Located at 308 Bertrand Dr., Patacon Latin is a family-owned restaurant serving Venezuelan cuisine. Most famous for serving Patacons, or fried plantain sandwiches, this establishment has been open for over a decade and recently expanded to a second location in Youngsville at 208 Centre Sarcelle Blvd. Suite 101.
The Lafayette location was founded in 2015 by Wanda Salazar and her husband Jose; it grew in popularity from being one of the only places in the area serving Venezuelan food.
Now, when it comes to their menu, they serve 2 main entrees: Patacons and Arepas.
When it comes to their signature patacons, there is a choice between green or ripe plantains. Green plantains are more savory and crispy, while ripe plantains are softer and a bit sweeter. Arepas are a flatbread sandwich made from cornmeal dough.
Both these dishes can come with a variety of fillings: cheese, vegetables, beans and a plethora of meats such as chicken, beef, pork, shrimp and brisket. The patacons and arepas all range from around $6 to $12 depending on the filling.
Some of their side dishes include empanadas and pastelitos, which are both fried pastries similar to meat pies. The empanadas sit at an average of $5 each while the pastelitos are $8 for three. Another side dish they offer are Tequenos, a fried cheese stick wrapped in dough that can be enjoyed sweet or savory.
On the sweeter side, some of their desserts include Tres Leches Cake, Flan, and sweet shortbread cookies called Alfajores. There is also Chicha, which is a sweet rice drink with milk, cinnamon, and vanilla. They serve other refreshing drinks such as fresh squeezed orange juice and Mexican Coca-Cola.
Now, my colleagues and I had the pleasure of visiting the Lafayette Patacon Latin at around 2 p.m., on Feb. 28. The interior of the restaurant itself was small, with around six tables. It had lots of natural light and the location had a good amount of parking available. A mix of music playing from a speaker and the hum of the orange juice press on the back wall greeted us while we ordered at either the kiosk or the front counter.
Looking at the menu, between the two types of plantains and multiple topping combinations, both the patacons and arepas can be a good selection. Pairing one along with a side, drink and dessert can provide a very filling meal for $20-$25, and a simple entree and drink can be acquired for around $10.
In order to taste the largest variety of food, my colleagues and I each chose different things. I ordered the Arepa Domino, which has black beans, cheese and avocado alongside three pastelitos stuffed with potatoes and cheese. One of my colleagues chose the Brisket Arepa on green plantains, which has cheese, smoked brisket, lettuce, tomatoes, avocados and a secret sauce.
My other colleagues ordered two kinds of empanadas for his meal, one with shredded beef and one with potatoes and cheese. Two of us got soft drinks with our meals while my second colleague got a Colombiana, a Columbian drink that I can best describe as a creamy, bubblegum soda.
All of our dishes came in under ten minutes; we were the only ones in the restaurant at this time but many online pick-up orders came and went both while our food was prepared and while we ate.
My arepa was delicious. Upon being served I was misled by the size of it, which was no larger than a small burger. However, it was dense. It must have weighed around a pound, stuffed with seasoned black beans and ripe avocado on fluffy cornmeal bread. The pastelitos were equally as good as they were essentially stuffed with cheesy mashed potatoes, something hard not to like. Not to spoil anything for the reader but I did in fact need to take home leftovers.
My colleague’s patacon also required a to-go box after eating. The patacon was huge and the mix of smoked brisket and salty green plantains made for an incredibly savory bite with an audible crunch. My other colleagues’ empanadas were also fried to a golden crisp with a good cheese pull when opened.
The patacon was served with two bottles of sauce. First, their green sauce is an herb-mayonaise while the red sauce has lots of spice-packed vinegar. Both of the sauces are made in-house and the recipes, as I was told by our server Audrey Teixeira, are a restaurant secret.
Teixeira has been working at Patacon Latin for around two years. She originally started as a regular customer when she used to attend the University. According to her, she came to Patacon Latin as many as four times per week.
Her frequent visits made her close friends with the owners and their family, who asked her to join their team. The restaurant, despite having two locations, is still run exclusively by family and family friends.
As this is one of the only Venezuelan places in not just the city, but the state, Teixeira noted that she often serves out-of-towners.
“We’ll have people drive in from Baton Rouge, from sometimes New Orleans, all around and especially near Lafayette.”
Teixeira is Venezuelan herself and added that Patacon Latin’s wide reach is thanks to creating food that many Venezuelans in Louisiana can’t find anywhere else. This hole in the market is actually the entire reason the restaurant came to be.
“So yeah, it’s stuff like that, because Venezuelans are everywhere, we want to have the food…it’s kind of nice having the food and not having to make it at home.”
“They [Wanda and Jose] came here years ago…she decided to open Patacon because her son’s friends would always come home and ask for the food.” When it comes to newcomers, Teixeira suggested ordering the beef Patacon on green plantains. It’s a menu favorite and a great way to introduce yourself to Venezuelan cuisine.
To tie off this story, Patacon Latin is a great local gem. The food is delicious, filling, and in a great location just outside of the University. There is a story behind the food and the exclusivity of these dishes make them taste that much better. I highly recommend you check out their Instagram @pataconllc.
The restaurant is available on Grubhub and if you wish to visit the physical locations, the Lafayette spot is open Monday to Thursday from 9 a.m to 7 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Youngsville location is closed on Mondays and open Tuesday through Sunday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.