Central American street food is delicious on its own, but this place really showcases all the best parts. I especially love the focus on cacao and chocolate...they even have diegoschocolate from Guatemala that you can't find anywhere else!
I only had the churros but it was amazing! Definitely recommend. And the atmosphere is great, with interesting Spanish slang on the walls.
Spectacular for what it is. It’s Guatemalan street food served with style but without affectation. I had the chicken taquitos, which were crispy, hot, and served in a very distinctive sauce. It’s presumably slightly more expensive than real street food just as it is fancier, but it’s hardly pricey. I just wish their portions were slightly larger.
I see this place every time I go to work and I finally had the time to stop by and I have to say I was very very pleased with what I ordered, the timing, the quality, the presentation, the freshness and flavor combinations. I got a combo with a chicharron pork pupusa and chicken tostada with guacamole, hot sauce, and plantain chips on the side. I was very full after the tostada it was so delicious with the pickled beets and onions and everything flavor on there. I barely got to the pupusa because I was super full but from what I tried it was very soft and savory and delicious filling. I also got a tamarind drink. Super tasty and complimentary to the meal. I have to come back for churros I was way too full to even try. The service was also very nice and kind and ordering on the screen was nice to choose what you want and see all the options! Thank you and I will come again!
Look how green that chicken is! It's the pumpkin cilantro doblado. I felt transported to someplace far away, only it cost just about $10. This 20- minute detour from my Saturday afternoon errands was well worth . I also enjoyed the airy view of the pedestrian traffic on Chestnut Street.
Very happy to have stumbled upon this gem! Came to visit from the West and we were pleased to find some delicious South/Central American dishes here. The food is tasty and the churros are incredible. The service is also top notch. They noticed we did not order drinks at the kiosk and brought ice cups of water to our table without us asking. Such a pleasant experience! I will definitely tell anyone visiting this area to stop here!
Amazing value ($7 for 2 very full taquitos) and counter-serve. This will be my new favourite place in Center City.
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Colorful and vibrant restaurant serving authentic central American food!
I enjoyed my time here a lot as I wanted to remind myself of the flavors of the food from my recent trip to Guatemala! And I was not disappointed! I have ordered the combo meal - papusa with chicharron pork and tostada with chicken hilachas, extra guacamole and corn/jalapeno rice. All of it was flavorful (except the rice which was rather sweet and unsalted), tasty, well seasoned and with a lot of side dishes. Despite my meal not being a large portion it was very filling. I appreciated the looks of it as well - very photogenic and eye-pleasing!
The restaurant itself is nicely designed, it's cozy and colorful, however the vibe was not where I expected it to be. It was rather gloomy, but that was mainly because there were absolutely no people, so it felt a little sad and that is something I didn't expect. Nevertheless it does not change the fact this is a wonderful place with great music and amazing food for you to try!
The quality of the food is high, so is the cost when you add up all the extras (approx. $18), but it's well worth it (although I could not shake off the feeling I paid a lot, especially knowing this kind of street food costs a few cents in Guatemala). I loved the fact I could order on the screen and customize my food order. The staff was nice and friendly.
I will definitely come back to try churros! Paid by card. Visited in March 2023.
Food is delicious and omg have y’all had the hot chocolate in the cooler months?! Sooo delicious. I’ve come here on my lunch break for years, consistently good.
Great spot to introduce me to Central American street food! The owner and founder of this place is a hardworking and passionate lady who really wants to bring this cuisine to the world. It’s very delicious. The main items here worth trying are the tostadas, pupusas, and taquitos. In addition, the churros are very popular as well. I ordered the tostada and pupusa combo with two sides. I must say I loved the baked three cheese rice with jalapeños and corn. That’s the side worth getting. I really enjoyed it. I’d give this spot 4.5 stars if I could. Highly recommend for food lovers!
The food was so good! I got a pupusa and taquito combo, and it came with a choice of sides (I got cheese baked rice with jalapeños and corn & plantain chips). It might not look like that much food, but it’s very very filling and flavorful, and great value for the food.
We also got the rittenhouse and salted cajeta crunch churros, and those were also great. My friend said the churros were on the level of Disneyland churros, the ice cream was rich and creamy, and the toppings (like gold flakes) were unique.
Overall, the vibes were casual, the music being played was chill, and the waiters were really friendly. Service was also quick, especially since it didn’t seem like there were many people working there. Will definitely be back!
We loved El Merkury! I would rate the churros as the best item. In fact, we purchased two for our group of six, but they were consumed so quickly that I didn't even get a picture. LOL! The freshly made churros went perfectly with the ice cream and cute toppings. The street corn was also good, as were the pupusas. My friend had never had pupusas and loved them. Yum!
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