For some time, they've been popping up everywhere with the sudden profusion of cactus flowers after a desert rain. Well, not quite everywhere. You won't find a single one in the fertile retail soil of a glitzy new mall or trendy nightlife destination. Almost without exception, they bloom in the arid sand of mid- to low-rent strip shopping centers.

I'm referring to the profusion of authentic Latin American eateries that have dotted the landscape in recent years.

Overwhelmingly, these are Mexican restaurants. But occasionally, among the bumper crop of taquerias and Saturday morning menudo shops, a rare specimen springs up along the lines of El Cuscatleco, which has taken root at the unromantic intersection of Garrett Road and U.S. 15-501.

It's hard to be certain, given the rate at which these restaurants are opening, but to my knowledge, El Cuscatleco is Durham's only restaurant specializing in the cuisine of El Salvador, and one of only three in the Triangle. If you're among the many who have never sampled the cuisine, or who mistakenly believe that all Latin American cuisines are pretty much the same as Mexican, here's a chance for a savory learning adventure.

There's no better way to begin the adventure than with pupusas, pancake-thick soft corn tortillas filled with melted cheese, shredded pork or a mixture of both. Served with the tangy shredded cabbage that's the traditional accompaniment for pupusas, El Cuscatleco's rendition of the dish -- probably El Salvador's most famous -- is rustically addictive. Try to resist the temptation (and at $1.50 each the temptation is considerable) to fill up on them, though, because other adventures await.

Not that you won't have to negotiate an occasional culinary pothole and treacherous shoal along the way. Take a detour around tamal de pollo, which arrives at the table lukewarm and bereft of the banana leaf wrapper promised on the menu. Steer clear of the mediocre seviche de mariscos. And don't fall for the sweet tooth enticements of empanadas de platano or Salvadoran flan, neither of which lives up its travelogue-exotic promise.

Instead, set your appetizer coordinates for yuca con chicharrones, twin mountain ranges of fried cassava (think Latin American steak fries) and nuggets of pork fried in their own fat until their flavor gets intensely concentrated and their texture begins to take on the pleasantly chewy texture of a jerky. You'll also want to pay a visit to platanos fritos, which serves up a generous appetizer portion of some of the best fried sweet plantains around, flanked by coarse refried black beans and a dollop of sour cream.

El Salvador's Pacific coastline is well-represented on the menu, with seven main course offerings from shrimp in cream sauce to an entree-size seafood soup. Camarones Acajutla, named for a port city, delivers an ample portion of grilled shrimp with onions, tomatoes and chipotle chiles in a smoky-spicy sauce. Like most entrees, it's accompanied by rice, refried black beans and a small guacamole salad.

Mojarra al Sarten (whole fried tilapia) tends to get slightly overcooked, which makes for a delightfully crunchy skin but renders much of the flesh too dry. Mariscada, a casserole of shrimp, scallops, squid, red snapper and mussels in a creamy, sherry-laced tomato sauce is a better bet (though I did encounter one marginally off-tasting mussel).

The entree most deserving of a spot on your itinerary, though, isn't a seafood dish at all. In fact, carne guisada, a Salvadoran beef stew starring chunks of meltingly tender beef and thumb-size carrots in a mild tomato-based sauce that's redolent of garlic and cumin, is alone worth a visit to El Cuscatleco. Especially if you snag a pupusa or two beforehand.

Like many restaurants specializing in relatively unfamiliar cuisines, El Cuscatleco's menu devotes space to a more familiar -- if only obliquely related -- cuisine. In this case the obligatory nod goes to the mass appeal of Tex-Mex combination plates (at lunch only), fajitas, chimichangas and the ubiquitous taco salad. The kitchen even does a respectable job with authentic soft corn tacos, though the choice of only two types (al carbon and al pastor) isn't going to drive any taquerias out of business.

Besides, soft tacos are as easy to find in the Triangle as azaleas in April. But pupusas and carne guisada -- now those are rare flowers indeed.

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