DINNER: La Santaneca de la Mission, San Francisco

What can I say, this was hands down the best dining experience I had in a long time and my meal cost $11 tip included!! I still dream of the pupusas I ate here. I often wonder why pupusas never really made it mainstream in California. They are SOOOO good!!! Some background first. My mom is from El Salvador. My grandma used to make pupusas that were out of this world. She taught my mom to make them and my mom's are just as good. Pupusas are like very thick, soft tortillas stuffed with cheese, meat and/or beans. In the 90s, my mom had a little cafe in southern California that served home made pupusas. They were very popular but the cafe has since closed and my mom is now retired. She rarely makes them anymore unless my sister and I beg her to (and we do). On a recent weekend trip to San Francisco, I suggested El Salvadorian food for dinner one night. It just so happened that there was a Salvadorian place within walking distance from my friend's house, La Santaneca de la Mission. Mark, my sister Monica and I ordered pupusas and plantains, typical El Salvadorian fare. The pupusas are $1.75 each. You can choose beans, cheese, pork (or any combo of those) to fill your pupusas. Also available as options for your pupusas for just a quarter extra are loroco (a delicious edible flower/herb used to flavor food) and rice flour if you prefer it to corn flour. I don't eat meat so I ordered one queso con loroco and one queso con arina de arroz (rice flour). I also ordered a side of plantains. These pupusas were TO DIE FOR!!! Trust me. My mom is from El Salvador. I have eaten plenty of pupusas in my life. I have even eaten pupusas in El Salvador. The pupusas here are soft, gooey and delicious. The proper way to eat a pupusa is topped with curtido (pickled cabbage slaw). I also like to top mine with a little hot salsa. The curtido was crisp and delicious and the salsa was fresh with just the perfect amount of spice. The plantains were also to die for. I can't describe them; you just have to go try them. My sister ordered a side of rice with her pupusas but it was very buttery and just too oily. The starter chips and salsa didn't disappoint though. The chips were thick and the salsa was oniony and spicy. I have to say that these pupusas here are better than any pupusas I have ever eaten with the obvious exception of my mom’s and my grandma’s. And they were cheap! If you are ever in San Francisco you have to try this place out. It is delicious, cheap and right across from a BART station so you have no absolutely no excuse not to try it.