Restaurant Salvadoreno El Chilamatal

Have only tried the pupusas but I loved them :}

There aren’t a lot of Salvadorian restaurants with reviews referencing their pupusas so I thought I would contribute. Pupusas are about as thick as a pancake but made of masa and filled with variations of meats and cheese. They are traditionally served with pickled cabbage and a red sauce with a bit of spice. I don’t usually venture away from my comfort zone of mixed and cheese and loroco, but I saw offerings on the menu I never new existed. Shrimp and cheese, zucchini and cheese and spinach and cheese. I decided to give the spinach and cheese a try. Excellent move on my part. It was great. We also had a plate of fried plantains, beans and cream. Also delicious. The cool cream is great compliment to the warm beans and sweet plantains. The place isn’t anything special. Pictures of El Salvador, a couple of flat screens stuck on the soccer channel, a juke box with Spanish music through out. Basically everything you need to operate a Salvadorean establishment. If you haven’t had a pupusa yet I insist you give this place a try. You will not be disappointed.

oh geez! This place is yum yum yum… not to mention inexpensive! The Salvi food must be good too… but we had breakfast! Yes Denny’s, IHOP whatever breakfast for half the price!
go there it’s good stuff!

Pupusas make me happy.
Many of you have no idea what I’m referring to and that’s a shame, for pupusas bring the same comfort food satisfaction that pancakes, chili, mashed potatoes and biscuits are well known for. If you are latin or more specifically Salvadorean you know what I’m talking about.
El Chilamatal is a place you can obtain pupusas, pretty good ones in my opinion. And CHEAP, as meals go. Each pupusa (like a cornmeal pancake with meat/​cheese/​bean filling) goes for less than $ 2 and a couple of them will get the job done, three or four if you wanna feel full.
The overall atmosphere of this establishment feels like I’m in El Salvador when I’m there, though not in a cultural fancy restaurant way. When ordering at the counter, it helps if you know a little spanish but fear not– like most asian eateries where the language barrier can be a problem, the menu here has numbers and pictures that you can point at.
Authentic Salvadoreans seem to hang out here, my litmus test for the true quality of any ethnic restaurant, though the aguas frescas are the processed kind.
There’s a jukebox loaded with bandos and TVs showing soccer or the latin Grammys. It’s a good little Salvadorean hole in the wall to try your first pupusa, so have at it.