A family restaurant rooted in Salvadoran and Mexican tradition · Washington, DC
A family table with room for everyone.
Where Salvadoran and Mexican Food Meet
When El Tamarindo opened in Washington, DC in the 1980s, Salvadoran cuisine was still largely unfamiliar to the city. Ana’s father, José, had worked in a Mexican restaurant, so the family drew on both what they knew and where they came from. Mexican dishes offered something familiar to diners while Salvadoran dishes introduced the flavors and traditions of home.
To Ana, that choice represents the ingenuity and perseverance at the heart of so many immigrant stories. Her family adapted to a new city without losing sight of where they came from, building a restaurant that has endured for more than four decades.
Today, the Salvadoran and Mexican dishes that share the table at El Tamarindo remain part of that story: a reflection of resilience, adaptation, and the ability to create something lasting.
Salvadoran & Mexican Food
At the center of the table are the flavors Ana grew up with: handmade pupusas, empanadas de plátano, traditional Salvadoran plates, tacos and fajitas, alongside a bar that has evolved to include classic and Latin inspired craft cócteles.
For many guests, their first taste of Salvadoran cuisine begins with a pupusa. Warm from the griddle and made by hand, it is more than a signature dish. It is a delicious introduction to Salvadoran food, culture, and hospitality.
Sharing a pupusa is a way of sharing a little of El Salvador and the generosity of a culture where food has always been a way of bringing people together.
Honoring the Past While Building What Comes Next
Ana grew up at El Tamarindo, watching her parents build a restaurant around food, hard work, and hospitality. She saw regular customers become friends, employees become extended family, and the restaurant become a gathering place for the community.
As the second generation helping lead El Tamarindo forward, Ana sees herself as both steward and builder. Many of her family’s original recipes remain on the menu, while she has expanded the experience to reflect how people eat, drink, and gather today.
Under Ana’s direction, the bar has grown to include craft cocktails inspired by Latin and Salvadoran flavors, while the menu offers greater variety for guests with different dietary needs, including a dedicated vegan menu. El Tamarindo has also expanded beyond the restaurant with full service catering, bringing its food and familia style hospitality to celebrations, corporate gatherings, private events, and other occasions throughout the community. Fundraisers, noches de poesía, music, art, and cultural gatherings have further expanded the ways people can experience and connect with El Tamarindo.
For Ana, evolution does not mean reinventing El Tamarindo. It means carrying its original spirit forward while allowing it to grow. The goal is to reach new guests and new generations while protecting the essence of the mom and pop restaurant her parents created: generous food, personal hospitality, and the feeling of being welcomed like familia.
A Place for Community
For more than four decades, El Tamarindo has been about more than a meal. It has been a place where people gather, celebrate, connect, and find a sense of belonging around the table.
Ana’s vision is to honor what her parents built while creating space for what comes next. El Tamarindo continues to evolve, but its heart remains the same: good food, an open door, familia hospitality, and a table with room for everyone.