Brand new Mexican restaurant surprises with great flavor
Adjacent to Mi Bandera Supermarket is Mi Bandera Taqueria, advertised with a grand opening sign but nothing else. Chairs block what would be the entryway, with a sign pointing customers to the entrance of the supermarket. The taqueria is one of those where one must walk through the store to get to the restaurant—while common, this is hardly something exclusive to Mexican restaurant—the restaurant-in-a-pharmacy immediately comes to mind.
The old school reappears on the small counter where one orders—“ring bell for service.” There were a few specials when I visited, including a steak and potatoes dish, another beef dish, sopes and, curiously enough, pupusas. Pupusas come from El Salvador (and occasionally from surrounding Honduras and Guatemala), and in my limited experience I’ve seen Mexican dishes on Salvadoran menus, but never a pupusa at a Mexican restaurant. Tortas are the other main offering on their menu, but they tend toward the expensive side ($7 and up). Drinks were out of a fridge save the horchata, which had a very nice balance of rice and cinnamony sweetness.
The asada tacos, served “taqueria style” on doubled mini corn tortillas with lime, onion, cilantro, and radish, were spot on. Not too much fat on the asada, but griddled well, picking up a little char. The garnishments were fresh and crisp (one shouldn’t expect any less when eating in a supermarket), and worked perfectly with the tacos. What I found remarkable was that this was the grand opening of this taqueria (who knows how long it had been open, but it couldn’t have been longer than a month, I think), and the flavor of the asada was so good, it was as if it picked up flavors from a grill that had been in use for twenty years. The al Pastor was good, but nothing spectacular. A spit was not evident, so it’s not worth going out of your way to get them. The holy grail of al pastor is heavily caramelized chunks of pork that are well-marinated and juicy with tiny pineapple chunks; anything less and you’re not getting the al Pastor experience. The sope, I will admit, had a little odd taste at first. There was nothing unusual about the ingredients (lettuce, tomato, Chihuahua cheese?, crema, chorizo), but the combination of the chorizo’s flavors with the crema and the tomato made it taste a little like ranch dressing. But when the second bite came around, everything was alright. The chorizo was very crumbly, staying on the sope and the flavors blended really well.The final dish I got around to was the pupusa. My brother Harry was at first very apprehensive about the chicharron factor. We all have the pre-conceived notion of the pork r
ind, whether it be the fatty, deep fried, disgusting “snack,” or the wonderfully flavorful and delicious lo-carb treat. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground, does there? The pupusa came out, and the masa disc showed no signs of being filled with anything. Harry wondered aloud, “is there even chicharron in there?” I piled the pupusa with the vinegary cabbage slaw, poured on some runny red sauce, and found out. It was…delicious. The chicharron, which I had expected to be crunchy and crackly, was actually soft, tempered in juices and encased in the pupusa. It had all the flavor of a great pulled pork, and was perfectly complemented with the lime covered cabbage and sauce. The cabbage accompaniment is sometimes pickled and spicy, but this preparation was clean, crisp, sweet, and perfect for the pupusa. The cheese was barely noticeable, but I didn’t care as I got down to the end of the pupusa—it was very good.The verdict on Mi Bandera? Well executed, flavorful dishes, all from a newcomer on the scene. Cheap tacos (1.25 each) and very fair prices on sopes and pupusas add up to great value and a pleasant surprise from the supermarket taqueria. Pictures to come…
Mi Bandera Supermarket (restaurant is attached)
Beechcroft Centre
1965 E Dublin Granville Rd
Columbus, OH 43229
(614) 888-9510
Cafeteria Salvadorena
If you make pupusas, they will come...
Another restaurant worth noting is Cafeteria Salvadorena, a literal hole-in-the-wall on the east side of Columbus. I figure I’ll kill two birds with one pupusa on this review. The restaurant is off of Steltzer, across from a park with barbed wire fencing around it. It’s set back, maybe 200 feet or so from the road by a large expanse of deserted parking lot. It looks like there was some kind of cheap supermarket next to it at one time, but it’s long abandoned. Every other storefront next to the place is empty and falling apart as well. The inside is welcoming, filled with Salvadoran flags, quilts, and images. Pupusas were spot on—they tasted more homemade than the Mi Bandera (maybe a different masa?), but there were only a few options—cheese, cheese and beans, and cheese and loroco, an edible flower that is a traditional ingredient in a pupusa. The loroco is interesting, but it doesn’t add or detract much from the pupusa. The pupusas overall were pretty good—gooey melty goodness, but nothing out of this world. The rest of the offerings looked to be standard fare. Chicken a la plancha was tasty—flattened and grilled, but perhaps a little on the salty side. Be careful with the language barrier—one of the things I ordered got lost somewhere along the way, so double check to make sure they understood everything you asked for.
If you’re looking for great preparation of pupusas and a real Salvadoran experience, Cafeteria Salvadorena’s a good fit. The surroundings are so desolate, you might want to go just to show your friends pictures and say you went. It’s also a good option if you’re in the neighborhood (just south of the airport).
Cafeteria Salvadorena
3208 Allegheny Ave (off of Steltzer Rd)
Columbus, OH 43209
(614) 338-0552
