Variedades El Salvador — Restaurant in Houston

I don't speak the language, but I walked in at closing time and everyone was friendly. The food looked good behind glass in metal trays behind the counter, and I didn't know what it was, or the price. Last week, when I first saw the place, late at night, from the bus stop across the street, the neon sign said chicken emplinadas. I have eaten fruit emplinadas many years ago on Wahington Ave at a small all night café.Tonight I got there at 9:30, closing time. I asked one of the smiling women who were serving food how much an emplinada cost. After both of us gave up, she pointed towards the register where another smiling woman, who spoke English, explained to me the different types of emplinadas. I said that I wanted meat. She named the kind that I wanted, but said that they only had beef tonight, and that they cost $1.50 each. I paid for one, and walked back to the food line. While she was filling my order, the server gave me a taste of quesa from a big block of white something, in another cooler, I looked around. The place is immaculate, with rows of clean, shiny booths, a wall of coolers full of drinks and stuff. racks of clothing articles for kids and adults, medicine from central America, beauty supplies, and lots of Salvadoran stuff, there is a friendly security guard at the door. I ate my meal at the bus stop. it was, an excellent meal, tasty deep fried omelet style sandwich with a good side salad, packaged with fork and napkin for $1.50. I had money left over for a senior coffee at McDonalds at my bus stop at Westview and Gessner. Nice place, good people, good price, very...

If you want something truly different and authentic this place is great. Everything I have eaten is excellent, but be prepared this is not like American food, it is truly El Salvadorian at its best. Great breakfast. Oh, you might need to bring one Spanish speaker or be patient. Google Maps is blocking my photos of this place!

To the others reviewers bellow complaining about the lady making eye contact three times and not saying hello, I would think Houstonians know cultural differences can lead to miscommunication-but even life long Houstonians sometimes slip up.

When they look at you if you do not speak up loudly enough to be heard they assume you are still making up your mind-they are not being rude-different culture. Oh, and they speak only Spanish. No...

So I DID read most of the reviews which I do for all places..I will say MY experience was great! I have a bi racial son and his father is from El salvador so we wanted to check this place out to look for our son some shirts he can rock at school and other days,unfortunately they didn't have any in his size but had other items. Now as for the food,I was good BUT I did end up throwing up(mind you I ate FAST and hadn't eaten anything all day so not sure if that was why),but after that I was ok. He had the soup and liked it. Didn't feel uncomfortable or see anyone giving me dirty looks(it has happened lol),I would definitely return. Only thing I will mention is they need to get tables cleaned off quicker because we had to flag...