Grupo Fiesta

Pinchos, we’re dreaming: Sabor Latino shows off its Ecuadorian side, with pinchos and sweet plantains. Photo By: Michael T. Regan

Sabor Latino offers a whistle-stop tour of points south.

by Elisa Ludwig

A menu boasting Ecuadorian, Colombian, Mexican and Cuban dishes might conjure up visions of Miami-inspired fusion and prissy concoctions of cornmeal and goat cheese. But the only thing that's nuevo about Upper Darby's Sabor Latino is the restaurant itself.

Open since last winter, this gleaming, friendly depot for all things Latin American is yet another culinary jewel on the 69th Street corridor. Technically, Sabor Latino is on Garrett Street, which requires some maneuvering -- in my case, making an illegal left turn and going the wrong way down a one-way street -- to reach. The rainbow-lettered sign outside offers a beacon of hope and assurance that any traffic violations are going to be rewarded by a pleasant dining experience. Inside, the Barbie-flesh-colored walls are contrasted by bright folk paintings and dark wood tables. The large dining room has a countertop running along one wall, likely an architectural leftover from the restaurant's previous inhabitant, The Garrett Diner. (The above-mentioned sign is a temporary banner hung atop the Garrett's old rendering of a Dionysian figure promising good food and good times within.) Above the counter, though, is a signature Sabor Latino touch: a large lasso spelling out the restaurant's name, a job that could only have been accomplished by a very able ranch hand.

Right away, we were treated to friendly, attentive service, the kind that makes you feel like you might be disappointing the server somehow if you don't finish your plate, or worse, take home your leftovers. She's that invested in your happiness.

While the continent-spanning menu offers carnivorous delicacies such as liver and bacon, beef tongue and spicy chorizo, there are also many seafood dishes on offer and at least one vegetarian entree -- a rarity in Latin American cuisine.

The meal begins with warm, flattened Cuban garlic toasts and fruity non-alcoholic beverages. Sabor Latino is a BYOB, and while I noticed one couple bringing in a not-inappropriate six-pack of Bacardi Breezers, both the fresh shakes, made from tamarind, mamey, guava and other fruits, and the imported apple and champagne flavored sodas, which together occupy a full page of the menu, are more tempting options than anything at the liquor store.

The appetizers, only hinting at the hearty food to come, are enough to fill up on. Plantain- and arepa-eaters should consider this a warning: Take it slow. Empanadas caleñas are cornmeal pockets tucked with cumin-spiked ground beef and tiny bits of potato. Even better and still heavier are the ham croquettes, crisp-fried logs of meat so finely chopped it is barely detectable, served with a creamy sauce. The plato Sabor Latino covers most of the first-course bases with samples of plantains both green and sweet, cornmeal patties, chunks of grilled pork and steak, plus cubes of yucca and baked potato. It all comes with a chili-pepper dipping sauce, a needed burst of spice on the palate. We also tried an Ecuadorian chicken tamale, which had a nicely moist cornmeal packing, but its filling was a bit underseasoned.

The Colombian sobrebarriga en salsa, brisket in tomato sauce with sauteed green peppers and onions, had a nice rich flavor, though the meat was not especially tender. I was more fond of the shrimp in garlic sauce, a Colombian scampi in a serious pool of butter -- and truly, there is not a thing that butter and garlic can't make wonderful.

Of the Mexican dishes -- there are several, including fajitas, burritos and enchiladas -- we only tried the whole broiled tilapia. Its skin was heavily coated with spices and as a result tasted rather salty. Better were the Ecuadorian pinchos, kabobs with substantial vegetables and lightly seasoned chunks of meat. These were simple and effective. The Cuban montuno plate, a little cornucopia of treats, comes with roast pork, black rice, yucca, a tamale and plantains, and this too was pleasing, particularly the sweet plantains that had been fried just enough to soften and take on a bit of a crust, but still retained their ripe yellow firmness. Plantains are sometimes called "potatoes of the air," and these were certainly dreamy enough to have earned that moniker.

All of the entrees come with three types of rice and beans, and a choice of various starchy vegetables. I sampled the moro, the politically incorrect term for rice cooked with black beans, and yucca, which had a delightfully light fried edge and was topped with a sprinkling of fresh tomato salsa.

The meal was made complete with some bracing café con leche, along with the similarly dairy-driven tres leches, a spongy cake soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk and cream, topped with whipped cream (actually a fourth leche, but who's counting?) and a maraschino cherry.

Despite a few missteps, Sabor Latino left an overall positive impression, a testament to the comfortable environment and accommodating service. The food here is solid, and true to its respective origins -- no small feat for a kitchen juggling four different countries. The drinks are pretty good, too.

33 Garrett Rd., Upper Darby, 610-352-8414

Appetizers, $2.50-$8.95; entrees, $9.95-$28.95

Mon-Thu., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun. 9 a.m.-9 p.m.

Not wheelchair accessible. Smoking is not permitted. Reservations are not necessary. All major credit cards. BYOB.