Emporium Latino

I was feeling adventurous and wanted to try something new in the area. I would not have walked into this place because it looks like a grocery store from the outside, luckily I knew there was a world of delicious food tucked just past the picnic tables and stairs. Place your order at the cash register once you’ve deciphered the menu, pass your ticket stub to the little lady in the back kitchen and be prepared to wait a while as your food is handmade in front of you. Try not to get in the way as people pick up and drop off their orders.
The wait is worth it though, even if it takes a good 20 minutes. I’ve never had pupusas before, and was surprised at the amount of meat she was able to stuff into the little pocket of dough. The texture of the outside is interesting, especially with it being fried to a crisp texture outside while still being moist and flavourful inside. A delicious meal and definitely a good introduction into Latin American food.

Food literally made while you wait so super fresh and really cheap and very authentic. The day we stopped here to eat they were cooking outside the shop on the pavement and the three women were running a very slick kitchen and it was good to watch the food being made before your very eyes. We had the pork and cheese pupusa, salad, spicy sauce and empanadas and I’ve got to be honest the food was disappointing it lacked flavour and was very bland!

It looks like everyone comes here for the pupusas.
Well I’ve got news for you… they’re not as good as they make them out to be.
The lady working the register is pretty cold although she answers your questions, it’s not with a friendly demeanor. The order of things in here is so latin american and it made me love it. You order, you hand your order to an older lady that comes out from the back just to make you a fresh pupusa.
But what’s wrong with it? The pupusa had no flavor inside and out. Lacked a respectable amount of stuffing, the lettuce/​cabbage and carrot shavings were dry, the salsa was okay. I’m sorry but when you’re used to Atlacatl Restaurant out here in LA, my pupusas standards are going to be high.
The only pro is how you get to watch them be made and they’re given to you on the spot.
Even though, the pupusa disappointed I have to respect the store aspect of Emporium Latino. They had so many hispanic essentials from all over latin america. Salsas, pancake flour, cooking oils, inca cola (their soda collection is legit), spices… they come through. If I lived in Toronto, I could see myself becoming a habitual customer of this place.
Come and check it out, the pupusas aren’t that great but if you’ve never had one, you can only go up from here. So it’s a good place to start. Don’t forget to lurk the store and take some tres estrellas pancake mix home with you.

Yes! Yes! Aaaand Yes!
It’s a little confusing. This is a market, not a restaurant. They have a couple of picnic tables in the front part of the store, but they might well be full, so be prepared to take away. It makes eating your incredibly delicious food you just purchased quite difficult. It is worth it, however. You have to order at the cash register and deliver your own ticket to the kitchen in the back. But if you can forgive all that, you’re in for a treat of tasty and authentic pupusas and such. Yummy yummy yummy.

Great made to order pupusas. No frills for sure. Not the friendliest servers but so good!!! Not as busy as El Gordo so come here instead for fresh and delicious pupusas. I can eat 100 of these so it is a good thing I do not live close by.

This place has a unique charm, and friendly service. We ordered the beans and cheese pupusas and they are great. The lady in the back is a pro! Super nice and great food definitely going back!

Didn’t actually get to eat here, just posting a note to vegetarians: everything is made with lard! Sad :(

My husband and I were looking for a nice little place that bring memories from our country. And we found it!!! The gorditas were awesome and the people very nice. We will come back to enjoy a little place with big flavor and character.

Tasty pupusas! Some of the best I’ve had in Toronto. They are $ 3 each which can run you up quite a bill if you’re a big eater and they’re not that big but they are filling. They also give you a decent serving of curtido and salsa. The salsa and curtido are very good which most people focus on just the pupusas but if those two things aren’t good then it can ruin the pupusas. But overall great little place, very cold during the winter so bundle up!

Ahhhh, if I lived in Toronto, I’d be here way too often. I ordered the chicken papusa and chicken tamale. Everything was made to order and had tons of flavor. Their prices are cheap, and the portions are decently-​sized.
Don’t come here for the friendly staff, though. In all fairness, my friends and I did walk in at around 6:20 and the kitchen closed at 6:30 (we never do this… we didn’t see the hours posted on the door) but after we were told we had to take our food to go, we double checked to make sure it was okay that we placed our order and said that we’d leave if they wanted to close up. The lady said it was okay, but continued to give us a nasty attitude the whole time. The food made up for it, though. I’d recommend this place to anyone looking for delicious, cheap eats.

Best pupusas without a doubt — try them all!!! We’ve tried the revuelta, de queso, loroco and frijoles. Reasonably priced and good size as well. My family and I have been here multiple times and each time their pupusas and tamales are made fresh to order and are delicious. The owners and ladies cooking are so incredibly kind too. A hidden gem I’m glad to have found!

The real deal! Had several types of Pupusas and tacos. Everything was delicious, fresh and very inexpensive. This is a grocery store with 3 small tables to sit. Not elegant, but the food is authentic and the staff is super friendly. Will be back for more.

Had the chance to visit this hidden gem one morning. I wasn’t hungry at the time but as soon as I saw pupusas on the menu I couldn’t pass up the opportunity. Having spent a lot of time in El Salvador … loving the people and culture I naturally became fond of pupusas.
The taste was pretty authentic … and given this was a grocery store in front and food counter in the back … I enjoyed the «no fills» atmosphere similar to the pupusarias in ES. They had a seated covered area opened to the side walked; in which I sat and enjoyed a beans, meat and cheese pupusa (known as revueltas) and a café con leche. They also asked if I wanted it spicier … which is always a plus for me. The hot sauce looked homemade and not just «Cholula’s» or tabasco … it was good.
The lady at the front and the girls at the back were friendly. A nice experience overall … it is what it is. I only wished the prices were the same as in El Salvador but I guess I saved on the airfare as well … lol. Will definitely be back to try other menu items. Kensington market has a lot of unique places to be discovered.

Best pupusas I’ve ever had. Be prepared to wait 15 or 20 minutes for your order as they are made fresh. I usually call ahead or leave and grab a few things in the market and come back cuz the seating is often scarce and cramped. Tried their tacos and they were average so my advice is to stick to the papusas and leave the tacos to Seven Lives.

I’ve been coming to this place for years, can’t believe I haven’t reviewed! Best pupusa (masa harina dough stuffed with cheese and/​or meat and/​or beans) in Kensington, $ 3 each with a heap of coleslaw dowsed in homemade hot (or sala verde if you ask nicely). They also have 5 – 8 kinds of tamales. I will often buy a dozen and take them home for the freezer.

Five stars for these pupusas! They are absolutely divine. I had one today with pork, beans, and cheese, and it was better than any pupusa I’ve ever had before. Their horchata is also delicious. I had mine the Salvadorian way instead of the Mexican way, made with morro seeds instead of rice, and it was a refreshing drink for a hot day. I also tried a tamale with beans and cheese, which was just okay… it was way darker than other tamales I’ve had, so it might have been made of blue corn instead of yellow corn, but I’m not sure. It had a different taste than your average tamale — not bad, but not as great as the pupusas.
The pupusas come with an excellent cabbage salad similar to coleslaw and you can choose a mild or spicy sauce. They are also on the small side compared to other pupusas I’ve had before — I ordered one and probably should have gotten two. The food came out pretty quickly, maybe five minutes or so after I ordered (it wasn’t very busy), and the staff are very friendly. This is my new go-​to takeout spot when I’m around Kensington Market!

The pupusa and the tamale are fantastic, they are made in the back of a grocery store, made fresh to order.

The people here are very nice. I I always hear about pupusas so I decided to give it a try.
I didn’t particularly like it. I don’t see what the big fuss is about. I also had plantain with guava and that was pretty cool.
The people here so nice. They didn’t have any chicken prepared to readily make the pupusas. They went and they prepared the chicken just for me.
The food is cooked fresh and authentic. I would give it a try. Support a great business.

Great spot to pick up a quick bite… pupusas and empanadas.
They have many tough to find items from South America. They even have different flavours of Tang that you wouldn’t find anywhere. Impressive.

If they had more seating, I would give this place a ⁴⁄₅. When I am craving pupusas or tamales, I always make my way to Emporium Latino. The prices have gone up over the last year, but I think it is still good value. Pupusas are approximately $ 3 and they come with a salad and spicy (I mean spicy!) tomato sauce (they probably have mild too). If you are interested in buying items to go from their fridge such as queso fresco, chorizo and tamales, I would not go on a Sunday. I was there last Sunday and their fridge was pretty much empty. Lucky for me I was only interested in eating in.
The way the ordering works is that you order and pay at the front cash, they write your order on a piece of paper that they rip off the number from the top of this piece of paper and then give you both pieces; you take the ticket/​piece of paper with your order on it and you give it to the people cooking in the back and keep the other piece (it just has a number on it). Once your order is ready, they will call you and you give them the piece of paper with your order number.
The seating situation is a pain! I was there with 6 people and we had to take turns eating. They have 6 chairs and it is bar-​style. When you get there, if you are not alone and you see an empty seat, grab it and have someone else order for you. Though, you are better off buying your food to go and walking over to the park and making yourself a picnic. For a pupusa, tamal and a drink it will cost you around $ 10.