Comfort Food

Visitors to El Salvador will often times have the misconception that the mere act of staring at a plate of food for too long will make one gravely ill in the stomach. 

While caution should be taken, there are many exaggerations and urban legends surrounding the topic of food and dining in general, so relax and enjoy yourself.

As I mentioned in a previous post, San Salvador offers a wide breadth of cuisines for your dining choices. 

To recap, some of those include:

• Italian
• Chinese
• Argentine
• Middle Eastern
• Brazilian
• Peruvian

Now, much like any other city you might visit, the fact these options are available doesn't mean that any given restaurant provides quality meals. So, to help you along, allow me to introduce you to some of my favorites. But before I do so, you should be aware that my criteria was mostly based on the quality of the food, not the view or ambiance. All are reasonably priced, with the most expensive coming in at around $15/plate. In addition, all are casual. Alright, lets begin.

Argentine

Las Pampas Argentina is one of the more popular steakhouses in town, and for good reason. Great cuts of meat and other grilled options, such as chicken and shrimp, all cooked to perfection for you. If you are a carnivore, don't miss out on this spot. There are a couple of them around town, with one of the more popular locations situated on Bulevar Orden de la Malta, directly across the street from the U.S. Embassy, in Santa Elena.

Chinese 

If you are in the mood for Chinese, check out Royal. Pretty much anything on their menu is good, so you can't go wrong. Take note that it does tend to get crowded on weekends. Royal is located on the corner of Calle Padres Aguilar and 87 Avenida Sur in Colonia Escalon.

Italian

El Rosal is one of the best places in town. It has been around forever and was founded by some guy from the old country. I would recommend the lasagna or other handmade pastas. A lot of folks are also fond of their pizza, but I would consider it average. El Rosal is located on the corner of Calle Del Mirador and 93 Avenida Norte, a few blocks away from Torre Futura and Crowne Plaza hotel. 

Japanese

Easily the top contender for title of Best Japanese Restaurant in all of El Salvador, is Kamakura. While there are other good sushi places around town, Kamakura is more than just a sushi place. In addition to sushi, they also offer a full range of  traditional dishes such as teriyaki and ramen. Best of all, every plate is a excellent. Coincidentally, it is located a block down from El Rosal, on 93 Avenida Norte. The sign with the kanji characters makes it easy to spot.

Spanish

If tapas and other traditional Spanish eats are your thing, head over to Tapas y Vinos. There are a couple of them around town, including Plaza Madero in Santa Elena and Torre Futura. Like Kamakura, you will hard pressed to find something here that isn't tasty. 

Various

Some places don't really adhere to a specific cuisine, but that doesn't take away from the quality of their eats. 

One of my favorites is San Martin. It is a local bakery and cafe chain with various locations throughout San Salvador, including Plaza Madero and Multiplaza shopping center. The breakfasts are very good, with a great variety. Salads and other meals are also pretty good. This is also one of the few places where I've enjoyed the pizza. Comparatively speaking, it is some of the best in town. The baked goods are good as well, but the desserts can be hit and miss. Viva Espresso and Coffee Cup are also worth mentioning if you are just looking for a cafe. Both of these are also local chains and found throughout the city, including the La Gran Via and Multiplaza shopping centers. 

Pupusas. There is a neighborhood pupuseria called Mi Granjita, located on Calle Mediterraneo, near UCA (Universidad Centroamericana), serving great pupusas. The great thing about this place is that they are inexpensive and there is a breadth of choices, both for meat eaters and vegetarians. If you want pupusas, check out this place. Don't expect much from the place, as it is a bit rustic, but the food is great.

Only a few blocks away from Mi Granjita is a street named Avenida Rio Lempa, which leads into a residential area. About 2 blocks in you will find what I believe to be the best Mexican restaurant in San Salvador. Cafeteria El Gordo is a bit difficult to find due to its location, but well worth it if you want some tacos, etc. Once I found this place, I refused to eat tacos from anywhere else in town.

Should you go in the opposing direction from Mi Granjita, you will come to Avenida Rio Amazonas. This corner features a natural juice and snack bar. If memory serves me, its named Jugos Guadalupe. They offer a wide variety of juices, all freshly squeezed, and they won't set you back more than $2. 

If you cross the street towards the shopping center immediately in front of Jugos Guadalupe, you will find a popular bakery named Leche y Pan. More importantly, if you keep walking to the next corner (to Avenida Antiguo Cuscatlan), and head up that street for about half a block, you will find another equally good juice bar named Oasis. You can't go wrong with either this place or Jugos Guadalupe.

If you are in this general area in the late afternoon or evening, head over to the main area of Antiguo Cuscatlan, beginning at Avenida Rio Amazonas and 1 Calle Poniente. Here you will find a ton of small pupuserias, cafeterias, bakeries, and the like. Folks tend to be rather loyal to their selections and honestly, it is a bit hit-and-miss as far as the quality goes. Generally speaking, I found that the fancier the place, the worse the food. On the corner of 1 Calle Poniente and 1 Avenida Norte is a small place whose fame precedes it. They specialize in corn based foods such as riguas, tamales and other goodies. If you like those things, you can't miss out on this place, but definitely don't get there before 2 PM or after 4 PM as you will likely be there too early or too late. In addition, a number of street vendors in the area also sell pretty good food. For example, at late afternoon, a lady on the corner of Calle Cuscatlan Oriente and 2 Avenida Sur sells pasteles de verduras which are quite good.

Lastly, one of my favorite places is Pollo Bonanza. As you might have guessed, they sell chicken. But it is not your run of the mill chicken. It is broiled chicken, seasoned with what I believe to be some sort of opiate, because the end result is so addictive. Unfortunately I do not know its exact location, but it is located near Calle Arce in downtown San Salvador. It has been around for ages and is so popular, locals in downtown should be able to easily guide you to it. Because of its popularity, you should also expect the place to be crowded. It is best to get the order to go, unless you want to wait a while to sit.

Enjoy!