CLOSED June 30(?), 2018 this location and RELOCATED to 798 E 7th St
Saint Paul
828 7th St E
Established 2005
Visited May 31, 2012
Given the clean lines of the restaurant front, walking in to the dimly lit restaurant was a jolt to the system. Manana is a dive but half full with Hispanic customers so I thought it had to be decent. As the counter was unmanned, I walked directly to the restroom which was starkly clean.
I pulled out the menu looking for pupusas and saw only one listing for a 3 pupusa combo for $8.50. Going off memory, the pupusas are revueltas - pork chicarron, cheese, and bean filling. The horchata came to table first and it was perfect, sweet and nongritty yet it wasn't icy cold despite the ice.
About 25 minutes passed before the pupusas finally arrived. One forkful of the creamy rice and the interminable wait was instantly forgiven. The creamy fluffy but simple rice was the best Hispanic rice.
But not to be outdone were the pupusas. The pupusas were cooked to order on the griddle and arrived volcanic hot. Top it with the curtido and squirt some vinegary tomato sauce and you have pupusa magic. The pancake was a perfect combination of crisp and soft. The filling was a perfect combination of savory flavor and ratio of beans, chicarron, and refried beans. The curtido itself was an enthralling sweet, salty, sour, spicy, and textural experience. Altogether it made for one of the best if not the best meal I have had in the Twin Cities. I'm not sure how it could have been any better.
Probability of making an out of the way return: 10%
Probability of returning if in the area: 90%
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