la macarena pupuseria & latin cafe

very nice surprise. on a recommendation from a friend, i did not know what to expect when i went to la macarena. though i had grown up eating latin food of several influences at my friend's homes, i had never eaten pupusas before, and therefore decided to go with an open mind. my friend suggested that i bring my own alcohol, so i prepared accordingly with our staple whites.
the striking décor and vibrant artwork immediately set the tone for the evening. if color truly can influence mood, the decoration heightened our expectations for something eventful. the second thing i noticed was the intimacy we had with the kitchen. though it was on a dais above the small dining room, i could see into the kitchen with ease; which emanated the comfort of being at a friend's home and knew that what took place in the kitchen was for anyone to see. the platform also served as a stage for the gregarious host, manny, who monitored both the kitchen and the dining room like he was performing theatre in the round. foodgoodor bad was worth spending an evening dining with manny again. the food was good, and the server was knowledgeable about all items on the menu and how each was prepared.
my wife, our two guests, and i ordered the traditional latin starters: yucca, plantains, and guacamole; but ventured into the featured niche cuisine for the main course. the sampler platter of pupusas, salvadoran filet, brisket, and the garlic shrimp knocked our socks off. everything was shared among us as we shared conversations with the other diners in the restaurant. overall, the value was excellent because we ate great food at a reasonable price and didn't pay for alcohol that had been marked up from retail cost. we definitely will be back. michael v

consistency would make this place better. the first time i went to la macarena, the food was pretty outstanding. the sweet corn tamale was definitely my favorite. it was so moist and so sweet. the service was reallygoodand the only downside was my watery juice drink. the second time i went things were quite different. even though we were one of two tables in this tiny restaurant, the waiter seemed to take his time in getting everything. we ordered the sweet corn tamale as an appetizer and when we got it it was noticeably smaller than the last time we ordered it. it was dry and crumbly and tasted more like wet cornmeal than a tamale. i ordered the vegetarian tortas as my entree. being a vegan i requested them to not put any cheese or dairy products on it. when i got it it was covered in a creamy looking sauce (actually kind of unappetizing). i asked the waiter what it was and he nearly rolled his eyes at me and told me "its just dressing". seriously? so i just scraped it off as best i could seeing as i wouldn't be able to get a straight answer out of him wether or not there was cream in the "dressing." overall it was okay but i would definitely hesitate before going back.

to bchimera. i think what you are doing is wrong. i believe its you the owner of this joint. why? because all these fictious 1 reviewers are you. you mean to tell me all these people have time to log onto urbanspoon and review only your place. come on!! everyone who reads these reviews want to know if its worth checking out. i fell for it and regret it. don't trash a real person's review like jorge. he is from out of town. he is a guest to this town. im not only disgusted by your trashing of his review but now of who you really are. like jorge i was excited to try your authentic fare. but all your 1 reviews are not authentic just like the food you offer there. i bet you buy your authentic pupusas from el rey distributor like all this hispanic places in town. please quit advertising your fantastic dishes in the reviews. be humble manuel, bchimera, yellowflower, rusky, weaseldew, or whatever name you decide to review with next time.


-----01 apr, 2009-----

authentic??. after reading the marvelous reviews i decided to check this place out. i thought the food was going to be authentic but i was unimpressed. service and presentation good. food lacked strong flavor especially chicken in salad. serving cabbage slaw and romaine salad on same plate notgoodchoice. yellow rice too concentrated and black beans bold and tasted like some beans got burned on bottom of pot. i don't find fruit drinks to be authentic but watered down. i think its been rated high because like stated in other reviews there is no other place in area with hispanic fare.

breakfast burrito with chorizo. best breakfast ever!


-----30 may, 2015-----

wish we had this back home. breakfast is phenomenal here! the plantains were outstanding, the breakfast burritos were amazing the chorizo used is out of this world. if you're not eating breakfast here you're missing out. my family is from guatemala and this is our go to restraunt when we visit new orleans.


-----09 nov, 2014-----

great little breakfast place.. we ordered the cosmopolitan and nola breakfast burritos. the food was sogoodand tasted so fresh. definitely try the fried plantains.


-----09 nov, 2014-----

great little breakfast place.. we ordered the cosmopolitan and nola breakfast burritos. the food was sogoodand tasted so fresh. definitely try the fried plantains.

odd experience. i've spent a lot of time in el salvador and love pupusas. the pupusas here aregoodbut a little bland for my taste. for the inexperienced palette i'm sure everything will be terrific. the service is typical small latian establishment. no professional servicers but personable. i really liked the atmosphere. over all - blah.

wonderful place to get breakfast/brunch! tiny so can feel a bit crowded when all tables are full; there are a few tables outside. get the pupusas! doesn't matter which kind they are allgood(and i mean come on, where else can you get perfect little stuffed tortilla pillows?!) i adore the americano breakfast burrito but the nola special has hot sausage and i can't refuse a nibble when my sister orders it. the agua frescas are cool and refreshing as well. to all the refried beans connoisseurs: i have no idea what kind of spices la macarena works with in the kitchen but the beans are magical.

bad pupusas. we tried the pupusas, have had somegoodones, mostly from a food truck (don't remember the name, darn it!) and another restaurant in kenner. these were terrible! cold, probably because it took so long to get them, and greasy, but the worst was how rancid they tasted, like they used really old lard or oil to fry them in. we only had a couple of bites, then left. i kind of felt bad because the staff was so nice :(

i wanted to just hang out with the family around audubon park so we came to eat here i saw the prices and i saw that they where pricey but i was thinking hey, maybe their proportions will make up for the price. but i was wrong! ,,,,with what i paid i could have went to a better place like the pupuseria across the river (divino corazon) the food is amazing and the portions leaves enough for agoodlunch at work!!!! trust me do not eat at la macarena!!!!!!!

yummy uptown salvadoreno food. excellent pupusas and huevos rancheros. service was fast. friendly waiter and verygoodservice. loved the ceviche as well. very tiny place, cash only. can byob to save some money too. i would be happy to return!

something different and very nice. my family was in a long line to get into camilla's grill because we read about it in the trip guide books. while they were waiting in line, i walked around the area to find another alternative and found this great restaurant just around the corner - la macarena. what a pleasant surprise! something different - i had never eaten central american cuisine before and it was verygoodand a nice change of pace. the decor, staff, and atmosphere were great also. i was very glad i made this choice and so was my family. sometimes the best parts of vacation trips are the surprises.

one of those 1 time voters.. i am one of those "people" who created an account just to give la macarena a review and you know what, i'd do it all over again. i don't hand out reviews for every joint i visit. i only write reviews for exceptionallygoodplaces. la macarena is one of those places! i still stand by my review i wrote back in 09' this place still has one of the best steaks i've ever had and that says a lot for a midwest farmer's daughter whose dad raises registered angus beef. so lay off these one time voters cause they may be just like me and enjoyed la macarena so much that it inspired me to get on urban spoon and tell everyone just howgoodla macarena is.


-----04 sep, 2009-----

i most amazing beef i have ever eaten. manny and la macarena just served me the best beef i have even eaten. that's saying a lot considering i'm a midwest farmer's daughter who has had some sort of beef with every meal since birth. i had the filet mignon which manny said he gets from argentina. it was so tender, almost like butter. added to this was the cozy atmosphere and the wonderful service. manny and his staff treated every person who walked through that door as if he/she was their own personal close friend. i will be back again and again to this jem of a restaurant. plus it was so affordable how could i not love this place.

best salvadorean/honduran food in new orleans!. i like "la pupusería macarena" very much because of its comfortable atmosphere, friendly staff, andgoodfood. the colorful decor and cozy size of the restaurant makes one feel as though he or she was actually having a meal in a restaurant in latin america. all of the staff is very friendly, and even the owner "mr. manny", who is a tulane alumnus, is likely to come to your table and tell you about how his salvadorean mother, who is in the kitchen helping prepare food, makes the traditional salvadorean and honduran dishes like pupusas and horchata that you will encounter on the menu. the food is very delicious, authentic, and completely homemade, especially for one experiencing central american food for the first time.
i am the house manager for a sorority at tulane. a couple of weeks ago i asked la macarena to cater our weekly sunday chapter meeting dinner. i ordered about 100 of the traditional pupusa platters, and everyone i have talked to loved it. while eating at la macarena with my family last week, i was told that several of my "sisters" had come to eat there because they had enjoyed the chapter dinner so much. plus, after dinner with my family, my stepmother said la macarena had some of the best food she had ever had, and we go out to eat a lot.
i definitely recommend that you try la macarena! and, mr. manny makes a mean sangria, if you byob.

seems like some shill voting to me..... i agree that the owner is a nice guy (i recall meeting him there a couple of months ago).

pretty much the only thing i really like about this place is that its byob.

on the other hand, its very small and cramped, and very slow. honestly, i just wasn't a fan of the food either. to me, everything i had there was just so.....bland. the fried yucca.....bland. the pupusas (which are supposed to be the specialty)......bland. the salad.....bland. i will admit that the guacamole isgoodthough.

i can understand why people like it. it's a kind of cuisine and a style of food that nola doesn't have a lot of. it's just not for me.

great, different latin food. i love latin food and this is great change!goodservice, but its not a fast place as they don't have a ton of staff.

holy cow.... pretty much the best place i've been to in uptown. 21 countries of travel, and cuisine from around the world....this place is definitely on the top. atmosphere is small and comfortable... not a bustling, snobby, 5* place in the city. the food is absolutely phenomenal. fresh, innovative, authentic, and very well portioned. definitely try getting a variety of the tapas to share with friends; you can experience a variety of cuisine, all very well priced, and cooked to perfection. the owner is in the kitchen, and the service is run by family members, and attentive, knowledgeable staff members. i haven't had food thisgoodsince my mother back home in puerto rico. will certainly return, and recommend to damn near everyone who appreciates fine and authentic cuisine at a great price.