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Popoca, Oakland, CA

Popoca

4.7
4.7
12 Reviews
$30 and under
Latin American

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2 people
19:00
Booked 17 times today
  • Charming
  • Lively
  • Innovative
Chef Anthony Salguero’s wood-fired papusas are worth traipsing around Oakland for, but we, along with just about everyone, are happy to know they’re in one place now. After years of pop-ups, Popoca has its own digs in the Old Oakland neighborhood, where the papusas, chicken with fermented pineapple sauce, and other Cali-Salvadoran specialties are happily devoured.

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Latin American
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Thu 17:15–21:00 Fri, Sat 17:15–22:00
  • Phone number
    (510) 457-1724
  • Dress code
    Business Casual

What 12 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Popoca offers an "amazing culinary adventure" with "exciting flavors" and a vibrant atmosphere. Guests rave about its "outstanding" service, highlighting servers like Andrés. The menu delights with dishes like pupusas and distinct green beans, though some find limited vegetarian options. While the ambience can be lively, the overall experience is "perfection."

12 Reviews
  1. Christina

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Food is delish. We were there on a Saturday night and the servers were busy. We had to wait a bit here and there. Music way too loud. Made conversation a bit difficult. We will go back.

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  2. Michael

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    The food was excellent, well worth it. Highly recommended. Two things gave us a bit of pause. First, my wife and I don't care for *loud,* which is what you get at many restaurants these days, including this one. Second, my wife ordered fish and I ordered chicken. She got her order about 15 minutes before I got mine. It seems to us that we should get our main dishes at the same time.

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  3. Heather

    San Francisco

    28 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    28 reviews

    Dined on 13 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is amazing. Exciting flavors with traditional dishes

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  4. Maura

    Portland

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 10 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Excellent food - well prepared and seasoned. Very tasty. We will be back. Our server Andres was OUTSTANDING.

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  5. Bunny

    San Francisco

    21 reviews

    5.0

    21 reviews

    Dined on 9 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Fabulous meal at Popoca. Had a great time enjoying the delicious food and cocktails. Would recommend you go with friends and plan to share all the dishes. Very fun. Great staff too!

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  6. Yoloooo

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 3 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Everything was excellent. Can’t wait to visit again!

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  7. Caroline

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    3.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 2 November 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Very limited vegetarian options (no main courses) which is a surprise in Oakland

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  8. Linda

    Philippines

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 2 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    As always, the food was delicious and so different than what you expect. New cocktail Catalina - a must try, if you are a cocktail type of person!

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  9. Danielle

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 31 October 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Popoca was perfection! From the beautifully decorated interior to the bursting flavors of each dish to the kind and engaged service. We were the last diners in the house! We could tell how much love and care have been poured into every aspect of the experience. We loved every dish. Green beans were so distinct with flavor. Pupusas felt homemade. And the pork chop was surprisingly tender! Thanks so much for an amazing experience!

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  10. Alpijones

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    1.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 27 October 2024

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Our server Andrés was amazing and the only highlight as to the staff at this restaurant. We were party of 3 women of color who arrived right on time at 5:30 when the restaurant was not busy. We were seated in a dim corner at a table for 2 with a chair pulled up for the third person. I went up to the hostess to ask if we could move to one of the 2 tables for 4 that were free and she said no because we were a party of 3. She suggested we could sit outside (where no one was seated next to parked cars) which we declined. Then, 30 minutes later, another party of 3 (not people of color) was seated at one of the tables I had asked for. They appeared to have a lovely time and I’m happy for them that they were able to enjoy their evening suitably. Our table was cramped, in a dim corner and it really diminished our experience. We were in Oakland for a show and would have splashed out on drinks and dessert but considering the table was so small and the hostess clearly didn’t seem to care, we shrugged and just ordered food so we wouldn’t be late to the show. Had the reservations not taken a credit card and we been charged $75 for cancelling, we would have left and eaten elsewhere. Why couldn’t 3 people who had come on time and made reservations be accommodated at a table that was comfortable? The restaurant itself is gorgeous. Old school Oakland. The food was hit and miss. We loved the green beans which were bathed in a lovely bright spicy sauce, the pupusas and the yuca with anchovies were also hits. The ceviche was excellent even though the cracker it was served on was a little heavy and greasy - something crisper and lighter would have paired better. The fish main was disappointing both in flavor and size. For $45, there should be a whole fish and not 1/2. The sauce for the fish was overly heavy with muddled flavors that did not complement the fish. The rice portion was tiny. Would not order again. Too many places in Oakland that are more hospitable.

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FAQs

Popoca is rated 4.7 stars by 12 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 17 times today
Google Map for Popoca

906 Washington St, Oakland, CA 94607

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Area
    Oakland
  • Hours of Operation
    Tue–Thu 17:15–21:00 Fri, Sat 17:15–22:00
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Latin American
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    None
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