Elsa’s Paladar

food was good. first place I ever tried Cubano food. if you’re looking to buy food here it’s gonna take at least 30 minutes, so call them in advance.

Amazing Cuban sandwich. We will be coming back for sure to try EVERYTHING on the menu.

Pros:
–sorry but there were none. Might have been an off day or what. there were about 4 customers the, so i thought it would be worth it, but i was sadly disappointed.
Cons:
–2 appetizers and a sandwich took about 25 min which was longer than expected
Food:
–Pan con Lechon -.- it was not at all what I expected. the pork was NOT tender at all. Well atleast not as tender as Cuban roasted pork is SUPPOSE to be. The sandwich was overall way too grease, but i did like the flavor of the guava sauce. That obviously doesn’t change the fact that the pork was awful -.-
–Papa Rellena (cheese & beef)/ham croquettes: If you had Portos papa rellena DO NOT even THINK about trying these. When I think of Cuban food i think of BAM! In your face flavor. This most definately had ZERO! I’m not even exaggerating! The potato wasnt seasoned AT ALL and neither was the filling. Oh, and thats not all. I got my papa rellena served to me BURNT BLACK (see photo attached) What kind of cook serves that kind of BS to customers??? No soul in this food.
–Pork Tamales: so bland… HOW do you mess up tamales?!?
I was so SOOOO disappointed. :(I had such high hopes for this place, but atleast now I know not to spend my money here ever again.

I had wanted to eat at his Cuban restaurant when he was on alpine but he had already closed down the restaurant. So when I saw he had a good truck, I was excited to check it out. I went looking for the truck last night around 9:30 pm since on Unilocal it says they are open til 10 pm. Couldn’t find him, so tried again today. I called first and he said he was just pulling up to their spot near grocery outlet at ben Holt and Pacific. This was around 4 pm. I had the ribs with moor (black beans & rice) with tomato salad with guava. He had Cuban music playing on one of those little speakers with big sound… so the ambiance was great for a food truck. He was super friendly and my food came out quickly since the ribs were already cooked. I loved the sauce, I thought it complemented the ribs well. The ribs were seared well on the outside and the meat was tender on the inside. Beans and rice were good. I liked the guava salsa for the tomato salad but wish I had more. I am a sauce girl and like things to swim in it. So, loved the food and looking forward to coming back for more. I will ask him to give me extra sauce next time. I want to try his other dishes. I am so happy there is a Cuban food truck… I like to eat all kinds of food so love the diversity of our food scene here in Stockton. Now, I hope someone comes and opens an Ethiopian place.

I have been a loyal customer since mr Domingo was on alpine. We were devastated to learn he closed up shop but were ecstatic when we discovered he had a food truck now. Off we went to find him. We got a Cuban, which was pretty good, lechon had good flavor but had lots of tiny ground up pieces of bone, ham croqueta which tasted like soggy ham sandwich, tamale was soggy and the masa was not seasoned at all and I wasn’t even sure what kind of filling it had, and lastly the tostones were too burnt. I would love to re visit them in a few weeks and change my rating, but today it was sub par. I am rooting for you mr Domingo, but two of these things were inedible!

Having tried Cuban food for my first time while out of town recently, I was determined to find somewhere locally that served Cuban cuisine.
WHOA WHOA WHOA! Domingo blew my socks off! Great Cuban sandwiches and A+ service! I live in Lodi but I happily make the trek to Stockton to eat at Elsa’s.
Pan de Lechon is my absolute favorite!

Tonight we had the pleasure of dining at Elsa’s Paladar for the first time. My son and I each had a Cuban sandwich while my wife ordered the Pan con Lećhon. All of our food was delicious! We talked a bit with Domingo (the owner) and found him informative, friendly and extremely passionate about his food. I hope Stockton gets behind this guy, and I can’t wait to try other offerings from their menu.

I used to like this place, but recently went back and the food was awful. It tasted spoiled and flavors were really bad. I didn’t even finish my food… That says a lot. Especially since the prices are a bit steep. Some plates are $ 12+ Not to mention, my stomach hurt after. I don’t know what happened to the food quality, but it’s not the same :(

Go to Elsa’s as fast as humanly possible.
Things to try:
Cuban Sandwich
Moors and Christians (black beans and rice)
Anything with guava sauce in it
We have been customers since they had their restaurant on Alpine, and was sad when it closed. They re-​opened as a food truck outside of the Honeybaked Ham store, and immediately we went to see him. Same great food, same great attitude. Domingo is a cool to be around.
I actually had to set a limit for myself that I could only come here a maximum of 1 time per week… I’m SERIOUS!
Tips: he sometimes will change locations if there is an event in Stockton. Get on Facebook and search for Elsa’s Paladar and he will give updates on his exact location and times. Also, he makes every sandwich from step 1, so yes, it will take about 15 minutes for your food. It takes a little longer than your normal sandwich, but trust me, its worth it.

We’re in loooooove! My husband’s & I first time will defiantly go back. Domingo was quite polite very mannerable. Wish I’d order from there instead of a boring sandwich from Arby’s.Even his white rice is perfect. Grilled chicken perfect!!! Salad OMG!!! We’re not black bean fans at all but GOOD LAWWWWWDDDD!!! Well worth the try enjoy folks

Freaking delicious. I was told by my brother to be on the lookout for this place. I happened across it yesterday in front of the cigar lounge and stopped immediately. My wife and i ordered a cuban sandwich. We could see them cutting the pork off a bone! When all is said and done, we will definitely be back. Our exposure to Cuban food is limited. I can’t testify to the authenticity of the food, but it sure does taste good. Isn’t that all that really matters? We’ll be going down the menu till we’ve tried it all. I’m glad we found it. 5 for the sandwich. I’m a believer.

I went here once when Domingo was in the back of the little ice cream shop on Alpine across from Michaels Pizza. I went back and he was gone and didn’t know where he went. He’s back! The food is great and authentic. Love the ribs with guava or mango sauce. The rice and black beans are on hit. I have had the lechon sandwich which is also great and the bread they use is really soft and good. The bread has a little sweetness to it. They have croquettes, tamales, salads and other plates too.
The average meal is about $ 10. Some of their plates can get up to $ 15 bucks but I guarantee the quality, flavor and quantity are worth it. Better than paying $ 15 + tip at BJ’s and being disappointed with the meal.
I don’t really eat at chain restaurants much. If you are looking to try something different and full of flavor, try them.
I love family run businesses too. Great to see Domingo working with his wife and daughter.
Checked it out! Open on Sunday’s too.

I wanted to like this place so badly! Brandon and I saw Elsa’s Paladar as we were driving down Pacific and IMMEDIATELY made up our minds that this would be our lunch stop. We love cuban sandwiches and have a favorite place in Tampa, Florida that we fell in love with.
As we walked up to the food truck we both already knew what we were going to get, cubans. We chatted with the staff and they were really nice. The price wasn’t bad and previous reviews had me extremely excited for an authentic and delicious sandwich. We got two sandwiches, two pineapple sodas and a guava shake.
Once we got back to the office we dug in and I was taken back by the amount of fat on my sandwich. With every bite I felt like I was pulling pieces of chewy fat from the sandwich. Unfortunately it wasn’t how I saw my amazing cuban lunch going. I fear we just went on an off day, but after these sandwiches I’m not sure If I’d like to risk being disappointed twice.
I feel like I’ll have to try this place at least once more to see if they were having an off day, but I feel like you should never have to pull that much fat off a sandwich.

So bomb, I’ve been ordering food from here since they sold it front of their house many years ago, along with when they opened up on alpine. Get the guava ribs on the weekend!

This place is A M A Z I N G.
Two years ago, I tried Cuban food for the first time when this place was situated in a restaurant on Alpine Avenue. I remember having the guava ribs there, and they were completely different from anything I’ve ever had before. They were sweet, soft, juicy, tender, basically any word that makes them sound delicious. But, when I came back after summer break ended, it wasn’t there anymore! I was super heartbroken, and I convinced myself that it disappeared and I would never see cuban food again.
But LO AND BEHOLD, I went to Cash and Carry this weekend and I find a food truck that says CUBAN FOOD. I think to myself, can this be the one? Plus, I recently watched Chef on Netflix and I knew it couldn’t be a coincidence that I found this Cuban food truck. I came up to the stand, the handwriting was familiar, and after I asked the cashier: it was the same restaurant! I freaked out and I ordered the Cuban Sandwich and two orders of the BBQ ribs with guava sauce, which is only served on the weekends (Thank you Jesus Christ Hallelujah that I was there on a Friday).
Took it home, the ribs were as amazing as I remembered, and the cuban sandwich was basically heaven sandwiched between the best bread I have ever had. Please take the opportunity to taste the food here because I know I will be back forever and ever.
Also, not related, if you’re UOP students, you get free drinks!

By far my favorite taco truck in Stockton, I used to frequently go to their Cuban restaurant on Alpine. You have to try the papa rellena with ground meat! Everything is great but the papa’s are my favorite. You can’t go wrong with the pinguino or lechon sandwiches either.

Stopped by this Cuban Food truck today and picked up a traditional Cuban sandwich with meduros. It was delicious! Then the guy made me a malteada which was also incredible. Sweet, flavorful and refreshing. I have also tried the BBQ ribs, and those were a treat as well. Can’t go wrong with good food and good service.

After watching «The Chef» the bf and I was on a mission to find a Cuban restaurant in Stockton or else I would have to find a recipe and attempt making this Miami staple myself.
A friend recommended us to this Cuban find. I remember coming across this restaurant before a while back but never had the opportunity to try the place out. But as luck would have it they came back with a food truck. How awesome is that?
Anywho onto the review. I ordered the cubano combo and the bf ordered the Medianoche combo which came with a side of tostones and a drink. Lets just say I am definitely a fan. I loved the cubano! The roasted pork was fall apart good and the flavor rich and moist. I could definitely taste the citrus marinade. I also enjoyed the Medianoche, but my love was definitely the cubano.
Domingo, the chef, was so gracious and kind and totally made out first Cuban food experience amazing. We shall definitely hit this spot again especially to try out their BBQ ribs with either guava or mango sauce.

This is the predominant spot to find high quality and authentic Cuban food in Northern California, and it’s prepared by a technically proficient chef in Domingo. Not only does Domingo execute Cuban specialties with skill, he is also affable and generally fun to be around. Please find and patronize this food truck, as it is a Cuban jewel in an all too predictable maze of Stockton chain restaurants.
The following categorical scores are all out of 5; when combining them (weighing taste more heavily), they explain our overall Unilocal rating.
TASTE: 5
If you are partial to Cuban food (with associated spices and execution), you’re home. With the exception of the cigars and crushing communism, it feels like Cuba. The cubano sandwich is particularly prodigious. If you don’t like the banana Cuban milkshake, there is likely a hole in your sole that no food truck can fill.
SERVICE: 4
They are quick enough, considering the food execution, and the conversation you often get with Domingo makes the wait enjoyable. How about some dominos Domingo?
EXPERIENCE/​AMBIANCE: 4
It’s as fun as any food truck you’ll find.
VALUE: 4
The prices are not impressively low, but given the food quality, you walk away feeling good about your choice. It’s like paying more for a high quality pair of underwear — it costs a bit more, but you feel great about it later.
TOTAL SCORE: 4.6
RECOMMENDATION: Pickup up some Cuban to mix up a weeknight dinner or stop by for a late Saturday night treat (when he parks on Miracle Mile).
We hope this helps!