Popoca

4.7

12 Reviews

$30 and under

Latin American

Make a reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 18 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 5:15 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:15 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(510) 457-1724
Website
https://www.popocaoakland.com/
Dress code
Business Casual

Location
906 Washington St, Oakland, CA 94607
Neighborhood
Oakland
Parking details
None

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

Noise • Moderate

12 Reviews

C
Christina
San Francisco
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
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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M
Michael
San Francisco
2 reviews
3.0
2 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
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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H
Heather
San Francisco
28 reviews
vip
5.0
28 reviews
Dined on November 13, 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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M
Maura
Portland
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on November 10, 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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B
Bunny
San Francisco
21 reviews
5.0
21 reviews
Dined on November 9, 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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Y
Yoloooo
San Francisco
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 3, 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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C
Caroline
San Francisco
4 reviews
3.0
4 reviews
Dined on November 2, 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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L
Linda
Philippines
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 2, 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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D
Danielle
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on October 31, 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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A
Alpijones
Los Angeles
3 reviews
1.0
3 reviews
Dined on October 27, 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 reservation

2 people

Nov 23, 2024

7:00 PM

Booked 18 times today

906 Washington St, Oakland, CA 94607

Dining areas

Additional information

Neighborhood
Oakland
Hours of operation
Tue–Thu 5:15 pm–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:15 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Latin American
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
None

Website
https://www.popocaoakland.com/
Phone number
(510) 457-1724

Popoca

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Menu

What 12 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Popoca restaurant rated?

Is Popoca currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information