Latin American restaurants in USA
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Luna Maya
On Ghent's restaurant-lined Colley Ave, Luna Maya serves up delectable pan-Latin fare and ever-flowing mojitos in a stylish but somewhat rustic open dining room. It's run by two Bolivian sisters, and standouts include the pastel de choclo con chorizo, a Bolivian corn casserole with spicy chicken sausage.
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Yambo
If you're a bit drunk in the middle of the night and can find a cab or a friend willing to drive all the way out to Little Havana, direct them to Yambo. We've never actually been here during the day, although the restaurant is surely a pretty place for lunch or breakfast. At night Yambo does a roaring stock in trade selling trays and take-away boxes about to burst with juicy slices of carne asada, piles of rice and beans and sweet fried plantains. If you're going to soak up beer, this is a great sponge.
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Esmeralda’s Cafe
Salvadorean pupuseria enlivens a down-and-out neighborhood, with a few Mexican faves thrown into the Latin American mix.
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Emily's Restaurante
A few bucks gets you two eggs, toast and coffee here; $5 gets you one of the best buffet deals in town. There are daily specials of Colombian, Cuban and Spanish cuisine: chicken soup, oxtail and lengua en salsa (marinated tongue).
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Nacional 27
Latin American flavors aren’t limited to the menu – salsa dancing breaks out here after 11pm on weekends. Chef Francisco Vilchez mixes things up with a savory pan-American menu. The ceviche (raw fish marinated in citrus juice) is revered and comes as part of a four-dish tasting platter. Free salsa lessons push back the tables at 7pm on Thursday.
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Restaurant Judy
When we asked a Honduran friend where to get good Central American food, her unhesitating answer was: ‘Judy’s.’ Everything’s good, but the breakfasts, consisting of tamales, white cheese and other odds and ends, are tops. Come at night for the best Spanish-language karaoke in town; if you don’t speak Spanish, work on your hand gesturing.
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Coobah
This hopping Latin restaurant and bar in the hot Southport corridor serves up spicy tamales and sweet plantains along with some ace mojitos. Despite the fever pitch of energy that the place reaches on weekend nights (DJs start spinning at 10pm), servers remain attentive and friendly. Try the Coobah pancakes (buttermilk pancakes with cinnamon butter and rum maple syrup) at the weekend brunch.
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Dos Gringos
You gotta chuckle at both the cajones and self-deprecation of putting this, well, gringo (white)-owned cafe in the middle of Mt Pleasant and naming it as such. Not that anyone resents Dos Gringos’ presence; Latinos and Anglos alike line up to order off a bilingual menu that includes fresh veg burritos, cheap cups of coffee, curry chicken salads and portabello sandwiches served in an Ikea-chic interior.
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La Plaza
There are two prime times to go to La Plaza: for lunch, when it’s occupied by Hill types seeking some cheap, filling (and very tasty) Tex-Mex and Salvadorian fare, and at night, when they serve margaritas that will kick your ass. The staff are crazy friendly; if you shoot the breeze with them enough, the tequila starts pouring so quick you don’t even know when you shtart shlurrin’ yer speesh…uh oh.
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Irazu
Chicago’s unassuming lone Costa Rican eatery turns out burritos bursting with chicken, black beans and fresh avocado, and sandwiches dressed in a heavenly ‘mystery sauce.’ Wash them down with an avena (a slurpable oatmeal milkshake). For breakfast, the arroz con huevos (peppery eggs scrambled into rice) relieves hangovers. The small interior gets crowded; outdoor tables provide some relief when the weather warms. Cash only.
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Minibar at Café Atlantico
Atlantico's Minibar is foodie nirvana, where the lucky six (just six seats, folks) get wowed by animal bits spun into cotton candy and cocktails frothed into clouds. The tasting menu, entirely determined by the chef, is often delicious, and never dull. Reserve exactly one month in advance.
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Borinquen Restaurant
The story goes that Borinquen owner Juan ‘Peter’ Figueroa created his signature dish after reading an article in a Puerto Rican newspaper about a sandwich that subbed plantains for bread – a flash of inspiration that birthed the jibarito, a popular dish that piles steak, lettuce, tomato and garlic mayo between two thick, crisply fried plantain slices. The idea caught on, and the jibarito is all the rage at local Puerto Rican eateries. It’s the marquee item at Borinquen, though more traditional Puerto Rican fare is also available at this homey family spot.
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