El Tamarindo owner Yecson Amaya didn't want his new Deerfield Beach location to be like any other. Even his other restaurants bearing the same name.
"We change it up with each location. In Fort Lauderdale, we have paninis. In Hallandale, we have coal-fired pizza."
So what makes the Deerfield Beach location stand out?
It's more Italian and Mexican than Amaya's traditional Salvadoran fare at the other locations.
Amaya - along with his five brothers - opened the Fort Lauderdale El Tamarindo nine years ago. Before opening their own, the family worked at an Uncle's Restaurant in Miami Beach. "They started a restaurant when they came to Florida from El Salvador, so we thought we would do the same thing."
Instead of creating identical restaurants when each new location opened up, Amaya and his family opted to create little sisters instead - they're related, but not identical. It makes them unique. The new location — El Tamarindo Pizza — opened up in Deerfield in September.
The coal-fired chicken wings ($10) are cooked plain and served with grilled onions, but the homemade hot sauce gives the wings a great kick. It's made fresh with mix of jalapenos with seeds, onions and carrots.
While the coal-fired oven stays at its Hallandale store, that shouldn't deter you from the pizza. Traditional 16-inch pies start out at $15, but the specialty pizzas — like the El Tamarindo Pie, made with spinach, goat cheese, and sun-dried tomatoes — goes for $19.
Stay for the homemade flan with its custom caramel sauce or a even cannoli — both under $5.
Follow Dori on Twitter.
Follow @ CleanPlateBPB
