Latin Food El Catracho  – 1808 Jane St, York, ON M9N 2T3
Country: Honduras     
Seating: Indoor seating. 
Must-try dish: Pupusas
The high: Friendly service that allowed Andrea to practice her Spanish. 
The low: A little far from downtown, but totally worth a little road trip. 

Honduras is a country in Central America rich in Mayan culture, and more recently a top destination for diving enthusiasts, such as Utila which is an island off the coast renowned for diving. Like many of the countries that it shares borders with, Spanish is the dominant language, and there are crossovers in cuisine.  Several ingredients are consistent with those from Guatemala, El Salvador, and Nicaragua, and due to the large coastline in the country’s north, certain regions also specialize in seafood dishes. 

Be prepared for large food portions at Latin Food El Catracho. Despite having the dishes split in two on individual plates, each one had a mountain of food to tackle. The majority of the dishes on the menu are traditional Honduran except for a few Mexican ones. 

It was immediately clear that we had to order the pupusas, which come with a choice of six different fillings. This delightful griddle comes in a thin circular shape that’s stuffed with a variety of ingredients such as cheese, beans, meat, or vegetables. It’s likely gluten-free since the dough is made with cornmeal or rice flour, and then fried. It’s delicious to eat alone, or for dipping in the hot sauce of your choice. 

The Revuelta de frijoles, Quso y Chicharrón Pupusa is a filling mixture of a bean paste, cheese and pork that is 100% recommended, while a similar and equally tasty Chicharron con Queso Pupusa is also highly recommended, but go for the combination that best suits your palette either way you will nit be disappointed.

The Carne Asada con Tajadas isn’t for the faint of heart when it comes to the size of the portion. Even the hungriest of humans may have difficulty finishing the contents of this plate alone. A large piece of thin grilled beef is the main event, which tops fried green plantains and shredded cabbage with a tangy salad dressing. This dish is always a no-brainer to order when on a menu, and Latin Food El Catracho’s version isn’t any different. 

Finally, the Pastelitos de Carne are fried pockets stuffed with ground beef, rice and seasoning. These Honduran style empanadas are ordered individually, so you can have as many or as few as your heart desires. They’ re an excellent addition to a meal but certainly not the star of the show. 

A number of non-alcoholic drinks are available from pop to juices to homemade drinks such as Horchata. This drink has miky texture with spices, nuts and sweetener, but it’s surprisingly lactose-free as the base is rice milk. This It originally hails from Valencia in Spain but Horchata can be found all over Latin America in a variety of variations. 

If Honduras wasn’t on the bucket list, it is now from the friendly service to the impressive dishes. Hasta luego! 

Eat with you soon, 
Mandrea Bike (Mat & Andrea)