This has always been my go-to for comfort food. I love their pupusas filled with pork as well as their giant churro desserts. Sometimes I just visit just for dessert! The restaurant is small and beautifully decorated. You can go alone or with friends and family. It's such a nice atmosphere. Food is prepared quickly but lovingly. There's quality in every bite. The owner is super nice. They also have a shop in Reading Terminal as well as at the Mann. Don't miss out. Give it a try! read more

El Merkury - The Galletas Abue (homemade dulce de leche, crushed Maria cookies, and cinnamon sugar) is so good it will make you cry! - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Got the elote during a street fest. A lady in front of us was complaining that the food was freezing cold, just assumed she was a Karen and stayed in line. It was in fact freezing cold and the sauce was not traditional. It was good and spicy but tasted too Americanized. Not to mention $8 for a freezing cold elote. Not fresh and not classic. Don't need to come here again when there's way more authentic places that serve fresh food read more

I went to the location in reading terminal and these taquitos were so delicious I needed to leave a review. The shell was so crunchy and the pickled veggies made it very refreshing. I will definitely be coming over to try at the main restaurant one day read more

El Merkury - Taquitos - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Having worked with Central Americans over the past 20+ years, I've grown quite fond of their food, especially pupusas. Luckily, I've got El Merkury right nearby to satisfy the occasional hankering for one. This review comprises several visits to El Merkury. I've been there several times, as most recently as a couple of days ago and I think it's a great place for a nice lunch or some great takeout anytime. The restaurant is clean, modern, and stylish, and on a nice day, the open front windows give the place a nice airy feel. Admittedly, a couple of servers don't know English very well, but the automated self-ordering removes any potential miscommunication for customers. That being said, the young ladies who fulfill the orders always give you service with a smile. Nice place, good, authentic grub! Inexpensive, too! read more

El Merkury - El Merkury. - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Their pupusas were solid. Great combination of flavors and pretty good amount of food. It was easy to share as we were trying out lots of different vendors within the market. read more

El Merkury - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Stopped by for lunch and had a great meal. You order on the computer and the food is ready quite quickly. I got the nachos with guac + black bean jalapeño pupusa. I was very satisfied with the nachos. Pupusa was alright. I was super full. I enjoyed the Latin playlist and open windows. Next time I want to try one of their drinks + churros! read more

El Merkury - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Had been craving pupusas for a while and this seemed like the best (and perhaps only) spot in Center City. Unlike the homier spots where I've had pupusas in the past, El Merkury is a spacious and modern fast-casual restaurant with touchscreens to order from, which may make it more approachable to newcomers but somewhat less cozy than a more longtime family-owned kind of place. Though you don't talk to anyone to order, someone serves your food to your table and even waits to serve your dessert until after you've finished your meal which makes it feel a touch more personal than your usual counter-serve spot. I got an order of two pupusas, one with loroco (an edible flower used as a vegetable) and cheese and one with pork. I liked that they were topped with some pickled onions and salsa to give some crunch and bright flavors. Of the two, I preferred the loroco and cheese as the cheese imparted some moisture and tasty fattiness, though I would have liked more loroco. The pork one was somewhat one-note and I think I'd get another filling with cheese next time, either the bean and cheese or pork and cheese. A surprisingly filling and satisfying meal for not too much money though. For dessert I split the "South Philly," a churro sundae with vanilla ice cream, Nutella and caramel sauce, and cannoli chips. It was a visual treat and the churro itself was perfectly crispy! Would be happy to come back to try another churro sundae flavor, and maybe one of the combo meals. read more

El Merkury - Pupusas - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Had a delicious lunch at El Merkury! Conveniently located in Center City a couple blocks from Rittenhouse Square. They have screens to place your order but the friendly staff is on hand in case you have questions. For ease in meal ordering, they offer a couple Combos. I enjoyed the Pupusa (Chicharron Pork) and Tostada (Pork Mechada), and 2 Sides (Cheese Baked Rice w/ jalapenos & corn, Guacamole). I have zero complaints about any of it - it was all delicious. There's plenty of seating to sit at as you enjoy your meal and fun music. Can't wait to return. PS. Don't miss out on the insane churros -- some offered with ice cream and toppings! read more

El Merkury - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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What a delight to eat here! I love that they have screens to order on, it's really nice to have a fast casual place like this. I ordered around 5pm and sat by the window. The food came out really quickly and they brought it right over to me. I ordered a beans and cheese pupusa, a roasted squash taquito, banana chips, and avocado salsa (they call in guacamole but it's not a traditional american guac). This was part of their meal deal for $13.99. I thought that was a fair price for the amount of food. I also ordered the tamarind water, which was very refreshing. The food was very flavorful and just different that what I usually eat. I can't decide if the pupusa or the taquito was my favorite. They also add some pickled veggie accoutrements. Very delicious. I will definitely be back - but maybe I will check out their location at Reading Terminal next. read more

El Merkury - pupusa and taquito meal deal with a tamarind water - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This is a cute spot with plenty of seating and a clean bathroom. They offer self service computers to place your order, which is convenient. Since I was in a hurry, I only ordered a build your own salad, which was fresh and tasty. I chose spinach, pinto beans, zucchini, and carrots, and they provided a generous amount of cilantro dressing, perfect for coating all the veggies. The flavors here are great, and the prices are very reasonable. I look forward to coming back to try more items. read more

El Merkury - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Very disappointed at this staff. I ordered a cake from El Merkury for an event, and due to sad health issues, the event was cancelled. I called in advanced and let the staff know they could cancel my order and that I would like a refund processed. I reached out by phone and email and was never passed along to management. After a few days, a manager did reach out to me but disputed the refund. I let them know that I gave them plenty of notice and was confused as to why they did not want to honor a refund. It was more about the principle than the money. Would not recommend catering or cakes from this company. read more

Waited about 15 minutes for my order. The pupusas looked great and were nicely presented, and the price--2 for $14--is a solid deal. Unfortunately, they were a bit lacking in flavor. That said, the staff was super kind and which I really appreciated. read more

El Merkury - Pupusas - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

El Merkury is a vibrant casual restaurant which serves Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras food. The menu has items like pupusas, tostadas, taquitos, and churros. It's an easy process to order off of a touchscreen and your food is prepared quickly and when ready your name is called. We appreciated that dietary restrictions are clearly labeled. Most of what we ordered was very tasty however not sure if we ordered the wrong pupusas as the bean ones were a bit bland. The tostada and taquito were delicious though. We loved the bright cheerful interior and were sad we were too full for a churro. Docking one star for the bland pupusas but will definitely be back and will try a different one and will adjust my rating. Please give this place a try it is very unique! read more

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Good food! I've had taquitos from their Reading Terminal Market location before and they were quite tasty and crisp, and same experience this time except tried a few more items. The butternut squash taquitos were probably still my fave for how crispy on the outside, savory on the inside they were. I also really enjoyed the beet tostada, but didn't love the black bean pupusas. The toppings ar generally the same on each item (pickled onions, lettuce, salsa) so the real flavor comes from the filling or stuffing itself and the toppings add to it. Plenty of vegetarian options - I would come back here for a little snack but probably not a whole meal. read more

El Merkury - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Just go to your neighborhood churro man lol =========== I was excited for the churro, but even fresh it wasn't that good :( vanilla soft serve with nut brittle, goat milk caramel sounded better on paper. The churro was pretty hard on the outside and wasn't really moist on the inside. For $7, you get a sizeable amount, but I didn't even enjoy eating the churro by itself. Even Jack in the box churros are better. When I called them on the phone, they didn't pick up and I let it ring forever. As I entered, they were serving one customer so I'm not sure what occurred here. read more

El Merkury - Got the churro on the side - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pork and cheese pupusas were delicious! The churro with ice cream dessert was yummy. Service was great. Definitely recommend. read more

El Merkury - Churro w ice cream - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Fast food, quick service, friendly staff. Self seeting area Taquito (5/5) - One of the best taquitos in philly, fried perfectly. Thicker than traditional Pupusa (4/5) - Soft, flavorful, we got vegetarian Tostada (3/5) - Average read more

El Merkury - Pupusa & Taquito Combo - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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First, I would go here again just for the churro desserts! That was the best dessert I've had in a while, and they have such a broad selection of flavors of churros and soft serve ice cream. Based on my first experience, I think I would enjoy all the flavors. Of the other foods we ordered my favorites were the taquitos and empanadas. I also loved their plantain chips and guacamole. I was excited for their pupusas since not many places serve them but they were fine--nothing super exciting. read more

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Excellent execution on Central American street food. The chicken in the taquito was tender, juicy, and didn't stick on the tooth. The pickled beet tostada balanced acidity, sweetness, and savouriness well. All around this was a great choice for lunch. They combine latin street flavors and concepts with skilled execution. read more

Omg this churro was hot and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. It was heaven with the soft serve. Unfortunately they ran out of soft serve for mine but I had just enough to satisfy. The service was a little aloof but oh well. Churro made up for it. read more

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I was really hoping to love this please, but the food was just okay. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I've definitely had better pupusas. I had the beans & cheese and there was not enough cheese for my liking. However, the staff was super welcoming and the decor was captivating! read more

El Merkury - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Great place for lunch! We had nachos with pork and a churro. It was busy and the food came fast. We will be back

So good! This was shared between two of us and it was plenty of food! Please go and enjoy it! read more

El Merkury - Did we over order? Yes. Did we eat it all? Yea. - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I've heard about this place a few times and finally stopped in to grab a quick lunch to-go. The vibe inside seemed very clean and casual. I got two taquitos to-go- one chicken and cheese and one chile chicken. First of all, I was thrilled that this was only $7. I didn't know lunches under $10 still existed in Philly. I was even happier that it was delicious. The chile chicken is actually spicy but in a fun way- not in the way that makes you cry. The service was super quick, too. I think I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. Will definitely be back to try more from the menu. read more

Food is great. Service is very dependent on the day. If you can order online, that's ideal.

This place is one of those where you order at a console and there isn't a ton of human interaction or service. I suppose this comment may be one that seems dated in a few years, but I do prefer the human touch. The menu has some splendid options showcasing all sorts of ways to eat corn, mixed with other fresh and delicious things. It does have some puzzling elements, though. For one thing, you can't mix and match your pupusa flavors (I don't think I've ever seen a pupusa place where you couldn't mix and match), nor can you even order a single pupusa (or tostada or taquito). You literally have to order two of the same flavor or a combo, which denied me the opportunity for loroco. Also a bit odd was that my pupusas came with the traditional accompaniments on top, rather than on the side. Texturally, these pupusas were quickly getting soggy because of it. In terms of taste, they were perhaps not quite as well done as I would like, but otherwise delicious, with the bean filling spicy, and the curtido and salsa contrasting beautifully. I considered many other options before landing on a seasonal salad with shaved corn (and the big white Mayan corn) with chickpeas, tortilla strips, and chipotle mayo to finish. It was a fantastic salad, and if I'd had room for the beverages or the churros or the sides, I'm sure they would have been good too. So while I had some hangups, I think this place does produce quality vegetarian-friendly (but not so much vegan) food, and I endorse it. read more

El Merkury - Elote salad - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Fantastic, healthy food. Very fresh very different. Wish there were more of them especially in Connecticut or New York. Very friendly staff and reasonably priced. read more

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Disclaimer: this is solely a churro review One of my friends saw a picture of these churros on Instagram and has been excited to check this place out since. I've gotta say based on the pics alone I thought it was gonna be gimmicky but I was SOO WRONG!!! We got the galletas abue churro and ucity churro. The galletas churro was AMAZING. The churros were crispy, yet chewy, and piping hot. I wasn't as big of a fan of the ucity churro. It was topped with espresso beans which were super crunchy and kind of a weird texture pairing. I really want to come back and try their real food! read more

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My friends and I went here for lunch the other day before going to the Mutter museum. I got the 3 chile chicken taquitos which were excellent and alittle spicy! I also got the Mexican corn with cilantro and cheese. Omg best Mexican corn I've had in awhile! My friends who are vegan/vegetarian got jackfruit taquitos and tacos but my vegetarian friend accidently got chicken? She didn't tell them their mistake but said whatever she had was good. For dessert I got the tres leches churro soft serve to split with my friend. The soft-serve was good but I thought the churro was hard/old tasting (like they fried it up house ago and it's been sitting out). Overall food was good but little things like the mistake in the food/hard churro makes me hesitate to rate it more than a 3. read more

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More like a 3.75 Great place and ambience right in the middle of Rittenhouse. Service is ok. It's basically self order on a screen. Wish there was more person to person interaction. Food: it taste good. This place is basically an introduction to Central American food. Good Selection and good taste but they are all missing that authentic taste. Also the pupusa came out super quick which means they are not freshly made. This is where they lost all the points. It's a great place for the intro but if you want the real deal you need to head towards Italian market/ Passyunk area. The authentic flavor Mexican and Central American restaurants are there. Would I eat here again? Yes, if I didn't feel like driving read more

El Merkury - Pupusa and Tostada Combo - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Loved the smoky heat in the jackfruit taquitos, the only thing missing was a mezcal margarita that would have paired perfectly! Great lunch spot! read more

El Merkury - Jackfruit Taquitos - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Their churros are the perfect midday pick me up to share with a friend. Very convenient and fast to place a to go order and brought it to eat at Rittenhouse Square! Loved the UCity Churro (coffee flavored) and the tres leches flavor but honestly you can't go wrong with any flavor! Churro was still warm and crispy in the box and perfect with the ice cream. Also loved the tostados- super flavorful and decently sized. Guac was super fresh too. Would definitely recommend a visit! read more

El Merkury - UCity Churro - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I have had El Merkury on my radar ever since they opened because churros are exciting. But last night I FINALLY gave them a try. TL;DR: food wasn't totally my bag, but I'll probably be back to try other things and/or for churro sundaes. Also: plan to enjoy the food while you're there while it's hot and fresh! Long version: I scheduled an order for pickup at 6:45pm so I could grab it on my way home. Ordering through their website was easy enough. When I arrived, it wasn't clear where to go for pickup so I just kind of waited behind a couple that was ordering via a kiosk and eventually walked up to the service area to ask. I was a little early but my food was almost done -- great! It was decently busy inside on a Friday -- about 3 tables of folks enjoying food and the other couple ordering. That's always a good sign. My food was ready quickly and then I walked home to enjoy. This was my failure. It's a 20 minute walk home, y'all. And it was 40 degrees. By the time I got home, the golden fried doblado and the puffy pupusa were no longer hot and had lost any crispy texture there might have been (looking at you, doblado). Fail. So if you're looking to do takeout, keep your journey short or take a Lyft home or better yet just eat it there. The flavors were pretty solid -- the pupusas (I got the bean and cheese ones) kind of reminded me of a Latin stuffed pita pocket. I liked the slaw and pickled onions. The spicy salsa wasn't too harsh for my weak self to stand. The shredded chicken in the doblado was flavorful as well, but at the end of the day -- I prefer empanadas to doblados. Sorryyyy. There was just a lot of BREAD happening in this meal and usually Latin food tends to be lighter on the carbs so it wasn't the vibe I was hoping for. Arguably this is also way too much food for one person and trying one dish would have been plenty but ... "when in Rome," right? Glad I tried it though. Would not be opposed to trying it again (freshly hot) but probably would not seek them out either... I'll get the tostadas and street corn next time, or maybe try a pupusa that is freshly hot and add on some corn if that's a thing? I had added on plantain chips which were perfectly salted, and also a churro with the dulce de leche dipping sauce, which -- again -- would have been better fresh but was exactly what I expected a churro to be otherwise. All in all, I chalk my experience up to incorrect expectations (so much bread!) and the major user error in walking home with my meal in the cold... Flavors were good, just not my thing from a texture or overall experience perspective... At least not yet! read more

El Merkury - Doblado, as assembled at home (hope I did it right) - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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tl;dr delivering a sophisticated take on Latin American street food, this Rittenhouse cucina cooks up one of my new favorite desserts in the city Philly mints many exciting pop-ups into full brick-and-mortar establishments. Among them is El Merkury, a fast-casual spot promising an accessible assortment of Central American street food staples. The walls and stamped tin ceilings are whitewashed, decorated with colorful cubbies on one side and a spraypaint-stenciled, kitchen-themed mural on the other. Bright yellow and deep blue aluminum tables and chairs complement the vibrant Spanish music playing in the background. Garage door-style windows open widely, greeting the summer weather with panache. My partner and I stopped by the Rittenhouse outpost for dinner, and we opted for two combo platters and churro. As we waited at our table, I was surprised and impressed that the staff offered near-restaurant quality service. They brought out iced water, then staggered the entrees and dessert. The entrees could be summed up as well-portioned and sturdy, with an exciting assortment of textures and spot-on sauces, but underwhelmingly flavored meats. The Cheese-Baked Rice absolutely hit the spot. The richness of melty cheese was balanced out by sweet corn. The guacamole ran on the pureed side, emulating a sauce more than a dip. Seasoned with lime and pickled onions, it was refreshing and flavorful. The beans were well-cooked with a good texture. The plantain chips held up to the scoop test and proved to be an ideal side to pair with the beans and guac. I appreciated that they were longitudinally cut, but I wish they were salted -- the chips sans dip definitely were underwhelming. Our meal ended with a bang thanks to the Galletas Abue Churro. Looping spectacularly from a cup of soft-serve, the sight of the churros is second only to the taste. Our variety was heavy in indulgent flavors of cinnamon and sugar, and the soft-serve was drizzled with dulce de leche and wafer cookies. The made-to-order churro was piping hot, slightly melting the adjacent soft-serve and intensifying the lusciousness. In fact, I'd say the churro is reason enough to pay El Merkury a visit. Even though you'll definitely want a churro for yourself, you may find that your eyes are bigger than your stomach. Surprisingly heavy, the portion is fair to split between two. For $40 for two (after tax and tip), El Merkury definitely runs the Rittenhouse-standard price for a fast-casual affair. While the food might not have blown my socks off, it was a solid foray into the star of the meal. The churro selection has my strong endorsement as ranking among the best dessert option in Philly. read more

El Merkury - Galletas Abue Churro - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Perfect treat for a hot summer day! Decided to walk there after spending sometime at rittenhouse square and their tres leches churro soft serve really hit the spot. The vanilla soft serve was super delicious with the dulce de leche topped with the crunchy, flakey, brown sugar-y churro -- overall, AMAZING. read more

El Merkury - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Most confusing menu ever. I will be back and if it takes me a month to understand how to order properly so be it I will take this challenge. You must use there touch screen to order and I thought I was ordering 3 taquitos as you can not mix and match no I ended up with one and a tostado, side of corn, and side of platains. Thing is on the touch screen if you don't choose the free sides it is very confusing and you can end up getting burned. The corn was some of the most delectable I have had in some time with a spice mixed around it I have never encounted, I must go back to find out what it was and update review...I want to say it was a spicey cheese but just amazeballs. The tacquito was good but one per order is not good they reallly must rearrange portions or make ordering easier to what you actually want. The tostado was fine but that was not what I was looking for. Plaintains very good but again I did not "want" plaintains but they came with the combo. I recommend you try this spot however as the Churro menu god dam looks magically I can't explain all the options you have for different flavored churros but they do sell a shirt celebrating national churro day so I would not be suprised if they are amazing. I will be back!! And fully endorse you trying some of there items!! GET THE CORN WHATEVER YOU DO!! read more

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I can here with my Salvadoran friend for dinner because he wanted to try their pupusas. We both got the pupusas which I thought was very filling and decent (Disclaimer: It was my first time ever having pupusas, so I don't know how it should taste), but my friend did not like it at all. I got the tres leches churro for dessert and I loved it so much. The churro was coated very well with sugar, had the right crispness, and paired so well with the tres leches. It's like having churro with ice cream, only better! read more

El Merkury - Pupusas - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Look at those churros!!! Three of us shared the Dolce de Leche churro and it was the perfect amount. My only disappointment was that the churro had the oil fryer aftertaste. I will definitely be back to try the other flavors. read more

El Merkury - Churro - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I feel like this place flies under the radar at Reading Terminal Market. It's not like the rest of the vendors in Reading. This Latin American food is absolutely delicious. My husband and I got the nachos and pupusas. My husband said the nachos were the best nachos he's ever had! I highly recommend getting food from El Merkury, you won't regret it!! read more

El Merkury - Nachos - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This place has a fantastic vibe. When the windows are open and you can feel the breeze outside it's a lovely place to sit and eat. The music is also great and plays at the perfect volume to hear and still have a conversation. The place is also very bright. The blue and yellow theme gives a fantastic vibe. I also love the paintings on the side wall (see pic) will terms. I love the experience of ordering on a tablet, especially since the staff are so willing to answer questions. As for the food, the papusas are just lovely. They pack in the meat and toppings for both those and the tostada. The tostadas are also amazing, but I'd recommend eating those in because they could get soggy with takeout. The elote is also really good, I love the cilantro topping. The plantain chips with salsa are awesome too. I always like to get the hibiscus, lemon cucumber, or tamarind water here, but they also make a great cappuccino! The hibiscus water is really good, not overly sweet. The lemon cucumber water is just sweet enough and has so much cucumber. The tamarind water takes me back to childhood, it's really good! Now the churros are like next level. I love the spicy chocolate and the Mayan chocolate churros. The ice cream that comes with them is also to die for. The soft serve is so creamy, it's almost like gelato texture. The churros are crispy and so so good. I like to break off some churro and dip it in the ice cream. read more

El Merkury - Art on the side wall - Latin American Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania