Manana Restaurant

I am really critical of pupusas because I believe my aunts pupusas are the best. However, I have to give credit where credit is due. I ate a pusasa de queso con loroco. The pupusas was super cheesy and delicious! My only criticism would be on the curtido. I am not sure if maybe the receipt is from a different part of El Salvador from where my family is from but it’s not the typical curtido I am accustom to. I was told by the waitress that the curtido can be different depending on the city and what they call «departamento» which means department. Either way, it’s delicious.

This place is amazing. The pupusas are made to order and packed with flavor. I think the sound you hear of hands flattening the dough totally adds to the experience. The hot sauce adds just the right amount of heat. The slaw that comes with the pupusas is crunchy and spicy. Other things to try are the tamales and plantains & beans. If you are a fan of horchata, theirs is the best I’ve ever had. The place is pretty much a dive, but you will have no problem overlooking that once you taste the food. Enjoy.

The best Mexican food I’ve ever had, period. And the service was exceptional. My friends and I had arrived after close and the hospitable staff still served us. Don’t expect any gimmicky Americanized Mexican atmosphere, just great food.

Arguably the best Pupusas in Minnesota. The atmosphere felt very authentic and the service was very friendly. I really liked that the curtido was laced with chili and the tomato salsa was also spicy and vinegary. The proportions of dough to filling was perfect and not greasy. Everything else on the menu looked awesome. The actual space was simple/​modest but clean. If you are in St. Paul I highly recommend giving this place a try! l

Believe the hype. This place is a lovely little hole in the wall that delivers authentic salvadorain food. The papusas are the star of the show. I recommend The cheese and beans. Their cabbage salad or whatever it is is also very yummy. You should check this place out if you’re in the neighborhood.

food was good. the curtido was strange and not very tasty. the service was rather strange. the waitress stood at one end of the table and handed plates to one person to pass food down vs. walking around the table and handing out dishes to each individual person.
My order was completely mixed up since the waitress didn’t write down my order properly. I guess this is the closest place for pupusas in Minneapolis so I was happy I had a chance to have some with my cousin, but the service could have been a bit better if our orders were properly written down.

Papuas, papusas, papusas. How can one go wrong. The combination of the Cole slaw and papusa with the tamale sauce is amazing. Highly recommend this. The service was acceptable, and while we had to wait some time, the place was full and the wait was totally worth it. Companions got burrito ranchero and churassco and they were ready to order seconds. Do not walk by this easy-​to-​miss café.

One of the fun things about moving to a new neighborhood is finding new places to eat. Mañana is going to be a regular for me! I got the Pollo Encebollado… chicken smothered in onions. This was a well marinated and seasoned piece of meat with just absolutely delicious beans and rice, and a simple salad. Thick and tasty tortillas on the side tasted of fresh-​cracked corn. Seriously yummy. Absolutely zero atmosphere… and that’s a GOOD thing in my book! I am so going to try and duplicate this at home.

The pupusas are excellent, but if you’re getting them for takeout, prepare to wait 30 minutes even when there aren’t many customers. Each time I’ve been here, I’ve waited at least 30 minutes. The pupusas are definitely worth it though.

Came out after working on a house in St Paul and was very hungry. My colleague recommended the place and all that was needed to convince me was one word: papusas. I had the bean, cheese, and pepper ones. We also ordered yuca and plantains. Everything was flavorful and completed with a hot sauce that will clear your sinuses and crunchy curtido. Staff was friendly and the interior is charmingly abundant with Salvadorian décor.
I arrived hungry and left fully satisfied. I would love to come back and try the other dishes.

This is my new favorite Mexican restaurant (technically salvadorian?). The food is delicious, authentic, and thoughtfully made. I’m comparing this place to all the mexi restaurant I’ve eaten locally and in California and this tops the charts. On top of that the prices are very reasonable.

I’ve eaten here three times. Food is good. Soup is fantastic. Atmosphere not so nice… noisy and shabby.

This place was ok, but I don’t see what others are raving about. We were hungry for paella. Searched on Unilocal and it said go here. We did only to find that they didn’t have paella. Unilocalers seem to like it so we stayed. Nice people working here but the food is pretty bland. I had a beef tortas. It was ok but bland. Cheap because we had two dinners for under $ 20. There are so many better options in St. Paul. I do t think we will be back.

Authentic restaurant serving delicious food at such low prices. The pupusas here are so amazing– I ordered the pork/​cheese/​beans one, and it easily was one of the best bites of my life. We also ordered the carne asada torta– the combination of the carne asada with all the other fillings (cheese, tomatoes, jalapenos) all stuffed into an amazing bread was so good. The chicken tamal was also a hit with our group. We finished all our food with some passionfruit juice. As we were leaving, I ordered an extra pupusa to go since I knew I would want to eat it again for dinner. Can’t wait to come back here again!

Love this place! Moved near by a few months ago and it is my go to restaurant for take out. The papusas are amazing and everything else I have tried is spot on. I would eat here daily if I could!

went based on the Unilocal reviews as we were in the area for a wedding over the weekend. the food was good and plentiful AND cheap! i was surprised that 2 papusas and a taco was plenty of food and i shared with my husband. he got the churrasco. his was good too but the steak was thicker then i’d expect and it came with chorizo and shrimp which weren’t expected. everything had a good flavor, especially the slaw that comes with the food. i will say i had a chorizo taco and it was AMAZING! the service was a bit slow. we were almost done with papusas and churrasco when the taco finally came out. it’s also in a very dive looking area. wasn’t what i expected, but well worth a 1 time visit if you’re a local to the area.

I came here with coworkers. It’s a small-​ish place, but not crowded. I ordered a chicken and cheese tamale and a pupusa. The food was delicious– the pupusa I ordered was one of the most delicious things I’ve ever tasted in my life. When I took my first bite, my eyes widened in shock. It was an amazing experience and I cannot wait to eat there again.
My coworkers’ food looked absolutely amazing as well, with chipotle-​sized burritos and a side of delicious, sweet, unnameable thing. I have no idea what it was, but this restaurant doesn’t churn out anything that’s not pure deliciousness.
My meal cost $ 4.02. For those prices and the intensely good and authentic quality of this food, you have GOT to tip your waiter.

I work downtown St. Paul and was having a day. I needed a special lunch. I turned to Unilocal and it steered me to Mañana. I got 2 pork/​cheese/​bean pupusas and a chicken tamal. I haven’t eaten the chicken tamal yet because I am saving it for an afternoon snack. But let me tell you. The pupusas were MIND BLOWING. So tasty and delicious, just perfect with the cabbage slaw and hot sauce, and it felt like I was part of the family when I walked in even though it was my first time there.
Also, they serve sodas in glass bottles including Fanta Pina, which can be difficult to find. I can’t wait to go back.

Best pupusas in the Twin Cities!

Agreed – the food here is delicious. Bean and cheese pupusas and chili rellenos were great. Friendly people inside. The Unilocal directions are wrong – just keep on 7^th St E and you will see it.

YES YES YES YES YES YE…
You get the idea. This place is so delicious. I’ve only had the pupusas and I’ll probably only ever have them. They are so good. Yes, the service is slow because they are handmade, but its worth it. Top them with some of that slaw and tomato-​y sauce and you’re in pupusa-​heaven.
Warning, the bathroom sticks but… you’ll have that.

I was about to give up on Mañana because it took me close to 45 minutes to find this place because the directions from Unilocal kept leading me to the wrong spot.
Boy oh boy, Am I glad I hung in there!
The staff is friendly, the place clean and the food delicious and authentic!
Hands down the best Pupusas, Tamales and Horchata I’ve ever had, aside from the ones my Abuelita used to make! I had the chicken tamal which was moist and well seasoned. I also had a Loroco and cheese Pupusa (a bitter flower like veggie and gooey melted cheese) and a pupusa revuelta (pork, cheese and beans). Make sure you add the Curtido, the Salvadorean version of sauerkraut and red spicy sauce in the bottle.
Can’t wait to go back!

I love there food my family and I love how respectful there employees are. Good pupusas hand made excellent natural juice I love every item. They get more then five stars

Wow this place is good! I went for lunch this week and will definitely be back. The pupusa was awesome and I also had their chicken tamale which was huge and great also… people were pretty friendly also… definitely will return

My first pupusa! This place is like 2 minutes from work and I would never have know it existed without Unilocal.It’s like stepping into another land once you get inside. I was the only one speaking English in the entire place, so that speaks to the authenticity.
I ordered two pork and cheese pupusas. It came with a side of slaw and some sauce. Delicious. Not overlay healthy but so good. My server didn’t speak any English– I tried asking her which pupusa was the best and she didn’t know what I was asking so I just went with the pork and cheese ones. I do not regret it. And my total was less than $ 6! Score. This will definitely be a nice stop from tme to time.
The guy who took my money at the register was very friendly, asking if I had been there before, asking how I heard about it, and informing me proudly that they had been there for 12 years. I will definitely come back!

Yay! I’m a fan. And here’s why…
Food:
— Empanadas: for some reason their empanadas lack that slap-​on-​the-​face feels that I get when I eat any fried pastry. I am used to a meat empanadas, but they had a cream filled version. The cream sort of taste like plantains but isn’t that sweet. The outer layer reminds me of a doughnut. Based on all the other goods we tried here, I’d say save the room in your belly and try something else.
+ Chicken tamale: These are the best chicken tamales I ever had. The corn was well broken down so there isn’t a grainy texture. The chicken was marinated and shredded. They are offered as an appetizer, one for $ 1.75. I could have eaten a plate of them
+ Fried plantains: These come with beans and sour cream. Despite the grease, they are so good! I suggest sharing them, because they are quite filling.
+ Combination: The pupusas are so good but three is way too much. They are sort of like a pancake filled with cheese and pork. They also come with beans and some rice with veggies. I would also share this plate with someone because they fill you up quickly, plus you can try other items. Overall, these were good but I would probably order another entrée the next time I come back. Perhaps it was the fact I had way too much fried food by the times these came, but after the first pupusa, I definitely experienced diminishing marginal utility.
+ Horchata: I would like to say I am a horchata connoisseur, I do like to drink these with my pinky up. Coming from Southern California for the last 6 years before I moved here, I tried horchatas from Mexico to more TexMex places to more Mexi-​Cali styles. I loved the horchata here. It tastes more authentic than many other mexican restaurants in MSP. It has a more starchy feel, as it should, and lightly sweetened whereas other places sell horchata that taste like they are from bottles.
Parking: Street but found a sweet spot in 5 minutes during lunch hour.
Service: Don’t come here for the ambience, but you would be surprised by the great service. We were waited within 5 minutes despite the place being packed. When food came, our waiter would come back to ask if we needed water refills and how the food tasted. When we were ready to leave, the cashier greeted us, asked us how we liked their food and thanked us. Given how busy the place was, and how understaffed they appeared, i was very surprised at the pace of the food, how attentive the waiters were, and overall friendliness of the staff.
Would definitely come again!

Fresh hot and delicious pupusas. Pork
Probably my favorite but other fillings were grub too. Service was terrific and the price was f*cking right.
I’ll be back to try more next time I’m in east St. Paul.

Stumbled across this place thanks to a wrong turn and some great Unilocal!reviews.
I’ve had pupusas before but I’ve never gone looking for them so I guess this place somehow escaped my view despite many drives right past it. The storefront doesn’t exactly jump out at you.
First thoughts… walking in the door is like stepping through a transporter. The interior of this place would certainly fit right in any Central American country. I wasn’t sure where to go or what to do when I walked in but luckily a waitress/​angel immediately spotted look of the lost in my eyes and told me to go ahead and sit anywhere and she would bring a menu.
My lunch angel continued to amaze me by quickly explaining a few of the house specialties. I took her advice and ordered two (oh no, she said — you want more than one) pork and cheese pupusas but then tried to go my own way and added a tamal. She then listed a number of drinks but I the only thing I heard was watermelon and something that sounded like horchata so I just told her to bring whatever she thought was best.
The food came out within minutes. The pususas came with a spicy coleslaw type side and a squeeze bottle of sauce (very good for pupusas! said the angel — again seeing my confusion). She even came back to tell me to put the coleslaw ON the pupusas when she saw me eating it straight. Never once did she give me that «boy, you’re a special kind of idiot aren’t you?» look.
The drink she brought looked a little like horchata but tasted different than any I’ve ever had. It was amazing.
Regarding the food I will say that I wasn’t terribly impressed with the tamal. So next time I’ll stick to the pupusas which were incredible, especially once I learned how to set them up with the slaw and sauce.
When I checked out (for a ridiculously low price for the amount of food I had) I was talking to the manager/​owner and he explained that I was, in fact, drinking horchata but he makes theirs using cashews and real milk.
I would have given this place 5 stars for the food alone — I wish I could give them another 5 for service and hospitality. What a great little place!

My mouth is watering as I write this review thinking of the Pupusas. I had to order these because it seemed to be the favorite amongst Unilocalers and, as usual, my fellow Unilocalers, did not let me down!
I ordered the combo plate which, like everyone else has explained, comes with three of these amazing pupusas, this wonderful slaw, and some divine red sauce. The combo plate also has beans and rice but my focus was primarily on the masa type pancakes filled with beans/​cheese and pork.
Ci ordered a Sopa and two tacos… I tried a taco, and they were ok… I would stick to the more traditional food items and get tacos elsewhere.
The man who took our order was super helpful since we were newbies to Salvadoran food and service was spot on.
Parking might be a challenge and the place looks sketchy on the outside but inside, you feel like you stepped into a different culture and country. The place is a little run down but who cares… The food is amazing.
I can not wait to go back!