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Tacos were fantastic! And at under $3 a taco they're the best bang for your buck in town. Service was very good and helpful. It felt like home with warm hospitality and fantastic food.
While this place was not perfect, I would definitely come back for more good food. I was brought out a basket of thick and delightfully not over-salted tortilla chips and two sauces, with my mango drink (delicious!). The red sauce was full of cilantro (gag me), although I would've guessed that for the green sauce. Green sauce was totally amazing and they were both equally spicy. My two pupusas were very good. I got chicharron (pork) and cheese and one with cheese and loroco. Well, that's what I ordered, anyway. What I ended up was chicharron and cheese and one with chicharron, beans and cheese. But that was OK. They were both good with plenty of filling and crispy on the edges. The place is bigger than I thought it would be, had about five or six booths and about 10 to 12 tables of various sizes. Nothing fancy inside, but It is clean and bright, and it smelled heavenly when I walked in. Good: Delicious food smells when you walk in. Fun music playing, but not too loud. The pupusas were big with plenty of filling and cheese. Mango drink was great. Oh, and those two things plus the basket of chips was only $10.26. Deal!! Bad, or at least not great: Seemed to take a long time to get my food. There were two or three other tables full of old lunch dishes that hadn't been cleared. I didn't particularly care, but someone else might find that offensive. Also, they got my order wrong, but maybe I didn't speak clearly or loud enough - I wasn't too upset, I just wanted to check the place out. All in all, I would definitely go back and try some of their other goodies including trying to order, again, a cheese and loroco pupusa.
My second trip here was every bit as phenomenal as the first. In addition to getting the incredible pupusas again, I tried the Pescado Frito Con Tajadas. The Pescado Frito Con Tajadas is a unique dish, somewhere between a Honduras take on poutine and a plate of nachos. The picked onions hide a spicy kick, and the fresh vegetable slaw pairs well with the savory green bananas and tangy sauces. Service was attentive, and the waitress flexibly helped me with an impromptu To Go pupusa order for tomorrow's lunch. The outside is spartan, and parking can be a challenge, but inside, it is clean and inviting. This place is so authentic I started getting ads in Spanish after eating here
I was in town and I was literally wondering if there was anywhere that made pupusas in St. Louis. I found three places but I read the reviews and decided to come here. I brought my niece with me and she's 4 and she's picky but I knew she would be into trying wherever I take her to especially when it comes to fruit juices. As we walked inside my niece was greeted and we were able to sit wherever. Yes English is limited but the menu is self explanatory and everyone is soooo friendly there omg. First word my niece asked about was juice. I saw guanábana so I explained to my niece and just got mango for her as she loves it and I got soursop. Turns out she loved it more than mango( who knew). I ordered the pupusas and Whoah they were huge. I was use to smaller ones so I ordered more than I could eat. I also ordered chicken with rice, salad and corn tortillas for my mom to go and they waited for us to finish and brought it out. I ordered mini quesadillas for my niece with fries. To let you know how good the food was. My niece ate earlier and I was just going to get her something for dessert later and she'll accompany me for fruit juice. She loved the food. She took one bite and gave the thumbs up as she did with both juices. She said it is amazing and so yummy. The fries were made perfect for her and I even ate some. They had the perfect crunch to them, not over fried. The pupusas were soooooo good. Not over soft. I was so full from two I had to get a To go box. Now as I put my niece food in a to go box. She started to pull the quesadilla out and nibble on it. I forgot to mention for it to be mini. It was an adult quesadilla which I can only imagine the adult one. For her to actually like her food is big because she is so very picky. The chicken my mom had she loved it and that was her first time trying Honduran/ Salvadorian food and she loved the pupusas. The food was seasoned and I knew she would like what I picked out. Actually Stephanie picked it out. It was a very laid back environment, very chill with music playing and some were smiling at my niece dancing to the music. She loved it there. I was so happy. I saw they had michelada's and I wanted to try one so bad as I knew they were good because I saw a majority of the customers there with them and beer. I will definitely be back so I can try. I am very picky with michelada so seeing that gave me the understanding that they are made good. Checking out that's when we were greeted again and found the sweetest young lady name Stephanie. She was there working with her sisters and so sweet. Tried to speak Spanish with my niece with help as it's limited for me. But my niece in the car kept telling me she was so happy to visit that restaurant and she went on about how good the food was and Stephanie ( sorry if I spelled wrong) was so pretty and nice. ( At 11pm she asked to nibble on her food, I'm the Aunt so I didn't say no) I think that is more important when customer service is top tier and food is good. There were customers coming in so you know it's not to disappoint. I will definitely be back.
Great place to grab a delicious lunch for cheap, if you don't mind the wait when it gets busy. Parking is in the back and on the side of the restaurant, although it can get crowded. I've been here twice already - once with a Spanish-speaking friend and once without. Things went a little more smoothly with someone who knew Spanish, but I had no issues going here with only English-speakers. The pupusas are awesome, of course, but I also really enjoyed the sopes. Everyone is who works here has been very friendly.
This small spot is where the terrific little Asian/Mexican Wok o Taco restaurant once resided. (El Guanaco hasn't even changed the decor or walls.) However, Salvadoran and Honduran dishes with some Mexican items now make up the menu. Pupusas, empanadas, rice and bean, and chicken figure prominently now. Tacos and quesadillas represent Mexican fare. My pupusas were terrific. One of cheese only was loaded with creamy, stringy queso. The other of cheese and beans included fresh refried beans. Also included was a small pouch of tangy curtido--a fermented slaw. Two pupusas--a puffy tortilla "pancake" usually stuffed with cheese, beans, meats--were filling for a light snack. All in all the meal reminded me of what I'd had in El Salvador. St. Louis County COVID-19 rules prevent indoor dining. Call in then pick up your order. Be patient on the phone: English--if it's known--is a second language here.
100% recomendado! Food was delicious and authentic. I had a pineapple water and it was very refreshing. Service was great, the two girls were very nice! It's a little dark and not fancy, but that doesn't stop me from coming back. I think they should put a big sign on where to open door because it's a little confusing.
BEST pupusas we've had since the trip we made to El Salvador! We placed and order to go and they told us ahead of time it would be about 40 min. WORTH THE WAIT!! SOOOOOOOO delicious!! Literally our new favorite restaurant!! The whole process was smooth and the staff was friendly and attentive!
Hondureña, salvadoreña, and mexicana food-what a dream come true. Their pupusas are 10/10-I usually just get the cheese. Their horchata is yummy-I get multiple while there The service is very good but it is definitely helpful if you know a little Spanish! It's a small restaurant but very clean.
I should have stopped in this place long ago. And while I debated reviewing it cause they are plenty busy and I kind of want to keep it to myself I worry that someone out there like me needs this places as badly as I did. When I moved to STL well over a decade ago I bemoaned the lack of good Latin American food. I have since found a lot of good places that I love but I didn't realize til I was eating my lunch how big a gap was still there. I ordered tacos al pastor -- a favorite since I was in Sonora years ago and ate them multiple days in a row cause this street vendor was amazing. I order them a decent frequency but I now realize I haven't been truly satisfied til today. Seriously, I am wondering how quickly I will be back because these were incredible. Al pastor is a unique flavor profile and it goes in-depth, these folks GET IT! I took a bite and absolutely closed my eyes as I chewed because this was the al pastor I so often miss. I ordered two tacos al pastor and one asada. They came the Mexican way, simple onion and cilantro which I asked to clarify as recently I ordered street tacos and found them served with lettuce and cheese and was not happy. These were perfect. The steak was good but man I needed those al pastor tacos! Two would have been plenty and at $3 each what an inexpensive lunch! Other reviews mention lots of the other things that touch on the restaurant: - they have sections by country for Salvadoran, Honduran & Mexican foods - customers are mostly Central American, a combination of families and work crews - it is Spanish speaking by and large for staff and customers. - it's bare bones, simple tables and chairs, coolers with drinks and very few bottles behind the bar/register - chips were good (thick not too salty) with red and green sauces, the green was a bit hot for me but I mixed a bit into the red. I am so going back and hope to stay in the minority with English as my first language. They speak the language of slow cooked flavor! read more
24 days ago
My husband and I just moved here from LA, and we've been searching for some authentic Salvi-Mex food that reminds us of home. So far, this has been the best we've found in the area! The tacos and pupusas were SO good, and the servers were very kind and attentive. We got the asada and pastor tacos, pupusas revueltas, torta especial and horchatas! First off, it's so hard to find a place that makes their tortillas in-house, so that was already a huge plus! The curtido and salsa for the pupusas were also really good. Everything tasted fresh and authentic. I also saw some reviews complaining that some of the servers only speak Spanish, but honestly, that's part of why I'm writing this review. This place is AUTHENTIC -- authentic food and an authentic experience. As Salvadoran and Mexican people ourselves, this is exactly the kind of place we've been looking for. If a language barrier makes you uncomfortable, there are plenty of more Americanized/gentrified Latin food places around. But if you want the actual good, authentic food, this is the place! We'll definitely be coming back! read more
Food was amazing! The price matched that as well! Our only issue was the language barrier...but honestly to me, that's a win! Service was perfectly fine, had I been thinking I would have used Google translate to help us through. Honestly I could also quit being lazy and learn Spanish lol. I'll 100% be back to this one. It's a decent sized place, and we didn't have any issues seating 3 right away around lunch time. Clean and the food was out quick :) read more
6 months ago
Tacos were fantastic! And at under $3 a taco they're the best bang for your buck in town. Service was very good and helpful. It felt like home with warm hospitality and fantastic food. read more
5 months ago
While this place was not perfect, I would definitely come back for more good food. I was brought out a basket of thick and delightfully not over-salted tortilla chips and two sauces, with my mango drink (delicious!). The red sauce was full of cilantro (gag me), although I would've guessed that for the green sauce. Green sauce was totally amazing and they were both equally spicy. My two pupusas were very good. I got chicharron (pork) and cheese and one with cheese and loroco. Well, that's what I ordered, anyway. What I ended up was chicharron and cheese and one with chicharron, beans and cheese. But that was OK. They were both good with plenty of filling and crispy on the edges. The place is bigger than I thought it would be, had about five or six booths and about 10 to 12 tables of various sizes. Nothing fancy inside, but It is clean and bright, and it smelled heavenly when I walked in. Good: Delicious food smells when you walk in. Fun music playing, but not too loud. The pupusas were big with plenty of filling and cheese. Mango drink was great. Oh, and those two things plus the basket of chips was only $10.26. Deal!! Bad, or at least not great: Seemed to take a long time to get my food. There were two or three other tables full of old lunch dishes that hadn't been cleared. I didn't particularly care, but someone else might find that offensive. Also, they got my order wrong, but maybe I didn't speak clearly or loud enough - I wasn't too upset, I just wanted to check the place out. All in all, I would definitely go back and try some of their other goodies including trying to order, again, a cheese and loroco pupusa. read more
My second trip here was every bit as phenomenal as the first. In addition to getting the incredible pupusas again, I tried the Pescado Frito Con Tajadas. The Pescado Frito Con Tajadas is a unique dish, somewhere between a Honduras take on poutine and a plate of nachos. The picked onions hide a spicy kick, and the fresh vegetable slaw pairs well with the savory green bananas and tangy sauces. Service was attentive, and the waitress flexibly helped me with an impromptu To Go pupusa order for tomorrow's lunch. The outside is spartan, and parking can be a challenge, but inside, it is clean and inviting. This place is so authentic I started getting ads in Spanish after eating here read more
5 months ago
2 years ago
I was in town and I was literally wondering if there was anywhere that made pupusas in St. Louis. I found three places but I read the reviews and decided to come here. I brought my niece with me and she's 4 and she's picky but I knew she would be into trying wherever I take her to especially when it comes to fruit juices. As we walked inside my niece was greeted and we were able to sit wherever. Yes English is limited but the menu is self explanatory and everyone is soooo friendly there omg. First word my niece asked about was juice. I saw guanábana so I explained to my niece and just got mango for her as she loves it and I got soursop. Turns out she loved it more than mango( who knew). I ordered the pupusas and Whoah they were huge. I was use to smaller ones so I ordered more than I could eat. I also ordered chicken with rice, salad and corn tortillas for my mom to go and they waited for us to finish and brought it out. I ordered mini quesadillas for my niece with fries. To let you know how good the food was. My niece ate earlier and I was just going to get her something for dessert later and she'll accompany me for fruit juice. She loved the food. She took one bite and gave the thumbs up as she did with both juices. She said it is amazing and so yummy. The fries were made perfect for her and I even ate some. They had the perfect crunch to them, not over fried. The pupusas were soooooo good. Not over soft. I was so full from two I had to get a To go box. Now as I put my niece food in a to go box. She started to pull the quesadilla out and nibble on it. I forgot to mention for it to be mini. It was an adult quesadilla which I can only imagine the adult one. For her to actually like her food is big because she is so very picky. The chicken my mom had she loved it and that was her first time trying Honduran/ Salvadorian food and she loved the pupusas. The food was seasoned and I knew she would like what I picked out. Actually Stephanie picked it out. It was a very laid back environment, very chill with music playing and some were smiling at my niece dancing to the music. She loved it there. I was so happy. I saw they had michelada's and I wanted to try one so bad as I knew they were good because I saw a majority of the customers there with them and beer. I will definitely be back so I can try. I am very picky with michelada so seeing that gave me the understanding that they are made good. Checking out that's when we were greeted again and found the sweetest young lady name Stephanie. She was there working with her sisters and so sweet. Tried to speak Spanish with my niece with help as it's limited for me. But my niece in the car kept telling me she was so happy to visit that restaurant and she went on about how good the food was and Stephanie ( sorry if I spelled wrong) was so pretty and nice. ( At 11pm she asked to nibble on her food, I'm the Aunt so I didn't say no) I think that is more important when customer service is top tier and food is good. There were customers coming in so you know it's not to disappoint. I will definitely be back. read more
Great place to grab a delicious lunch for cheap, if you don't mind the wait when it gets busy. Parking is in the back and on the side of the restaurant, although it can get crowded. I've been here twice already - once with a Spanish-speaking friend and once without. Things went a little more smoothly with someone who knew Spanish, but I had no issues going here with only English-speakers. The pupusas are awesome, of course, but I also really enjoyed the sopes. Everyone is who works here has been very friendly. read more
1 year ago
6 years ago
This small spot is where the terrific little Asian/Mexican Wok o Taco restaurant once resided. (El Guanaco hasn't even changed the decor or walls.) However, Salvadoran and Honduran dishes with some Mexican items now make up the menu. Pupusas, empanadas, rice and bean, and chicken figure prominently now. Tacos and quesadillas represent Mexican fare. My pupusas were terrific. One of cheese only was loaded with creamy, stringy queso. The other of cheese and beans included fresh refried beans. Also included was a small pouch of tangy curtido--a fermented slaw. Two pupusas--a puffy tortilla "pancake" usually stuffed with cheese, beans, meats--were filling for a light snack. All in all the meal reminded me of what I'd had in El Salvador. St. Louis County COVID-19 rules prevent indoor dining. Call in then pick up your order. Be patient on the phone: English--if it's known--is a second language here. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
100% recomendado! Food was delicious and authentic. I had a pineapple water and it was very refreshing. Service was great, the two girls were very nice! It's a little dark and not fancy, but that doesn't stop me from coming back. I think they should put a big sign on where to open door because it's a little confusing. read more
2 years ago
5 years ago
BEST pupusas we've had since the trip we made to El Salvador! We placed and order to go and they told us ahead of time it would be about 40 min. WORTH THE WAIT!! SOOOOOOOO delicious!! Literally our new favorite restaurant!! The whole process was smooth and the staff was friendly and attentive! read more
Hondureña, salvadoreña, and mexicana food-what a dream come true. Their pupusas are 10/10-I usually just get the cheese. Their horchata is yummy-I get multiple while there The service is very good but it is definitely helpful if you know a little Spanish! It's a small restaurant but very clean. read more
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This place was delicious! We enjoyed a good evening here, had an array of South American sodas! Great Honduran, Salvadorian and Mexican food!! Gluten free options ! Huge Portions ! Everything that came out of the kitchen was delicious!! read more
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Overall, the food was excellent. The pork and cheese pupusas were my favorite. The tacos Hondureños weren't anything special until I dipped them in the sauce. It was just what they needed. Also the curtido(coleslaw) was super flavorful and I'd order this dish again just for the slaw. Burrito was huge and delicious. Quesadilla was also loaded with cheese and meat, but could have used some sauce. Fellow gringos beware, the salsa verde is deliciously flavorful, but much spicier than it looked. A few things to note: when I called my order in, the person only spoke Spanish. My rusty college Spanish from over a decade ago was sufficient to successfully place my order. Also, some of the menu items I had planned on ordering were not available, so be prepared with a backup. Choriqueso, fried plantains, the tinga taco, and the pastelitos were all unavailable. read more
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6 months ago
