Sabor a Cafe

I've wanted to try Sabor a Cafe for quite a while, and got the chance last night. Two rooms - not especially big, but apparently a favorite of Colombians - it was relatively full at 9 p.m. We appeared to be the only non-Latinos (a good sign, especially when compared to other yuppified Colombian places, like El Llano or Las Tablas). And it appears to be permanently BYOB.

I don't claim to be an expert on any Latin cuisine, but the food wasgood, hearty, and value-priced. My friend had, basically, a mixed grill of steak, chorizo, egg, plantain, rice and beans, and a little baked cracker-lke substance. Mine was a huge tamal stuffed with a very soft masa surrounding a different sausage than she had, plus bone-on chicken, baked in a banana leaf, also with rice, plantain and cracker. Sure, they weren't the greatest meats, but we both left stuffed, the varying flavors and textures were excellent, service was very friendly, and the tab for two came to $25 including a 20%+ tip. The wine - a Grouchy Gaucho Malbec - wasn't great, but it was tough to return it, since it's what we brought.

The only real downside to the evening was the play - great title - "References to Salvador Dali Make Me HOT" - but whoda thunk surrealists could take themselves so seriously and self-importantly?

BTW, Friday was my first time at San Soo Gap San - bbest Korean BBQ I've had in a long time (although my last Korean BBQ was at Bando on Lawrence - closed how many years now?) I'm pretty sure I've seen San Goo Gap San discussed here previously, so no need for me to add further comment.

Sabor A Cafe Columbian Restaurant
2435 W Peterson Ave
Phone: (773) 878-6327 

San Soo Gap San
5247 N. Western Ave.
773-334-1589

nr706 wrote:(a good sign, especially when compared to other yuppified Colombian places, like El Llano or Las Tablas). And it appears to be permanently BYOB.

do you really find el llano yuppified? I don't go to the original, but both brasa roja and the el llano on N.Clark have almost entirely latin clienteles on my visits, at the N. Clark El Llano, there can be difficulties if you don't speak spanish all that well.

as an aside, in the past Erik indicated he thought tha brasa roja used pork fat as a basting medium for their chicken, which he didn't care for. I have to say that the N. Clark st branch's chicken definitely to my mind tastes of sausage drippings. As I like sausage drippings it didn't bother me as much as it seemed to Erik or C2

Haven't been to El Llano on Clark, just my perception of the one on Lincoln.

I've posted elsewhere about Sabor a Cafe; it's one of our family's favorite restaurants and still my favorite tostones anywhere - and it is conveniently both on the way home from soccer practice and a place where kids in soccer uniforms are the norm. I admit, some of the food can be hit or miss: I don't particularly like items in criolla sauce, which is heavy and tomato-y. Beef can be grilled beautifully, but sometimes it's grey and dry.

However, our last meal there, this Saturday, was absolutely terrific: To accompany our excellent house limonada and mora con leche, we ordered two Patacon Pisaos (jibaritos)

and one Picada (pequeño, and a good thing, too - I shudder to think what a full order would be, this came on a serving platter)


The Patacon Pisaos are currently our family's favorite jibarito - a bit on the simple side with grilled meat, mayo, shredded lettuce and tomato. It doesn't have the bright garlicky flavors I'd prefer, but the tostones are excellent on their own, and the meat is nicely charred. The Picada is insane: it's basically a deep pile of chopped-up bits of perfectly deep-fried chicharron, delicious little deep-fried pork riblets, a couple-three arepas, plantain chips, perfectly fried yucca and some kind of cilantro-based pork sausage. I ate, dreamily considering becoming a carnivorous were-cow, so I'd have three more stomachs to put all that lovely pig away.

We usually order a side of the tostones, but fortunately I guessed correctly that we'd have too much food. We just missed the live music, but enjoyed a DVD of Latin fusion music with Spanish subtitles, including the music of Ruben Blades. It appears that the Saturday staff is bilingual, though we've never had trouble communicating in Spanglish with the wait staff. There was liquor next to the cash register, but I didn't see any wine - I would check on the BYOB policy.

Really - I've never before been offered more chicharron than I was able to eat at one sitting.

Has anyone been here recently?

I'm looking for jibaritos and Puerto Rican/Central American without having to drive to Humboldt Park.

Though I pass Sabor a Cafe often it took tigerjr7's post in the Best thing you've eaten [lately] thread to re-spark interest. Lucky for me as it was a coin-flip as to put my Lengua en Salsa lunch in this dedicated thread or the Best thread. Thanks for the reminder Pete!

Lengua en Salsa



Sabor A Cafe
2435 W Peterson Ave
Chicago, IL 60659
773-878-6327
http://saboracaferestaurant.com/

G Wiv wrote:Though I pass Sabor a Cafe often it took tigerjr7's post in the Best thing you've eaten [lately] thread to re-spark interest. Lucky for me as it was a coin-flip as to put my Lengua en Salsa lunch in this dedicated thread or the Best thread. Thanks for the reminder

no problem! I was just there again with Matt. I took pictures this time but unfortunately it was after we had started eating.