La Esperanza Restaurant & Bakery

The most fantastic, fresh, and wholesome meals and baked goods come from this restaurant. From the moment you sit down you’re welcomed and cared for like family with a plate of mini tortillas and beans to dip. We ordered the pupusa special (2 pupusas with rice, beans, and curtido.) with fresh Jamaica. Hard to overstate the care that went into these enormous savory pupusas. I got the veggie pupusa and the bean and cheese pupusas I added loroco to each one. Our server read back our order and she was careful to honor small requests. There are so many reasons why the thoughtful touches of these dishes were delicious. The veggie pupusa had vegetables that had been pre-charred so there was a mix of freshness and smokiness to the flavors. The generous portion of curtido was served in a glass with tongs and it had a lovely but not-too-spicy kick of jalapeños. If you like spicy, you can ask for their hot sauce which is scratch made, in house. When you receive the bill they have homemade candies on tiny spoons like a lollipop. I can’t say enough about the generosity of this restaurant, they are truly serving love with every bite. I can’t wait to return!

Had been a few years since I initially went and went there again recently. It’s a good Guatemalan and Salvadoran restaurant. I had the Desayuno Chapin, wasn’t bad asked for sunny side up but they ended up over easy, chorizo wasn’t bad; the platanos fritos con crema, frijoles revueltos with the queso fresco were good. My lil one enjoyed the kids pupusa meal that has 2 of them with apple slices, frijoles and rice. The agua frescas were good had the Jamaica and Tamarindo. Instead of chips was given small tortillas with frijoles as appetizer. Would go again and try their other melas for lunch or dinner, went for a brunch meal this time around. Definitely check this place out and support your local Latin American restaurant!

I absolutely love this place. The menu is Guatemalan, Salvadorian and Mexican food. Their specialty is traditional Guatemala food. They have all sorts of traditional foods. Including platanos Fritos, empanadas, desayunos typicos, pepian, tortillas hecha a Mano, yucca frita, pastelitos and tamales de chipilin. It just hits me in all my Central American spots! Specially the atol de elote! In store there is also a mini bakery where you can buy bolio and Guatemalan bread. The atmosphere is great, very traditional. The ladies here are very nice, and are bilingual. Please come try out this place, you won't regret it!

Everything was fresh, hearty, and delicious. We started with the complimentary corn tortillas with black beans. The tortillas were still warm and melted in our mouths! We had the pastelitos de carne which were great, especially with the pickled cabbage heaped on the plate. The fried plantains were INCREDIBLE. So crispy and sweet, served with crema and beans of course. My husband got the pupusa plate (holy crispy cheese edges in the very best way). But my absolute favorite was my dish, pollo con crema. It was perfectly salty and unctuous without being heavy. We also loved the little sweet and spicy tamarind candy that came with the check. Can't wait to go back to try their drool-inducing pastries!

Sat down, ordered & Waited 40 minutes for our drinks.. only to get them AFTER receiving half our order. Only to receive the other half completely wrong & beans were frozen cold fresh out the fridge.. all while being tendered by a waitress that prefers to be on her personal phone talking to friends on speaker. So gooodluck telling her the orders wrong.. she’ll be too busy on personal stuff.. worst experience ever.

If you’re craving authentic Salvadoran food, this is the spot. The pupusas are, as the name suggests, absolutely perfect—crispy on the outside, filled with cheesy, savory goodness inside. The classic cheese and pork combo is a must-try, but their bean and cheese variation hits just as hard. Don’t skip the curtido (pickled cabbage) and salsa; they add the perfect tangy balance. The atmosphere is laid-back and welcoming, making it an ideal spot for a casual meal with friends. Definitely worth a stop if you’re in the mood for comfort food that hits the spot.

By far the best pupusas and tamales I’ve had. Also had a fun breakfast plate with a tasty egg/veggie scramble along with chorizo, plantains, fresh tortillas, fresh cheese, and black beans. Check came with fun little spoons of a very tasty tamarind paste….what a nice touch! Everything fresh tasting and delicious. Many interesting drinks…I had a champurado. Baked goods looked great but I was too full. Service was friendly and decor was nice. Definitely where we’ll be going for this kind of food.

Don’t order large orchatta or large drinks, you gonna pay more extra to have 20oz drinks but they’re gonna give you smalls … I have ordered 4times it’s happened 3 times , so they’re have the habit to do that…

My friends and I wanted to celebrate one of our birthdays at a local mom and pop and this place did not disappoint. For beginners the food was delicious! The table ordered pupusas, caldo de res, chilaquiles, and hilachas and we were all so satisfied! They also do little tortillas at the beginning of the meal as an appetizer! The food is tasty and more than anything, fresh! As great as the food was--their service was top notch. Our server Jorge was very attentive, patient with us, and had such a friendly demeanor. They allowed us to celebrate our friends birthday with a cake we brought from outside and they even let us borrow plates. To top it off after we sung happy birthday the staff played las mañanitas. Take in mind that all of this is with out asking (except for extra plates!) Safe to say I get why people love this place. It's definitely a staple in the community and a place my friends and I will continue supporting!

First time to be here. Thank you YELPErs for good recommendations. Serving is good. service is great! Food is excellent!!! Parking is a problem. I will be back.

I really enjoy la Esperanza, always want to try something new on the menu, but have yet to order something other than the pupusas - just too tasty! The waiters and staff are very kind.

The waitress and waiter were super friendly and helpful. The pupusas were so fat and delicious. Everything was tasty!

Their pupusas are delicious and kid-approved. They serve warm tortillas with beans prior to the rest of the meal which is a nice bonus.

First time here, but there will definitely be another. Tucked away but a nice sized restaurant inside. It was very clean inside and the employee/hostess was very sweet & welcoming. I ordered 2 papusas and a pork and red sauced tamale. The tamale was okay. Nice corn sweetness, spicy yet bearable, but the pork was a little on the dry side and could've used more seasoning. The papusas on the other hand were excellent. I got one with beans/cheese/chicharrón, and one with beans, cheese, loroco, and chorizo. This was my first time trying this dish and I'm officially a new fan. Soft, savory, and flavorful. I can't wait to return and enjoy even more combinations of these and try their bakery section, which if as good as their papusas could definitely increase this rating...

The best in the area for sure!!!! The staff is absolutely amazing and they all are so accommodating, providing such warmth to their customers.Once I received my food it was such a delight to taste the BEST pupusa!!! I was freshly made, not greasy and absolutely delicious! Thank you! I'll definitely be back!!

I've been having a hard time finding an authentic Salvadoran spot in LB, but I found this place on Yelp and decided to dine in. I tried the caldo de gallina, pupusa de revuelta, and pastelitos. They didn't disappoint! The pupusa had a different masa texture than what I'm use to but it was still good. This place also has a mixture of Guatemalan food/Mexican. The service was quick and had a mom and pop feel to it. I'll definitely come back to try their breakfast menu!

Lovely family restaurant with a cool vibe! I ordered the Pupusa plate through Yelp and it was all packed and ready to go when I arrived. The customer service was friendly. The food was delicious- it was my first time trying pupusas and it didn't disappoint. The rice and beans were solid and the sauces added a lot of flavor. I wish they gave a little more sauce and veggies but everything was still great and I would 100% come again.

La Esperanza is a little Salvadorian/Mexican restaurant in the neighborhood that offers comforting food. My GF and I came here to pick up some food for lunch. I ended up getting their chilaquiles, which included rice, beans, and two eggs (made your way). The entire thing was $18. The chips had lots of flavor. The portion of the rice and beans were small but they were good. I liked that the rice was flavored rice. The eggs were cooked perfectly the way I liked them. My GF got tacos and popusas which she enjoyed. We picked up but the inside of this place casual. There's a few places to sit and enjoy. I like that they had a large variety of different dishes. I would like to come back and try their other items. The lady that rung us up was really nice. The food didn't take that long. Overall we would come back and I recommend if you're looking for something good and easy.

Everything was fresh, hearty, and delicious. We started with the complimentary corn tortillas with black beans. The tortillas were still warm and melted in our mouths! We had the pastelitos de carne which were great, especially with the pickled cabbage heaped on the plate. The fried plantains were INCREDIBLE. So crispy and sweet, served with crema and beans of course. My husband got the pupusa plate (holy crispy cheese edges in the very best way). But my absolute favorite was my dish, pollo con crema. It was perfectly salty and unctuous without being heavy. We also loved the little sweet and spicy tamarind candy that came with the check. Can't wait to go back to try their drool-inducing pastries!

Authentic Salvadoran and Guatemalan cuisine, in a homey, no-frills ambience. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, La Esperanza offers a varied menu that you will not find anywhere else in Long Beach. Pupusas, tamales, fried plantains, and even regional salsas and beverages. Come hungry: portions are large. My husband and I came here for breakfast. They were busy, and there was only one waitress, so it was understandable that I never got the coffee I ordered. Fortunately, the other drinks were fantastic. We loved the Atol de Elote, a sweet corn drink, and Champurrado (extra thick hot chocolate), both of which were served boiling hot. I enjoyed the simplicity of the Tipico Salvadoreno, a breakfast plate with perfectly cooked plantains, Guatemalan black beans, and Central America style sour cream. The Tamal de Elote had good flavor, but was extremely dry. My husband got the Chilaquiles, which were the best thing we ordered. I like that they serve complimentary pupusas in place of tortillas. Recommended.

La Esperanza Restaurant was a huge disappointment, mainly due to the terrible customer service. From the moment we walked in, it was clear the workers had no interest in helping us. We stood at the counter for what felt like forever before anyone acknowledged us. Even then, the worker who finally came over seemed annoyed and uninterested. When we tried to ask about the pastries, the worker was dismissive and provided no helpful information. It was as if we were bothering them by just being there. After placing our order, it took an incredibly long time to get our food, despite there being no other customers in line. When we finally received our order, the pastries were stale and unappetizing. To make matters worse, our coffee was cold and tasted awful. Trying to get the attention of a worker to address these issues was nearly impossible. They seemed more interested in chatting with each other than attending to customers. The checkout process was equally frustrating. The cashier was slow and inattentive, and it took an unnecessarily long time to process our payment. Overall, the poor attitude and lack of professionalism from the workers made this one of the worst experiences I've had at a bakery. I won't be coming back to La Esperanza Restaurant and would advise others to steer clear if

I was in the mood for pupusas and this place was close by. I decided to give it a shot. I was so impressed by the service and how easy and fast it really was to get my food. The atmosphere was great. I was greeted by a young lady. It was a bit busy but everything went extremely well. The pupusas were delicious.

Authentic Salvadoran food. The pupusas revualtas are my favorite. Today I tried the chilaquiles, Yuka fries and my boyfriend had the torta. We come here regularly and the food and service is always great. They also have plenty of dessert options such as pan dulce but I always get the cheesecake.

Muy sabroso y muy limpio el lugar y personal muy agradable siempre están pendiente del cliente lo recomiendo

I ordered 2 Revuelta pupusas, empanadas de leche & an horchata & it was pretty good. I think the flavors of the cheese & beans inside the pupusa could have had more flavor but the empanadas & horchata were on point delicious!

such delicious papusas. I come here whenever I have a craving. This is the place to go for Salvadorian food in Long Beach 100%. They are $4.99 each and they have so many different fillings to choose from

Best pupusas I've had... Very fresh and made to order! I love the queso con chicharron , queso con loroco and the revueltas. Excellent service and great bakery too!! 10/10!

Great food! Horrible cooks. They will always get your order wrong. Or something will be missing. Beware if you're ordering to go. Check your food. I like their popusas but I never get my exact order. Multiple times have I picked up and gone home with wrong fillings in my popusas or missing of cheese. I let the restaurant know of this every time and they don't seem to make anything right. Unfortunately, I will stop supporting this restaurant.

Super delicious clean and excellent service come eat here . A little expensive but worth it

The food here is finger licking good! The pupusas are the BEST I've ever had! The cheese they use is stringy and melts in your mouth. I got the pollo en crema (chicken in cream) and the cream sauce is to die for! The service is amazing! Divina always has a smile that makes you feel welcome, her kind neutering nature makes you feel taken care of. My absolute favorite spot for Peruvian food! I will come back as much as I can :D

Great good, friendly service. The pepian and hilacha stews are highly recommended. Cafe de Olla is sweet but not too sweet.

Great place for authentic Salvadoran Food one of the waitresses there is very pleasant. The pupusas and platanos are my favorite. If you are interested in trying something out of your comfort try Pupusas!

Went here tonight with my husband and son, weren't too many people when we walked in, we order the asada tacos meal with rice and beans, two bean and cheese pupusas and the corn atole The asada tacos were a bit dry no Salas came with it, my pupusas were okay more beans then cheese and my corn atole was kind of watery and not thick like I was looking for it to be. I've been with my husband for over 12 years and he's Salvadoran I know how the food is supposed to taste, The waiter, she was nice but the only one taking orders and serving the food once it was done. My husband had to ask her about our food because we waited almost 30 minutes and people who came in 20 minutes after us were getting there food before us. Once she gave us our food she never check on us again. We waited so long for our food we were already tired ate a little bit and ask the waiter for the check and a to go box. Which she forgot to give us that and my husband had to get up and ask again. I don't think we will come back again as I was super excited to go because of all the reviews I saw on yelp, but was disappointed on our service I'll give it a two star. I guess sometimes you have to go off your own opinion and not the opinions of others, because everybody's experience is different.

We really enjoyed eating here. Not only are we LB lifetime locals but we're so damn proud to have this gem in Lb. With gentrification and changes happening, this is one place to support! Pupusas are delicious, fresh and flavorful. The staff was friendly and attentive. Ambiance was cozy and homey. Returning and spreading the word for sure.

My Guatemalan best friend recommended this spot , so glad she did bc I enjoyed everything !! My order was 2 revueltas pupusas + tamale de elote (btw it tasted sooo delicious) very authentic. Everything was delicious I would Forsure continue coming here our server was friendly and felt welcomed !! Stop by if you're the area you won't be disappointed.

Yummy food and cute interior. Friendly service. I like the pupusas. Tamales are good too.

I order and spoke to the owner. I absolutely love this place the papusa are on point!!! I love the salsa and picked cabbage. When I say salsa it is el Salvadoran not pico. Definitely have to stop by for a bite!

Called and placed my order ,gentleman who answered was very patient and nice and went over a few of the pupusas with me$4.34 today but during the week revueltas are under $2.60 now that's A Steal Deal BRB for the fast and customer service inside Okay I spoke with Lester he's such a nice employee, I drove to lake Elsinore and I didn't have to worry about any condiments kissing he even offered plates etc. Now time for the food We where all happy campers The red sauce (salsa) isn't hot at all I recommend tasting every pupusa so you know what you like I ordered 3cheese,3bean and cheese, 3 zucchini & cheese and 3 carne asada and cheese and I have to say I not my family was disappointed . The location is about 20min from my house and though I have a few near by -I wanted to help a Yelp eatery and did a mini minny moe and I came here Parking hmmmm sucks if you aren't parked right in front of the Restaurant

Let me start off by stating the fact that is very hard to find a good Guatemalan/ salvi restaurant around this area. My hubby and I have tried 4 different places near by, and we always feel like we overpaid for what the food is worth. With all that being said, I am very happy to announce that this restaurant did not disappoint!!! Food was delicious, amazing flavor and it was worth every penny spent. The hand made tortillas are perfection. We order the Guatemalan Breakfast and the Chicken Pepian. This is now our favorite restaurant near home!

F A N T A S T I C !!! The food is authentic! They staff is super friendly! The pupusas are to die for!

First time trying this restaurant started with a welcoming greeting by staff, continued with great drinks and delicious food. Ambience is family oriented and friendly. I am definitely coming back to try many other choices in their menu.

Great customer service- always a warm welcome and promptly seated with drinks and appetizers. Chilaquiles, popusas, carne asada, rice, beans, tortillas, guac etc are all great. Aguas Frescas very yummy too. Awesome place.

The food is very tasty and the staff very friendly. I have ordered here a few times as to-go only so I've never eaten inside, but it looks clean. It's a bit expensive but with this inflation it's expected. I don't mind paying more of the food is good, I've had their pupusas and their sopa de gallina and have really liked both. I recommend this place.

The staff is so friendly I came to eat here with my wife and we order a bit of food that was so good it's taste is perfect; we will come back next time for more I'd recommend bring a date of significant other to this restaurant.

Just a second visit to this Salvadorean restaurant. Delicious good and great customer service. As always, I had their "revuelta" pupusas; beans, cheese and pork and their "ensalada drinks" Just found out that they also offer Guatemalan options as well.

Honestly the best pupusas I have had! Customer service is great as well! She already knows what I get the minute I step in the doors. My daughters say it's their favorite restaurant and trust me they are very picky eaters. The plátano frito is also delicious! Trust me you won't be disappointed.

This little restaurant is a hidden treasure. If You're looking for authentic Central American food (El Salvador/Guatemala) this is the place to good. The food is absolutely delicious! I orders the chapín breakfast and empanadas (rellenitos with frijoles) the best rellenitos I ever had! The service is amazing, our waitress was attentive and welcoming. The ambience was also great! Highly recommended this place :)

There is so much variety in the menu it's hard to decide what to eat. The pupusas were delicious and our server was really friendly!

I'm Salvy and the pupusas are the best in LB! In fact, all the food here is super good except the tamales they're Guatemalan and not choice (no offence) lol but overall a really good spot to come with the fam or just for takeout. Highly recommend!

This place is a total gem! The staff is so kind and polite and you get greeted as soon as you walk in. The place is clean and decorated in traditional Central American decor. Everything was fresh and made to order, nothing is sitting around. My husband ordered a Guatemalan soup (don't remember the name) and he enjoyed it. It came out hot and freshly made. The broth was seasoned to perfection. I got the Chapin breakfast the beans were perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned. The platanitos were so sweet and soft, perfectly fried. The freshly made bread on the side was divine. BUT I have to admit the pupusas were DELECTABLE! Best pupusas I've had in the US hands down!! Authentic, delicious and the curtido was made authentically and was amazing. I can't say enough good things about this place. Estuvo todo perfecto muchas gracias

Best pupusas in town!!! This place is always great! Pupusas are always on point and they are huge! Great service and great food! Plátanos fritos are delicious as well. I highly recommend this place.

Great small business to support. Guatemalan food is delicious. Not many I find that are this tasty

The pupusas and tamales were amazing! Great staff, and very clean restaurant. You can really see and taste the passion that the cooks put into the food. Amazing service from Louis and Angel! They were both very kind and attentive our entire experience. Another great thing that really stood out to me was the all gender restrooms! Thank you all for a wonderful first experience my girlfriend and I will be back!

This place is absolutely, positively, AMAZING! The service, the food is *chefs kiss* delicious!!! Very clean restaurant and ambience! Very authentic! Their pupusas are mouth watering. I tried the vegetarian and revuelta pupusas and I did a little dance afterward! Please come and try this place!

Work provided us with food from here. Tried the Revuela Pupusa and Queso Pupusa. I'll be honest, I have had my fair share of pupusa since its one of my favorite food items and this is mediocre. Revuelta is probably the worse Ive had. More beans with queso flavor that looks like brown mashed potatoes and taste like grainy muhsy beans more than anything else. Barely taste any meat or none at all. The queso was very good though but really, you can't go wrong with anything queso. So if this wasn't good, then there is a real problem. The Curtido cabbage slaw that goes on top on the pupusas were good but not the best I've had. Their salsa was actually very refreshing and not spicy wt all for the non spicy eaters out there. It would have been a 3 star but some pupusas can be over burned, queso can be oozed out in a mess but main reason why i had to give it a 2 star was the "SECOND time" i had found HAIR in the Mix. Need i find a 3rd times the charm? Not for this. I really tried to give it a benefit of a doubt and let it slide but BOTH times my work ordered this, both times i found hair! So no thank you. At the rate im going, what are the odds? Either is THAT dirty or i need to buy a lottery ticket. But if you guys don't mind, try the queso instead of revuelta.

My first time at a authentic Guatemalan restaurant. Portions are huge. Garnachas were good. Caldo de res was my favorite. The corn atole was so delicious and authentic. Loved their tortillas with frijoles as appetizers. Service was good. Lady was vey courteous and helpful. Ambiance was very family oriented. Quiet and enjoy full

Wow! We found this spot by chance and it did not disappoint. We brought our Guatemalan grandparents to have some authentic Guatemalan food and man let me tell you, YOU HAVE TO EAT HERE! Best pupusas ever! I love their sweet bread, pollo en crema, YUCA FRIES, atole de elote, desayuno chapín, PLÁTANOS FRITOS, and you can't forget the chocoflan! I am so happy that I found this place! I will be coming back! Service is great Worth every penny. Bring your family and enjoy a wonderful meal

English and Spanish review. I came here today to get authentic Central American food from I must say I was very impressed!! I got the Guatemalan tamales with pork and it was cooked to perfection. It have a nice big tasty pork inside the tamales and was warm, tender and delicious!!!!!!. I also got two pupusas the revelta ones and wow just amazing, hot the right amount of meat, cheese and beans inside. The cabbage they give you on the side was perfect not to spicy like some other places. I definitely recommend this place and I will be coming back soon. Also very friendly staff as well That works here! This restaurant definitely is an accurate representation of Central America Cuisine. I can't wait to go back 5 stars En espanol: ¡¡¡Vine aquí hoy para conseguir auténtica comida centroamericana de debo decir que estaba muy impresionado!!! Tengo los tamales guatemaltecos con carne de cerdo y fue cocinado a la perfección. Tenía un buen cerdo grande y sabroso dentro de los tamales y estaba caliente, tierno y delicioso!!!!!!. También pedí dos pupusas, las de revelta, y wow, simplemente increíbles, con la cantidad justa de carne, queso y frijoles en su interior. El repollo que te dan en el lado era perfecto. Definitivamente recomiendo este lugar y volveré pronto. Además, Los meseros son muy amables. Este restaurante definitivamente es una representación exacta de la cocina centroamericana. No puedo esperar para volver . Cinco Estrella's