After scientists revealed that UFOs were actually full-grown tortillas, people everywhere filled swimming pools with guac and beans to catch and dissect the floury creatures. Nab a tender, baby disc with today's Groupon: for $15, you get $35 worth of food and drink at Antigua Mexican and Latin Restaurant, located in West Allis.
Antigua celebrates the authenticity of Latin cuisine with a menu pulling from the rich tapestry of Latin cooking. Mexico is represented with such dishes as the sweet tamale therapy of uchepos morelianos ($6.75) and the shredded pork of the cochinita pibil ($8 lunch, $13 dinner), and Cuba's ropa vieja ($8 lunch, $13.29 dinner) gives "old clothes" a good name with its slate of shredded flank steak, tomatoes, and peppers. With lomo saltado ($13.79), Peru uses its chance for culinary immortality wisely with marinated beef, aji peppers, and fried potatoes served over rice. Antigua even opens its arms in loving embrace to Tex-Mex, the confused stepcousin of Latin cooking, with chicken chimichangas ($12.59) and sizzling shrimp fajitas ($16.39).
Take a piece of Antigua back to your floating cloud fortress with a jar of the restaurant's famed salsa, or simply soak up the restaurant's brightly hued walls while soaking up the house margarita ($6.50). Fans of Antigua's appetite-quelling abilities can follow Antigua on Twitter to stay informed on future events, including the cooking classes hosted by the restaurant.
Reviews
Yelpers give Antigua Mexican and Latin Restaurant four stars, and Milwaukee Magazine and OnMilwaukee.com recommend it:
- There have been few times in my career as a food writer when an evening was inspiring. A recent scouting visit to Antigua Mexican and Latin Restaurant, 5823 W. Burnham St., not only left me feeling full in the most positive way; it left me wanting to come back for more, and as soon as possible. – Amy L. Schubert, OnMilwaukee.com
- It would be easy to do just a menu of chimichangas and burritos. Antigua takes an inspired direction and dresses up the location, so it’s easy to linger after settling the bill. – Anne Christenson, Milwaukee Magazine
- The flavors are authentic in every dish that I've tried--about half of the menu items--and blend with each other nicely. The pupusas are amazing and the mole sauce is tasty. – Steve G., Yelp
Antigua Latin Restaurant
The vibrant orange walls are enough to make Antigua Latin Restaurant stand out, but owner and self-taught chef Nicolas Ramos appeals to his customers' other senses with a menu of contemporary Mexican, Latin American, and Spanish dishes. He taps into his family's experience in the restaurant industry-which spans across more than 50 years-to populate his dining room's blue tablecloths with Cuban sandwiches, paella, traditional tapas, and enchiladas crafted from fresh ingredients. Additionally, the eatery's culinary experts host hands-on cooking classes that instruct students on the finer points of preparing a Caribbean feast or using a shrink ray to transform an entree into an appetizer.