Lily's Salvadorean Restaurant

A group of us got together to embark on a new culinary adventure, and we ended up visiting this intriguing establishment. The restaurant boasts ample indoor and outdoor seating, creating a spacious and inviting atmosphere. The staff members were incredibly friendly and kind, going above and beyond to provide us with exceptional service. The food, a delightful blend of traditional and fusion dishes, proved to be quite satisfying. We relished the traditional offerings while savoring the creative twists in the fusion options. The cocktails were particularly delicious, adding an extra touch of enjoyment to our experience. Considering the location, the prices were reasonable and justified the overall value we received. All in all, this restaurant stands out as the finest Salvadorean dining experience I have encountered in the greater Seattle area. 3.8 for food 3.5 for atmosphere 4.8 for service

Finally stopped in here for dinner with my two grown up kids. We've been anticipating this for a few days now, ever since our recent E Bike ride past the sign! We saw it while rolling rapidly past.. and we both let out a whoop, whoop in sync! Being raised on rice and beans with plantains, they were both stoked. So you can imagine, expectations were very high, and they were hungry! Well, "Lily" did not disappoint! In fact, it made their day and the smiles were proof. Our food was flavored with childhood memories and suddenly our conversations switched from the current to their childhood neighborhood! What restaurant do you know of... that can do that?! Our server was so personable, and he ended up sharing his joy, and pics with my son... Motorcycles! Listening to them both visit about a shared passion while having our meal served, just added so much value to our time there. We highly recommend Lily's, not just for the delicious food, but for the vibe too!

First time at Lily’s, such a pleasant spot. The staff was friendly and helpful, food was yummy and balanced. Nice portion sizes compared to some spots in West Seattle. Most definitely will be back!

I hope they do great and have a long life here. I love their food. Their pupusas are delicious and I'm super glad they are close! They went from Sunday street market to brick and mortar and everyone should know about this west seattle restaurant.

Loved the pink horchata, red sauce on the side. Will come back to try their other pupusa fillings. They have a few vegan/vegetarian options which is great.

Great ambiance and friendly family-run business. Got two different types of pupusas and a horchata. Quick service and tasty food. So excited for another great breakfast, lunch, and dinner option in the neighborhood, we will be back!

Delicious and authentic. Very friendly staff and very knowledgeable with their suggestions. Recommend from drinks to mains and to desserts. Must try

Best pupusas I’ve ever had. We ordered the pupusas with jalapeños , with chorizo and the ones with habanero. Fríendly staff, nice environment.

Delicious items I recommend: *Chips and salsa. Homemade and made to order *Pupusas: Pork, beans, cheese and habanero sauce (SPICY) *Margarita. You can do traditional OR hibiscus+mint OR mango. I had the mango and it was SO GOOD!! The restaurant was one that our friends wanted to try for a while, so we tagged along. An interesting note is that some of the indoor seating are church pews which felt like a very Seattle thing to do. There were indoor and outdoor seating options. The service was great. Our server made recommendations, explained the process of Salvadoran style tamales, told us her favorite pupusas, recommended drinks and was patient with us as we decided. Overall we really enjoyed lunch!

If you are looking for authentic, hand made pupusas you need to eat here! As you may have noticed, I tend to say I am picky with Mexican or any Latin foods and it's because I grew up eating Puerto Rican food and lived in So. Cal for over 20 years. You need to try their Rumchata - "their homemade recipe" it was really good! For the pupusas, I had the Revueltas (chicharron, beans and cheese) and one with habanero. I loved the revuelta con habanero but it is very spicy. Definitely coming back soon! The owners are so welcoming and treat you like family!

I had previously eaten Lily's Salvadorean at the farmer's market. I absolutely loved it so I was excited to go to the restaurant. We got the Plato Guanaco and Carne Azada. The pork beans and cheese pupusa on the plato guanaco was our favorite item- so flavorful and tender meat. We devoured our chips and salsa too. The spice level on the salsa was perfect. On top of the food being great, the service is fantastic and the staff couldn't be sweeter. Cute space too for a gathering or date. We'll definitely be back to try more items and breakfast!

All food we ordered is top rated - just awesome! Ambience is welcoming - cozy. Staff are extremely friendly - love their service. Local beer choices too.

This is a family shop, and you can tell that everyone is very welcoming and warm. It feels like there's still some growing pains as well since they've opened relatively recently but that they're starting to get their groove. My partner and I came in on a Friday evening to try it out. There were some people at the bar, and there was one other table in the dining area so it wasn't too busy and the vibe was pretty relaxed. We were quickly seated and then offered drinks. They have a good selection of beverages to accompany the meal. We ordered the yuca fries with the chipotle sauce (I'm assuming it's a chipotle mayo) and they were delicious. For the entrees, we ordered the Plato Guanaco and the Poblano Chile Relleno. On the Plato Guanaco - all of the items including the pupusa and plantains were great, although the rice and beans were standard. We enjoyed the Chile Relleno less, I found the filling on the dry side, not too tasty, and the actual fry of the Chile was a little soggy. The meal was served alongside a pretty nondescript salad with rice and veggies. They were a lot of tasty things we tried (and some things I'd skip on next time) - but overall I'm rooting for this place.

From the moment I walked in, this restaurant was delightful. I came in alone around 3pm and was greeted at the door by a woman in a traditional Salvadoran dress and decided to sit inside. There were plenty of tables available. A man brought over water and a tray of samples of their house-made juices/drinks. They were very tasty! Lily came to the table herself to tell me more about the drinks and took my order, which felt very special. I ordered Lily's Special Mimosa which was the hibiscus juice + Prosecco-- YUM! For food, I had Samantha's Special Breakfast (named after Lily's daughter, she shwhich came with one pupusa, fried egg, chorizo, beans, and plantains. This was seriously the best way to have a little bit of everything and it was delicious. I had the habanero & pork pupusa and felt like I was transported out of Seattle straight to El Salvador. If you like spicy, this pupusa is a must. I'm upset that I don't live closer to visit more often. Stellar service, stellar value, stellar food. I'd give more than 5 stars if I could and can't wait to visit again.

We just moved to West Seattle and this lovely place is super close to us. I decided to grab takeout on my way home Friday, and I was not disappointed! I ordered the chicken & cheese pupusa with a side of rice and beans. You get two pupusas with each order, so for me it was enough for two meals. Everything was super delicious but the standout for me were the rice and beans- BEST I've ever had! The restaurant is clean and lovely with a small bar on the right side. We'll definitely be back for dine in for sure.

Venue is small. Nice and clean. We ordered bean& cheese, cheese& loroco, chorizo etc pupusas. They were decent but not tasty as what I was expecting and have been used to in any other pupuseria Ive been too. I couldn't even taste the loroco which usually is a pretty distinct taste. Chorizo was tasteless. The curtido and salsa that accompany the plate were also very bland. Food overall ok just to satisfy hunger. I ordered a michelada also ok-meh kind of watery. Waitress was polite. She almost gave me some one else's order and there was only one other party besides us. Makes me think that if they were at full capacity there would be mixups. I asked for the check. But I saw you can also pay at the register. When I paid and got change back I was missing 5$. I don't know if they just took tip from total or waitress did calculations wrong. I don't think I'll come back. Disappointed.

I really wanted to love this new restaurant but unfortunately it wasn't to be. The day before we planned to go out to dinner for a family birthday I searched yelp and found Lily's Salvadorean Restaurant and read reviews and decided this was where I wanted to go. I used the Yelp Reservations system and got a conformation of my reservation. At the time of our reservation we all showed up right on time only to find the restaurant packed with a sign outside saying Closed for Private Party. I went in and told the employee that I had reservations and she told me that she did not get a notification but I had my reservation conformation right there on my phone. So instead on a Friday night we all leave and have to drive around looking for another restaurant who has room for us. Not happy and would not recommend Lily's Salvadorean Restaurant OR using the Yelp reservations system.

This is a cool out of the way restaurant with a great vibe. The food was delicious and unique. Our waitress was attentive and friendly and was helpful when we asked about the food. We will go again but it sounds like they will only be at the West Seattle Sunday farmers market soon.

lily's acquired a building in the avalon area of west seattle and is now open and serving both in-person and take out but to my knowledge not simultaneously making pupusas at the sunday west seattle farmers market while they get the restaurant side of things solidified; i think i read that within a month's time and with the addition of some staff, they will be back serving at the market as well (?) the space is big because it's been a variety of other restaurants and other businesses over the years. the size of the space may be the main reason my jaw fell open (under my covid mask) after i placed my order and was told that the total would be $33! i get inflation, i get moving into a new space you have to now pay rent for but never in my life here in the states or abroad have i ever spent that much on street food. i was told the pricing changed from the farmers market. i didn't hesitate to change my order when i clarified the total for the four i originally thought i was ordering but it might have been a different result (and less shock for me) if it was clear from the beginning that each order contains two. i am used to ordering them individually so when i said i wanted four, i was thinking four total. unbeknownst to me, i was apparently ordering a total of eight which may well be worth $33 but the person who was helping me was not forthcoming in explaining how they do their orders....simply explaining that each order comes with TWO PUPUSAS would have helped and avoided the confusion that preceded my amended order. maybe others who are regulars at the farmers markets around town know to expect that when they order from lily's they'll be getting two but it took three tries for me to get my order right and feel comfortable with the overall price i was going to pay. i simply wasn't prepared to pay $33 despite being used to seattle restaurants' skyrocketing prices. as it was i walked out with two pupusas and tipped them the difference between the stated price and the $20 bill i handed the employee. i want to support them, i want them to do well in this new venture and i also understand they now have rent to pay for this new space but i just couldn't see paying that much. i include this as part of my review only to provide info to people who may also want to come to their newly opened restaurant and show them love but who'd rather not experience the sticker shock in person that i did. if you are fine with the pricing i've described, please read on! the pupusas are large and have great flavor. i love curtido and there was enough to have with both of them without skimping. i added my own salsa from home so can't comment on what they provided in the take out box. they have a menu posted outside on a banner and a fabric sign advertising "ricas pupusas." i hope they do well and that they stick around because we could use some food diversity in this part of the bridgeless peninsula. i'll probably order from them occasionally but to be honest, i was hoping for more pupusas more often in my life and eagerly anticipated this opening. i just didn't anticipate the price hike that came along with it.

Lily's is a breakfast place too! I don't think people think of Salvadorian food for breakfast or brunch, but the omelets, casamiento (rice and beans) and horchata hit the spot for me. The only thing missing is espresso drinks (there is coffee!). There are extensive alcohol offerings and a fun happy hour from 4:00 to 6:00 on weekdays and 2:00 to 5:00 on weekends. A welcome dash of flavor among the sea of burger and pizza joints this side of the bridge, go support this family-run business and enjoy the home cooking! If you're lucky, Lily herself might come out and say hello.

I really hope this place gets more traction and can stay open; I have been in twice since it opened and they're really friendly and the food is great. The location is tough because of lack of parking but it's worth it!

Authentic Salvadorian food with great service!! My new favorite spot. Pupusas are 10/10.

Been wanting to try this restaurant driving through West Seattle and I finally did! The staff are friendly and it always feels good when you go to a restaurant and you can see the "regulars" coming through as you watch engaging conversations between the staff and customers. I arrived at the start of dinner service but traffic picked up pretty fast. We did wait a little longer than anticipated for the food but they arrived hot and fresh! In the meantime, we devoured crunchy, freshly made chips and salsa as well as crisp yuca fries with a special mayo dip. First time having yuca fries...and I'm going to try and make them at home! I ordered the fish and it arrived whole so make sure you ask for the staff to remove the head if this kind of thing bothers you. The fish was fried to perfection with its crispy skin and soft, juicy flesh inside. I didn't plan on eating the whole thing! But I did...and I didn't even get to share! The salad is nothing special but it was light, refreshing and balanced out the fish nicely. Enjoyed the side of rice as well. Let us just say that only bones and a fish head were left on my plate. Friends ordered the carne asada and by report, it was a favorite! Clean plates there as well. We were able to try the rumchata in all its flavors. One has a distinct nutty cinnamon taste, another with a sweet, citrus flavor and a a sweet hibiscus drink as well. We decided to skip these drinks tonight. On a different visit perhaps. The place gets pretty busy so plan accordingly!

One of the best! Food is amazing. Good prices, delicious food, lovely people. Lily is so sweet and welcoming. Definitely go. We will be back

All five of us were looking forward to trying Lilys out....unfortunately underwhelmed. The dinner menu is EXTREMELY limited so we were hopeful we could order breakfast since it's on the flip side of the menu and didn't have any statements about ending at any certain time. Unfortunately they were not willing to flex any breakfast items and were not willing to flex additions/deletions for various food requests. The papusas were bland. And we tried them all. The steak had good citrus flavor. Everything else was bland. The drinks were ok. Definitely not the "best" margarita ever as previous reviews indicated. The mojito was interesting....green juice gone alcoholic. A meal in itself with good flavor but I just wanted a refreshing light mojito. Also drinks take a good 30 minutes!!!! No need to return. Sad because we wanted to support the new owners, but alas life is too short. :(

I've been here two weeks in a row and both times the food was delicious! Best papusas in Seattle by far! Make sure to save room for Lily's Flan, it won't disappoint :)

Stopped by Lily's with a party of four last night after our reservation at another restaurant was cancelled for technical reasons in the kitchen. We had driven by Lily's several times before and it looked like a very inviting place so we decided to try it and are glad that we did . The food we ordered was really done nicely. A couple of appetizers for starters and then the main courses (Chile Relleno, Carne Asada x2 and fried whole fish) were excellent. The flavors were very nice, clean and slightly subtle and the presentation perfect. Everyone had plenty to eat but without feeling too full, I think because if the freshness of the ingredients and preparation. I recommend Lily's to anyone looking for something new, light and healthy in West Seattle in a very pleasant setting just south of Luna Cafe (with parking.) Finally, the waiter was exceptional. Very friendly and knowledgeable and genuinely appreciated our patronage. We will be back.

What a wonderful neighborhood family place! Very nicely bright and comfortable, with delicious, extremely fresh tasting Latin American comfort food. I had experienced Lily's over the years at several local farmer's markets, so I was excited to see the restaurant open. We started with the Pastelitos. My husband ordered a chile relleno, and I had a dinner platter with a pupusa, rice and beans, and platanos. The food quality was exceptional and beautifully prepared so the the clear flavors shine. The staff are very welcoming and warm. We had a wonderful dinner and will definitely be back.

Great food and great service! Lily and the whole staff are so friendly and attentive. The Salvadoran Horchata is bomb

Lily's was a great experience all around. I went in while waiting for my car to get worked on next door and ordered the Samantha's special breakfast which was a very delicious salvadorian breakfast, the pupusa and chirizo were amazing. The service was excellent and felt very welcomed, definitely going back.

The food is amazing! We were thrilled to see a Lily's open up after enjoying the papusas at farmer's markets around town (but having to wait in extremely long lines). Here you don't have to wait in line and get the same great food. We typically order the bean and cheese papusas or the pork bean and cheese papusas. I hope they get outdoor seating for the summer ok the front patio, because it's a perfect summer lunch spot.

Came to try Lily's for the first time and loved the pupusas! Great, friendly service and very clean inside. Lily has been making pupusas for over 16 years and makes them just like the ones I grew up having in El Salvador. I highly recommend for a good hearty meal!

Wonderful breakfast place! Interior is nice, clean and airy and the food was amazing! Pupas are delicious, fresh and wonderfully cheesy! Yummy, stuffed, breakfast burrito--yum! Super friendly staff--can't wait to come back for dinner!

We went to Lily's Salvadorean Restaurant at 2940 SW Avalon Way in West Seattle, for a late lunch. When we arrived, there was only one other couple there. It's a large space. Since it was not during peak lunch time we had no problem finding a parking space. During dinner hours parking could be an issue. The owner, Lily, waited on us. Since it was not busy she chatted with us for a bit. What a nice person. We ordered the pink horchata, pork tamal, chicken tamal, plato guanaco, the following pupusas: zucchini and cheese; chorizo and cheese; pork habaneros and the loroco and cheese. We asked what makes the horchata pink and she told us it's the strawberries they add. We all thought everything was delicious. We will definitely come back to this restaurant.

I ordered pupusas yesterday. The food was wonderful but the customer service was even better. I ordered what I liked and asked the staff person on the phone what a toddler might eat.He recommended splitting the order of pupusas (2) with one spinach pupusa and one pupusa with pork + chorizo (my order was two beans and cheese pupusas). This was so helpful because toddlers will love one flavor one day and hate it the next, and this meant the best chance my kid would actually eat pupusas for dinner. Every pupusa was delicious and we sampled the juices at the pupusería and brought one home to eat with the food. I'd go back tonight if I didn't have other plans.

First time trying this place out and it did not disappoint! I ordered the bean and spinach pupusa to go. It was delicious and filled with flavor. They did forget the spinach so I needed up having just beans but it was delicious nonetheless. The salsa roja had a nice little spicy kick to it. And the curtido was fresh. I cannot wait to return and explore the menu some.

Delicious food but over priced. The service was excellent, my buddy and I had brunch "guanaco plate" and 2 cokes. $65 not including tip. A very small flan $7

Lily's was a great dinner choice! We enjoyed 3 different pupusas, carne azada and the Plato guanaco. I recommend the pupusas with cheese over those without as the creaminess is a great addition to the fluffy outside and tasty fillings! The plantains were delicious! Service was prompt and so friendly!

We stopped for some papusas to go and wish we had time to stay for a beer! Delicious pork/beans and jalapeño/cheese papusas. Can't wait to go back to this new addition to the neighborhood. Would share a pic of the food but we ate it too fast!

Friendly staff, great music, excellent food - and quite possibly the BEST Margherita my friends and I have ever had. We decide this is our new "go to" happy hour spot & keeping in mind for my next party (!)

They've been coming to the West Seattle Farmer's Market lately, and I'd been meaning to give them a try, and finally did when a pupusa craving hit me. Pupusas $9.50 (2): You can mix and match your choice of 2 pupusas from pork, beans, and cheese, and comes with slaw and salsa. I did 1 pork and cheese and 1 beans and cheese. I'd be curious about trying cheese only next time. I found it to be a pretty filling lunch. It's made hot and fresh too. ***** My Star Ratings: 1 Star - Terrible. Just thinking about it makes me angry. 2 Stars - Meh. Unlikely for me to return. 3 Stars - OK. Open to coming back, but wouldn't go out of my way to. 4 Stars - Yummy! Will definitely return if I haven't already. 5 Stars - AMAZING!!! Would plan my day or even a trip around eating here.

Been by three separate occasions to try to get lunch. Always has been closed. One time was Monday and said normal closed day, so fine. 2nd time they had a note on the door so okay. Today my. Third attempt - no note, no hours listed. Yelp indicates it's hours as listed as open. Feeling like this will be my last attempt.

They don't deserve even a star! The service is awful, I ask to add chorizo to their plain and vain Chilaquiles and first they denied it saying they didn't have chorizo, so I said well then add some chicken, the waiter came back to said the cook didn't feel like adding something... what the hell!!! I'm a chef and this non creative person is just beyond any bad word I could mention here. Never ever coming back to this @&)&hole place!

Overpriced. Not very flavorful at all. I ordered two tamales. I've never had salvadorean tamales before but it was not good. The masa was barely solid, no flavor to it at all. We also ordered chilled rellenos which were very very plain. When we sat down we were asked if we wanted to start with chips and salsa but didn't find out until the check came that they charged for this, we thought it was complimentary as most actual Mexican restaurants do. Visited on Valentine's Day and it was empty perhaps that was a sign?

This place Was very good & delicious I definitely recommend this place the food has a great taste homemade food loved it I will forsure be coming back even if it's 1hr away from me it's worth it very nice waiters and owners

As soon as you walk into the restaurant you know it is a family owned business because of the love it exudes. As a small family business owner myself, it was so wonderful to see the family working together to serve. The food was amazing and I felt it was made with so much intention, so happy they have great vegan options! I feel so fulfilled and I am so happy this restaurant exists. I pray this business prospers and continues to spread their loving energy

A delicious evening meal served by Lily: the Guanaco plate with a perfect zucchini and cheese pupusa, and a poblano stuffed with chicken and veggies alongside a bright fresh green salad. We'll be back.

We came in for the first time for brunch with our 3 year old on the weekend. The staff was very attentive and friendly, but not intrusive. My husband and I both ordered the Samantha breakfast (along with a mimosa and beer) and we both cleared our plates! I got the jalapeno and cheese pupusa while he was brave and ordered the pupusa with habanero. I tried his and it was spicy, but super flavorful. Everything was delicious, and we will definitely be back.

The best margarita I've ever had in Seattle! Pupusas were perfect. Service was great. We'll be back next week!!

These prices are a scam.....13 dollars for two pupusa? It's a stuffed bean and cheese tortilla. Don't get ripped off people. Take your money else where support local taco trucks that make this kind of food and charge you 1/4 if the price.

I've been to Lily's several times and it's always been a great experience. The pupusas are all delicious; the spicy ones have a lot of heat, so you've been warned. The poblano relleno plate is fantastic. Servers are all friendly and Lily genuinely cares about your experience.

I'm from Nicaragua so I miss my Central American cuisine. Great food. Great service. Nice people. Just a great spot all around.

Very nice people but I was a little underwhelmed by the pupusas. After reading reviews I expected something more substantial. Though tasty, They were very flat with little filling. Sides portions were also small.

The restaurant has been open for one year and we finally stumbled upon it. Go for the pupusas but make sure you order a side of plantains. Inexpensive, authentic--Lily is a Salvadorean immigrant--we can't wait to return.

We love pupusas so were so excited that Lily opened up a restaurant just a few miles from home. There are quite a few other things than pupusas, but if you've never tried El Salvadorean food, you should try these first. I always get the version with beans and cheese, and often the the cheese seeps out and gets crusty and even more delicious. You don't need to ask for the El Salvadorean coleslaw, "curtido" which is an essential part of your pupusa plate, along with a smooth chili sauce to finish up the flavor spectrum. Highly recommended!

Went to the west seattle location on a Monday at lunch. Only person in there, so that's usually a rough start. But they're new, I live close, and papusas are awesome! But...4 papusas should never run you $30. They tasted good, like papusas do. But these should be a quick meal: "street food." And unfortunately this store will not last with prices like that. That's a bummer. I'd guess half that would be "seattle prices." Still confused honestly

Amazing food! Amazing service! Best pupusas I've had in Washington easily! The rumchata was so delicious!

Amazing, I've known Lilys from the local farmers market and their restaurant did not let me down. Pupusas and Yuca fries were amazing. Will definitely be back for the jalapeño cheese pupusas. Very friendly staff! Would have taken a photo but scarfed down the food too quickly. Great addition to west Seattle!