This Latin American restaurant in Mississauga takes me back with their traditional flavors.
More than ten years ago I quit my job in advertising to travel the world. I bought a one-way ticket to Mexico and a flight south to Argentina.
Over the years I have returned to Latin America many times. I love flavors and people so much I took a DNA test to see if I wasn’t normal but I had Latin flavors.
Unfortunately I don’t.
But many have said that I have it in my heart and it is important.
Unfortunately it is hard to find authentic Latin American food. There are many taco shops, and they are good. But I like it sorry or the chefs who make travel so much more enjoyable.
Luckily Mississauga is a city for travelers.
There are over 1800 restaurants from over 150 countries in Mississauga. This is a city where you can eat at a different restaurant every night for five years.
And among all these types of cuisine there are authentic Latin American restaurants.
Restaurants in Latin America
Finding authentic Latin American food in Canada can be difficult. Mexican restaurants are not quite right and often the owners have to adapt to Canadian favorites like chimichangas and big burritos.
But Mississauga has a healthy Latino population and that means a number of restaurants make great food.
On Antojo
Although this Mexican restaurant has been open for less than a year, it is clear that owner Tavita has a strong influence on Mexican cuisine.
Food in Mexico is very diverse and it saddens me that most people only know tacos. Or worse, they think chimichangas and big burritos are all you can find there.
But the menu at Pa’l Antojo has real dishes that I like including gorditas and tortas. The most popular items are not surprisingly tacos el pastor and birria.
But as tempted as I am they also have tacos with tripa (tripe), lengua (beef tongue) and suadero (the part between the belly and the leg).
I love offal.
Mexicans know how to cook meat well and I had to try it. Most of the time when I’m filming I just eat a little and take some to go. But these delicious tacos and a glass of tamarind juice made me want to start eating from street carts in Mexico again.
I ate it all and walked a long way to get more food!
On Antojo
1885 Drew Rd, Mississauga, PA L5S 1J5, Canada
Las Delicias
I was in Colombia a few weeks ago and this place took me right there. Food. Power.
Las Delicias is Colombia in Canada.
As soon as I entered the owner introduced himself. He is from Medellin and he said everyone calls him pass, meaning a villager.
Paisa has a great personality that is warm and pleasant. He assured me that at 4pm I could take it calentaowhich is on the breakfast menu.
Then they jokingly kicked me out for spending 5 weeks in Colombia without going to Medellin.
While I was waiting for my food I saw a steady stream of people speaking Spanish, rushing to my friends. Hugging Paisa and holding her.
It is the capital of the Colombian people.
Even gringos are welcome too. When Paisa introduced himself in Spanish, I replied in Spanish that I was a gringa.
He assured me that everyone was welcome and later introduced me to the family at the next table and to Pipe, a local musician from Medellin.
Las Delicias is another example of what makes Mississauga restaurants so great. It is a worldwide phenomenon.
And the food was as good as human food. Calentao means reheated, and is a traditional Colombian dish that locals eat for breakfast while the leftovers from the previous night are reheated.
In this case rice, beans, sweet plantains, pork belly and beef. It is served with a large arepa and salty cheese. It is very comfortable and big enough for two or three people!
Las Delicias
59 A Dundas St W, Mississauga, PA L5B 1H7, Canada
La Bonita Restaurant in Latin America
Although most of the items on the menu are Colombian, La Bonita strives to serve the best of Latin American countries.
I came for pupusas, a corn flour cake from El Salvador. Hard to find but one worth checking out.
Sadly at the counter Wendi, from El Salvador, told me that you have to order in advance.
So when asked about Ecuadorian ceviche, he complained that it was only served on weekends (it was Tuesday). I was rejected and didn’t know what to order.
But in hospitality in Latin America, Wendi didn’t let me down.
He said that although he came from El Salvador he lived in Ecuador. And if I waited 30 minutes they would make me an Ecuadorian hornado.
Yes please!
Hornado is Ecuadorian fried pork. This is one of my favorite dishes in Ecuador. I was surprised by the beautiful plate of food they brought out, enough for a party of four.
He may be from El Salvador, but this was pure Ecuadorian flavor, complete with llapingachos (potato cakes).
I was very surprised by his generosity in making what I wanted.
This is not a unique place with interesting food. And next time I will call those pupusas forward!
La Bonita Restaurant in Latin America
1065 Canadian Pl #109, Mississauga, ON L4W 0C2, Canada
Latin Hut Cafe & Bakehouse
Latin Hut is owned by Victor and Mercedes from Caracas, Venezuela. They serve traditional South American food and grills in a small cafe.
Amazingly they opened in 2020 and survived by serving good food and saving money with two employees – themselves.
They have also made local history by serving food, Victor’s favorite – the arepa reina pepiada.
Arepas are eaten in Venezuela like we eat bread in Canada. They are found at every meal and can have different satisfaction.
But this one is special.
In 1955, Susana Duijm became the first Venezuelan (and Latina) to win Miss World. It was a great honor that the local theater produced Reina Pepiada, a play on these words Curvy Queento celebrate his great accomplishment.
Today it is one of the most famous places in Venezuela. It’s a simple mix of shredded chicken breast, mayo and lots of avocado slices.
The only problem is that you will never want a chicken salad sandwich again, that’s good.
Latin Hut Cafe & Bakehouse
1960 Dundas St W, Mississauga, PA L5K 2R9, Canada
Latin Super Chicken
As soon as I walked in the door and heard Marc Antony blasting I was transported to Latin America. Latin Super Chicken is a Latin Super Chicken restaurant, delivery service and convenience store.
A family run business, Pati is from Puebla Mexico and her husband from Lima Peru – two of Latin America’s most beloved cities.
He has lived in Canada for almost 20 years, doing this business for 14 years without a single day off. Until this year when he returned to Mexico for vacation.
And while most people think of Peruvian food like ceviche and other raw fish dishes like tiradito, one of the most common is pollo a la brasa or Peruvian rotisserie chicken.
Latin Super Chicken offers weekends and holidays no amaryloh and green soup, so delicious you might want to buy it to take home.
You can also make it at home because they have everything in their store. And I was happy to see so many rare ingredients like chichaPeruvian yellow pepper and Cuban coffee.
When you buy, ask for a Venezuelan pabellon empanada with beef, beans and sweet plantain.
You won’t regret it!
Latin Super Chicken
17 Queen St N, Mississauga, PA L5N 6A1, Canada
Antojitos
Even though I had just left South America a few days before I was drawn to the Colombian bakery.
Colombians make the best bread, killer empanadas and are some of the friendliest people in the world. I wanted to just go in and try the beef empanada but everything looked so good.
After ordering the beef empanada, pan de guayaba (guava bread), carimañola (yuca with cheese) and buñuelo (fried dough) I had to give up.
Even now I regret not trying the pan de queso (cheese bread) because everything was delicious.
If you want to know about Colombian food this is a good place to start. They also sell prepared foods such as sancocho, cold foods, drinks and imported sweets.
Antojitos
803 Lakeshore Rd E, Mississauga, PA L5E 1W8, Canada
BONUS: Huevos Gourmet
I visited this restaurant while researching Lakeshore restaurants in Mississauga. It was so good I wanted to share it here. It’s not traditional but you can still feel the flavors of Mexico.
A fusion of Mexican flavors and French cuisine, Huevos Gourmet is Guadalajara’s family-friendly brunch spot.
They serve breakfast all day from traditional eggs benedict to huevos rancheros, the house specialty.
Although they mention Tabasco hot sauce on the menu, ask for their homemade sauce, but beware that even a small amount packs a punch.
The brunch spot is packed on weekends and offers “the warmth of a Mexican family and the allure of a Parisian flair” so get there early.
Or do what I did and arrive early on a weekday where the service is hot and you won’t be in a hurry to finish for other foodies to eat.
But make sure you book fast because it closes at 4pm every day
Huevos Gourmet
241 Lakeshore Rd E, Mississauga, PA L5G 1G8, Canada
Latin American food in Mississauga
If you’re eating at a great Latin American restaurant in Mississauga that you think I should know about, post it on Instagram and tag me @Ayngelina so I can share!
Disclosure: This content was developed in partnership with Tourism Mississauga. They didn’t ask me to go to any restaurant in Mississauga, just to share what I like. And I love Latin America.
