Paseo San Miguel

"If you’re new to Salvadoran food, Paseo San Miguel can be your 101 course, training wheels, beginner’s guide, or whatever you want to call it. This local mini-chain specializes in simple everyday staples, like sweet fried plantains with sour cream, mixed piles of fried chicharron and yucca, and pupusas leaking cheese and beans like punctured water balloons. But the best pupusa at Paseo San Miguel is the version with zucchini and cheese that packs extra crunch and moisture from the cooked squash. It’s super subtle in flavor. That means you have more of an excuse to dump briny curtido on top. " - Sylvio Martins, Brant Cox, Nikko Duren

"Offering a touch of inner-city rancho and dishes like huevos con loroco, an edible flower whose bitter notes are a primary theme in Salvadoran cuisine, this small chain offers great food and ambience. There’s a fine, hearty sopa de pata, or cow’s foot soup flush with vegetables, stained brick red with achiote and thickened by cooked rice that really hits the spot." - Bill Esparza

"With multiple locations around LA, Paseo San Miguel is a one-stop-shop for trying El Salvador’s most celebrated dishes. The pupusas here are excellent, satisfyingly big, and can be made from either cornmeal or rice flour. If you’re unsure about which pupusa to choose, the go-to here is their revuelta, which is the name for the classic chicharron, bean, and cheese combo. This place never skimps on the filling either, so expect plenty of cheesy stuffing rather than digging into mouthfuls of dough. Also, their briny curtido brings tons of acidic flavor and crunch to every bite." - Sylvio Martins