El Guanaco

So, Unilocaled… authentic Mexican and the ratings looked good. Just arrived and greeted by 3 people, 2 asking what I wanted to drink and a 3^rd promptly with a basket of chips & salsa. Everyone is busy. Got a love seeing 7 people working…(so used to walking into places with zero help these days)
I asked for hottest sauce, it’s GREAT! Ordered the combo, enchilada, tostada, steak taco… was the best steak w/​freak chopped cilantro taco, the best cheese used in the cheese enchilada (not chewy or hardens) and my meatless, light crispy bean tostada was to die for… by far the freshest authentic Mexican /​Salvadoran I have found in Lauderdale.
Every employee was welcoming.
Great Experience, happy place ;-)

I finally got to visit this place, and I was excited based on what I tasted at the Unilocal Culinary Carnival. I didnt realize how small this place was, and fortunately I didnt have to wait for a table, since my friends were already seated when I got there.
I started munching on chips as soon as I sat, and I noticed there wasnt any green sauce, so I ordered some right away! That stuff is like green liquid heaven. I ordered the Shrimp Fajitas. Friends ordered random tacos. Despite being busy, the food came out quick. It was really good too. They forgot to bring my tortillas, but I asked the waitress, and she brought them right out. Service was good, and the place was definitely loud being that it was so small. Parking was hectic, but I was able to squeeze in a spot in the back. I tried to park next door by the market, and some dude came out saying I cant park there (there was no sign). I told him he should put up a sign, just for the fact that he must get pissed off having to tell people not to park there all day. Sheesh.
Solid 4 stars for good food and service, especially with all the hustle and bustle.

Imbumping thus restaurant down to three stars. My first visit was amazing and decided to go back however we had a different waiter who was fixated on charging extra for everything. If you order extra salsa you have to pay extra even if it takes them
Long to bring out the food. I asked if could have meat tacos instead of chicken and she said it would be extra charge when I asked how much extra she said one or two so I said which is it one or two as it seemed that depending how you looked is how much the difference in charge was. There is no issue in paying extra but you should know the set price not like taking it out of a hat. Today we charge $ 5 extra or choosing a random number. They lost my business due to so many extra charges but more than anything no set charges.

Absolutely incredible authentic Mexican food. My long long long search for my favorite Mexican joint has come to an end. There’s also an extensive selection of Salvadoran food! The owner greater us and we opted to sit outside since it’s a beautiful day. We started out with horchatas, which are served in HUGE mugs and are SO perfectly sweet. She then explained what pupusa’s are, so we both decided to try one (pork for him, bean and cheese for me). They were SO good! Like an arepa, except better. I got the chilaquiles and the flavor was out of this world good. He got a chicken quesadilla and wouldn’t stop raving about it. The owner spent some time with us talking about the restaurant and explained that she recently opened a Mexican/​Japanese fusion restaurant called Viva Tokyo. The owner was sweet and attentive and we were blown away by this small restaurant. Not only will we be back, but we will be soon trying her other fusion restaurant as well. Amazing!

Wow! If the food is anything like Chia seed juice (it tasted like hawaiian punch with plump chia seeds (I learned that soaked chia seeds are great for hydration last week so ordering this was a no brainer with the 90 degree weather outside!) I will be in love. with my food of course! I walked in an mispronounced the name of the restaurant. .then mispronounced the name of my drink so I’m batting 2 for 2. I did manage to get a table for 7. I guess that evens out my verbal faux.pas. I ordered the authentic Mexican quesadillas which were actually 3 light crispy delicious fried corn tortillas stuffed with cheese, steak or chicken with lettuce, cotija cheese, tomatoes and a Mexican crema topping. I ordered one steak and 1 chicken and it came with a small cup of green sauce which I guess is salsa verde. I have never had I shell taste the way this shell tasted maybe because everything is made by hand. Everyone had something different I saw shrimp tacos topped with avocado and other things that I can’t pronounce. The food is amazing and the re-​fried beans are red beans and looked delicious. I took a sip of the Tamarind juice and that was very good
was sweet but had a nice tart bite to it. The next time I’m going to try the things I can’t pronounce like the pupusas and the sopes. I also cant wait to try the tamales. I don’t think I’ve ever eaten Salvadorian food until now and I am definitely a fan even though I ordered from the Mexican side of the menu LOL. My meal was delicious and just enough (I actually took one of the quesadillas home with me) I didnt leave feeling over stuffed like my quesadilla was! I actually never knew El Guanaco existed. now I do and for sure I will be back.

Food was great I had the pupusas which were awesome. Nice place great El Salvador food place was clean quick. Staff very friendly. I will be back great place for some munchie food yum yum

Wow! Loved this place! The Fort Lauderdale Realtor Association is nearby and I stopped here on a whim. I was not disappointed. Some of the best authentic Mexican/​Salvadorian food I’ve eaten. They have fresh blueberry and passion fruit juices (a little on the sweet side) Papusas are a must try! The chicken soup was incredible and a small cup which is served in more like a bowl was more than enough and very filling. Guacamole is served as you order it so its nice and fresh. The place is nothing fancy and looks better inside than outside. My bill was 11 bucks! Can’t beat this spot.

Great atmosphere from the beginning to the end.
Great service and how should it be.
Little place with Big Standards of Service.
And served by one of the owners, the servers always on top of the service.
And of course, definitely the best menu fusion of Mexican and Salvadorian food.
Thank You Very Much.
Service You Won’t Get or Find in South Beach or Any other «5 Star» big corporate restaurants.
I’ll be Back… for sure!!!

Upon arriving in Fort Lauderdale and checking in to our hotel extremely late and starving, we ventured out in search for a good Latin restaurant. We were rejected by one that was supposedly closing at 10pm (we walked in at 9:30-ish), but El Guanaco, which also scheduled to close its doors at 10, welcomed us with open arms, despite arriving at 9:45pm-ish. Bravo, that is how you should treat your customers! Not to mention, a very friendly waitress explained the menu to us with a big smile and contagious laughter.
We ordered a taco platter, which came with the chicken, pork and beef tacos, sided with some rice and beans. We also added to our meal two mahi mahi tacos and a pupusa (a Salvadorian dish per the waitress). Everything was delicious, but I especially liked the beef and pork tacos — perfect amount of crunch in a soft tortilla. The expeditious service is also praiseworthy. If it wasn’t for that, we would’ve been there until midnight.
Thanks El Guanaco for welcoming us with your great food and service! Will return when we are in Florida for sure.

Traffic on the I95 heading home looked dreadful. The GPS said it would take us an hour and a half to get home. The Hubbs and kids were tired and hungry so who not just stop, get some grub to let the traffic clear. We turned on the browse on Unilocal and found this little hidden gem.
A little deceiving from outside looking in, but once you walk in the aroma alone tells you that you’ve hit the jackpot. Our waitress was very happy to let welcome us and go over today’s specials.
We decided to get the Salvadorian Combo, 3 papusas, sizzling seafood fajitas and their mahi fish burrito. Note to Unilocalers… all dishes were BOMB. Flavored and seasoned perfectly, the seafood was fresh and their retried beans are AhMazing. So happy to drop in and find this place on a whim. Looks like this will be our new spot when the fam picks me up from work every Friday ;)

Here comes another FIVE star review & for good reason: the Staff, the mexican&salvadoran cuisine & finally the owner, Trudi… all blew us away.
The location is really on W. Prospect Rd even though we set our navigation system to NE 44^th Street bringing us to a unappealing shack barely bigger than a Palm Beach doll house… wondering whether we found the right location. But don’t judge this «book» by its cover… Once inside you will find several fully occupied tables displaying a variety of appealing dishes. We were promptly seated by our congenial server, Carla.
The salsa alone, will immediately tell you that you are NOT in a typical Mexican Taco joint. Perusing the menu there were many Salvadoran dishes which I can not yet fully describe, since we only had been here once… but the large menu mandates many more visits because each of the items sampled by this reviewer were outstanding including our starting chicken quesadillas, my wife’s entrée, chicken fajita, and finally my dish… Camarones al ajillo …served wth a flavorful, albeit a bit salty rice, black beans and plantains… not one item served can be described as «generic»… but, instead without exaggeration, each offering was special and prepared with the pride that comes from a family owned establishment which permeates your entire experience while dining at this extraordinary latin emporium… Even at the end when we enjoyed our coconut flan and coffee, once again we knew that the word «generic» does not apply to El Guanaco which is translated as a «Salvadoran hotspot» .
BTW, if you’re on a budget, El Guanaco will be very kind to your wallet… The tab before the gratuity ran a hair less than $ 30 per couple.
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Meh, I’ve experienced better.
The good: my margarita.
The mediocre: everything else.
The rice was the best part of the meal. The refried beans tasted like they got it from a can. My steak burrito tasted like the steak was an afterthought. Flavorless beef… The type of beef you usually see in cheesesteaks… Not burritos.
My friend ordered the beef tacos and fries. Her tacos were dry but the beef was well seasoned. Her fries were very under cooked.
We left unimpressed. One red flag was when we walked in and didn’t see any Mexican or Salvadorian natives dining here. That says a lot.

When a place in florida has 350 reviews and 4.5 Unilocal stars, it has been elevated to «destination worthy dining», and I was not disappointed.
Everything so fresh and authentic, and priced right given the quality and quantity. The free horchata after Unilocal check-​in was a nice bonus.
There were no bad choices of the many things I tried, but if I had to pick a favorites I’d have to say that the sopes were damn good (certainly the best I’ve had).
This place could definitely go into weekend brunch rotation on a permanent basis.
I can’t wait to share this not-​so-​secret place with others!

Glad I found this place through Unilocal!I was looking to try something new this weekend and went to the trusty Unilocal100 Best — BPB list. I realized El Guanco was close by and highly rated. Everything my group had was excellent and you could tell it was prepared fresh.
The location is pretty tiny, with just a few booths and tables, but parking wasn’t too bad around the side of the building. We were seated promptly and offered beverages. At the recommendation of fellow Unilocalers I tried the Horchata. It was delicious! A friend who tried a sip hit the flavor spot on — it’s the milk from Cinnamon Toast Crunch. A nice creamy balance to some of the spicy flavors.
We ordered pupusas (pork and cheese and chicken and cheese), an appetizer of plantains, refried beans, cream, and cheese which we ate as a side dish), the El Salvador Combination #2, and for my less-​adventurous friend, chicken fajitas. Everything came out piping hot and fresh.
The pupusas were great. Where have this delicious morsels been all my life?! Warm gooey filling in a delicious corn coating. Must go back soon for more. The Combination came with an array of bites that meant you could try all the favorites like chicken tacos, a pupusa, yucca, and chicken, pork, or steak chunks. The combination also came with refried beans, cream, cheese, and pickled cabbage. The picked cabbage was actually really good. It was tangy and crisp without any mayo. I would definitely order a dish with it again. Everything was extremely reasonably priced for the quantity and quality of the food.

First time here. Very close to my work and ended up meeting 6 other co-​workers there. This is really a great place for lunch the food is solid and the price is good.
Since it was my first time I needed to try something that was Salvadorian. They have other Mexican things on the menu, but I can always have that stuff at a Mexican restaurant.
I opted for the Pupusas. If you don’t know what a Pupusa is, then you are the same as me. I never heard of it before. Basically, it is the Salvadorian version of an Venezuelan Arepa. Pupusas are a corn based torilla stuff with something of your choosing. Unlike Arepas, the Pupusas are fully enclosed.
I chose the Shrimp & Cheese and the Loroco & Cheese pupusas. Loroco is a flower imported from El Salvador. Not sure what kind of cheese is in there, but it is creamy and a little stringy. The shrimp were well cooked and not overly seasoned. the Loroco was a taste I never had before, and was slightly floral, but not overpowering like a lavender.
When I flipped through the menu, the Beef Tongue Taco caught my eye, so I had to order one of those too.
My meal came with a vinegary and spicy pink colored coleslaw. Very refreshing.
For a drink I went for the Tamarind juice. It was good, but a little too sweet for my liking.
Great place, great food, great value.
In the words of Arnold Schwarzenegger, «I’ll be back»

If you’re in the mood for authentic Salvadorian cuisine, this is the place to go. Amazing little place.
Even pulling up to this place you can tell it’s the real deal. You know how the corporate places like Moe’s and Chipotle have a certain polished feel? This is the exact opposite. Definitely has that down home feeling. Inside, it’s small but very nice, with tablecloths on the dining tables and everything is cleanly laid out. You can tell they go the extra mile to make it a place where you would want to eat.
Servers, as mentioned in other reviews, are super friendly. They remember repeat customers and are great at answering questions and working on your timetable. They’re good about splitting checks as well.
The food itself is amazing. I know a lot of people adore the papusas but I personally love the tacos. They’re soft tacos and served very simply, just the seasoned meat a sprinkling of veggies. A lime and some sauce is served on the side and you can season to taste. Extremely good. Everything is fresh and well prepared. I should mention the tamarind as well. Pretty different, thus I was of course relunctant to try it, but it’s a great drink that you can’t get many places.
Overall, an excellent place to eat. It’s casual, the food is delicious, and the price is right. How can you beat it?

I’m a fan of this place and it was my first time here!
Thank you to Tamela and other Unilocalers whom personally recommended this place to me.
Tiny place, limited parking but there was a spot for me. I saw licence plates from out of state.
Booth seating on the left against the wall, and a few tables in the dining room, seating at the counter. Open kitchen. Cosy and nice.
Friendly waitresses, and ask them what to recommend! Good specials with taco combinations or burrito dishes.
She brought the chips and salsa out right away and was very friendly brought us water, and I checked in and got free Unilocal drink and I chose the Horchata– a sweet rice cinnamon drink served at Mexican weddings.
We ordered papusas, a chicharon (pork) one, and a chicken one. Yes they are very similar to arepas being a sweet corn bread with melted cheese and stuffing. The chicken papusa was much better, had some flavor and the chicken was shredded.
My husband ordered the Mexican Trio (taco plate) it came with an enchilada-​soo good! Taquito taco, I don’t really remember the other taco names but it was good. The refried beans seem really fresh, they are tasty, the rice was fluffy and fresh.
I can tell this place is busy and the food is constantly made fresh can’t get stale.
I ordered the Tamales. I tried a chicken and a corn one before at another place and the corn was better. I asked the waitress if the chicken was better here than the corn and she said the chicken is good. Yes it was very delish! I compare a Tamales — to corn flour taste in chicken soup, with very tender chunks of veggie and chicken. Very soft easy to eat, perfect for me and my dental issues. I recommend the chicken tamales.
Very friendly here, we had a nice lunch. We felt great and our stomachs were happy too :)
Just over 20 $ with tip. Yes I want to come back again.

I chose this for my 600^th review, since it was thanks to my Unilocal friends that I got to try it… ;)
Yes, if it wasn’t for my Unilocal friends I would have never been to El Guanaco, and I would have never tried a pupusa, and Never Never would I’ve had tongue on my plate.
All these firsts happened after one of our Unilocal events… after who knows how many beers, and a long fun weekend, we were all starving. To tell the truth I was a little hesitant when they started talking about all these things I’d never even hear of, especially after other people had mentioned going to one of my favorite places not too far from where we were at. Still, wanting to try something new, and seeing how the majority of the group was so excited to go to El Guanaco, I followed them, and so happy I did!
El Guanaco is a small restaurant, it can sit up to (maybe) 15 people. That day (not sure if it’s always the same) there was only one waitress for all the tables and people ordering to go. Even with a full house, and people coming in, almost non-​stop, she managed to get everyone’s order without a mistake and make jokes and talk with us, as if we were regulars (maybe some in my group are).
They gave us some chips and salsa, that were delicious (maybe it was how hungry we were but) the salsa tasted fresh and flavorful, and the chips, perfectly crunchy. Looking at the menu, they all told me I could order one of each thing to try different things so, I decided to go with the shrimp & cheese pupusa, and the tongue taco (still scared of this one when ordering it).
Yes, I got a little bit made fun of, when finally decided to order (imagine the «that’s what she said» jokes, when ordering tongue for the first time) but, all fun until my order came out. OMG! That taco was so good! I would order it again, without thinking about it twice. The Pupusa is similar to an arepa, I really liked how the flavors all come together without one overpowering the other although I would have liked to taste more of the shrimp.
Note, be careful with the green sauce, it is SPICY! I though my mouth was going to be swollen after dunking my taco in it. Now, the red sauce, that also comes with the plate, was amazing with the tongue taco. One taste and I could not finish the taco without that sauce.
They advertise fresh juice but (I think) they add too much sugar for my taste. I tried the tamarind and the passion fruit, both sour fruits and the juice had none of that. I was really hoping to get the real fruit flavor. Just a minor thing compared to the delicious food they serve and the great service we had.
Thanks, again, to those who took me there, I definitely want to go back!

5 stars all the way! From the second I stepped into this place, I had a good feeling about it. We actually drove right by it, because it is a tiny little place. It looks like a cute little house from the outside. We were greeted when we came in by the hostess who was enthusiastic, friendly and excited that we were first-​timers. We showed our Unilocal Check In for a free beverage and she listed all of the fresh juices and drinks that they had. After describing the Horchata, mixed with milk, almonds, vanilla, cinnamon, etc, I was sold! My boyfriend had the chia berry juice which was fresh and refreshing. The drinks were huge! I was pleasantly surprised at how big they were, especially since they were free.
Our waitress Gretel was also awesome. She took the time to go over some favorites and recommendations for us since we had never been there. We decided to get a Papusa to start — I got the beans and cheese and it was great! Nice and fluffy and came with some purple cabbage side dish and some sauce to dip. We also were brought chips and salsa– yum!
I ordered the chicken fajitas and my boyfriend had the Salvadorian combination #1 which came with a little bit of everything: tamales, papusas, yucca, etc — all amazing! My fajitas were absolutely delicious — had so much flavor and came out piping hot! The homemade tortillas were warm and fresh and really added to this meal. We were so stuffed from all the food and had no room for dessert, although I wish I did because she told us about their banana empenada which sounded amazing!
All of what we ordered came out to just $ 26! What a great deal for such an amazing meal!
I will 100% be back here and look forward to trying more of the delicious food (and dessert!) :)

A great little place You would drive by if you didn’t know it was there.
I’m allergic to the Mexican chain restaurants and I’m not big on the restaurants that have a million sombreros hanging (although are pretty good (Paquitos). So a mom and pop like Alegrias is what I pine for.
There are other good reviews for here that breakdown the excellent lunch and dinners so I will do my part to say that its a great alternative for breakfast too.
I popped in the other day as its a great spot and close enough to me to make for a nice breakfast stop in/​take out.
I had to get a tómale as they are plenty good. But the main point of stopping was to grab the chorizo breakfast burrito. Needless to say, killer good.
Stop in for the ambiance which is very original. And if you have time grab breakfast or a mole enchilada for lunch.