The food here is delicious and a great value! This is a do not miss spot in the U district. Accessibility is okay with a flat entrance, low counters, and accessible seating. Did not get a chance to see the bathroom. Service was friendly. As with any restaurant, if it is busy, you'll need to wait a bit for your food as it's all made to order. Again, great spot!

Guanaco's served up my first pupusa some 15 years ago, and, after spending the last 12 years in Los Angeles where pupusas are plentiful, I'm pleased to report that Guanaco's has still got it going on! Pupusas are made to order with your choice of 3 ingredients and come either a la carte (with salsa and curtido) or as a combo plate. They have some of the best curtido I've found. I recently tried their yuca frita, corn tamal, and sweet empanada (made with plantain dough), and all were tasty. My mom always raved about their chicken soup. Giving 4 stars instead of 5 because I hate that after coming here I have to shower and launder all my clothes because I/they smell like fried food. It's also worth noting that while there are several tables inside it's more a place for a quick bite to eat and not a nice sit-down meal on account of the casual ambiance. I definitely recommend giving them a try!

This place is not bad. They have reliably good burritos and tacos. They're a bit plain but have everything you'd expect. They're not notably large or small. They're not expensive or cheap. All in all they are just about standard.

Visiting from out of state for a work conference and found this little place. The employees were super kind and polite. I ordered two bean and cheese pupusas and a burrito de carne asada. The burrito was really good and the pupusas were good but a little thin. I'd go back any time.

Scrumptious scrum-didly-yum, yum. The food here is SUPERB. Service is awesome. Ambiance gives off the right kind of vibes... for me personally. There aren't any mice crawling around which is always a plus on ambiance! Not your fanciest place, but something to feel at home.

Went here for the first time and the food is outstanding. Also my first time having Salvadorian food and it's definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Seattle, now. Cute, low-key atmosphere, easy to hold a conversation, super friendly staff, and the food is really good. Great spot for a date if you're also going to a show at the Neptune Theater or somewhere else near the Ave. They have about 8-10 tables and the food is fairly quick to come out. Very big menu that is flexible for vegetarian, vegan, and I think gluten free as well.

I love guanaco's! The pupusas are so good and I love that you can totally customize what's in them. I typically get cheese, chicharron, and zucchini and it's so delicious. Their rice and beans are great too. The refried beans have so much flavor and are great with the rice or honestly just with some tortilla chips! Also, the guacamole is so good. It's really flavorful and not overpriced like most other places.

The food had no cheese, no flavor, and very little portions. Do not recommend. I wish I could get a refund. On top of missing food that I ordered there's simply no flavor at all. Very disappointed. No tiene sabor.

We get takeout from here all the time. I love their food and they are the friendliest people. Can't comment on the ambience in-store, but definitely recommend for takeout.

Light rail is open just 2 blocks to the North - woohoo!! Five years since my last review and I still love Guanaco's Tacos. It's funny to see I am still ordering the combo #2. Yesterday I had my pupusa with cheese and nopal (cactus), which was a winning combination. This food is best eaten piping hot, so if you get take-out, be sure to go straight home or walk over to one of the outdoor tables on the Ave or the nearest green spot on campus and stuff your face! The owners and staff here are so sweet and I really can't say any other restaurant can satisfy a craving for warm pupusas and tangy salad in North Seattle. So hop on the train and give it a try!

Pretty yummy food. Got two papusas and they were filling. I will say the night I was there, there seemed to be a few order mixups and also ingredient mix ups. So if you're a vegetarian or in a rush, beware. Giving them the benefit of the doubt because there seemed to be language comprehension issues or the cashier was new, and they got many orders back to back. Grateful for the chance to eat Salvadoran food in Seattle though! I'd come back.

I was in town on business and found this place online while looking for cheap eats in Seattle. We each ordered a sampler platter: One Pupusa And One Taco Of Your Choice, Rice And Choice Of Black, Pinto Or Refried Beans - because for $7.50 it sounded great. However, they charged us $5 more for each plate. $12.95 instead of $7.50 each. (We called in the order so we didn't notice the discrepancy until we were long gone.) The price shows up as $7.95 on their website: https://guanacostacos.weebly.com/menu.html, and $7.50 on a Google search. Either way, well less than the $12.95 that they charged us. Price issue aside, the food was pretty good. The pupusa was the best - we had meat, bean and cheese in ours and they were delicious. The rice was under cooked, and the beans were soupy. I just mixed them together and it was good enough. The taco was like a taco truck taco, and good too.

I came here for an afternoon snack, around 4pm. I ordered one pupusa ($5 with choice of 3 toppings). I tried to ask the cashier what were the most popular toppings, but I'm not sure if she didn't hear or understand my question so I randomly picked cheese, refried beans, and tropical herbs. I was the only person who came by their place (granted it was an odd time), but it was a longer wait for the food to come out than I expected, maybe 15 min? The box was filled with a large, steaming hot pupusa with a cup of salsa and a cup of coleslaw. I tried to be generous and give them the benefit of the doubt, but honestly, I was really disappointed. It felt like I was eating bland playdoh, and the only flavor was in the cheese clumps or where the cheese had leaked out of the dough and caramelized. I don't know what the tropical herbs were, maybe scallions, but it didn't make it taste better. The salsa tasted like a watered down tomato puree, very much lacking in flavor. I ate one spoonful of the vinegary coleslaw and immediately could taste it was not fresh. I ate it all because I don't like to be wasteful, but it did not sit well.

I was very happy that I made my way to Guanaco's because they make authentic Salvadoran food! The pupusas are large and they even make Salvadoran horchata (usually restaurants sell the Mexican kind) as well as Salvadoran empanadas. The food was fresh off the stove! The workers were incredibly kind. The restaurant itself has a genuine Salvadoran feel in it and it reminded me of home.

It makes me really sad to write this, and I never leave Yelp reviews, but I have to. I've been coming here for years, it was one of the only places I could find authentic Salvadoran food in the city for a while and I love their pastelitos. Recently, though, I've placed orders online and have noticed a massive decrease in both food quality and customer service. Not only are they often out of ingredients or unavailable to deliver (if this is the case, remove the items from the menu for the day, and/or remove yourself from delivery). They will dispatch to a courier at which point they will call me and tell me they don't have the items I ordered, and then I am charged for canceling the order. Today was the final straw when my delivery person told me they waited for over 15 minutes when they walked in and the person at the counter was just sitting on their phone, and then when the food arrived, not only was it inedible, it immediately made me throw up after one bite. I'm not sure what's going on but there needs to be a health inspection, in addition to other kinds of inspections. I really don't want to do this but I can't order from here anymore.

A cute spot for a casual dinner. I'd never had a pupusa before but I'd have to say that I'm a fan. Parking is on the street and you may have to walk around the building to find the entrance. There's quite a few spots that are in the same building and the location is a little confusIng on google maps. I tried the pork, cheese, and beans put pupusa. You get 3 fillings and have to pay extra for more fillings. It comes with a side of pickled veggies and red and green salsa on the tables. Utensils and water are self serve. If you need a container grab that too. The hostess at the register was very helpful with choosing what to order.

This place to me is a home away from home. As a Salvadoran I feel very fortunate to have these recipes that bring me vivid memories from El Salvador. The U-district does not have many Central American food restaurants but this is a great place. You can come in and grab a pupusa and customize it your way(vegetarian options as well). Also their tres leches or empanada guanaca desserts are delicious!! I was craving baby corn tamales and they did not disappointed me.

I love the pupusas here. They are amazing. I highly recommended getting pork, beans and cheese. One is enough for lunch, and if you're really hungry, I recommend getting two. If I lived closer I would come here all the time!

The vibe is a little quiet kind of cold but the Pupusas are fresh . I'd recommend this restaurant to anyone craving great pupusas

This was my first experience with Salvadorian food, and I have to say, they did good. I came for lunch right when they opened, and there was a good crown in there. There's plenty of seating for groups as well. It's the type of place where you order your food first at the counter and then sit down and the staff will bring it to your table. I ordered two pupusas with chicken, re fried beans, and cheese. It was absolutely delicious. It's really good comfort food and will most definitely be back.

Really great spot! I got the plate with a papusa (with cheese, loroco and cactus), yuca and a empanada I think. Different than other empanandas. As I type this I am waiting on another papusa. Highly recommend.

Terrible lugar, las gaseosas no las tienen heladas, no tienen cosas del menú, la salsa para pupusas demasiado picante que no pudimos comerlas con nada y el servicio malísimo, nada bueno por el que regresar en este lugar. Una estrella es poner demasiado.

Decent Mission burrito. Chorizo was tasty, not too greasy. Decent balance of rice beans and cheese. Tacos were excellent by Northwest standards. Chips stale. Salsas are OK. I'd say this is the best taqueria in NE part of Seattle. Clean and friendly service.

This is a great hole in the wall place that is serving up some great, homey plates. The pupusas are hot and cheesy, and the tamale had great flavor. The house salsas are nice; the green is definitely my favorite. Try one of the plates so you get to sample a few different things! Great food, good value. Can't go wrong!

Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing but their horchata and street tacos were just bad. Objectively below average and not worth the price at all. Taco was small, chicken was dry and not much flavor and no sauce in it, can't believe they are charging over three dollars for each. Horchata was just sweet water tasting with this sandy lumpy sediment at the bottom. Hygiene of the place also concerned me - every condiment on the table was sticky and old looking, the table was also sticky. The utensils also had old food stuck to them.

We ordered takeout due to COVID-19. The food is okay but not amazing. I got a #4 combo and a side of plantains. The portions look small but are surprisingly filling, and for under $15 for an entree it's a pretty good deal. The plantains were pretty rubbery; the texture suggested they'd sat under a heat lamp for a while. Overall, this is a decent deal for how cheap it is for the area, but I wouldn't go out of my way to return.

me encontré cucarachas por todos lados es un asco comer así pésimo lugar muy sucio no lo recomiendo para nada

This looked like a really cute small business, and I'd never had Salvadorian food before so I was super excited to try it. Ordering was pretty hard and took some considerable effort. I'm not sure if the lady couldn't hear me or didn't speak English but she ended up just opening a menu at the counter and having me point at what I wanted. I ordered a number 6 meal with a chicken taco and a pupusa with tropical herbs, cactus and zucchini. It took a while for the food to get done but my friends and I got takeout to take back to our apartment. It didn't come with any silverware so we had to use our own. The food looked really good, but I ended up with spinach in my pupusa instead of zucchini. That was a bit annoying, but it was tasty and I kind of liked it. However, when a few bites later I discovered a long black hair baked into the middle of my pupusa, I got kind of grossed out. My friend got the number 4 meal and said the tamale was really good. I found the beans and rice to be a bit bland, but I did enjoy the chicken taco. Not sure if I'll be back, as I was honestly a bit disappointed and felt this place was a bit more trouble than it was worth, but it was fun to try.

Talk about flavorful. oh boy. went here 2 days in a row. Fresh pupusas, and those pastelitos are . Tamales were super moist . My Favorite was the Enchiladas, so tasty and filling. Can't wait to go back. btw service was super friendly as well.

The food is delicious and the service is friendly and helpful. I ordered the chicken street tacos and the portion was a little small, so definitely size up if you're hungry! That being said I love the interior decor and the atmosphere of the place, great place for good Salvadoran food in Seattle. Reasonable pricing and really convenient for students in the area.

After spotting a pupusa joint nearby campus, I was psyched to begin my first Salvadoran food journey! The place itself is quite small but not cramped. Coming in, you can browse the menu, order, and grab water at the counter. This is what we had: *Pupusa Pupusa is a thick corn tortilla that can be stuffed with different fillings. You can choose up to 3 fillings at no extra charge. We ordered 3 pupusa with different fillings in each. 1: nopal (cactus), ayote (zucchini), and spinach 2: chicken, cheese, and jalapeno 3: pork and cheese Pupusa #1 and #2 were extremely bland as if they weren't seasoned at all. Fortunately the curtido (fermented cabbage relish) was there to make them more palatable. Pupusa #3 was the most fragrant and flavorful. If you're getting the pupusa, I'd recommend sticking with the pork filling. *Pastelitos Guanacos This fried corn flour pocket resembles empanadas a lot. The beef and potato filling were savory and but could've used more seasonings to enhance the flavor. *Buñuelos en miel Woah! Where have you been all my life!? The earthy flavor coming from the yuca dough was gratifying. The piloncillo syrup added gentle sweetness to the dough. I could munch on them all day! Highly recommended! Overall, we were only impressed by the buñuelos en miel. I think they really need to play and work around with the seasonings. Until then, I'm still on another hunt for top-notch Salvadoran delicacies!

I've been coming here for years because the food is truly amazing. I usually get their amazing pupusas, plantains, tamales, tacos and/or burritos. Regardless of what you get, you can't really go wrong. The pupusas are always hot and fresh and absolutely delicious. Highly recommend.

Feeling Salvadoran food so yelped up this place! Came here on a Sunday eveningwith some friends and there were only maybe 5 other groups that passed by us during our dine in. 3/5 were to-go/UberEat orders. Anyways, when I paid, the cashier had a little trouble with the tablet and I had to go around to her area to sign the receipt, and then the receipt also did not print. A small inconvenience but it's okay. **Note: what are pupusas? I didn't know until I got it. It's a corn tortilla with the ingredients you choose inside (think a corn pancake with a layer of filling in the center). Food ordered: - #11 (2 tacos and a pupusa): I got 2 chicken tacos and then a pupusa with loconos (a type of flower), spinach, and chicaronnes (pork). Good amount of meat and veggies on the tacos, but a little lacking in the pupusa. I'd rate it: 4/5 - #1 (1 pupusa, 1 pastelita, 1 yuca (my friend got it fried)): My friend rated 4/5 because we do not know what to compare it to since our group was all new to the cuisine. But, he did say he would come back. - 2 fish tacos: My friend ordered 2 fish tacos and said it was alright and that she has had better fish tacos elsewhere. Rating 3/5 I give it 3/5 stars since I had a minor inconvenience during my ordering and since the food was alright. Nothing too spectacular imo. I'd prefer to try other places before coming back here.

I ordered the street tacos, which were really good. Might be a bit bare bones on finishings for some, but I enjoyed it. Plus it was enough for me. I haven't tried anything else yet but I'd visit again.

I happen to be staying at a dorm directly across the street from Guanaco's and I wasn't going to leave Seattle without giving it a try. I've had my fair share of pupusas over the years and definitely know what I like. Although the menu here is Americanized, the flavors are authentic if you make it. (I'm not sure about adding spinach to your pupusas but whatever works!). I had a classic combo of cheese and chicharron and it was no surprise that the pupusas came out great. I had one of regular masa de maiz and one with harina de arroz (my favorite!). I am also impressed by the speed at which the dishes came out. Don't misunderstand; it's not that they were super fast; it's just that in every one of my past experiences at pupuserias, I've always waited until near starvation before the food came out. Not the case here at all.

Solid spot! $3.50 for a pupusa with three fillings. Personally liked the cheese, spinach, and chicken best. Pork was okay, even though it's apparently the most popular. I just wish they were a little bit more crispy. Maybe it's because there's a lot of stuff/filling inside..? Would definitely come back to get my pupusa fix.

Nothing fancy but so delicious. I've been on a hunt for a good pupuseria & here it is, hidden in the U-district. Medium sized restaurant with grab your own water & silverware. Chilly inside as the back door is a outside 'courtyard ' to the bathroom. But the food was good, very good. Tamales were spot on: warm, moist, meaty. The main attraction: pupusa. Wonderful. They were pretty thick with lots of cheese! Rice & beans very good. Service was friendly. I'll be back.

A bit dry, bland, and salty. I guess that's just what you get for a 12 dollar lunch in Seattle nowadays. Having lived in L.A., this wasn't the best Salvadoran food I've ever had but it certainly wasn't the worst either.

Came here a couple of times and this place does not disappoint. The burritos, tacos, and pupuseria are all divinely tasty and delicious. The food comes pretty fast so a nice place to lunch or break from work. Def a must visit in University District.