Catherine W.
Yelp
I read about this place in an article with one of my favorite chefs Meherwan Irani of our beloved Asheville restaurant, Chai Pani. The article was about strip mall restaurants and Chef Irani really liked Pupuseria Patty. Being from California, I miss a really excellent hole-in-the-wall, mom and pop restaurant.
Enter, Pupuseria Patty. The unassuming location, adjacent to a gas station might be off-putting to some. But to me, a California native, it held promise. Could this place live up to my expectations? So many of the restaurants I knew and loved back home were hole in the walls, but inside, were food treasures beyond compare.
The inside of the restaurant is very small. There are maybe 7 tables. You order at the register from a menu that first is Spanish, but is followed by English if you look closely. I like that. English is the minority in this house, right?
I ordered 4 pupusas - which kind? I told the friendly woman at the counter, anything, surprise me, I leave it to you. I also ordered the oven roasted chicken.
At last a table opened up and I sat down. The pupusas are made fresh to order. You can watch them hand pat and fill them. The pillows of goodness were delivered to my table. Cheese, bean and cheese, some kind of seasoned corn, I have no idea what exactly I ordered - but it was divine. Craveable, warm, soft, delicate, pillows of heavenly goodness. It was the best meal I've had in a long time.
I thought, nothing can live up to this now. Then I tried the oven roasted chicken. It was like a comfort food meal. Rice, beans, plantains, a salad, some cheese, tender dark meat chicken in a delicious red sauce. It was really, really good. Two meals, a Mexican Coke, a horchata = $23.
I looked outside, at the snow falling and thought, "How is there not a line out the door for this place?" It was busy, but not that busy. I don't think it will last that way. One day, this amazing temple of Salvadoran pupusas will be discovered like everything else. Run, don't walk and get one while you can.