Pupusas A&J’s

I file Pupusas restaurant under my «quick bite» category. Pupusas are delightful little pockets of flavor that are a cross between quesadillas and arepas. They are made with corn meal, stuffed with your choice of fillings, flattened, and pan grilled to a light crisp. You then top it with seasoned coleslaw salad and spritz it with one of two vinaigrette dressings. I ordered the one that literally had a bit of every filling on the menu. The flavors are subtle and much lighter. One pupusa fills a plate and was plenty for me. And the price is right too…$ 2.00−3.50 each. Will come back soon to try the tamales.
The restaurant was also sparkling clean and has about ten, 4-​top tables. Nice staff too!

The food was awesome! I loved the pupusas and try the tamales! The staff and owners were incredibly nice and welcoming. You won’t regret coming here and it’s worth driving to Caldwell. If your in the mood for authentic food with and a great environment then this is your place.

Did you know that in El Salvador a quesadilla is not a flat «sandwich» with bits of cheese and meat stuck between two tortillas? You will learn this and more when you visit Pupusas A&J’s.
Pupusas A&J’s is a small house-​like structure that sits on the corner in a strangely residential neighborhood full of small shops and restaurants like a panadería (bakery), carnicería (meat market), taquería, and even a restaurant serving up fresh seafood and mariachi bands. You can find parking on the street or in the small lot next to the restaurant.
Inside there is seating in rooms set on both sides of the counter. One side offers a large screen television and is good for families with kids. The other side does not have a television and feels more like a sun room.
A&J’s is family owned. The mother, with the help of several other women, is the cook. The father is the manager/​runner, and the daughter is the waitress. Everyone is extremely friendly and personable, and ready to tell you the difference between Salvadoran food and Mexican food. The quesadilla I mentioned, for instance, is a dense but fluffy cake that they make as a daily special.
On the day we visited, the special was menudo but we skipped it and went straight for the star of the show: the pupusas. Pupuserías are very popular in other parts of the country but it took a while for them to make their debut here. There is one other restaurant I know of that serves pupusas (in Nampa) and they have been open for a couple of years. It’s always nice to have a newcomer to the pupusa game because they are so delicious that it’s only a matter of time before they go «mainstream» with a restaurant in Boise.
If you don’t know what a pupusa is, think of a slightly thicker tortilla-​like shell filled with a layer of cheese or meat. Come to think of it, the pupusa IS the quesadilla of El Salvador, only the filling is completely enclosed by the shell. They are usually served with curtido, which is a kind of cabbage slaw.
A&J’s pupusas are delicious. One is a snack. Two or three are a meal. The curtido cuts the doughy deliciousness and A&J’s accompanying salsa is the perfect compliment.
Make sure you ask about the specials. During our meal Oscar (the dad) came over to welcome us and tell us about how Salvadoran food is different from Mexican food. He described the quesadilla and we knew we had to try it. The daughter stopped by to tell us about her family and how the restaurant is run between serving other guests. She also told us that every day they have been selling out of basically everything, so if you are compelled to eat pupusas or try their delicious quesadillas or other daily specials, make sure you get there early!
Caldwell seems like a hike for many in the Treasure Valley, but if you find yourself up that way and want authentic Salvadoran food (or are now curious about pupusas, curtido and Salvadoran quesadillas), A&J’s is definitely worth the trip.

This is a great restaurant, for several reasons:
1. The food is incredible. Awesome pupusas!
2. There are lots of pretty good Mexican restaurants around, but Salvadoran cuisine is much less easy to find. And this is authentic and good.
3. The service is excellent and friendly. The owners and staff made us really feel welcome.
This place is a bit off the beaten path but it’s worth visiting. If you go there once you will want to go back.