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. food good or 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 ategreatfood 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

i wish it weren't so. i put this place off until my last night in town withgreatexpectations. the reviews on here have been nothing but good. the service was very friendly. the menu looked promising. the presentation was beautiful. the food: not so much.

i grew up on latin food, and i have to say that i was very dissappointed. the fried yucca appetizer was decent. the chicharrones looked like they came out of one of those bags at the gas station marked "pork rinds," but i was willing to let that slide.

we waited a long time for our entrees, but that was entirely our fault. i had ropa vieja. my grandmother cooks it for me for special occasions since it takes so long to make. i have never found any better than abuela's, but it is fun to try. la macarena's was nothing short of awful!

my mother had the sea bass special which sounded incredible when we were told about it. i tried it and it was also awful. it came with two gulf shrimp which were beautifully displayed on top of the fish. both were overcooked and had a really indescribably bad taste.

the rice was cooked to the consistency of mush and very bland. the "fried sweet plantains," or platanos maduros were no where near ripe enough to be called such. they would have madegreattostones.

finally, on a positive note, one of my brothers had the papusas. he loved them and even ordered another plate to go. but, he's a starving college student and will eat anything. i didn't try them.

this pupusa place is amazing! if you are searching for something new and culturally authentic, you should make this charming restaurant your go-to place. the owner is very personable and caters to his patrons. open every morning for breakfast and brunch, but also serves agreatlunch! five stars!!!!!

great salvadoran food!. this was our first visit to this wonderful salvadoran restaurant. we enjoyed the pupusas, which are corn tortillas filled with pork, beans and cheese. it was freshly made and scrumptious. the guacamole and fresh made tortilla chips were agreatstarter. we also ordered the salvadoran tamal and papusa platter. it came with one organic chicken tamale and two traditional papusas. we also got a horchata. a horchata is a traditional milky, rice based drink flavored with chocolate, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, spices and ground nuts. another drink we had was a passion fruit and tamarind fusion. it was made from fresh fruit. the owner travels to el salvador regularly for fresh ingredients. how cool is that? overall, we hadgreattime, it was like a homestyle meal withgreatservice. highly recommended!

amazing food withgreatservice at extremely reasonable prices and no corkage!greatvegetarian options and their pupusa platters are fantastic with huge servings and the most delicious plantains. we come here often and have never had a bad experience.

awful experiences despite multiple tries!. first time i went, it was with a table full of vegans since they really advertise that they have vegan food this didn't seem like a problem. they were given advance notice that we were coming and 2 of our party had even gone early to snack and do some work while they were waiting for us. when we were all there, the owner made sure to come over and tell us that everything on the vegetarian menu could be made vegan. awesome! we all place our orders. i couldn't pronounce my mushroom and yucca order, so i had to point it out, have the waiter say it, and then confirmed that that was what i wanted in the vegan version. after a while, everyone had their food except for me. when we ask the waiter just says he doesn't remember taking my order, i say what i wanted again, and the owner who was right there says they can't make that vegan.... okay. it was quite a bit through the meal so at this point i just ate off of our appetizers.
time two:
i was so frustrated with the first time but mistakes happen! the guac was so good! i had to try again, it must have been a fluke. i had said i was vegan and the guac comes out covered in cheese. being that it's on the vegetarian/vegan side of the menu i would think that that would be noted...when i mention it to the waitress and she asks if i would like another one, i say yes. i would like to eat what i ordered. it never comes.... i just ate my main course and my friends enjoyed the guac.
time three:
third times the charm? they can't get it wrong again! i go with my mother, we order the guac and i make sure to say no cheese. "no cheese because you're a vegan?" awesome, yep! "oh, okay, because we put egg in the guacamole too" ....weird, but so glad he caught it. he didgreattoo, he addressed any specials that were non-vegan to my mom and the veg options to me. things seemed promising and i got my guac fix! and then my food comes out covered in cheese. when i say something to the waiter he just laughs and says "huh, yeah, guess i forgot" we were the only table there...i don't even understand.
i had to call it quits with this place. i should have known after the first time with the owner saying they could make anything on the veg options vegan and then saying otherwise there was something wrong here...

i would add a photo but we've already eaten everything! the food is amazing and so fresh! the owner even made us pico de gallo to go with our guacamole. agreatfind!! it's cash only and the seating is limited, but it is our new favorite spot!! we had the guac, chicken soup and spicy chicken tamale all of which i would recommend.

central american done right. i eat at la macarena whenever i can get across the river. i love this restaurant!!! the food is always excellent, and it is always fresh and obviously made from fresh and local ingrediants. it's not the place to go if you are in a hurry but if you have time to enjoy a leisurely meal it's agreatoption. as for mentioning manny (the owner) by name, it's no surprise that many people do as he takes the time to introduce himself and to make you feel special. last night we tried chicken soup filled with vegetables. along with the guacamole, homemade chips and the tilapia with garlic shrimp. the staff is friendly and helpful. definately worth the time and money!!!

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 thisgreatrestaurant just around the corner - la macarena. what a pleasant surprise! something different - i had never eaten central american cuisine before and it was very good and a nice change of pace. the decor, staff, and atmosphere weregreatalso. i was very glad i made this choice and so was my family. sometimes the best parts of vacation trips are the surprises.

damn good, damn...good....greattapas combined with reeeeeeallygreatfamily friendly service made my night. the food wasn't ridiculously tex-mex salty, thank you.

inviting atmosphere.greatfriendly service and the food is excellent!

great food and fun atmosphere. my husband and i recently visited la macarena pupuseria and we had just a wonderful experience! the food wasgreatand the folks who run the restaurant were friendly and fun!

we were there on saturday about lunch and ordered the special. it was wonderful!

amazing! run there!. this is one of my favorite places in the city. they place progressive salsa/latin type music which sets agreattone for the perfect date night--i love this. they have all you can drink sangria on wednesdays which rocks. i highly recommend the shrimp and guac tostada appetizer, delicious. really there is nothing i haven't tried that i didn't love here. very limited seating--very intimate. make sure to bring cash--it's cash only, but they have an atm. i recommend this place to anyone i know all the time. get there! so good!

great spot! i ate the all american breakfast and they made it with fresh eggs and crispy bacon.greatservice too. i recommend them for breakfast and lunch.

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