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Popoca, Oakland, CA

Popoca

4.7
4.7
20 Reviews
$30 and under
Latin American

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 8 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Charming
  • Innovative
  • Lively
Popoca is a Salvadoran-inspired restaurant in the heart of Oakland. Popoca means “to emit smoke” in Nawat, the language of native people of El Salvador who stoked wood fires to prepare food over a comal for their families. Revered as more than just a means of cooking, smoke represents a prayer or offering to the spirits.

Popoca is a mix of heritage and play. Our food is driven by preserving past, creating something new and uniquely Oakland.

After years of pop-ups, Popoca has its own digs in the Old Oakland neighborhood, where the pupusas, 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

Experiences

  • Popoca NYE - 4 Course Prix Fixe Menu

    US$150.00 per person

    31 Dec 2024 only
    4 course prix fix menu $125 per person with the choice of seafood or vegetarian menu and an optional beverage pairing. A glass of sparkling wine included upon arrival for all guests 21 and older! Please note payment is due at the restaurant. A credit card is only required to secure your reservation.

Menu

At present, we do not have menu information for this restaurant. Please see their website or wait to visit the restaurant to learn more.

What 20 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

Diners' Choice Awards

  • East Bay

    Innovative

  • East Bay

    Romantic

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Popoca offers an "amazing culinary adventure" with "exciting flavors" and a vibrant atmosphere. Guests rave about its "outstanding" service, highlighting servers like Andrés. The menu delights with dishes like pupusas and distinct green beans, though some find limited vegetarian options. While the ambience can be lively, the overall experience is "perfection."

20 Reviews

  1. ClaudiaM

    VIP

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a lovely evening at Popoca. The food was delicious and service was outstanding. All-around great dining experience!

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  2. Maria

    Los Angeles

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food was amazing along with their cocktails! I can’t wait to bring my Salvadorian mama here! Plus, Andres, our waiter, was so welcoming! Thanks for yummy food with an amazing experience.

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  3. Paolo

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 22 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Fun casual service. Staff is knowledgable and passionate about the dishes and will offer recommendations. The food was a fun modern take on Central American food. N.A. beverage options and an interesting cocktail list.

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  4. David

    San Francisco

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on 22 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Completely delightful experience. Great food filled with pleasant surprises. Beautiful reuse of space. A complete gem.

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  5. VT03

    Greater Boston

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on 14 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding food & cocktails. Cozy vibe. Friendly staff.

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  6. John

    VIP

    San Francisco

    15 reviews

    4.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on 7 December 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Came here for first time for a birthday celebration with five. We really enjoyed ourselves. Great high energy atmosphere. With the place entirely full on. Friday night it was pretty loud inside but not impossible. We especially liked the pork chop which was one of the best we have ever tasted, guacamole and sweet potatoes. The chicken was good also—not amazing. Papusas were good also. We tried two of the craft cocktails. The martini was ok; the tequila with coffee notes was pretty much undrinkable. We would not order either of these again. An Argentinian red blend wine was excellent. The gin mocktailss our group tried were outstanding and we would order again. Really nice spot in Old Town Oakland and we hope it does well there.

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  7. Ileana

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 5 December 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent service! Exceptional food, amazing flavors!! Superb cocktails! Lovely indoor and outdoor ambiance!

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  8. Ally

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 30 November 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a large group, 11 people, and it was super fun to share the Taste of Popoca. We all cheered for the dessert at the end!

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  9. Christina

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    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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  10. Michael

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 17 November 2024

    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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FAQs

Popoca is rated 4.7 stars by 20 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 8 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Popoca

906 Washington St, Oakland, CA 94607

Dining areas

Additional information

  • Area
    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
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