El Guapo: First Time Experience to Love

El Guapo is a Great Thing

The holiday seasons brought us many a great things. Yes, we were able to provide our kids with some gifts they really wanted, but something else exciting happened to us that came in the form of gift cards to restaurants in our area.

If anyone knows anything, if there’s a chance to place a to-go order for curbside pickup or get takeout delivered, we are all about it. So, in Catonsville, our hometown in Maryland, we were fortunate to receive several gift cards to El Guapo. First things first, when we initially heard that a Latin inspired restaurant would grace our town, we were super excited. Obviously, with the pandemic, we haven’t ventured for any dining in experiences. And, quite frankly, we’ve been super tight on our budget, so eating out has become the ultimate luxury.

Now, about those gift cards. To everyone that gave us one – THANK YOU! So, it’s safe to say we were thrilled to experience El Guapo. Since we were using a gift card, we ordered for pickup. And, holy cow, this place is absolutely gorgeous! Walking in was like a date night paradise. There’s a fantastically long bar where I could instantly imagine me and Meghan sitting, enjoying some appetizers and cocktails. What else did I notice? Despite the masks, the staff were amazingly friendly and full of smiles. Yes, you can see their smiles through the masks. Customer service is on point – check!

Next, we happened to order on a Wednesday, which means that kids eat free with entrée purchases. We ordered pupusa trio and birria tacos as our main dishes, while our kids picked a cheese quesadilla and chicken tenders for their meals. We also ordered queso fundido and chicken taquitos for starters, so everyone could try as many new things as possible.

"This is the Best Meal Ever"

These were generous portions too, as a family of four was able to get two meals out of it. Plus, Meghan was able to get a third by eating leftover beans and rice for lunch one day. That’s huge for us – and DELICIOUS! What’s even better, our kids absolutely loved this meal. While we were eating, our kids literally said, “This is the best meal ever.” And, everyone had their own favorites.

The kids also had French fries with their meals, so that along with a gigantic bag of tortilla chips that came with the queso, was more than enough to make them ecstatic. Seriously, we had leftover chips for days. The queso fundido didn’t make it beyond day two. The kids were dipping everything in it and they weren’t wrong for doing so. Honestly, when you go to El Guapo, this is a must get item. We’ve already determined that when we order from them again, because we will, queso fundido has to be ordered every single time. No question about it. It’s that good.

This is a place to try if you never have. It’s a place to revisit if you’ve been there already. The menu has so many things that look absolutely amazing. Plus, they’re constantly highlighting deals on food and drink specials on their Facebook page, so give them a follow to keep tabs. I mean, how many places can you go to and your kids have already figured out what they want to get the next time we order from there. By the way, Adelaide will be ordering the corn dog bites. She’ll be dipping those, and the French fries again, into more queso. Yes, I’ll say it – we have to go back! I also think there’s also something to say about the experience that came along with it that will stick with me for a very long time.

El Guapo Made Me Feel Normal Again

This was such a fun family meal that I think we really needed. Each one of us got to experience new food together, while bringing it home to our family dinner tradition where we ask each other about our “favorite part of the day.” It’s something fun to do that lets our family focus on each other and listen to what everyone enjoyed about their day. Every single one of us mentioned the meal from El Guapo as our favorite part of the day.

This was our first visit and the staff made me feel special. It could be that I haven’t been out in quite some time, but I can be quite the socially awkward guy and they made me feel as if I was a longtime guest. Upon hearing about it being my first time at El Guapo, let alone stepping inside to see the amazing interior, the person I was speaking with lit up with excitement. It’s hard to perfectly state how this person’s enthusiasm impacted me emotionally, but I felt happy, seen, and genuinely appreciated for being there to pick up dinner for my family.

There might be other ways to describe an initial introduction to a new place, but in this case, my first experience with El Guapo was priceless.