Pupusería & Taquería Mercy — Restaurant in Vallejo

A taste of El Salvador nestled in the wonder that is the north bay. A hidden gem. Lots of Salvadoran and Mexican food restaurants, but not many with Nicaraguan food on their menu. I had plantains and Pupusa and Nacatamal. Generous portions and tasty and has the authentic tastes I grew to love. Just one pupusa can fill you up and not take a hit on your wallet. The Pupusa was fresh off the grill, It came out sizzling hot and the flavor was outstanding. They're handmade to order, crispy on the edges, soft in the center and bursting with flavor and best of all for 3 dollars each. The side coleslaw was also great and tasted awesome! Mouthwatering deliciousness with great vegetarian options. They have plenty of El Salvadorian, Nicaraguan and Mexican specialties. Kudos for the tomato sauce (special sauce for pupusas) it was so good. Food is great and not expensive. Food taste like your moma cook it. Homemade style Nicaraguan food. If you like real Nicaraguan food this is the place, Excellent cacao. And the nacatamales are to die for. While I loved the netflix show 13 Reasons Why, I'm actually annoyed that their small scene here gained this place more traction. Selfishly I wanted this to be my secret. However I'm very happy for the owners because their food is amazing and they deserve more customers. Wide variety of choices on the menu, most of it looked good. Restaurant was clean and everyone working in the kitchen was wearing face masks and face shields and gloves, the lady taking our order was quite friendly, attentive but not annoyingly so. Will definitely go back; lots more dishes we want to try. Who doesn't like Nicaraguense food? Super helpful and happy people serving some yummy food. I recently had their chicken tamal and it was soooo good. Sometimes with Salvi tamales they get a little too mushy, but these are nice ratio of soft. The chicken is cooked perfectly. Also, their beans are really friggin good. I don't know how beans can taste that good lol. If you visit this place be prepared for a short wait. Everything was hand made and prepared as it should be! The restaurant itself is small and take out only, but damn was the food good! Thank you for a pleasant experience. When we are back in the area, we will...

FUN FACT: If you look closely, you'll realize that this place is right across the boxing gym used in the Netflix series, "13 reasons why".

But just a heads up, before coming here just know IT IS A CASH ONLY STORE. Be prepared, I came with $40 but only ended up spending $10. Not so bad for 2 pupusas that stuffed me (mind you I had an empty stomach). There is not much parking, they only offer street parking which is limited.

Walking in you order & then sit down. The inside looks a bit run down, the area where you dine in has displays that look like they haven't been cleaned in awhile, the color scheme seems like I walked into an episode of "I love Lucy" or "pleasantville", but I suppose the adds to the charm of it. The seat I sat by was located right next to the screen door that they leave locked. It was like a movie. The heat from the outdoor creeped into the seating area as the lady walked my order over. I imagined a low rider outside & the voices outside linger in. And in the background, I could hear the grill in the kitchen sizzling.

The pupusas were so good. I had planned on eating 5 pupusas but forgot how filling the dish would be. I did not even have a drink to accompany the food. I enjoyed the empty store and took time to look at the artifacts inside the building. I left more...

30 Years this restaurant has been in business, Amazing! Their business license on the wall proves it and the food is great and shows why they have been around for so long. The staff is very nice and accommodating. I went in and forgot my face mask and they gave me a new one for free. They really adhere to the CDC guidelines, which was comforting to me and made me feel good about buying my takeout food at this establishment. Their menu includes all types of Mexican and Salvadoran food. I had the Carne Asada Plate and my husband the Enchiladas Plate. My daughter had a Chile Verde Burrito and my son a few Birria Tacos. I also like how they have a convenience store next to the restaurant and I was able to purchase an El Salvador Shirt for my son and a Nicaraguan Face Mask for my in laws that were visiting from Nicaragua. My in laws said they loved the Pupusas and Nacatamales they took home to eat. My husband was also able to send money back home through the money transfer services also available at this location. We will continue to come back and recommend this great restaurant to our family...