Columbus has a wonderful mix of international fare, with dozens of restaurants representing a number of Latin American countries and regions alone. And here’s another one to add to your list: El Pulgarcito, a family-run Salvadoran spot in Whitehall!
You’ll find El Pulgarcito in the center of a small strip mall on East Main Street. It occupies two storefronts, with a good-sized patio out front. One room is the main dining area, while the second features a bar.
If you’re getting a meal there, you can start with a couple refreshing beverages, like the pineapple-centric piña and their house-made horchata.
The Salvadoran enchiladas feature a pair of open-faced crispy shells layered with refried beans, cabbage, picadillo de verdura, shredded chicken, cotija cheese, and slices of vegetables. Delicious, and definitely a knife-and-fork affair.
One of the signature dishes in Salvadoran fare is pupusas, griddled cornmeal cakes stuffed with a variety of meats, cheese, vegetables, beans. You’ll find a number of different combinations on the menu, and you really can’t go wrong with any of them. If in doubt, ask your server for their favorites.
Our server also insisted we try some empanadas.
The beautiful empanadas can be filled with beef, chicken, cheese, and come with pickled onions and a sweet cream sauce, described on the menu as a “Salvadoran sauce.”
Our big entree was the El Pulgarcito asada special. It’s a generous plate of nicely seasoned asada, chicken, shrimp, and an excellent Salvadoran chorizo, accompanied by black beans, rice, pico de gallo, and a pair of thick tortillas.
We also tasted a couple desserts, some of which were special just to Lent and Easter. The torrejas are ridiculously rich and custardy slices of French toast, dowsed in a deeply sweet syrup.
The nuegadas de yucca are little fritters of soft, doughy yucca, fried crispy and served with syrup as well.
And there’s much more to explore on El Pulgarcito’s menu: more meat platters, seafood, tortas, soups, quesadillas, breakfast (!), even some Mexican specialties.
El Pulgarcito is open Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday-Saturday, 7 a.m. to 2 a.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.
El Pulgarcito
5133 E. Main St.
Columbus, OH 43213
(614) 626-0063
FB: El Pulgarcito Authentic Latin Restaurant
IG: @elpulgarcitocolumbus
