El Cuartito

If you didn’t get your fill of pizza and authentic Porteño atmosphere at nearby Pizzería Güerrin, have no fear. There’s a near replica of the place a few blocks away. Of course, there might be some dispute about who’s copying who. Both restaurants have been dishing out the pies since the early 1930’s.

What’s not in dispute is that both of these pizzerias are about as traditional “Porteño” as it gets. And I must say the pizza at El Cuartito is similar in many respects to Pizzería Güerrin. There are plenty of quality ingredients heaped on top of a perfectly cooked crust with the dough charring and the cheese bubbling when they slap it down on the table.

I hope nobody tries to give this restaurant any more awards than it’s already won because there isn’t a single inch of space available on the walls to hang the plaque. The walls are 101% occupied with quirky sports posters. It’s mostly posters of famous and not so famous fútbol (soccer) players scoring goals or shaking hands with the owner of the restaurant. There’s the occasional one that looks a bit out of place (like a life-size poster of legend, Larry Byrd, scoring a basket in those tiny shorts the basketball players used to wear, and the one of Marilyn Monroe in one of those classic arched-back poses).

The place is always packed. And there’s almost always a wait for a table. So, if you’re the impatient type you might want to find another restaurant (more than likely one with lousy pizza, which is why there’s no line) or try getting there between about 5 pm and 7:30 pm (when all the Porteños are at the local café having an afternoon espresso).