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    El Merkury

    4.3 (218 reviews)
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    Updated over 3 months ago

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    EL MERKURY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Hipster
    Casual
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    Taquitos
    Amber K.

    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

    Jeongmin H.

    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.

    Josie

    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!

    Pupusas
    Alicia J.

    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.

    Monica T.

    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!

    pupusa and taquito meal deal with a tamarind water
    Jackie M.

    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.

    Samira A.

    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.

    Pupusas

    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.

    Outside
    Manta K.

    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!

    Sharvani M.

    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.

    Got the churro on the side
    Angela B.

    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.

    Gloria L.

    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.

    Pupusa & Taquito Combo
    Cookie W.

    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

    Churro w ice cream

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    5 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    3 years ago

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

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

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    Insomnia Cookies

    Insomnia Cookies

    3.9(229 reviews)
    0.8 mi
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    $ well spent! Had a dozen hot, fresh, wonderful cookies delivered to our hotel room on a Monday…read morenight after midnight when nearly every other option, including the hotel bar & restaurant, was closed. A few additional cookies tossed in our delivery for free, made it feel like a better value since we had some leftover to enjoy with morning coffee. Anticipated a long wait given the time & day, but a friendly face handed them to us in less time than Domino's. The Deluxe cookies were a treat w/ the peanut butter varieties a fav, but ALL the cookies, including the ones I didn't pick, were delicious. A little annoying the upcharges for deluxe varieties when I thought that was the point of picking an option that includes them, but the additional free cookies helped soften that. A must for any overnight stay in Philly!

    Came in for the free taste testing and it was actually a blast. The flavors were fun, a little…read moreunexpected, and honestly way better than I thought they'd be for a big chain. After we finished, they handed us a whole box of cookies just for hanging out and giving feedback. That was a solid surprise and super generous. I swing by Insomnia Cookies on random days too because sometimes you just need a warm cookie to reset your mood. They always come out soft, gooey, and fresh from the oven. The store itself is clean and kind of cool to look at. There's a whole wall covered in giant industrial-style on and off switches. I still wish I could have pulled one just to see what would happen. Staff was chill and genuinely helpful. They were patient while we tried to figure out which cookie was which during the ranking, and they kept the energy light and fun. Same when they handed out the free boxes. Whoever runs the HQ location clearly knows how to make the experience feel special.

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    Bud & Marilyn's - CRISPY CHEESE CURDS (v)

    Bud & Marilyn's

    4.2(1.6k reviews)
    0.8 miWashington Square West
    $$

    So nice to stop in on a hot day. Very cool temps inside. And Right in time for happy hour…read more All the buns on the HH menu are good. Really bite size. The burger and beer combo is the best deal in the city. Burger was cooked perfectly. My son got the raw steak frites, and I got the ribs. Love the fries - it had some fresh horseradish shavings and Parmesan. The ribs weren't juicy. Needed better bbq sauce too. Service was at the bar. The bartenders were attentive and the food came out pretty much on time. We were able to get drinks off the HH menu. The frozen cocktails are the best. And also the old fashion.

    5 stars for Bud and Marilyn's? I recently gave The Love 5 stars for its fried chicken!…read more The Marilyn's Fried Chicken I had this evening was every bit as good! I'm not sure why I waited so long to try the chicken at Bud and Marilyn's, but better late than never! They serve a LARGE 1/2 chicken. I started with the thigh. I was smitten by the first bite. I was told the chicken is soaked in a buttermilk brine for 24-48 hours - dipped in a buttermilk dredge - covered with their 'secret recipe' seasoned flour - and fried in a 'pressure fryer' that cooks the chicken in 12 minutes. It was perfectly fried - so crispy - the texture and seasoning of the exterior coating was incredible. The chicken was tender and juicy - the thigh was the juiciest - I didn't get to try the drumstick as I was too full! I had the thigh and 1/2 the breast. The breast is my favorite and I savored each large delicious piece I broke apart. It's important to pick up the chicken and eat it by hand - I did cut mine in half for a picture - but didn't use a fork to eat it - you lose the 'panache'of the meal. I didn't use the hot sauce served with the chicken - I brought my own bottle of honey and poured it over the chicken and biscuits. It was heavenly! Which brings me to the Biscuits! The dish comes with 2 large fluffy buttermilk biscuits - they were golden brown on the outside and tender and fluffy on the inside! They had such a rich, buttery flavor. I took several pieces of chicken and layered them on pieces of biscuit, drizzled with honey! It was truly a 5 star fried chicken and biscuit dinner!

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    Bud & Marilyn's - Bar area

    Bar area

    Bud & Marilyn's - MARILYN'S FRIED CHICKEN

    MARILYN'S FRIED CHICKEN

    Bud & Marilyn's - Old fashioned

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    Old fashioned

    El Merkury - latin - Updated September 2026

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