Sabor Latino Restaurant and Pupuseria — Restaurant in Augusta

We've only tried this once in our household so I will preface my thoughts by saying we either ordered the wrong things or our experience was a fluke. I see lots of high praise for this place as if it's the only Latino spot in town. By that standard, it's better than most places to eat but I would say it lacks compared to, say, La Casa Latina.

We ordered via GrubHub with a promo and spent around $50, not including tip and fees. Carne asada was to be the star of out order but it was a tiny, dry portion with more gristle than actual edible parts. To me, this is a simple dish that should always be at least decent. Even if it's dry, the smokey/umami elements lacked and there wasn't quite enough flavor from what I'm used in all my years eating Latino foods (Colombian, Domnican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, etc). As a kid, we ate this as a treat maybe two or three times a month and it never disappointed. It was always a meal I looked forward to, even if only served with a humble side of white rice (and maybe some maduros/amarillos or tostones).

The pupusa was good so it makes sense they lead with this. We got the one with beans/habichuelas/frijoles and it was cooked just right. Definitely would get again.

Speaking of beans, they seem to have a good command on them here. They're cooked the way I like them: not too hard or soft, and seasoned just right. Eating the rice and beans together made me feel like I was back in my childhood home.

The tamales were dry and had bone in them. The choice of ingredients to me was odd. Overall, the texture wasn't quite right and the flavor lacked. I did appreciate the use of banana leaf. To be fair, we went with the corn meal version and chicken so that accounts for dryness but having big bones in what is supposed to be a smooth treat was beey off-putting.

Of course, some people rave about the tamales because they're not greasy or oily. Fair enough. I grew up on pasteles, which is the analog in Puerto Rico. They can be greasy but I rather have that and get sike real flavor.

We had some other stuff in our order, including pastels (empanadas). Most of it played it safe: light seasoning to appeal to a wider audience, I reckon. Portions are pretty good but pricing is debatable for what you get.

The pico de gallo is pretty nice though not what I'd expect from the cuisine. It's basically cole slaw with vinegar. Helps with digestion and refreshing the palette. Loved the queso fresco too.

Overall, it's a solid spot. I wasn't impressed but the variety in the menu makes me curious about other offerings. Prices seem a bit inflated but I get it: this recession is hurting us all. I think we just ordered the wrong things during a very busy time so I can't say this is a place I'd skip in the future. One thing is certain: that was one of the saddest carne asadas I've ever had in my life.

I hear the maduros are excellent so next time we may try those and sit down at the restaurant. It does look clean and comfy in there so we shall see - I may just have an update to my review in...

The food here has culture cooked into it. Even as a customer, I feel privledged eating here because the food tastes like it's coming from a personal kitchen inside someone's home. I ordered the quesadillas. Every bite was was rich from the cheeses to the tortilla(not sure of name) that had the consistency of fry bread and held all the ingredients in place. The little dime baggie of curtido was a nice touch and super fresh. It's a memorable meal because thinking about it, you can taste it again. If you are palate weary and looking for spanish food that isn't something gelatinous covered in queso, please swing by here. On...

Good food just horrible service, if the price is wrong on the menu you let the customer know before they order. It doesn’t matter if the price has been the same, if you change the menu with new prices that’s what we go off. When I explained to the cashier about the price being different than I was charged she was so rude and had no respect did not even say sorry. Her excuse “it’s been that price and you have been here before”. That doesn’t matter as a client I look at the menu and the menu prices. I was kindly asking about the menu price and the price on my reciept, there was no need for all the attitude...