Samantha's Pupusas — Restaurant in Hillsborough

This place was a delicious surprise. My wife and I were staying with family up the street and tried Samantha’s out for breakfast. It’s an unassuming storefront on a nondescript street corner sort of out in the middle of nowhere. The inside was small and clean. The counters are tall and covered with placards of the special dish for the month, and there are tasty-looking cakes and cookies and scones in the display cases beneath. The staff is friendly and polite.

We had the Salvadoran huevos rancheros, which was a huge dish of eggs, salsa, beans, a papusa (like a hearty thick tortilla), and a full wedge of queso fresco (like feta cheese) that looked like a tiny cheesecake. It was delicious and filling. We also had the migas tacos. The eggs were well cooked (not overcooked), and they included potatoes in the migas, which is genius. The tortillas were thick and flavorful and clearly fresh.

So we came back for lunch. The second time, we had papusas, which come in threes. I had the mushroom, the jalapeño, and the garlic (I’m vegetarian), and my wife had the pork, the zucchini, and the shrimp. They were served with a simple cole slaw, black beans, and salsas. Their red salsa is very spicy but it’s worth the burn: smokey and delicious. The green is also great, less spicy but interesting. They also have a tomato sauce, which tastes like El Pato and brought me right back to my childhood in southern Arizona; IYKYK. Mrs. loved the pork and the zucchini papusas, and the shrimp would have been perfect if it wasn’t oversalted; she thinks they maybe forgot to salt the zucchini and double salted the shrimp by mistake. The mushroom papusa was rich and flavorful and paired well with both the red and tomato sauces. The fresh jalapeño tasted just like roasted Hatch green chilis with the red sauce. The garlic was overpowered by the sauces but was fantastic on its own—garlicky and buttery and delicious; it was my favorite. All of them had just the right amount of gooey cheese. The papusas themselves were excellent: slightly crispy on the edges, warm and mealy in the center, hearty without being heavy.

We’ll absolutely be back. Oh, and we tried some baked goods because c’mon. The coconut macaroon was crispy outside and soft inside and tasted slightly...

What an unexpected find at the outskirts of little Hillsborough, offering a large and truly authentic Salvadorian/South American/Mexican menu. It is a tiny little restaurant that probably seats ~ 20 people inside, along with picnic tables outside. We have seen it mobbed at times so we knew it was good. It just took a weeknight to catch them when it was not crowded to give it a try. We both tried a sampling of their 3 pupusas combination dinner plus the chips/salsa/guacamole appetizer. The chips were so fresh and hot we couldn't eat them immediately. Guacamole was freshly made and a delight. The pupusas were hot and yummy. We both thought the mushroom one shone out of the 5 we tried. He also had a beef taco which he said was very good. We brought home half our dinner and the appetizer. The menu is extensive!!! We'll be back to try quesadillas, burritos and fajitas. We also will come back to try their breakfast offerings. There are not too many locations around Hillsborough that offer a fresh breakfast so it is exciting to learn they do. They also have a bakery corner with some amazing scone, cake and pie offerings but we were too full to even think about it. Will...

This is a small and intimate mom and pops place which is easy to overlook if you're not paying attention. It doesn't scream at you but those who know, know. They visit and return again. Everything was smooth. The other process was easy. The selection was good, though I kept it simple with 3 pork tacos all the way. I usually avoid anything pork these days but a co-worker insisted on not ordering the chicken ones. I wasn't disappointed. The servers were friendly and brought out the food after about 15 minutes. The portions were ample perhaps more than what you need for a lunch break, but no complaints here. The taste was delicious! Also the drink selection is excellent. I chose the purple fountain drink which is the best. Forgive me as I can't remember what they call it. It's very similar to the one they serve at Alpaca in Raleigh. Either way we scored big on this lunch meal. I highly recommend stopping by if you're in the area. Beware that seating is limited if you want to dine in as it's a very...