Restaurant Review: Pupusersia Marelyn brings a taste of El Salvador to Dodds Avenue

Sometimes, the best way forward is to ask for help. Unfamiliar as we were with Pupuseria Marelyn, my lunch partner and I decided to ask the server for advice on how many pupusas most people get when they visit.

We'd both eaten pupusas at Conga on Main and liked them very much before. We could see the picture of a plate of pupusas on the menu, but it showed six, so we weren't sure how many to order - and we also wanted to sample a tamale.

Pupuseria Marelyn on Dodds Avenue is a go-to place for pupusas made in the Salvadoran tradition and served with slaw. Pupusas are thick corn tortillas stuffed with cheeses, meats, spinach, beans or any combination. Shown is the cheese and spinach variety.

"Most people get two or three," the server said in answer to our question about how many we should get.

I'm guessing that the ones who order three don't also get a tamale, because three were way more than enough food. Add in the family-sized bowl of slaw that comes with each meal and we were full. And very happy.

We'd been told about the place by fellow food adventurer Dr. Bruce Kaplan while dining at our favorite Thai place. Each of us love finding the next hidden gem, and kudos to Bruce for this find.

"You'll feel safe, too, because the fence around the parking lot has barbed wire on top," he said.

No kidding. Located inside what appears to be an old storage building on Dodds Avenue near 23rd Street, the exterior might scare some off. But inside, it is very open, bright and friendly, and the staff is helpful and friendly as well. The food was very good.

Pupusas are thick corn tortillas filled with goodness like pork and cheese and spinach or beans. These are about 6 inches in diameter and grilled to perfection. My wife and I tried making our own over the weekend, but that's for another story.

THE MENU

Pupuseria Marelyn has a fairly extensive menu. It offers 10 different pupusas ($2), including cheese, refried beans, chicken, squash and combinations of those. Tacos are offered with steak ($2), cow tongue and marinated pork (both are $2.50).

Sopa de Mariscos ($14.99) is a creamy bowl of seafood heaven. My large bowl was packed with crab legs, mussels, shrimp, calamari, clams and sea bass, as well as tomatoes, yellow peppers, lime juice, cilantro and onions. The rich broth is topped off with cream to give it an even richer, creamier texture and flavor.

Fajitas and quesadillas range in price from $9.99 to $11.99 and feature steak, shrimp or chicken. Plates are similarly priced as are the many entrees on the menu featuring shrimp, fish, pork, chicken and steak.

Beverages include Coke products and several sweet Latin favorites such as mango, hibiscus flowers and horchata ($2.50), which is a sweet rice and cinnamon drink.

THE ORDER

On my first visit, I got three pupusas: one filled with cheese and spinach, one made of shredded pork and cheese, and one with cheese, refried beans and shredded pork, along with a pork tamale. With my glass of water, my bill was $9.30 by the way, and I left overly full.

On my second visit, I again got the spinach and cheese pupusa and the Sopa de Mariscos, which is a giant bowl of several seafood items swimming in a rich, creamy broth. It was teaming with crab legs, mussels, shrimp, calamari, clams and sea bass, as well as tomatoes, yellow peppers, lime juice, cilantro and onions.

It was very good, but be warned, it is an effort to eat and you will need a second bowl or plate for the shells.

I didn't need the pupusa, but it was just as delicious as before.

THE VERDICT

The fencing and barbed wire will get your attention, but the dining area is very open and friendly, as I said earlier. The service was the same each time, even though it filled up with people shortly after our arrival on the second visit.

Contact Barry Courter at bcourter@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6354.