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Redwood City has a new Salvadoran pupuseria that’s selling pupusas for a shockingly low price: $3.25.
“You can bring in a party of four for 60 bucks, that’s including everything,” said Rene Franco, co-owner of Comalito and longtime Redwood City resident.
Rene Franco and his niece Cristina Franco opened the pupuseria June 29 in the former home of Martin’s Kitchen. The small, 40-seat restaurant has a succinct menu featuring seven flavors of pupusas (five of which are vegetarian), two appetizers (yuca fries and pastelitos – Salvadoran empanadas) and seven desserts (including empanadas de leche, arroz con leche and churros). The drink menu includes refresco de ensalada (a Salvadoran fruit salad drink), Cola Champagne (a Latin American soda) and horchata de morro.
“Our horchata is made of different types of seeds, and we get it imported from El Salvador straight here,” Rene Franco said. “The consistency and the colors and the flavors are way different from Mexican horchata.”
Alcoholic offerings, like Salvadoran beer, plan to be available in about two months, Rene Franco said.
“It’s always been a dream … to do some kind of food restaurant,” he said. “I enjoy the challenge, and I … try to do my best that I can.”
Rene Franco said his favorite flavor of pupusa is the chicharron (mixed cheese with ground pork) due to its simplicity and that Comalito doesn’t use lard in its dough or beans.
“We make everything fresh, and we make everything without that much fat, but the flavor is there,” he said. “A lot of places, they’re drenching up in oil or fat. We don’t do that…We just try to do it as natural as possible, because that’s how it’s made in El Salvador.”
Rene Franco was born in El Salvador and grew up just two blocks away from Comalito in Redwood City. He started in the restaurant industry as a teenager, working in local spots like the Canyon Inn, then working for Hyatt for 13 years before taking a job at James Standfield Catering in 2001. In 2006, he purchased the catering company, which he continues to own today.
Comalito is a family-run business. In addition to his niece being co-owner, Rene Franco’s wife, Marisol Franco, is the chef, and his daughter, Sofia Franco, is also involved in the pupuseria.
“(Sofia) was able to jump in and help me with promotions, with being able to do the menus, being able to print the menus, write it down, setting up the register … so she’s made it easy for me,” he said. “I would have never done it if I didn’t have them to back me up.”
Comalito, 3143 Middlefield Road, Redwood City, 650-503-8443, Instagram: @comalitopupuseria. Open Tuesday to Sunday 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
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