I gave this place a few chances. It has been below average every time. This time on the way to use the restroom I saw one of the cooks mixing a big pot of salsa on the floor next to the bathroom door. Also I had to wait twice as long for my order because they made it wrong the first time.
Abby W.
My sister has been raving about this pupusa place forever and we are so glad we finally made the trek down to South Bay to try this. Rating Breakdown: 2/2 Stars for Taste -- We ordered a bunch of pupusas to split. We tried the chicharron con queso, zucchini, mixed pork, and the beans and cheese. Honestly, they were all so good, it was hard to pick a favorite. I wasn't even mad at the ones without meat in them. Just slather them pupusas with red sauce, pile that slaw on, and shove it in my face. We also tried the huitlacoche quesadillas for the novelty, which was good but wouldn't go out of my way to have it again. The quesadillas palacios were also worth trying. The surprise of the night was the empanadas de platano, a dessert that was not too sweet and a great way to round out a meal made of carbs on carbs on carbs. Don't forget the horchata or the jamaica to wash the carbs down. 0.5/1 Stars for Value -- Not cheap! The menu doesn't have prices on most of the items so you're kind of ordering blind. We ended spending about $25 per person, but we kind of went overboard because we wanted to try everything and we also got drinks. 1/1 Stars for Customer Service -- If you dine in, they give you complimentary chips and salsa. (They're Costco chips, but free is free.) The servers were super nice. There's a bit of a wait for the food, but everything was made in house (except the chips lol) so that was to be expected. Bonus star because I would definitely be back for the pupusas and to try other items on the menu like the alambre!
Bing Wang
The Chicken Mole is out of this world!!!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
Julie R.
I used to love this place. Went there today absolutely NOT! THEY ARE RUDE! And when you order to go you better chek it. Because if it is wrong they will try to bullshit you! The guy had the audacity to tell me not to return. When they were in the wrong. I am always on the food chain side but not with this place. Que lastima me da. Pero nuka mass!!!!
Han V.
$16 for a burrito with a rock the size of a tooth in it. My boyfriend lost his appetite and is wondering if he may have consumed tiny bits of rock while eating this burrito. DoorDash credited us, but we're extremely disappointed because the tacos and pupusa were good. And who knows how many other rocks ended up in other people's food? Hate to do this to a small restaurant, but please do better next time.
Paul G.
Great food prepared with care. I am nearby and have enjoyed many of their offerings. I highly recommend the Alambre Especial - delicious!
G H.
Great food but high prices for some meals. Environment is not fancy but it's comfortable.
Tobreth H.
Had two papusas. I had chicharron and frijoles and they were good but wish I had done one cheese. The slaw with it is spicy. Too much spice for me.
Marlette C.
I've had this restaurant bookmarked for a long time. I finally got to try them last night. TLDR: Food was delicious and the staff was super friendly. No prices on most of their menu items though. It's a bit of a hole in the wall joint, in a small strip mall, with a club next door and a small parking lot. There's both indoor and outdoor seating. The inside dining area is a bit small. They can seat maybe 30 people. We were able to grab the last table. Looking at the menu, it was hard to decide what to get. Everything looks so good. I seriously wanted to order everything! They even had another short menu on the wall. I went with the pupusas ($4.50 ea), and my wife got their quesadillas palacios (~$16) with chicken. I ordered 3 different pupusas thinking I could eat them all. They were so big that I only ate one of them. I love that they make it to order. There was one lady making pupusas the entire time we were there. The masa is thin and there's filling to the edge. So good when it's still hot and the cheese is melty. I tried my wife's quesadilla, and that was awesome! I loved the deep fried masa. It just fell apart while eating, otherwise, it was really tasty. We washed everything down with a large horchata. So good! I just docked a star because their menu items weren't all priced.
Adrian O.
Impressed!! I really enjoyed the pupusas revueltas, so much so I ordered another one mid meal. The pupusas have a great consistency all around. Thin layer of masa so it's not so doughy, with the right amount of filling. You might get a good one with cheese oozing out, that's when it's nice and crispy, mm m mmm! The slaw was nice and seasoned, could almost eat it on its own, but you can't! The sauce! The saaauuccee! I need a bendy straw to drink out of the bottle. It's got a nice tang with a hint of oregano that just complements the slaw beautifully. These are some of the best pupusas I've had around the entire Bay Area. Walking in, a bit skeptical as we were the only ones in, but by the time we left, all the tables were taken, with people starting to line up. It must have been all the "mmmmm!!" going on inside aha ha. Service is great, tended to fairly quickly and regularly. Food came out hot and fast. Pay at the counter for quick and easy checkout. This is the typical vibe of a place you look for that deliver great food. I wanted to hug the lady that made my pupusas! You can tell she's passionate in the kitchen and she totally owns it. I'm definitely going to be a regular here, and I'm sure you will too! Thank you El Palacio Del Sabor!
The food is amazing and authentic. The best pupusas I've had in San Jose. And the enchiladas are amazing as well
Nicole J.
Right by where I work, this place is more like a hole in the wall. I never would have noticed it had it not been word of mouth on how good their pupusas are! Their prices are also relatively cheap in my opinion. I love the convenience of placing a Yelp order and swinging by to come pick it up. The people who work there are also very nice and welcoming. Highly recommend this spot!
Rosalia Carpio
They are such a welcoming business. I'm always greeted with a genuine smile and cheerful salutations. My pupusas reveultas are always fantastic. ¡Sabrosos!The area is tough for parking but if you're ordering to go it all works out.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jing F.
My coworkers took me here for lunch. They are famous for their pupusa. The price is pretty reasonable and service is good. I ordered a pupusa with chicharones and cheese. It was very good ! The pupusa has side of curtido and it has a little kick to it ( a bit hot and spicy for my taste) but I love it! The staff were really nice and we received our food in timely manner. I will definitely come back.
Selina W.
They close at 10pm on Saturdays! Please update hours plz:) thanks. Great food and awesome pina coladas
I gave this place a few chances. It has been below average every time. This time on the way to use the restroom I saw one of the cooks mixing a big pot of salsa on the floor next to the bathroom door. Also I had to wait twice as long for my order because they made it wrong the first time.
My sister has been raving about this pupusa place forever and we are so glad we finally made the trek down to South Bay to try this. Rating Breakdown: 2/2 Stars for Taste -- We ordered a bunch of pupusas to split. We tried the chicharron con queso, zucchini, mixed pork, and the beans and cheese. Honestly, they were all so good, it was hard to pick a favorite. I wasn't even mad at the ones without meat in them. Just slather them pupusas with red sauce, pile that slaw on, and shove it in my face. We also tried the huitlacoche quesadillas for the novelty, which was good but wouldn't go out of my way to have it again. The quesadillas palacios were also worth trying. The surprise of the night was the empanadas de platano, a dessert that was not too sweet and a great way to round out a meal made of carbs on carbs on carbs. Don't forget the horchata or the jamaica to wash the carbs down. 0.5/1 Stars for Value -- Not cheap! The menu doesn't have prices on most of the items so you're kind of ordering blind. We ended spending about $25 per person, but we kind of went overboard because we wanted to try everything and we also got drinks. 1/1 Stars for Customer Service -- If you dine in, they give you complimentary chips and salsa. (They're Costco chips, but free is free.) The servers were super nice. There's a bit of a wait for the food, but everything was made in house (except the chips lol) so that was to be expected. Bonus star because I would definitely be back for the pupusas and to try other items on the menu like the alambre!
The Chicken Mole is out of this world!!!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 4
I used to love this place. Went there today absolutely NOT! THEY ARE RUDE! And when you order to go you better chek it. Because if it is wrong they will try to bullshit you! The guy had the audacity to tell me not to return. When they were in the wrong. I am always on the food chain side but not with this place. Que lastima me da. Pero nuka mass!!!!
$16 for a burrito with a rock the size of a tooth in it. My boyfriend lost his appetite and is wondering if he may have consumed tiny bits of rock while eating this burrito. DoorDash credited us, but we're extremely disappointed because the tacos and pupusa were good. And who knows how many other rocks ended up in other people's food? Hate to do this to a small restaurant, but please do better next time.
Great food prepared with care. I am nearby and have enjoyed many of their offerings. I highly recommend the Alambre Especial - delicious!
Great food but high prices for some meals. Environment is not fancy but it's comfortable.
Had two papusas. I had chicharron and frijoles and they were good but wish I had done one cheese. The slaw with it is spicy. Too much spice for me.
I've had this restaurant bookmarked for a long time. I finally got to try them last night. TLDR: Food was delicious and the staff was super friendly. No prices on most of their menu items though. It's a bit of a hole in the wall joint, in a small strip mall, with a club next door and a small parking lot. There's both indoor and outdoor seating. The inside dining area is a bit small. They can seat maybe 30 people. We were able to grab the last table. Looking at the menu, it was hard to decide what to get. Everything looks so good. I seriously wanted to order everything! They even had another short menu on the wall. I went with the pupusas ($4.50 ea), and my wife got their quesadillas palacios (~$16) with chicken. I ordered 3 different pupusas thinking I could eat them all. They were so big that I only ate one of them. I love that they make it to order. There was one lady making pupusas the entire time we were there. The masa is thin and there's filling to the edge. So good when it's still hot and the cheese is melty. I tried my wife's quesadilla, and that was awesome! I loved the deep fried masa. It just fell apart while eating, otherwise, it was really tasty. We washed everything down with a large horchata. So good! I just docked a star because their menu items weren't all priced.
Impressed!! I really enjoyed the pupusas revueltas, so much so I ordered another one mid meal. The pupusas have a great consistency all around. Thin layer of masa so it's not so doughy, with the right amount of filling. You might get a good one with cheese oozing out, that's when it's nice and crispy, mm m mmm! The slaw was nice and seasoned, could almost eat it on its own, but you can't! The sauce! The saaauuccee! I need a bendy straw to drink out of the bottle. It's got a nice tang with a hint of oregano that just complements the slaw beautifully. These are some of the best pupusas I've had around the entire Bay Area. Walking in, a bit skeptical as we were the only ones in, but by the time we left, all the tables were taken, with people starting to line up. It must have been all the "mmmmm!!" going on inside aha ha. Service is great, tended to fairly quickly and regularly. Food came out hot and fast. Pay at the counter for quick and easy checkout. This is the typical vibe of a place you look for that deliver great food. I wanted to hug the lady that made my pupusas! You can tell she's passionate in the kitchen and she totally owns it. I'm definitely going to be a regular here, and I'm sure you will too! Thank you El Palacio Del Sabor!
Restaurantji Recommends
The food is amazing and authentic. The best pupusas I've had in San Jose. And the enchiladas are amazing as well
Right by where I work, this place is more like a hole in the wall. I never would have noticed it had it not been word of mouth on how good their pupusas are! Their prices are also relatively cheap in my opinion. I love the convenience of placing a Yelp order and swinging by to come pick it up. The people who work there are also very nice and welcoming. Highly recommend this spot!
They are such a welcoming business. I'm always greeted with a genuine smile and cheerful salutations. My pupusas reveultas are always fantastic. ¡Sabrosos!The area is tough for parking but if you're ordering to go it all works out.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
My coworkers took me here for lunch. They are famous for their pupusa. The price is pretty reasonable and service is good. I ordered a pupusa with chicharones and cheese. It was very good ! The pupusa has side of curtido and it has a little kick to it ( a bit hot and spicy for my taste) but I love it! The staff were really nice and we received our food in timely manner. I will definitely come back.
They close at 10pm on Saturdays! Please update hours plz:) thanks. Great food and awesome pina coladas