PUPSERIA SALVADORENA - LONG BEACH, CA

For all you living in the South Bay/Long Beach area, the answer is YES - check this place out. Sasha saw it one day while we were checking out the two Filipino spots next door which were ok... but more than a year later, this place popped back into our brains and I had to go chickity check it out.

Most Long Beach residents don't like going to eat in the part of Long Beach that's on the other side of the 710. Not for anything at all. Especially not to eat! But believe it or not, there are a few good spots. Of course Santa Fe Importers is excellent and there are a few very decent burgers spots... and Pupuseria Salvadorena was another pleasant surprise for me.

Food of El Salvador. That is correct, you get no tacos and burritos here. So I hit up the young lady at the counter and tell her I've never been here before and if she'd help me, which she was more than happy to. I noticed this place was really nice and clean as well. 

Her first suggestion was this sweet drink, Ensalada. I know that it means 'salad' to most people in these parts but not here! This beverage was a mix of pineapple juice with pineapple chunks at the bottom. It also includes grapes, mango and apples. Not sure if its all fresh fruits though, but it was good. The pineapple chunks at the bottom looked like they were out of a can... but whatever, I'd get this again. I liked all the little fruit bits floating around too.

Platano Frito (fried banana with sour cream and beans) was done well. Slight crispiness to the edges of this fried banana was nice. And the beans were more like a bean sauce. I was told this is a popular breakfast item in El Salvador. The banana was huge too. They also had fried banana chunks filled with cream, which I'll probably try on the next go around.

I ordered a couple of their chicken tamales which also includes yucca, so it was like a chicken and potato tamale. I really dig tamales from other parts of South America. I like Mexican tamales of course, but something about those other tamales. They must use different types of corn or something because they are always incredibly soft and juicy. Like halfway between the Mexican tamale and the Puerto Rican pasteles.

This chicken sandwich was huge. Shredded chickens with all kindsa business in there. I can't really talk about it because I never ate it. Sasha had half and said it was really good, just jam-packed. The other half is all soggy in the fridge right now so maybe I'll come back to this later.

Last and far from least, the pupusas is what Pupuseria Salvadorena is all about. This original El Salvador creation is a thick but soft corn tortilla with some tasty fillings. I ordered three kinds: Reveultas (pork, cheese and beans), Queso y Frijoles (cheese and beans) and a Calabaza y Queso (squash and cheese). They come with two toppings; a sort of a 'pickle-y' cole slaw type thing and a mild hot sauce.

Pupusas are cheap. So no matter what you order here, make sure you get a pupusa or two. Or three. There's so many things on the menu here I need to try. I'll probably eat everything on the menu over the course of the next 6 to 12 months!


1336 W Willow St
Long Beach, CA 90810
(562) 426-6004