Central American in Miami

466 SW 17th Ave. Little Havana

305-631-0103

Salvadoran, Central American, Recommended, Best Of, Slideshow

What makes this El Atlacatl different from all others? Nothing and everything. You'll find pupusas — Salvadoran tortillas filled with beans, cheese, and pork — alongside sweet tamales de elote and sopa de res or sopa de gallina. The Moreno family, which owns this location, directly or indirectly owns a half-dozen other Salvadoran eateries across South Florida. The unofficial empire sprouted as family members gradually left their homeland and immigrated to Florida, bringing this institution along with them.

1 event 4 articles

El Novillo

6830 Bird Rd. Westchester/West Miami

305-284-8417

Central American, Steakhouse, Recommended, Best Of

Step inside the Bird Road location of El Novillo and you'll find yourself in the re-created courtyard of a Nicaraguan hacienda, complete with burbling fountain and guitar music. That's the idea at least, and if you don't find it convincing, let the excellent food and extremely attentive service ease your nerves and remove you from Bird Road traffic woes. If that doesn't work, eat a 16-ounce "Big Daddy" churrasco —after that, you won't care where you are. Perfectly cooked — seared outside, melting inside — churrasco is the signature at El Novillo, but just about all of the food stands out here. Read more about El Novillo.

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El Novillo

15450 New Barn Rd., Miami Lakes West Dade

305-819-2755

Central American, Restaurants, Best Of

Step inside the Bird Road location and you'll find yourself in the recreated courtyard of a Nicaraguan hacienda, complete with burbling fountain and guitar music. That's the idea at least and if you don't find it convincing, let the excellent food and extremely attentive service ease your nerves and remove you from Bird Road traffic woes. If that doesn't work, eat a sixteen-ounce "Big Daddy" churrasco -- after that, you won't care where you are. Perfectly cooked -- seared outside, melting inside -- churrasco is the signature at El Novillo, but just about all the food stands out. The "nica-tizers" (all less than four dollars except sampler platters) are a good start for the uninitiated, particularly the vigoron (pork cracklings with yuca), or the fried cheese with slaw and corn tortillas. Prices are quite reasonable (from $12 to $25 for most entrées) but the white tablecloths and courteous wait staff give El Novillo the air of a four-star restaurant -- or four-star hacienda, if you will. Check out happy hour on Fridays from 4:00 to 7:00 p.m., when drinks are half price and tapas are free.

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Fritanga Cocina de Doña Angela

8387 SW 40th St. Westchester/West Miami

305-559-5574

Nicaraguan, Central American

Gallo pinto can mean either spotted rooster or a perfectly mixed rice-and-bean concoction. If you want the former, you are out of luck. But nowhere prepares the Central American delicacy more deliciously than Fritanga Cocina de Doña Angela. This Nicaraguan restaurant will fill you up on side dishes, from gallo pinto to maduros to queso frito and curtido (a cabbage salad similar to cole slaw). But don't gorge yourself too early. Carne asada or carne desmenuzada also come with a generous heap of gallo pinto that will sate tu apetito. Chow down here for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

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Fritanga Monimbo

13710 SW 56th St. Westchester/West Miami

305-382-5292

Central American, Nicaraguan, Best Of

Good baho is hard to get, if you can find it at all. One reason is that it takes about eight hours to cook the complicated dish. What the heck is it? Essentially beef brisket, mysteriously soaked in a marinade of tomatoes, onions, and oranges, and then wrapped in banana leaves, tossed into a big pot with yuca and plantains, and steamed until very tender. This Nicaraguan restaurant offers it only on Saturdays ($4.75 per serving), and odds are it will be gone well before sundown. So call ahead and reserve yours if you don't want to miss out. But rest assured people line up for other savory offerings at this cafeteria-style hole-in-the-wall crammed with four vinyl-topped booths. To wit: nacatamales (Nicaraguan tamales with rice, potatoes, and pork tucked inside the cornmeal outer layer), shredded beef, chicken with vegetables (all for $3.90). For side dishes try the cuajada (a tasty kind of cottage cheese) alongside some sweet plantains, and red beans topped with sour cream. An array of natural tropical fruit juices completes the picture.

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Jennifer's Cafeteria

16462 NE 16th Ave. Aventura/North Miami Beach

305-940-3180

Central American, Best Of

5 articles

La Hormiga De Oro

18530 NW 67th Ave., Hialeah Miami Gardens

305-819-3018

Central American, Latin, Nicaraguan, Best Of, Menu

Just off Miami Gardens Drive, inside a generic shopping center anchored by a Publix, you will find a golden opportunity to savor deliciously prepared Nicaraguan cuisine. A typical fritanga, La Hormiga de Oro offers cantina-style Nica dishes at moderate prices for dining in or taking out. Six dollars and 50 cents brings charbroiled steak and a choice of three sides that include gallo pinto (rice and beans), grilled corn on the cob, fried sweet plantains, tostones, fried yuca, fried cheese, and tortillas. Wash it down with a $3 glass of Nica fruit juice such as maracuya, cacao, or cebada. Folks looking for a twist on traditional breakfast fare can choose dishes such as huevos rancheros with white cheese, gallo pinto, and tortilla; or scrambled eggs with Spanish sausage, fried cheese, gallo pinto, and fried green plantains. Cost: $4.50 each. Family dinners are also available for $24 and $45.

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La Hormiga De Oro

12106 SW 117th Ct. West Kendall

305-253-9774

Caribbean, Central American, Nicaraguan

Yambo Restaurant

1643 SW First St. Little Havana

305-649-0203

Nicaraguan, Central American, Latin American, Recommended, Best Of, Slideshow

This colorful Nicaraguan joint is one of those places you visit to feel like you’re on vacation even if you’re already on vacation. Yambo is as much about the atmosphere as it is about food. On the terrace, folk-art knickknacks — miniature guitars, hats, porcelain pots, even a mounted boar’s head — hang from and cover every possible surface. A larger-than-life statue of a knight guards the tiled dining room. And you’ll hear only Latin music coming out of the jukebox. Little English is spoken here, but monolingual Anglos needn’t worry: Simply walk along the cafeteria-style counter and point to what you want. Vegetarians and meat eaters alike will find plenty to gorge on — crackly fried tacos de pollo, and pescazones (fried, knishlike potato balls brimming with chayote and cheese). Your order is piled high on a Styrofoam plate alongside a generous portion of shredded cabbage and the requisite sides of rice, red beans, plantains, or yuca. Best of all, Yambo is open 24 hours — a perfect “go to” afterparty addition to your Uber favorites.

13 articles

Central American in Miami

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