BOSSIER CITY, La. (KTAL/KMSS) – If you’re looking for authentic Latin cuisine, look no further than the new Zion Salvadorean Restaurant in Bossier.
The family-owned business opened on March 1 and has already had a great turnout. They’re located at 3325 LA 782-2 right off Old Minden Rd. in the old Boom Boom Grill Wings & Rice building. With their delicious and unique menu, it’s no wonder they’ve got mouths watering!
The Vigils realized there are already many Tex-Mex restaurants in the area and wanted to try something different. Their menu is full of items unique to Salvadorean cooking, and their food is completely fresh and made from scratch.
“We decided, because there’s a lot of Hispanics here, and there’s no place like this one. We decided to open because we serve to the Hispanic people,” said manager Vilma Vigil.
They’ve only been open a week and Vilma says customers have already driven more than five hours to eat there.
“We’re happy because this is new and the community responded.”
“They’ve said that it’s a unique kind of taste. That it’s all fresh, it tastes really good,” said Vilma’s daughter, Catherine Vigil.
Vilma and her sister-in-law Iris began cooking with their mothers around ages 9 and 10, making tortillas, pupusa, rice, beans, chicken and more. They say they decided to go into the restaurant industry because of those experiences.
Owners Iris and Omar Vigil moved from Dallas to Shreveport in 2012. In 2020, Vilma, her husband Denis, and their daughter Catherine joined them to help open the restaurant. It took about two years to get everything ready, and now the family is bringing a taste of Salvadorian cuisine to the table.
Iris and Denis Villatoro, Vilma’s husband, primarily work in the kitchen cooking up mouth watering food. Their most popular dishes are the Mojarra Frita (fried fish) and Pupusas (a soft corn tortilla stuffed with pork or cheese).
Unique Salvadorean items on the menu include Yuca Frita (served with cabbage, tomato sauce, and pico de Gallo), Empanadas de Plátano (fried plantains with rice pudding inside), Canoas de Platano (stuffed plantain canoes) and Papitas Fritas (like french fries with drizzled ketchup, mayo, shredded cheese, and sauce). They also serve a light, sweet juice from cashew fruit called Marañon.
But their signature dish is the Zion Churrasco, which comes with marinated beef, sausage, rice and beans, a fresh salad, and tortillas.
Zion’s adorable bistro-style dining room offers guests a cozy place to eat, but the restaurant can also host large parties. The large event space in the back of the building can be reserved for big gatherings. Doors are open Monday through Saturday from 8:00 a.m. until 9:00 p.m.
The menu is primarily in Spanish, but most of the items have English explanations in parentheses underneath. Catherine says they’re happy to explain anything on the menu if guests have questions.
