Tacos Pupuseria offers a great Salvadoran platter

As soon as you walk in the door of Guanaco's Tacos Pupuseria in the University District, you're likely to hear the slap, slap, slap sound of pupusas being shaped. This traditional Salvadoran dish looks a lot like a pancake, but inside the soft corn exterior is your choice of filling: cheese and a tropical herb called lorocco; beans and cheese; pork carnitas; or a combination of all.

The gooey filling oozes out of the savory pancake as soon as you cut into it (which is a bit of a challenge because they only offer plastic cutlery). Curtido, a pico de gallo-type slaw, should be spooned on top, lending a tangy, crunchy contrast to the dish that has so much more character than its Americanized Mexican cousin, the quesadilla. Pupusas are Taco Bell-priced, too, at $1.90 each.

Eduardo Revelo opened Guanaco's seven months ago. His parents are his business partners. The native of El Salvador, who moved to the U.S. when he was 14, is an affable presence, taking orders, clearing tables, stopping to watch Liverpool kicking Arsenal's booty on the TV in the corner.

His kitchen staff is from El Salvador, and the food has a home-cooked quality.

Beyond the pupusas, there are the signature tacos ($2.75 each), a double corn tortilla loaded with chopped beef, pork, chicken or veggies and fresh salsa. (I liked the pork best; the grilled meat was simply seasoned and lean.)

The only dish I wasn't crazy about was the mahi mahi taco, which tasted a little too fishy.

A grilled half chicken ($10.95) was one of the more expensive items on a menu that runs both for lunch and dinner. The meat picked up the citrus-y marinade. Rice and a green salad came on the side. Add grilled onions and peppers on the side for $1 extra.

I loved Guanaco's fried yucca ($6), too. The potatolike tuber is offered as an appetizer or as part of a sampler plate. The menu is expanding next week, with more combinations being added. The restaurant also is planning to add beer soon.

In the meantime, take a swig on a chilly bottle of one of the sodas from El Salvador. The cola champagne ($1.60) reminded me a little bit of root beer.