Jaclyn’s Pick:

Miranda’s Taqueria y Pupuseria Omaha
11036 Elm St. (Rockbrook Village)
Fare: El Salvadorian
Cost: $55 for two drinks, three tacos, four pupusas and one dessert
Reservations: Not needed mid-week, but recommended on a Friday and Saturday night.

Greetings, Eaters and Readers!

The night before we ate at Miranda’s, I had pupusas from La Salvadoreña. My stepmom, Jeanine, picked them up for our Wednesday night Spanish-speaking bible study. And it got me thinking, when was the last time we wrote about Latin American or Mexican food of any kind? It was November … in 2023.

Yikes. It was time to right this wrong.

After enjoying those pupusas so much, and wondering if I could find them outside of South Omaha – where most of your authentic options are – I started searching. The first name that popped up was Miranda’s Taqueria y Pupuseria in Rockbrook Village. The reviews on Google shouted nothing but praise for this family-owned restaurant.

Miranda’s has been offering El Salvadorian staples since December 2024 in the former Hunger Block building. Before that, it was Little España. Having eaten at both of these restaurants – and loving them – we’re not sure why they closed. But we’re glad Miranda’s is here now.

When we walked in, we were greeted by a friendly face who told us to sit wherever we liked. So we nestled ourselves in a corner and began pouring over the menu.

Horchata ($4.50)

I eagerly ordered a glass of horchata – a sweet, rice water drink with vanilla, cinnamon and sugar – and Martha said, “Make it two!” I’ve had it before and loved it – except for that one time at Corner Kitchen. Miranda’s was the same – gritty and lacking in sweet flavor. I tried adding a few sugar packets that were on the table, but it didn’t help. We felt bad leaving nearly-full glasses (although Martha would like it known she made a better dent than I did), but we tried.

I’m beginning to wonder if what I’ve had and enjoyed in years past isn’t actually authentic – and maybe I don’t like the real deal. Perhaps don’t take my word for it on this one.

Table Chips & Salsa (Free)

Always a comforting and delicious element, our server welcomed us and quickly brought out complimentary chips and salsa. The chips were still warm from the kitchen and the salsa was – quite possibly – the best salsa either of us have ever enjoyed at a restaurant. Martha loved the flavor and smooth texture – and I appreciated that it wasn’t overpowered by heat or cilantro. If they offered bottles of salsa to purchase, Martha and I would’ve both left with our arms full.

Revuelta Pupusa ($3.99) – Pork, beans, cheese | Queso con Calabaza Pupusa ($3.99) – Cheese, squash |
Birria Street Taco ($4.99) – Beef shank, cheese, consomé

Miranda’s offers 16 different pupusa fillings. How would I choose?

I started with the most common pupusa filling – pork, beans and cheese. Then spotted a cheese and squash option, too. These handmade stuffed corn tortillas were served hot and fresh with a side of pickled slaw to top. (I liked mine better sans slaw). They had three sauce options we could top our pupusas with: a mild tomato-based red sauce, an extra spicy version, and mild verde. I tried the mild verde and mild red. Both were good but both I loved the red sauce more. I doused mine in them and it was perfect.

If there was any squash in my queso con calabaza pupusa, I didn’t notice. I mean, I saw it there, but I couldn’t taste it. But it didn’t bother me any because the savory cheese betwixt the corn tortillas was plenty delightful. I equally enjoyed the revuelta pupusa. The refried beans were part smooth, part chunky with semi-mashed beans. And the pork had clearly been simmering in it’s respective juices, giving it a rich flavor.

Also on my plate you’ll notice a birria taco – my favorite of the street variety. (I skipped the onions and cilantro). Dipped in a delicious consomé, the beef shank and gooey cheese combo was hands-down the best birria taco I’ve ever had. Ever.

Pollo Street Tacos ($3.99 each) | Revuelta Pupusa ($3.99) – Pork, beans, cheese | Pupusa de Pollo ($3.99) – Grilled chicken | Side Guacamole ($7.99)

Going into this meal, Martha thought she had eaten pupusas before. But as we sat down and chatted about the menu, she realized she hadn’t. She’s had tamales and sopas – but this would be her first pupusa. After I educated her about the traditional mixture of pork, beans, and cheese, she ordered one of those as well as a pollo y queso. She also couldn’t pass up the pollo street tacos. Like me, she passed on the onions and cilantro, and instead, opted for lettuce and guacamole. Apparently that’s a weird request – or at least one not regularly requested at Miranda’s – because the only side of guacamole they could offer was the small $8 option. We enjoyed a few dips with the warm chips to make the extra cost worth it.

Overall, Martha loved every bite – from the tacos to her first pupusas. She specifically appreciated how warm and fresh everything was — like we were sitting in someone’s kitchen as they cooked it especially for us. We both concur: nothing beats that feeling or experience.

Empanadas de Plantano ($9.99) – Sweet, mashed plantains filled with a rich, creamy milk custard. Lightly fried to a golden brown and dusted with sugar.

I love fried plantains. Love ’em love ’em love ’em. Back when I used to work in the Hy-Vee salad bar, I would occasionally take the discarded plantains produce was about to toss and fry them up in the back, then dip them in sugar. It’s a great snack or dessert.

Martha feels less excited than I do about plantains. But that’s because she goes into her bite thinking it’s going to taste like a banana. And then she’s disappointed when it’s not. I told her she’s got to work on that so she can learn to love them just as much.

Miranda’s empanadas de plantano came out piping hot and beautifully dusted in sugar. They were filled with creamy milk custard, which I did see, but couldn’t really taste. It was all the same to me: a simple fried, sweet plantain.

Final Bites

From the friendly service and hot-and-fresh food to the meticulously crafted flavors in their dishes, it should come as no surprise that Miranda’s gets a Certified Good Bite. And having seen previously successful restaurants disappear from this tucked-away spot in Rockbrook Village, we truly hope they break the mold.

Dining at Miranda’s was a really enjoyable experience – we both claimed they served some of the best food we’ve tasted since our last Certified Good Bite. We literally had to stop ourselves from doing Pooh Bear’s happy food dance with each bite. You know, in case people were to see us momentarily forget we were in public.

Cheers!
The Good Bite Gals

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