Katerina’s Pupuseria in Cleveland

One of our favorite carb & filling combos is the Salvadorean pupusa, which just may be one of the ultimate comfort foods. Katerina’s Pupuseria (1409 Brookpark Rd., Cleveland, OH) is certainly located off the beaten path, and it seems to do double duty as a banquet hall and a bar. There is even a pool table, which was empty when we got there at 1 PM, probably a little before typical party time. The inside is very cute, filled with little seating coves, decorative blue and yellow tiles and Salvadorean trinkets.

Of course we had to order the pupusas (which were the bulk of the menu), our favorite little masa pockets filled with tasty fillings (including chicken, cheese, garlic, pork and zucchini). We each tried different pupusa varieties, L with her favorite loroco flowers and M with pork. The pupusas were only 2 dollars each and we found 2 apiece to be more than filling.  The pupusas were tender and tasty and the fillings were generous. And of course who could forget the vinegary curtido slaw, necessary to give the pupusas a little kick.

This was also our first time trying Salvadorean horchata, which is different than the Mexican version, and is made from morro seeds, instead of rice. It reminded us a bit more of the nut-based Spanish horchata instead of the Mexican rice-based version. The pupusas and horchata were the perfect cheap lunch and had us remembering some of our favorite classic meals in Chicago. definitely make a stop at Katerina’s for pupusas, and maybe even a game of pool.