Restaurant & Cafeteria Centro America

EL SALVADOR
GUATEMALA
HONDURAS

The three most represented Central American countries in New York City and New Jersey are the three countries represented by the menu of this restaurant in Jamaica, Queens. Despite their logo encompassing countries from Belize to Panamá, only the food of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras makes the cut.

The first hints are the two flags on the windows with plates of food superimposed. On the right is the Guatemalan flag, with its lighter blue and vertical stripes, while the dark blue horizontal stripes of El Salvador and Honduras are to the left. In the front of the shop, there are pastries, tamales, and hot drinks like atol de elote ($2.50, not pictured), a traditional sweet corn beverage.

I asked for my hard to find favorite Guatemalan dishes but to no avail. I ended up with the pollo en crema ($10 (although the menu said $9), above), a dish I had never tried. Grilled chunks of chicken breast are slathered with a tomato onion cream sauce. The rice and beans taste exactly as they look in the above photo.

A Guatemalan tamal de masa ($2.50, not pictured) was taken to go. They also have the larger Salvadoran versions for $5-6, as well as pupusas ($2.25-2.50) and Honduran baleadas ($3.50-6), the antojitos I will stick to on the next visit.

JAMAICA Queens

145-16 Jamaica Avenue