A Few Pupusas: Maxwell Market, El Salvador, El Exelente

I've been celebrating Día Nacional de la Pupusa a little early this year. Somehow I never managed to stop at the Maxwell Market pupusa stand until recently. (The picture of the stand is from earlier this summer at the old location; the pupusa was photographed a few weeks ago.)





I have to say I was a little disappointed. Now, freshly griddled masa cakes are never bad but in the world of pupusas these weren't great examples. One big reason was the muddy-flavored meat filling. If I try these again it will be cheese only. I wasn't impressed with the dull curtido with little flavor other than vinegar but found the spicy salsa tasty though nontraditional.

It had been a while since I last visited Pupuseria El Salvador on the East Side. In the background is the old Tacos del Pacifico in its latest incarnation.





This place continues to shine. The pupusas are cooked with great care; each one gets pressed slightly so a bit of filling oozes out onto the griddle where it browns and crisps up. That pupusa is filled with loroco and cheese, my favorite combination. I've never had better curtido and the tamales de pollo and budin were as good as ever. A terrific little restaurant.

Pupuseria El Exelente has only been open about 4 months. It occupies part (the kitchen I presume) of the old Import Tap, a much-missed East Side institution (you might be able to make out the old sign beneath the yellow paint).



I tried a take-out pupusa so it's difficult (and not really fair) to judge. The cheese was a bit tangier than usual and the salsa had a bit of a kick—both positives in my book. The family that runs this place could not have been nicer. El Exelente is on my short list of places to return to.

Finally, here's a link to a most excellent pupusa video: La Pupusa Mas Grande del Mundo. If that doesn't get you in the mood for Pupusa Day you're beyond hope.

Pupusas Salvadoreños
Maxwell Market (now on Desplaines)
near south (Roosevelt) end of market

Pupuseria El Salvador
3557 E 106th St
Chicago
773-374-0490

Pupuseria El Exelente
10429 S Ewing Av
Chicago
773-978-8270

Anyone know the actual date of this year's Dia de la Pupusas?

Jasubar wrote:Anyone know the actual date of this year's Dia de la Pupusas?

According to this page, it is always 13 November: that is, today.

Hello, I'm on a mad hunt to find pupusas for a party this weekend. I've noticed that many of the pupusa threads are old and some of the restaurants are no longer in business.

Where do people currently go for the best pupusas? I'd like to limit my hunt to the northside or north burbs, though I gather there are a couple in Pilsen and little village.

Try Pupuseria El Mirador on Fullerton or Las Delicias on Western.

I did a quick google search and found out that Pupusa Day is not a fixed calendar day, but it changes from year to year.

National Pupusa Day - Tres Pupusas
trespupusas.com/blog/national-pupusa-day-november-9th
Nov 6, 2014 - National Pupusa Day is November 9th! Pupusas are a traditional dish from El Salvador, the smallest country in Central America. They are quite simply a corn tortilla, made of cornmeal dough, filled with a blend of meats, cheeses, and beans.
Pupusa - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pupusa
Wikipedia
On April 1, 2005, the Salvadoran Legislative Assembly declared pupusas as the national dish of El Salvador and every second Sunday of November would be National Pupusas Day. A fair is typically held on the day in the capitol and a few big cities

So I only find out about Pupusa Day a couple days after the fact. WHY DO YOU TOY WITH ME SILLY FOOD HOLIDAYS?{!#!#

Las Delicias has a great selection and will do a large number for take out.

4010 W Montrose Ave, Chicago, IL 60641
(773) 685-4142