Dirt Cheap Eats 2007: Irene's Pupusas

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

Irene's Pupusas III

11300-B Georgia Ave.
Wheaton, MD 20902
Phone: 301.933.2118

Cuisines:
Salvadoran, South American

Opening Hours:

Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes

Nearby Metro Stops:
Wheaton

Price Range:
Inexpensive

Dress:
Informal

Noise Level:
Chatty

Reservations:
Not needed

Special Features:
Late Night, Kid Friendly

Best Dishes
Pupusas stuffed with cheese, pork, beans, and loroco; beef soup; seafood soup; chicken soup; stewed chicken with rice and beans; beans with pork; open-faced "tacos" with beef; tacos de lengua, with braised tongue; baleadas, a Honduran burrito stuffed with beef, avocado, beans, and cheese; tamale de elote.

Price Details:
Appetizers $1.25 to $14; entrées $7.50 to $13.

Late Night Eats

Crisp and greaseless outside, oozing queso blanco and beans from within, the thick tortilla pockets at this open-till-midnight pupuseria make a satisfying super-cheap meal. Versions with pork and the squashlike loroco ($1.50) are especially savory. The vinegary slaw adds an appealing tartness.

There are also worthy plates beyond pupusas—Honduran open-faced tacos ($2.75), made with small cubes of seasoned beef, and baliadas ($5.50), mounds of spicy beef and refried beans topped with hard-cooked egg and avocado. Latin pop on the jukebox and friendly service keep the mood light.

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