This is a lovely little restaurant in the Ravenswood area. We had visited a few breweries and were looking for a small cozy spot with comfort food. Sadly it was mostly empty because of ICE being in the area, so we had the full attention of the staff and happy to be there. The decor and menu are central american inspired. Our waitress was extremely patient and helpful in guiding us through the menu. We enjoyed trying papusa and had them with some plantains. The ingredients were fresh and everything tasted good. If you want beer or wine with your dinner it is BYOB, and there is a package store nearby. read more

First time we stopped in for lunch. Their menu offers some delicious dishes from Central America. I really enjoyed the plaintains, salsas, (red and green) papusas. Staff is friendly and helpful to customers. Recommend the jalapeno y cheese and grilled steak combo. Food is freshly prepared with good quality ingredients. This is a fantastic family owned business Try the plaintains and el salvadorian horchata "" read more

See all

This is the definition of comfort food! The restaurant is very well decorated and the server was very attentive. Would 100% recommend! The soup was well seasoned and very delicious! You have to try any pupusas . The empanadas con leche are made of plantain with a milk filling. Very good and freshly made! read more

See all

We came here for food and the Bad Bunny Super Bowl show and it was 100% the right call. The food was amazing (pupusa con queso y chicharrones, tacos al pastor, Salvadoran horchata, an al pastor burrito), the staff was so great, the vibes were immaculate, it was surprisingly inexpensive, and I will be so back. read more

The food is pretty tasty and reasonably priced. I had the steak torta and guac. The service was okay but a little too lax for our liking. My boyfriend had the yuca and pork and he thought it was delicious. It is a byob so that is a plus and we'll definitely be back. read more

My first papusa! If I can papusa, you can papusa! Come here for the papusas! A quick Yelp app search yielded this venue within walking distance of us. Do know that it is BYOB and also know there is a package store caddy corner across the street if needed. It's a big inviting corner space with the cooking taking place towards the back but within full view. The service was very warm and friendly and patient as well for a couple of nubes regarding Guatemalan and Salvadorian food. Having been open for approximately five to six months, this venue is fairly new to the neighborhood and was not that crowded when we dined. ICE is bad for business in general, but especially ethnic businesses. So if you would like to counter act in a positive way, and are able to, please consider patronizing ethnic businesses in lieu of; or in addition to your regular faves. The best part? For two people, all in, including tax and tip, the bill ran just shy of $30!?!? I cannot even tell you the last time I experienced such a reasonable meal cost. So spread the word, patronize and get your papusa on! read more

See all

The cheese and beans pupusa was freshly made, delicious and authentic. I am Salvadoran so I know a good one. The curtido (cabbage) and salsas fresh as well. I also had the breakfast with eggs, beans and platanos (fried plantains). I'm very pleased and pleasantly surprised of the new menu here. I will be coming back and recommending! read more

See all

So, so yummy!!! I love it here! Great gallo pinto and queso frito which can ge hard to find on the Northwest side of the city. Finally some NICARAGUAN food in Chicago. It's just so hard to find. I'm Nica and love it! read more

Pupuseria El Centro Americano - Queso frito - Mexican Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

See all

This is my first time here , I just had a really bad experience , extra well done streak, the hygiene in the place and also the service was horrible . I don't understand why it has 4.9 star in the reviews , I can't recommend this to anyone . How can an employee be on the reviews . To add in the utensils were dirty read more

Love love love their pupusas! I tried the cheese and the chicharrón ones and they taste so fresh and homemade, yum!

Unbelievably nice! Really appreciated how helpful they were with the menu, giving me great suggestions on the delicious spread. I went with their pupusa (bomb) and the crispy chicken tacos that are Nicaraguan inspired - crunchy and refreshing. Wonderful spot! read more

This is the second time we have been to this restaurant. Everything is fresh and delicious. My favorite item is the Guatemalan tamale. The pupusas are great. Service was fast and friendly. read more

I was genuinely impressed with Pupuseria El Centro Americano. The pupusas were absolutely delicious--perfectly made and full of flavor--with the exact same taste you find when eating pupusas in El Salvador. One bite brought back so many memories of home. The tamales were also excellent, fresh, and comforting, just the way they should be. read more

Love this place. Good, authentic pupusas and other Central American food. Very friendly staff. So glad it's in North Center to add some variety to the local food scene. Love to be able to have pupusas locally since I don't get to visit family in El Salvador very often. If you've never had pupusas, you need to check this place out. It's a nice alternative to the local Mexican places (that I also love.) BYOB. read more

Delicious food. Simple flavors, well prepared. Service is wonderful. Family business. The space is bright open and cheerful. A full meal was so affordable. I was was shocked at the bill, for that neighborhood. Check this place out, its solid simple charm, it'll be one of your go to neighborhood spots. read more

We're from LA visiting the area, and everything here was delicious and authentic! The curtido (traditional pupusa topping) was on point, and the salsa was just right. Salvadorian horchata was perfect The restaurant is clean, service was fantastic and friendly, and the wait wasn't long. Ambience was terrific--will definitely be visiting again soon! read more

See all

Loved, loved, loved! Pupusas are one of my go-to meals. They are excellent here! excellent flavor and texture.

Food was great. Pupusas plates were great. Service was good. The waiter explained the various types of pupusas available. Very economical. We went during the weekdays and about to close so it was kind of empty, better for us. Relaxed environment for a quick local dinner. read more

There was a large group of us, and the waitress gave us lots of good tips for ordering. We tried plantains and yuca, which were incredible. The star was the papusas. We tried different kinds (zucchini, chicken, loroco, and jalapeño) and they were all fantastic. The price was incredibly reasonable too. Don't pass this one up. You will be impressed by the home cooking from different counties. read more

Very good place. People should come and check out the pupusas! And if you don't like that, there is plenty of other options.

Staff was v sweet & understanding with us when we originally ordered dine-in and had to rush for to-go due to scheduling mishaps. Cute decorations, loved sitting next to the windows with their ornate chairs. read more

At first glance, the menu could be a little confusing. There's Salvadoran food, Nicaraguan food, Guatemalan and Mexican. But this is not a jack of all trades master of none situation. This is a family affair - she's from El Salvador and he's from Nicaragua. Guatemalan food isn't that different and I suspect the Mexican is there for the less adventurous eaters who tag along to a meal. We tried items from both the Nicaraguan side and the Salvadoran side. All were great and a return visit is already in the works. The space is big and the servers (the two daughters when I was there) are super friendly. This is a massive upgrade over Don Pedro Mexican Restaurant, which used to be in this location (furniture and phone number remain the same). Fantastic addition to the neighborhood! read more

The food was on point. You definitely need to be patient because it does take a while. The service was good. Love everything about this place. read more

This place just keeps getting better. I got the pupusas on a food app with a two-for-one deal. They were very good and fresh. Loved the curtido and salsas as well. Hard to find good pupusas on the north side. Their tacos and burritos are also excellent. The seasoning is great without being salty, and the ingredients are fresh. The meat in the taco is chopped finely which helps it blend well with the salsa/cilantro/onion. The steak burrito was a good size and exceptionally flavorful. Some of the best tacos/burritos on the north side. I mostly order out or pick up but the restaurant is cute, clean, and the staff is nice and helpful. Recommended. read more

An absolute gem of a restaurant-- the service was great, the food was delicious, and I would recommend for anyone to eat here. We ordered the jalapeño and cheese, zucchini and cheese, loroco and cheese, and chicken and cheese pupusa s. They were all delicious!! Will definitely be coming back read more

Great addition to the neighborhood! They offer lots of different Central Am eats, and also standard Mexican if you need also. All the food is home and freshly made using traditional recipes. Must try the pupusas. BYOB and lots of value with reasonable prices. read more