On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: Latin American [Edit]
Neighborhood: University DistrictMon-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 8:30 p.m.
Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Loading...
$2.10 Pupasa's... pure win.
The people here are super friendly and I am eager to go back to try the El Salvadoran beer- I just like beer.
The vegetarian Pupasa was a little lacking in flavor but the salsas and what not more than made up for it and the regular bean and cheese one was excellent.
I'll be going back, its win!
Went in for an early dinner while out in the U district one day. They had a taco special going so I got that and then split fried plantain with who I was with. The guy who was working the counter who might have been the owner was extremely friendly and nice to us.
The tacos were pretty good and rather full. Pretty sure the filling was pork. Came with some ok rice and black beans.
The fried plantains were also tasty. Came with refried beans and a pretty sweet cream sauce. Sadly these came out last instead of first like I expected but not really a big deal.
Overall a good place to mix up your diet in the U district with out really hurting your wallet. We'll be back.
Went back for lunch and ate there instead of take-out like last time. What a difference!! Ordering takes a while, there's just something overwhelming about the menu, the written whiteboard by the cash register, other patrons futzing around and fumbling with their money.
But I ordered their #4 sampler platter: "One tamale pork or chicken, one pastelito and one pupusa of your choice."
I picked pork for both the tamale and the pupusa. :)
We received our food a few moments later. My cabbage slaw side came topped with tomato, radish, and cucumber slices. I made use of their red and green hot sauces on the table. The red seemed a bit watery and not too spicy, but that's ok.
The food was good, I enjoyed my pupusa much more this time around. The pastelito was alright, I might skip it next time but I thought the tamale was very yummy. My friends each ordered 2 or 3 pupusas and were sated.
I think I feel good enough about this recent experience to put this in my rotation..but not too often though of course. :)
If I could rate 1/2 stars, I'd do 2.5 for these guys.
Reading the reviews for this place and talking…
Read more »
After writing my first review I quickly received the following message from Eduardo, the owner. Since I did thoroughly enjoy the food and it seems that this incident was an irregular occurrence at Guanaco's I am going to raise my previous review to four stars.
Hi charles my name is Eduardo and I am the owner of Guanacos tacos and I was really concerned about your experience and your review, I have looked into it, and you are more than welcome to look at the health departments website and you will see that since I have owned the restaurant they have never found any roaches in the restaurant. However the ones you did see, as I did find out came from a box of plantains that was stored in the storage room, the box was infested with them, and it came that way from the distributor, I am glad to tell you that we have sprayed the restaurant thouroughly, and they are all gone. Also I would like to invite you to come and dine with us again (on us of course) and you will see that the problem has been resolved, I would hate to lose you as a client, and I do apologize.
I was finishing up some darn good pupusas and a delicious bowl of chicken soup, when a Periplaneta… Read more »
Salvadoran food is a rare find in Seattle outside of White Center or Burien. I am thrilled that Guanaco's is in the U District, close enough to my work to be a frequent temptation. There aren't a lot of places where I can stuff my face with comfort food for under $8.
If you've never had a pupusa or fried plantains, this is the place to go for your first time. It's clean, friendly, and casual. You can order in English. You can order in Spanish, and I bet they wouldn't laugh.
I recommend revuelta (beans, cheese, and pork) for meat eaters, or cheese + lorocos (it's an herb with an aromatic flavor kind of like basil or marjoram). You can get it with corn dough or rice dough; both are smooth, tender, and firm, really nothing like a tortilla. Pupusas are no more greasy than a good slice of pizza. They are different from Mexican, Cuban, and Spanish food, so go with an open mind. They are cooked on a griddle and come out piping hot.
Yes, sir. Major win. This spot used to house a Filipino restaurant and I used to come here all the time, so when it closed and this place opened I was kind of sad. Now, however, I couldn't be happier. I have been going here ever since the grand opening and I absolutely love it. The guy that runs the place is hella cool, always got a soccer jersey on and in a good mood. The papusas are what's up, just order them with everything and enjoy.
Pork pupusa was kinda odd, but tasty. I'd definitely have one (or more) again.
The chicken tamale was really weird, as I've never had a non-pork tamale (they have pork tamales too, but I was there to try new things). The masa was the best I've had so far in the region.
The pastelito was kinda like a deep-fried corn empanada. It was super hot; it took a long time to cool enough for me to eat it after burning my fingers.
Curtido is delicious. Others described it as being like cole slaw, but it's closer to kim chee than a slaw.
Being both sweet and savory, the bean empanada was odd. Still tasty though.
I met some friends here for lunch. The pork pupusa was tasty and fried. Unfortunately, the salsas weren't that spicy. But the service was really quick, and the prices were reasonable! They have some small tables both inside and outside for dining.
I love Salvadoran food. Ok, I've only had it once. And ok, I was born and raised here so I have no reliable baseline for judging Latin American cuisine. To be entirely accurate, I love the pupusas at Guanaco's Tacos Pupuseria. Pupusas with cheese, loroco and chicharrón. Those stuffed corn pancakes are savory, filling and addictive. Curtido - a slaw - was good but a little too spicy for me. A few bites was enough, but I'm a complete chile wimp so 98% of you will think it's quite tasty. The pastelitos ("flash fried corn flour pocket filled with beef, onion, carrots") taste like comfort food, and fried yuca tastes better than potatoes to me. They must be cousins though. I obivously ordered the Sampler Platter #1. If you're trying new foods that's the way to go, don't you think? Just say yes.
It's warm inside the restaurant - warm colors on the walls, warm temperature, warm smiles - and you will smell the cooking oil and hear a background of Spanish being spoken in the kitchen. I'm getting all warm and fuzzy thinking about it. Order at the counter, pour your own water and wait for your food to be delivered. Eat everything on your plate (except all of the curtido if you're a wimp like me). Then go back to the counter and order another pupusa, because at $2.10 each, why the hell not?
So Ron M. and I took advantage of the clear blue skies and warm spring day on Monday as he showed me around the UW campus. Before the three-hour tour, we stopped here for some tacos and pupusas.
The service was quick and pleasant, and the food was delicious. They offer some of the best tacos I've had in and around Seattle. I didn't try a pupusa, but they looked great. I'll definitely be back to try them soon. To top it off, the meal was surprisingly inexpensive for the quantity and quality of food.
So fresh! I've been here four times and have been impressed each time. Consistent, homemade, delicious, satisfying, perfect portions. I'd suggest trying the sampler plates if you are unfamiliar with Salvadorian food as I was. I have found SEVERAL favorite foods by approaching eating here this way. I respect trying to offer vegetarian options, but for pupasas and pastalitos, I definitely prefer the traditional meat and cheese and deliciousness options :) I enjoy the slaw they serve to counter the rich cheesiness and fried goodness. I loooove flavor and Guanaco's Tacos have it!
A friend and I like to try different ethnic restaurants when we do a shopping day. Last week, we were up in the U-District and found this pupuseria on Yelp and decided to give it a try. As you can probably tell by now, I am a value-minded consumer and love finding bargains whenever I can.
I really enjoyed the food here. I ordered the #1 sampler plate. My only criticism is that the fried Yucca was a bit on the oily side, but still tasty. Everything else was delicious.
Now, for the rating: I would actually like to give this place 3.5 stars because the food tastes good, and the service is great. The guy who owns it is super friendly and walks you through the menu if you've never been here before. My only complaint is that you don't get a lot of food with the sampler and it's almost $8.00. After just an hour and a half, I needed to eat again.
Bottom line: I think this place is definitely worth trying and you may find that you really like it and want to visit regularly. I probably won't be going back again because it's a bit of a drive for me.
When a place calls itself a 'Papuseria', they'd better bring it with the eponymous foodstuff - and Guanaco's has earned every right to call itself that. Ever papusa I've tried there rose to the standard I am familiar with (growing up in SF, had easy access to the Mission, which produces as good of Mexican, El Salvadoran, Guatemalan, etc., food as I've had anywhere) and exceeded it. As did the fried yucca and empanadas, both of which I'm not usually a fan of, but fell in love with at Guanaco's. Also, the prices are scary low - you'd think that you can't possibly get anything of quality for 2 bucks, and you'd be very, very wrong.
Best. Pupusas. Ever. Well, at least this side of the border. Guanaco's serves absolutely authentic Salvadoran cuisine, the pupusas (especially the veggie) and the pork tacos being my favorites. Pretty much everything here is amazing. Even just the rice and beans just have a little something special in them. Plus, this is the kind of local business that Seattleites need to support. The owner is officially one of the nicest guys ever and always greets me and my company warmly. Oh, yes, the prices are great as well. It doesn't look fancy from the outside, or the inside for that matter, but the food is fabulous and by far surpasses the pretensions of somewhere like La Isla (not that I am not a fan... just too expensive to frequent). I love the pupusas. I love the pupusas. I love the pupusas. I swear if I have anything to do with it, they are going to be the next big Seattle food craze, as long, of course, as business is still booming here, it's all good. The guac I am not so fond of, but hey, where else can you get a side of guac for 75 cents? No where, that's where! Love Guanacos, support Guanacos! Perhaps someday I'll be granted the masa dough recipe.... Gooooooooooooaaaaaallllllll!
Sometimes I like to start my review with a good story, a description of the food or at least something funny. But I'm going with the K.I.S.S rule on this one*.
This place is good; really good. It's small and plain but once you get in the door the smells hit you in the face(sometimes the smoke from the kitchen literally hits you). And you'll be greeted by whoever's behind the counter.
The Pupusas are great. Packed with ingredients but not busting at the seems. I love fried Yuca, and make it all the time, but there's is really good. Just golden on the outside and soft and flaky on the inside. Fried plantains are sweet and carmelized but not burnt. I think though, that the tacos are the top of my list. I always get at least one. A lot of tacos around here come with dried out meat and look like they were dropped on the tortilla with a tiny melon baller. These are juicy and fat with lots of sabor.
Great food, nice people, good location. Like the announcers on the soccer games that always seem to be on I'll say Goaaaaaallllllllllllllllllllllllllll!
*Keep It Simple Stupi
Went here for the first time with the kids, and everyone found something they liked. We got two kinds of pupusas - chicken and cheese - both were delicious. I could do without the bland pastelito (if I'm gonna do deep-fried, it's got to be tasty to justify the fat), but I liked the spicy cabbage slaw-salsa that came with the pupusas.
The place was kid-friendly and casual, and the gal taking our order was patient enough with all of our stupid gringo questions.
Fantastic value. You get authentic (as far as I know) Salvadorian fare at prices that are competitive with anything on the ave. Portions tend to be on the lighter side, which is fine with me. I've enjoyed everything I've ordered there, including pupusas with various combinations of fillings, pork tamales, and the baby corn tamal. Still plenty left to explore on the menu. The guy at the front is friendly.
I am glad this place is getting supported on Yelp. The strip mall feel of the place leaves a lot to be desired... but for a quick stop in for something really tasty... this place is amazing. They really do a good job with everything I have tried.
Its simple, flavorful and reasonable priced Salvadorian food.
Pu-pu-pu-pusa! **sing to the Chia Pet jingle**
Ever since I had some really awesome pupusas at Platano (Berkeley, CA) a couple of months ago, I've had this obsession with pupusas. I lamented about where I can find a place in town that can even compare to Platano when my friend suggested I try Guanaco. That was great advice! I think I have visited these guys at least four times in the last few weeks to satisfy my pupusa cravings.
So far I have only had two kinds of pupusas:
Pork and cheese (chicharron & queso)
Squash, cheese, jalapenos and spinach (ayote, queso, jalapeno, espinaca)
These tasty treats only run $2.10 each! Just two pupusas fill me up which is quite surprising.
___________________________________
(___________________________________) - PUPUSA
+
_____________
I I
I I - CONTAINER OF CURTIDO
I I (PICKLED CABBAGE)
\___________ /
+
__
___I I___
I I
I I
I I - SQUEEZE BOTTLE OF SALSA / VERDE
I I
I_______ I
=
HAPPY RON
Pu-pu-pu-pusa! **sing to the Chia Pet jingle**
I'm not sure if I still have not recovered from my food aversion (I got food poisoning from a pupusa at a different El Salvadoran restaurant), but for some reason I can't seem to enjoy them the way I used to. The pupusas here were fresh (definitely a plus) and they were quick in making them, but the flavor to me was just not quite right. Good, but not great. This could also be the consequence to my lack of ability to eat cheese now...
I personally love restaurants where you grab your own utensils, water, napkins, etc. It cuts down the costs (this place is inexpensive!) and is it really that difficult to take a few extra steps to grab them?
The service was really great too. The guys checked in on how our food was and were nice when we were ordering. They had no problem accommodating my dietary restriction.
I believe Guanaco's is a great place to go if you're not a pescaterian/vegetarian. The staff is warm and friendly, their kitchen is open, the papusa is grand and their El Salvadorian offerings are distinct to other choices around the U-District.
So I am speaking only as a pescaterian when I say that there are few appealing menu options. The fish tacos are puny and have a fish-stick sized portion of fried, surprisingly dry mahi-mahi. The veggie burrito tastes surprisingly similar to the 4-dollar version found at the By George cafe on campus, which is NOT a flattering comparison.
The papusas are my favorite, but now I have summed up nearly every menu option if you are pescaterian.
It's not that I have a bias against El Salvadorian food either--Las Delicias way back in Annapolis, MD is my working model of amazing Salvadorian food, featuring many fine fresh fish entrees. Guanaco's does a lot of things right, but they have little to offer whiny, particular pescaterians such as myself.
I've had this place bookmarked for ages and finally checked it out yesterday. I was not let down!
This winter while visiting a friend in LA who is Salvadorian, I was introduced to the famous pupusa and fell in love. So I just had to compare since Seattle isn't real known for having top notch Latin cuisine.
And...I think maybe Guanaco was even better than the one my Salvadorian friend took me to in LA!!
I didn't think they were very greasy at all and the ingredients tasted great! I ordered one meat and one veggie (I think the veggie had zuchinni and chilies) and an horchata to wash it all down.
The horchata was actually very different than most other horchata I've ever had, but it was tasty in its own right. It almost tasted like a chai or coffee drink and it was very frothy. It took a bit of time to make too--wasn't just out of one of those giant tanks.
The whole meal was also super cheap. I know I'll be back again!!
I have never been to El Salvador but I love the food at Guanaco's Tacos.
I work near University Avenue and am frequently disappointed by the lack of diversity of the restaurants that surround UW. Before Guanaco's, I have never tried El Salvadoran food and after multiple visits, I am happy that Guanaco's provides a taste of El Salvador as an alternative to the Teriyaki, Thai, Pho, and Falafel in the U District.
Guanaco's primarily serves non-Tex Mex, El Salvadoran food that includes Pupusa (a thick corn pancake filled with cheese and your choice of protein), Pastelitos (a deep-fried turnover with similar contents as the Pupusa), Empanadas that are filled with plaintains and what I think is creamed corn, and Tamales. For less than $7, combination plates come with your choice of three items and Curtido which is a refreshing Salvadoran cole slaw that complements the greasier items. Alternatively, these items and traditional tacos are served a la carte. Daily specials are also written on a dry erase board near the cash register.
For drinks, they serve chocolate Horchata, a wonderful Agua Fresca that is like a fruit salad in beverage form, and cervezas.
As other reviewers mentioned, the ordering protocol requires you to pay upfront at the cash register after ordering. Utensils and water are self service next to the cash register. In this case, partial waiter service means that the owner will bring out the food to your table, and they will bus your plates.
The owner is super friendly and enjoys explaining the dishes for virgin experiences. I am a big fan of diversity and family-owned restaurants, and Guanaco's is now a part of my lunch repertoire.
I am impressed! Their pupusas are almost as good my moms pupusas! I had 2 chicharron con queso (pork with cheese), which were yummy, and I also had the bunuelos, which are kind of like a doughnut hole made out of the yucca root and you get a sugar cane syrup to dip them in. Since I am comparing the bunuelos to the homemade ones of my family that is the only reason I gave them 4 stars and not 5. Otherwise service is super friendly and what I have tried thus far was delicious.
So, I've come to the conclusion that pupusas are out to take Seattle by storm.
One rainy day, I had just gotten off of the bus and wanted some take-out. Walking down Brookylyn Ave, I was ready to accept anything to get out of the torrential Seattle downpour. And lo and behold, I laid my eyes upon this little hole in the wall. Now I can thank the heavens that the sun wasn't shining, or else I never would have found one of my favorite U-District restaurants!
I had never tried El Salvadorean food before, so I asked the friendly owner what I shoud try. He recommended a pupusa, so I gave it a whirl. I chose a pork and cheese pupusa. I heard the "slap-slap" noise of the cooks preparing my food in the back, and in a few minutes I had my first of many, many pupusas. The pupusa was delicious - not quite taco, not quite quesadilla, but 100% delicious, cheesy, and homemade.
Since this first encounter with Guanaco's I have become a regular customer. I am an adventurous eater and ususally never order the same thing twice, but I can't seem to stop ordering my staple cheese and pork pupusas every time I go! Cheap and delicious, with friendly staff to boot. I also recommend the horchata. I also keep them in business by bringing in my friends and family.
So I guess the Seattle rain really is good for something, it introduced me to this wonderful little joint, and maybe one day I'll even go to El Salvador to try the "real thing."
I'm sorry, what? I am seated, but then I have to go up to the counter to order? Huh?
Papusas are tasty? Okay, maybe it's just me but I was thoroughly disappointed with the so-called "Papusa" that everyone has been yelping about. I admit I've never tried one before, so it's hard to really rate the Papusa objectively. (By the way, it reminds me of a filled pancake). Anyway, I had two pupusas (Pork & Cheese) and a steak taco. The papusa didn't really have any flavor. It was really cheese and I forgot that there was pork inside. The taco wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. Though, it isn't very hard to screw up meat in a tortilla. It was overly greasy and the tortillas came out ridiculously soggy. Their hot sauce was a complete joke, it tasted like water.
Fortunately, the employee was really friendly (owner?). The interior is also decorated nicely, but it doesn't really make up for the food.
Be aware that you're going to be seated with menus when you get inside, but have to go to the counter to order. Weird.
Ok ok ok.. I am not a big fan of this place, and there are reasons why...
Their pupusa had too much cheese in it, and I felt like they should have calmed down on the cheese ... it was a little overwhelming, and the slaw they bring you is a little bit on the watery side...
Their taco's would be better if they used better chicken, and their fish didn't have bones in it.. but the corn torilla was delicious....
Their rice was AMAZING!!! so amazing I took the insides of my taco and stuffed my taco with the rice...
The price was exceptional though, so for the poor college student that wants to be filled for under 10 dollars, and wants somewhat of home cooking can come here.. I will not give up on guanaco's, .... I will dine once again and try something different...... I will not give up on you...... tbc.....
Greasy and bland. The pastelitos were well-spiced and tasty, but just about everything else was almost flavorless. The pupusas (pockets of greasy fried pork and cheese and beans) needed some sort of seasoning (beyond the squeeze bottle of salsa on the table), and the fried yucca needed some sort of seasoning (beyond the squeeze bottle of salsa on the table) and the authentic Salvadorean drinks tasted a lot like unfrozen Otter Pops (which I suppose might be a Salvadorean delicacy).
I could see myself enjoying this food as part of a long night of drinking on the Ave, but those days are way in my past, as I guess is my taste for pupusas.
This place is pretty good, however there aren't very many vegan or dairy free options but they will make them for you if you ask.
I had a pupusa with beans only, plantains and a corn bread tasting thing so my plate was filled with all yellow foods. I think if there were more veggie/vegan options, I'd def frequent this place a lot more because for $8.00, I can get a lot more variety in my diet elsewhere.
Otherwise, the food everyone else got did look super delicious and it was really crowded at lunch time.
I think I'll be back though, because they had a special menu on the side where I noticed as I was leaving where they had veggie pupusas. A big + is that they were really nice about making sure that I had no cheese in the pupusas I ordered today which meant I did not curl up at Odegaard with stomach cramps and general unpleasant gut-pain. :D
p.s. HUSKIES - they take the Husky card here!
How many 5 star reviews do you need to see before you go try a place?! I can't ever get tired of the Mexican tacos, but every now and then a change of pace is good...and El Salvadorean food is just the right change of pace. The decor in this small restaurant is cute - you feel like your sitting on a beach patio....all that's missing is the ocean washing up lazily on the beach behind you!
Unable to decide on what to have from the simple menu, I opted for the "Guanaco's Sampler". This is the "tasty trio" of a pupusa, pastelito, and Yuca. All came with curtido, a pickled cabbage side that complimented the hot food nicely. I washed it down with "ensalada fresca", a sweet fruit "salad" drink that has to be had to truly appreciate!
With pupusas for just $1.90 each - and most everything else under $5 - I'll be back for more!
Reasonably tasty and definitely affordable. I can't knock any place too hard when you can get a decent meal for under $6. I tried 3 different vegetarian dishes (also uploaded photos on yelp, if you're curious). I prefer spicier food so I found this to be more basic comfort food than something wildly exciting, but I also don't eat meat so that limited my menu options somewhat.
I love this place, too bad it's so far away from my home in Olympia. :( The entire staff is very friendly. Being Salvadorean, I am particular about my pupusas. They have to make them just right and Guanaco's Tacos makes the best ones out there, at least out of the other 3 pupusa places I've tried in Washington.
I ordered the sampler platter (I've uploaded a picture to Yelp) which comes with three traditional Salvadorean items, one pupusa (I ordered revuelta; pork, beans loroco and cheese), yucca (I ordered mine fried instead of boiled) and one pastel (fried corn dough filled with a ground beef mixture).
Their pupusas: The dough is greasy-crispy on the outside, the dough inside is soft and the filling made of ground pork (chicharron), beans, loroco and cheese) is seasoned nicely and was oozing out of the pupusa as I cut into it. My mouth is watering as I'm typing this! Pupusas made to order!
The Yuca Frita : Another Salvadorean traditional dish is served with fried or boiled pieces of yucca. I ordered mine fried, again, it was crispy on the outside and soft and tender in the inside. It is topped with slices of tomato and chicharron (fried pieces of pork).
The Pastel : Another fried item on my plate, corn dough filled with a ground beef mixture. The filling was juicy, seasoned right.
The sampler plate comes with a side of spicy curtido (shredded cabbage, carrots, onions, oregano pickled in vinegar, kinda like coleslaw but pickled). Some curtidos can be spicy but this one wasn't very spicy. Salvadorean food isn't known for its heat, usually mild.
Horchata: A typical Central American drink made of rice, cinnamon, morro seeds, sesame seed and other spices. I was very surpsied with Guanaco's Tacos' version of Horchata. The owner told me they add Salvadorean chocolate to it (they import from El Salvador!). It tastes rich and very good. It's a first for me and I'm sure there are regions of Central America that make it this way. Certainly different and a whole lot better than the usual rice and cinnamon drink you find at many Mexican/Salvadorean restaurants who use pre-packaged powder forms.
My husband ordered the pork burrito. When he took the first bite, I saw him rolling his eyes as if he was in heaven. He really enjoyed the burrito.
Everything was fresh and made to order and I will be coming back again. I promised the owner I would bring my parents to try it out next time. A cool thing about this place is that in the 30 minutes that we were there, Chileans, Hondurans, Guatemalans and Salvadoreans (myself) walked in for some good food.
I got hooked on pupusas while living in the Mission District in SF. Guanaco's satisfies! Hand-made on the spot so you can customize yer fillings. The curtido is fresh and yummy. They're also embarassingly cheap at $1.90 apiece, I frankly can't eat more than two.
Eduardo, the propietor, is very friendly - one time my spouse ordered the chicken dinner and he came back out and said he just couldn't serve what he had available and switched him to the steak. It was wonderfuly marinated and REALLY good.
The Horchata is also very good, not that cinnimon-red-hot tasting fountain crap, but starchy and tasty. Vegans might check first: he mentioned he sometimes adds a little dairy milk to smooth the flavor/texture.
Delivery is by bicycle mostly to the UW campus area, alas my office across the bridge on Eastlake doesn't count.
I just got back from Guanacos and I have to say that I love this place. This was my second time dining here and it was as great as the first time. Today I tried the Grilled Chicken a la Guanaco and it was cooked to perfection. The chicken was well seasoned with what seemed to be lime and herbs. And, it was served with rice, beans, homemade tortillas, and a salad. All this for $10.25! And the portions were huge. I also tried the Ensalada Fresca drink which is made with finely chopped apples, mango, carrots and served in pineapple juice. It sounds strange but it was delicious. I guess you could call it a fruit salad drink. And, of course I had to have a pupusa which is their specialty. They are so yummy. My personal favorite so far is the pupusa with chicharron (pork) filling. Other filling options are cheese, refried beans, spinach and other veggie options. You can also combine any of the fillings and customize your own pupusa.
The staff here is also really nice and will answer any questions you have about their menu. I can't wait to try their other dishes.
Do you know what a pupusa is?
I didn't know what it was either until I dropped by this darling El Salvadoran hole-in-the-wall on Brooklyn and 41st. Known as a traditional dish to Salvadoran locals, a pupusa is a fried tortilla stuffed with cheese, lorocco (a tropical herb), pork carnitas, and beans. Not sure if this would be an accurate assessment, but I think of a pupusa as a pimped out quesadilla - bling, chrome rims and all. At $1.90 per pupusa, you can't go wrong.
Do you like tacos? (Of course you do) Well, they have them too! They aren't called Guanaco's Tacos for nuttin'. We tried the chicken, steak, and fish tacos. My favorite was the steak one. With meat marinated to perfection, I think the word "delicioso" would be appropriate here.
Their food is greasy as hell though. Naturally, this would make their menu an excellent prelude or postlude for a night of drinking. Chin chin!
I finally got to go there and I love it. The place is clean and very cute. The staff was very friendly and we got our orders fresh hot and fast. I have falled in love with the pupusas (I had the pork and cheese) and a pork burrito which was huge and stuffed with yummy pork. I also like the fact that they serve beer. You bet will be back again and again.
I will have eaten everything on Guanaco's menu by the end of the summer which will make me champion of the universe. And the multi-verse. And the fat-verse. Awesome, cheap food. Yes, the pupusas are succulent, but try the Grilled Chicken A La Guanaco. It rivals Paseo's Half Chicken Dinner for domesticated fowl wonderment.
First time having Salvadorian so take it for what its worth. I like this place- Eurocup playing in the background, sassy service, and decent ethnic food for the budget. Although I stopped here for dinner I think this would be a great lunch place. A change from burgers and falafels on the ave.
Skip the tacos go straight to the Papusas. For $1.90 each you get a warm fresh cornmeal disk, stuffed full of the filling of your choice. It could be chicken, beans, pork, cheese , or a combination of the three. Served with the fresh pickled slaw and a bottle of champagne cola life is good.
I had the chicken tamales and a pupusa. The tamales were pretty gross - the cornmeal was mushy and flavorless, and the chicken had a very strange flavor... I've never had canned chicken, but I'm thinking I came close with the chicken in these tamales. The pupusa was alright, sort of bland. I would go back for one of those, but only if I was strapped for cash, in the neighborhood, and mad hungry. The horchata was dark and tasted vaguely like ovaltine. I've had much better. I think it was just from a mix. While the pupusas are cheap and filling, the rest of the menu is way overpriced. I'd say skip this place.
Neighborhood: University District
Category: Afghan
Neighborhood: University District
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: University District
Category: Sandwiches
Neighborhood: University District
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Wedgwood/View Ridge
Category: Pizza
Lunch in the University district. There is more…
