La Promesa restaurant — Restaurant in Virginia

Say hello to my new favorite thing: El Salvadorean pupusas.

La Promesa recently opened in the place previously occupied by Bolzano's, in Countryside. I was at the thrift store next door and smelled something delicious. I asked the lady at the thrift store and she said La Promesa was very popular with the staff. Girded with this knowledge I boldly stepped inside!

The friendly young lady at the counter put up with all of my dumb questions and gave great advice about the menu. I selected a bunch of pupusas and a tamal and brought them home to share with my lovely bride.

The food was delicious. Soft masa dough griddled with cheese, beef, pork, beans or several other fillings and combinations. Our favorites were the pork and cheese, and the bean, cheese, and loroco (Salvadorean herb, could be described inadequately as being oregano-like). They come with a light, fresh tomato sauce and curtido, a lightly fermented Salvadorean pickled cabbage. I have never had this before but it is a new favorite. The prices are extremely reasonably as well.

I also sampled the three fresh house-made-from-scratch juices on offer: mango, melon, and passion fruit. Absolutely delicious and not too sweet.

Also, good news, Balzano's lovers, they kept the cheese steak on the menu because of popular demand! (This is not a rebranding, these are different people altogether, btw.)

In short, a great experience....

I'm sad I wasted $20.00 in this restaurant. The thing that makes me sadder is how honest and upfront as restaurant owners they pretend to be with bibles laying all over the restaurant but cheating customers. My pupusas were paper then with less than a table spoon of pork in them. A good pupusarea serves pork filled pupusas. Then most of my cheese melted out of its thin shell and burned. I noticed as well they give blessings and good tidings to people who give them 3 stars or more but no blessings or well wishes to the person who gave one star. Since your so spiritual perhaps anyone who spends money on your poor Quality of food should be blessed for surviving thier experience with your service. God would not be pleased with your false advertising and rudeness to people who don't care for your food. We are fully aware of we don't like it we don't have to come back. Guess what we won't and we will tell the rest of sterling to...

Let me preface this by saying I'm Native American and Black. I came searching for breakfast that tasted like home. I was treated like I didn't even exist, and was served overcooked, poorly scrambled eggs and overcooked rubbery turkey sausage on a dollar store paper plate. I sat with the look of disappointment on my face for over 5 minutes (I was the only person there) and not one person made eye contact with me, let alone asked how I was doing or if I needed anything. Two visibly "Hispanic" women came in and were greeted AT THE DOOR by the lady who appears to run the place. The same lady who walked past me multiple times and never acknowledged my existence.

I asked for my money back.

I wanted to support my people. I wanted to love this place. Instead I felt unwelcome. I took my money down the road to Super Chicken for a proper breakfast where I was greeted and taken care of right away.

I will not return, nor will I...