la macarena pupuseria & latin cafe

pura vida !!!. without doubt, the most satisfying spanish/latin meal i've had in new orleans in very long time. this place is jewel- the carne asada reminds me of the one my wife and i had during our honeymoon in costa rica in monteverde. the flan the best i've ever had -anywhere. worth the wait. family run, superbservicein a non pretentious setting.

delicious, expensive, slow food... but delicious!. the food took so long to come out that i may have acquired sun damage in the meantime just by sitting by the window. theserviceis pretty awful and inattentive. however, the food is delicious. i'm not a fan of "pupusas" as they taste like hot pockets squished flat to me in general. however, the tamales here are perfect. the breakfast items are delicious and the breakfast burritos inspired me to learn how to cook in the style. it's overpriced and they only take cash and the food takes an eon to get to the table, but if you have a lot of time to kill (more than an hour, seriously) and an abundance of cash, the food is great. the tres leches cake is unbeatable as a finishing touch.

i wish it weren't so. i put this place off until my last night in town with great expectations. the reviews on here have been nothing but good. theservicewas 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 made great tostones.

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.

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. theservicewas really good and 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.serviceand presentation good. food lacked strong flavor especially chicken in salad. serving cabbage slaw and romaine salad on same plate not good choice. 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.

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

amazing food with greatserviceat extremely reasonable prices and no corkage! great vegetarian 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.

just had an absolutely lovely meal yet again here. healthy and home cooked with love in every bite.servicewas friendly, sweet, and thorough. we were even surprised w a free simple plate of toast w spicy guacamole on top. the pupusas are amazing-we recommend the one w the portobellos. food carefully prepared takes a bit more time, so do not expect fast food.

friendly and fantastic!. i've been here twice: once for breakfast and once for a late lunch. both experiences were fantastic.serviceis wonderful, food is fresh and flavorful, prices are reasonable for the large portions. the owner is so welcoming and friendly - he genuinely seems to want to make sure every costumer has a pleasant experience. don't miss the horchata! order extras on the plantains - i could make an entire meal of just those plantains - heavenly! will be back soon!

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

fantastic meal. i had brunch at la macerena yesterday with my boyfriend. we brought a btl of champagne and had amazing mimosas with the diff fresh squeezed juices. the food was amazing,servicewas great, and as always manny was warm, funny, and made us feel right at home. we will be back very soon and definetly recommend the restaurant to all our friends.

damn good, damn...good.... great tapas combined with reeeeeeally great family friendlyservicemade my night. the food wasn't ridiculously tex-mex salty, thank you.

...and i would walk 500 miles..... tonight i had the pleasure of dining at la macarena, and had the even had the greater pleasure of seeing manny himself. my boyfriend and i walked from our apartment- clocking in at over 3.5 miles, just to get these delicious vegan tamales. yes, we could have driven, or taken the street car-- but walking let's you work up a bigger appetite for more pupusas and tamales!

the staff was helpful and friendly, theservicewas exceptional, and the food was fantastic. every time we eat here my boyfriend and i always leave saying "why don't we come here more?". i highly recommend la macarena to anyone- they feature a diverse menu with something for omnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. just bring your appetite (and byob) and prepare to be very full.

inviting atmosphere. great friendlyserviceand the food is excellent!

different. opened in 2008. this is a pretty unusual place that i would be inclined to love. butservicein my first visit was slow, and in my second visit with my wife i walked out because we waited ten minutes and still hadn’t seen a waiter.
the food itself was interesting. the main dish is a cross between a quesadillas and a fluffy pancakes with small amounts of pork and cheeses cooked inside. beans, plantains, pickle-y slaw, carne asada, etc. are available.
lunch was $13 with tip. it was cash only.