Guatemala Típico

Two miles, two wonderful meals

Comments (0) By Gail Shepherd Thursday, Jul 24 2008

The bigger lunch dishes are hit-and-miss. I didn't much care for a rather dry carne adobada of "pickled" pork meat served in long, orange-hued, unappetizing strips ($7.95), but I sure liked everything that came with it: excellent black beans, perfectly seasoned; a covered dish of freshly made mini-tortillas; sweet plantains oozing sugary oils, and more of that fabulous salsa. We tried the grilled pork chop ($7.95) as well, served with rice, pico de gallo, and a disappointingly bland and runny guacamole, and I thought the meat had a lot more life to it, or at least a lot more juice.

A café con leche (they have an espresso machine) wouldn't win any contests against its Cuban cousin — as in Guatemala, the coffee is served weak. But it's authentically weak!

Joe Rocco

Location Info

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La Rosa

913 Lake Ave.
Lake Worth, FL 33460

Category: Restaurant >

Region: Lake Worth

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Details

La Rosa, 913 Lake Ave., Lake Worth. Open daily 11 a.m. till 9 p.m. Call 561-586-8882. Also, El Chapin, 3501 S. Congress Ave., Palm Springs. Open Tuesday through Sunday 11 a.m. till 10 p.m. Call 561-491-8686.

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I'm looking forward to trying El Chapín's cocido de res or caldo de gallina (a meal-sized bowl of beef or chicken soup served with tortillas, $9.95) or maybe even the "chomin" ($10.50). Like the Peruvians, Guates have adopted and adapted Chinese cooking — the chomin, it turns out, is a chow mein of mixed vegetables, meat, and soy sauce.

I'd definitely go back to this charming place — so shady and cool on a late afternoon — if just for a cup of sweet, weak coffee or a bottle of Gallo beer and another plate of those tamales. And because it's so close, I can walk it off afterward.