Review: El Salvadoreño

El Salvadoreño 

Authentic Salvadoran Restaurant

7926 Santa Fe Dr., Overland Park, KS913.871.6165Hours: Sun - Thu: 9:00 am - 9:00 pm; Fri & Sat: 9:00 am - 10:00 pm

Tip: Explore Downtown Overland Park while you're there! Lots of fun shops to explore and a great Farmers Market on Wednesdays in the summer.

On a whim, my husband and I were window shopping in Downtown Overland Park this weekend and we noticed El Salvadoreño, small restaurant in the district boasting authentic Salvadoran food. I am not certain if I've ever eaten Salvadoran food before (perhaps at the Ethnic Enrichment Festival), but I am typically a fan of Latin American cuisine, so we gave it a try and I'm glad we did! 

The restaurant is casual - simple tables, booths, and bar seating. Bright decor with a painting of the Christ the Redeemer Statue, blue butterflies on the wall, and signs, created a sunny and relaxed atmosphere. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful - explaining the menu in detail. They are open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and drink specials.

As we explored the lunch menu, much of it was familiar - enchiladas, empanadas, plantains, tamales. There were also many dishes that were new to us - pupusas, pastels, yucca frita. Unable to decide between many tempting items, we selected the Sampler (pictured above) at $11.99 (lunch plates ranged from $6.99 - $14). The sampler platter included an enchilada and tamale (two for certain favorites - or so we thought) and a yucca frita, beef pastel, and pork pupusa (three new-to-us items).

The plate was arranged beautifully. We couldn't wait to dig in. But first, about those "for certain favorites" - the tamale and the enchilada. Both were delicious, but neither were quite what we expected! The chicken and potato tamale was delicious - tender and tasty. However, the enchilada was the winner of the two "familiar dishes," even though it was not especially "familiar." The enchilada was piled with fresh veggies and sliced hard boiled egg, and the bottom layer was a fried flatbread making it a touch crispy. The flavor was delicious and mildly spicy - not the enchilada we are accustomed to, but a fantastic surprise! As for the new dishes: the yucca frita is Latin America's answer to steak fries. Deep fried yucca root, we enjoyed this side thoroughly. The beef pastel is a corn flour pastry stuffed with beef and seasonings - it was good (similar to an empanada), but the favorite new item for sure was the pupusa! A very fluffy cornmeal flatbread stuffed with pork, beans, and cheese - the pupusa was my favorite item of all (and I enjoyed everything). It was creamy, cheesy, and delicious.

Result? We loved the entire sampler platter, but the enchilada and pupusa were our favorite dishes for sure!

Food: Delicious and Beautifully presented

Service: Friendly and Fast

Atmosphere: Casual, Clean, and Bright (great for the whole family)

Next time I visit the Overland Park Farmers Market (soon), I plan to treat the kids to lunch at El Salvadoreño.