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Delicious made from scratch especially the soups (sopas). Sopa marisco extremely delicious with mussels, salmon, shrimp and calamari. Simply out of this world. Also tortillas were all home made - all slightly different shapes. The pan fried fish was fresh, crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It is rare to go to a restaurant on Christmas Eve to find everything made from scratch. Just superb. Some customers were saying that the service is not the best - well, they have just a couple of people serving everyone. That day, it was full with five tables eating. As far as I am concerned, we received good service. We received our delicious food on time and our take-outs. As far as the food is good, and service okay, I am not complaining.
It was good service for take out and the food was fresh. I came here only for the papusas and the tamale. The papusas were great and they offer a variety of fillings. For $2.50 a piece you can't go wrong. I ordered 10 to share but that was way too much. 5 would've been plenty. They come w the slaw and tomato sauce. The citrus flavors cuts through the richness of the papusas well to balance it. I tried the cheese and cheese/chicharon filling. The chicharon was different from what I expected. For my preference I'd stick to bean and cheese filling. The tamales were ok. They are laid on a piece of banana leaf and covered with aluminum foil and steamed. The chicken was meaty and had potato in it too. That's a plus bc I love potatoes. I just personally like mine fully wrapped in banana leaves. Their tamales were somewhat soggy too so I'd skip this item. Of the 2 restaurants that serve papusas in town and I would come back again for them. Next time I'll try other fillings.
My husband and I arrived at 2ish on a Sunday afternoon. There are only 12 or so tables and it was definitely busy. There was a host seating people, getting complimentary chips and salsa, and clearing tables and one waitress doing everything else and she was hustling. It took about 15 or so minutes for us to order and then close to another 30 minutes to get our food. Everything was good and inexpensive... I guess just when you go... go into the situation knowing service will be pokey. All together we had two strawberry jarritos, 3 pupusas (one carne asada and two queso), one carne torta, one carne taco, fried plantains with crema, and complimentary chips and salsa and it was only $20.
We toured the Basilicata next door and in the audio tour they mentioned the Salvadoran restaurant across the street. Having been to El Salvador we immediately knew we wanted Papusas. We were not disappointed, they were hot and fresh. We also ordered tacos and tamales. Definitely get the pork ones, they were absolutely delicious. We were so glad we stopped for lunch!
I've been here a couple of times and originally found this place because I really wanted a papusa. I tried them once while visiting someone in Los Angeles, the family originally from Guatemala. His Mom buys them from a local El Salvadorean market to go. They were so good with the slaw that I just had to have them again. The place is smallish and the decor is very authentic. You get free chips and salsa which is great. I've only have the papusas so I can't say how anything else is on the menu. Just get them, any flavor is good, and load em up with the slaw and red sauce. Someday I want to make my own but this place is where it's at. They are very inexpensive and you can order 1 or 20 so I would recommend getting more for leftovers.
This is a nice hidden gem! The food is not only delicious but it's pocket friendly. They have a decent menu, so everyone can find something good to eat. I've eaten in or ordered for take out and the food is really good.
This place was unexpectedly amazing. We were visiting the st. Basilica cathedral and went in for lunch because It's situated right in front of it and I am so glad we did. The food was simply outstanding. Garlic Prawns were so yummy and fresh, chicken stew was hearty and full of flavour, they even made the rice delicious I don't know how! The tamales were ok but the main courses were so impressive, we didn't care much about the tamales. The portions were huge and prices were totally reasonable. The service was good too! The ambience is very homely. There's plenty parking nearby.
People, pupusas are the next hot thing. They're crunchy on the outside, piping on the inside, and all around savory. I had two pupusas: one revuelto (meat and cheese) and a loroco (veggie). While they may appear underwhelming, don't let their looks deceive you. The perfect handheld comfort food. I also had a baleada, which felt like a breakfast quesadilla with beans, avocado, and egg inside. Not as yummy as a pupusa, but still good and gooey if you are a breakfast aficionado. The complimentary chips and salsa were nice too although Our server was nice although service was rather slow considering that we came during the evening and there were not many people inside. Street parking is available although its availability may be spotty depending when you come. More or less, the moral of the story is that El Salvador is worth a visit if you have never been, and don't leave without eating a pupusa (or three)!
First time here and it was an amazing experience. Cozy dinning area. This was the first time I ever tried "pupusa" and they are amazing! So cheesy with different meats to choose from and they range from $2-$5. Also got the burrito which was amazing, and a fried fish which was very juicy. The prices on the menu are really great so if you haven't checked this place out DO IT!
It took me long enough, but I finally made it in to El Salvador Restaurant. After reviewing the menu and asking for recommendations, I decided on a Pupusa de Revueltas, a Baleada, and Salpicon. There were several options for pupusa fillings. I figured I would try the option with a mixture of fillings,cheese, ground beef, and beans. A pupusa is a thick, handmade, corn tortilla. They can be plain or filled with various items. I've had them before at other South American restaurants, but these were the best I've had. When I saw a small section on the menu of three items from Honduras, I had to try something. I decided on the Baleada (bah-leh-AH-dah) de Carne, which looked a lot like a large taco. A tortilla is stuffed with eggs, avocado, and steak. The tortilla was soft, the steak was well-seasoned, and overall the Baleada was delish. I think it would make for a great brunch item. The Salpicon (sal-pee-CONE) is a Salvadorian dish made of boiled beef mixed with onions and spices and served with rice and beans. The beef incredibly tender and flavorful. I'd say my first visit to El Salvador was a success and I plan to return to explore more of the menu.
24 days ago
El Salvador is a hidden gem in the Milwaukee area. If you want authentic Salvadorian food this is your spot. The place is small and cozy, the staff is always friendly. The pupusas are delicious they are served with curtido and salsa salvadoreña. My favorite are pupusas de queso, asada or the chicharrón ones. I love to enjoy my pupusas with an ensalada de frutas (mixed fruit drink) I definitely recommend this spot you won't be disappointed. read more
2 years ago
This was my first time trying El Salvador with a friend. We had heard so many great things about their pupusa's and we wanted to try them for ourselves. They were absolutely delicious so if you are looking for a Pappas said this is your spot in the Milwaukee area. The inside is small, but we received good service and their condiment portions were of a large size which I always love. Their sour cream is made with like a Coquita cheese it was really good. The salsa was also really good not too hot at all so good for everybody. Their steak burrito was delicious. Everything was really good. I will be back for sure. We went around lunchtime and it wasn't busy. read more
Delicious made from scratch especially the soups (sopas). Sopa marisco extremely delicious with mussels, salmon, shrimp and calamari. Simply out of this world. Also tortillas were all home made - all slightly different shapes. The pan fried fish was fresh, crunchy on the outside and juicy on the inside. It is rare to go to a restaurant on Christmas Eve to find everything made from scratch. Just superb. Some customers were saying that the service is not the best - well, they have just a couple of people serving everyone. That day, it was full with five tables eating. As far as I am concerned, we received good service. We received our delicious food on time and our take-outs. As far as the food is good, and service okay, I am not complaining. read more
1 year ago
6 years ago
It was good service for take out and the food was fresh. I came here only for the papusas and the tamale. The papusas were great and they offer a variety of fillings. For $2.50 a piece you can't go wrong. I ordered 10 to share but that was way too much. 5 would've been plenty. They come w the slaw and tomato sauce. The citrus flavors cuts through the richness of the papusas well to balance it. I tried the cheese and cheese/chicharon filling. The chicharon was different from what I expected. For my preference I'd stick to bean and cheese filling. The tamales were ok. They are laid on a piece of banana leaf and covered with aluminum foil and steamed. The chicken was meaty and had potato in it too. That's a plus bc I love potatoes. I just personally like mine fully wrapped in banana leaves. Their tamales were somewhat soggy too so I'd skip this item. Of the 2 restaurants that serve papusas in town and I would come back again for them. Next time I'll try other fillings. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
My husband and I arrived at 2ish on a Sunday afternoon. There are only 12 or so tables and it was definitely busy. There was a host seating people, getting complimentary chips and salsa, and clearing tables and one waitress doing everything else and she was hustling. It took about 15 or so minutes for us to order and then close to another 30 minutes to get our food. Everything was good and inexpensive... I guess just when you go... go into the situation knowing service will be pokey. All together we had two strawberry jarritos, 3 pupusas (one carne asada and two queso), one carne torta, one carne taco, fried plantains with crema, and complimentary chips and salsa and it was only $20. read more
4 years ago
We toured the Basilicata next door and in the audio tour they mentioned the Salvadoran restaurant across the street. Having been to El Salvador we immediately knew we wanted Papusas. We were not disappointed, they were hot and fresh. We also ordered tacos and tamales. Definitely get the pork ones, they were absolutely delicious. We were so glad we stopped for lunch! read more
2 years ago
I've been here a couple of times and originally found this place because I really wanted a papusa. I tried them once while visiting someone in Los Angeles, the family originally from Guatemala. His Mom buys them from a local El Salvadorean market to go. They were so good with the slaw that I just had to have them again. The place is smallish and the decor is very authentic. You get free chips and salsa which is great. I've only have the papusas so I can't say how anything else is on the menu. Just get them, any flavor is good, and load em up with the slaw and red sauce. Someday I want to make my own but this place is where it's at. They are very inexpensive and you can order 1 or 20 so I would recommend getting more for leftovers. read more
3 years ago
2 years ago
4 years ago
4 years ago
This is a nice hidden gem! The food is not only delicious but it's pocket friendly. They have a decent menu, so everyone can find something good to eat. I've eaten in or ordered for take out and the food is really good. read more
7 years ago
This place was unexpectedly amazing. We were visiting the st. Basilica cathedral and went in for lunch because It's situated right in front of it and I am so glad we did. The food was simply outstanding. Garlic Prawns were so yummy and fresh, chicken stew was hearty and full of flavour, they even made the rice delicious I don't know how! The tamales were ok but the main courses were so impressive, we didn't care much about the tamales. The portions were huge and prices were totally reasonable. The service was good too! The ambience is very homely. There's plenty parking nearby. read more
People, pupusas are the next hot thing. They're crunchy on the outside, piping on the inside, and all around savory. I had two pupusas: one revuelto (meat and cheese) and a loroco (veggie). While they may appear underwhelming, don't let their looks deceive you. The perfect handheld comfort food. I also had a baleada, which felt like a breakfast quesadilla with beans, avocado, and egg inside. Not as yummy as a pupusa, but still good and gooey if you are a breakfast aficionado. The complimentary chips and salsa were nice too although Our server was nice although service was rather slow considering that we came during the evening and there were not many people inside. Street parking is available although its availability may be spotty depending when you come. More or less, the moral of the story is that El Salvador is worth a visit if you have never been, and don't leave without eating a pupusa (or three)! read more
First time here and it was an amazing experience. Cozy dinning area. This was the first time I ever tried "pupusa" and they are amazing! So cheesy with different meats to choose from and they range from $2-$5. Also got the burrito which was amazing, and a fried fish which was very juicy. The prices on the menu are really great so if you haven't checked this place out DO IT! read more
It took me long enough, but I finally made it in to El Salvador Restaurant. After reviewing the menu and asking for recommendations, I decided on a Pupusa de Revueltas, a Baleada, and Salpicon. There were several options for pupusa fillings. I figured I would try the option with a mixture of fillings,cheese, ground beef, and beans. A pupusa is a thick, handmade, corn tortilla. They can be plain or filled with various items. I've had them before at other South American restaurants, but these were the best I've had. When I saw a small section on the menu of three items from Honduras, I had to try something. I decided on the Baleada (bah-leh-AH-dah) de Carne, which looked a lot like a large taco. A tortilla is stuffed with eggs, avocado, and steak. The tortilla was soft, the steak was well-seasoned, and overall the Baleada was delish. I think it would make for a great brunch item. The Salpicon (sal-pee-CONE) is a Salvadorian dish made of boiled beef mixed with onions and spices and served with rice and beans. The beef incredibly tender and flavorful. I'd say my first visit to El Salvador was a success and I plan to return to explore more of the menu. read more
This place gives horrible service We went in for dinner there was only 3 tables occupied with a total of 10 ppl, we got a seat in the corner and later we given a menu. Our server who did not give us a name later brought us chips and salsa, we started browsing the menu to decide what we would like to eat. While we waited 2 other customers came in and got a seat in front of us, out server talked to them and gave them a menu. Meanwhile we are still waiting for her to at least ask us if we want something to drink, she then comes back to the people that came in after us and gave them their drink order at this point I'm confused. So we decided to give her a few more minutes to see if she will come take our order nope she doesn't, she then proceeds to bring out a beer for one of the tables that was already eating their food. We decided to leave but before we did I wanted to find out if we had to pay for the salsa and chips. I go up to the counter and there's a lady by the register I asked do we pay for the chips and salsa she goes did you have drinks. I said no our server didn't even take that she then calls the server by her name Patty and speaks to her in Spanish (server stated no she didn't take our order) the lady mentioned no it's okay to which I said thank you and we walked out They didn't apologized or anything except proceeded to speak Spanish as if we weren't there Bad service for customers that don't walk in speaking the language Disappointed because a friend mentioned that they went there with a group from work and how delicious the food was. Sad our experience with patty turned us off to this place read more
4 years ago
7 years ago
3 years ago
7 years ago
I'm glad I found a Salvadorean place here in town. I had been craving pupusas for a minute, and I finally got my fix. I ordered 6 pupusas revueltas (frijoles, queso, chorizo) to go. The restaurant itself has about 12 tables, and is a bit on the smaller side. Only 1 waitress handling about 9 tables, phone orders, to-go orders , and everything else. The pupusas were pretty good. Tbh not the greatest I've had, but good pupusas are hard to find. They gave me a good amount of curtido and salsa, which I appreciate. Overall I enjoyed it and would eat here again. I might try the mojarra (fried fish) next time. It looked very good. Plus, they have an A rating from the city. read more
10 years ago
The chips were dull, the dipping salsa thin & tomatoey (but good heat). The pupusas weren't as toasty/aromatic/rich as the best I've had; the additional squeeze bottle salsas a bit thin ... But let me tell you why this is a five-star place to go: it's because the whole is fantastically better than a sum of the parts. First of all, this is a fresh, bright, beautiful restaurant - - visually nourishing. Gleaming, warm, welcoming - - it is beautiful - - inside and out. It is permeated with a beauty and soulfulness. I got an Honduran baleada (toasted tortilla, stuffed with yummies that worked together brilliantly) and a couple pupusas. The salsas alone may not be "best" salsas you've had; the slaw alone is a blast of toothy freshness, but not a rave; the pupusas aren't all that big and toasty & multifaceted - - but add the salsas to the slaw to the pupusas - - and it is ravishing. Put subtle - - but still accented - - flavors like that together and it is delicious. All these aspects of texture and flavor that absolutely satisfy. The salsas aren't meant to stand alone - - they are designed to augment the whole in subtle ways; as is the slaw, that really brings everything alive. And the baleada on the other plate had really tasty meat, eggy richness, cool avocado, and a nice crispy crunch - - it was great. All in all, this was a wowsville nosh in a stunningly pretty place (even the view out the window was awesome), and with Barca playing Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey on some top-quality screens - - and with really warm, caring, but unintrusive service. For under eight bucks. It doesn't get better than this (I have to add, that all the pupusa places I've been to across the country have either been awkward grocery story adjuncts, or have been scruffy dumps). OK, so the chips and salsa aren't the best you ever had ... but ... read more
Yes, yes, yes. Did I mention that yes? Right. So glad that Jessica Z suggested this little spot on 6th Street, because YUMVILLE BATMAN. I mean... pupusas! C'mon people! Seriously. Tangent: It's not that Milwaukee doesn't have food like this (and by "this," I mean diverse ethnic offerings). It's just that, well, we don't have a wealth of it. We don't have ten pho places on every corner. I mean we have some killer ethnic eats, and it's just that they're hiding... but people don't go out of their way to search it all out as a general rule of thumb. Guess what? They should, and they should start with El Salvador because everything we had last night was so absolutely delicious. So, back to it, then. Pupusas. Priced at $1.99 a piece, they're a steal and so so good. I ordered the "revueltas," which was a some sort of pork/veggie/cheese combo. Served up with two house sauces -- red bottle = vinegary + somewhat fruity/sweet, green bottle = salty, to-die-for salsa verde -- I was more then pleased with my choice. Jessica ordered two pupusas: one cheese, maybe and one with Salvadoran veggies. (There are around 6 types to choose from, some veggie and some meaty.) They come served with a sort of Salvadoran slaw (vinegar-y cabbage mix), and all of it was definitely tasty, well-done, and seriously cheap. Then, it was my milanesa torta. Now, I've had this before at Riviera Maya (it's sort of my go-to), so I was interested to try it at El Salvador. SHUT THE FRONT DOOR. Seriously. All of these milanesa are belong to me and you can haz none of them. I'm shutting the front door to shut you out. And for $4.50? MIND BLOWN. Lightly breaded steak, avocado, lettuce, cheese, tomato, onion... this is basically a latin sandwich of epic, tastebud-bending proportions. I could've gone with any of the stellar looking entrees --tamales, yuca + veggies, carne asada, fish dinners with rice + beans, etc. -- but I'm so glad I didn't. I am in wicked love/lust with this milanesa. I'm sure it will occupy my thoughts, dreams... you get the idea. Jess' steak entree looked amazing, and though I did not partake, I was extremely impressed/horrified at the portion size. Seriously: girl ate, and when it was all over? It was as though she hadn't made a single, solitary dent. Margaritas: Don't do it. You may want to, but don't. It's all mix. Go with a Salvadoran beer, instead! Service was sweet despite our server's limited English, and I seriously enjoyed this tiny little hole-in-the-wall on 6th. I adore, and cannot wait to go back. Mama's got a new go to for cheap latin eats. Me gusta! read more
Often I get asked, "Where's the best place in Milwaukee to get a papusa?" And my reply is always the same. "What's a papusa?" Well never again shall I suffer the embarrassment of having my lack of knowledge of the preferred traditional food of the Salvadoran people so laid bare. A papusa, for those unknowing, is a dish made of a thick, handmade corn tortilla that is usually filled with a blend of cheese (queso), seasoned pork, and refried beans. You can get them at Milwaukee's only Salvadoran restaurant (as far as I know), El Salvador, right across from the Basilica on 6th Street. El Salvador is a quaint little place with about 10 tables. As is typical with other Latin American restaurant experiences, the TV blares Univision. There's two ways to look at this: 1) as part of the experience; to be expected at any good Latin American restaurant, or 2) as flippin' annoying. I side with the latter. On the day I visited, a Mexican version of Judge Judy provided a cacophonous and continuous din of people crying and shouting at each other in Spanish. It gave me a headache, but I must admit that I was curious why Mexican Judge Judy came down from the bench and hugged the sobbing defendant. Anyway, back to the food. Papusas may be the star here, but they're just okay. They're good sustenance, but a little heavy without any real strong flavors. They need to be sauced up to have any taste (conversely, I get less tasteful when sauced up). But what really rocked my taste buds was Salpicon con Carne de Res (boiled beef mixed with onions and spices). Salpicon is exactly what I love about food. It's simple with only a few ingredients and yet oh so delicious. Served with a side of black beans and salad, for only $8.99, it could feed two. Also, HUGE margaritas can be had at El Salvador for only five bucks. What a deal! El Salvador, despite Univision's clamor, is a true Milwaukee gem. I'm looking forward to returning; perhaps I'll remember to bring ear plugs. ;) (Note 1: I asked the cashier why Mexican Judge Judy gave the defendant a hug and got no answer. No habla ingles for the cashier, though she genuinely appeared pleased over Mexican Judge Judy's ruling. Note 2: Nobody ever asks me where they can get the best papusas in Milwaukee. It just seemed a good way to start a Yelp review.) read more
7 years ago
This was our first time visiting, but it will not be our last. We went specifically in search of their pupusas and we were not disappointed. There is a nice selection of them: chicken, cheese, beans, steak, pork, vegetables. They are very affordable as well and served with a side of spicy coleslaw and salsa. We made sure to ask for some crema as well. Their menu has a lot more than just pupusas. They have a good variety of tamales, soups, seafood, tacos, tortillas, burritos, etc. They were recently written up in the New York Times. Check the travel section for the article "36 hours in Milwaukee". It is a hidden gem of Milwaukee for sure. read more
16 years ago
Went today for the first time, after reading a few good reviews on Yelp and Urbanspoon, glad I finally went! At 1:30 on a Thursday we were the only table, but several people came in for carryouts. Beebs and I felt a little weird with the two familia dudes watching us, but she got a killer strawberry marg & my horchata was great, with super-cute dice-sized ice cubes. My pupusas came first. I've never had them before, and wasn't sure how to eat them...a bowl of lightly vinegar-ed cabbage slaw came on the side, along with two bottles of salsa - one loose & tomato-y, the other a bright smooth tomatillo variety. I thought it would be like a sope - with my preferred meat choice atop the corn cake, but, duh, they were filled with the stuff. One "chicharrones' - a lightly spiced ground pork, the other with what was billed on the menu as "Salvadoran vegetables". Mostly a melty queso blanco with bits of maybe cactus and pickled peppers, this was the best. Super cheap at $1.99 apiece, $2.29 for the veggie one. Beeb's carne asada appeared, a shoe-sole sized grilled skirt steak served with a shower of grilled onion rings, a whole grilled jalapeno, a dark version of rice & beans, and thin slices of pan-fried potatoes, even though the menu promised fried plantains. It also came with 4 hand-pressed corn masa cakes too thick to be proper tortillas. My two tacos al pastor were fantastic at $1.50 each, saucier than taco truck al pastors, garnished correctly with white onion, cilantro & radish slices on two-ply corn tortillas. To go I ordered some tamales: 2 elotes, 2 puerco. They were heavy and moist, the pork ones steamed in banana leaves, the corn ones had no trace of actual corn kernels, but were fluffy and tasted faintly of banana, sweet and starchy. Our waitress was super-sweet with limited English and a hot gold tooth, and I will definitely be back! Next time I'll try the yuca with veggies and crispy chicharrones. read more
I went back for the steak burrito dinner with rice and beans and a bean pupusas. All was good but the burrito had lots of fat and grisle. Everything was very good so I don't know why they don't trim the steak better. This doesn't bother me totally but many people will be turned off. I know people who would never go back because of this. They do so much so well and to serve this is disappointing. It's still a gem of a place and are very good so this wouldn't keep me from going back. The rice and beans are very good and the tortillas they have are awesome. It was still very good. read more
We ordered ahead of time so the food was ready shortly after getting there. Came here for the pupusas... what a fun word! They have a variety of flavors but I ended up getting a frijoles pupusa and a cheese pupusa along with plantains con crema and a taco de carne al pastor (pork). The pupusas were yummy and very filling. I liked the bean one better than the cheese since it was less greasy. The taco was simple in a good way and the meat was nice 'nd juicy. The plantains were sadly too oily and smooshy. They were my least favorite item. Tostones are waaaay better. The horchata was not very flavorful. This place deserves 3.5 stars. Pupusas are worth a try if you want something unique. read more
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