Los Guanacos

***My review in a nutshell: they were awesome but now they are closed :(
I honestly have to say that this was hands down my favorite place to eat pupusas. They are delectable and there is really no dish that I’ve tried that I did not like. Service is excellent and they are honest, hard working people.
However, for all the long time fans (they’ve been here for 29 years), you will be sad to know that they have recently closed this location down indefinitely. I took a picture of the sign I saw on the door on my way to work this morning.
The sign is in spanish and I’m too lazy to translate lol but they are closed indefinitely for reasons beyond their control.
If i had to take a guess, its probably because SF rent is crazy. They have another location on Mission that is just as good (noted in the sign).
Anyway, RIP Los Guanacos. I’ve enjoyed all those times you made my tummy happy :)

My mouth is watering just writing this review. I’ve been here many times and leave truly satisfied with everything.

Chicken pupusas was good, having 2 was plenty and being my first to try this spot i will sure to stop by again.

Who in the heck ordered 48 pupusa’s? I had to wait like an hour for mine! Needless to say but I’m going to say it anyway, this place rocks, even though the place is not fancy or even modern. With my very sensitive stomach this food won’t make you sick. So for now this is my go to place when I’m in the mood for pupusas.

Very delicious expect to wait 30 minutes handmade! best tip order in advance and get there on time there is only one lady making them fresh per table so they will take a while but worth waiting for. Especially when you have more the two people with you. You each would order two of them each. Best every time.

Always come here when my girlfriend gets her nails done at Molly’s. So it’s me and my 2 year old love the pupusas and the ensalda drink. The customer service is nice and restaurant is always clean.

I lwould recommend the zucchini pupusas, yuca frita, and horchata. I love this place.

Stopped here for lunch while visting friends. We needed a place within walking distance, and Los Guanacos came up on Unilocal.Staff was was very friendly and accommodating to the pair of not quite 2 year olds with us. We got the jalapeño, zucchini, and the bean papusas, and all three were delicious! The quesadillas were quite good. If you love gooey cheese, this place is for you! The guac was fresh and yummy too.
Décor is nothing fancy, but it’s the food that counts.

Cheap, authentic el salvadorean food.

5 star rating cuz these are the best pupusas i’ve had!
The pupusas are made fresh as they always should, which is partly the reason as to why the food takes a little long… but who cares if theyre worth waiting for right?! The first time I got a plain cheese one with my Plato Tipico. It was REALLY good. I wasnt dry or overcooked and tasted amazing with their curtido. An El Salvadoran friend of mine says that each restaurant has a curtido that works best with their pupusas. I beg to differ because this is some of the BEST! Do get the pork and cheese one when you go because its even better, with juicy pork adding tons of flavor.
The pastels on the plato tipico, which can be ordered as a side, are pretty big and, when eaten hot with their red salsa. The El Salvadoran tamale (which comes in a banana? leaf as opposed to a corn husk) was very big. It was masa with a meat filling. While it wasnt bad, i just didnt care too much for it. The only other dish I’ve had is the steak with french fries. The steak was overcooked BUT the seasoning on it was really good. Id probably give it another shot, especially since the fries (which are probably just frozen ones) are not bad either.
The service is kinda slow here, but its kind of expected with everything made fresh and only one or two people working at a time. Parking is not too difficult either as it is in a part of Mission that is not very busy.

Being Salvadorenio, pupusas are as much a part of my life as TV, video games, and cheeseburgers are to the Average American. My family has been coming here for many, many years (so much so that the ladies behind the counter know me on a face-​basis), and have always ordered the same thing: 6 pupusas de queso, 6 revueltas, chilate con nuegados, yuca frita, and a huge tub of horchata. Unlike other things I’ve constantly been given to eat (hamburgers, pizza, burritos, tacos, etc) I’ve never once gotten tired of any of the food from this place. Nuff said.

holy man… I just got stuffed for 4.00
Went back and bought more food for home for later.
on the last two reviews I went in and tried the Pupusas… wow they were good. Made to order and packed with flavor these disc shaped beauties are now on my list for cheap great eats.
I rarely order soups from restaurants to go cause they never taste that great. The chicken soup here is literally made like my granma gadie used to make. The stock was flavorful and made the old fashioned way… by putting chicken parts into water. The soup had a large leg and a breast, skin and all in it when I opened it up.
The chicken fell off the bone, was very juicy and really tasty. The veg was also fresh and complemented the soups light yet hearty stock.
Service was also kick ass, the guy behind the counter was nice, courteous and friendly.
I will be here again and again, I want to try the other dishes on their menu. This place is great, check it out if you are in the area.

this is my to go for place for pupusas! they never fail me and it is always so good! I love their pork & cheese pupusas and their cabbage is made to perfection. I actually ate here once and who would’ve known just plain steak and french fries can taste so goood together! Another big plus is it is not as hard to find parking as the mission.
If you are looking for the best pupusas this is the place to go!

Wow, Los Guanacos — what a pleasant little surprise.
I will tag onto the rest and say the pupusas were great. This place felt like a home, not a restaurant. From the moment you walk in you can tell this is bound to be authentic. It tasted like a home made meal growing up, and I ordered one of my childhood favorites — Milanesa.
We sat back with a few Coronas, tried several things on the inexpensive menu, and were satisfied. The friend plantains are a must too!

3 star instead of 4 why? Staff or owners does not give you a warm welcome first of all, (this is my second time). I felt kind of unwanted, I had a non speaking Spanish friend with me. The waitress was aloof, from beginning to end. I said thank you as i was leaving, got a nonchalant thank you. The food was good tho.

I’m a white guy. My Asian GF and I got stared at so hard by the customers here I felt like I was back in the loathsome Philadelphia suburbs. Kinda weird because there was already an older white guy there. Maybe it was just that we weren’t regulars. But who cares? The waitress was fine and the food mostly delicious. The carne asada plate was first rate. Offered either medium rare or well done nominally, and ordered medium rare, it was actually at least medium, but none the worse for it. Yummy. Nice big piece too. Perfect crispy-​fluffy fries.
Pupusas are as great as their rep. Best I’ve had. The tamal was soggy, though the meat and vegetables inside were tasty. A deep-​fried orangey meat-​n-​pastry thing came with my Comida Tipico platter. It was really overly fatty-​tasting, in stark contrast to the fries and pupusas.
I’ve gotta disagree with the $$ price rating, especially relative to the Restaurante Familiar down the block (listed as $). I have the impression that the prices are actually lower at Los Guanacos and the food better prepared and presented. I’d rate LG a three and a half. (While R. Familiar probably wouldn’t merit a return trip)

I always get the same two things here: either cheese & loroco pupusas or plantain with black beans & sour cream.
Definitely the best pupusas I’ve ever had– not greasy at all. I am just picturing the perfect bite now: a bit of the pupusas topped with the cabbage & a squirt of spicy salsa (yes, squirt… the salsa comes in squirt bottles.)
I’ve been coming here for years & the food is always delicious. It’s a no frills type of place and you may have to repeat your order twice, but the food speaks for itself & its well priced. If you comes here once, you’ll want to come back. It’s good, authentic, simple food.

I love pupusas. Deep fried masa filled with cheese, pork and cheese, beans and cheese. You name it. I love it! Los Guancos makes their pupusas to perfection. With each bite I happily accept the fact that I am plugging up my intestines with deep fried joy. Oh all the damage I am doing to my arteries, but that won’t affect me for at least another 15 – 30 years so I am good to go. I am not a fan of their curtido though! I like my curtido to actually taste like it is made with vinegar and theirs always taste like it is watered down. They will, however, give you as much curtido as your little heart desires.
The restaurant itself is no thrills. And the lights are the brightest lights I’ve ever seen. When you drive by on Mission St. you surely can’t miss it. If you have an ugly date or are self conscious yourself, maybe go get your pupusas 100 ft down the street at Restarante Familiar, which is cheaper and the curtido is better. (Three wins there… you’re welcome.)

These are some pretty damn good pupusas. I can’t say they are the best, as the pupusas made by family members take that honor, but these are very close.
Los Guanacos is an interesting place. Walking in with my extremely white Polish girlfriend always gets weird looks, but once I order (in Spanish, of course), we all end up talking shit with each other. The food does take a little while, as the pupusas are made from scratch (as everyone else has already said), but it’s definitely worth the wait.
However, the last few times I’ve gone, they’ve screwed up my order. Whatever I end up getting is always delicious, but one time when I ordered an order of bean and cheese pupusas, I got loroco. When I ordered an order of cheese with rice and beans, I got beans and cheese. I love surprises, but sometimes I just want to get what I ordered.
A Guanaco, for those of you who don’t know, is a llama-​like animal, but is also a derogatory term for Salvadorans, which pretty much means they are stupid and lazy. My mom made a joke saying «well it makes you wonder why the place is called ‘Los Guanacos’ since they keep getting your orders wrong.» It’s okay, though. She’s from Nicaragua and there pupusas refer to the vagina.

Like another reviewer said «Best pupusas ever.»
I have been going there for 10+yrs now and they have never given me a bad, wrong or cold order. I mainly now order for pick up but the sit down is just as good. Friendly staff that speaks both Spanish/​English. Fees are not too bad and parking is usually right outside their door.