El Espino Restaurant

Solely based on breakfast (service is 5 stars).
We went on a weekend morning for breakfast — I was craving desayuno típico. In El Salvador, desayuno típico is made up of eggs, crema, chorizo, beans, plátanos, cheese, and tortillas. However, at el Espino (a self-​described Salvadoran restaurant) desayuno is eggs, beans, plantains, avocado, hard cheese, rice, and tortillas. As a pregnant woman dying for a typical Salvadoran breakfast, this place missed the mark, especially for $ 23 (2 breakfasts and 2 beverages).
Like I said the service is great, the waitresses are very nice and quick. The (breakfast) food is just overpriced and not authentic or typical to Salvi cuisine. I’ve been to El Salvador enough times to have high standards for desayuno típico.

I used to live in Manassas Park and still have occasion to visit.
I’ve been in El Espino a handful of times and the food and service has always been very good. Their English is marginal/​adequate, but I had no problems with my English and Spanish I learned in school years ago. They have never been busy in week day mid-​afternoons, a few guys at the bar and American Spanish channels on the TV.
My favorite is the Pollo Encebollado. I love onion, s and they pile them high on the chicken breast, with a bed of rice and cooked in a citrus sauce from orange juice, but also with a taste of lime. I’ve also had their shrimp dish which was also good.
Al meals come with an appetizer of chips & salsa, and sides of refried beans and a salad with no dressing. Entrees top out around $ 10 – 12.
I don’t get to El Espino often, but I look forward to it.

I had to do some shopping at the Radio Shack in this strip center and since it was lunch time, I decided to stop in and check this place out.
They had a sidewalk sign advertising their specials so my curiosity got me.
They chip & salsa you at the outset, the chips were fresh, warm and tasty… the salsa meeh.
I was impressed at the size of this place. Enough room for several pool tables and it appears that for the weekend, they can turn this place from restaurant/​game room/​bar to ‘club’.
I tried a couple of chicken tacos and was pleased. You have a choice of soft flour tortillas or had corn. The chicken was generous and tasty. I really like that they briing the cheese, tomatoes, cilantro and fresh lime on a side plate.
I was disappointed with the salsa, it was was void of any real flavor. It was more like tomoato soup with tabasco sauce in it.
They have a very good menu with a good selection of seafood, beef, chicken & pork.
I’ll be going back to try some other menu items… also interested to try their sopa de polo.

As the other reviewer mentioned, this is not a family restaurant. It can be downright seedy sometimes. Pool tables, jukeboxes, scantily clad waitresses.
I have never dined-​in, since I do not feel at at comfortable in this place. But, I stop by frequently for take-​out. El Espino has it all, healthy salads (the house salad is incredible), beef, chicken, the seafood platters are to die for… and their pupusas revueltas are absolutely amazing!
Hands down, 5 stars for the food! The ambiance definitely needs changes (if they hope to attract a more diverse crowd).

Place has some good pupusas revueltas and other dishes. Tvs, pool tables, bar etc… Not really a family restaurant but foods great.