El Mexsal: Cheap, authentic, delicious

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El Mexsal, a Mexican and Salvadorian restaurant on Freedom Boulevard. (Photo by Ari Davis.)
El Mexsal, a Mexican and Salvadorian restaurant on Freedom Boulevard, serves up authentic food in a traditional atmosphere. (Photo by Ari Davis.)

El Mexsal is a family-owned business that blends Salvadorian and Mexican foods together and gives college students a tasty, authentic dining experience that doesn’t break the bank.

Salvador V. Duarte, the Salvadorian owner, said the restaurant is a giant family affair that has grown immensely since he moved from California to Provo to take over the restaurant.

“We had an opportunity for business, so we sold our house and moved up here,” Duarte said. “It has grown more than 50 percent in the last seven years.”

Lining the walls of the restaurant are sombreros, plants and parrots in the colors of the Mexican flag that add to the authentic dining experience.

The food is made fresh to order, with dishes ranging from $1.25 for a pupussa to $12.00 for a sampler platter, giving a great variety of options that are friendly to college budgets.

Taquitos, burritos, tostadas, enchiladas, tacos and tamales are just a few of the many dishes offered at El Mexsal, and with hefty portion sizes, there is something for everyone.

El Mexsal is a family-owned business, blending Salvadorian and Mexican food. (Photo by Ari Davis.)
El Mexsal is a family-owned business, blending Salvadorian and Mexican food. (Photo by Ari Davis.)

Spencer Reynolds, an industrial design major from Fort Walton, Fla., said he was hesitant at first about the restaurant, but the food spoke for itself.

“I wasn’t sure, but as soon as the food came out, I knew it was authentic and really good,” Reynolds said. “I liked the atmosphere and it was busy, but the service was good.”

After her first experience there, Brittni Vawdry, a family and consumer sciences education major from American Fork, said she enjoyed the menu and the atmosphere at El Mexsal.

“It felt very authentic,” Vawdry said. “Looking around, you could see people of different cultures clearly enjoying it.”

Vawdry said she appreciated how the restaurant was decorated because it helped her appreciate the culture.

“I would definitely go there again,” Vawdry said. “The food is really good, and the prices were cheap.”

El Mexsal is located at 325 S. Freedom Boulevard in Provo and is open Monday–Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Fridays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sundays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

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