Sabor Cuencano NE — Restaurant in Minneapolis

My daughter and I were here last night and ordered takeout. My daughter had the Cuencano platter and I had three varieties of tacos. The Cuencano was really good. Roast pork with a delicious slice of crispy pork skin on top. That fried skin was heavenly! The beans and llappingachos were good; not sure what the potato stew was, but the bite I tried had a big chunk of fat in it (not my favorite thing). My daughter really enjoyed her meal. My tacos (shrimp, carnitas, chicken) were just ok. The carnitas actually seemed to be steak, which was really good and I’m not much of a steak person. The chicken was bland and the hot sauce didn’t really help. The shrimp was good, just shrimp though, nothing special. I did like the hot sauce on the other tacos. We got some Ecuadorian sodas, which were fun to try. I rated this restaurant on both our meals; mine was a 3 star but my daughter’s was a 4.5, so that’s my 4...

Order the cheese empanadas!!! After taking one bite, my friend had tears in her eyes. She said the empanadas brought her back to Mexico when she visited her grandparents as a little girl. I know Sabor Cuencano is an Ecuadorian restaurant (and not Mexican) but if a humble empanada can bring back a childhood sensory experience accompanied by happy tears, then in my mind, it’s worth every penny. The empanadas were airy and crispy which surprised me – I usually expect fried food to feel heavy. The empanadas I’ve had in the past were denser than the ones at Sabor Cuencano. These were light like my friend’s upbeat mood. Great bite....

Another great Ecuadorian restaurant in NE MPLS! I had the Hornados, a plate of carnitas, white corn (or rice), small salad, and a llipingacho.

It all was very tasty and served quickly. The pork had a cap of crunchy pork skin while the roasted meat had a great crust and a deep lime flavor. The corn came in extra large kernels and took the hot sauce easily. Finally the llipingacho was a moist, soft corn cake.

They serve both breakfast and lunch with a limited menu. It is a very tiny place and seems very popular with Ecuadorian families. Definitely worth stopping in for Hispanic but not...