Izalco

The thundering 7 Train occasionally muffles the blaring Latin music videos and the kitchen symphony of sizzling and chopping, but the Salvadoran fare in this welcoming Queens canteen has diners singing hosannas. Fluffy elote tamales crammed with chicken, chickpeas, potatoes and peppers lure your attention away from bizarre decor that includes a fake bird being attacked by a plastic scorpion. The pan-Latino clientele gobble up salpicon, a refreshing cold beef salad laced with radish, mint, onion and cilantro, and carne asada, grilled to delicious nuttiness and plated with caramelized plantains which stick delightfully in your teeth.