La Cabana has been my favorite pupusa spot for all time! They are still delicious after my first taste 20 years ago. They have the best cheese bubbling out the tasty tortilla and their sauce is amazing. The pupusas are huge and delicious. Knocked down stars because the restaurant interior has gone super downhill since new ownership, use to be a great place to dine in! read more

La Cabaña - Pupusa - Salvadoran Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

There are 2 Mexican like places in Ottawa I will eat at. This is one of them. I can't believe I haven't reviewed these people! I love the atmosphere of the restaurant. If I closed my eyes, I am back living in South America. The live music, the smells and colours, not to mention the bar, all make for a complete experience. The food. OMG the food. I have savoured every single dish I have had there. Nothing has disappointed, or even mildly annoyed me. My several dining partners have all been of the same mind. I love taking people here for the first time and listening to them extol the yummy-ness. Go. If you're a Mexican or South American at heart, this little restaurant in a strip mall will titillate your tastebuds. (note: I can't believe I said, "titillate your tastebuds". That's a first. Lol) read more

La Cabaña - a plate of mexican food - Salvadoran Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

My husband and I have been to La Cabana several times but many years ago before I was active on Yelp. We never had a bad meal there. I came back recently with some Yelp friends as part of our International Supper Club, and the food was just as delicious as I remembered. I got The Sampler ($13.50) which included a pupusa (I got the bean, pork and cheese one), a tamale (I got the chicken one), fried plantains, refried beans, and queso. The pupusas here are delicious. In the past I would just order a bunch of pupusas and that would be my meal! The Curtido (Salvadoran coleslaw) that accompanied the pupusas had a slight spicy kick to it. The chicken tamale had potatoes, chickpeas and olives in it as well as shredded chicken. Tamales are my second favourite thing here (after pupusas). The plantains were a bit on the soft side for my tastes, but still good. The refried beans are really pureed to almost a sauce. The queso is not dissimilar to feta cheese. I've had some of the beef dishes in the past, as well as a dish with a fried egg. I've also had all the pupusa varieties and I like the pork, beans and cheese one the most. Everything that I've had here has been good. On my most recent visit, one of my fellow Yelpers ordered the fried yucca (cassava) with chicharrons (fried pork) and was generous enough to share, and it was delicious! The yucca was so crunchy on the outside and slightly soft on the inside. I had always shied away from ordering this dish because I thought the chicharron would be like pork rinds, but it turns out the pork was more meat than fat, which I think is a good thing, but others might feel differently, lol. Decor is homey with Latin American soap operas playing on the television. The restaurant is attached to La Tiendita, a Latin American grocery store. My only slight dissatisfaction with my most recent visit was that my dish was accidentally given to someone else at the table. He didn't realize that he was not served what he actually ordered and started eating. The server then realized her mistake. She asked if he wanted to continue eating that dish or if he wanted what he ordered and he decided on the former. She got the kitchen to make my dish (again), but of course I had to wait while everyone else had their food. The server was very apologetic and I totally understand that mistakes happen, but I was not compensated in any way. I feel that a small gesture like a complimentary coffee, or even a free dessert with a future visit, or something like that would be appropriate in a situation like this. Overall though, I really like La Cabana. It's one of only two Salvadoran restaurants in all of Ottawa (and they were the first to open). There's a small parking lot in the back of the restaurant that it shares with other businesses, so there is free parking. read more

See all

A nice unique meal for those wanting something different. The mains were okay but the papusa was delicious! You can go just for these. I tried some of each flavour and they were all great. This place is attached to a small grocery store and in winter don't forget your coat because it is chilly inside but it's worth it. I'll be back. read more

La Cabaña - Salvadoran Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

See all

Until coming to this restaurant for the YOISC (Yelp Ottawa International Supper Cub), I had never experienced El Salvador cuisine, and could not have told you what a Pupusa was if it slapped me in the face! Thanks to our resident international foods specialist (Jennifer P., I'm looking at you!) I now know that a Papusa is like a savoury pancake - not as sweet as the kind we eat with Maple Syrup, and these come in many different varieties. La Cabana charges $3.50 each for most of their Papusas. So for this YOISC it was time to have a little escape from Ottawa's cold winter, and experience some El Salvadorean warmth. About the experience: First of all, we were expecting between 8 and 10 people, so I made a reservation. Yes, they do take reservations, but please note, you need to call them to do so. Right away, they answered the phone with "La Cabana, Si?" So right away, you are whisked away to warmer climes, where they speak Spanish. A little reminiscent of high school for me! It's coming back to me a bit now... No problem booking our reservation. The hubster and I got there a bit early, but that's ok. We found the free parking around the back of the restaurant and walked around front to get in, where I noticed that they have a patio out front, which faces the street. It looks like it would be welcoming in warmer weather. Upon entering the establishment, we were greeted by a woman who said "Buenas Tardes!" (Good evening) - they're certainly friendly around here! And see? More practice in Spanish!! The restaurant is connected to a variety / convenience store, and since we were early, we took advantage of the few minutes to wander the shop. It was a cacophony of colour in there! There were several pinatas hanging from the ceiling; a shelf displayed large bottles of Jarritos (El Salvadorean soda pop); a wall displaying little packages of unusual spices, and all kinds of goodies and treats from "back home" for the home sick El Salvadorean (among others). The restaurant itself is large enough inside to not get too crowded, and small enough to be intimate. Jennifer is right; it's homey. We were shown to our table even though it was still a bit early. There weren't many clients in there yet, but that quickly changed when other Yelpers arrived, not to mention other customers. Meanwhile, La Cabana does a booming business in take out trade! Coy is right: they had a big screen TV in the corner, playing Spanish programming. Great for me - more practice hearing Spanish! And now about the food: While we waited, the waitress offered us drinks; hubby ordered a grapefruit Jarrito, and I requested a Passion Fruit juice. They were both delicious! Other Yelpers started showing up just as these drinks were brought out. Then the discussion began about what to order... The menu has quite a bit of variety on it! Hubby ordered a fish dish that came with rice, and I ordered a sampler, with an extra tamale (the sampler comes with a chicken tamale; the extra one I requested was corn which was a bit sweet). The waitress brought out a mason jar filled with Hispanic coleslaw which was a bit spicy, and a bottle of sweet sauce, to complement our meals. I don't recall ever having tried fried plantain; it turned out to be good! Overall, the food was tasty, and the service was attentive. The restaurant filled up while we were eating, so the waitress was kept quite busy. The one mix-up was giving 1 person the wrong meal... while another hungry Yelper waited for their meal. OOPS! Overall, this Experience was a lot of fun, the food was good, and the company was great! I would definitely eat here again. Which means that I look forward to our next Yelp Ottawa International Supper Club. I wonder which part of the world we will be going to next? Stay tuned to Yelp Ottawa, watch the talk page where we will likely discuss options, and feel free to pitch in, and come on out to join us. PS we have also been posting on Facebook, under "Yelp With Us Ottawa". read more

See all

I know you all miss my food adventures chronicle. So here I am in La Cabaña, a small Salvadorean eatery and shop in Carlingwood Heights. The eatery has been here since 1998 and it was only by chance that I came upon it. Billed as Ottawa's only pupusería (not quite true but it's closer to me than going to La Toucan in Vanier), I decided to try this place before introducing it to someone with a more stringent palate (ahem). I tried the Guanaco sampler, which came with a tamale, a pupusa, sweet plantain, queso fresco, and refried beans. I also had marañon, a refreshing drink made from cashew apple pulp (what? You did not know cashew trees had apples??), a sweet drink that recalled flavours of mango and other citrus fruits. The refried beans was mild but had the velvety texture of dark, unsweetened chocolate, that paired well with the sweet plantain and queso fresco (farmer's cheese). The tamale (choice of chicken or pork) was very soft and prepared with peppers, and was very delicate to the palate, unlike other tamales with the grainy taste of the cornmeal. The pupusa (choice of cheese, chicharron, or pork) was a cornmeal flour pancake (or you could choose wheat), lightly grilled on both sides and was delicious. Reminded me of Venezuelan arepas but obviously, Venezolanos will correct me on this. A very unassuming eatery tucked in a corner of a shopping strip on Merivale Rd. I recommend this place for those who like home cooked Central American recipes. read more

La Cabaña - Guanaco Sampler (chicken tamale, cheese pupusa, sweet plantain, queso, and refried beans. - Salvadoran Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

I visited La Cabaña/La Tiendita with my mom, we specifically went there for their famous pupusas and to buy some spices. La Tiendita: it's a bit crowded but well organized, you can find pretty much everything that is found in a normal Latin American market. I was able to find Pelon, Duvalin, nance, tortillas, arepas and more. La Cabaña: It has plenty of space to accomodate a large group or excellent for an intimate meal. There's lots to chose from the menu, I suggest trying the tamarind juice or the horchata. YOU MUST TRY THE CHEESE AND CHICHARRON PUPUSAS!!! Don't forget to have a good time and to laugh too..you can purchase something sweet and enjoy it in the restaurant or you can take it to go. Either way, support your local small businesses and don't forget to come back. I had a really great experience and I will definitely come back and try other things without forgetting a pupusa or two. read more

See all

Oh man, I heard there was a restaurant that had pupusas in town and had to track it down. I found 2 places but La Cabana was the one recommended to me. La Cabana is a little difficult to see from the road. It's attached to La Tienda which is a convenience store size market for South American (and Mexican) food and products. The restaurant itself looks like an old school mom and pop restaurant with a large LCD playing Spanish programming. On to the pupusas, they're damn tasty. They have a chicharon, cheese and a combo pupusas. I had the chicharon and combo and both were really damn tasty. I also tried the home made sausage that was pretty solid. The rice and beans they have are ok. Not my favourite thing but far from terrible. They also gave me some pickled slaw that was like kimchi, but not kimchi! I'll definitely be back for pupusas...did I mention they were 2 for $5? Come by to check out the restaurant or check out the store! The owners are pretty cool to chat with as well. read more

Ordered pupusas, very delicious, but wish I had been given the option of hot salsa. Decent sized menu, relaxing atmosphere. It is a little hidden gem. Definitely worth checking out! read more

La Cabaña - Salvadoran Near Me - Ottawa, Ontario

Great authentic Venezuelan food! Decor is a little dated, but the food and friendly service make up for it. read more

The pupusas are amazing and the kimchi like slaw that they give you combined with the hot sauce means that you could easily eat them as a meal. At a $2.25 price point even a big eater like me is more than satisfied for $7. While the pupusas are the real star of the show, the other food is not to be overlooked. The sausages are small but packed with flavour and the beans and rice are mashed together in the perfect blend of scrumptiousness. As we were leaving we saw a pastry looking thing by the cash and when we asked about it, the owner's wife came out with 2 slices of what turned out to be El Salvadorian cheese cake. It had an amazing spongy texture with a somewhat sharp cheese taste. Not too sweet (I don't have a real sweet tooth) but a taste that has left me still thinking about it over two weeks later. read more

We were searching for a restaurant we hadn't tried before that was different than our usual choices and also affordable. I came across La Cabaña on Yelp and a few other review sites and read a bunch of great reviews, especially about their pupusas. We suggested the restaurant to our friends and we all met up there. It's attached to a grocery/convenience store that we, unfortunately, didn't get a chance to check out. The parking is around back, which is pretty tight during the winter, so find some street parking if you can. This seemed like a mom and pop kind of place, with homey but definitely outdated decor in a fairly small space, though it wasn't packed. There was a TV playing the movie "Taken", dubbed in Spanish. We sat in the large round table in the middle of the room, as there were six of us. Our server gave us iced water immediately and waited patiently for us to go through the menu. Everything looked delicious, so we ordered a few items to start with. We got the fried plantains with refried beans and sour cream, the crispy pork belly bites, and, of course, pupusas. The plantains were ripe and dark in color, cut up into small pieces. They were so sweet and soft, not like the young plantain chips you might be thinking of. No need for the beans or sour cream. The pork belly bites were on the menu as "chicharrón", which in Tagalog (Filipino) is crunchy pork rinds, but this wasn't the case here. They were pieces of fried pork belly, good but a little dry, and I was secretly hoping for a little more of that delicious-when-crispy fat that's typical of pork belly. I ate a piece or two with some sour cream to help the dryness. Now let's talk about the pupusas. Man, the pupusas! I heard they were good, but I didn't expect them to be this good! There's a minimum order of two, but at $2.50 each, they're affordable and well worth it, and it's hard not to order more. I got a mixed pupusa filled with pork, beans, and cheese, and another one with cheese and loroco, an "herbaceous vine with flowers", as per Wikipedia. It was my first time having pupusas and loroco, and I have to say the bar is set pretty high now. They were a good size and cooked perfectly, with a bit of a crispy outside and gooey cheese inside. There was a big jar of cortida and salsa roja already on the table, which are usually served with pupusas. The cortida, a cabbage slaw, wasn't the creamy kind of coleslaw but more vinegar-based and had a bit of a kick to it. The salsa roja is less of a salsa and more of a tomato sauce/dip, not spicy but a little tangy and so addictive that we finished the whole jar. The pupusas were even more delicious eaten with these condiments and some hot sauce. You simply can't come here without having some! I also ordered a tamal de pollo, a tamal de elote, and a glass of horchata, another first. The tamal de pollo was the traditional Salvadoran tamal, with chicken, potato, and olive in a banana leaf. It was just as I expected - completely satisfied my tamal craving and more filling than I anticipated. The tamal de elote was a sweeter corn masa in a corn husk, and it was definitely sweeter, like they said. I ate half of each and took the rest home. The horchata was a little sweet and milky but dairy-free and darker in color than others I'd seen before, probably because they put more of the cocoa with the nuts and spices. My friend didn't like it but I thought it was good, better with ice, as they served it. I will absolutely be back. Dreaming of the pupusas till next time! read more

See all

I went back today and had a sit down dinner. All I can truly say is OMGGGGG their food is delicious. As a latin american myself I can honestly say that this is some amazing food! The food is so good that my husband and I have decided to make it a monthly outing. We will be going back to eat there again for sure! I recommend their steak, their pupusas and their tamales. The prices are reasonable as well. You will not regret eating here read more

See all

The food was delicious, but unfortunately the food is not the whole story when dining out. We ordered pupusas, which were delicious, but we also made sure to order a couple of tamales and plantains as well. Only our pupusas came to the table. We waited, and waited. Then finally got the attention of the waiter, who seemed to remember taking our order but didn't give any definite answer as to why we did not receive these three items. Forgetting one item I can understand, and even forgive. But three - that's just sloppy. And to top if off, when we asked for the three items to be taken to go (since we had been there for 1.5 hours at that point), the tamales we were given were straight out the fridge, so I had to go home and reheat them. I can't say I'm terribly impressed. If their food wasn't so good, I'd say I would never go back. But there are few places to get pupusas in Ottawa, so I will be back at some point, though somewhat begrudgingly. read more

Want to give them a five, because in their niche (Pupusa Heaven) they rock it out! If you stopped reading after pupusa you probably should not visit. If you are still here, La Cabana is an Ottawa institution with over 10 or 15 years of service. It is like a small town latino restaurant (emphasis on El Salvador) hit you in the face. It is both a latino grocery store and a restaurant. Telemundo or Univision in old style (yet huge) TV and a decor that shouts 80's. Would love to give them a 5 but the storage in the wash rooms (chairs, BBQs) is hard to explain. Always visit with family when in Ottawa and is highly recommend if you have visited latino america (and I don't mean the resort) read more

The pupusas were good, however we received the appetizers after the main dish. The waitress wanted to take away the curtido and salsa while we were still eating. The place is nicely decorated, however looks like it is not heated. For sure we will not come back in the winter. Definitely worth it for takeout. read more

This restaurant is a hidden gem. This is our 2nd visit and the dining area is a lot brighter and more receptive. It's attached to a grocery store... but that's neither here nor there. We ordered a smorgasborg of pupusas, tamales, platanos, fish soup, chayote - all very good and tasty! For beverages, we had the tamarind juice and a milky drink from corn - tasty and not too sweet. We'll be back! read more

Had the pupusas they were good but the chorizo tacos were fantastic Would definitely have them again. read more

I am absolutely a fan of the beans and cheese papusa they sell at this restaurant! The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because they do not offer you the option to call ahead for your order and sit in the dinner. read more

A hidden gem in Ottawa. Cashew apple juice took me to my childhood days . Well cooked food, great portions, friendly staff and such a homely space to unwind for dinner. I will go back to this place again to try more menu. They accept only cash of debit. Parking at the back. Support local business like these because they are doing it right :) read more

This is our favourite go to place when we need a break from cooking. This type of ethnic food is not too spicy or strange and would suit everyone's taste, especially if you are looking for something different. The papusas are wonderful and the plantain is well cooked. Everything is fresh and not at all expensive. read more

A quick shout out to La Cabana. Don't know if it is Ottawa's only Salvadoran restaurant but it's the only one that I know. They have wonderful pupusas. These are corn tortillas with cheese or meat grilled right inside the dough -- a little self-contained quesadilla. They are served with tomato sauce and a kind of pickled condiment -- surprisingly addictive. Two additional benefits at La Cabana are good satellite TV for watching futbol or telenovelas and a small but well stocked Latin grocery attached). read more

For quick delicious El Salvadorian food, this place is awesome! The pupusas are great. I love coming here

Some food items at this place are good but some not so great....the service is terrible and you have to watch out for your bill....make sure they don't overcharge you. The man/I'm assuming Owner is very arrogant, I bet anything the restaurant would actually be busy if he had someone nice greeting and dealing with people. The lady cooking is also very unpleasant, they mixed up our order and blamed us for ordering that instead of correcting it. There's a young lady who is pleasant and a young boy used to work here who was also nice although he didn't speak much English....which makes us practice our Spanish! I recommend this place but be ready for bad service so you're not disappointed. read more

Cozy. This Pupuseria is phenominal. It is a little restaurant with less than 20 tables attached to a latin american convenience store. Telelatino is always playing on the tv in the background and a lovely husband and wife team tackle making and serving the food. They have authentic drinks including Chan, which is the best fruit drink you will ever have. They make it fresh everyday. Their meals are great and as often as we go, there has never been a mistake, everything is always so delicious and the prices cannot be beat! read more

Always great, and we regularly will come back. If you crave papusas, this is the place to be.

sus precios se han encarecido bastante y a veces venden comida vencida their prices have become quite expensive and sometimes sell expired food read more

Absolutely delicious pupusas, we tried each kind and there was no wrong choice! The ones with cheese are quite tasty, meat or no meat. Also got an order of casamiento (rice and beans), and they were quite delicious as well. Loved the tomato sauce and the coleslaw, attentive but not overbearing service, and the Latin grocery next door was nice. Not a super fancy place, but amazing food and friendly staff. Will be going back many times to come! read more

Went to La Cabaña for the first time today and was SORELY disappointed. If you want GOOD service and/or have dietary restrictions or certain things you can't eat, DONT come here. Not only is the waitress rude, they don't do any substitutions even when it's easy and it's a swap for somethings you want as a replacement on the menu. My review isn't about the substitutions though because I get it, some places don't do it. My issue is how lowdown and RUDE the waitress is. Our waitress (I wish I had gotten her name) was horrendous , and refused to be of any assistance when it came to making our experience a good one. First, my friend tried to order the chorizo casamiento but asked for chicken instead of chorizo sausage and the waitress just replied no (no explanation). Again, that was fine but she was so nasty and flippant and her attitude was EXTREMELY poor with her responses. I just felt like we were bothering her. I then ordered papusas and an order of yuca fries to split with a friend. Upon receiving the order I asked for the Curtido that goes with the yuca fries and the waitress said it doesn't come with any EVEN though its clearly on the menu. I didn't get the curtido or salsa to go with my papusas either. Another friend (who came later) ordered papusas and got his salsa and curtido so we shared but realistically if something comes with a side then I find it very strange that one set of sauce should be expected to share for the table. Based on the menu descriptions there should be 3 and there was only one. Finally, at the end we asked for separate bills and asked that the yuca fries go on one bill and the papusas go on the other so we wouldn't have to etransfer each other back later. The waitress got saucy and literally told us no she couldn't change it since she had already made the receipts and split the yuca fries between two people. Since they wouldn't allow us to order less than 1 papusa each On the side of our food, i ordered all the papusas and the yuca fries were supposed to get paid for by someone else. I ended up having to pay half the fries and all the papusas because she refused to do the bills the way we requested. Normally that would would be fine because with etransfer it's an easy remedy, BUT come to find out she had to hand write the receipts and then punch the cost into the debit machine so they weren't already "done" like she claimed. It was literally NOTHING to fix the receipts but she simply didn't feel like It. She said we should've told her before but the last time I checked bills get printed AFTER you eat not before. What happens if I wanted to order something else? You'd have to add it in so I couldn't understand the issue! Finally, when I asked for a copy of my receipt, she kicked up a fuss and said she couldn't rewrite it with the split fee and would have to add the whole order of Yuca fries to my bill. I was dumbfounded because she told me she wasn't "able" to do it when we asked at the table. This made no sense because I had ALREADY paid so she wrote me a receipt with extra stuff on it instead of writing what I paid for. It was honestly a whole lot of unnecessary extraness for literally no reason. Overall, the food was okay not good enough to warrant the hassle. PLUS it took forever to make andddddd came out cold. Honestly, if you're expecting good customer service go somewhere else...literally ANYWHERE else. It's not worth the terrible and insulting experience OR the trouble. I genuinely wish I had asked for a manager because her terrible attitude ruined the whole vibe of the restaurant and turned our entire group off so much that we probably won't go back. read more

Tried the pupusas based on the other reviews and they did not disappoint. Also had fried yucca and plantains which were amazing. Don't expect the decor to be anything special but the price is right and the food phenomenal. Will definitely go back read more

This place is legit. Kinda hidden away but worth seeking out if you want some legit and delicious South American food. Highly recommend.

Good family owned place, good food and a laid back atmosphere. Not much in terms of decor going on but the food is good and well priced