El Merkury at the Market

Our group spent several days at a conference in downtown Philadelphia and went to Reading Terminal Market several times. One of our favorites was El Merkury with Guatemalan, Salvadoran, and Honduran speciality foods. My choice was the Honduran Baleada. This is something I have never tried before and I wanted to try it because the display states that this is the preferred meal of railway workers in La Ceiba, Honduras. Workers food often reflects the true flavors of a country. I ordered it with my favorite Latin foods: refried beans, cream, melted cheese and queso duro (Hard cheese) and I added on chicken. Super delicious. We also chared the Salvadoran cornmeal patty with chicharron (pork rinds) and Guatemalan taquito which to me is really a tortilla. I added on the yummy Guatemalan hot chocolate. I took home some plantain chips. I loved the venue decor with Spanish sayings. My favorite saying is "Full belly, happy heart."="Barriga llena, corazon contento" You stand in line as you pass by the food counters in this venue, order, pay then pick up at a standard height counter. You can eat at a centrally located accessible area with tables. Entry and exit accessible at main entrances. There are some smaller entrances with 6 steps. Venue is all accessible with adequate aisle space. Remember that it is crowded at high volume times. Free wifi. Accessible restrooms are located in central market area shared by all food and shop venues. Accessible van parking in paid lot, a short walk. Parking is challenging at busy times

Good pupusas. We had multiple of them and all good. The only issue I see is how long it takes to make them. It’s just the nature of what they do here. You can’t just have premade pupusas laying around but they’re surrounded by places that turn out food fast.

Super tasty papusas and tacquitos! Would definitely recommend trying this place if you’re in RTM

Personally found the churro quite good. Not overly greasy, clearly freshly made, with great and not overpowering cinnamon and sweetness. Icecream was solid as well. No comment on the other items since I only ordered the churro but I quite enjoyed it. Churro (with the ice cream cup) was around $7.50. Also spoke with the owners a bit in Spanish. If I remember correctly, they’re Guatemalan so keep that in mind when looking at the menu too.

We ordered 2 chicharrón pupusas and we were EXTREMELY disappointed with them. These are not authentic pupusas and quite frankly the worst I’ve ever had. They did not cook them well and did not add cheese… As a Salvadorian myself please do yourself a favor and get pupusas elsewhere.

The pork pupusas are delicious. It's a very hardy n meal for a reasonable price. I also got the bean and cheese stuffed pupusa. But the pork was my favorite.

I paid almost $7 for a churro in this place!!!! and it was disappointing. It didn’t come with a dip, and no cinnamon or any flavour! It was basically just fried dough with some sugar, and the dough wasn't even fried properly.

Not good food. Guacamole was not classic guac. It was too runny and it had cucumber. Ugh. So let’s try the pupusas. Pupusas are pre-made. We ordered cheese and loroco under cooked. Soggy since they were drenched in red sauce. Oh yeah, forgot to mention. Order of two pupusas is $10. Don’t waste your money. Very very disappointed. It’s my fault. Pupusas are from El Salvador not Guatemala.

El Murkury's papusas are top tier. As authentic and fresh as it gets. This is one of those places I've had my mind on for a while but never made it to. It's located inside Reading Terminal Market and the foot traffic there can get a little crazy, especially on weekends (IYKYK). Alas, I decided to go on my lunch break and only waited about 10 minutes. I ordered the Salvadorian papusas with loroco and cheese. These are vegetarian friendly. Admittedly, I had to Google loroco because I didn't know what it was. Packed with cornmeal flavor and very buttery on the outside, it's sure to have you stuffed after the first couple bites. My only wish is that they would be a little bit cheesier, or meltier I should say. There was cheese inside, but it wasn't melted enough to have a cheese pull. I also snagged a bottle of hibiscus water. The cashier said it was her favorite so I felt like I made a good choice. It was indeed delicious! I'd buy it again and would love to try their other drinks as well. I work in close proximity to this location and hope to be back for more goodies soon!

El Merkury was one of few Central American spots I saw within Reading Terminal Market and it had a line wrapped around, so I opted for this! When it came time to order I asked if they could do a blend of flavors for the pupusas (my go to order is chicharrón con frijol y queso). I was sad to hear that no customizations were allowed. So I ordered two chicharrón pupusas, a hibiscus tea (agua de Jamaica), and I tried to order a churro but they were out of masa. I'm not going to lie to you, the pupusas were not great. The chicharrón wasn't as flavorful as other pupusas I've had in CA / AZ. And the curtido didn't help to correct it either. Unsurprisingly, the salsa wasn't spicy at all, but felt instead like tomate cocido with a little bit of salt. All in all, it was fine - not something I'd be keen to come back and buy again. If you don't have a sweet tooth, don't get the aguas (the hibiscus was far too sweet).

Fast service and flavor packed food! Lots of vegetarian options on the menu and incredible desserts. I settled for these, a vegetarian quesadilla like dish I think with jack fruit? I was so hungry I can't remember, but I do know that it was even better than I expected. the sauces were also top notch so I can't wait to try other stuff on the menu!

Finally was able to stop at this stand at Reading Terminal on a busy afternoon on superbowl Sunday. I was drooling over all of the churro options and finally settled on the E shaped mini churros decorated for the birds. There was surprisingly no line and they took my order immediately. I think I waited maybe 5 or so minutes for them to shape and fry the churros fresh. They were crunchy, chewy, cinnamony, and turned my lips green from the glitter and sprinkles! Will definitely be back to try more of the "traditional" churros.

This spot is located in the Reading Terminal which happened to be super hectic the day we went. The food was alright - it was quite dry and more on the oilier side. I wish they had provided a sauce on the side.

El Merkury is right in the middle of the diverse, lively Terminal Reading Market. The service was friendly and the menu was succinct. We ordered one bean and cheese pupusa a bean and jalapeno one. The cheese one could have used a lot more cheese, but the flavor was nice in both. It came out fresh and hot. The sauce that accompanied it was fantastic.

This place is a nice addition to Reading terminal market! I didn't find anything savory I wanted, was hoping they would have tacos or something else. My daughter and I picked out a churro to split. We picked the Rittenhouse with chocolate, marshmallow, and glitter. The churro was delicious and freshly made. Honestly, the ice cream is almost unnecessary. I would just get the plain churro next time!

I caught Merkury at a low, I bet, but I didn't have a great experience here. The Guatemalan taquitos were extremely dry. Warping any flavor that may have been there, they were quite tasteless. They were out of rice, so they gave me a sad street corn substitute. ... not my typical Yelp Elote experience.

I was in town for a conference and stopped here to pick up lunch. I had an order of pupusas filled with pork. It was delicious. I highly recommend you stop by to try the food. You will need to wait for a bit because they make it fresh.

I loved the pupusas at Merkury! I got one of the black bean and one of the pork pupusas. There was not a long line at their booth, and the food came out pretty quickly. The pupusas were flavorful, and the hot sauce was truly spicy! I loved the pickled veggies/slaw that came with it. The portions were large and filling. I wish I could have brought my leftovers home. It was hard to find a table at the market on Friday at lunch time. We ended up standing while eating.

A great spot to stop at Reading Terminal if you want a sweet treat to share! We got the churros in ice cream and it's served in a beautiful presentation. The churro is well fried with a crunchy exterior and soft interior and the ice cream makes a nice combination. Definitely worth trying and it's large enough to share with multiple people!

The food was alright. Nothing to rave home about. The pupusas were a bit soggy and not flavorful enough in my opinion. The churro ice cream was the only thing I truly enjoyed.

One of the best stands in the market. It's made fresh to order and really delicious. The price is fair and the service is fast. If you don't want to brave the market crowds, their restaurant isn't too far and they have the same menu.

El Merkury is such a wonderful addition to the Reading Terminal Market, serving up Central American street food that is just as delicious and satisfying as the RTM stalwarts. Sometimes, if I time things right, I can make it to RTM after work, in time to pick up an early dinner. And these days, I've been gravitating towards El Merkury. The service is friendly (with good humor!) and the food is prepared fairly quickly. I usually order and then pop over to Iovine to pick up some groceries, and when I return, my order is ready. The pupusas, which I like with either chicharron or loroco, a Central American flower, have the textural contrast of a slightly crispy exterior and soft, savory interior, and the accompanying salsa and pickled vegetables (including curtido) add that perfect sweet-sour kick. For $10 + tip, I walk away with enough food to feel totally satisfied (and even a little too full). Also, their chips are addicting - we bought some to treat ourselves for the Superbowl and we all agreed they were the best chips we've ever had. One of these days, I'll try one of those visually-intimidating churro sundaes. Personally, I'm happy to see more cuisines and cultures, from Filipino to Georgian to Central American, represented in RTM, and my taste buds are happier for it as well.

We found the pork pupusas to be dry and bland. The pickled onions were more crispy than the masa. Maybe late on a Sunday afternoon was the reason. Price was reasonable: $10 for two pupusas.

Walking around the Reading Market, this caught my eye. I don't think I saw any other option for Mexican/ type of food. I decided to get the Nachos with hot sauce. The ingredients were fresh and the tortillas were crispy. The hot sauce was hot!! Except for the very top, the bottom layers had no other ingredients which was disappointing. It would have been nice to see another layer of beans, avocados and cheese.

I only have one word for El Merkury and it's is amazing! I was at the market one day looking for something that was gluten free and I stumbled upon this place. I was very intrigued by their menu and honestly I wish I could have their churros because they look so good. Every time I go I always get the Salvadorian Pupusas because they are incredible. The pork ones are my favorite followed by the loroco+cheese. If you are in the market and in the mood for some amazing food, you need to go here! Trust me you will absolutely love it and get the pupusas!

We ordered the "Mayan chocolate churros" which was the most popular item from this place. We were amazed by their chocolate because it was really rich & flavorful (unlike regular store bought chocolate syrup taste)! We also loved their freshly fried crispy churros seasoned with the cinnamon sugar (it wasn't not too sugary but perfectly sweetened). The only downside for this dessert was the vanilla ice cream because it melted too quickly and wasn't outstanding (tasted like the vanilla cone ice cream from McDonald), but it was perfect combo with the churros. We will definitely come back to try their other churros desserts, but probably will just get the churros part, and then go to get the ice cream part from somewhere is well-known for its ice cream in the market place :) p.s. This is a Latinx-owned business! They just opened this one as the second store inside the market, and the original store is located in chestnut street.

Not only is the food at El Merkury a treat for the taste buds, it's also a feast for the eyes. From the stunning green and golden Elotes to the bright purple pickled onions atop the Pupusas, and of course the St Louis level Arch of their incredible churros, El Merkury captures everything that excites me about Food Blogging: the creativity and attention to quality food, great flavors, and plating at a fair street food price! The Pupusas are a must order, if not simply because how often do you find Pupusas then definitely because these are delicious! The flavors and textures are on point and so different from Mexican food. The Churro is the star of the show. I was not expecting such an impressive display; seeing a huge churro sticking up out of a cup of ice cream was jaw dropping. The spicy chocolate inside and the creamy, cool ice cream was even more so! There's so many amazing spots in Reading Market, but El Merkury is an essential stop every time you come visit!

I'm so happy that El Merkury is the new vendor at Reading Terminal Market. I ordered the black bean pupusas. It's fresh with delicious salsa, pickled onions, and cole slaw. The salsa was a little bit spicy. The Mexican street corn was sweet with delicious creamy topping. The churros were fresh and crunchy. Next time I want to try the fancy churros with I've cream. Service was great, the container is environmentally friendly. However, my corn was bigger than the container so some of the sauce were leaking.

Fun for the Phillies love going on right now, but skip the P churros. They were super overpriced. $17.28 for 2 churros. They lacked flavor and just seemed super greasy, they honestly just tasted like a fryer cause they didn't have cinnamon or anything. Took a solid 20 minutes from ordering to getting the churros and only 2 other people placed an order during that time so they weren't busy. I've only had the food one time before, and since it was a year ago I don't think it's fair to rate based on anything but the churro experience. GO PHILLIES!

Very flavorful and full of fixings. The chorizo had a small kick but was very delicious. I opted for flour tortilla and it did not disappoint

Honestly, no complaints. Friendly and helpful and food was delicious. I would go again. I recommend trying the almond milk Horchata. Delicious!

El Merkury gets stars for its mere existence. I LOVE pupusas, so having them available within a mile of my home is a win. Pupusas with cheese and loroco are my preference, so I ordered that. They are good, though the curtido (the slaw served with them) was just okay. My husband tried a baleada and really enjoyed it. We'd never had it before, so I can't vouch for whether it is a good example of the dish, but what we were served tasted good, and that's what matters. Like much of the market, they are a little pricy. But since I know I will never be able to make delicious pupusas myself (I've seen loroco in a market only once, in Los Angeles), whatever they charge is justified. One day I will plan ahead, save my appetite, and try their churros which look impressive.

Another must try at the Reading Terminal Market! Not only was this restaurant visually appealing, you could smell the food from a mile away. There was a wide variety of juices and I ended up settling on the cucumber lemonade. It was such a refreshing drink and really gives you a surge of energy. It was the perfect amount of sweetness and quantity. I would definitely recommend this drink, it also does a good job with cleansing your pallet. I ordered the bean and cheese veggie arepa and it was super filling. The pickled veggies on top were literally the cherry on top. The arepa was cooked to perfection and the tomato sauce they had on top was so juicy and really pulled the entire meal together. Overall, a 10/10 in my books. Hope to be back soon!

New lunch place to try in the Terminal! I was very sorry to see Condiment close shop, and I wish El Merkury well in the space. They specialize in Central American street food, and feature churros. I'm not a fan at all of churros, so that was out. Today, I went with Papusa. You get two Masa pockets filled with pork, vegetable, or cheese. It also has pickled onions, a slaw, and salsa. The sides to go with the Papusa were fresh, tangy, and zinged with flavors. The Papusa itself with the pork inside I thought was bland. It definitely needed the sides. They were also literally heavy because I was not expecting it to be a filled flattened bread. The guacamole and chips were just fine; not enough guacamole for the generous number of homemade chips given. The guacamole was good with nice flavor. El Merkury also has street corn on the cob, and other tasty looking items on the menu. You have to pay Terminal Market prices, and I had an enjoyable lunch. $10 for the Papusa, $7 for guacamole and chips. A little on the expensive side today.

Stopped by to get the chicharron pork pupusas and a classic churro for an early lunch! The pupusas were $10 but came with 2 in the order, which was great for a lighter lunch. They were topped with pickled onions, cabbage, carrots, and salsa. I'm a slow eater, so some of the pupusas were soggy by the time I got to them because of the salsa. Next time I'd ask for salsa on the side. No pics of the churro, but it was good, crispy, and came out warm. Great value for the price, especially considering the prime location, and the service was super fast. Wasn't busy when I went around 11am on a weekday. Would love to come back and try some more food!

Ordered delivery, and the pupusas were very lackluster. They really lacked salt, and were not anything special. Perhaps you'd like them if you've never had them before, but it really did not satisfy my craving. I wouldn't come back for this meal, but at least they put salsa and curtido on it.

El Mirador in Manassas VA will always be my favorite pupusas but the pupusas at El Mercury are still a satisfying meal. I ordered the loroco and it was pretty good. I appreciate them not using styrofoam trays. Quick and easy stop if you're in RT. Next time I'll have to try their churro sundaes! Will update when I do.

Got the birthday cake churro earlier today, not worth the money or the wait but it's not bad. The sauce was basically frosting, and the soft-serve was pretty good, but the churro itself was not soft enough. It was purely crunchy like a potato chip- not my cup of tea. On top of that, the wait was like 20 minutes for a small churro. Not worth it with so many other options.

My friend and I went here last Sunday at noon to discover some new places to eat at Reading Terminal. We decided to order the Salvadoran pupusas- 2 chicharron pork. It came with Peppered Cabbage/carrot in a small sauce container, pickled onion, plain salsa alongside the 2 pork pupusas. We both through there needed to be more cabbage/carrot to add to the pupusas for portions. Also, just portions in general for the pupusas could've been better. Eating 2 of these by one person would not have filled them up and you're paying $10 for it. Other than that, the pork came out very flavorful and juicy. The bread casing on the pupusa is very well-made. My friend really enjoyed his. Food: Great, but portions need to be better for the price. Parking: Street Metered Parking for reading terminal Service: Quick, it's just takeout only. Got our food within 10 minutes after ordering. Would I come here again? Yes, but I might try to order something else and see if that's better with the portions. The taste is there.

I have been craving papusas for quite some time and was over the moon to find that there was a place that sold them at Reading Terminal. I've had some pretty legit papusas before, so coming in I had some big expectations. Food was decent enough to curb my cravings but there was definitely room for improvement! I wish they were more generous with their pickled onions and slaw. Also wished the slaw was more acidic and colder (it got pretty warm sitting on top of my papusa). I feel like the amount of slaw they give you is only enough to eat alongside half a papusa. I also wish the pork papusas come with cheese inside. Most papusa places offer pork and cheese for their filling. It's pretty common and standard, so I was surprised that when I ordered the pork ones, it just had pork inside and nothing else. Without cheese, they were a bit on the drier side. Their elote was good but the corn kernels were so small! I'm not sure if it was worth paying $6 for. When I come back, I will try some of their other items like their churros!

Excellent place to get Latin American food at Reading Terminal Market! I've been here a few times now and everything I've tried has been great. Prices are fairly low for the amount of food you get, too. And their churros are amazing.

Very kind and very fast. The food was amazing. Payment process is very easy with it connected to my phone. The food had wonderful taste!

The torched meringue and churro combo is crazy good! I liked that the churro wasn't too heavily coated in cinnamon sugar because that would've made it too sweet since it comes with vanilla ice cream. I'm definitely coming back to try out the other flavors. Also, note that they only take card!

First time trying this Reading Terminal vendor. Delicious food, friendly service. I really enjoyed my Honduran Baleada with chicken, it was so good, fresh and filling.

Split a combo and left really happy and full! Chips were awesome. I should've gotten some to go as well. The balleada was not the thick fluffy tortilla I'm used to so that was disappointing...seemed just like a regular tortilla, so more like eating a quesadilla. The fillings were tasty though. The original churro was crunchy and the soft serve it came with hit the spot. The almond milk horchata was really tasty.

So so glad I tried this place! Awesome vegetarian options and even the drinks are incredible! Love love it! 12/10 recommend!! Service is always so kind too!!

Honestly fantastic. Same high quality as Chestnut Street location. Pork baleadas with extra hot sauce (holy shit it's hot) and avocado might be the one of the best lunches I've had in Philly

Delicious! If you're at the Market this is a place you must try! The baleadas and pupusas were great. We especially loved the pork.