I was craving pupusas, tamales and plátanos - all three were fantastic!!! I was so delighted to see we had such a restaurant in St. Louis!

This is a little slice of home. My family is Honduran and this spot is even parent approved! We love their fried fish, tacos, enchiladas, empanadas, etc. everything we have tried has been delicious! The service is always wonderful. Portions are huge and it's incredibly affordable. read more

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Never been to Honduras, first time have Honduran food, so really can't comment if it's authentic. However, it is different than anything we ever had. Everything was nicely presented and delicious. Parking was a bit tricky as parking lot was small. We ended up parking on the street which was not a big deal. Decorations in the restaurant were simple, not a fancy place. Food is great though. Service was good. read more

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This place popped up on my Yelp feed and everything looked so delicious. Me and my foodie friends went to try today. Vanessa our server is fun. She handled us perfectly :) She has that big smile on her face all the time. They give lots of food. If you are hungry it is a great deal! I ordered Pupusas Mix (meat,cheese & black bean mush in a wheat dough comes with umami dipping sauce with cumin) and Pollo con Tajadas (salad, fried plantains and a big piece of fried chicken) Tamarindo drink is tangy and sweet, so good. I really want to try everything on the menu in near future. There is booths in another room, so there is plenty of space inside. This place has a little parking lot in front of their building or there is street park available. Keep in mind they mostly speak Spanish with a little English. Get your translators ready, you would not want to miss this fully authentic experience! read more

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Today I drove down South Kingshighway to try a restaurant recommended by one of the talented ladies at Sonder Lush Nail Salon. (Yes, I talk about food with everyone.) Her recommendation was Merendero Las Catrachitas. She told me her favorite menu item was Honduran Fried Chicken. I just had to go and find out for myself what made Honduran Fried Chicken so special.  I arrived at exactly 12:00 pm and the lady behind the counter smiled at me, held up one finger...the one that means "just minute" and continued taking an order by phone. The smell of the food had my stomach putting on makeup and eyelashes...we were about to throw down! I chatted with a gentleman that was picking up food for his entire crew (it had to be about 20-30 to go containers). I asked him what his favorite item was and he said he and his coworkers love the Carne Asada. Enough said! A lovely young lady walked to the counter, gave me a menu, let me know I could sit wherever I liked, and patiently took my order. (Patiently because I asked a lot of questions .) I ordered... Pupusas de Queso: soft corn tortilla filled with cheese. It came with a side of what "I" am describing as slaw with salsa (?)...it was good!  Polo Cena: Fried Chicken, Beans, Eggs, Honduran Sour Cream, Cheese, and Green Fried Banana Chips. I am not going to try to describe the amazing flavor of the fried chicken, I was simply blown away. I am not sure if I can eat fried chicken any other way now. #onthe12s Carne Asada: I ordered it to go, but tasted it in the car. It reheated well in the oven and had my kitchen smelling amazing. It was delicious!  Extra notes: EVERY customer that walked into this restaurant smiled and said hello to me. The customer service was OUTSTANDING! #stlmetrofoodie read more

Merendero La Catrachitas - Building - Latin American Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Nope! I'm sorry I absolutely hate to give bad reviews but honesty is important here. I am Honduran so I am extremely aware how this food is supposed to taste abs it was not good. Pollo con tajadas was just so blend. Adereso the sauce used as the dressing was so watery and tasted just like mustard. A BIG NO! The baleada was ok but the cheese inside was way too bitter. The aguas frescos was also tasteless. Maybe it was an off day but I was definitely disappointed. read more

Merendero La Catrachitas - Latin American Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

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Ok so there was definitely a language barrier. So if you are ok with just pointing to what you want then you might be ok. I wanted to add shrimp to my order she said they didn't have shrimp. Then low and behold I see two shrimp dishes on the menu. Huh? It took her a while to ring up my order. Not sure if she was new but she did end up calling someone for help. I had a $20 in my hand while waiting and ironically she told me my total was $20. I asked for a receipt. She hands me the receipt and I see it's slightly less than $20 and she owes me 89 cents but then she says she doesn't have change. So I was kind of forced to over pay. It's pretty unprofessional to not have change and no solution. The entire experience was strange. read more

I was really excited for this new Honduran restaurant in South City considering there isn't very much Latin American food in St. Louis, so my friend and I went to try it out. Unfortunately they have quite of bit of work to do. When we walked in, we were seated quickly however the restaurant was uncomfortably hot. At one point, they recognized this and turned the heat down. The service was slow, and could have been more responsive. There were several items on the menu that were not available, ex: no horchata and no tameles Honduran. Overall the food was just meh .... overall everything lacked flavor and spice. The fried plantains we ordered were too soft, the chicken skin on the fried chicken was somewhat soggy to taste and the carne aside was tough. read more

Merendero La Catrachitas - Carne Asada, Corn Tamale - Latin American Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Food was delicious and fresh. Service was kind and prompt! Definitely worth a visit. They were out of a few things during our visit, so I would definitely check ahead if you are looking for something in particular read more

Merendero La Catrachitas - Paselito de Maiz - Latin American Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

Excellent authentic food would definitely return, Small hole in the wall restaurant serving delicious food

The tiny storefront location next to Smokin barrels bbq is a hidden gem. Only about six tables inside. We had prompt friendly service, and a local regular at the bar told us what his favorite dishes were there. We followed his recommendations! One of the best things I have ever put in my mouth was the Baleadas Especial: a homemade flour tortilla stuffed to the brim with savory tender beef tips in gravy, scrambled eggs, avocado slices and Honduran crema, served with a side of of cabbage in a savory chili sauce, less spicy and more like delicious meat drippings or rich stew(Honduran Cole slaw). I also had a pair of pupusas: soft tortilla cakes stuffed with beans and cheese, so creamy and satisfying with another side of that savory sauce for dipping. We also got a Pepsi glass bottle soda and a Tamarindo agua fresca, which was tart/ sweet/ delicious. The pictures don't do it justice. Must try. read more

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My second time coming in and I really should have done it sooner. This place is excellent. The baledas are great and the flavors are fresh and wonderful. Pupusas are good. The fried chicken is brined to perfection. read more

Fast, affordable, fairly unique for St. Louis. Family run. Get a baleada, they're delicious and IMO better than the tacos and burritos of Mexico. Papusas are great too, haven't tried anything else yet. I absolutely plan to eat here way too much, especially since it's super close. Support this restaurant and eat delicious Honduran! read more

They opened up late, we ordered Baleada , they where cold , so ask them to make us new one. They reheat the one we put in the microwave which made cream and the avocado disgusting . The tamales Elote, we're dry. Was visiting a friend and had told me about this place he had said was great and we saw had great reviews. Sorry but this is not good when it first open , maybe later in the day. read more

Incredible hole in the wall place. The baleadas sencillas and agua frescas keep me coming back! read more

Merendero La Catrachitas - Latin American Near Me - St. Louis, Missouri

I love the pollo con tajadas! It's a childhood favorite and is tasty each time. Grubhub is convenient since I live a little farther from the restaurant. read more

Papusas we're amazing. I got the fried chicken dinner which had an incredible sauce on top, with beans, cheese, plantains and some type of pickled salad with pico. read more

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Turns out there's a spot in South City that does a scary-good impression of a bus depot in a small Central American town, what with the old tile and creaky storefront vibe, and inside you will find a charmingly bare bones cafe with a telenovela on and a family working. And get this--you can get homey, authentic Honduran food (at least I think it was authentic--how the hell would I know--but the clientele, who all seemed to top out about my whopping 5'4" height', as well as the widely-traveled Puerto Rican with me busy stuffing his face both assured me I was right)--that is warm and flavorful and not at all hot, although there is a wide selection of hot sauces at each of the handful of yellow booths. Check it out, my good midwestern folk, this is a legit mom and pop gourmet ghetto joint that deserves our love. read more

Great new Honduran restaurant in S City. Very authentic. No website, but they do have a Facebook page the ladies that work here are very sweet. I don't normally like to be called honey, but when they say it, it's adorable. They serve plantain's, beans, rice, whole fried fish, and a variety of meats. Come check it out! Credit cards accepted. This was a Mexican bakery at one time. I hope that people can see where they are located and give them some business! It's almost at the very southern end of South Kingshighway next to Smoking Barrels BBQ. read more

The food here is so good! Had it for the first time today! I had a pupusa, elote tamales, fried plantains, pescado frito, and a mango agua fresca. I'll be eating here again for sure! read more

small place but food is fantastic. kind host, wonderful pupusas, baleadas, and other tasty central american fare. obviously the cook is someone's mother, because this food is made with love. we travel for work and we have been there three times now - we would come every week if we lived in st. louis! read more

Small neighborhood restaurant! The food was amazing and the service great. We had a platter that provided us with a taste of many delicious choices. read more

I wasn't sure what to order because I have never had Honduran food. It was pretty good but the carne asada was a little too well done. I liked the plantains and also the beans. I will go again and try something else. read more

I was watching Andrew Zimmern's Bizarre Foods: Delicious Destinations and up popped a whole show on the foods of Antigua, Guatemala. I was hooked by the history and the luscious food. So I searched Yelp St. Louis for Guatemalan restaurants with no success (yet, but there's still time St. Louis), but I did see this Honduran restaurant and, since the two countries are linked geographically and historically, I thought "let's see if there are any gustatory similarities." And to my delight, as I compared my notes from the show, with the menu on Yelp, I found there were. For example, the style of enchilada, the tamales, horchata, plantains. So on a Monday for lunch, my hubby and I did a road trip to Merendero La Catrachitas. The restaurant is in a little strip mall next door to a BBQ place (Smoking Barrels, looks good btw, on our next trip). It's a classic Latin American hole-in-the-wall with a framed quote from the Bible next to a framed soccer stadium, with a soccer game playing on the TV, but with table service. We ordered; the Tamalitos de Elote (two smaller sweet corn tamalitos with Honduran crema (sour cream) on the side, so delicious!), Enchiladas Hondurenas (flat fried corn tortilla with seasoned chunks of ground beef and Honduran cole slaw layered on top, similar to the Guatemalan version, but slaw is not red, very good btw), Baleada Regular (big grilled obviously homemade flour tortilla filled with beans, avocado, cheese, egg, and crema and folded in half, this was my favorite, loved the homemade flour tortilla, big diameter and thicker and so tasty, two other versions of this on the menu too), Pupusas Mix (thicker corn tortilla filled with tasty cheese and grilled, similar to the Nicaraguan version), Bistec Encebollado (steak cooked with onions, tomatoes, and green pepper, with beautiful yellow rice, mashed thin beans, a stick of cheese, pico de gallo, and fried plantains instead of green fried banana chips, all of the sides on this dish were colorful and excellent, but the steak was tough and the meat to vegetable ratio was heavily weighted to the latter), and their Horchata (similar to the Mexican version, but not as "red hot" cinnamonny, made with rice, water, cinnamon, sugar, vanilla, and milk). Out of the Tamales Hondurenos (sad, I have been salivating for good tamales, but not to be (today)). Other diners ordered the fried chicken dishes which smelled so good. The table service was attentive and sweet. Many of the other diners seemed like regulars. A very good sign. And they take all credit cards. A good place with unique food from a Latin American country, other than Mexico. A good day for a food adventure. And yes, we'll be back for those Tamales!! read more

Food was of poor flavor & cold, small seating area only about 6 tables, good customer service overall.

The owner told us the name means "a little place to eat." That pretty much sums it up. We got carry out. They let us switch out the green banana chips for the plantains, even though that option wasn't printed on the menu. The plantains were perfection. My daughter got the bistec and I had the fried pork chop with eggs. Both were delicious. We'll be back! read more

I brought my Spanish club students to try Honduran food and we couldn't have had a better experience. The amount of food for the price was incredible and the food was so flavorful. One particular student had made horchata for a school project and got to try the real thing here for the first time. My husband and I already have plans to visit again soon. I especially love that this is a female owned and run restaurant and that I now can get a real deal pupusa in the STL area whenever I want! read more

What a treat! Food was delicious and the service was great. A great addition to Central American cuisine in Saint Louis. Can't wait to go back. If you are looking for a hidden gem this is it! read more

Delicious Honduran food! The tacos and baleadas are on point. My husband is Honduran and we eat a lot of Honduran food where we are from in Houston and this place tops all of the Honduran restaurants we have been to in Houston. My mom is super excited to have baleadas so close to her in STL! read more

Looks can be deceiving. Don't judge this little gem by looks. We were looking for something different to eat for lunch. Saw the sign while driving by. Took the chance to try it out. The inside is bit dated but CLEAN. Big plus. Staff waited on us quickly and were friendly and helpful with selections on the menu. Food came out quick and hot. Waitress was attentive while we were eating but not overbearing. So stop by and grab a good meal filling meal for cheap. read more

The food is authentic and tastes very good. I like the carne asada or the baleadas with beef.

Although you may walk up to this place and wonder what you are doing, don't let the rough outside and the look inside fool you. My wife and I ate here tonight and this is absolutely five star food at a place that needs just a little more work done. The whole time, it was like paradise on the plate and in your mouth. Could eat this twice a day, it was phenomenal. These people deserve more attention and critical reviews. This food is amazing beyond words. Thank you all so much! read more

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Hemos venido a este lugar más que 10 veces y cada vez el servicio es pésimo y lentisimo. La comida es más o menos buena pero no vale la pena. Siempre hemos vuelto porque queremos apoyar a los hondureños negociantes pero ya no volveré más. Hice una orden el viernes en la tarde para recoger el lunes. Me dijeron que iba estar listo a las 10:30 y lo dejé pagado. Cuando llegué a esa hora, el señor no sabía nada de la orden y la dueña no contestaba su teléfono. Como la comida era para un evento a las 11, me tuve que ir sin la comida. read more

Small, quaint location. Pupusas and curtido were delicious. It's been a couple of months since my visit and I'm itching to get back! Definitely worth a try! read more

This was the first time for either of us to have Honduran food, and we both really liked it. It was tasty but only slightly spicy. The servings were extremely generous, but we managed to eat every last bit. We will definitely be back! read more

We had wanted to try Merendero's for quite some time and finally decided it was time to venture out. We weren't disappointed. It's a quiet, unassuming place, and other than some carry-out, i think we were the only dine-in patrons this evening. The service was prompt and friendly. Qse tried the pupusa and it was wonderful. Had the carne asada and polle guisada for main entrees and both were quite good. Definitely an authentic vibe to place. We wouldn't hesitate to try it again and try some other delights on the menu. read more

Was very good and a great experience. The food prepared perfectly. The service was good. Really hope everyone gives this a try because I hope they can grow the business. Everyone here was very friendly. read more

I've been here several times, and each time the food was amazing and the service very friendly. I've tried repeatedly to get tamales, even calling at 10:30am, but they always say they're out. I'd give this place five stars except that I've been twice since the lockdown and neither time were any of the staff, at the counter or in the kitchen, wearing masks. I won't go back until this pandemic is over, but I look forward to ordering from there again hopefully in a few months. read more

I really like this place. The food is great, the staff is friendly and the prices are very reasonable. I think it's the first Honduran restaurant I've been to and I wasn't sure what to expect. The menu has many items similar to Mexican restaurants like tacos and enchiladas but there seems to be less salsa/tomato sauce so the flavors are quite different. The dinners are very large with enough leftovers for a second meal (for me at least). They mostly seemed to be a meat dish - chicken, beef, pork or fish - with rice, beans and plantain. The food was good quality and my friends and I all enjoyed our meals. My favorite was the baleada, a tortilla stuffed with egg, chicken, beans, cheese and sour cream. On my first visit, the waitress brought us some agua frescas for us to try, which I thought was really nice of her. The decor is spartan, so if you are looking for a fancy night out, this isn't the place for you. But if you are looking for a casual restaurant with great food, I highly recommend this place. read more

The food here is excellent. I've been three times and it was good all three times. The Platano Maduro is really good (sweet plantains). I like the Baleadas Especiales, which is kinda like a quesadilla but better. I've also had the Pollo Almuerzo, which is fried chicken, rice, beans, pickled onions, cheese and either sweet or green plantains. The tamales are the best I've had. Great friendly service too. Seating is limited and not good for large groups. Check it out! read more