We all know the typical craving for Mexican food, or that feeling of being super hungry and not knowing what you want to eat. For when you find yourself in those moments, here’s a list of Authentic Hispanic restaurants in the Twin Cities (sorry, Chipotle and Qdoba didn’t make the cut):
Taco Libre
Taco Libre is a great option for when you’re really craving Mexican tacos, which go for $2.75 each. They also have similar bowls (and prices) to Chipotle and Qdoba but with authentic and fresh Mexican spices. For example, they have lengua (tongue) and asada (beef), as well as longaniza (Mexican sausage), and many more. If that still doesn’t do it for you, they have even more options on their menu like Tortas (a type of Mexican sandwich) and Alambres. My personal favorite: The Machete (pictured above), an 18” stuffed tortilla to satisfy any Mexican craving!
Arepa Bite
Many people are unaware of what the fantastic Venezuelan (or Colombian, they argue over them) arepas are. It’s pretty much a flour tortilla stuffed with a wide variety of ingredients. Almost all include some sort of meat, either chicken or shredded beef, and cheese. The best I’ve had is Pabellon, stuffed with plantains, cheese, black beans and shredded beef. Most of my friends who are from Venezuela order the Reina Pepiada, which has shredded chicken, avocado, and cheese. They also have tequenos, the latin version of cheese sticks, and empanadas.
La Colonia
This restaurant offers a combination of South American food, primarily Ecuadorian and Colombian. They are famous for their “Bandeja Paisa”, which consists of carne asada (grilled top sirloin), rice, a fried egg, avocado, beans, Colombian sausage, and plantains. They also serve a highly-praised (by myself and Yelp) “Encocado de Pescado”. It’s cod fish with a coconut sauce, rice, plantains, and avocado. If you still have room after all that, order the Tres Leches cake–I’ve heard it’s amazing!
Martina
Definitely a fancier option, Martina is great for date night or a more expensive treat with friends. They opened recently but have already become famous for their amazing Argentinian food. Martina offers both brunch and dinner, and it’s definitely hard to say what items on their menu are the most delicious. The best option for this restaurant is to go and order whatever sounds best for you, since it’s guaranteed to be good. Find their menu here. If you can, order wine as well since Argentina is known to have amazing wine!
Los Andes
Peruvian food has been recognized worldwide for its cuisine, and this restaurant shows why. They also serve Ecuadorian food, which for this type of food the Bandeja Paisa (describe above) and the Empanadas are extremely highly rated. For Peruvian food, I would highly recommend the Lomo Saltado. It’s top sirloin sauteed with onions and peppers, served with rice and french fries. They also have Caldo de Gallina, a chicken soup like no else. To know what it is, you just have to go try it since it is impossible to describe in words.
Make sure to check out these restaurants!