Pupuseria La Palmera

I’m going to be quite frank. I took Español in high school and college, so I know that the name of this restaurant means something much different than what it sounds; however, I can’t help but giggle a little bit as I drive past it in South Minneapolis after work each day. That being said, it’s also intriguing – just what kind of food is served at a place called Pupuseria La Palmera? My curiosity finally got the best of me last week when my man was out of town and I needed a quick option for dinner. TAKE OUT screamed at me from the window in large, bold letters. I parked along the street and decided to muster up my courage and give it a try. I’ll be honest, I love trying new restaurants, but it’s daunting to do it by myself (I’ve always been an introvert and really dislike going out of my comfort zone). Thus, it was a day for new experiences and I confidently got out of my car and stepped into the restaurant.

The space itself is pretty bare. I visited here once before when Stabby’s inhabited it, and it seems that they haven’t changed much. Since I was only grabbing take out, it didn’t really bother me. The guy who took my order was pleasant, but I got the vibe that I seemed out of place. I quickly scanned the menu and decided that it would make sense to order what the restaurant was actually named after–a pupusa. It appears that this El Salvardoran tidbit is a thick, hand-made tortilla filled with a variety of savory treats; beans, pork, and cheese being among them. I wasn’t feeling very hungry, so I ordered just one of the cheese and loroco pupusas (loroco is an edible flower used in Salvadoran cooking). The pupusa came with a serving of a pickled cabbage & hot pepper slaw, as well as a small container of some kind of salsa. And the grand total? $2.45. Can’t beat that for a night off of cooking in a hot kitchen! After a few minutes of waiting, they brought out my order and I was on my merry way back home.

Once home, I piled everything onto a plate, grabbed a pint of Fulton Brewery’s “The Ringer,” and proceeded to take in the warm summer evening from a lawn chair in my backyard. The pupusa was tasty — deliciously cheesy and flavorful, and perfectly complemented by the crunchy, tangy slaw and tomato-y salsa. It ended up being just the right amount for a night where I wasn’t too hungry, but I’m sure I could probably eat two pupusas on a normal night. I highly suggest stopping by Pupuseria La Palmera and enjoying a pupusa of your own!

Atmosphere
The decor is pretty minimal, not somewhere you’d want to go just for the atmosphere.

Service
Pretty standard take-out service.

Presentation
Styrofoam container, solo sauce cup, plastic thank you bag.

Taste
The taste was excellent! I love trying food from other cultures.

Value for Dollars
$2.45 for a pupusa, some slaw, and sauce to go with it? Can’t beat that.