Customer Jose Basada waits on his order at El Sazon Latino in West Charlotte.
CharlotteFive
Searching for authentic pupusas? Craving a torta? Or are you looking to explore a new cuisine? El Sazón Latino, a new restaurant offering traditional Latin American foods from a variety of countries, is now open on West Boulevard in Charlotte’s Revolution Park neighborhood.
The cafe-style restaurant, tucked in a small shopping center across the street from Exposed Vegan and Vegan To Go, serves a largely Spanish-speaking clientele. But if you don’t speak Spanish, don’t worry — the staff will warmly greet you and offer you an English version of the menu to browse.
Latin food: Menu items include traditional Latin foods including baleadas, chilaquiles, gorditas, sopes, tortas, pupusas, tamales and tacos — both Mexican and Honduran styles. You’ll find Guatemalan and Salvadorian specialties, as well. (Pro tip: Customer Jose Bosada, who has been by the restaurant a few times now, told CharlotteFive that the carne asada and pupusas are his go-to items.)
The restaurant offers breakfast, too, with options for platters piled full of fried chicken, sausage, beef and more. They come with scrambled eggs with vegetables or beans, fried plantains, cream cheese and tortillas.
Drinks and desserts: You can pair bottled sodas and aguas naturales with your meal, including horchata and tamarindo. Among the dessert choices are tres leches cake, flan and cheesecake — if you can stuff in just a few more bites.
The space: There are a handful of tables in the cozy space, each including a selection of hot sauces to put the finishing touches on your food. On the busy weekday we visited, most lunch customers ordered their meals to-go, but a few hung around to take their time.
A note for takeout customers: A fair warning — this is the kind of takeout that’s going to fill your car with aromas, making you drool all the way home. Be ready to fight those urges, lest you end up with a lap full of salsa, cilantro and onions.
El Sazón Latino
Location: 1501 West Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28208
Neighborhood: Revolution Park
Hours: Monday-Sunday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Cuisine: Latin American
