Latino Restaurant, Comida Tipica - Salvadoran, Honduran and Tex-Mex on Ennalls Avenue in Wheaton

[deangold]

With a tittle like that, maybe you are expecting tuxedo shirted waiters and mariachi music in the background {ala Samanthas) and you oculdn't be more wrong. First off, instead of a brightly painted home like interior, the place is brightly lit in the middle of an Asian owned Mercato in a strip mall on Ennalls Ave in Wheaton {even thought the card insists on Ennalls Eve!}. The staff is a varied roster of very friendly, if English limited Latina's usually presided over by one of the owners. The menu, up until the printing of trifold cards with the menu printed on both sides, consisted of bad pictures on the wall. There is no sign outside with any name, and before the aforementioned cards, I heard it called only Juanita's Kitchen, and that was only once. We are the only folk I have ever seen int he place who were neither the owners nor Latino. Lots of Older Latino Dad's being taken thee by their sons. Women, almost exclusively, cook there {aside from Kay}.

The food: Spectacular! Better than any of the myriad other choices serving up DC's signature combo of Salvadoran, Honduran & Tex Mex.

Last night, we pointed to one of the pictures, labeled enchilladas, with another non readable name which turned out to be a huge pile of chicken fried to a golden brown with skin as crispy as that of the roast pig at Din sum, if not more so, atop a massive amount of fried plantains smothered in shredded cabbage and doused with mayo,ketchup and salsa. Had I known what it was, I would have never ordered it and my life would be lessened for the lack. If course my life may be lessened anyways from the cholesterol! When I was growing up, my teen years were spent delivering furniture for my Dad's furniture store in South Central. One highlight was the occasional trip to Queen Bee's {or was it aunt Bee's} near the infamous corner of Normandy & Florence where massive amounts of food could be had for a pittance and the dishes came either plain {with 2 sides} or smothered {with two sides and something to cover the main dish}. Inthe case of the fried chicken, it was smothered in cole slaw with a touch of salsa and the dish last night approached the memory of my last meal at Bee's!

We ahd one pupusa "revuelta" or mixed cheese and pork. The pupusas are patted by hand and griddles to order. They come out greaseless {all the lard stays in the dough where it belongs}, crispy on the outside with burnt spots and a lush, incendiarilyy hot filling. Kay ordered a sopa di res that was completely untouched because of the massive amount of chicken. Two Tamarindo and a tip that brought wide eyes and big smiles from the ladies for $25.

Other amazing dishes include: Sopa di Pollo when they have it. Carne Asada provided you have good teeth and the willingness to chew in order toget a gamy seasoned tough pieceof steak down the old gullet {accompanied by massively good black beans and crappy rice}. Lengua al Guisada is amazing: stewed till tender tongue with beans and rice.

Not my style was a hugely rich and greasy balliades which is a sort of cross between a turn over and a quesadilla: a rich doughy tortilla/pastry folded over melted white cheese, black beans & avocado slices with chunks of meat.

We spend between $15 and $25 for dinner for two. We gain insight to another culture thru the Novellas or the talk/talent shows on the TVs and we have a great meal in the bargain.

2521 Ennalls Eve {sic}, Wheaton MD 20902

301-933-5843

Hours approximately 6am 'til 10pm but they have been known to be closed by 9:30.

[DonRocks]

This post makes it sound very enticing. It used to be the Kosher Pastry Oven - does anyone have any idea how long it has been open? I can find no information on it at all on the internet. Are you sure the name is right? Should they get a "NOW OPEN!" in the title? (30 days is the time frame for that). Next time I'm feeling really hungry and adventurous, hmmm, maybe in about 2 hours and 15 minutes, it's going on my breakfast list.

[deangold]

The market has been there for several years, we never noticed the food service but judging from the look, it has been there for a goodly while as well, so "Now Open" is inappropriate.

The name exists only on the business cards which are new.

Hungry is not reason enough to go: Ravenous is the minimum condition you should be in. Also be prepared to wait. Everyhting is made a couple of dishes at a time.

[DonRocks]

I cannot find anything about Le Restaurant at 2521 Ennalls Ave - does anyone know either what happened to it, or what the exact address is/was?

There is a place called "Latino Restaurant" at 2521 Ennalls Ave - maybe this is it?

There is evidence of a Le Restaurant at 2533 Ennalls Ave (which is now El Pollo Kiki Riki).

(In the meantime, I've changed the title - here and in the Dining Guide - to "Latino Restaurant.")

[sandynva]

this sounds wonderful. do you know if they do carryout? thanks! 

 

[deangold]

When we lived close by we used to frequent. Tacos, pupusas and soups were all top notch.  There were some fried dishes that were real belly busters.  Nice folk, and you feel like you are far from the dreary confines of Wheaton.