Here at Hayward there are various places to get pupusas near campus but which ones rank the best value wise and taste wise?
I have tried in total 5 pupuserias here in Hayward. Each one of these places will be graded by taste, affordability, and quality. I will include the price note I have DoorDash with all of them with an expectation of one, which I will go into detail about later. All these places will not include delivery fees or service fees. Just the price you would pay going to the physical store.
I will judge each place based on two iconic flavors: queso con loroco and revueltas. I will not be judging based on anything else that also includes the salsas and curtido each place provided for free.
The first place is Pupuseria El Girasol, located in Lorenzo Manor Shopping Center on Hesperian Blvd. The two pupusas together valued at $7.80 plus tax, each pupusa costing $3.90.
This being the first pupusas I tried meant they put the standard on the rest of them. With high expectations, I tried each one with an open mind and a hungry stomach.
The queso con loroco was okay. It didn’t have anything wrong, but neither was it something I would crave. The cheese was really good. I suspect they used Salvadoran cheese. The locoro was a bit dry and definitely wasn’t fresh. It is a 3 out of 5 star.
As for the revuelta, it was lackluster to say the least. The only part that truly stood out to me was the cheese once again. As this restaurant is right next to a local Salvadoran market, they use authentic Salvadoran cheese. It was 2 out of 5 stars.
The second place I tried was Pupuseria Y Taqueria Los Cocos, located on Mission Blvd. The pupusas together valued at $9.64 plus tax, each pupusa costing $4.99 each.
These were more expensive than the last place. Usually I don’t buy pupusas once they are out of reach of $4.50 territory, but perhaps this place could change that for me.
The queso con locoro was awful, the cheese wasn’t good, and the locroco was just as bad. The cheese didn’t feel authentic and lacked the flavor of cheese. You think the lcoroco would overpower the cheese at that point, but it was dry and quite sad to eat. It was 1 out of 5 stars.
The revueltas is where this place truly shines through these revueltas were delicious and a homey warm feeling. I truly felt the love of this one, which made me question what went wrong with the other one. This place did justice to that $4.99 price. It was a 4 out of 5 star.
The third place I tried is the iconic Pupuseria Las Cabañas Restaurant & Bar, located on Mission Blvd. This place has been a staple for the Salvadoran community for quite some time and for a good reason.
The reveuletas and queso con loroco were just as good as when I was a kid, and that isn’t nostalgia talking. They are made with integrity and authenticity for the community. The revueltas feel like a home-cooked meal, and the queso con loroco has a good cheesy taste with fresh loroco, making these prices of $10.50 plus tax worth it. Each one costs $5.25 each, and both are 4 out of 5 stars.
The Seafood Grill is located at the Southland Mall food court. This place gave me high expectations as they use an open viewing comal for everyone to see as they make pupusas. A bold proclamation If I say so, this place does not offer delivery services.
The pupusas had different prices the queso and loroco costing $4.95 and revueltas costing $4.60 in total $9.55 plus tax.
The queso con loroco was fantastic and truly made me see why they are confident in their skills. Each bite made me want to tell the pupusera to make me another one. A lovely surprise from a mall food court. 4.5 out of 5 stars.
As for the revuelta, I felt as if they were so high and somehow fell down below. They were okay. I wasn’t a big fan and honestly disappointed that they could somehow do so well with one but the other do so mediocre. 3 out of 5 stars.
The last place may be the biggest betrayal I have felt towards my community. I originally wasn’t going to review this place as the price for each one is $6.19. I haven’t heard of these places being talked about, so I truly wondered how they would taste.
Los Platanares, the last place I have tried, is located on Hesperian Blvd. I like to mention they use an app called FromTheRestaurant as their ordering system and then use a delivery service from DoorDash to carry out the order. These being the most expensive pupusas I have bought so far, costing in total $12.38 plus tax.
They were incredibly greasy, which was not fun to try to eat with your hands. The taste of queso con loroco was not good in fact, the greasiness from the pupusa mixed with the cheese and loroco made it not enjoyable to eat. I couldn’t finish it. It is 1 out of 5 stars.
As for the revuelta, once again super greasy, which is a big no-no for me. These tasted better than the queso con loroco, but that doesn’t mean it was good. For the price, I felt a bit scammed overall, this place is not good at all this place was definitely the worst. The pupusa itself was 2 out of 5 stars.
I don’t associate Hayward with having the pupusa spots you should go to, and after this experience, I think they are slowly making more of a presence here. They are most definitely more expensive in Hayward, but some places are hidden gems you should definitely try.
