Sabor Latin Street Grill, Mathews

After Dalton Espaillat spent an evening reminiscing about the Latin American street fare he grew up with, he decided to go out and get some. It didn't take Dalton long to realize the effort was futile—there wasn't a trace of the Caribbean and South American comfort food he craved anywhere in Charlotte. So, instead of building the world's longest dumbwaiter to Brazil, he founded Sabor Latin Street Grill. Dalton's restaurant celebrates the street foods and informal family dinners found throughout the Spanish-speaking world right here in North Carolina.

The cooks aren't afraid to branch out from traditional Latin fare, though. In addition to the fresh corncake arepas and spinach-stuffed pupusas, they also assemble American-style tacos and burritos stuffed with chicken, fish, and homemade sauces. Of course, they allow guests to construct their own taco, burrito, and gordita from a lineup of veggies, black beans, steak, and shrimp.