Review Mercadito Latino - Winnipeg

One of the best meals I've had in a very long time. Purchased a variety of items from the menu as we wanted to try a bit if everything. Outstanding tamales and pupusas. The enchiladas were a group favorite. If you like South American food, I cannot recommend this place enough. Friendly service, affordable.

I couldn't even get into the restaurant. I was waiting with family and friends for their business to open but when the lady came she was extremely rude and asked us to move one of our cars from the parking spot as it was supposed to be her spot. There was no sign, no way of knowing that it was her spot. Also, there were plenty of other free spots in the parking lot. We explained that we were waiting to eat at her restaurant. She said it wasn't open yet and she needed us to move the car right away or she'd call a tow truck. If you needed to park there, there are definitely more polite ways to ask.

Tried the pupusas from this restaurant. I got one order of chicharron (ground pork) and another order of revuelta (mix of beans and cheese). They were delicious! Each order came with 3 pupusas, salsa and curtido. Las pupusas eran deliciosas. Por seguro voy a regresar.

AVOID IF NATIVE, waited 30min for 1 order of pupusas. Another party of 10 waited 10 for a variety of food. To top it off they where soggy, and not the best, also order it to go, gave me a plate. Not worth 13.58. Coleslaw was good tho.

I love this place! This is a cute little Latino spot serving a wide variety of dishes from all over Latin America with a Salvadoreño twist. The environment is very nice and cozy and made me feel home. There is also a small market within the restaurant selling a bunch of Latino products. I was impressed with the amount of vegan and vegetarian options available. Would 100% recommend and come back!

This small restaurant has made te top of my list. People saying it takes long to get your food? Hello!! This isn't McDonald's! Price is high? Best joke I heard this year! This food is underpriced. The service is great! The highest price for a meal is 13.95$, and there's only one, everything else is 11.95$ and under. These meals were huge, 11.95$ wait time was about 18 minutes. Just Amazing!!

Amazing restaurant owned by very nice folks who make, which might be, the best Latino food in Winnipeg. 10/10 highly recommend.

Portions so small, yet they have the balls to call themselves authentic. Food is bland at best, as somebody who’s been to California, Cancun and Mexico City. This restaurant does an awful job of representing Mexico and what it has to offer.

Our family loves ethnic cuisine from all over the world. We were pleased to discover this gem and will be back the next time we are in town! The food is absolutely amazing. We had the pupusas, tacos (beef and vegetarian) and an amazing chicken dish. Only complaint might be portion vs. cost, the chips and guacamole was a very light amount, although the guac was amazing and the tortilla chips were handmade. We will be back!

Stopped in on a Thursday evening. We had the ceviche camaron to start. The flavour was excellent! Only criticism here is there maybe could have been more chips to dip in the extra sauce because it was so delicious. I had the beef tacos, which were some of the most flavourful tacos I have ever had. The tacos come in sets of 4 and only downside is that you can't get one of each kind. The beef was so good, I'll have to come back to try the others. Although the food was great the service left a little to be desired, but nearing the end of the day and with a few tables to serve alone, it is easily forgiven. We will definitely be back to explore the menu!

Excellent food. We had the Pupusas and chicken tacos. Authentic atmosphere and friendly service. Will definitely be back to this great find.

Dropped in for lunch a couple weeks ago and it was my first visit. Outstanding!! Had the papusas and tortilla soup. I'm a soup fanatic and the tortilla soup was fantastic!! Only minor complaint is the service was slow for a lunch crowd. <br/>

I’m no expert on authentic regional cuisine, but when I hear about a place that has a reputation for such, I like to give it a try. One such place is Mercadtio Latino, an El Salvadoran restaurant on Sargent Avenue, not far from where I live. An enchilada from Mercadito Latino. This is one of those places that I really should have visited much earlier than I did. However, I’m glad that I’ve since corrected that error.

Mercadito Latino is a small family owned restaurant. Since it's a small family restaurant, it's never well-staffed, hence, the service is relatively slow. Even though the restaurant feels like it's a hole in the wall, I keep on going back because they serve the BEST Latino food in the City! The food is nothing but excellent!<br/>I can honestly tell you that Mercadito is significantly much better than La Fiesta Cafecito if you're debating between the two places. If you are looking for an authentic Latino restaurant, this is the place!<br/>Here are my food recommendations:<br/>1) Sopa de Tortilla (Tortilla Soup)<br/>2) Tacos des Res (Beef Taco) - My Go-to for entree<br/>3) Pupusas - my Significant Other's Go-to for entree<br/>4) Corn Tamale (appetizer)<br/>5) Quesadilla des Res - They serve the BEST quesadilla ever!<br/>Only if I can eat 10 meals in one seating, I would order everything off the whole menu!<br/>Overcall, this restaurant is highly recommended!<br/>Attire: casual

Everything is amazing: tortilla soup, papusas, tamales. Best coleslaw ever. Be prepared to wait for your food, but it sure is worth it. Admittedly I don't know anything about El Salvadoran food, but this place feels authentic and you can tell the owner/server/cook really cares about the food.

Quite the place! A tiny restaurant inside a tiny market that makes exceptional food. When the tacos de pollo were served to me, I could smell the pico de gallo and could immediately notice that it was freshly prepared. Of note, the place does not take credit cards so bring cash or be prepared to pay 25 cents for the interac.

Took my son for dinner there as we decided to walk the neighborhood and see what we could find. We walked past it without noticing it but as we were on our way back we noticed it and could smell something good . Small place, charming pleasant owners. I honestly can't remember what we had, my son had a chicken dish, and I had pork. All I can say is it's bad table manners to lick your plate clean....but we did! Wow was that great Mexican food! Highly recommend this to everyone!

I think there is no place in the city like Mercadito Latino. I mean that in the best way possible. The horchata, pupusas and quesadillas are amazing. That is what the chef / server (one man operation) recommended on our first visit and it kept me coming back. It does take a while for the food but trust me it's worth it.

Boooo. I guess they don't need the money. The last time I ordered take out they told to come back in twenty minutes. 3 times. This time after consulting with the kitchen I was told they weren't doing takeout tonight. Oh well, off to La Fiesta or maybe one of the thousands of other places to spend money. Odd business plan.

I LOVE this place! Cute little El Salvadorean diner with a menu that is sure to please anyone. I am vegetarian, and the tacos vegetarianos and pupusas are extremely delicious. My boyfriend absolutely loves the tortilla soup, which has chicken in it. The owner seems a little aloof at first but I think he's just a quiet guy, and he's really quite pleasant when you talk to him. They also sell corn tortillas, so I bought some of those and have been making tacos with them as well! They have delicious and interesting drinks as well as the jarritos bottled pop. One of my favourite places lately.

Best food ever. Everything on the menu is fantastic, but the tortilla soup is especially delicious, comforting, fresh, and authentic. Friendly service as well.

This Latin supermarket doubling as a restaurant (and tripling as a Spanish school) is unassuming and easily looked over. But like all other reviewers have already stated, the food is authentic, fresh and very tasty.<br/><br/>If you're accustomed to the tex-mex, hard shell, El Paso seasoning you're in for a surprise. Everything is homemade and made to order. Menu is a good size. I definitely had a hard time narrowing down my options. The photos on here suggest that there are combo plates available but there was no mention of them in the menu.<br/>A lot of people said the wait was long, but I found after a browse on their shelves our food was ready.<br/><br/>- Guacamole was plain but fresh. I could have done for some onion/cilantro but it was improved by the hot sauces on the table. Tortilla chips were crispy and seemed homemade.<br/>- Tortilla soup came piping hot and was so comforting. Honestly, with the just-fried tortilla strips, avocado and cheese I could have even gone without the chicken meat. The broth was simple but so tasty and warming, Perfect for a cold day.<br/>- Had the single pupusa revueltas. Not the best I have had, but still tasty. I think maybe next time I would get it with just the meat and cheese. I don't think I could eat the full meal of this though; three of these would be too heavy. The one was just the right amount.  Curdito added some acid which went well with the rich filling. Again, improved by hot sauce.<br/>- Tried the Salvadorean tacos de cerdo and tacos de camaron. The shrimp ones were good, but the pork were far superior. The shrimps were quite small as opposed to the generous amount of meat. Cerdo was juicy and went really well with the sauteed onions and peppers, with the pico de gallo on top it was very satisfying (and messy). Came with four tacos per order at about $12.<br/><br/>Soup and cerdo tacos were the winners for me. Also purchased one of the hot sauces as the three of us used half of the bottle! Really loved this family run place and will definitely be coming back.<br/><br/>Edit (Aug.3/16): Have been back many more times and have found another favourite: the enchiladas. Unlike the Mexican soft rolled ones doused in sauce that one would be used to, this Salvadoran (?) version is more akin to the Mexican tostada. Crunchy base, your choice of protein (personally I love the beef), avocado, curdito and a fresh zingy sauce. Delicious. You can order one as a starter or three as a meal. Always get the three. If you love hard shell tacos this is the closest you'll get.

I've come here a few times. Their food is AMAZING and they sell a whole bunch of cool snacks from South America. I always try one of each instead of getting three same ones, and get a Mexican soda to go with my meal. The food always comes out quickly and the owners are super friendly.

My first time here. I sat myself after standing in the door way for a few minutes. There were 2 tables of people, their food was coming out slowly, it looked like some were finished before the rest of the table's food arrived. My food arrived at my table about 20 minutes after I ordered it. It was very good. Simply prepared and presented but very good. It was worth the wait. Oh, I ordered a coke when I ordered the meal, it arrived after the food came.<br/><br/>The restaurant's decor is stacked with many products from El Salvador. There is even a little store in one corner.<br/><br/>I'll be back, but only when I'm not starving and looking for quick service.

Their salsa soup is what keeps us coming back. There is a perfect balance between sourness and sweetness in the soup. Service is fast and friendly as well. The location is not a plus though, but if it helps to maintain the price range then we don't mind coming to west end at all.

This place is amazing , Winnipeg has no good Mexican places at all till I ate here ! It's a little hole in the wall , a little hidden jem , I go to Mexico every year and iv always loved the food it so nice to have the same authentic quality in Winnipeg ! I rated this a 5 but to be honest it deserves better way better !

Real casual environment in a small Latin American grocery store.  Service was great.  Tortilla Soup was excellent, as was all of the food.  We'll go back.

The Pros: Yummy, authentic Latin American food for good prices. Super cute interior.<br/><br/>The Cons: We waited 20 min to be acknowledged and to get a drink. The food took over an hour to come out. There's very little service here.<br/><br/>The food is so great that if they improved their service even slightly it would mean a lot more return customers. For me, I will be going back but only when I have a lot of time to dine. I saw one couple have to leave without their meals because it took over an hour.

First off, don't expect that this is a place where you are getting fast food. Their food is made fresh in the back with a truck load of TLC and you will wait a little, though no more than most other sit down restaurants, and you will be well rewarded for it.<br/><br/>This little doll of a hole in the wall has about 8 tables and is the kitchy-est place I've ever seen. It's adorable, overdone, and I love it. It plays double duty as a restaurant and grocery/souvenir shop as well so if you like something you may have tried while dining, you may be able to find it on the shelves to take home.<br/><br/>Each table has several hot sauces to sample with your meal and it's a ton of fun to go through each of them to find your favourite. The prices are very fair and I would happily pay them over and over for that value. The service is just kept in the family but is done very well with smiles and a great deal of knowledge about the products and food. And they are bilingual!<br/><br/>While the menu itself has many options, technically they are all variations of the same dozen items which is not a bad thing. The food that came out of the kitchen was divine. Absolutely divine. I had been so excited to try the many hot sauces before the meal came and then nearly completely forgot about them I was enjoying my meal so much as it was. <br/><br/>We started of with a glass of horchata, aka Tiger Nut milk, which is a milky beverage made of tiger nuts, almonds, soy, or rice but basically is a creamy consistency and tastes like a mix between rice pudding and chai tea. It is delightful. Get it. Just do it. The papusas are light and beautifully fluffy corn pancakes stuffed with your choice of cheese, chicken, beef, or beans. We got a cheese papusa and regretted not getting a dozen. They are the size of your palm and decently filling but they are so good you will want more. They are $4 a piece or you can get three as a meal for $10. The burritos are very good and they stuff them with such creamy rice that this is truly a comfort food you will want to come back to. I had the beef quesadilla and was very pleasantly surprised to find that the beef was not ground but actually small pieces of stewed or roast beef. The amount of flavour they fit into the quesadilla is astounding and I would recommend it to any and everyone. Both the quesadilla and burrito (and most things in the restaurant) are served with a very bland tomato sauce on the side that tastes vaguely like salsa and some thick sour cream, full fat. Each are about $11-12 and leave you stuffed. I ate every bite but I was very full. Everything I saw come out of the kitchen was a hefty portion and looked amazing.<br/><br/>I was trying not to let my love for the food (and horchata!) get in the way of my giving this place a fair review but the only thing I could really maybe criticize were the chairs. They weren't as comfortable as I would have liked and maybe an inch too short but they weren't wooden so I think I was really reaching to try to find anything that wasn't delightful.<br/><br/>4s, and 4.5s do not come lightly from me but this little gem was so effortlessly and adorably wonderful I'm giving it a full 5 despite the chairs! Ha ha!<br/><br/>10/10!! Enjoy!!

Small place restaurant/grocery store. Other than the colorful decor I notice the great selection of hot sauces available on the table to add to our meal. Ordered Tamal de Pollo (chicken tamale) it was so yummy wrapped in banana leaf. Wish I ordered more. The shrimp ceviche was tasty. The drink made in house I forgot what it was called made out of almonds milk and other nuts and cinnamon tasted like rice pudding. It was very enjoyable.

The food here is excellent every single time we go.  The tortilla soup is filling and satisfying and when accompanied by a pupusa is the perfect meal.  The pupusas with cheese and loroco are heavenly pillows loaded with cheese that just oozes out.  Topped with the sauce and the crunchy slaw, your taste buds will sing!  The enchiladas are generously topped with one of several choices, all of which are delicious.  The quesadilla with chicken is generously packed with flavourful chicken and vegetables....a must try.<br/><br/>A new favourite is the deep fried cassava with chicharon.  The cassava melts in your mouth and the chicharon add that nice salty crunch.  Horchata to drink is a must.<br/><br/>Over the years, the food has never disappointed us.  If you like flavourful lovingly prepared comfort food, you must eat here.  Service is always friendly and food always exceptional.

This is my new favorite Latin restaurant in Winnipeg & another great restaurant here I have been saying it for a while "Winnipeg is a great food city". I tried the chips & dip which are made in house with a great guac. The Tamal De Pollo which is a chicken tamale & is the best tamale I have had ever. I also got the burrito de cerdo which is a pork & again so amazing & a very nice portion. My buddy got the Plato Salteado which looked like a de-constructed burrito & also amazing. If you live in Winnipeg you have to go here you will not be disappointed.

Absolutely DIVINE meal! It seems like everything is made from scratch, which would explain the long wait time, but trust me when I say it is worth it. The owners are welcoming and warm. You will be hard pressed to find a more authentic Latino meal in Winnipeg.

FANTASTIC DINNER. First visit tonight with our son visiting from Toronto. He raved bout it endlessly .. "nothing in T.O. comes close" was his exact quote. We ordered several dishes and all were delish! We will definitely be back for more .... yummy !!!

Local favourite. We live in the West End and like to try all the local restaurants. This is one of our favourites. The food is excellent, the 'feel' of the place is comfortable. The enchaladas are delicious. We also take our vegetarian grandchildren there and there is a wonderful selection of vegetarian dishes. Mostly everything on the menu comes with vegetarian (cheese) or vegan (bean) versions which are just as tasty as the meet dishes.

Went here tonight and was so very happy I did! We have beef tacos and quesadillas and they were so so good. Even the mango drink I was drinking was exceptional! When this spot used to house Desperado restaurant I was here all the time and I'm so happy that something amazing is now in its place!! Thanks for an awesome birthday dinner!!

West End Latin Lover. I went to Mercadito Latino for lunch with a friend. We ordered the papusas revueltas (pork, cheese and bean), tamal pollo and a burrito de pollo. The tamal pollo was soft, tender and just the right mix of savory and sweet. The dough on the papusas were soft and the fillings were smooth and flavorful, with 3 being quite filling. The burrito wasn't as big as I was expecting, but it was still one of the best my friend has ever had. The server was very friendly and was quick with service and getting our food.

Go for the food, not the service!. We loved the food and we will definitely be back but don't expect much from the service. Our order was forgotten and we had to ask where our food was before they admitted there was an error. No apology though. In the end we decided the food was worth the wait.

Delicious!. Excellent food at very reasonable prices.<br/><br/>Beware though -- only cash and debit accepted for payment.

El Salvadoriam - Guatemalan Gem. Don't eat here and criticize the service. Great food takes time and is prepared fresh at this Latino Gem.. The chicken tortilla soup is a huge bowl of gooey flavor WoW ! Everything else is is as good as you can get anywhere !

First time today will not be our last. The food was great. Had the soup, wonderful,husband had the bean & cheese buritto also great. Small but friendly family owned.

A new fave! - Pupusas and tacos. I ordered some take out and tried the chicken tacos and mixed pupusas and they were delicious. I still haven't had them to dine in. Prices are cheap-moderate. It is debit or cash only though. I also took home some fresh corn tortillas. Thumbs up!

Latino food rocks!. This is the first time I've ever tried Latino food, and I am quiet impressed! The Papusas were small, but packed a lot of flavor.

Best Tacos in Winnipeg. Had the beef Tacos and I must say they were unreal!

Hidden gem. We were at a weekend conference downtown and decided to check this place out for lunch. We were a group of 6, with three teens. Once we decided what to order, we had a bit of a wait, but once the food came we were hooked!! Not one negative comment in the group, we ate every bite and one teen was wanting to go back for supper. <br/><br/>One thing that could help the diners make some choices would be photos of the lovely food offered. The menu description really does not do it justice. Just wow.

Excellent lunch!. Having just gotten back from Mexico a couple weeks ago, I was really craving some authentic tasting central American style food. This place nailed it. Both varieties of tamale were great, but I surprisingly preferred the plain one over the chicken. The flavour was fantastic and a little sweet, while the texture was exquisite. <br/><br/>I tried the pupusas for my entree and they were amazing. A generous portion of cheese went into each one, the beans were creamy and savoury, and the dough was warm and chewy. I have no idea what the red sauce was that went with it, but it was a nice accent, though not as spicy as I would have liked. <br/><br/>I will definitely be back.

Quaint atmosphere and great food - can't go wrong. Three of us went on Sat. Feb 8th, 2014 and had a great time. This was my first time but not for my other 2 friends. They spoke highly of this place and have never been served a bad meal. <br/><br/>It's tiny and quaint and I loved it. We started with the chips n'dip with avocado dip. The ingredients were fresh and the chips crispy. I had the 3 Pupusas stuffed with the cheese, beans and pork. Again, the food was delicious and very filling. My friends had the Sopa de Tortilla and no complaints.<br/><br/>I love this place and will definitely go back and I will certainly visit for lunch frequently.

A Little Salvador in the West Side. Very intimate atmosphere, great coffee, and South American bottles of Coca Cola! Great food and well priced. Try the Papusas'

The shrimp tacos and quesadillas are excellent. Nice soft corn tortillas for the tacos. Really good cheese in the quesadillas.

West end GEM. Discovered this restaurant thanks to Marion's review. She was right, the soup is fabulous and very affordable. Service was really friendly and polite. Neat grocery section too that carries a wide variety of mexican goods!

Need better service. Tried to go here last Saturday night around 7. All tables full and many just sitting there waiting. Only one man cleaning tables, and serving the entire place. Didn't like our chances of getting food within an hour so we left, but will maybe try a weeknight since Tortilla soup is one of my favourite things! Hope service will be better next time.

Best el Salvadorean food in town!. I've never been to el salvador but i have co-workers who have brought us pupusas before which are like corn tortillas filled with cheese and other ingredients like beans. Having tried pupusas before, I decided to try this place a couple months ago, and was impressed with the quality of the food! Love the music playing too and the family who runs the business is really friendly and attentive. Plus i've bought other goodies like tortillas and dolce de leche. I recommend try the pupusas and the soup!

I have been to the old location on Henderson, and was delighted to hear about the relocation. However, I must warn you. It's been a long time since I've been neglected for so long at a restaraunt. We (2) waited 10 minutes for the waiter to clear a table for us. 5 more minutes to being us menus. After 15 more minutes we still had no formal greeting from the single person staff, so we left. To boot, this hole is NOT lisenced, so don't expect to ease the wIt time with a cocktail or a glass of wine. I will NEVER return to this dump again, even though the food is good.

Excellent, but.... This place is very authentic and delicious; the best salvadoran joint in town. I just wish there wasn't so much cheese in everything. Maybe I just need to try the vegan menu items. Watch out if you are lactose intolerant.<br/><br/>Service is a bit slow, and they are not licensed (always a bummer), but the tortilla soup is amazingly flavourful, as is the chicken burrito and pork papusa. <br/><br/>The more I look for fantastic places to eat in my neighbourhood, the more I find :)

Best Guacamole Around. The food is FRESH! Come with an empty stomach and order a few dishes to share because the flavours are amazing! You can tell by the taste that they put a lot of time and effort into preparing a meal. The chips with guacamole is a great starter. I had the chicken burrito and it was a very large portion with tons of flavour. I highly recommend this place!

Glad to find the location. Food is excellent as always. Tortilla soup was the best. Sad to see them move glad to find the food is still terrific!

Moving. I went to this place on a whim and they had the best home-made Latin American food i have had in a while. I was going to go the other day but they are closed because there moving to St.Mary's Rd :-(<br/>I can't wait for them to re-open

Went based on 94% like & reviews. A little hard to find & maybe 5 table but wonderful homemade food more than made up for it!!! Great "hole in the wall" that we will definitely be back to many times I'm sure!!!

We went to Cafe Mercadito Latino for dinner after we had seen the reviews on Urbanspoon. We found the food to be great and very flavourful. Portion size was just right and I would recommend this to all my friends and family. The family that runs this place is very friendly and the prices are very reasonable. Overall a great place to eat for Latin food!!!!

Amazing Dive. The place is all about the homemade food. It is located in the back of a store and has a few old kitchen tables as the restaurant. I ordered the corn tamale and the tacos (combo 6). The tamale was really really good. Prb one of the best I have ever had in Winnipeg. It was slightly sweet and creamy. The tacos were good. The toppings were very simple and traditional. I personally like a little text mex toppings on my tacos.The corn tortilla was made fresh and that's what really makes the tacos good here is the tortilla.

Hidden Gem. Wow. Not much for decor but who cares with food that fresh and tasty?! Everything is made with love and you can taste it. What a great little spot for Elmwood to have!

Best South American Cuisine in the city.. Everything here is just so damn good. <br/><br/>All the ingredients taste high quality and fresh, and most things are home made. <br/><br/>They also have the largest imported drink selection I have ever seen in a restaurant.<br/><br/>I cannot over-emphasize how great this place is.

Sweet lil place. My daughter and I are always on the hunt for interesting places to eat (she is celiac so must have gluton free selections). We gave this place a try and found it to be a very nice change from the usual fare. It is a tiny little cafe located in the back of a Central American grocery store. There is only 5 small tables, and the decor is quant enough, reflecting the theme of the food served. We ordered 2 of the combos (completely gluton free) which were very tasty and I'm expecting prepared as we waited (dont be in a hurry...) There is a large variety of hot sauces (we love hot sauce!). Prices are reasonable, the serving sizes probably smaller than we North Americans are used to, but the flavour and quality makes up for the quantity. Try it out if you're lookig for something different, and shop around in the small grocery area, there is some very interesting items for purchase!

Amazing! Run by a little family and it is truly delicious food. Very very inexpensive too. I recommend the Papusas and quesadillas they are amazing! Love it and I am happy to have a great restaurant like this in my area.

Food Worth the Wait!. Tried this restaurant recently for lunch for the first time with my dad. At 12:15 we were the only ones in the restaurant and throughout our almost hour dining experience only one other table became occupied. I enjoyed how the menu features many combos that allow you to try an assortment of items. I got the combo #2 ($8.95) with a refried bean and cheese pupusa, chicken tamale, and mini burrito. The pupusa was very cheesy but not greasy and tasted delicious with the complimentary salsa that came on the plate. The tamale was also delicious stuffed with chicken, potato, and olive. The burrito was also super cheesy without being greasy and packed with flavor. On my dad's combo plate ($8.95) came an enchilada which was more what I would call a tostada, a crunchy tortilla shell topped with vegetables, beef, cheese, and salsa. I tried a bite and personally it wasn't my favorite. It tasted bland and not as flavorful as all the other items. The combo also came with a quesadilla and burrito. The quesadilla looked amazing as it was packed with so many toppings and not what I expected at all. <br/>The only downside was that once we ordered the food took a good 20-30 minutes to come out, which can be a downside if you have a short lunch. While it may be a long wait, it is definitely worth it. This restaurant is closed Sunday/Monday but open for both lunch and dinner Tues-Sat. I definitely recommend and I will come back!

Now my favorite restaurant. My family and I first went to this restaurant in the summer of 2012, and it has since become my favorite restaurant in Winnipeg. It's cozy, affordable, run by friendly people, and the food is absolutely AMAZING! I believe everything is made fresh, and I know they were able to accommodate special requests (i.e. for vegans). My only hesitation in writing this review is that more people may start going and I'll have to fight for a table in the future. :-)

Best Salvadorian food in Winnipeg. I am from El Salvador and this place takes me back home to the amazing flavors of my country. The pupusas are amazing and the enchiladas are the best. I can't say enough good things about this restaurant. The staff is warm and friendly and the portions are generous. I have never had a bad meal here and I do go often because it's so good.

Loved it! A must try!

More of a snack than a meal. Combo's are around $ 10 each, but not much of a meal. Probably enough to feed the average appetite female if you're not very hungry, otherwise order 2 meals, which works out to a bit of a pricy lunch. Food was good, definitely fresh since it took 45 minutes to make and there was only 1 other couple in there. We checked out the little Mexican grocery store in the meantime. Food tasted really authentic, but for the price we likely won't go back.

Disappointed. Going in I had high expectations and was disappointed. After living in Mexico I thought I would receive authentic food, but it isn't really Mexican as much South American. Quite expensive for what you get, I heard it used to be a lot cheaper then they jacked the prices up. Not worth the trip, the food is just okay and the price is high. I paid $8.75 for three papusas that included coleslaw. I can definitely have a better lunch elsewhere for that price.

I won't vote "I don't like it" but.... I really wanted to love this place. We have so few options for mexican/central american food here. Positive reviews from Urbanspoon veterans. Sigh. At the end of the day I have to say I was a bit disappointed. I realize this is virtually a one-man show but my order took almost an hour (would have been less frustrating if I hadn't been told 25 minutes) and the place wasn't even full (only four tables in this small restaurant). Chicken tacos were OK, but tasted a little like fajitas from a mix. Burrito and quesadilla were kind of bland and doughy. For some reason they didn't include any of the coleslaw in our take out order. I will return and try the pupusas, as they seem to be the star of the show here, but overall I am underwhelmed.

New Menu. Cafe Mercadito has a new menu and new combos. Try the enchilada, quesadilla & burrito plate. My uncle liked it.

Another great little place in Elmwood. Authentic friendly atmosphere, great food even better prices! Off the beaten path and definitely worth checking out if you like Mexican food...or just good food in general!

Definely worth checking out. Had dinner here today and all I can say is oh my goodness absolutely delicious food, definitely going back. Asked the lady if she could adopt me lol she is a fantastic cook

On the fence. I really wanted to love this place. I was really prepared to find a small gem of a South American restaurant in Winnipeg, but was disappointed. I have family from South America and they have made some of the most amazing food I have ever eaten and that is what I was expecting. <br/><br/>Cons: I was met with a very small bland dinner. For fifteen dollars. My family and I came hungry and left hungry. (We went to Quizno's on the way home for a quick snack size sandwich to fill us up.)<br/><br/>Pros: Friendly, knowledgeable server, family feel.<br/><br/>Again I really wanted to like it, and it was ok-ish. We won't be back.

Great food, very flavorful. And priced incredibly reasonably. The staff was very friendly. In the past, at other smaller family owned places we have been made to feel unwelcome if we were unable to speak the language. Here they were unfailingly polite. I can't wait to go back and try something else on the menu.

I've been here twice! Very fresh and delicious. I'll be back for a third. <br/>I can almost eat 2 meals here, they are all around the $10 mark. I would like to see some bigger portions and would pay a little more for it.

Exellent. We really enjoyed our frequent visits and the Central American food is authentic and amazing. The service is excellent and family orientated. I would highly recommend this restaurant as an alternative to the norm.

Friendly atmosphere (if not slightly small, fewer tables than a bigger restaurant as it is located at the back of a grocery store, but don't let that deter you), knowledgable server who goes through the entire menu with you in case you've never had authentic south American cuisine before, amazing selection of exotic sodas and fruit beverages. The food is beautifully presented, one combo is filling for one person. It is very delicious and they offer many hot sauces to complement each dish. If you've always wanted to try authentic mesoamerican cuisine before, this is the place to come! Try the beef burrito and the pupusa! Don't come expecting an atmosphere with the vibe of say, The Keg, because it is a tony family run set up. If you're open minded to new food you will have a fantastic time!

The place is certainly tiny and not something you'd notice when driving by but if your lucky enough to go inside you want be disappointed. The family run business makes fresh, fantastic, not showy food. We enjoyed ourselves greatly. The restaurant is the back of the place as a Latin store is the front portion. They have a great selection of Latin drinks to choose from and the menu of combos is posted on the wall. We ate all sorts and really liked all of it. Our highlights were the sweet corn tamales and the bean/cheese puppsas. The food isn't spicy but for those that like heat they've got a bunch of hot sauces on each table.

So good. The food here is amazing. I am from El Salvador and it's home cooked food at its best. The prices are reasonable and the people are really friendly. The pupusas and corn tamales are great. My bf also had a beef burrito which he loved. I want to try the enchiladas but I HAVE to get pupusas when I go. Please give it a chance!

Little Latino Gem in Elmwood??. A friend of mine expressed interest in trying out Café Mercadito Latino. I had driven by many,many times but never considered eating there until a couple days ago. Well, once you walk past the import grocery store to the back you'll find 5 tables. The menu is on a chalk board on the wall. My friend and I decided to have Combo #1which included 1 tamale , 1 pupusas and 1 empanada . At $9.50 that was a bargain! The food was very tasty, home cooked and fresh! The serving staff were warm, friendly and made you feel welcome. With people speaking Spanish and English, you kind of forget you're actually in Elmwood. Both my friend and I decided we will be coming back to try out more of the tasty Salvadoran cuisine! !

Yummy soft ice cream. Had soft ice cream here that was delicious, but they only serve I think in the summer. Can't wait to try the food!

Just had lunch here and loved it. Food was fantastic and the staff really friendly. I'll be eating here again.

Very satisfying. The food and prices were both good. There is a nice market in the store. Service was good and friendly. The eating area seemed small although the decor was nice. It was a little smokey because the kitchen was close... you'd definitely leave with your clothes smelling like the kitchen. However, we ordered take-out and didn't eat in the restaurant, so I can't comment on the eat-in option. Take-out was very good though.

GREAT FOOD. I was reluctant to dine at this place even after reading the good reviews.<br/>My daughter was in town and I wanted to take her to one of her favorite Salvadorian restaurants, but they were closed for repairs, so I opted for Mercadito.<br/>I pictured something much more plain and uninteresting <br/>than what I got.<br/>The place feels like home.<br/>The colors are tastefully done, it's bright and inviting.<br/>Soothing, quiet, friendly, AND the food is very good.<br/>All four of us were very happy.<br/>We will definitely return and I hope they flourish.<br/>Btw, they are new owners as of 2+1/2 weeks ago.<br/>June 16, 2011.

Great Latin Food. My next stop in my search for Latin cuisine in the city was Mercadito Latino on Henderson Highway. It doubles as a small Latin grocery store and restaurant. And it truly is Latin food, in the sense that there's Salvadoran, Chilean and Mexican items served here, though the menu isn't as large as you would imagine. When you walk in, you will probably be greeted very warmly by Gerardo. There aren't a ton of items but they carry a freezer full of stuff that's written in Spanish, lots of canned items, hot sauces, drinks and cookies. There were even some soccer shirts too. The restaurant is in the back, very simply decorated with only 4 tables that can seat about 10-12 people in the restaurant. You pay at the front, where the grocery store is.<br/><br/>There is a small menu board that lists the combination orders:<br/>Combo #1 - 1 empanada + 1 pupusa + 1 tamale ($9.50)<br/>Combo #2 - 3 pupusas ($8.75)<br/>Combo #3 - 1 chicken empanada + 1 beef empanada ($8.75)<br/>Combo #4 - 3 tacos ($6.50)<br/>Vern Combo - 1 pupusa + 2 tacos ($7.75)<br/>Chalupa (tostada platter) - 3 tostadas with bean, guacamole and cheese + pop ($7.25)<br/><br/>I went with the "vern combo" which included a pupusa filled with pork, bean and cheese; two chicken tacos; pickled cabbage reminiscent of coleslaw; tomatillo sauce and a red salsa. I am not sure if there were any other choices as the lady making my food just asked if it was okay to serve me those meat items. The taco includes the soft white corn tortilla filled with shredded chicken, green peppers, shredded white cheese and a light pinkish sauce that I couldn't figure out. I poured the fabulously flavourful tomatillo sauce into the taco and enjoyed one of the most delicious tacos I've had in a while. It's obviously nothing like the tex mex tacos we're all accustomed to so you have to be aware of that. So drop your preconceived notions of what a taco is when you dine here. I have a high tolerance for spicy food so the tomatillo only provided a gentle kick of heat that was just subtle enough to enhance the flavours in the chicken taco. I absolutely loved the shredded pickled cabbage slaw (curdito); the colour of the slaw reminded me of pickled Japanese ginger but the flavour was more akin to sauerkraut or vinegar based coleslaw. The slaw had some freshly ground peppercorns along with some thinly sliced carrots. The slaw is typically eaten with the pupusa but I found it to be a great palate cleanser between the tacos and the pupusa. The handmade corn tortilla is quite thick, so along with the pork, bean and cheese filling, this pupusa is quite the hearty item. The watery red salsa didn't have too much flavour or heat so it didn't add any additional flavours to the pupusa. Of all the pupusas I've tried, this one is my favourite so far.<br/><br/>Anyhow, prices are very fair here as all meals are well under $10. They also serve horchata here. Parking is on the side, on the left of the Mercadito. Give this place a try and I hope you have as nice of conversation as I did with the owner.

¡Fabuloso. I have tried to come here a few times before but either came on a day they were closed or too late as they only stay open until 7pm. Today I finally lucked out and was able to try their excellent Latin cuisine.<br/>I tried Combo #1 which was a pupusa with meat, beans and cheese, a tamale (chicken or beef), and an empanada (chicken or pork) $9.50.<br/>It was served with a side of tomato salsa and a side of tart tomatillo sauce. Both sauces were mild but quite flavourful. There was also a side of spicy cabbage slaw.<br/>The pupusa was large and the two side sauces went well with this. The tamale was also very good and as another poster stated the masa was not mushy. The empanada had a nice crust, not dry or chewy and was filled with chicken, egg, olive, raisins & onions. Again very good flavours.<br/>Service was extremely friendly, food was fresh, couldn't have asked for a better experience.

Very good, the restaurant has a little store up front, selling everything from chilean soft drinks, hot sauces and even laundry soap. The restaurant in the back is quaint. I had the Verns combo which is 1 papusa 2 tacos for $7.75 My friend had the Combo #1 which is 1 empanada 1 papusa 1 tamale. $9.50 Very good food. I would recommend it.

Hidden Gem. OK, this is by no means a fine-dining kind of place, but Wow - is the food ever good! Tiny, homey, quaint, but with awesome food! Everything is made fresh when you order it by one of the owners. <br/><br/>This is the kind of place you want so badly to succeed, as opposed to yet another chain resto serving cloned crap again and again and again, the only real attraction being waitresses in short skirts.

Wow the food is good!