5119 W. El Segundo Blvd
Hawthorne, CA 90250
Rating: 4.5 stars
Typical cost for lunch: $$ ($6-10)
What was ordered: Mojarra Fritta (Deep Fried Fish) & Pollo Encebollado (Chicken and Onions)
Date of visit: 2 August 2011 (1st visit)
Review: On the way back from our most recent visit to Rosy’s Cuban Café I spotted a small Pupuseria tucked in on El Segundo Blvd right next to the 405. I’ve only eaten Pupusas once, at a farmers market, but that was enough to know I wanted to try it again. For the uninitiated, I would describe pupusas as a thick tortilla stuffed with meats, beans, cheese, and other items. It is the national dish of El Salvador.
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| Mojarra Fritta |
We went for the pupusas but we both ended up ordering a combination plate instead. I got the Mojarra Fritta which is a whole Tilapia fish deep fried served with rice, beans, salad, and tortilla’s (thick Salvadorean style). The fish was the daily special and only $8, but even at the normal menu price ($9.25) it is ridiculously cheap. You get the entire fish (head and all!) and it was delectable and juicy. There was no strong fish smell so you know it was fresh. It was deep fried so I wouldn’t call it health food, but it was fried well and wasn’t greasy.
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| Lunch with a view |
The Pollo Encebollado my friend got was a good deal too. It was a huge pile of bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces stewed in a spicy, onion sauce. The sauce was tasty but a bit too greasy for my friends liking.
Both plates came with rice, beans, salad, and tortilla’s. The rice was tasty. The salad was… salad. The beans were smooth and soupy, refried pinto beans. They were a bit too salty on their own but excellent when combined with the other items. The tortilla’s were thick and dense. I definitely prefer them with other items like a pupusa. On their own they were heavy and intimidating.
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| Pollo Encebollaro |
There were some things we didn’t like about our meals, but overall it seemed like a very authentic experience and definitely not the typical lunch you get at one of the thousand Mexican restaurants in the area. We both were left with a strong desire to go back and try one of the many other menu items. Next time I will be sure to get some pupusas and maybe some of the other tipicos that are available a la carte. The sopas (soups) also look delectable and the lady running the register recommended the Carne Guisada (a beef stew with potatoes). One thing is for sure, we will be back. 4.5 stars.
-Ben
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