El Amanecer Latino Market

Don’t be intimidated by the outside looks of this place. There is some excellent Salvadorian food inside!

I hate leaving bad reviews but this place was terrible.
I ordered Al Pastor Tacos, they gave me tongue. The employees were fairly rude. The place was dirty. All in all it was a complete letdown.

As a first generation American with El Salvadorean roots this place cures me when I’m home sick. Their pupusas may not be as good as mom’s or grandma’s but they’re close! Their grocery side has many products that are authentic and great if you’re looking to try something new or looking some nostalgia form your childhood like me :-)

Note: The previous post is sadly douchey.
Not ashamed to say that I, too, was a little intimidated at first to head into this awesome Latin grocery store. I admit — I get a little paranoid going into places and not fluently speaking the preferred language of the establishment. I think it’s presumptuous and rude to barge in and assume everyone knows English.
Good thing I like to get out of my «starchy white reality» every now and then, isn’t it?
I’m pretty sure this is the closest mercado to my work, and definitely the most reliable place I know of in the E. Parham/​Staples Mill area to get good Latin food. I want to say El Amanecer is a Salvadorian establishment, so you can definitely get your fill of pupusas, but usually I go here for tacos. Always amazing. The lengua here is a little salty, but still delectable — certainly worth a try. They make one of the best horchatas in the area, and serve it to you in a Super Big Gulp cup for only like, $ 2.50. LOVE.
One time I was so excited about my take out food that I left my phone behind, and didn’t notice until I had gotten all the way back to work. The girl behind the counter was so sweet. She found it and kept it safe until I came back in.
El Amanecer: Delicious Food AND Super Nice People!

I’ve passed this place a million times, and always been too intimated to go in… but today my husband and I stopped in, our curiosity getting the better of us. And I’m so glad we did.
Despite the wrought iron and posters on the windows, once inside this place is a full-​service grocery store. It’s got a little restaurant on one side, plus more baked goods than I could imagine. They even have a small meat case for fish and fresh meats.
I saw some exotic items like pickled pigs feet and fresh tamales kept in chafing dishes (we bought 3 and they were DELICIOUS, I got chicken and potato and they were $ 1.50 each and I seriously want to go back and buy some for lunch tomorrow…) and then some more traditional stuff like raw real cane sugar and all kinds of coffee and junk food.
I also found some of the healthier things they had like fresh tortillas and quinoa and mango gelatin mix.
Overall, I can’t say enough good things about this market. They take Visa, MC, and Amex, and everyone is bilingual and very nice.