St. Louis County has a new spot for Central American cuisine: El Guanaco. The new taqueria and pupuseria features dishes from Mexico, El Salvador, and Honduras. Owned by Dinora Soler, El Guanaco opened May 8 in the former home of Wok O Taco on Page Avenue, just east of Lindbergh Boulevard. (A guanaco, a wild camelid native to South America, is related to the llama.)
By the looks of the dining room, you’d assume nothing has changed. Even the former occupant’s logo remains emblazoned on the walls, which remain painted the same dark green color and decorated with applique flowers as its predecessor. A quick glance at El Guanaco’s menu, however, shows that this is far from the Mexican-Chinese fusion restaurant that previously occupied the storefront. Unlike its predecessor, El Guanaco is not trying to push new culinary concepts. Quite the opposite, its menu is strikingly traditional, featuring everything from tortas filled with Mexican sausage to lengua-stuffed burritos and menudo, or Mexican tripe soup.
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In addition to its Mexican specialties, El Guanaco serves a variety of dishes that showcase the culinary heritage of El Salvador and Honduras. From the former, an assortment of pupusas, and empanadas are available with a variety of fillings like chicharrons, beans and cheese. The restaurant is especially proud of its caldo de gallina asada, a Salvadorian grilled hen soup (pictured above) that the cooks prepare by grilling whole hens on a charcoal grill in the restaurant’s parking lot.
Tajadas, or plantains, feature prominently on the Honduran side of the menu. Look for such dishes as carne asada con tajadas, a grilled steak entrée with cabbage, fried green plantains, and pico de gallo, as well as fish and chicken prepared in the same fashion.
A variety of beverages are available, including Central American beers and micheladas. El Guanaco also serves juices made from tamarind and soursop, as well as horchata. Dine-in service is currently available; the restaurant has removed many of its tables to leave significant room between patrons, though takeout is available for those who prefer to enjoy their food elsewhere.
As a representative from the restaurant explains, El Guanaco is meant to be a restaurant accessible to all tastes, from those who want a simple taco or quesadilla to diners looking for authentic, made-from-scratch Mexican, Honduran, or Salvadorian cuisine. With a comprehensive menu that touches on the bounty of Central American flavors, it’s clear this new addition to the St. Louis dining scene has something for everyone.
