Over in Moorefield, West Virginia, there is a real, authentic pupuseria.
What is a pupuseria? It's where pupusas are sold! What are pupusas? Well, let's turn to Wikipedia:
"A pupusa is a thick flatbread from El Salvador made with cornmeal or rice flour, similar to the Venezuelan and Colombian arepa. It is usually stuffed with one or more ingredients. These may include cheese, chicharrón, squash, or refried beans."
Pupuseria Emerita serves up authentic Salvadorian and Honduran food. Everything is made fresh and from scratch right in Moorefield.
And I had to try some of these pupusas.
On the day I went, they had five different kinds. I ordered shrimp & cheese, pork & cheese, and one that had a plant, similar to cactus.
These are like savory little fluffy pancakes with a filling inside.
And they were served with a marinara-esque sauce and a vinegar slaw that was the perfect citrus accent for a heavy dish. Delicious.
The menu has bbq sandwiches, burgers, wraps, and more. This was a pretty easy decision for me, though. The pork sampler - written in at the bottom of the menu - is three sliders (a memphis red sandwich, a smoked pulled pork sandwich, and a North Carolina minced pork sandwich).
The menu has some really good options - steak, salmon, crab cakes, sandwiches, salads and more. I rarely order a salad, because how can you size up a restaurant based merely on a bunch of ingredients that have been assembled. Where's the creativity? Where's the personality? Where's the fun? O'Neills solved that for me.
