Pupusas, the heart of Salvadoran comfort food, are the reason to seek out Don Julio’s restaurant in Rohnert Park — you’ll have to, because it’s not easy to find.
Tucked into a quiet shopping center at the south end of Rohnert Park, surrounded by thrift shops, hobby stores and family-run businesses, it’s the kind of place you might pass without a second glance. That would be a mistake.
Inside the tiny pupuseria, you’ll likely see co-owner Evelyn Sanabria shaping pupusas with a steady thwap, thwap between her practiced hands — a skill honed over a lifetime. Each thick, hand-formed round of masa is stuffed with cheese, meat or vegetables and griddled until the edges crisp. Tear one open, and a puff of steam carries the scent of ground corn. Add a forkful of curtido, a dip in salsa, and you’re tapping into millennia-old Salvadoran tradition.
A decade ago, pupusas were nearly impossible to find in Sonoma County. When Sanabria started tucking them into her adult son’s lunches, his co-workers were captivated by the warm, cheese-filled rounds. Requests started rolling in. Word spread, orders multiplied, and what began as a favor became a side hustle, then a neighborhood restaurant…