One of my favorite places to eat in South Bend. I always get the college student special with 3 bean and cheese pupusas and the horchata. Â The woman who runs it is really sweet. I've never had a problem finding a seat even when I go at lunch time. If you've never tried pupusas you should check this place out!
Review Source:The El Salvadorian lady who runs this place is so sweet and makes awesome pupusas. Â My boyfriend and I tried to replicate them but with no luck. Â Perhaps if I befriend her, I'll improve my Spanish and learn her pupusa making secrets.
Also, the enselada de fruta and cortido are very delicious!
Not much to add to the earlier reviews. Â Excellent papusas with fresh salsa and curtido for a little crispness.
The horchata is also very, very good. Â This particular variety is almond with a bit of cinnamon, I think.
The elderly lady running the show is very nice, but a bit difficult to understand. Â I don't, unfortunately, speak a word of Spanish so I was unable to chat much. Â Ordering is not difficult, but asking questions about the food might not get you far.
Seating is very limited, and the place is rightfully advertised as "carry-out."
Still... excellent food and low prices, and I was ecstatic to find good Salvadoran in South Bend.
Hi Girasol.
I like you.
I like your friendly old lady taking the orders and making up the pupusas.
I like how your bean pupusa is crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside.
I like how your pork pupusa drips tasty oil onto my fingers.
I like the tangy cabbage that cuts into richness of those pupusas.
I didn't really like the tamale all that much. Â But we should still be friends.
I love me some pupusas and have had them in New York, DC, and Milwaukee. Wasn't I surprised to find my hometown of South Bend had a pupuseria? I went today to Girasol during a quick visit back to town and this was the highlight of my trip! The pupusas were so tasty and fresh, they rival the ones found in bigger cities. The older woman making the pupusas was so sweet, I wanted to adopt her as my El Salvadorean grandmother. Definitely a place to check out! Quality homemade food for super cheap ($4.60 for 3). Cash only!
Review Source:Oh my gosh... fresh and delicious! This little hole in the wall has some really great papusas. Don't be fooled by it's funky exterior, it is definitely worth a stop for quick carry out. Tamales are also very tasty (weekends only). These tamales are not like regular Mexican tamales- these are juicier and very very good. I've been to a few El Salvadorian restaurants on the west coast but I will say that the papusas here at Girasol are the best I have had anywhere. What a treat to have in the SB area!
Review Source:God I love this place. Ultra cheap, Ultra good, and you have got to love the little papusa lady (who knows my name but has never told me hers)
The papusas are awesome and I love the vinegar-y cole slawish stuff. TRY THE HORCHATA. Not the same as Mexican horchata (I think it has sesame in it) and waaay better. I love this place.
For six months, I have been driving by this restaurant every day on my way to/from work. Â And after some Google-research to understand what a "pupusa" is, I finally took a lunch break here to discover the glory of this El Salvadorian delight. Â I *STRONGLY* encourage everyone in the South Bend area to check it out for yourself. Â
Picture a [handmade-in-front-of-you] thick, soft corn-tortilla filled with cheese, beans or pork, topped with tangy (fermented) cabbage and a light tomato sauce. Â It hits the spot when you're feeling like ethnic cuisine but you refuse to eat at a chain that uses salt like it's running out of style (ah hem, Chipotle.)
And for those who enjoy hole-in-the-wall or authentic ethnic cuisine, there is an adorably old El Salvadorian woman who cooks everything from scratch, and washes her hands profusely amidst her pupusa-making. Bonus points indeed.
Prices are unbeatable ($1.50 per pupusa) or 10 for $13. But I max out at 3 because they are pretty dense, and the pork pupusa is more on the greasy side.
Do it.
Seriously, what is the big deal?  Too greasy, salty, etc.  I ordered a little bit of everything, so it's not like I missed something.  Oh, and the  horchata came out of a mix bag.  Hate to be a dick, but... ok, maybe I went on the wrong day.  Hate not to support a small business near that zone of chain restaurants and ethnic cleansing.
Review Source:Phenomenal "hole in the wall" restaurant. Â You would never think you could find authentic El Savadorian food in South Bend but here it is. Â If you have never had a pupusa you are definitely missing out. Â These are great, cheap, filling specialties that will have you coming back for more. Â
Seating is limited, you will have to wait a bit for your food but that is because it is made to order. Â You can't go wrong trying this place out.
I'll be honest, I probably drove by this restaurant 1000 times before I even realized it was actually an open, functioning eatery. I went here for lunch a few months back with a couple friends. The eating area is very small, maybe big enough for 6 people. All of the food is made from scratch so it will take a while to get your order.
I'd never had El Salvadorian food before. This place basically has two food items on the menu: papusas and enchiladas. The papusas were pretty good, although the cabbage stuff that came with them had a little too much vinegar for my taste. The enchilida was excellent. The prices are very reasonable. However, if you want to try it out I recommend calling ahead and ordering for a pick-up. An FYI, this place only takes cash.
They have three or four authentic El Salvadorian drinks. I had the horchata which I thought was excellent. It had a lot more spices than a Mexican horchata -- very enjoyable.
This tiny unassuming restaurant is easy to miss driving down Eddy St., but it is well worth a closer look! This was my first experience with Salvadoran food and I was pleasantly surprised.
Don't be worried that you are accidentally walking into someone's house as you walk in the screen door. Even if this was once a quaint house in a residential neighborhood, it's a legitimate restaurant now. I wouldn't expect to eat here since seating consists of 6 or so stools around a counter. This is a place to order take out, and order a lot of it. Most days 1 pupusa is about $1.50, but for college students on Fridays they cost $1 plus tax! I ordered the "College Special" on a Thursday of 3 pupusas and horchata for $6. In retrospect that was not enough food for dinner and the pupusas were so good I could have eaten at least 3 more. Selection is limited, but that works in your favor if new cuisine intimidates you.
Two thing to keep in mind - it's cash only and this place doesn't stay open late. It closes at 7 Tuesday to Friday, 6 on Saturday and 5 on Sundays! Order early!
This great little diamond in the rough has a small but authentic menu of pupusas (bean, cheese, and pork), tamales (weekends only), and soups (winter only) along with three Salvadorean specialty drinks. The place is a gem! Everything is homemade and it isn't very expensive at all: 10 for $13.
To tell the truth, I wasn't expecting much. The exterior is kind of faded and the inside is tiny, but when I began to smell them cooking behind the counter, I knew I was going to be in for a treat. I've been to a lot of pupuserias in Redwood City, CA, which have a bigger selection of items on their menu, but these are the best pupusas I've ever had. Try it!
BTW, every Friday there is a college student special---$1 pupusas. I can't believe this place isn't packed at lunch!
Wow, wow, wow, wow wow! I have officially found a new favorite food. Pupusas at Girasol Restaurant! Don't let this little, inconspicuous place fool you. It may be a tiny little restaurant ( more suited to carry out than eating in,) but it is huge on flavor and friendliness. It is also the cleanest restaurant I've seen in a long time. Anyway, if you've never had a pupusa, give it a try. All the other reviewers are spot on. You'll love this place. I wish I had stopped by here sooner. Did I say 'wow' yet?
Review Source:This gringo from the Deep South co-signs Noe G's review 100%. Â Fantastic Salvadoran soul food served by welcoming and generous folks. Â Take a couple of friends, Â Order a variety of 10 pupusas, two or three tamales, and drinks for not much more than a $20 bill. Â You will leave happy and full as a tick. Â Go today!
Review Source:I have found a culinary gem among the snow and ice of South Bend, Indiana. Â I never would have imagined that I could find Pupusas (see definition below) in this part of the country. Â I felt lucky to have found them in Chicago and although those didn't compare to what I found in California, the pupusas from GIrasol sure give them a run for the their money. Â They are made to order and with fresh ingredients. Â They make them small, just as you would get them in the "mercado" in El Salvador. Â No huge greasy mess here. Â This place doesn't have an extensive menu, but for Salvi's like me we only need a few select dishes to give us a taste of mom's cooking; Pupusas, Sopas (soups), and tamales (different from the mexican kind). Â Even the drinks are authentic. Â They have Salvadoran horchata (again it's different from the mexican kind, having more complex flavors than just rice and cinnamon), Ensalada (don't ask for dressing because this is a traditional drink made with fresh fruits), and of course Kola Shanpan (which is our version of a cream soda).
I can't say enough about this place. Â They have the best pupusas I've had in my over 4 years of living in the midwest. Â If your thinking that my review is more nostalgia than actual taste, well believe me I know the difference. Â This place is tops and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it to everyone in the greater Michiana area.
The prices here are great and with Notre Dame near by they offer a few student specials. Â This is not a full sit down restaurant, they have a very small dining area, but with food this good, I might just sit out in the snow and eat them. Â This place would be great for parties and potlocks (10 pupusas for $13), but large orders should be called in ahead of time.
Pupusa: Â
1) Little packages of yummy goodness.
2) The Salvadoran pupusa (from Pipil pupusawa meaning swollen) is a thick, hand-made corn tortilla (made using masa de maÃz, a maize flour dough used in Latin American cuisine) that is stuffed with one or more of the following: cheese (queso) (usually a soft Salvadoran cheese called Quesillo), fried pork rind (chicharrón), chicken (pollo), refried beans (frijoles refritos), or queso con loroco (loroco is a vine flower bud from Central America). There is also the pupusa revuelta with some of the above ingredients mixed together.
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