Restaurant Salvadoreno Usuluteco
Restaurant Salvadoreno Usuluteco
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
7 reviews
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Food is absolutely delicious – the pupusas especially. We had the ones filled with cheese and beans and I could have eaten a whole second serving. I also highly recommend their horchata drink – milky and nutty and just the right amount of sweet.
The atmosphere is like a dive bar, with loud Spanish music that was being set up for karaoke. My only complaint is about the crowd – essentially this is a restaurant/bar filled with drunk older men who enjoy starting physical fights. They were so drunk that they were spilling beer and food down their shirts but it was their continuous shoving, pushing and overall aggressiveness that was most concerning. Considering the fact that no one else in the entire restaurant seemed alarmed, it was obvious that this is a regular occurrence. It was extremely uncomfortable to watch and for that reason I could not wait to get the $&@! out of there. It's unfortunate because the food was inexpensive and really, really tasty. However, I wouldn't put myself in that situation again! Beware.
it is christmas eve and im staying at a near by hotel. the weather is crappy. its cold and rainy. but being hungry sucks too so i walked around in search of whatever restaurant is open. usuluteco is. i ordered a seafood soup which i could not finish as it was bigger than my apetite. prices are decent but the service was remarkably slow. perhaps because it was noche buena. props for being open on christmas eve but when im hungry, im hungry. three solid stars.
Seems like I'm having a lot of luck with restaurants in the Brooklyn area. This place is an awesome Salvadorean restaurant with authentic Salvadoreans. I'm not saying that you need actual Salvadoreans, but it adds to the ambiance.
Upon entering, I noticed how dark the restaurant was. A bit too dark compared to most restaurants but it's no big deal. I sat on the bar area and chose the "bistec encebollado" – beef steak with onions. This dish was amazing! I highly recommend it.
I don't understand the fuss…this was recommended on Time Out and I don't know if I can trust them again! While the Pupusa wasn't bad, everything else lacked flavor…You should never have to add salt to Latin cuisine! I also didn't think the prices were as low as stated. There are better places around.
I am so happy to have found a good place for pupusas near me! Bean and cheese is my favorite, but they have a few other varieties.
Service leaves something to be desired. I was in the restaurant for several minutes while all the employees were doing who knows what in the back. Finally another costumer whistled to get their attention. The waitress seemed rather annoyed at my presence. Oh well, I didn't come for a grand dining experience; I came for some good pupusas, and that's exactly what I found.
In all honesty, being at this restaurant brought back so many memories of my childhood, tagging along with my dad to restaurants just like this one, where everyone spoke spanish, soccer played on the televisions, and bachata and cumbia set the mood at night. This place is a gem, and is probably one of the very few authentic restaurants that operates in Sunset Park right now.
HOWEVER, I never paid this restaurant any mind when I lived in Sunset Park because it looked like a popular spot where drunken idiots congregated on a daily basis. The day I popped in was no different, however I was able to overlook it. I was also able to overlook the terrible service and dirty bathroom.
Why am I being so forgiving, you ask?
Because the food here is amazing. F—ing amazing. The beers were $4 each.. At that price, I'd probably be one of said drunken idiots congregating here, too. Anyway, I came here with two others with pupusas on our mind and that is just what we got. Authentic Salvadorean pupusas stuffed with cheese and beans. We also ordered a couple of dishes; one of us had the breaded chicken dish and the other had steak and onions. The breaded chicken was crunchy on the outside, but juicy on the inside. My friend likened the chicken to "crack". The rice and beans were great. The steak and onions was solid. Everything was great, really. I almost cant wait to go back.
Usuluteco, a Salvadoran restaurant, accepts credit cards, but only in person; they won't accept credit cards over the phone. However, they do accept checks. Since most Spanish restaurants are cash only, they are to be commended. Thankfully, their food is quite delectable: Spanish comfort food with easy payment options. Awesome combo.
Food from El Salvador definitely has a homey characteristic that almost borders on "comfort food". My review can be summed up in one sentence: I really like this place. I will be ordering a lot from them.
So far, the high point for me is the pupusa. If you come here, do yourself a favor and order it.
Food reviews:
Sides
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Yellow Plantains: B+
Many places serve "tostones" that taste stale or as if they were fried a few days previous. These tostones are quite good. They are fresh and tasty.
Casamiento: A-
Rice and beans done quite nicely.
Platters
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Carne Desilada (Shredded beef): B+
Never seen this before. Kind of like a Hispanic egg-foo-young with shredded beef. It's shredded beef held together with egg, onions and capers. The beef had a good flavor, but slightly tough — I think it might have been over-cooked, otherwise this would've received A-.
Carne Asada: B+
Very flat (pounded) beef in a tasty brown sauce. I think I've seen this called "lomos" in other restaurants. I couldn't tell that the beef was roasted at all, so it was slightly disappointing.
Costilla ala BBQ: B
Sauce based ribs, but not overly sweet. A bit tough and not well marbled; it might have been overcooked. An OK ribs.
Authentic Salvadorean Appetizers
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Tamale de Pollo: A
I had actually ordered the tamale de cerdo, but they gave me chicken instead. These aren't the dry masa type tamale in corn husks; these are the wet masa tamales wrapped in a banana leaf(?). Excellent. You get two, which makes it not so much an appetizer as a meal.
Pupusa de Loroca: A
Called a "Salvadorian pizza". One of the best things I've had in a long time; I'm a fan!!. It's tiny and can properly be called an appetizer. If you want delicious, order this along with your meal.
Pupusa Revuelta con Loroco: B+
Similar to pupusa de Loroca, but slightly less yummy.
Pupusa de Ayote: B+
Similar to pupusa de Loroca, but slightly less yummy.
Tacos Dorados de Pollo: A-
These are not Mexican tacos (think: Taco Bell) or Honduran tacos (think: my wife's family's tacos). They are rolled up into cylinders and fried till golden, kind of like Honduran tacos. Most people would recognize them as "taquitos", but the tortilla is a bit more light and fluffy than your typical taquito.
Desserts
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Arroz con Leche: B-
Too much like rice and milk; not sweet enough. Probably should be cooked a bit more. They have real cinnamon bark in it, but I think it should have a bit more; I would add a bit more powdered cinnamon in addition to the bark and perhaps some sweet condensed milk in addition to cooking a bit more.