Mamenche’s

Went to this place for lunch because I wanted to try it out and have something different. When I arrived to this little restaurant I noticed it was run by two nice ladies. I wanted to order a couple of things lost their menu and off their specials menu butt a couple items were not in stock at the time so that was a little disappointing since it was their number one selling stuff. So I decided I ordered some empanadas and some other items to go. The food was decent for the price but it felt like it was missing something it was a kind of bland. Probably won’t go back. Just my 2 cents.

I like this place. The inside is a little cold, and stark, but it is very clean. You can see inside the kitchen, which I always like, and you can see this kitchen is well kept and organized. Though it isn’t anything fancy, it wins BIG points for me with cleanliness.
I find the staff very friendly and welcoming. It has a family feel, without making you feel as though you have dropped in in the middle of someone’s dinner.
Today, we had three kinds of pupusas (bean & cheese, pork, cheese). They were delicious. The bean pupusas were perhaps a little mushy, but the flavor was awesome. Tomales. very nice. Today, I found them kind of dry, but that’s first. The flavor was, again, awesome!
If you like spice, try their home made hot sauce! Very tasty!

Home made food is great. The service is timely. The staff is friendly and helpful. The food is home made and It is a little tough to find but there is parking right on the street out front. The pupusas are fantastic! I tried 4 different kinds and I think they have at leas 6 or maybe even 8. Yummy!

Love this cute little place. Feels like your friend’s grandmother invited you over for dinner. Everything was so fresh and delicious. LoVE the fried plantain. mmmm Flavors are very mild. No spice to the dishes but they were delicious. The horchata was so homemade tasting and yummy. Lots of gluten free options. Very inexpensive prices. I ate until i was absolutely stuffed. Clean and cute inside. Will absolutely be back.

This is a rare gem of a dining experience that you probably would have trouble finding even in Vancouver. The drinks they have are really cool. There is ecuadorean horchata which is different from the Mexican cinnimon-​y horchata, this one was made entirely from the seed of a hard fruit only found in South America. In fact the Morro fruit is in some evolutionary trouble because it’s animal disperser has gone extinct– an elephant like animal strong enough to break the hard fruits open for germination. There is a gourd in front of the cashier that belongs to this fruit– it’s gigantic! Another drink I tried was the Arrayan drink– another interesting flavour I’ve never tasted but slightly too sweet. I’d highly recommend the pupusas– I had the Loroco and cheese pupusa and it was delicious. There are also other pupusa options on special that aren’t on the menu which you can inquire about (Chorizo for example). The other appetizer we got was tamales and it was delicious, but sort of soft and mushy so if you don’t like that sort of texture you should stay away. The fried tilapia was tasty and a great deal. However I didn’t really like the iceberg lettuce that came with it. The entrée selection is actually quite small. Lastly, for desert we had the Salvadoran quesidilla which was to our surpise– a yummy cheesy pound cake! I apologize for ruining the surprise, but at least you won’t be expecting a corn tortilla with condensed milk or something! In summary, I would highly recommend going to try the drinks and appetizers!

I’ve been wanting to check out Mamenche’s for awhile now and finally was able to do so, on an early Saturday evening with a couple of friends. The signage is tough to spot from the outside (my friends had trouble locating the place even though they knew the general location) — it is literally across the street from Victoria Composite High School. I like how «exquisite» is part of their tag line — definitely worthy of that!
In case you didn’t know, this is another Salvadorian restaurant in town (spoiler alert — PUPUSA time baby). We were greeted right away by the friendliest waitress/​cook/​owner I believe and she went through the daily specials line by line with us. As you can see, there are a lot of specials!
She was very kind and explained a couple of things that we weren’t sure about that was on the menu. I forgot to take a picture of the drink list but they had some very cool options (cola champagne, horchata, arrayan, tamarindo and maranon). I will have to try the maranon (cashew fruit or caju from my Brazil knowledge which is freakin’ delicious).
We decided to share a bunch of dishes between the five of us so that we could taste more things:
— 3x Cola champagne ($ 2.00) — bright orange, it is lighter than a cola but darker than a cream soda. It reminded me of Soda Jones but less sugary and more flavourful (I had a sip). My friends really liked it, they said it tasted like cream soda to them.
— Arrayan ($ 2.00) — Salvador’s version of guava, I really, really liked it and for only $ 2.00, it’s a steal. It was very light, refreshing and fresh (you could see/​eat the seeds floating around at the bottom).
— 3x Chicken tacos ($ 7.50 for two) — topped with tomatoes, onion, cilantro, avocado and lemon wedges. The chicken was just a bit dry but the corn tortilla was homemade (it could have been cooked longer to give it a bit of a crunch) and avocado gave it a nice creamy texture. Maybe it’s just me but I still prefer Café del Sol’s tacos.
— 2x Zucchini & cheese and 2x spinach & cheese pupusas ($ 3.50 each) — these were their two special pupusas of the day. SO GOOD! Delicious especially with different vegetables filled inside of them. I had the zucchini and cheese pupusas. Definitely a must order while you are here! Comes with your typical curtido (pickled cabbage/​onion/​carrots) and salsa.
— 2x Chicken tamales ($ 3.00 each) — nice and tender chicken, the tamales were full of flavour.
— 2x Enchiladas salvadorenas ($ 7.50) — lightly fried corn tortillas topped with chicken, lettuce, feta cheese and hard boiled eggs. The eggs were silky soft and the feta gave it a nice subtle saltiness to the dish. Really simple but very well done.
— 2x Pork tamales ($ 3.00 each) — the pork tamales had the bone still in it (so much more flavour!). Everyone really liked these and were a nice change from the other dishes (which were mostly chicken).
— 8x Cheese empanadas ($ 3.00 each) — we originally ordered four empanadas but they were so good, my friends ordered another four at the end of our meal. Be prepared to wait a bit for these bad boys but daaayuuum, they are worth it. They came out piping hot but texture was perfect and the cheese was oozy goodness on the inside. Definitely get these too!
— Yuca con chicarron ($ 9.00) — fried cassava with pork. If you’ve never had cassava before, you are missing out. It’s similar to a potato (it’s a starchy root vegetable) and you can eat them like they are fries. I’ve had these in my Brazil trip and these were just as good. The pork rinds on top were crunchy, deep fried and fatty (but delicious) — share them and it’s all gooooood.
Great meal and prices are very reasonable. There’s a lot of interesting things to try on the menu (even though they really only have one page of dishes) so go out with a group of friends to try something new. When we were there, there were some locals playing guitar and singing some Salvadorian songs, which went nicely with the relaxed and friendly atmosphere. Just make sure you try the pupusas! The pupupizza sounds amazing too (only available on Sundays).

This place is a little hole in the wall, but has amazing food! The pupusas here are the best. No need to go any other resturant. Very homemade tasting and good tortilla to filling ratio. I recommend this resturant for pupusas over all others!

The dining room at Mamenche’s is clean, if a little sterile and spartan. Think of it as a low-​key cafeteria and you should be happy enough. Please note that this is not a knock on the place. Rather, people would do well to know what kind of atmosphere they should expect so that they do not pop in here when out on a romantic date. Mamenche’s offers more of a friendly family vibe. As long as you understand that, then you should be happy enough.
Now on to the food. You should expect well-​prepared food at Mamenche’s, but it is going to be bland. Maybe that is how Salvadorean food is supposed to taste. It may be authentic, but it will not send you rushing for a glass of water to tame the heat. I would prefer more spice and more heat myself, but to each their own.
The service was good, fast and friendly.
TL;DR — Mamenche’s is worth a try at least once, but do not expect to have your socks knocked off.

Mamenche’s is my go to place for pupusas. They’re simply the best in town! Also, their cheese empanadas are absolutely delicious! I definitely recommend :)

I never had the opportunity to dine at Mamenche’s when the family-​owned Salvadorean restaurant was on 97 Street, but I was here for lunch this week at the current location. The inside is plain, bright, and clean, and I was greeted by a very friendly woman. She helped explain items on the menu, particularly the beverages, which include some traditional drinks. I had an aranan, which was a thick, non-​carbonated citrus drink that I was told was good for cleansing the system. For my lunch, I ordered the Tacos de Res o de Higado, which were to tacos on fresh corn tortillas with diced steak, onions, tomatoes, avocado, and cilantro. It was light, fresh, and delicious. I am looking forward to trying other items on the menu. Prices are very reasonable, even for the larger fish, chicken, and steak entrees. There are also desserts. If you like fresh, authentic Salvadorean food with friendly service, you have to try Mamenche’s.

The service, food, ambiance. Woohoo! As good as it gets. Doesn’t get any better than this.

When I heard that Mamenche’s served Salvadorean food in the same vein as El Rancho, my curiosity was piqued. When I learned that its new location was even closer to downtown than El Rancho, I was (nearly) sold. «Hold your horses,» I said to myself. «You can’t just give yourself over to every pupusa shop you meet. You should probably try it before deciding this is your new home.»
I’ve visited twice in the last week, and have been pleasantly surprised both times. Both times I ordered pupusas and chicken tacos.
The service is great. Both waitresses were attentive, and the food came out fast. It was cool to be able to see/​hear the pupusas being slapped around in the kitchen! Another aspect of the service that I liked is that they accept plastic, not just cash.
The ambiance is very cafeteria-​like. Ceiling tiles and fluorescent lights don’t make for an intimate or romantic atmosphere, but that really doesn’t matter to me when I’m in the mood for delicious Latin food.
The pupusas are delicious at Mamenche’s. They are well-​stuffed if a little bit under seasoned, to my taste. However, the salsa, pickled cabbage and the upon-​request homemade hot sauce spice them up very nicely. I preferred the pork and cheese variation to the bean and cheese, or spinach and cheese version. The pork variation simply had more flavour, but a bit more spice would go a long way to improving these.
Their chicken tacos (which were one of the specials during both visits) are also delicious. The filling was flavourful, and they were topped with a massive, creamy avocado slice, tomatoes, onions and cilantro. I added hot sauce and some of the leftover pickled cabbage from the appetizer — and this made them even better. Although there are only 2 tacos, the tortilla is thicker than the ones used at El Rancho or Tres Carnales. I’m actually not sure how I feel about the thicker tortillas — I may prefer the thinner ones. However, the dish was very tasty and fresh, and the only thing more stuffed than the tacos themselves was my belly upon leaving Mamenches.
Prices here were reasonable. Pupusas were between $ 3.00−3.75 each, depending on the filling you chose, and the tacos were $ 7.50 an order. This place won’t break your budget!
I look forward to exploring more of Mamenche’s Salvadorean delights (empanadas, moles, etc.) and have absolutely added them to my regular rotation, although I do prefer Acajutla’s and El Rancho’s offerings.

I had passed by Mamenche’s several times before when taking buses along 97 St, but I didn’t have an opportunity to venture in until yesterday. Situated just north of Chinatown, Mamenche’s kindly accepts both Credit and Debit cards, unlike a number of businesses on 97.
The restaurant consists of two different rooms. I sat in one with clear plastic tablecloths, a television blasting whatever is on Telemundo, and a view into a somewhat open kitchen. I don’t remember the details of the room, but the overall vibe is very much that of a family-​run restaurant.
Mamenche’s, however is not an Asian restaurant, but a Salvadorean one. And as this was my first time here, I went for my Salvadorean restaurant staples — Pupusas and Tamales, which cost $ 3 a piece.
And while both were executed impeccably in the sense of texture, I found both my pupusas and my tamales to be underseasoned. There was also no hot sauce left in the bottle that was on my table.
Service was friendly and quick. This could be a good lunch option for people who work on the northeast side of Downtown.
Just don’t expect to come for lunch on Wednesdays, when Mamenche’s is closed.
They also have a number of interesting-​looking dishes which they only serve on weekends, when I guess those dishes are either traditionally served in El Salvador, or when they get the most business.