Mi Paso — Restaurant in New York

"Dining Disaster: A Salvadoran Experience Gone Wrong"

If you’re from NYC, the “Grade Pending” sign on the door already tells you what kind of adventure you’re in for—a health inspector’s nightmare waiting to be confirmed. But, against my better judgment (and hunger-driven optimism), my family and I decided to give this Salvadoran restaurant a shot.

We sat at a table for four—two toddlers, two adults—and it was already off to a bad start. The table wasn’t even wiped down, and we had to brush away crumbs from the previous diners. We asked for two high chairs, but surprise: the restaurant, with its 12+ tables, had exactly ONE high chair. We drew straws for which toddler would get the privilege.

The waitress eventually sauntered over with the enthusiasm of someone who definitely did not want to be there. I asked to place the order right away for the kids—something simple, just rice and beans with chicken. She stared at me like I’d asked for a three-course meal featuring imported truffles. After a few moments of confusion, she sneezed into her hands (sans gloves) and offered us carne asada instead. Delicious, I’m sure… if we weren’t ordering for toddlers.

Five minutes passed, and no one had even taken our drink order. We had to shout over the blaring bachata music—because nothing says authentic Salvadoran lunch like feeling you’re at a nightclub in the middle of the day. When I asked for extra plates for the kids to share their meal, the waitress responded sarcastically, “Does the little one use a plate to eat?” Yes, because last time I checked, toddlers typically don’t just eat off the table like cavemen.

Then came the restroom. Oh, the restroom. We frequent restaurants with toddlers, so clean restrooms are a necessity. Unfortunately, this one was so grimy that we had to leave the restaurant to sanitize our kids’ hands with bottled water and hand sanitizer. If that’s the state of the bathroom, I shudder to think what the kitchen looks like.

Now, despite all of this, I was still willing to give the food a shot—after all, I’m a Central American native, and I was hoping for a taste of home. Big mistake.

I ordered two pupusas with chicharrón y queso, expecting the golden, crispy delight that Salvadorans are known for. What I got were greasy, soggy disks that looked more like they had taken a swim in oil rather than being cooked on a griddle. My wife, who was excited to try pupusas for the first time, gave me a look that screamed, “Are you sure this is what they’re supposed to taste like?”

The traditional curtido? A tragic disappointment. It was fridge-cold, flavorless, and drenched in vinegar, paired with a sad excuse for salsa that tasted like it was squeezed from a bottle of watered-down tomato paste. As for the kids’ “grilled chicken” (pollo a la plancha)? More like oil-soaked skillet chicken. The rice was so tough it could’ve doubled as bird feed, and the “beans” were… well, I’m not sure what they were. Definitely not the boiled red beans you expect from a Central American restaurant. Instead, we got some sort of thick black bean broth—an experiment gone wrong in the kitchen, perhaps?

And then there was the salad. How do you mess up a salad? Well, this place found a way. It came drenched in what tasted like Italian dressing straight from a plastic container that had been sitting on a shelf since the early 2000s.

In short, this was one of the worst dining experiences my family has ever had. Between the dirty tables, the careless service, the blaring non-Salvadoran music, and the horrendous food, I strongly advise everyone to AVOID this restaurant...

EL SALVADOR 🇸🇻 Eat the World NYC review: My first experience with quesadilla salvadoreña came almost 15 years ago shortly after crossing the border with Honduras and sitting down for a coffee after a grueling overnight international bus trip. In the charming city of San Miguel, under the watchful eye of the nearby volcano with the same name, I pointed to the last piece left under a fly screen. After my order at around ten in the morning, they had already sold the lot.

I was too tired to inquire what I was ordering, it had just been far too long since I had previously eaten and still hours away from being able to unload my backpack in the guesthouse I would be staying. By the look of it not a lot of hope was inspired, but that quesadilla ended up giving me life and has to this day been an automatic order whenever I see it on the counter at a Salvadoran restaurant.

Much different than its more famous namesake to the north, quesadilla salvadoreña ($2) is actually bread and more often is thicker than the version served here. It usually appears more like a small loaf, but what makes it quesadilla is the prominent use of cheese, specifically finely grated queso fresco. Made slightly sweet by sugar and cream, its natural place in life is to be served alongside a...

I just ordered a desayuno tipico. I picked it up and took it home. Opened it up. No chorizo. I called back to confirm it was supose to come with chorizo, they said yes. I told them they forgot to add it to my dish, and I asked if they can make me one so I can go back and pick up. They said yes and to make sure and bring the dish. I went back, took them the dish. The young lady took it in the back and came back and told me oh the chef said they don’t have any chorizo today. I told her she should of told me that I’m not sure why she even made me come back. She said she attempted to but I hung up to quick. Cheap excuse for not telling me NOT THE FIRST TIME NOR SECOND TIME.

I asked for a refund and they would not. The girl told me her boss will make her pay for it out of her own pocket if she returned me the money for their...