Boulder's Pupusas Sabor Hispano moving to larger, loftier digs

Lori Midson

Construction has begun on the new Pupusas Sabor Hispano in Boulder

Pupusas Sabor Hispano, the Boulder joint that doles out its namesake spheres of griddled masa shaped around redolent fillings of chicharron, fiddlehead ferns, zucchini, Anaheim peppers, smears of refrieds and molten white cheese, has long been one of my favorite restaurants in the People's Republic, as much for the pupusas as for the people who run the place; they couldn't be sweeter or more accommodating.

Since in opened in north Boulder in 2005, in a shotgun strip mall at 4457 Broadway, the roadside shack has hummed with patrons, falling all over each other en route to the salsa bar tucked into a tight cutout and jostling for space at one of the half dozen or so tables that occupies the interior. The patio, if you can snatch a table, buzzes with comradery.

But all that trade has led to a plea from the regulars who throng the joint -- a plea for a larger space, which owner and pupusa queen Nancy Reed is set to unveil in late July or early August.

Lori Midson

"The people here, they ask for a larger space. They want to bring in their families," says Reed, whose new location is directly across the street at 4500 Broadway, in the former parcel of square footage that held Play Grounds Cafe. "Basically, we just need more room. I love it here, but it's just too small, and I want to make my customers happy and give them what they ask for" says the Chihuahua, Mexico native.

The new Pupusas, which will have a liquor license -- a luxury that Reed couldn't obtain in her current location because of the proximity to an elementary school -- is nearly triple the size of the current space, but the color scheme -- candy-apple red, chartreuse, maize and lemon -- will carry over to the new quarters, which also showcases terracotta roof tiles, blonde hardwood floors, stained concrete, earthenware fountains and a mix of booths, banquettes and tables. "I love bright colors, and the new restaurant will be a mix of modern and traditional," says Reed.

The menu, however, will essentially remain the same. "I'm adding a few more dishes like chicken and beef fajitas and gorditas," notes Reed, but it's her magnificent pupusas that will continue to dominate the menu.