Each week, the Shreveport-Bossier Journal’s always hungry reporter visits a different restaurant and tells you about the experience.
By ANON E. MUSS, Journal Services
When I think “Haughton”, I think hard-working people, Dallas Cowboys Quarterback Dak Prescott, and hero Joe Delaney, who died trying to save three children from drowning back in 1983.
I don’t think Latin food.
So, when I heard there was a restaurant called H Latin Food (2950 US-80), I was skeptical. A Latin restaurant, in Haughton, Louisiana?
When it comes to food, I’m not the most adventurous eater. However, on a recent Saturday night, I thought it would be fun to try something different. So, I asked a friend to join me on a little Highway 80 road trip.
H Latin Food was easy to find, and the spacious parking lot was close to full – raising our hopes we were in for a treat. We walked in and were immediately greeted by what sounded to this ‘ol north Louisiana boy like Latin music, and by a smiling young lady with broken English. She showed us to our table and gave us two menus.
It was then that I realized I should have taken a vacation day for dinner. The menu was EIGHT pages – a front- and back-page description of every type Mexican and American food dish you can imagine.
That’s right – Mexican and American food dishes. Where was all the Latin food?
Very confused, I asked our server to point out the Latin food entrees. I could tell she wasn’t too sure what I was asking, as she generically moved her fingers across a couple of items. So, I asked another server, whose English was better. She pointed out four Latin dishes and recommended two, along with one Latin appetizer. She said those would satisfy our appetite for authentic Latin food.
There were nine appetizers listed – eight of them of the non-Latin variety – such as mozzarella sticks, wings, and alligator bites. The ninth item was Empanadas ($8.99) – described as a fried pie stuffed with seasoned rice and vegetables, and topped with shredded cabbage and Pico, drizzled with house dressing and red sauce. For an extra dollar, I could get the fried pie stuffed with shredded chicken.
The young lady told us Empanadas are definitely Latin food, so that’s what we ordered. I saved the boss a dollar and went without the shredded chicken stuffing.
The Empanadas took a while to arrive, but they were well worth the wait. Think of it as a hot, stuffed meat or crawfish pie (except with rice and vegetables) at the bottom of a salad. It was huge and delicious! My friend and I agreed it was big enough to have been our meal. If you are a frequent reader of these reviews, you know I like my hot food hot and my cold food cold. The stuffed pie was – and remained – hot the entire time we ate.
Since it was recommended that to enjoy true Latin food, we specifically get two of the four Latin entrees, I let my friend choose first. She ordered the Pollo Con Tajadas ($13.99). It was described as a fried, bone-in chicken, topped with cabbage, Pico, and house dressing, all on a bed of Green Plantain.
Who knew fried chicken was big in Latin America?
By process of elimination, I ordered the Cena Honduras Dinner ($16.99). It came with skirt steak, rice and beans mixed, eggs, sweet plantains, avocados, Honduran cheese, and my choice of flour or corn tortillas. Our server said the corn tortillas are homemade, so that’s what I chose, as I have found you seldom go wrong with anything homemade.
There were menu pictures of both items. When ordering, I thought, ‘If our food looks like the pictures, we’ll be in good shape.’ But that hardly ever happens, right?
Well, it happened this time.
The presentation of both dishes was outstanding. They looked like the pictures, and guess what? They tasted as good as they looked!
Although my skirt steak wasn’t the most tender meat I’ve ever had, it wasn’t bad. Everything else was very good – and hot. I really enjoyed the rice and bean mix, and the plantains. I felt like I was in Latin America because I was told that’s a dish they eat there!
I can’t begin to tell you how big the piece of chicken was on my friend’s plate. It was fried crisp, and to get to it, you had to dig through those delicious toppings. They covered the chicken and the rest of the plate. Once she got to the chicken, my friend said the bird was hot and juicy.
H Latin Food offered five desserts – none of them Latin. There were menu pictures of the ‘Warm Peach or Apple Cobbler’, and the ‘Warm Bread Pudding’. They both had us drooling. But our meal also had us feeling overly full. There was no way we could eat dessert (thus saving the boss a little more money).
In fact, we walked out carrying a to-go box. There was so much food, we simply couldn’t eat it all.
As we were waiting to catch our breath so we could get up from our table, I saw a gentleman who looked like he might be in the know. Come to find out, he is the head chef, but said he does a little bit of everything. So, I had to ask: Why would you choose a name suggesting a Latin restaurant, when 90 percent of everything served is either Mexican or American food?
In short, he explained that the owners are from Latin America, and wanted to open a Latin food restaurant. However, just a few weeks before opening, they became convinced there wasn’t a big (or any) appetite for Latin food in Haughton and the surrounding area. But they already had registered the name, and they had signage. Realizing how popular Mexican food is in our area, they asked him to come up with a menu – and quick. He didn’t have experience with Latin food, but he did know how to cook Mexican and American food.
So that’s why H Latin Food is much more a Mexican and American food restaurant than a Latin restaurant. Since our visit, I have spoken with a few people who have eaten H Latin’s Mexican food. They all said it was outstanding.
One other thing. While dining, I noticed a lot of families. I liked that. Its obvious H Latin Food is a comfortable place for folks, and despite being open less than a year, has developed a following.
The total for our meal before tax and tip – we both had water to drink – was $41.36. We thought that was a very fair price considering the quality and quantity of our food. However, take note that the menu prices are good only if you’re paying cash. On the dessert page near the back of the book, I mean, menu, there is a disclaimer pointing out a 3.5% service charge added to all debit/credit card transactions. This isn’t that uncommon, but I wish restaurants would just figure the service charge into the price of the item. I feel like I’m being punished because I don’t carry cash.
The only thing stopping me from giving H Latin Food Four Forks is I was a bit irritated that I drove out of the way (for me) to Haughton expecting to choose from a wide variety of Latin food. Instead, I got a menu full of things like Fajitas, Country Fried Steak, and a Shrimp Po-Boy. It felt like I was the victim of false advertising.
But the Latin food we did have was very, very good. So good, in fact, that I give H Latin Food Three Forks. If I am in the area, I will return. Especially if I want the Three Cheese Enchiladas.
Is there a restaurant you would like the Journal to review? Email: SBJRestaurantReview@gmail.com
1 Fork: Would rather eat a box of dirt
2 Forks: Will return, but only if someone else is buying
3 Forks: Will return and look forward to it
4 Forks: Will return and go out of my way to do so
