Precious, authentic experience. Each dish is lovingly built using traditional recipes. We were just in El Salvador and the food at Popoca was better than anything we had there. The layers of flavors and textures were incredible and so was the presentation. Our server was kind and helpful. Bless this place and the people working there. It’s a labor of love.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Meredith Wagner
All around excellent! The food was really delicious, there is clearly so much care and thought put into this menu and it really shows. Literally took zero pictures because the food was too good to wait to snap a pic. Atmosphere was lovely, server was super attentive and made the experience all the better. Will absolutely come back again and again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ashlee B.
Cool aesthetic, great drinks, friendly staff. Although tasty, I wouldn't necessarily order the bean and cheese pupusa again. But I attribute that to personal taste and my affinity for meat dishes. Definitely want to try the pollo campero the next time I go.
Vicki L.
Our group of three tried multiple dishes and loved all of them. Great cocktails - get the Mango lime with papitos. Wonderful service. Great vibe. For sure get the plantain cake for dessert- wow!
Dani K.
This is a great place to order and enjoy a family style meal. Selecting just one dish is doing a disservice to your experience. I also ordered an extra side of the salsa Verde. The missing photo is the asada plate but if was my favorite fish of night. Excellent service and absolutely remarkable food. Andres is an amazing server and answers all questions with thoughtful and thorough answers.
Leah R.
Everything I ate here was insanely delicious. Pupusas, desserts, cocktails. Worth the prices.
Marisa Sanchez-Dunning
What an amazing spot in Old Oakland! Incredible food. Amazing atmosphere. Cocktails were delicious, and service was even better. 10/10 recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Elote Cocktail
Daniel Katz
Seriously exceptional! We had 6 dishes and all 6 were phenomenal, but the yuca con chicharron was the real stand-out. Will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Elote Cocktail
Joseph L.
The food is on point. The service is attentive but chill. I'd go every day if I could.
Rita C.
Visited this restaurant during restaurant week and was thoroughly impressed! The menu offered a fantastic selection at reasonable prices, complemented by impeccable service. The ambiance was delightful, and both the drinks and food were delicious. The pupusas were a particular highlight, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
Excited to visit Popoca as a restaurant and not just a pop-up! The setting is stylish and comfortable. We had very friendly service throughout but it was the food that really impressed. The ceviche was delicious as was the chicharron and of course the papusas. We’ll definitely be coming back and sharing with our friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pupusa De Calabaza, Ceviche
Kaitlyn B.
Love love love Popoca! Been here twice so far and Maggie was our server both times. She's an absolute gem and should be protected at all costs! I believe this is their first Oakland restaurant week and we were excited to share this restaurant with some friends of ours. There's growing pains that come with opening a new restaurant, but the love and passion for this place remains so evident and all of us enjoyed our meal. The menu is thoughtful and everything I've eaten here has been delicious! From the cocktails to the desserts, it's all good. We will be back soon, thanks for having us! :)
Raul Maldonado
Elevated level of Panchitas (IYKYK, SF). That is, amazing Salvadoran food & drinks. I recommend the Elote cocktail, if you’re interested in a hint of maisa ? with sweetness. There’s the Mango Agave(?) as well for a spicy kick.Foods came out warm to fill your soul. My fiancé and I enjoyed the Pastel De Pato, Ceviche, and Pupusa Frijol y queso. For mains we loved the pollo de chicha. Highly recommend the Salvi Side Plate.Everything mentioned can be pricey altogether, so be mindful of ordering extra drinks & plates (still hard to resist lol)Service was great, and customers were pretty diverse. Small space so definitely make an advanced reservation indoor.Commuting:It’s near broadway, if you’re considering transit. Bike lanes are good, but not amazing. Lastly, if driving, okay is okay, but Old Oakland feels like it’s re-emerging. Also, have no Bluetooth devices on in your trunk more or anything in sight of your car. (General advice people forget)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Joina
Just got off the phone with the manager who had just informed me that my reservation for tonight got cancelled due to a private event. While I understand these things happen, the appropriate thing to do would be to inform me of this a week ago when they closed the reservations for the night. Ok, I could still understand if this fell through the cracks until last minute. It would be better if he offered to reschedule to another night and offered some complimentary drinks or appetizer for my troubles... Instead, I got attitude for inconveniencing them with a reservation... will not be coming here ever after all.
Service: 1
Meryl Bailey
Cannot say enough good things about Popoca. Every dish we ordered was delicious and inventive - especially the beets, the duck turnover, and the pupusas. Nice atmosphere. The cocktails were excellent, and the service was amazing. Everyone was amazingly professional. They did not rush us, and they coursed the plates nicely. We felt the prices were reasonable compared to other similar places we've tried recently. We will definitely go back.
Precious, authentic experience. Each dish is lovingly built using traditional recipes. We were just in El Salvador and the food at Popoca was better than anything we had there. The layers of flavors and textures were incredible and so was the presentation. Our server was kind and helpful. Bless this place and the people working there. It’s a labor of love.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
All around excellent! The food was really delicious, there is clearly so much care and thought put into this menu and it really shows. Literally took zero pictures because the food was too good to wait to snap a pic. Atmosphere was lovely, server was super attentive and made the experience all the better. Will absolutely come back again and again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cool aesthetic, great drinks, friendly staff. Although tasty, I wouldn't necessarily order the bean and cheese pupusa again. But I attribute that to personal taste and my affinity for meat dishes. Definitely want to try the pollo campero the next time I go.
Our group of three tried multiple dishes and loved all of them. Great cocktails - get the Mango lime with papitos. Wonderful service. Great vibe. For sure get the plantain cake for dessert- wow!
This is a great place to order and enjoy a family style meal. Selecting just one dish is doing a disservice to your experience. I also ordered an extra side of the salsa Verde. The missing photo is the asada plate but if was my favorite fish of night. Excellent service and absolutely remarkable food. Andres is an amazing server and answers all questions with thoughtful and thorough answers.
Everything I ate here was insanely delicious. Pupusas, desserts, cocktails. Worth the prices.
What an amazing spot in Old Oakland! Incredible food. Amazing atmosphere. Cocktails were delicious, and service was even better. 10/10 recommend!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Elote Cocktail
Seriously exceptional! We had 6 dishes and all 6 were phenomenal, but the yuca con chicharron was the real stand-out. Will be back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Elote Cocktail
The food is on point. The service is attentive but chill. I'd go every day if I could.
Visited this restaurant during restaurant week and was thoroughly impressed! The menu offered a fantastic selection at reasonable prices, complemented by impeccable service. The ambiance was delightful, and both the drinks and food were delicious. The pupusas were a particular highlight, and I thoroughly enjoyed them.
Restaurantji Recommends
Excited to visit Popoca as a restaurant and not just a pop-up! The setting is stylish and comfortable. We had very friendly service throughout but it was the food that really impressed. The ceviche was delicious as was the chicharron and of course the papusas. We’ll definitely be coming back and sharing with our friends.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pupusa De Calabaza, Ceviche
Love love love Popoca! Been here twice so far and Maggie was our server both times. She's an absolute gem and should be protected at all costs! I believe this is their first Oakland restaurant week and we were excited to share this restaurant with some friends of ours. There's growing pains that come with opening a new restaurant, but the love and passion for this place remains so evident and all of us enjoyed our meal. The menu is thoughtful and everything I've eaten here has been delicious! From the cocktails to the desserts, it's all good. We will be back soon, thanks for having us! :)
Elevated level of Panchitas (IYKYK, SF). That is, amazing Salvadoran food & drinks. I recommend the Elote cocktail, if you’re interested in a hint of maisa ? with sweetness. There’s the Mango Agave(?) as well for a spicy kick.Foods came out warm to fill your soul. My fiancé and I enjoyed the Pastel De Pato, Ceviche, and Pupusa Frijol y queso. For mains we loved the pollo de chicha. Highly recommend the Salvi Side Plate.Everything mentioned can be pricey altogether, so be mindful of ordering extra drinks & plates (still hard to resist lol)Service was great, and customers were pretty diverse. Small space so definitely make an advanced reservation indoor.Commuting:It’s near broadway, if you’re considering transit. Bike lanes are good, but not amazing. Lastly, if driving, okay is okay, but Old Oakland feels like it’s re-emerging. Also, have no Bluetooth devices on in your trunk more or anything in sight of your car. (General advice people forget)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just got off the phone with the manager who had just informed me that my reservation for tonight got cancelled due to a private event. While I understand these things happen, the appropriate thing to do would be to inform me of this a week ago when they closed the reservations for the night. Ok, I could still understand if this fell through the cracks until last minute. It would be better if he offered to reschedule to another night and offered some complimentary drinks or appetizer for my troubles... Instead, I got attitude for inconveniencing them with a reservation... will not be coming here ever after all.
Service: 1
Cannot say enough good things about Popoca. Every dish we ordered was delicious and inventive - especially the beets, the duck turnover, and the pupusas. Nice atmosphere. The cocktails were excellent, and the service was amazing. Everyone was amazingly professional. They did not rush us, and they coursed the plates nicely. We felt the prices were reasonable compared to other similar places we've tried recently. We will definitely go back.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5