There’s no better sign of a strip mall gem than a grocery store that sells hot, fresh food.

La Cabaña is no exception. Ottawa’s sole El Salvadoran restaurant—and one of its oldest—is a famous Carlington-area stop for fresh papusas, seafood and breakfast specials served in an unpretentious strip mall on near Carling Avenue and Merivale Road.

It’s a spot we’ve been to before as it’s down the road from us and it was high time we made another trip for an Eat the Strip review.

We called ahead for take-out as the seating area was closed the last time we visited. However, it seemed like it has since reopened, as there was at least one large family dining in and chatting away over the sound of a telenovela blaring on a television in the corner.

Danielle ordered the El Guanaco sampler, which came with one tamal, one pupusa, ripe and sweet fried plantain slices with refried beans and queso—a great sampler dish for those who would like an introduction to Salvadoran fare. Guanaco it turns out is also an informal term for residents of El Salvador

I ordered two pupusas, one chicharron—savoury pork smothered with salsa—and a queso con lorocco. Loroco is a bud native to Central America. It has a distinct earthy taste, with some likening it to rapini with acidic and nutty undertones.

We were also feeling a little adventurous, so we ordered the sopa de pata, a Salvadoran soup made from cow's feet and tripe, cassava, chayotes, corn and an assortment of other vegetables.

The pupusas and tamal were gone very quickly. We scarfed them down with curtido, a spicy Salvadoran cabbage slaw or relish made with finely shredded cabbage, red onion, carrot, oregano, and vinegar.

I really enjoyed the queso con lorocco pupusa. It reminded a bit of the pickled cactus used in Mexican food. It was tangy, cheesy and the cornmeal pupusa was warm and perfectly seared from the griddle.

The hearty bone broth soup featured generous chunks of meat and vegetables. Recognizing tripe and trotters isn’t for everyone, La Cabaña also offers five other kinds of soup, including sopa de siete mares, or the seven seas soup, featuring shrimp, fish, octopus, clam and mussels in a spicy seafood broth.

Our entire order came to just over $50. With leftovers that will tide us over through dinner, we know we’ll be back to La Cabaña for their delicious home-style cooking and excellent prices.