New "Pupusas Ridgewood" Serves An Excellent Under-$10 Meal In Queens

Our latest installment of Quick Bites brings us to Ridgewood for some pupusas on the sidewalk.

THE VIBE

Ridgewood resident Guillermina Ramirez picked a heck of a time to open her first-ever restaurant. But like every other new business owner whose long-time planning was upended by COVID-19, at a certain point Ramirez couldn't wait any longer for things to "get back to normal" and had to figure out a way to make it work during our pandemic summer. And so this bustling corner of Queens now has a terrific new cheap eats spot called, appropriately enough considering its location and primary menu item, Pupusas Ridgewood.

Pupusas Ridgewood may be small, but it's festively decked out with colorful Salvadoran art, loads of family mementos, and a shrine to San Miguel Arcangel. The idea was to have a few stools set along a narrow counter inside, but ironically the coronavirus restrictions actually increased the restaurant's seating capacity by moving it all outdoors. When it's not raining, of course. Pupusas Ridgewood has no fancy tent or curbside dining pen, just a few utilitarian tables, spruced up slightly with vinyl tablecloths and a potted plant, situated on the wide sidewalk along Fresh Pond Road.

You can call ahead with your order, or even while you're standing outside after consulting the menu posted out front. For the first couple of weeks this was the only way you could get your pupusas, but now you can enter the space if you prefer, one masked customer at a time please, and order from Ramirez's daughter at the register. Both she and chef Yolanda Rosales are happy to offer suggestions and walk you through the pastry selections in the case, all of which come from a nearby bakery.

THE BITES

There seem to be a couple of soup specials available here sometimes, but on the day I showed up the only thing on the menu were pupusas, which come in eight varieties. Pupusas, in case you haven't tried, are round flatbreads made from cornmeal, stuffed with some combination of meats, cheeses, beans, and/or vegetables, then griddled and served immediately, usually with a cabbage relish called curtido and a tomato-based sauce. These are sometimes eaten by hand, as street food, but the ones Rosales made me at Pupusas Ridgewood were much too large, soft, and hot for that, so I left them where they lay and dug in like it was a plate of pancakes.

My first pair of pupusas — one Pollo con Tomate y Queso filled with shredded chicken, one Loroco y Queso filled with the Salvadoran flower — arrived in a typical takeout container, and both were great, especially when topped with the crisp, vinegary curtido. My second pair — one Chicharron y Queso, one Frijol y Queso — were served on an actual plate. These were even better, more gooey with richer, deeper flavors, and the black beans, cooked almost to a paste, were terrific. The Salsa de Tomate isn't spicy, but it does add a bit of zing.

Definitely get at least one of the homemade Frescos to go with your meal. The Horchata was thick, just the right amount of sweet, and redolent with cinnamon. I ordered the large size and was surprised and delighted when it came in one of those plastic quart containers. That's a lot of Horchata! The bright and tangy Maracuya, or passion fruit fresco, also felt great going down on a steamy evening after a long bike ride, and went particularly well with the earthy pupusas.

THE VERDICT

Put these pupusas into your regular rotation if you live anywhere nearby. They're inexpensive, made with love, and totally satisfying. A great new local spot, owned and operated by your Ridgewood neighbors.

Pupusas Ridgewood is located at 7120 Fresh Pond Road, just north of Myrtle Avenue, and is currently open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. (347-599-0858)