Colombia and El Salvador!

I've been taunted by delicious photos from El Arepazo Y Pupuseria's Facebook page for months and finally found myself hungry on the west side. El Arepazo Y Pupuseria is a super cute spot in Fairview Park - a neighborhood I hadn't visited before. They specialize in food from Colombia and El Salvador and offer a large menu with arepas, pupusas, and lots of other options - heavy on the meat. 

We just finished watching Oppenheimer and after three straight hours of men talking, I felt like I had earned a giant frozen sangria. It was huge, tasty, and STRONG. So strong that I forgot to snap a photo of it. 

After looking through the menu, we decided to try a few different things - arepa el pastor, pupusas birria and pupusas de queso con loroco, and Colombian sausage. 

The arepas are what sucked me in and they were surprisingly our least favorite of the three. Arepas are grilled thin corn tortillas that are commonly split open and stuffed with deliciousness. They are a common street food and you'll also find them alongside most meals. We chose the pastor option which was seasoned pork, pineapple, and grilled onions. I'm spoiled by the pastor at Los Guachos Taqueria in Columbus so I don't know why I keep trying it elsewhere - it never compares! The pastor in the arepa was cubed pork vs. the slivers off a spit similar to a gyro or shwarma. I didn't see any chunks of pineapple either. The actual arepa was well made though so I think it would be better with a different type of meat or veggie filling. The plantains though! OMG. I think every time I have them, I declare them to be the best plantains I've ever had BUT it's really true this time. These were perfection. I could have eaten an entire plate and will probably go back to do so.

Pupusas are El Salvador's version of the arepa. They are made with thicker dough and stuffed with meat, veggies, and cheese. We ordered the birria - stewed beef - and queso con loroco - cheese with the edible green buds of Fernaldia pandurata, a flowering vine that thrives throughout Central America. Both of these were excellent! I couldn't really decipher the loroco flavor, but it was fun to try something very traditional to El Salvador. 

Not the most appetizing photo, but this Colombian sausage was SO GOOD. Perfectly charred with a crispy exterior and seasoned really well. It was perfect to dip into the creamy green sauce. I thought I had eaten enough sausage to last a lifetime since my move to Cleveland but then this one arrived. 

This place is going to get added into the west side rotation. If you enjoy Barroco, try this much more affordable (and better, less corporate IMO) option! 

Unfortunately, I can't find any history about the Colombian immigration to Cleveland other than the stat of about 10% of the population being Latin American. The Colombian Cultural Garden is currently under development. You can learn more about the plans here and donate to the Ohio Colombian Foundation to help them see it come to fruition. 

34 down, 18 to go! 

El Arepazo Y Pupuseria

22799 Lorain Rd.

Cleveland, OH 44126

Website

Operating Hours:

MON - SAT | 12p - 9p

SUN  | closed