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Rinconcito Salvadoreno Restaurant
Category: Restaurants Latin American Latin American [Edit]
2062 Commercial DrVancouver, BC V5N 4A9
Neighbourhoods: Grandview-Woodlands, The Drive
(604) 879-2600
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
20 reviews for Rinconcito Salvadoreno Restaurant
20 reviews in English
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Review from Beata S.
Vancouver, BC
2/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Family run business, fresh food and some free time to play on my iPhone before food arrives. Love it!!!
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Review from Christopher N. W.
Vancouver, BC
3/19/2012
Once again I found myself heading to the Drive in search of edible food. There was bowling at Grandview Lanes on the agenda and it just made sense to eat in the vicinity of the Alley. I do like Commercial Drive but I find the task of finding great food to be very taxing. The Drive does "okay" very well and "mediocre" is the standard. I'm not sure why this is... but I may have found somewhere I would actually journey back to eat at and not just give in because I'm there.
Enter: Rinconcito. It means "corner" in Spanish and very aptly is almost on the corner of 6th and Commercial. I have walked past it's unassuming frontage hundreds of times on my way to Memphis Blues and I always noticed the sign: "Best pupusas in Vancouver." There was a time I had no idea what a pupusa was but even then was pretty sure their competition was nearly non-existent. Similar to claiming "Best Anticuchos," of which I -unfortunately - have yet to see on any menu in the city. (If you are aware of anywhere to obtain this divine Peruvian street-food... please let me know).
Sam and I met just outside the restaurant and no one was late this time. Inside there were a few occupied tables. The decor is a stripped down utilitarian one yet is somehow warm in it's simplicity. I have never been to El Salvador but I imagine there are many places that look exactly the same as this. We sat in a spacious booth and the server brought a multi paged menu over to us. Samantha looked radiant and fresh faced, dressed in a super cute wide sleeved scoop neck blouse; she ordered a Corona and I tried a Pacifico which was new to me... and not very good. I don't think I have had a good Mexican beer ever. Corona is OK with lime in it but I don't ever buy it. the beer list at Rinconcito is standard Ethnic Restaurant: Kokanee, Bud, Molson for a little more than whatever Ethnic Import they carry, whether Tsing Tao, Singha, or Corona. but it isn't about the beer. We are here to try El Salvadoran food.... which at first glance seems very... Mexican. Tostados, burritos and tacos... but the pupusas where the reason I was there so I ordered on of each of the 4 that they offer: Pork, Bean and Cheese, Cheese, Cheese Bean and Pork. Oh, I see how this works.... Sam ordered a vegetarian tostada which came before my pupusas. Quite a bit before. Like an irritating 10 minutes before.
So, Sam waited patiently for my food to come out cause she's rad like that. I understand that things take different times to prep and serve, I'm a cook... but it was really unprofessional to have a 10 minute lag between our dishes. Perhaps they thought we were sharing, but no side plates ever made an appearance. Whatever. Once we did taste her tostada it was quite delicious. Fresh salad ingredients cool against the warm crisp tostada shell. I would order one but I would put meat on the bugger.
4 nice sized pupusas at $2.75 a piece... I figure with the 'slaw I will be contentedly full. I cut into the first pupusa that much like a Jamaican Patty I am unable to tell which is stuffed with what. Cheese! And green! Um, ok... Turns out the cheese had jalapeño or poblano or some such medium heat chili in it. This is pleasant and I like the heat but the overall flavour is a bit bland. I add salt (there is no pepper apparent on the table or in the restaurant) I pause and take a bite of the slaw.... OK. It's tangy and salty and good and then it clicks. Im supposed to eat the salty slaw with the pupusa and both an accompaniment and kinda like a condiment. This helps. The house made spicy salsa while watery is quite fresh and tasty.
I finish pupusa the first and move onto it's brother. Bean and cheese. Yup - good but the same problem; these things need something more. Green onion and a bit of red pepper or something. They seem genuinely authentic though so who am I to try to bastardize their cuisine? Well, I'm a chef with a great palate for one, I mean cultural relativism aside food is dynamic and evolves over time. Thus far, while I like the pupusas they have room to evolve. I finish the second and onto the third.
A mix of all three ingredients... Hello. Now we are onto something. The pork is super tender and the filling is a nix mix. The pupusa shell is crisp on the outside with a nice warm doughy corn flour density. They taste like warm thick fresh tortillas and that is really nice. This ends up being my favorite and mixed with the salsa and slaw is pretty good... leaving the straight pork for the last.
This one is nice but lacking in the amount of filling. They really could bulk it up. I know they are cheap but it seemed to be all dough and no filling. The pork is shredded and lightly seasoned. You can really taste the true piggy flavour kinda sweet and well.... how does one describe pork?
As far as Rinconcito. I'd go back to try other menu items because I like to give second chances, but the service, which was spotty would have to really improve to keep me as a customer.Listed in: Best Food Under $10
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Review from Cameron T.
Burnaby, BC
11/3/2011
Rinconcito has delicious El Salvadorian food that won't put too much of a dent in your wallet. The pupusas are AMAZING, the tortilla soup is fantastic and the tacos are fresh and tasty.
The only reason I can't give five stars is because sometimes (depending on how full the restaurant is) food can take a while to get out of the kitchen. If Yelp had a four and a half star option that would be my rating.
The owner is often the server and while he may come off a bit abrupt, he means well. -
Review from sherbert h.
Vancouver, BC
7/19/2011
My first taste of Pupusas. My partner and I went in to order some Pupusas at Rinconcito, on the recommendation of a good friend.
They take a little while to make so we went to a near by record shop to browse for a few minutes.
We returned to freshly made Pupusas packaged to go. On our way out the owner asked us why we don't stay to enjoy the food. He seemed like such a sweet man so we did and we were certainly glad we did. - So we could heartily praise him after our meal:
The food was perfect temperature and the beans and cheese inside were plentiful and savory. The salsa and pickled cabbage (Curtido) was the perfect compliment.
We will most certainly be going back for further investigation. -
Review from Aaron H.
Vancouver, BC
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
Slow service, and forgetful about both drinks. Really good authentic food though. Friendly owner. Cash only!
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Review from Nat P.
Vancouver, BC
2/18/2011
"Just start walking down the Red Burrito side of the street - I'll meet you"
So i did. The sun hadn't been out in ages, and i walked down the Drive (southbound) a little more slowly than i normally would, soaking in the warm rays, noting the vibrancy of the colours...dreams of the coming summer heat breezing through my mind.
Then i saw him - walking towards me, my dinner date...
"so i figured wherever I met you, we would eat there"
so i turned to my left, and he turned to his right - and there we were. We had to read the sign a few times, slowly " Rinconcito... Salvadoreno... Restaurant"
Inside the music was strangely loud, and a sun weathered face came around from the back to welcome us. I made an assumption he's the owner. I liked him immediately, his charm convinced us to have sweet juices instead of "just water". I chose Cebada juice (cinnamon tasting and bright pink - a bit like Horchata) and my companion chose the Tamarind juice (if you like Tamarind, get this juice!)
The place was full at 5pm on a Friday.
We ordered a Beef Burrito and Chicken Enchiladas. The beef burrito was all business: cubes of seasoned steak with whole beans and fried onions. Fluffy rice and an uncomplicated guacamole on the side.
The Chicken Enchiladas were lounging in cheese, green sauce and refried beans. It was "the most amazing Salvadorian thing i've ever put in my mouth." Indeed.
The owners' charm also had us flirting with the idea of having Flan for dessert - but our bellies couln't take any more deliciousness.
The music continued to play loudly - as if there was some celebration I was unaware of...Maybe celebrating the sun? great food? friendly vibes? I don't know.... But for about 45 minutes on a cold February day i felt like my dreams of hot days in summer sun somehow were no longer distant - they were right there.
So just keep walking along the" Red Burrito side" of Commercial Drive, and you'll happen upon a pocket of sun, filled with great service, flavourful food, and Flan (should you chose to accept it) -
Review from Chris S.
Vancouver, BC
1/3/2011
Great, simple, traditional take on Honduran / Mexican. A staple on the Drive.
Call ahead for take out if you're in a hurry or sit down if you have the time to kill. It's a small kitchen and can take a while to turn meals around if it's busy, hence my recommendation to call ahead for take out.
*NOTE: They are closed on Tuesdays.* -
Review from Jasmine O.
Vancouver, BC
2/17/2011
I think they wanted us to hurry up cos they wanted to close last night. I wasn't really aware of the time (9pm?) as my wife and I chatted about my adventures in Cuba. For some reason the menu reminded me of Cuba.
The food was pretty good but nothing spectacular. They only take cash. -
Review from Jessie J.
3/30/2009 ROTD 4/29/2009
When I moved back to Vancouver from Washington, DC, there were two kinds of food I feared I would not be able to enjoy in my new home (just as I hadn't been able to enjoy overpriced, flavourless sushi back east): Ethiopian and Salvadoran. Imagine my ecstasy when, moving near Commercial Drive, I found that good quality versions of both would be available within walking distance of my place.
Last week I finally sampled the Salvadoran delights on order at El Rinconcito (coincidentally, also the name of my fave Salvadoran joint in DC: http://www.yelp.com/bi...).
The pupusas were good, if not the best I've ever had. But you can't really go wrong with a pupusa, I'll certainly come back for more. The coleslaw (which I usually love) didn't do it for me. The service (by the owner and his daughter) was friendly, but slow, and a little absent-minded. The fried plantains were served as dessert rather than a side dish, which surprised me.
What stuck out the most was what was NOT on the menu: horchata, tamales, El Salvador's amazing soups full of everything (including the kitchen sink). I asked about horchata (a sweet and cinnamony rice-based drink), and apparently they do have it sometimes, just not that Friday night. Next time I'll go on a Saturday.
I should have done the same about the tamales, because after we'd finished eating, my companion noticed a small daily specials board on the back wall that had both tamal de pollo and my favourite tamal de elote on it. I suspect those specials rarely change, but I recommend checking the board, it won't be pointed out to you.
The items that most caught my fancy for a future visit were the whole fried fish and guacamole. I saw a couple of orders of each on other tables, and they seemed to have been enjoyed with gusto.Listed in: My Drive
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Review from Reena M.
6/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
Pupusas are amazing!! I don't have a point of reference for them except taco bell's crunch wrap, minus the crunch, plus the home made awesomeness! If the pupusa's only competition is taco bell then they're well ahead of the race! And I can't believe how inexpensive they are. I need to come here more often!
So why the 4 star, not the 5? The tacos we got were good, but could have had more flavour. But even with out this point, the minus 1 actually came from confusion of our order: we ordered 2 pupusas and an order of chicken tacos. 1 pupusa comes...
me: "oh I ordered two."
girl goes to ask our order-taker, "no they just ordered one"
me: "i swear i ordered two.... can we just get another?"
them: "okay".
We finish pupusas.
"Can I bring you your bill?"
me: "Umm... we ordered tacos..? I'm sure I saw him write this one down."
Girl: "oh, okay let me check." a minute later.. "oh they're coming.." 5 mins later.
*sigh* it was just a little annoying but nothing outrageous that would deter me from coming back. -
Review from Roanna Z.
Updated - 6/27/2010
Yesterday El Rinconcito was packed and the music made me feel like I was on vacation. (as does the service.) Everything is made fresh to order, so come when you have time, but definitely come. The food is good.
The front windows were open to the street and there were lots of good vibes in the air :-) lots of foot traffic to watch.
This is an authentic El Salvadorian place, but you will find many similarities with Mexican cuisine, i.e. there are burritos. I ordered the Carne Taco's, a side of refried beans and some fried plantain. The big guy cannot resist those Pupusas because they're so yummy, and also ordered a side of casa miento, translated as "marriage" -of beans and rice :-)
The interior has improved since I was last here, more defined to a retro look. It's cute now and the one server they had on duty is cute too. The owner helps bring the food out, and you get a good family feeling.
I heard a blender roaring.... do they have Margarita's?
I'll let you know next time, -unless you beat me to it !
P.S. that picture does NOT do justice, we need a livelier shot.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/30/2008 First to Review
Authentic. I simply LOVE owner operated businesses. The decor is what you'd expect, a beer… Read more »
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Review from Dani B.
4/8/2009
There are not a lot of Salvadorian places in this city, and this is definitely one of my favorites.
If you are on a budget get their pupsas, they are cheap, delicious, and two or three will surely satisfy your hunger. They have meat and veggie pupusa options and it comes with a vinegar coleslaw (super yummy).
I've only had the pupusas but the other menu options looked good too.
They also do the Vancouver festival circuit so if you don't go to the restaurant there is a pretty good chance you will find them at a local Van event during the summer. -
Review from Chloë E.
Vancouver, BC
11/28/2008
I literally squealed with delight here when I saw the menu offered deep fried yucca. Having munched on this dry but tasty tuber in the jungles of South America, I crave it on the same level of comfort food as mashed potatoes with cheese.
This cute licensed diner offers a blend of Mexican and El Salvadorean plates. The most famous serving at Richoncito, however, are the pupusas. There were none left when we arrived for a late dinner.
My friends ordered the chicken enchiladas and I had the yucca con chicharron. The yucca must have distracted me from the fact that I'm not really a fan of chicharron--basically deep fried pork fat. The dishes arrived one at a time, with friendly service from the owner who was having his dinner in the back of the restaurant. I'm inclined to give this spot a four-star review based purely on nostalgia and my appreciation for Latin American culture, but I think that would mislead you.
Expect a re-review when I head back for pupusas this weekend! -
Review from Glen D.
Vancouver, BC
4/13/2011
Yesterday we stopped here on a quest for any place that makes papousa. Turns out Rinconcito makes the most fantastic tasting papousa's ever! Unfortunately I am not a connoisseur of them as this was my first. The food here is great with a home cooked feeling and excellent prices. Not much ambiance but with food like this, you will be too satisfied to notice. Definitely recommend to anyone wanting El Salvadorian cuisine cooked to perfection with friendly polite staff.
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Review from Michael H.
Calgary, AB
8/9/2010
My favourite and most ate at eatery on The Drive. Pupusas are a compulsory order, even if they take a bit to get to the table (made to order).
Listed in: Top of the Heap - Food
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Review from Hanna C.
Vancouver, BC
4/8/2009
Yummmy fresh pupusas for my tummy! Takes a bit long (if you're the impatient type), but totally worth it. Great guac. Get the fish if they're not sold out, it's always good times.
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Review from Jenn P.
Vancouver, BC
6/27/2010
Everytime I go for Mexican in Vancouver I end up disappointed. But not this time! I went with some girlfriends and everyone loved ther food. I had the Carne Tacos which were so simple but perfect. And I had never had papusas before but I am now a fan! I tried them all but really preferred the cheese ones. A few things to be aware of, they only take cash and when you order food, they just bring it out once it's ready. So I had my main before the appies came out. But the food is great and the prices are good and this restaurant is a new favourite!
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Review from Raymond O.
Vancouver, BC
7/4/2009
My first pupusa experience - fresh, exciting, and wickedly cheap! Can't wait to do it again! These mini-tortilla look-alikes were baked to order here, with tempting array of different fillings. I got crazy and ordered a variety, all of which tasted delish and savory. From fried yucca and plantains, soft tacos, and horchata, the food has an authentic vibe to it. Down home Salvadorean cuisine. Another neighborhood gem on the Drive.
Listed in: C.O.V. (Cash Only Vancouver)
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Review from Barry M.
2/1/2010
The food was pretty plain.. I guess that's the style here. Maybe I tried the wrong stuff but it took a long time to arrive and they seemed understaffed with only 1 waitress for the entire restaurant on a busy dinner night.
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Review from Sarah p.
Vancouver, BC
4/9/2011
popped in tonight for a quick meal before an artisan bread making workshop ( whole other story)
4 bucks for a glass of wine..gotta love it
shared chicken and pork tacos and mixed pulpasas among 4....
was cheap good and authentic...took me back to the hole in the wall places we loved in central america
cash only but really cant go wrong
