El Tio Restaurant y Tienda — Restaurant in Charlottesville

An authentic El Salvadoran restaurant that offers excellent service and all the comfort foods seasoned to perfection. Close to UVA, 250 and 29 in the old Tokyo Rose.

Service: GREAT! We were happily greeted by Leo who explained the menu and took our orders. He was super polite to those with us not familiar with the cuisine.

Food: Arrived to the table quickly and tasted AMAZING. Items that were not advertised as spicy came out as expected. The portions were very hearty and easily shared.

Pricing: Pricing is right on point. We had 4 appetizers, 3 entrees and 1 dessert for $56.

Venue: The restaurant itself is very clean. The decor is tasteful and they even have an 8ft shadow box displaying items representing El Salvador! If casino games are your thing... those too are available.

Bathrooms: The only con for this location can be found here. It was difficult to get around the items stored in the hall to get in and out of the bathroom. They were clean, but the hot water men's room sink took a very long time to get hot.

Overall, this is a great location. We will be returning...

This is the best Latin/Central American restaurant in Charlottesville. Yes, I have tried them all. Their pupusas are extremely fresh, savory, and cheesy, especially the pork one. Their rice and beans are made with care. Meats are always grilled to perfection, favorites being the Choripollo and carne asada. They always have fresh drinks which come in huge mugs. The horchata is one of the best; they add this morro seed that many places don't use, which makes it taste almost chocolatey. Large portion of delicious Guacamole. Chips always warm and made right. This is all in addition to the reasonable prices, and the folks there being so friendly and ready to answer any questions about the menu, always...

I was greeted with a smile upon entry and the smiles kept coming throughout my wonderful dining experience! Treats on the menu are many - I sampled as much as I could. I particularly enjoyed the corn tamales - El Salvador style! They were crispy, hot and have a slight sweetness to them - these will not disappoint! The special puposas are something I have not encountered before and tasty. For a main course I enjoyed the tilapia whole fried fish - and side of salad and rice. I enjoyed the fish’s fresh and crispy texture. I also tried the plantains 👍 I am so glad to have El Tio here in America’s Charlottesville. If you want to try authentic El Salvadoran food...