Pupusita Express

My son never wants to try anything new. He loved it. There is something here for everyone. The best tamales I have ever tasted. Every filling of every dish was perfect. You think you have tried tortilla soup? Not like this. Nothing was less than fantastico. Go. Go. Go.

Yes. Just yes. Combo plate, yucca, cabbage jalapeño slaw. Pupusas. Yes. Chicken, vegetable, or carnitas – it will all be excellent! Not an adventurous eater? You’ll love it!

I had heard a lot of good things about this place from coworkers and since it’s a short drive away I decided to finally try it. I had to sample everything on the menu so I could get a good feel for the place so I ordered a pork tamale, steak torta, traditional pupusa, and a loroco pupusa.
While we were waiting for our food a server brought us out some multi colored tortilla chips, salsa, and a pickled cabbage+carrots+jalapenos slaw. Combine all those three together and you have a very tasty complimentary appetizer. I seriously couldn’t get enough of the pickled cabbage. It is akin to the pickled carrots and jalapenos and cauliflower you see at a lot of Mexican restaurants.
After a little snacking our food came and it was accompanied by two more salsas and a tomato based sauce for the pupusas. I immediately became a sauce based chef and started mixing and trying everything on the tamale and pupusas. Different salsas, different mixes of salsas, and different mixes of the slaw and salsas. There was not bad combination, everything worked.
The tamale came in a large banana leaf unlike the mexican tamale which comes in a corn husk. The tamale was also a little bit larger than the standard mexican tamale. The taste was quite similar except there was just more ingredients and different sauces accompanying it. All around a great tamale. My only issue with it was the price ($ 3.25). Nothing crazy but I can get mexican tamales for a dollar and three mexican tamales definitely outweigh that tamale.
The pupusas I was very excited to try since I had never had them before which is somewhat of a rarity for me as I love to try new food and seek it out. The best way I can describe it is like a smaller thicker stuffed quesadilla but definitely better. I think the dough is formed around the ingredients (typically cheese and then a meat or veggie) and then pressed flat and grilled to tasty perfection. Both pupusas were tasty, to be honest I enjoyed them both and don’t even remember which one was which or if there was a favorite.
The torta was the last and final part of the meal. I bet you are thinking: «how can one person eat so much?!» Well I had help, everything was split with another person. I decided to load up the torta with the pickled cabbage and it was definitely the right choice. It added a lot of crunch to the sandwich. The steak torta was good but nothing really separated it from a torta at another good Hispanic restaurant (except their unique slaw which I added).
I WILL definitely return for more pupusas and try some of the other items on their menu.

I love supporting small businesses and this restaurant delivers such delicious, authentic food — I encourage you to stop in for lunch or dinner!
Friendly service and very affordable!
The tamales are outstanding — moist and flavorful. The papusa variety is large and delicious. The fresh pickled cabbage and salsas are perfect accompaniment to a wonderful meal.
Love it every time!

We were up in Libertyville so we tried to find something different. What we found was «Pupusita Express» in Lake Zurich. It looked good on Unilocal 4 ½ stars. We took a chance and drove 20 minutes to get there. Pupusita is a Salvadorian restaurant. They close at 8 pm on Saturday so we called first to make sure they would take us after driving there. They were very gracious and took us even though we go there at about 7:40.
I went there with my wife and sister. My wife and I ordered the Tortilla Soup. This was more broth with vegetables unlike the Mexican tortilla soup which is more of a bean based soup w/​crispy tortillas in the soup. It was just ok. We also ordered Pupusa which was unlike anything I ever ate before. The Pupusa was like a 4″ tortilla frisbee filled with pork and cheese. It was kind of different, but nothing to write home about. My sister ordered the empanada deep fried with pork. This was pretty good, but my favorite dish was the tamale wrapped in banana leaves. Delicious flavoring
Would I go back? Maybe if I was up in Lake Zurich.

What a great find! I had never had a papusa but they are very tasty. Kind of like a filled savory pancake. We had a variety of fillings, pork and cheese, steak and cheese, chorizo… all were very good. You can add a pickled cabbage topping that adds great crunch and some spice. The pork tamales were very good. The guacamole and salsa was also a good decision. If you aren’t up for a papusa the menu is extensive. The place is clean, the owners are very nice. You should go give it a try.

Terrible gristle in the steak I had, every bite or every other bite had to spit out gristle! This was some flat pork flour-​based item (forgot the name). Told the Owner, and he had nothing to say at the LZ Farmers Market. This place either buys low quality steak, or they care not to take the time to use quality cuts or both. If I was the owner, I would have offered something else or refunded. Poor management, low quality control, spend your money elsewhere.

Made a stop for a late lunch. The Pupusas are not bad along with the tamales. The atmosphere needs work, for a new place its looks a bit run down. Give it a try for a quickie.

NOT TACOS
We we’re starving while driving on the road. We had just left a party that lacked food and needed a meal before we all passed out. I broke out the Unilocal app and this place appeared. At first I thought it was Mexican food but then quickly noticed it was Honduran food. I thought that this would be a great culinary experience to try something new.
We were starving and after looking at the menu nothing was really familiar to us so we went with a staple of tortilla chips and guacamole. We needed food ASAP. I really loved the flavor of the guac and the chips were very tasty. They also refilled our chips at no extra charge which I thought was really nice. Sometimes when a place charges for chips they don’t do free refills.
My little one is a huge soup fan and never says no to a fresh bowl. She ordered the Smokey Tortilla Chicken Soup made with fresh tomatoes, garlic, onions and chicken with chipotle peppers, cheddar and tortilla strips. She absolutely loved it. I was able to sneak a spoon and it was really yummy.
My wife ordered a vegetarian squash and Cheese Pupusas. The pupusas was like a crêpe or quesadilla filled with veggies. It was very different from anything we have ever eaten in a restaurant. It also came with a mason jar of Spicy Fermented Cabbage & jalapeño salsa. This jar was the bomb. I honestly could have grabbed a fork and eaten the whole jar at the table. My wife even said, «We need to learn how to make this!» Our food runner told us that we are suppose to eat the cabbage with the pupusas. But why stop there? It was so good I added it to my chips and salsa and even my sandwich.
I went with the ribeye sandwich with grilled onions, peppers, lettuce & tomato with a side of fried potatoes. The potatoes were really good but my little one seemed to claim them so I handed them off. The sandwich was okay. I love ribeye because it is a flavor rich cut of meat. The cut of steak was very thin and then over cooked. I am not a fan of killing my cow twice. This sandwich is similar to a torta. I added the salsa and the spicy fermented cabbage on the sandwich in order for it to taste better. The fermented cabbage is money here and can fix anything. In fact, I am hypnotized by its taste.
This place was exactly what we needed… food. Everything was cooked fresh to order. There was a counter to order food at, then a food runner would bring your dishes as they were ready. I typically don’t have a problem with that in a fast casual environment. Our food runner was also really nice answering all of our stupid questions about Honduran food. There were also other people dinning which is always a great sign. The Mexican restaurant a few doors down was completely empty which shows me that we picked the right place in the strip mall to eat at.
I am glad that we were able to experience new authentic food. Would we drive here just to eat? Probably not considering it is an hour away from our house. But if I was in the area I would definitely come back for the spicy fermented cabbage. Yeah it was that good. This place has a great following with happy customers. They are definitely doing something right.

What a little gem! Enjoyed the pork and cheese pupusas with rice and beans. It was delicious, and wonderfully enhanced by the mild red sauce, green sauce, and pickled slaw. Impeccably clean, and the owner was friendly and happy to explain the menu. Our family ate pupusas in Belize, and these are far superior. Cannot wait to go back.

I’m so glad I found this little gem after moving from the city to the burbs! This place is walking distance from my home.
The first time I visited, I placed an online pick up order. When I arrived, it was hot and ready to go! It doesn’t hurt that this place is family owned and sometimes they bring their ADORABLE little son to the restaurant who never stops smiling. Sooo cute! :)
Oh yeah — and the papusas are amazing. I recommend all of them. I usually order at least one of each every time I get food there.

This place is fantastic!
Stumbled upon it by accident but will definitely be back!
Pupusas are delicious, and OMG the tamales are the best (pork) I’ve ever had. So much filling and the masa is delicate and light.
Try the pickled slaw, very refreshing!
Guacamole taste great, almost like there’s lime in there too.
Cute, quaint, and inviting, the owner is really sweet and explains everything. He has quite a wonderful award on the wall.

Ever since my friend introduced me to pupusas (at a small place in Little Village), I’ve been on the lookout for pupusas in the suburbs. I had Pupusita Express in Lake Zurich bookmarked for months, but LZ is much farther north than my usual stomping grounds.
So it was kind of like the heavens opened up when Jacqueline announced a Unilocal event nearby. Pupusita Express, here I come!
The inside is small, a little cramped, but comfortable enough for casual dining. Bachata music plays overhead. We both ordered an assortment of pupusas, but the Pork & Cheese was by far the best one, so you have to try it! A pupusa is sort of like a hybrid of a pita and quesadilla.
The elote tamale was also good. I’ve had elotes, and I’ve had tamales, so the combination sounded good. There wasn’t any «filling» in the tamale though; the tamale was a dense masa with a sweet corn flavor and served with a side of sweet, almost cheesy sauce.
If El Salvadorean/​Latin food isn’t your thing, there’s a surprising menu of sandwiches and wraps. I don’t know if the American menu is any good, but it might be a nice option if you have picky eaters as company.
We had a filling meal, with a variety of food, and it was very inexpensive.
The service is fine. The lady behind the counter, and the man who delivered the food to our table, were courteous. Some reviews noted poor service, but I had no issues.
Pupusita Express is a can’t miss spot in the Lake Zurich area. All area residents need to get familiar with this place. I would come here occasionally if I lived closer.

What a great place. We stopped in about 45 minutes before closing and the place was quiet. The gentleman working the counter (I think he was the owner) was very helpful and explained the various offerings. I ordered the Canal De Elote, Pasteles & Papusa with rice & beans and a side of sour cream and guacamole. Mmmmmmmm. I never tried Salvadoran until I came here. I am definitely a fan and I thoroughly enjoyed every morsel. Pricing was also very reasonable. The place was immaculate and a little boy (I am assuming the owner’s son) snuck out of the kitchen to take a peak at us. He had a beautifully carved orange in his hand. After a few minutes I could not help but say hello. He was just so adorable. It really made me feel like I was in someone’s home enjoying a meal. Will definitely go back.

We had never been here before, so I have to say that the menu is confusing. It is written on a few boards and nothing is explained. I didn’t even know what a papusa was. I asked the woman at the counter to explain what it was and she said, «Umm, hmm»…and couldn’t explain it. I said, «Never mind, I’ll just try one.»
Place looked clean except for one dirty table (and we were the only ones in there, so it wasn’t like they were too busy to be wiping tables) and there were some leftover tortilla chip crumbs on the bench I was sitting on, so they should be cleaning the seats, too.
Had the pork papusa (the pork is ground to a paste consistency, which at first seemed weird to me, but after Googling it, this is how papusas are traditionally made) with their amazing pickled spicy cabbage (curtido) on top. Also had a chicken tamale which was pretty good; nothing outstanding. The little side of rice and beans was good. They brought us a basket of tortilla chips and salsa — both were very yummy. My husband had the tortilla soup (I tasted it) which was very good but a little too heavy on the salt. Will be back for the food!

Bought a double take deal for this place on a whim. So glad I did. I stopped I around 6 pm on a Sunday. Initially I asked if they were closed and the cashier told me yes. I walked to my car and the owner came out from the back and flagged me in. I am so glad.
I chose a bunch of different items to sample. The pupusas were amazing. I tried chicken and also rajas with cheese. Even my suuuuuuper picky kids enjoyed the chicken pupusas. The meat was very high quality and I am easily weirded out by meat at different places. We also tried some pasteles. They were okay but could not compare with the pupusas.
The soup is also good and they have strawberry jarritos! Yummy. So excited to find a new place that even my picky kids will eat.

Was 2 weeks into my new G-​free life, starving, hanging at my in-​laws nearby. So I punched in gluten-​free and this place popped up! I went there tonight and was totally impressed… the El Salvadorian pupusas are really tasty, I got the squash and cheese and pork and cheese. They came with a nice mild cabbage jalepeño pickle along with a green and red salsa. Unique and tasty! I will definitely go back!!!
I also got the pork tamale in banana leaf, veery good, not dry, great flavor.

pupusas in the burbs? Yes please. I love the mom’n pop shop aspect of this place — it’s delicious…
combo plate deals are excellently priced. Pupusas are authentic. REcommend!

Very confusing menu of tamals, pasteles and what comes with which. When food arrived, it all had a weird off beat taste. Rice and beans were average at best. And it wasn’t what you’d call inexpensive. Just stick to your fav Mexican joint next time for tacos, tamales and rice/​beans.
The Coke Zero was the best thing I got here.

How grateful I am to my fellow Unilocalers for finding and posting reviews for Pupusita Express! My friend and I were looking for something different for lunch in the LZ area and as this got good reviews we decided to give it a go. Neither of us had had Central American food before and had no idea what the heck a Pupusita was!
The super sweet girl at the counter was so helpful and patient explaining the different menu items that we were unfamiliar with.
We ended trying a sampling of items– the traditional Pupusita, which is masa stuffed with pork and cheese, flattened and pan grilled (ok, more like pan fried!)…simply delicious!
The spicy chicken tamale is to die for… not your often found dried up tamale in a corn husk but instead rolled in banana leaves and very moist with just the right amount of heat, not overkill.
The salsa is fresh and DELICIOUS! I could drink the stuff. The bean and rice mix was really well seasoned and although I’m not a great fan of beans I happily finished my generous serving.
My friend tried the tortilla crusted tilapia and she said it was done perfectly– nice crunch on the outside with the fish still moist inside.
The prices are very reasonable (for $ 6 or $ 7 you can get a combo and go away very full), the food is fresh and well prepared. The restaurant itself is not fancy but it’s kept very clean. I’ve no doubt that I’ll be back here as a regular.