Dirt Cheap Eats 2007: El Charrito Caminante

Reviewed by Cynthia Hacinli , Todd Kliman , Sara Levine , Ann Limpert , Erin Zimmer

El Charrito Caminante

2710-A N. Washington Blvd.
Arlington, VA
Phone: (703) 351-1177

Cuisines:
Mexican, Salvadoran

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
Clarendon

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Chatty

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Cash Only, Kid Friendly

Best Dishes
Tacos with chorizo, beef, beef tongue, or goat; loroco-stuffed pupusas; fried plantains; tamarind juice; mango juice.

Price Details:
Pupusas, $1.50 each; Tacos, $2 each.


Taquerias

At lunchtime, a mostly Spanish-speaking crowd lines up at this Clarendon taqueria for a taste of home. The $2 tacos are authentically Mexican, each generously stuffed with meat—beef, chicken, pork, goat, chorizo, or beef tongue—and toppings of green onions, cilantro, and fresh salsa.

Crisp Salvadoran pupusas ($1.50) deserve a nod, too—try one with loroco, an edible flower bud translated on the menu as “herbs.” Seating consists of a few stools at the counter, so your best bet is to place a takeout order and sip an ice-cold tamarind or mandarin-orange Jarritos soda while you wait.