La Malaguena

Elite '08

52

183

Michelle P.

Fairfax, VA

There was nothing about La Malaguena that looked appealing from the outside.  There place is somewhat run down and never seems to have anyone in it.  The idea of  Salvadorian food scared me as i didn't even know what it was.    But I get pretty cranky when i'm hungry and so when we drove by it i said "lets go here" so that the crankiness did not increase.  

I was pleasantly surprised.  The menu is a collection of  your typical mexcian foods (tacos, burritos, enchiladas) and then some non traditional foods like cheeseburgers and steak subs.    They brought out a little salad bowl with some chips that were really tasty.  i liked how small the serving was because you could munch without feeling like you overindulged.   The salsa that accompnied it was somewhat spicy but I guess everything really is for me :)

I got a steak salad whcih came with fresh onions, peppers, pico  and fried tortillas.  It was fantastic.   The meat was tender and perfectly seasoned.   I was very pleased with my choice.  I would have liked another choice of dressing other than ranch or italian, but it wasn't that big of a deal.

My friend's  refried beans were fantastic.  Tasted like the ones my Puerto Rican friend's Mom makes.  The servings were the perfect size.  Didn't feel like you were stuffed but we're not left hungry.

Prices were very reasonable... my salad was like 9.00 but had a big chunk of steak on it!

I do feel bad that i prematurely judged this place from the exterior and am excited to have found a new mexican place nearby!

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Elite '08

52

147

Melody H.

New York, NY

Like dingy, hole-in-the-wall places with tacky floral tablecloths? I do. In my experience, these places often have food that far outshines the decor, so it's not wonder I stopped in on this little Maple Ave. restaurant boasting Salvadorian and Mexican food. (Across from Magruder's.)

I love good salsa, and this place has good salsa. I think my brother and I went through 4 cups (shoot, I forget the fancy restauranteur word for those little sauce dishes) of it with lightly salted tortilla chips. I didn't know what a pupusa was until I walked into La Malaguena and the very friendly waiter explained the Salvadorian items on the menu. A pupusa, in case you care, is a croquette-like patty with a filling of your choice. I had the pupusa rebuelta (pork and cheese) as an appetizer and it was yummy, with a side of special orange (possibly habanero but not that spicy?) sauce and pickled Spanish-style cabbage. More pupusa! I could eat these for days. It's like Salvadorean bindaedduk (for those familiar with Korean cuisine).

The carne asada was good, though not super spectacular, but what made that dish were the handmade corn tortillas that come with it. I don't know if they are Salvadorean style bc they are too thick and doughy to be Mexican corn tortillas, but they were soft and chewy and filling! The refried beans are topped with shredded cheese and the rice is all right, but let's talk about that corn tortilla again... YUM!

The guy next to us was eating a soup/ stew of some sort that isn't on the menu. I asked the waiter about it and he said they have beef, chicken, or seafood soup. I will be trying that next time for sure!

Edit:
Had the soup. Reeeally tender beef in the soup. Kind of ugly, but still tastes good. And don't forget to eat a pupusa rebuelta.

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