Food trucks aren’t for everyone, but for those who have had a chance to try a few, they are really the place to get dishes you don’t see in restaurants and often at incredible prices. One such place is La Delicia Grill on Pio Nono, which offers high-quality Mexican (tacos and burritos) and El Salvadoran (pupusas) at low prices. The name means (literally) The Delight Grill and is perfectly named because all of their items are a delight and are light on your wallet.
On a whim, my family stopped in on Saturday just to try what they had since I am generally pretty adventurous in finding new food options and I had been building up a strong curiosity because of the crowds I would see lined up at lunch time. Something had to be going on over there, something delicious, and I was going to find out for myself. It turns out they are a Mexican and El Salvadorian fusion restaurant. They have at least 4 varieties of tacos, so we ordered one of each and added a quesadilla and two pupusas. Pupusas are an El Salvadorian corn tortilla dish that is similar in concept to a gordita and perhaps a little like a tamale in texture. Basically, a stuffed corn tortilla filled with cheese and meat and then grilled. We were so impressed by our meal, I decided to swing by at lunch the following Monday to try a burrito to finish off their menu. (We actually still need to try a torta.)
They have at least 4 varieties of tacos, so we ordered one of each and added a quesadilla and two pupusas. Pupusas are an El Salvadorian corn tortilla dish that is similar in concept to a gordita and perhaps a little like a tamale in texture. Basically, a stuffed corn tortilla filled with cheese and meat and then grilled. We were so impressed by our meal, I decided to swing by at lunch the following Monday to try a burrito to finish off their menu. (We actually still need to try a torta.)
At $1.87 each, the tacos are a great value. They are served on two soft corn tortillas that have been lightly grilled and then stuffed to the top with meat, onions and other toppings. Everything, including the steak, pork, and the chicken was well-seasoned and filling. I have paid as much as $3 each for similar, much lower quality tacos from restaurants here in Macon and Warner Robbins.
The $4.67 quesadilla was enjoyed by my kids and they gobbled it up before I could try a bite myself, but the pupusas were incredible. We ordered the pork rind and cheese (chicharrón) variety but they also have one that is bean and cheese (frijol y queso). Pork rind may seem like a bit of a misnomer for most southerners, as it is not a crunchy deep fried pork skin, it more closely resembles a spicy pulled pork like you would find in a tamale. The pupusa is an El Salvadorian specialty, although there is some disputed history with Honduras over the dish. It is served with a curtido, which is a type of fermented cabbage relish, somewhere between coleslaw and sauerkraut. It is on the side, so eating it is optional, but I liked it. For $1.87 each, these are quite a bargain.
Finally, came the burrito. Stuffed inside a large flour tortilla, this tightly wrapped flour balloon is loaded with meat, rice, onions, cheese and other fillings. Putting so much into that tortilla is a skill I have never mastered at home. This too comes with the same meat options, of which I chose steak. For only $4.67, this is a meal all by itself and will leave you filling satisfied. At that prices, it is about the same price as a large burrito at Taco Bell or Del Taco, but it is so much more than anything they can provide.
With such value, a family of four can easily eat for under $20 and be satisfied, especially for lunch. The restaurant is open every day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner except Sunday and has shortened evening hours on Wednesday. A trick for quicker service is to call ahead because all items are prepared to order and will take about 15 minutes. The drive over is about 10 minutes from work for me, so it works out well.
La Delicia is located at 3430 Pio Nono Ave in Macon, across the street from Polly’s La Mesa.
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