El Salvador

 

EATS AND DRINKS

 

BEST SALVADORAN RESTAURANT

Restaurante El Salvador

207 S. Broadway, (410) 522-3270

Posted 9/13/2000

Our favorite part of Fells Point isn't the bars, the gift shops, or even Sound Garden. It's the gaggle of small, family-owned Latin restaurants on Broadway, mostly right around the Baltimore Street intersection. While the restaurants serve cuisine from Mexico and the Caribbean (there are few whatever/Chinese eateries left, unfortunately), their owners are almost all Salvadoran, and that's the part of the menu you want to stick to. But one Salvadoran eatery stands out above the others: Restaurante El Salvador. The service is a bit more friendly, the en Español soap operas aren't turned up quite so loud, and the décor isn't as garish. (The joint does have photos of owner Heber Bortillo with Gov. Parris Glendening and ex-Mayor Kurt Schmoke hanging on the wall, though.) The real difference, however, is the most important one: the food. And El Salvador does our three favorite Salvadoran appetizers perfectly: The tamales, the pupusas (tortillas filled with cheese and succulent meat), and the plantains (served with refried beans and sour cream for dipping) are all tops on Broadway. And all the entrées we've tried--including beef, chicken, and seafood dishes--are very good for the prices. You won't find many main dishes for more than $10 here. Our only complaint is that the steaks aren't cut out of the most tender cuts of beef. The price, though, helps make up for the occasionally chewy cow meat.