Popoca Oakland

"Popoca is an Old Oakland restaurant with fantastic pupusas and other Salvadoran dishes. Their Restaurant Week $65 dinner is three-courses with a head-on prawn salad, pupusa de loroco, and a chicharron plate with plantains, rice, and beans." - julia chen 1

"Meet wood-fired pupusa paradise in Old Oakland. At this upscale-ish Salvadoran spot, the corn cakes—full of chanterelles, loroco, or whatever’s in season—are made with masa that’s nixtamalized, ground in-house, and then perfectly blistered on the hearth. Lucky for us, the rest of the food lives by the same smoky spirit and never fails to impress. You’ll see incredible braised chicken covered in sweet-sour fermented pineapple sauce and finished on an open flame, fried black beans with a satisfying slightly burnt flavor, and a smoked-to-order whiskey cocktail you’ll absolutely want more than one round of. This moody, low-lit place regularly pops off on weekends with glammed-up people here for date nights and birthday dinners." - lani conway, julia chen 1

"Ever since former pop-up Popoca opened their brick-and-mortar in Old Oakland, it's been easier than ever to get their we-can’t-stop-talking-about-it Salvadoran food. This place focuses on traditional Salvadoran dishes, with fresh and seasonal takes. The vibe is date night with sultry mood lighting, plants, and stained glass windows everywhere. It’s the perfect setting to eat perfect wood-fired pupusas made on a beautiful wood-fired hearth. They come with three fillings that change up depending on the day, like sweet potato, hog trotters, and classic beans and cheese. Each one is a master class in masa that's the perfect mix of meltiness to crispiness. The yuca con chicharrón with the softest chicharrón on record and the pollo en chicha with a tangy fermented pineapple sauce also need to be on your table. " - julia chen 1, lani conway, ricky rodriguez

"Meet wood-fired pupusa paradise in Old Oakland. At this upscale-ish Salvadoran spot, the corn cakes—full of chanterelles, loroco, or whatever’s in season—are made with masa that’s nixtamalized, ground in-house, and then perfectly blistered on the hearth. Lucky for us, the rest of the food lives by the same smoky spirit, and never fails to impress. You’ll see incredible braised chicken covered in sweet-sour fermented pineapple sauce and finished on an open flame, fried black beans with a satisfying slightly burnt flavor, and a smoked-to-order whiskey cocktail you’ll absolutely want more than one round of. This moody, low-lit place regularly pops off on weekends with glammed-up people here for date nights and birthday dinners." - Lani Conway

"Dish: Yuca con chicharrón The yuca con chicharrón at the upscale Salvadoran restaurant Popoca in Old Oakland should be the eighth Wonder of the World. The fried yuca is crispy on the outside and pillow-y soft on the inside. It’s paired with fall-apart pork belly chicharrón that’s topped with slightly sour curtido and this triple threat: bacalao mayo, small crispy fish, and salsa criolla. At all costs, get on your table now. " - Julia Chen 1, Ricky Rodriguez