Latino-owned restaurants in Philadelphia, PA

El Merkury

Philadelphia, PA

We are El Merkury, a Central American street food staple in the Philadelphia foodie scene. Our story starts with our founder, Sofia Deleon, a Guatemalan immigrant who came to the United States in 2012 to study and later stayed to chase a dream. After years working the corporate side of the food industry, in 2017 she decided to quit her job and follow her heart, opening a business that would share the flavors she grew up with and celebrate the food and people of Central America. What began as a series of pop-ups and a virtual kitchen found its permanent home on May 5th, 2018, at 2104 Chestnut Street near Rittenhouse Square. Today we also serve our neighbors from a stall inside Philadelphia's historic Reading Terminal Market. We are proud to be a Latina and immigrant-owned business, and prouder still to bring our community together through food. Our menu blends the flavors of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, the countries that shaped our table. Everything is made from scratch. We hand-press pupusas, roll crispy taquitos, and build loaded tostadas piled with fresh toppings. And then there are the churros, our pride and joy: foot-long, fried to order, dusted in cinnamon sugar, and stuffed or dipped in fillings like our Mayan chocolate. Whether it is a quick handheld snack or a churro sundae you did not know you needed, we want every bite to taste like home. Mornings start early with us, because good food should not have to wait. Stop in for breakfast, grab lunch on the go, or order a combo of a pupusa, a tostada, and two sides when you want the full experience. We also cater, ship coffee, and craft churrobouquets and churrograms for the moments worth celebrating. More than a restaurant, El Merkury is a love letter to Central America and to the city that welcomed us. We are here to show Philadelphia that our street food deserves a seat at the table, one pupusa and one churro at a time. Come hungry, come curious, and leave part of our familia.