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El Cuscatleco

4.3

4212 Garrett Rd
Durham, NC 27707
Phone: (919) 401-5245
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Hours:

Monday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Tuesday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Wednesday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Thursday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM
Friday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Saturday: 11:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Sunday: 11:00 AM – 9:30 PM

Price Range
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El Cuscatleco
Mapped location of El Cuscatleco

Google Reviews

4.3
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Photo of Eli Aiken Eli Aiken
Jul 27, 2019 5

Excellent food! Huge portions for the price. The pupusas are killer, look no further to get your fix!

Photo of Bess Lowry Bess Lowry
Jul 12, 2019 5

The absolute best authentic Mexican food I’ve ever tasted. We were just passing through the area and decided to try this local hangout. The food is amazing. Fresh ingredients with just the perfect seasoning. We ordered our food to go because we were traveling with our dogs but the atmosphere in the restaurant when I ordered and picked up was very friendly. It was clear that they are a well loved restaurant as it was packed with local customers and everyone was having such a good time in the restaurant. We will definitely stop again when traveling.

Photo of George Powell George Powell
Jul 2, 2019 4

It was a really good place. The owners I think that's what they are were playing at the counters. Overall the food and services were amazing.

Photo of Nina C. Martinez Nina C. Martinez
May 11, 2019 5

Love this place! Great food, excellent prices (especially, for the generous portions), and pleasant staff.

Photo of Jose martinez Jose martinez
Mar 23, 2019 4

Great food! Authentic Salvadoran cuisine. Parking is difficult to achieve on busy days. The bathrooms are also very cramped, the hallway leading to the bathroom sometimes are slippery. The food is great though.

Photo of Raquicia Reams Raquicia Reams
Apr 20, 2019 4

Always friendly (even when I have trouble with accents). Great prices. Hot and fresh food that's worth the wait.

Photo of Dan Nerl Dan Nerl
May 2, 2019 4

Had lunch there today. Ordered 4 taco lunch, it was VERY GOOD! Didn't know it came with Rice and Beans, that was a lot of food. Taco's were filled with chunks of Chicken and Steak, nicely seasoned and had two corn tortillas each. Some lime wedges and hit salsa along with a salad. Definitely Recommend.

Photo of B.C.P x KemoSabe Management B.C.P x KemoSabe Management
May 30, 2019 5

This is a FIND. Like if you don't know....You should. I cant say enough about this place. The employees are cool....Just cool. No over bearing waitresses and waiters straight to the point and the point is good AUTHENTIC AF food. The prices are amazing. A Lot of take out is what i get from here and the portions are great. I can spend 5 dollars at this place and be fulfilled..

Photo of RONALD DIGGS RONALD DIGGS
Oct 8, 2019 4

All food was great ,service was great ,the family was family so i was home thank you

Photo of Kasper Kubica Kasper Kubica
Sep 11, 2019 5

My favorite restaurant in the area, hands down - amazing prices, great food. I’ve eaten here close to 50 times with a friend and he may have gotten food poisoning once but honestly it was worth it.

Photo of Car Service Car Service
Sep 8, 2019 3

Average Mexican Restaurant, nice people, I was only there to pick up food for someone else, so I can't tell you about the food! But it looks as though the service has gotten a lot better as far as I can see!

Photo of Vi Phung Vi Phung
Oct 19, 2019 4

Good food at cheap prices. You get free chops and salsa when dining in. I had leftovers from a 7 dollar meal. Good tamales and pupusas.

Photo of Christine Perry Christine Perry
Feb 23, 2022 4

The food was delicious! I had mondongo. The flavors were very good. The serving size was plentiful. The price was good considering the serving size.

Photo of Gregorio Cruz Gregorio Cruz
Nov 18, 2021 3

Never change since last 15 years Needs a full renovation, menu and interior design , to improve efficiency

Photo of Alex Pineda Alex Pineda
Nov 5, 2021 5

We went with my brother to have a lunch and the food was good ,and something that caught our attention the food wasnt salty at all and is something we really appreciate because the high amount of salt on the food cause the high blood pressure level increase (I'm person with hypertension),the staff very friendly and polite definitely we'll be back there.

Photo of Argent Soldier DeMore Argent Soldier DeMore
Sep 7, 2021 5

Excellent papousas. Suggest calling in order for pick up if not dinning in. Takes a good long wait if you order at the store walk in.

Photo of Cheryl H Cheryl H
Oct 24, 2021 5

Food was awesome. Hubby really enjoyed the soup. Will definitely eat from there again.. Thank you..

Photo of Carina Rebollar Carina Rebollar
Sep 30, 2021 5

Found this place 10 minutes before closing. We were craving pupusas so I called and ordered. It's only a 7 minute drive, and by the time I walked in my pupusas were coming out of the kitchen. They were fresh and delicious. Will definitely pay them another visit soon.

Photo of Steven Navarra Steven Navarra
Sep 5, 2021 5

The food is amazing! Service was fast. It was very busy Sunday night when i visited. The staff was very accommodating and worked quickly to serve all of the guests.

Photo of Peter Pang Peter Pang
Aug 18, 2021 5

Excellent food and generous portion sizes. I had enough leftover for lunch the next day. Would check out again!

Photo of CHERYL POPOVEC CHERYL POPOVEC
Aug 5, 2021 3

Good food. Good service. Parking lot is filthy. Not much English spoken here.

Photo of Franchesca Buendia Franchesca Buendia
Aug 2, 2021 5

Great service, food, and value. These 2 generous plates cost ~$14 together. I really enjoyed the pupusas

Photo of Scott Barnes Scott Barnes
Jun 5, 2021 5

Hand made pupusas. The best tacos in the triangle. Casual El Salvadorian and Central American fare in a bustling setting that will remind you of another place in time. It is the only place I missed when we moved to California.

Photo of Bella Donna Bella Donna
May 17, 2021 5

Shockingly good food for a great price. It's a good idea to say "what the heck!?" and go here for a sample of some great food. You'll be happy you did!

Photo of Terri Parker Terri Parker
May 5, 2021 4

Food was good just messy. Everything was smashed together so lettuce got soggy. Plantains were not as good as last time so it's hit or miss but the staff is always so welcoming and nice.

Photo of Heiker Medina Heiker Medina
May 6, 2021 5

Top notch restaurant. Don’t go to la fiesta across the street, but come here! You will get a more authentic experience with a better price and food. All the meals here are freshly prepared. If you’re looking for a margarita that packs a hit, definitely come here and order the largest margarita for only about $5. Avoid the fast food chain across the street and try some authentic Latino food - you won’t regret it!

Photo of Casey Casey
Apr 24, 2021 5

Food was excellent, we had the chicken chimichangas and we all loved them. Service was good even though they were short handed.

Photo of Heather House Heather House
Apr 23, 2021 4

Good, local restaurant. Reminds me of a mom and pop place which are typically good. I got locoro pupusa's to try and a cheese enchilada because I read they were good... and they were! For an entre, got the Camaorones Acajuta which was very tasty. My friend recommended the place so while he was in town we went for me to tey it out. It was as good as he remembered.

Photo of Michael Hill Michael Hill
Apr 26, 2021 5

Favorite spot for Mexican and Salvadoran food. Tacos are great. Papusas are unbeatable. Got the Tipico to do a sampler and was soooooo happy with it.

Photo of Lid R Lid R
Mar 6, 2021 5

Amazing authentic food! Great people! 100% recommended!

Photo of Tim Moore Tim Moore
Mar 10, 2021 5

This place is magnificent. I always leave with a feeling I spent my money well. This is hard to say now a days. Food has great flavor and prices are spectacular. I rarely find a resturant that provides such value and consistently. I will be supporting this place every week and will enjoy every bite. Thank you resturant I can not pronounce!

Photo of Latonya Hagins Latonya Hagins
Jul 23, 2020 5

We love their Pupusas 😍🤤and everything we have tried !!

Photo of Timothy Aull Timothy Aull
Jul 27, 2020 4

Good food at a good price. Best salsa in the area.

Photo of Maya Umber Maya Umber
Dec 27, 2020 5

I drove 2 hours to try the pupusas and it was worth it! Very delicious.

Photo of Carol Reiner Carol Reiner
Nov 19, 2020 5

Excellent service! My favorite restaurant! Friendly staff! Delicious food!

Photo of Dan Coroian Dan Coroian
Sep 18, 2020 5

Best central American food and best value in town! Try the Combinación #1 -- a (damned good!) chile relleno and a tostada, with your choice of beef or chicken in both, with rice & beans PLUS chips and salsa for a grand total of just over $6 😲 I mean straight up I'm 240 pounds and love to eat, and I always make at least two meals out of that...so if you were wondering where the value from all the "value meals" at fast food places seems to have disappeared to lately, it looks like it all came to El Cuscatleco to take up permanent residence! Come get great food at a great value while supporting a local business!

Photo of Mark Fox Mark Fox
Oct 18, 2020 5

Stopped in from out of town. Great prices and food! Very authentic. I'm picky on my Mexican restaurants... this one is worth driving 20 minutes out of the way.

Photo of Dan Nerl Dan Nerl
May 2, 2019 4

Had lunch there today. Ordered 4 taco lunch, it was VERY GOOD! Didn't know it came with Rice and Beans, that was a lot of food. Taco's were filled with chunks of Chicken and Steak, nicely seasoned and had two corn tortillas each. Some lime wedges and hit salsa along with a salad. Definitely Recommend.

Photo of Chris Ruminski Chris Ruminski
Aug 29, 2020 5

We are from out of town, and ordered online to bring back to the hotel and eat. The food was excellent. The staff was polite and helpful. 5/5. Will eat here again.

Photo of Q is up 2 speed Q is up 2 speed
Aug 11, 2020 5

Of course, the food was pretty darn delicious but I wasn't crazy about seeing the chairs upside down marking off a closed table. They could just use colored tape with a piece of paper to make tables closed for the 6 feet distancing.

Photo of Carolyn Fager Carolyn Fager
Aug 12, 2020 5

The food is great, the staff us friendly, and alk wore masks. The salsa is FANTASTIC! They will give you a bowl of extra spicy, at no extra charge! El Cuscatleco is our family's favorite!!!

Photo of Ananda Ayyappan JV Ananda Ayyappan JV
Jun 14, 2020 5

Unbelievable portion of delicious food I have got (sizzling chicken fajitas what I ordered but the package comes with complementary (corn) tortillas, chips+salasa, and rice+bean+etc.). I highly recommend this small place for their great food/service, it was also ready on time for pickup!

Photo of Heather Miller Heather Miller
May 16, 2020 5

I am absolutely obsessed with this place! Their pupusas and curtido is freaking amazing. I also love their chimichangas! The food is very delicious and a decent price.

Photo of Kevin Kevin
Feb 16, 2020 5

Delicious food with huge portions at a very low price. The appetizer size virtually counted as a meal of its own and we had more than enough food for half the price I would have expected. After an appetizer and 2 entrees for 2 people, we had over 2 take home boxes. I would recommend El Cuscatleco for the taste alone, but the quantity and price are impossible to pass up.

Photo of Josh Liberty Josh Liberty
Jan 23, 2020 5

This place is an amazing value, authentic Salvadoran food, I got the fajitas, it was literally too much food and that's without eating the complimentary chips and salsa. Plus they have a ridiculous combo section (15+ options) that you can eat for $5-$7 and be filled at a sit down restaurant!

Photo of Nagendran M Nagendran M
Jan 15, 2020 4

Nice and yummy food!!! Simple and yet best tasting than other restaurants around here. Their combination platters are a must try. Excellent decorations and display showing off culture.

Photo of Wendis Hernandez Wendis Hernandez
Dec 21, 2019 5

I absolutely love this place! The pupusas are hands down the best I’ve had so far. It’s hard to find pupusas that are good because not everyone can make them. So for me this is the spot to go when I’m craving some. The place is a little small, but the service and food outbalance the small space.

Photo of Peyton McIntosh Peyton McIntosh
Nov 30, 2019 5

Amazing Home cooked Salvadorian food the chicken pupusas are my favorite

Photo of Adiel Zuniga Adiel Zuniga
Dec 15, 2019 4

Pretty decent food, only issue was our waitress taking her time with the service. But otherwise everything was satisfactory. 👍🏼

Photo of Tersha Cox Tersha Cox
Dec 1, 2019 5

Authentic food and atmosphere. The food was delicious. My waitress was friendly even though there was a slight language barrier. My plate of food was big. I had Plato Tipico, which was recommended by my waitress.

Photo of Jan Dillard Jan Dillard
Nov 9, 2019 5

Fast service and delicious food. Love the El Salvadoran food.

Photo of Tierra Graham Tierra Graham
Oct 26, 2019 5

I adore this place. I would come and ask for the most difficult order which is a pupusa specially made. They honored my request!

Photo of Phil V Phil V
May 31, 2022 5

This place is amazing. Great value for your money. Pupusas are amazing. Love this place

Photo of Dirk Wilcox Dirk Wilcox
Jul 4, 2022 5

Easily the best Mexican food around. Great service. Live music from time to time. Don’t let the outside fool you - this place is top notch.

Photo of Tenzin Jangchup Tenzin Jangchup
Jul 18, 2022 5

The food was so good and affordable. The fried plantains were so yummy, I almost forgot to take a picture. We mainly came here to try pupusas and it did not disappoint! The waitress was also very kind! Definitely recommend.

Photo of lsizemore10 lsizemore10
Jun 15, 2022 5

Delicious! Fast Service, Fair Price, A+

Photo of Dow jonez Dow jonez
Jun 16, 2022 5

Great ambiance with courteous staff I highly recommend them if your in town …

Photo of Jonah Schwartz Jonah Schwartz
Sep 18, 2022 5

Amazing hidden gem. Pass this place every day and wish I tried sooner. Also spoke with owner. Lovely staff and terrific food. Very satisfied and will return