Late nights on weekends, this Arlandria eatery may feel like a social club for Latin American expats, but by day and early evening it's simply a place for locals to fill up on Latino comfort food. Airy tamales make a marvelous beginning. Best is consome de camarones, shrimp bobbing in seafood-cilantro broth bolstered with a dash of sour cream. A brew of short ribs with oversize chunks of carrot, yucca, and potato is another thumbs-up bowl. Like Vietnam's pho, it's breakfast back in El Salvador, though at Lilian's you can have it any time of day with a hefty tortilla alongside.
Weekends bring offbeat delicacies like beef-tripe soup and tongue stew.
You might even be able to pass off the thick fried wedges of yucca alongside as French fries. Grilled meats appear on most Latin and Central American menus, for better and worse. Likewise, paella Valenciana is more notable for its size than for the overcooked seafood studding saffron-scented rice. Peruvian lomo saltado, a jumble of peppers, onions, French fries, and meats, is more flavorful with beef than with chicken. Lovers of Tex-Mex will be disappointed.