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Blanca's, Salvadoran in Falls Church - Closed


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I went by this place today for lunch after spotting it a few doors down from Elevation Burger. I have nothing but nice things to say about it. The staff is very nice and exremely helpful in navigating the menu. The food is very much what you would be served if you stepped into a Salvadorian household. The chicken soup was a huge bowl of a flavorful broth, noodles, vegetables and a quarter of a chicken floating in there. The pupusas were also excellent, cooked with a slight crispiness from escaping cheese and a soft interior. The carne asada was also top notch. There are some great lunch deals (you have to ask about these, they aren't on the menu) priced around 7.95 that are very comforting, but afterwards, you may be inclined to partake in a siesta.

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I second the recommendation for this place. I used to have lunch there now and then when I worked nearby, and the food was always tasty, served by a friendly and cheerful staff that made you feel welcome even if you were the only Anglo in the place. But about the siesta: Oh brother, they give you such huge quantities of food you'll need one, even if you don't have a beer.

The Peruvian chicken place in the same strip, Super Chicken (I'm assuming it's still there) is kind of a dump, but the chicken is excellent, as is their salsa verde (although they charge you for extra).

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We told a friend about saltenas so she returned the favor and told us we had to try pupusas, specifically from Blanca's. As we were leaving her place, we realized it was getting close to lunch time and since Blanca's was on our way, we stopped in. As I waited for our takeout order of two pupusas and a tamale, I checked out what others were getting. There was a hot foods area next to their bakery case that had all sorts of amazing looking things in it. It looked like for a fixed price, you could choose several things from the offerings. I have no idea what any of the dishes were called but they all looked awesome. Like you got invited to a banquet cooked by someone's Salvedorean grandmother and their aunts and they pulled out all the stops and made you all your favorite stuff. Nearly everyone there was getting this and every plate was filled to the brim with food.

As for our takeout order, the baby liked the tamale but we thought the pupusas were the hands down winner. We got the ones stuffed with cheese and pork and topped with the cole slaw-like curtido and salsa, they made for a filling lunch at a mere $2 a piece ($1.50 weekday lunch).

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La Union is notable for being the first restaurant I've been to that has served competent Mexican AND Salvadorian food. The El Tipico and Enchilada Trio both hit the spot on our first visit. The service is exceedingly friendly, and prices here are several dollars less than similar places in the area (El Ranchero, El Paso Cafe, Uncle Julios). Glad I was persuaded by the sales pitch for the 32 oz. Regia Beer - coldest, lightest lager between the 88th and 89th meridians.

This post prompted me to return to Blanca's tonight, which also fits the bill of serving both good Mexican and good Salvadoran dishes. A Burrito a la Plancha ($8.95 with beef (same price with chicken)) is a great value, served as a platter with rice and refried beans.

Blanca's has been around since 1989, and is one of the most underrated restaurants in the DC area. Despite the dingy exterior, Blanca's has a surprisingly nice, large interior, a friendly staff, and is one of the best restaurants in Falls Church.

Cheers,

Rocks

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On 3/20/2018 at 12:03 PM, Ericandblueboy said:

I'm pretty sure this place closed recently and there's a new restaurant there now.  The last time I visited Blanca's, which was within the last year, they had somehow lost their liquor license.

The new restaurant is called "El Patron Bar & Grill," and they serve Salvadoran and Tex Mex dishes. Does anyone know if this restaurant has the same owner as Bianca's?

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