Pupusa Perfection

Pupusa Perfection

Salvadoran hole-in-the-wall Juanita Restaurant fills the pupusa-shaped hole in your stomach.

BY ALEX SPRINGER comments@cityweekly.net

Considering the foundational aspects of Salvadoran cuisine include dishes I hold near and dear (overfilled sandwiches, fried starches and stuffed tortillas), it’s not surprising that I eventually sniffed out Juanita Restaurant (271 W. 900 South, 385-259-0144).

Pupusas are essential to Salvadoran cuisine, so Juanita takes their creation very seriously. Each one is lovingly prepared on the spot—one of the first things that I noticed when I popped in for lunch was the bilingual signage letting customers know their food is made to order, which can add to the wait time. If that’s a turn-off, then these golden rounds of crispy gooeyness are too good for you. Juanita sticks to the traditional fillings—cheese, beans, pork chicharrón and loroco, an edible flower native to El Salvador.

It’s totally understandable if pupusas are the only thing you order here, but it’s also worth venturing into entrée territory. My go-to is a the plátanos con crema y frijoles ($6). It’s traditionally eaten for breakfast— Juanita also offers a combo that comes with scrambled eggs cooked with peppers ($11)—and it’s possibly one of the most crave-worthy breakfast dishes on the market. It’s a hefty portion of plantains, sliced and fried to perfection, topped with velvety crema and pinto beans that have been puréed into a sauce of their own. Like the pupusas, this dish is a prime example of doing something simple extremely well. The sweet starchiness of the plantains meshes seamlessly with the salty creaminess of its companions; the combo’s scrambled eggs and side of tortillas ups the ante to redefine the term “breakfast of champions.”

AT A GLANCE Open: Tuesday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m.

Friday-Sunday, 9 a.m.-8 p.m. Best bet: Any or all of the handmade pupusas

Can’t miss: The plátanos con crema y frijoles