Fried plantains, fresh cheese, a warm chicken tamal. Breakfast at El Santaneco Restaurant is a Salvadoran affair.

The restaurant at 24 Fifth St. opens at 9 a.m. every day, according to its website. It calls itself "a family oriented restaurant" whose recipes "are primarily influenced by the Salvadorian home style cuisine," along with other traditional Latin American dishes.

Breakfast, Salvadoran style

The breakfast menu is a good place to start. The Típico pairs two fried eggs and chorizo with refried beans, fried plantain, cream, cheese, avocado and tortillas. The Casero mixes rice and beans, known as casamiento, with fresh cheese, avocado, cream and chopped egg with loroco. The house-named Santaneco plate brings scrambled eggs, a chicken tamal and two pupusas.

The menu goes well beyond breakfast, with sections for seafood, meats, poultry, antojos and sandwiches. The drinks list includes a Santaneco Sunrise cocktail, sangria, wine and beer, including micheladas.

What diners say

One customer quoted on the restaurant's site says the prices are "definitely reasonable" and adds, "You have to try the pupusas." Another calls the El Montañero plate a favorite.

Boston's Hidden Restaurants lists El Santaneco among its restaurants of interest. It points to dishes like mondongo soup, beef stew, shrimp in salsa, tamales and corn atoles.

Plan your visit

El Santaneco is open daily from 9 a.m. to 8:45 p.m. Call 617-884-5005 to order for pickup or delivery. The restaurant is also listed in the Chelsea Chamber of Commerce business directory.