El Merkury

Had a delicious lunch at El Merkury! Conveniently located in Center City a couple blocks from Rittenhouse Square. They have screens to place your order but the friendly staff is on hand in case you have questions.For ease in meal ordering, they offer a couple Combos. I enjoyed the Pupusa (Chicharron Pork) and Tostada (Pork Mechada), and 2 Sides (Cheese Baked Rice w/ jalapenos & corn, Guacamole). I have zero complaints about any of it - it was all delicious.There's plenty of seating to sit at as you enjoy your meal and fun music. Can't wait to return.PS. Don't miss out on the insane churros -- some offered with ice cream and toppings!

El Merkury is a vibrant casual restaurant which serves Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras food. The menu has items like pupusas, tostadas, taquitos, and churros.It's an easy process to order off of a touchscreen and your food is prepared quickly and when ready your name is called. We appreciated that dietary restrictions are clearly labeled. Most of what we ordered was very tasty however not sure if we ordered the wrong pupusas as the bean ones were a bit bland. The tostada and taquito were delicious though. We loved the bright cheerful interior and were sad we were too full for a churro. Docking one star for the bland pupusas but will definitely be back and will try a different one and will adjust my rating. Please give this place a try it is very unique!

Good food! I've had taquitos from their Reading Terminal Market location before and they were quite tasty and crisp, and same experience this time except tried a few more items. The butternut squash taquitos were probably still my fave for how crispy on the outside, savory on the inside they were. I also really enjoyed the beet tostada, but didn't love the black bean pupusas. The toppings ar generally the same on each item (pickled onions, lettuce, salsa) so the real flavor comes from the filling or stuffing itself and the toppings add to it. Plenty of vegetarian options - I would come back here for a little snack but probably not a whole meal.

I've heard about this place a few times and finally stopped in to grab a quick lunch to-go. The vibe inside seemed very clean and casual. I got two taquitos to-go- one chicken and cheese and one chile chicken. First of all, I was thrilled that this was only $7. I didn't know lunches under $10 still existed in Philly. I was even happier that it was delicious. The chile chicken is actually spicy but in a fun way- not in the way that makes you cry. The service was super quick, too. I think I was in and out in less than 10 minutes. Will definitely be back to try more from the menu.

Great place for lunch! We had nachos with pork and a churro. It was busy and the food came fast. We will be back

Fast food, quick service, friendly staff. Self seeting areaTaquito (5/5) - One of the best taquitos in philly, fried perfectly. Thicker than traditionalPupusa (4/5) - Soft, flavorful, we got vegetarianTostada (3/5) - Average

Loved the smoky heat in the jackfruit taquitos, the only thing missing was a mezcal margarita that would have paired perfectly! Great lunch spot!

Just go to your neighborhood churro man lol===========I was excited for the churro, but even fresh it wasn't that good :( vanilla soft serve with nut brittle, goat milk caramel sounded better on paper.The churro was pretty hard on the outside and wasn't really moist on the inside. For $7, you get a sizeable amount, but I didn't even enjoy eating the churro by itself. Even Jack in the box churros are better.When I called them on the phone, they didn't pick up and I let it ring forever. As I entered, they were serving one customer so I'm not sure what occurred here.

Excellent execution on Central American street food. The chicken in the taquito was tender, juicy, and didn't stick on the tooth. The pickled beet tostada balanced acidity, sweetness, and savouriness well. All around this was a great choice for lunch. They combine latin street flavors and concepts with skilled execution.

More like a 3.75 Great place and ambience right in the middle of Rittenhouse. Service is ok. It's basically self order on a screen. Wish there was more person to person interaction. Food: it taste good. This place is basically an introduction to Central American food. Good Selection and good taste but they are all missing that authentic taste. Also the pupusa came out super quick which means they are not freshly made. This is where they lost all the points. It's a great place for the intro but if you want the real deal you need to head towards Italian market/ Passyunk area. The authentic flavor Mexican and Central American restaurants are there. Would I eat here again? Yes, if I didn't feel like driving