On a whim, we purchased a Deal Chicken deal for El Salvador Del Mundo (they don't have a website, but the link will take you to their Facebook page) on 6th ave. in Des Moines. The reviews that we found online were all pretty positive so we gave it a shot.Wow! I'm sad it took us so long to discover this place. It isn't much from the outside, but there is a small parking lot that will fit 10-12 cars that is well-lit. They have the inside decorated with souvenirs from El Salvador and it really is interesting to look at. Don't get me wrong, I love to sip a glass of wine and enjoy the ambiance of a popular, overpriced, crowded restaurant, but sometimes it isn't about the experience and it's all about the food. And you'll get lots of good food here. The restaurant seats about 12 parties. We arrived about 6pm with no wait.
I was shocked at how inexpensive the menu items were so it made it easy to try a bunch of things and not have to settle on one. They had a kids menu, including authentic items or chicken nuggets if your kid isn't into pupusas. They even serve breakfast, and our friend Dave thought the breakfast special which included fried plantains sounded so good he ordered it for dinner and he wasn't disappointed. Josh ordered the carne asada and said it was really good, he really liked the spices and the meat was tender. I ordered a sweet corn tamale which was really tasty but I would have liked some filling in it. Nathan got a cheese pupusa and had no complaints (it was a lot like a cheese quesadilla). The whole meal was $34 including drinks. We all agreed we'd be back. The owners were friendly, the food was good and the price was right. Go out of your comfort zone and give El Salvador Del Mundo a shot. You might just like it!
I love this place! If you go back, ask for agua de Marañón. It's a juice drink made from a fruit I'd never heard of but, in English, is called Cashew Apple. They don't always have it but it's so good! It's pronounced (mar-ahn-yown). My favorite entree is on the vegetarian menu (though I'm not a vegetarian). I can't remember what it's called but it comes with rice, beans(maybe the best refried beans I've ever had!), a cheese pupusa, plaintains and fried yucca. I'd never had yucca before I had it here. I don't know about other cooking methods, but the fried yucca is so good! A little like a potato. (By the way, I love your blog and met you at the East Village Dishcrawl)
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