el pulgarcito

Toronto restaurant famous for its pupusas is permanently closing

One of Toronto's best El Salvadorian restaurants that's brought delicious and affordable meals to its neighbourhood over the past few years is set to close its doors. 

El Pulgarcito in Scarborough has built a reputation in the community for its delectable El Salvadorian cuisine, including affordable pork tamales, pupusas, and tacos. 

Mauricio, owner of El Pulgarcito, told blogTO that future condo developments in the area is what ultimately led the business to decide to close is doors. 

"Unfortunately, we have to close on Feb. 28, it's the last day we'll be here," he explained. "The government is going to make some condos around here." 

The restaurant will now be closing on May 31 after receiving an extension from Metrolinx that allows it to continue to operate.

el pulgarcito

The cheese pull on a pupusa at El Pulgarcito.

Despite its future closure, the restaurant remains extremely busy, with regular customers piling in during the lunch rush. It's a sentiment to the restaurant's impact on the neighbourhood, and a bittersweet reminder of the legacy they leave behind. 

Mauricio also told blogTO that staffing shortages are causing even greater demand during busy hours of the day, and are also part of the reason why the restaurant is closing its doors. 

El Pulgarcito means "Little Thumb," which is a nickname for El Salvador since it's the smallest country in Central America. 

There's no word yet on whether the restaurant will be relocating to a new space, but for now, there's still a couple of months left to support the beloved business. 

el pulgarcito

The exterior of El Pulgarcito.

El Pulgarcito is located at 20 Nugget Avenue near McCowan Road and Sheppard Avenue East. 

Photos by

Hector Vasquez


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Eat & Drink

We teamed up with local small business Cereal Box Cafe to give away 100 free ice creams

Two huge Caribbean food festivals coming to Toronto this summer

Toronto bakery is giving away hundreds of free patties before they close for good

Michelin-approved Toronto restaurant is closing to undergo 'transformation'

New Loblaws policy promises customers free produce if it isn't fresh

Canadians could soon cash in on $500 million Loblaw bread price-fixing settlement

Queer Eye star Antoni Porowski shares his love of Canadian chips

An American visited a Canadian Costco and shared their haul