Caffeten Salvadoreno

These are maybe the best pupusas I have had in the Boston area. I get pupusas in East Boston frequently, and will not slag off any other place, I am just stating that I love pupusas, and this place does them right. I got several bean and cheese pupusas for the family, and they came with excellent and ample curtido. I could see the woman in the back preparing them fresh after I ordered. Very friendly and fast.
If you’re at all put off by some of the negative reviews here — please look at the complaints about «ambiance» and lack of vegan-​friendly food in those reviews — and realize that they should not be taken seriously. This is a little place located right on a highway that offers cheap, authentic Salvadoran food. If you’re looking for an amazing ambiance, or if you are highly offended by loud jukeboxes or the lack of seitan-​based options, then why are you here in the first place?

It was around Xmas 2013 when during a big snow storm was pounding Boston, roads covered with snow and plows were just scratching the surface, that’s when I stumble upon this big neon letters reading PUPUSAS. We were coming from BOS airport after a long trip and an hour fliying in curcles while they ckeaned the runway My cousins visiting from Utah with their two kids were ready for a meal, and… Of course, me too!
The place is a total «Hole in the wall», a working class hidden gem! If you are planning to eat at a fancy sit down place with lots of ambiance and chic… Well this eatery is not your place, ever, period!
The modest façade is hiding one of the best artisan pupusas out of El Salvador. I say artisan and not home made because the flavor and texture of the corn masa reminded me of the kind of pupusas you will get in the country side outside San Salvador cooked over a fire heated ceramic comal.
The loud tv showing a soccer (Fútbol) game didn’t disturb me or my family once the food arrived to the table. Men, we were in for a treat! Not only tasty, freshly made and whole ingredients but inexpensive, the way good food should be!
Did I mention that they bring you a huge tub of encurtido to the table? Encurtido is a kind of a vinagered pickled coleslaw that you eat with pupusas, not a side dish to eat as a salad! :)
I’have been back a couple of times and the food and service is consistant. Don’t get fooled by the surroundings and the lack of fancyness, get Pupusas with Loroco if available.
Parking for me wasn’t an issue the first day I stopped here, I had my shovel and I carved a spot in front of the restaurant. ;)

DON’T WASTE YOUR TIME AND MONEY. Worst service and food around.
Got everything we didn’t ask for. Didn’t touch one of the dishes they gave us and, they still charged us for it… and, they decided to move all the furniture around while we were eating. Awful! Would not eat there again if it was free!

So, this is my new favorite restaurant! I discovered it a couple of weeks ago, and seriously have been dreaming about the food ever since …
From the exterior, it seems a bit sketchy, and I had driven or walked by dozens of times before finally deciding to give it a try. The atmosphere leave a little to be desired and the juke box can be very loud, but I can appreciate the authenticity of the place, especially after tasing the food. If you go on a week night, you might find all the men sitting on one side of the room watching Soccer on one tv, and all the women sitting on the other side of the room watching a Telenovela (Spanish soap opera).
But onto the food … The salsa is a bit unusual — green and more watery than at typical Mexican restaurants but still very tasty. I have never ordered any of the main dishes, because the appetizers are Amazing and extremely well priced.
My favorite item on the menu is hands down what they call Enchilladas. If you are used to Mexican enchilladas, these are not them. They are more like what Mexicans call tortas — crunchy fried discs of dough heaping with your choice of meat, fresh vegetables, and the typical, very strong and sharp shredded El Savadorean cheese. Served with a lime wedge, these taste so good and fresh. They are INCREDIBLE and if I close my eyes, it is easy to imagine that I am eating this in Mexico or South America near a beach somewhere! And the best part — you can get 3 for $ 6 which is more than I can eat after snacking on the chips and salsa.
The pupusas are also delicious as are the tamales. The pupusas and tamales again are either $ 1.50 or $ 2 a piece, so between those 3 appetizers, 2 people can eat like kings for around $ 12 – 15.
The food takes a somewhat long time to prepare, so be ready for a bit of a wait. Everything is made from scratch and well worth it! Parking is not a problem — there are a couple of spots out front and a bunch of space on the side and back of the building.
Anything this place lacks in atmosphere is more than made up by the tastiness and value of the food. Can’t wait to go back!

3.5 stars.
Don’t come here for the ambience. Gritty tile floor, two televisions tuned very loudly to different stations, with an even louder jukebox turned on for good measure. The waiter could barely hear me, and vice versa.
Come here for the cheap, authentic homestyle Salvadorean food!
Fresh, home made pupusas for a buck fifty!
A friend and I walked in to get some food for the road. We ordered the three different pupasas to try, and they took longer than expected… because they were making them up fresh! The best was the bean, though the menu wasn’t entirely clear on what each pupasa was. The other two (straight cheese, and pork and cheese maybe I think?) were not so noteworthy. but at a 1.50 a piece you aren’t doing so bad.
Also got some sort of stewed chicken sandwich, which was a half a baguette cut down the middle loaded with cole slaw and stewed (bone-​in) chicken. It was a total mess to eat, but quite tasty and that plus the pupasas left my friend and I very sated for the day.
Total? About eleven dollars. With it right around the corner from my friend’s place, I am sure I’ll be back to try the mondongo stew or some such.

I visited this restaurant with a friend as part of a class assignment to spend time in an environment with members of another culture. While the prior Unilocal reviews weren’t amazing, a friend of mine had gone recently and raved about their pupusas, so we thought we’d give it a try and we were pleasantly surprised.
I would echo the sentiment that the food is pretty authentic — I’ve never been to El Salvador but it was very similar to the food that I’ve had in neighboring Honduras and was totally delicious. We started with cheese pupusas (yum!) and then split the «Plato Típico Salvadoreno» which had heaping portions of beef, chicken, pork, rice, beans, platano frito, a fried egg, salad, and other delicious goodies, and was accompanied by tortillas. We also got coffee because it was reccomended by a former Unilocaler, and weren’t disappointed.
Bottom line — really good for authentic Latin American cuisine, but don’t go expecting five-​star ambience. The waitress was really nice and attentive, and spoke to us in English until we started speaking with her in Spanish, but everyone else in the place was speaking Spanish exclusively. For the amount of food you get, the prices are really reasonable — although it’s cash only, so hit up an ATM before you go because there’s nowhere nearby to get cash. And while there are a few vegetarian options on the menu, most of the entrees are meat-​based — so it’s probably a better option for carnivores than herbivores.
Buen provecho!

This place is a little sketchy, but the pupusas are great.3″ corn tortillas stuffed with pork or with cheese. They bring a big tub of pickled slaw and tomato salsa to your table to eat with the pupusas. The stewed chicken with rice is great also. The meat falls off the bone and it comes with beans, a big salad and homemade corn tortillas. Easily two meals. Lots of fruit drinks and shakes plus horchata. Loud music, Mexican soap operas on the TV, a juke box with lots of songs I don’t recognize and a big crowd of regulars. Good luck finding the bathroom.

Otherwise known as The Restaurant Salvadoran.
This super hidden Salvadoran restaurant sit on busy Mystic ave. and sucks to get to.
I would imagine this is the actual definition of authentic.
No one speaks English, Spanish music videos on the television, super dirty, and all the cups, plates, and silverware salvaged from dumpsters.
I am not going to rag on the place because of its authenticity, but I will speak to the fact that it’s pretty un-​vegan friendly.
Really stale chips and watery salsa to start but I didn’t mind.
All I really wanted was fried yucca, but it was SO dry, and no sauce, until we asked, and really oily.
Then for good measure, I had a veggie burrito.
I asked for no meat or cheese, but I am pretty sure there was cheese on it.
The thing was pretty oily too.
The server was really nice though and between her, the owner, and some people in the restaurant I was able to order.
The only redeeming factor for food was the stellar Salvadoran coffee.
I really enjoyed its flavor.
Bold yet smooth and $ 1.
I may come back just for coffee.
Hopefully someone else will have a more food-​friendly experience here.