WHAT FOOD WRITERS LOVE ABOUT POPOCA
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“Anthony Salguero’s pupusas are mesmerizing. The chef nixtamalizes and grinds corn into plump balls of masa that he stuffs with seasonal vegetables and presses flat on a cast-iron griddle set above a wood fire. They arrive at the table molten hot, oozing salty cheese, and tasting of smoke and sweet corn. It’s tempting to order another before you’ve finished the first.”
#5 of Top 100 Restaurants in the Bay Area in 2025 - San Francisco Chronicle
“Popoca is a special place that honors Salvadoran tradition while carving out its own identity. Consider its luxe approach to pupusas: They’re made with heirloom corn, then stuffed with seasonal produce like charred Jimmy Nardello peppers and cooked over a wood flame.”
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“At the most visionary Salvadoran restaurant in California, Anthony Salguero refashions his culture’s version of the beverage chicha, fermented with corn and pineapple, into a sticky, intricately sour-sweet glaze for grilled and braised chicken.”
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“While he focuses on reimagining the traditions and possibilities of Salvadoran cooking, he doesn’t abandon El Salvador’s national dish: The pupusas are exceptional, made from several versions of masa using corn he buys from Mexico City-based Tamoa.”
Food Critic Review - San Francisco Chronicle
"I’ve ordered every single thing on the brief menu. It’s the best way to experience Salguero’s exciting way of cooking: A meal needs bright and tart fruit, crisp masa, comforting chicken stew."
Food Critic Review - Berkeleyside
"Salguero’s pollo en chicha is a standout. Using chicken leg marinated and braised in fermented pineapple juice, he finishes the dish on the comal to create an extra smoky flavor."
Food Critic Review - The Mercury news
"We didn’t know dough and cheese could taste this...healthful, nourishing. Salguero uses freshly ground masa for his pupusas, which gives them a mild toastiness and blistered crunch."
"I loved the tamal pisque, which combined custardy, smooth masa with a black bean filling and wood-fired pork belly on top. The tamal was wrapped in a banana leaf that was cooked over wood embers."
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“Oakland’s Popoca is changing the way the Bay Area thinks about Salvadoran food …. You must order a cocktail — or at least sip on some Central American rum — from Eduardo “Ed” Peraza Flores’ sensational beverage program, which is full of nods to El Salvador.”
MacKenzie Chung Fegan Cesar Hernandez, San Francisco Chronicle