La Cuscatleca East

Never had a bad meal here. Ordered 10 pupusas to go. Took about 30 minutes for the order to come out but they were still piping hot when I got home after a 20 minute drive. No complaints

I walked in to the place and it smelled super bad like uncleaned bathrooms. I went to order my food and she made me write down my own order, the lady was also really rude and was mad the whole time and being super sarcastic. I waited around 20 minutes to get my food and when I got it she gave me my change wrong. Overall do not recommend they have really bad customer service.

This place is one of my low key favorites when I am visiting family in Des Moines or just happen to be passing through town. It is close to another awesome spot in Thai Flavors and becomes a two for one to go order stop of deliciousness with some diversity thrown in to your day. I seriously order 10-12 papusa of assorted flavors and if you don't know what those are google what you have been missing out on. The todo is super tasty, but my wife and I love them all. They have traditional beverages as well that are a special treat and unique. View the pictures below at the menu items. I hate to give away my little spots, but this place is too good not to share anymore! Highly highly recommend!

the first time I ordered from this place and most likely the last time. I had placed a big order this past Saturday for my family and I, when I get there there’s no one at the counter until I ring a bell the lady comes out from what seems the back and she only looks at me and I let her know I’m here to pick up my order and I give her my name and she goes to the back again. Another lady comes out and goes “ can I help you” I let her know I’m picking up my order and she asks for my name. as I’m paying she brings out my order and once I’m done paying I had simply asked if she had separated them by name she gives me a face and her tone changes and says “ no you didn’t ask for that” the service here was very unprofessional and rude

Everything is good but I don’t know what happened to the fryer banana 🍌 was so upset

Pupusas are delicious, large and priced fair. (Most are $2 each) They serve large portions of cortido and two bottles of salsa. The other entree we ordered was incredible. Meat was tender, delicious, sauce was incredible and the rice & beans were perfectly prepared.

I recently lost my Abuelita Pio this year, I loved her cooking and she was from el salvador. So i decided to give this a try and have my son try the food as well and let’s just say it brought back some wonderful memories and happy tears. Thank you so much for the wonderful food because my son got to experience her food with her no longer with us and i got to relive a moment i thought i forgotten. 100% will be ordering again!

I have never had papusas before and was told this is the place - all the food was delicious, a casual comfy atmosphere. Delightful! Thank you

This restaurant is now located in the old AIB College building so there's plenty of seating inside with window views of downtown DSM. Everything seems to be made fresh. They had constant DoorDash orders. The prices are so affordable and you don't need much to fill you up. I got the pork and cheese pupusa and my husband got the jalapeño one with fresh jalapeños and cheese. He loved it. We love the spicy slaw and pickled onions. The shrimp and cheese empanada is so filling and flavorful. Definitely give this place a try. We've never been disappointed and it's very authentic in flavor.

Cute little store, though very quiet & empty at 7pm on a Friday. Great prices for the quantity you get. Pupusas were giant, salty, perfectly crispy and very rich. Plantains were near flavorless and way too oily. Horchata was solid, though I think they skimped on the rice. Water comes cold in plastic bottles. Our server was very friendly and trying to be helpful, but not particularly comprehensible - she was not enunciating well and she seemed to be struggling to understand us. I likely wouldn't come back, but it's worth a visit.

The food was cheap, authentic, and fantastic. Love little hole in the wall restaurants with great, authentic ethnic food. This one is tucked away in a little strip mall.

My whole family loves this place. Authentic Salvadoran food. We get pupusas every time; we've tried them all...all fresh and delicious! I recommend this place to everyone and the prices are great. Come check it out!

Don't let the old diner decorations fool you, this place is Salvadoran to its core. It's situated with a fantastic view from the patio, as well. The service was cheerful and quick. They didn't even roll their eyes at my Spanish. The pupusas (I had a bean one and a pork one) were unfancy and perfectly delicious. The curtidos (cabbage slaw and spicy pickled veggies) we authentic and yummy. Oh, and the price is right! Satisfy your cravings here!

Great local hidden spot. Great flavor of pupusas. Service is good and fast. Very highly recommended.

The salsa roja is a perfect complement, and you'll find yourself savoring every bite.

The food isn't bad. But they need to hire someone with people's skills. Need to be able to greet people, be polite, show respect and appreciate of the customer. Also change their charging station so that it doesn't include an automatic 18% tip charge on a pickup order!

I've had Salvadorian food plenty of times, and the pupusas had all the cheese filling out and burnt all around the outside of the pupusa. I also ordered plantains with a side of beans and cream, and the cream and beans came in those small plastic containers with the lid you usually use for like salsa- to go... lol. Super tiny.

Great price point for good portions. Counter service. Simple setting, but nice. I got 4 pupusas and had plenty leftover. Their curtido is excellent too.

I love their pupusas here! I normally get the bean and cheese pupusas. Just ordering two is very filling for me because these pupusas are big and are at a great price. Plus they give you their slaw and sauces on the side, so you can put however much you want. The service is friendly and the food smells great from just walking in. I will definitely be back for more in the future.

Had a pupusa craving so we found this really cool spot located where AIB was before. The pupusas were delicious. I had the bean and cheese and the mixed one which consists of bean, cheese, and chicharrón. Also we tried the plantain appetizer with black beans and sour cream. I fell in love with the combo. The combination of sweet plantain, the beans and the creamy sour cream made it very savory. Definitely sufficed the craving. The lady serving us was very nice and helpful. Overall we found a cool new spot for pupusas with a great view of the city. Highly recommend for anyone to try.

Very cheap prices! Food was good . Yucca was a bit salty. Service could have been better. Server was a bit rude. He was the only person running the restaurant. Next time I am in iowa will probably take food to go

The food was excellent, very good service. A very laid back atmosphere. You could see the pride in Salvadorian cuisine and culture

I typically don't post reviews unless I am highly impressed. With that said, I just moved here from San Diego and I would have never thought to find such good planos and pupusas in Iowa. Great place I highly recommend it! My mother is from El Salvador if this matters.

This place is so good! I basically always get the pupusas (bean and pollo are my fav two) but I really like the pastelitos and they have shrimp empanadas/ empanadas de cameron that are delicious!

NEW LOCATION - They are now in a food truck! New address is 1013 SE 14th Street. They take cash and card! According to their Facebook page, they plan on relocating to where Cafe Fuzion is. These are the best pupusas I have ever had! I ordered 2 of the bean and cheese, 1 of the pork and cheese to go. I got there right before 10 and It took about 20 minutes for the food to be ready, but that was no problem. I honestly should have just ordered 2 because I was so, so full! These pupusas were still nice and warm when I got home to indulge. The mild sauce and slaw made the pupusas extremely impeccable. My favorite one was the pork and cheese - absolutely divine! The pork was oh so tender and seasoned to perfection. I will surely come back! Ruining my diet and bank account for their food will be well worth it. Long live La Cuscatleca!

Been here a few times and the pupusas are delicious. However, the last time I went I was avoiding dairy so I couldn't have a pupusa because the menu says that all of them have cheese. I didn't ask if I could get a special cheese-free one because I had plenty of dairy-free options to choose from and I wanted to try something new. I love the fried yucca so I started with that. I also got a plate that came with their super delicious black beans and fried sweet plantains with a side of rice. It was all delicious. I have also had their traditional breakfast and it was also delicious. Their food is filling and their service is friendly. They have a steady stream of to-go orders, calls for takeout and dining guests every time I have been there. It is my preferred place for Salvadorian food.

My favorite dining companion and I were looking for a new place to eat, and happened across La Cuscatleca Pupuseria & Restaurant on Yelp. We love Central and Latin American food, so we ventured over to Hubbell to give it a try. Upon arriving, we saw it was definitely a pretty small hole-in-the-wall type establishment. This isn't a criticism, we LOVE places like this. They nearly always have amazing food. La Cuscatleca was no exception to that general rule. We walked in and were seated almost immediately. There were people at 5-6 tables, but there were several empty tables to choose from. The restaurant was quite warm as the A/C had been acting up, but we didn't mind. Good food is worth some sweating, after all! The menu at La Cuscatleca is quite small. We quickly found several appealing items and ordered appetizers and entrees. For appetizers, we settled on some pupusas. We went with the spinach pupusas, the shrimp pupusas, and a chicken tamal. We waited patiently for our food, observing the colorful decor of the restaurant. It is worth noting that the food does take a while to arrive at La Cuscatleca. It's all made from scratch, so we didn't mind the wait, but if you're in a big hurry, this may not be the right choice for you. We were not, so we did not mind at all. Eventually our appetizers came out, and they looked and smelled amazing, in addition to being piping hot. The pupusas were divine. The spinach pupusa was my favorite, although the shrimp pupusa was also quite good. The tamale was remarkably large for its modest price, and absolutely delicious. We had barely dug into the appetizers when our entrees arrived. My dining companion had opted for the Pescado Frito, which arrives as a beautifully fried whole Tilapia on the plate with the typical accompaniments of rice, refried beans, and salad with a big chunk of queso fresco on top. I ordered the Pollo a la crema. This was a large flattened chicken breast in a creamy sauce, again with the refried beans, rice, and salad. I am normally not a big fan of refried beans. They're typically rather bland and dull. I noticed immediately the refried beans here were quite dark. They must have made those from scratch as well. The flavor was unexpectedly delicious. Whereas I normally dabble in only a bite or two of refried beans on my plate, I cleaned every last delicious drop of refried beans from my plate. They're that good. The rice too was good, and the salad was nice and fresh, with delicious slices of fresh tomato. The chicken itself was delicious, as was the sauce. I found myself dipping my tortilla into the crema again and again until it was no more. My dining companion very much enjoyed her crispy Tilapia as well. It was a very mild, but quite delicious flavor. One thing was immediately clear: We were going to have a lot of leftovers to take home! I finished all of my entree, save for the rice and some of the salad, but my dining companion did not make it as far. We ended up with two takeout boxes to contain all of our leftovers. It was simply too good to waste. We were both absolutely floored by the quality and quantity of food here. The prices are honestly incredibly low for how good and how much food we received. The service was great, and we honestly had no complaints at all. I rarely tip 35%, but it felt entirely warranted here. If you love Latin food, or specifically El Salvadoran food, look no further. Just make sure you bring your appetite (and a friend), because the wonderful ladies in the kitchen don't play around! We'll definitely be back again, as there are several other delicious sounding items on the menu that we would love to try.

This place could not be a better small, local business. I went in with a recommendation from a friend, not knowing anything about the culture or the food and was treated with great hospitality and service. They were efficient in getting me my food, even as orders were piling in. They treated every customer like they were family! A hidden gem that you should check out if you have the chance.

I legitimately do not understand how these people are turning a profit. I've drafted and costed out many dozens of menus in my career and no matter how I break it down, these robust, authentic flavors in these mind boggling portions do not make sense. I do not understand but incredible El Salvadorian kitchen magis, please teach me your ways. The food here is incredible. The portions are HUGE. My dining companion and I ordered a handful of items, assuming they were small plates because of the pricing. We were very, very wrong. SO. MUCH. FOOD. And it was all amazing.

This place is such a hole-in-the-wall, blink and you'll miss it place that you would never think to stop here except for good ol' Yelp directing you to the most tasty Pupusas yet! I would probably just order take-out because it was a lil hot in there but the place is actually decent-sized inside. Service: 5/5 The first server I spoke to did not speak English or comprehend it well but my broken Spanish and her limited English comprehension made for the perfect order of pupusas! The second server spoke perfect English and both of them were polite and wonderful to deal with. Food: Pork and cheese Pupusas (chicharron con queso) - 5/5 Everything from the way it's cooked, looks, and tastes were spot on! The coleslaw and sauce that comes with it were the perfect compliment to the Pupusas. I would order these again and again. I wouldn't mind trying their other flavors as well. All in all, this place is a must-try and preggo approved!

Pupusas! For a couple of bucks! This alone makes my heart race. We had seen this location while driving by. It's not much to see but it's definitely worth stopping. First, the service was great. Our waitress was very attentive. The food was all cooked fresh and fast. The good thing is the food came out as it was prepared, which meant your food didn't get cold if you were also waiting on an item that takes longer to cook. The pupusas came with a big bowl of the slaw and big bottle of the sauce. My wife and I each got two but it's hard to finish two in one setting. I think their slaw isn't as good as some slaw made for pupusas, like what you'll find at the farmer's market. But everything together was heaven. I also ordered plantains after asking if they are the ones fried and salted (which taste more like chips, often called tostones) or if they were the sweet ones (often called maduros because the really mature, almost black plantains are much sweeter.) It was the latter. They were cooked perfectly. I was surprised at the sides that came with it as platanos are more of a dessert for me. But it was all good. You can even get Coke in bottles here not made in the US, which means it has sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup! The price was right, the service was good and the food was terrific! We will definitely be back!

Think ha changed owners. Is no longer a Pupuseria. Staff was helpful and friendly. They just open and no menu, cash only service. I got a burrito and it was good, but I should have gotten the tacos, they looked delicious. The two bottles of salsa were fresh made and very tasty. I hope the new owners make it.

I have been here twice, once at the old location now at the new location. I enjoyed everything I had. The everything pupusa was very good. Had a shrimp pupusa and empanada which were both overflowing with cheese. Squash pupusa was also good and full of cheese. The chicken tamale was made with canned chicken and was fine but I wouldn't order it again. The corn tamale was fried and I thought that was the best thing I ate. I enjoyed the beans we've daith the chips too. I forgot to take a picture becuase I waited an hour for my food. The curtido was served in a large bucket and it seemed everyone ate out of the same bucket which seems odd to me.

Short review:. Order the pork and refried beans pupusas. Call ahead for takeout. Avoid the plantain empanadas. Don't be worried about the bumpy parking lot and neighborhood the inside is family friendly and welcoming. Long review: read other reviews here on Yelp. Was so excited to get authentic Salvadorian food. Now you need to realize that this place is a hole in the wall. The parking lot is cratered and the neighborhood is a bit sketchy. You walk in though and you are greeted by a very family friendly environment. There were mother's and kids there when I stopped by for lunch. I proceeded to order two pork pupusas and one pork with beans and also plantain empanadas. Be prepared to wait! They make these fresh. If you are in a rush you need to call ahead. Behind a little brown door there are nice Latino ladies making these fresh and by hand. I waited about 20 minutes for my order. They give you a big cup of salsa and some Salvadorian coleslaw (I guess) with your pupusas and empanadas. The pork and Bean pupusas was amazing!! The beans cheese and pork combination sandwiched between a thick pupusa that was warm and crisp on the outside but tender on the inside, was absolutely perfect. The plain pork pupusas however were dry and pedestrian. The plantain empanadas while they ooked amazing covered in sugar were sadly disappointing I had hoped that the stuffing of vanilla pudding would have been rich and oozing with flavor. Unfortunately the plantains were dry and the pudding was almost solidified. A major disappointment because the description was amazing. Overall I will be back but strictly for the pupusas. I will probably try some of the other items on the menu but the pupusas are the ones that really stand out as special.

A wonderful small family run restaurant. The pupusas are excellent. They are STUFFED with tasty fillings. The ratio of corn dough wrapped around each filling is perfect. We tried three different varieties and all were wonderful. The pickled vegetables accompanying the pupusas add a fantastic crunch and pop of flavors. The prices are very reasonable. While we were there, they were doing a brisk take-out business as well. We will return to work our way through the menu.

Pupusas were delicious! Parking can be a little tight during peak times but it's worth it.

Friendly staff. I got the Todo and and Espinaca Pupusas. They came out warm, and delicious. They are a good size. I couldn't eat both with adding the curtido and pickled onion mix. The pickled mix has jalapeños so it has a kick but wasn't too hot. They did not rush our group to leave, we had a enjoyable experience.

Pupusas here are great. Service is casual but friendly. We usually get our order as takeout, but would be a nice place to eat with friends. Really affordable for filling and delicious food.

Had a great lunch here. The combo plates are a little more pricy than expected, but worth the money. You won't leave hungry. The pupusas are excellent. I'll stop by again.

Everyone must try this place! Great service and reasonable prices. The food is out of this world!

The best salvadorian restaurant in town. Love the breakfast and so many authentic food. Saturday morning they serve beef stew or shrimp soup ( call ahead to ask what is the soup or stew of the day on Saturday only)

please note their new address!!! they are now at 1013 SE 14th St.-- in a food truck. this place is still the bomb! amazing food! we are 5 hours away, so we only come when our work brings us this direction. we went to the old address on hubbell ave and saw an abandoned storefront. called and got the new address! so happy they are still here! go treat yourselves to authentic, delicious cuisine!!

They have the best Pupusa's in the entire state of Iowa. So good. Long time customer and we won't leave them!

NEW ADDRESS: 1013 SE 14th Street It's a food truck and no longer a restaurant This place hit the spot!! Reasonably priced and great BIIGGG portions. Although they don't have much options on their menu, they have amazing food. Felt like I was in my best friends kitchen.

Delicious food, friendly staff and super affordable! I love all of their pupusas and their fried fish is to die for! Love supporting local businesses. They have vegetarian options. You will not be disappointed

This is one of those hidden gems in Des Moines untainted (so far) by the hip crowd, or the yuppies. The pupusas are $2-$3 and I'd say you could make a meal of two or three. If you've seen my other reviews, I admittedly eat alot, yet I can get out of there having eaten enough for under $20. I usually order the empanadas de platanos (deep fried banana balls with light sweet cream inside), the tamales de elotes (dense cornbread-like cakes with a crema sauce on the side) and any one of the pupusas - which include pork, pork and bean, bean, squash, shrimp, todo (everything), and then some others I can't remember. Don't forget the hot salsa and slaw! This place is a little small, and the parking lot is a little treacherous, but these should not be factors in your decision to come here. The atmosphere is quiet, friendly and has a down home feel. The food is FANTASTIC with great value and amazing taste.

The pupusas were excellent, and so was the fried plantain. It was my first time going and I was definitely impressed by the portion sizes.

I love the food and service here so much! I'm a vegetarian and there are lots of great pupusa options for me. I always get the Desayuno Mixto plate with a pupusa, beans, cream and a plantain. Last time we were there with a group, the guys ordered different meals from the dinner menu that were HUGE. Everyone raved and said the meat was perfectly cooked and there were lots of leftovers. This place is fairly crowded on weekends which is a good sign! My husband and I going on low key date nights here. I work downtown and it is just a short drive from the East Village.

The pupusas here are worth coming back for. I had two spinach and cheese pupusas, very delicious. My husband liked his carne asada but wasn't blown away. (He's not used to authentic Hispanic cuisine). I loved my fried tilapia. It was an entire fish fried golden. I'd describe it like fried chicken except lighter and crispier. I loved it. Be careful of the bones, though. I'm definitely stopping back in for some pupusas since we live pretty close by.

This pupusa food truck is located in the Star gas station parking lot across from the Mexican Market (1456 2nd Avenue). It only sells pupusas. Unfortunately the menu is not very clear in the picture (I couldnt really read it in person either) because there was condensation on the window and everything was written in Spanish with no English translation. Fortunately the lady working the window understood and spoke English. The variety of pupusas they were selling was very limited. I had the option of getting a pupusa with beans and cheese or with pork and cheese. I opted for the pork and cheese. The pupusa was made fresh and was very delicious. It came with a side of salsa (your choice of hot or mild) and a moderately spicy cabbage slaw. I thought the pupusa and the cabbage slaw were delicious! All for $1.50. Hopefully they'll upgrade their menu choices to have more vareity of pupusa. This was the first food truck in Des Moines that we have seen that did not sell tacos. This may be the original pupusa food truck! I'm now on a pupusa kick!

If you want traditional food from El Salvador, this is the place. I've only ever ordered the pupusas here, but they are amazing. They are super cheap and delicious. They give you fresh salsa (a hot one and a mild one) as well as plenty of cortido (a type of cabbage slaw) with them. Don't let the humble building and the terrible parking lot stop you from trying their food! Vale la pena.

"What is a pupusa?" you say... Per Wiki, "a pupusa is a traditional Salvadoran dish of a thick corn tortilla stuffed with a savory filling." For me, it's a common street food item that I fell in love with during my visit to El Salvador. Imagine my surprise to discover an El Salvadoran restaurant in Des Moines! Besides being a super foodie find, La Cuscatleca does not skimp on portion sizes or any fillings. The pupusas certainly live up to the hype, and their twist on the shrimp quesadilla is essentially a mega shrimp stuffed quesadilla - yummy. Fried plantains were delicious as well! My only advice: arrive hungry and enjoy!!!

I don't mean to add more confusion into this review page, but I believe this restaurant is located at the intersection where E Grand Ave turns in Hubbell Ave, so about 1700 block of E Grand like the other reviewer stated. I did not know they also used to be a food truck, they may still have a food truck and that is located on 6th Ave, I'm not sure, I'm just speculating. Now for the food, I have only had their Pupusas here and they are amazing! Not only ate they great tasting, but they are cheap! If you do not know what it is , it is kind of like a Quesadilla. They are filling and will definitely satisfy your hunger with 3 or so. The decor inside and out is very outdated, but all that matters is the food here. Service was nice, not very busy inside.

Little "hole in the wall" restaurant with a crappy parking lot but the food was really good. The Carne Asada and Bistek Encebollado were both outstanding! The beans were "liquidated" but had incredible flavor. I was sad that we were in town but Mia Patria was closed for the day. This was an excellent alternative.

Opted to get a last minute dinner here with a small group of friends. Expectations were high based on reputation. We ordered a number of different pupusas, all were excellent with the exception of the shrimp. The shrimp was good but no one's favorite. (This may be because it was ten degrees out and shrimp seems more "warm weather"?) The pork and la roca were the biggest hits. Fried plantains were our starter and were also well cooked and flavorful. The atmosphere is simple, don't come here looking for frills. It was excellent and would be a great place to take friends or family, or start your night off. I will be back.

DELICIOUS food, friendly staff, and extremely reasonably priced!!!!! The papusas were delicious, the Cole slaw was wonderful to top your papusa and the sauces are served warm.....

My husband and I like to try different places and I had heard from a co-worker about this place so we gave it a try wanting to experience El Salvadoran food. We went on a Saturday night at 8PM. Don't let the outside of the building dissuade you from stopping. Curb appeal is definitely lacking. Once inside we saw old style restaurant booths and a few hand carved, colorful tables with chairs. Two gentlemen came out of the kitchen and asked if we were eating in or taking food to go. As we saw throughout our dining experience, most of the customers ordered their food to go and very few actually sat down to eat. There was very steady to go traffic while only two other couples were seated to eat. We chose a booth in view of the television, despite the fact that the show was in Spanish and neither of us speaks or understands more than a few basic words. Since we were unfamiliar with the food of the culture, we asked the server for suggestions. He spoke broken English but understood. We started with horchata (tasted like a rice milk with cinnamon iced drink) and the sample plate which included a large tamale (potato and chicken), 2 empanadas (plantain), 2 pasteles and a good stack of yuca Frita with a small side of beans and a cream sauce. We absolutely enjoyed everything in the sample plate and it was a good amount of food for sharing. We also ordered pupusas. Not able to decide which to try we ordered a variety including spinach, jalapeño, pork, bean and shrimp. They are served with a coleslaw and hot or mild salsa. They came fresh and oozing with fillings. I started off with the jalapeño because I love spicy and this was delicious, filled with fresh barely cooked jalapeños and warm cheese in the breading (looks very similar to a pancake). I puked in coleslaw and hot salsa and wasn't disappointed as I bit into it! My husband tried the bean first and enjoyed that as well. We were finding with the sampler and the two pupuaas we were filled, but wanted to try more so I split the spinach and he split the pork. Absolutely delicious! We packed the shrimp and other halves of the pork and spinach, as well as one empanada and some slaw in a box to take home. And the price is so reasonable! There was nothing disappointing about this experience! We will be back with others and would recommend it for a new experience and great cultural food!