Wheaton

Universally acclaimed in local, national, and international food circles is Wheaton's El Pollo Rico, serving unbeatable pollo a la brasa—Peruvian chicken roasted over smoky wood charcoals to just the perfect point at which a slight crisp falls upon the skin, over succulent, moist white and dark meat, and the spice fiesta of salt 'n pepper, huacatay, aji, cumin, achiote, garlic, and lemon magically penetrates the meat straight into the bone. EPR for a long time ran out of a can't-see-your-hand smoky little take-out only shack, but that burned down, and it's now in a cheery little eatery with tables for the few who aren't taking the bird home to the family. Lines are long, but move fast. Placing your order is simple: yell whole, half, or quarter, and then enjoy the sound of the lady's meat cleaver hitting the counter through the meat.

Full Key Restaurant

So this is where the Chinese fled to from the now Disneyfied Chinatown downtown! It's an unassuming but pleasant little eatery, offering Hong Kong cuisine into the wee hours of the night—wonderful noodle soups, soup dumplings, congee, and barbecued meats—the roast duck tends to run out, but you can call ahead to reserve a portion for a late night visit.

Irene's Pupusería III

Irene is building a pupusería empire, and any of the four locations are good bets for excellent pupusas. But number three outshines the other hole-in-the-walls in terms of ambiance by a wide margin—it's a nice place to take the family for a meal, with walls of big comfy diner-style booths. This restaurant is the local hub for the Honduran community, so there are a bunch of dishes on the menu, like the baliadas a sort of Honduran burrito that you won't find at the other Salvadoran restaurants. Beyond the great pupusas and baliadas, the terribly unhealthy fried plantains with creme are incredible, as are the atoles, a creamy hot chocolate-style dessert drink non alcoholic, and without chocolate made from corn meal with all the spices you'd expect of a pumpkin pie.