El Norteno

After a failed first breakfast attempt we happened to walk by el norteño and decided to give it a shot. We walked away full and very happy. This no frills neighborhood place gives off a hole in the wall vibe, but the food is seriously delicious and well priced. The staff was friendly but not overly attentive as we sat out on the patio—which is honestly the way we like it. They had excellent food recommendations and everything came out fast and hot. The pupusas were made to order and when they came to the table they were hot hot lava, but after the heat subsided they were absolutely delicious. Just the right proportion of masa to filling. My partner can’t stop raving about the crema that came with the desayunos tipicos. And the yucca with chicarones were also excellent. We wouldn’t hesitate to come here again and again.

Here's an update from April 2023: Regrettably El Norteno is closed. I stopped by and it looked like a car ran into and demolished their porch. Debris is littering the former restaurant site all over the parking lot. It's a mess. There are old chairs blocking the front door. I saw a light on inside, and knocked to see what happened, but nobody came to the door. Too bad. It was a great little place. I just hope the owners were not injured in the terrible crash, preventing them from cleaning up the debris. Original Review was five stars *****: Excellent food, tasty margaritas, light industrial scenery from outdoor deck (pssst, it keeps the secret from spoiling the quant charm and very affordable prices). Everything very fresh, camarones, salad, guacamole. Delicious.

We were grateful this restaurant was open so late at night. We ordered two of the traditional plates from El Salvador. The food was delicious. We especially loved the juice, guacamole, and homemade tortillas. The server was very friendly and attentive. The ambiance was fun/relaxing. The music was a bit loud but we sat in the back which was a little quieter. We were pleasantly surprised by this spot and would recommend it.

It's not often I get excited over food, but all I could do is keep moaning and saying yum with each bite! I got fajitas de pollo. Tamal de pollo. My mom got nachos. English wasn't their strong suit and Spanish isn't mine, but eventually everything was communicated. This place looks like a hole in the wall, hidden place. A small amount of indoor and outdoor seating. Carryout or eat in. Beer and liquor served ( there's bar seating) and canned or bottled sodas. Very small parking lot. Don't let looks deter you, this food was 5* for me! I'm not even usually a fan of Mexican food. I went for my mom and sister. It's an hour away and I will definitely come back again. Not far off beltway. Easy to find. The official style is listed as Salvadoran Mexican food.

My wife is from Mexicoand we are visiting from Arizona so want real sure what the food would be like. We tried the Popusas, nachos.. also has done fruit drinks that were new. Everything was very good and the prices were reasonable. The only issue is that our waitress and the person on the phone didn't seem to know English