el viroleño restaurant

everything about el viroleno (with the exclusion of the building itself) was welcoming. luvy, our waitress, was very helpful and patient. she also brought our table the extra pupusas from the kitchen (which is always appreciated!)

we tried all kinds of the different drinks offered. i got the orange-flavored jarritos, which essentially tasted like an orange popsicle. a bit too sweet for me, but still yummy. we also tried orchata, a sweet and creamy rice drink, that was the tables favorite. we tried the michelada (essentially a beer bloody mary) and while i'm sure they made it perfectly we were not fans at all. tomatoes in beer didn't bode well.

as others have said the pupusas are wonderful and a must-try option. for anyone who doesn't know, a pupusa is a cornmeal pocket with cheese and additional fillings can be added. the cabbage and salsa add an extra layer of flavor that is both crisp and flavorful.

for the entree i had pollo guisada, which was flavored with typical salvadoran seasonings (according to themenu- not my knowledge). the stewed chicken was delicious and practically fell off the bone. the rice and beans were a perfect temperature and some of the best seasoned i have ever had. homemade tortillas with some shredded lettuce and dices tomatoes were given to everyone as an additional serving option as well.

for dessert i ordered flan and was not disappointed. while there was nothing particularly special about this flan it was prepared quickly and the chill was just right.

parking is out back and right off tennessee st. there is also an entrance in the back. i definitely suggest anyone who enjoys good food and service to give el viroleno a try!

chimichanga has beans even thoughmenudid not mention beans. very friendly staff, but food was not something i would like to encounter again. we tried enchiladas, which were not on themenuand chimichanga. neither were well prepared.

hidden gem. among a number of 'ethnic' restaurants in town - some are overly hyped, but this one is a hidden gem.

location choice is weird, right next to the shelter - not a easy access to any kind of groups - students or professionals.

but food wise, this place is amazing. prices are good,menuitems tastes top notch. not a lot of choices of drinks (themed) - but not much of big deal.

try this, instead of other 'el xxxxx' places in town. this one is much better.

not bad, but why do they call it salvadoran?. i was visiting tallahassee and drove by el ranchito and saw their sign clearly saying "salvadoran restaurant." as i lived in el salvador for a couple of years, and since salvadoran restaurants are rare in the us (outside of la and maybe houston), i was very happy. however, themenuhad absolutely nothing salvadoran on it--no pupusas, no pollo encebollado, no platanos fritos, no pan con chumpe, no tamales de gallina or tamales de elote, nada. i asked, and the waitress said they did have pupusas (corn masa filled with various things and cooked on a flat grill, not unlike quesadillas) on weekends or if the owner happened to be cooking that day. i was in luck--she was, so i ordered some pupusas with different fillings. they were excellent, in fact, and served with very nice versions of the traditional accompaniments, curtido (slightly pickled cabbage) and a mild, but flavorful, picante sauce. but one salvadoran dish does not a "salvadoran restaurant" make. still, worth going on the weekend, or calling ahead to see if the owner is cooking so you can try the pupusas. i hope they expand theirmenuto include more real salvadoran dishes. salvadoran cuisine on the whole isn't as interesting or varied as mexican, but there are some very good, tasty dishes, and generally they're neither difficult nor expensive to make.