Latin American food is indisputably one of the most unique and flavourful cuisines in the world. What with the number of immigrants from Latin American countries making their home in America, it is no wonder Latin American restaurants have been multiplying like rabbits throughout the country. First off, it is very common to find dishes in Latin American menus that make use of maize. These include tortillas, tamales and puspusas. Salsas and other condiments such as guacamole, pico de gallo and chimichurri are also considered maize-based. The food served in different restaurants in St. Louis can differ depending on the specific country; city or region the restaurant is basing or patterning its food after. All in all the food is characterized by its flavour and richness.
Latin American Restaurants St. Louis
| STL Latin America Restaurants | Phone | Attributes | Location |
| Asador Del Sur | 314-802-8587 | South American | Maplewood |
| Brasilia | 314-932-1034 | Brasilian | South Grand |
| Cantina Laredo | 314-725-2447 | Latin American | Clayton |
| Cha Cha Cow | 314-833-6655 | Latin AmericanPeruvian | The Hill |
| Cocina Latina | 314-696-2294 | Peruvian, Latin American | Central West End |
| Fritanga | 314-664-7777 | Nicaraguan | South St Louis |
| Guacho’s | 618-589-9559 | Argentine Steakhouse | Fairview Heights |
| Jalea | 314-303-0144 | Latin American, Peruvian | St. Charles |
| Maize & Wheat | 314-755-1828 | Columbian | Brentwood |
| Nixta | 314-889-9000 | Mexican, Latin American | Tower Grove |
| Sanctuaria | 314-535-9700 | Latin American | The Grove |
| Tango Argentina Food | 636-757-3076 | Argentina | St. Charles |
| Tuscano’s | 636-724-4499 | Brazilian | St. Charles |
| Yemanja Brasil | 314-771-7457 | Brazilian | St. Louis City |
It is also typical to find an American twist in some restaurants.Some typical food items that can be found on a Latin American menu include Brazilian Feijoada (a stew of beans, beef and pork), asado (barbecue), cornbread, menudo, ropa vieja (black beans with yellow rice and yucca), rice, gallo pinto, white cheese, picadillos, yucca frita (deep fried cassava root served with curtido and pork rinds with fried baby sardines), panes rellenos, and panes con pavo (turkey sandwiches)
Latin American Food in St. Louis
Other dishes commonly served in Latin American restaurants include fried fish, carne asada, baleadas, fiambre, conch soup, bean soup, mondongo soup, seafood soups, beef soups, plaintains, nacatamal, indio Viejo, pinolillo, chica, gallopinto, moqueca, and caldillo de congrio.
Bandeja paisa is a popular Latin American dish. It was popularized in Columbia and consists of beans, rice, ground eat, chicharron, arepa, chorizo and fried egg. It is usually served alongside avocado, tomato and sauces.
Other Latin American restaurants also serve less common dishes like hornado, fanesca, empanadas, ceviche, fritada, guatita, papas con quero, sopa paraguaya, chupe de camarones, anticuchos, lomo saltado, picante de cuy, Andean pachamanca, olluco con charqui and anticuchos. Pan de almidon, encebollado, humitas, llapingachos and churrasco can also be found in some Latin American restaurants.
Beverages served in Latin American restaurants include mate, cacao, water, pischo, atole, chicha de jora and horchata.
For dessert, items such as dulce de leche, tropical fruits, flan, rice pudding, alfajor, tres leches cake and Teja are very commonly served in Latin American restaurants.
Food Served at Nicaraguan Restaurants in St. Louis
Nicaraguan cuisine is very diverse. It can be described as a combination of indigenous Nicaraguan cuisine and Spanish or Creole food. This can be attributed to the arrival of the Spaniards in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan cuisine heavily makes use of local fruits, corn, seafood and coconut and you will find many of these dishes available on the menu of Nicaraguan restaurants in St Louis. The Pacific coast tends to use more of fruit and corn while the Caribbean coast prefers to incorporate seafood and coconut into their dishes. The generous use of corn in preparing food is not uncommon in Latin American countries. Moreover, Nicaraguans not only use it in their food, it is also sometimes incorporated into their beverages.
Some common dishes served at Nicaraguan restaurants include arroz a la valenciana, ensalada de aguacate, nacatamak, , arroz aguado, filete en tocineta, pechuga con queso, arroz con pescado, gallina rellena, pechuga desmenuzada, arroz con pollo, gallo pinto, pescozon, , berenjenas rellenas, guacamol nica, pescada a la tipitapa, brochetas, guiso de chayote, posta en caldillo, carne asada, guiso de pipian, punta de salon henchida, carne desmenuzada, higado asado, relampago, tacos al pastor, carne pinchada, higado en caldillo, repocheta, tajadas con ensalada, carne sofrita, higado frito, rondon, tamales, costillas asadas de cerdo, indio Viejo, salpicon, tamal relleno, cusuco frito y desmenuzado, lengua, , tostones, chancho abodabo, lengua fingida, ubre, chancho frito, lomo de venadovaho, chicharron con chimichurri, lomo entomatado y encebollado, venada asado, churrasco con chimmichurri, lomo relleno, and vigoron.
Popular soup dishes include but are not limited to the following: sopa de pastora, sopa de pato, sopa de pescado, sopa de punche, sopa de queso, sopa de punche, sopa de verduras, sopa siete mares, sopa de albondigas, sopa de cola, sopa de frijoles, sopa de gallina con albondigas, and sopa de mondongo.
These are some desserts commonly served in Nicaraguan restaurants: almendras en miel, cajeta de zapoyol, gofio, nancites cocidos, almibar o curbaza, cosa de horno, gofio con anis, nancites en conserva, arroz en leche, coyol en miel, grosellas en miel, perrerreque, atol, crispeta, hicacos en miel, pinionate, atol pujugua, cuznaca, jalea de guayaba, pio quinto, atolillo, chiricaya, jalea de mango, raspados, ayote en miel, dulce de leche, jalea de patriotas, requeson, bienmesabe, dulce de limon, jocotes cocidos, sopa borracha, botellitas de miel, dulce de nancite, leche burra, suspiros, bruhas, dulce de naranja, maduro asado, toronja en miel, bunuelos de yuca o platano, dulce de pina, maduro en Gloria, torta de leche, cajeta de ajonjoli, dulce de papaya, maduro horneado, tres leches cake, cajeta de coco, dulce de toronja, mamonas en miel, turron, cajeta de coyol, dulce de remolacha con zanahoria, mazapan, melcocha, enchiclados, cajeta de pina, espumillas, and motas de atol.
Some of the most popular Nicaraguan dishes served in restaurants include fruit shakes, cacao, limonada cimarrona, and granadilla.
St Louis Cuban Restaurants
Cuban cuisine is one of the most interesting cuisines in the world. Heavily influenced by the cuisines of Spain, the Caribbean and Africa, Cuban cuisine relies heavily on the use of spices and flavours. The unique and interesting flavour of Cuban cuisine is similar that of its neighbours, the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. A slight Chinese influence can be noticed in the Havana area. The reason that Cuban cuisine bears resemblance to Spanish cuisine is because of the Spaniards who once lived there.
Seafood is undeniably part and parcel of many Cuban recipes and this is a result of the country’s proximity to the ocean. Cuba is a tropical country and this accounts for the use of many fruits and root vegetables in their meals and dishes. Rice and beans are very much a part of Cuban cuisine. Pork, beef, yucca, malanga, potato, bananas, corn, tomato, lettuce, avocado, cucumber, carrots, cabbage and radish are ingredients that are typically seen in many dishes served at Cuban restaurants in Saint Louis.
Meat is usually served with light sauce and tamales, stews and soups are also common. Cuban sandwiches are very popular in some restaurants and its ingredients include buttered Cuban bread, sliced roast pork, Serrano ham, Swiss cheese, dill pickles, yellow mustard, Genoa salami, tomatoes, and lettuce. Medianoche, pan con lechon, Elena Ruz, bread with guayaba paste and cream cheese, Cuban bread with thinly cut Spanish chorizo sausages, and fritas are also some of the most popular sandwiches in STL Cuban restaurants.
Aji relleno, yuca frita, arroz a la chorrera, arroz Amarillo, arroz con leche, arroz con maiz, arroz con pollo, arroz congri, batido, bocaditos, bistec de Puerco, bistec empanizado, bistec encebollado, boliche, bonito frito, bunuelo, butifarras, caldosa, camarones, yucca con mojo, viandas, vaca frita, turrones, tres leches cake, tostones rellenos, camarones al ajillo, carne azada en cazuela, carne con papas, chiviricos, croqueta, dulce de coco con queso, dulce de leche, dulce de Naranja, tortilla de patatas, tasajo, tamale, sopa de platano, ropa vieja, pure de malanga, Puerco asado, pudin de pasas, pudin de pan, potaje, pollo frito con mojo, platillo moros y cristianos, platano maduro frito, picadillo, pastelito, papitas fritas, papa rellena, pan con lechon, pan con bistec, panatela borracha, empanada, enchilado de cangrejo, enchilada de caso, enchilada de langosta, ensalada de frijoles, ensalada de frutas tropicales, ensalada mixta, filete de pescado grille, harina de maiz seco, and many more are some of the most common items you will find in St Louis restaurants.
