Six Nicaraguan restaurants to try in Wisconsin
Wisconsin’s dining scene might best be known for supper clubs, cheese curds and Friday fish fries, but tucked across the state are restaurants offering a taste of Nicaragua. Wisconsin only trails behind Florida, California and Texas when it comes to receiving Nicaraguan immigrants to the United States, and more than half of new arrivals to Wisconsin have been from Nicaragua and Mexico in the last decade. These newcomers have brought their food along with them, and many Nicaraguan restaurants have opened across the state in recent years. From hearty gallo pinto to savory nacatamales, these spots bring Central American flavors north. Here are six Nicaraguan restaurants worth seeking out in Wisconsin.
Cocina Nica
1701 Moorland Road, Madison
Cocina Nica is a family-run restaurant that serves traditional dishes like baho, which is a mix of beef plantains and yuca served on a banana leaf. Guests also enjoy indio viejo, a beef stew made with masa, veggies and herbs like achiote and mint. Other staples of Nicaraguan cuisine – gallo pinto, plantain and fried cheese – are on the menu, often served with the house’s signature spicy “chilero nicaraguense” sauce. Opened by Teresa and Jesus Villareal, the restaurant honors family recipes passed down through generations.
Fritanga El Güegüense
5823 W. Burnham St., West Allis
As the newest addition to this list, this restaurant serves up typical Nicaraguan dishes in an assembly-line style. Guests put together their meals at the front of the store then seat themselves at one of the tables or bar, which features imported beer and rum. Nicaraguan souvenirs — including themed license plates and ceramic masks — hang on every inch of wall space at this restaurant, reminding guests that the food they’re enjoying is “100% Nicaragüense.”
Los Dos Cuates
350 N. Century Ave., Waunakee
Los Dos Cuates brings “fritanga” culture — meaning home-style Nicaraguan food — to Wisconsin with vigoron – a dish with boiled yuca, pork rinds and cabbage slaw marinated in vinegar – enchiladas, soups and agua frescas, juice made from tropical fruits. Brothers Eyner and Beymar Meza honor their mother’s cooking traditions while creating a lively space with karaoke, dancing and dishes rarely found in the U.S.
Dos Caminos
2525 Menasha Ave., Manitowoc
Housed in a bright red building in Wisconsin’s maritime capital, the restaurant invites guests to explore flavors rarely found in the area. Dos Caminos offers traditional dishes like churrasco nica, which is thinly sliced beef marinated in sour orange and served with a chimichurri sauce made with chopped parsley, garlic, vinegar and olive oil. It is paired with corn tortillas and rice and beans. Owner Pablo Gurdian also includes Salvadoran, Honduran and Mexican-inspired dishes to appeal to a wider palate.
La Marimba
824 Water Ave., Hillsboro
La Marimba extends fritanga cuisine to Hillsboro, featuring dishes such as carne asada, gallo pinto, platano, fruits and queso frito. Owned by Yariba Cerda and Kevin Gonzalez, this family-run restaurant celebrates Nicaraguan culture with festive décor, marimba music and a mostly Nicaraguan staff, delivering a lively dining experience to guests in the Driftless region.
La Fritanga Latin Food
1450 Veterans Drive, Richland Center
Owned by Marlon Lacayito and Arleth Juárez, this restaurant brings a mix of Nicaraguan, American and general Latin American cuisine to Richland Center. A selection of burgers combines typical dishes like gallo pinto and churrasco, including a Nicaraguan-style offering called “Nicas Burger,” which adds guacamole to the mix of dressings. Lacayito can often be found on the restaurant’s social media advertising its wide selection of beverages available at its “Ometepe Bar,” named for the volcano-clad island in the middle of Lake Nicaragua.
Feature photo: Nicaraguan flags ornament an iron fence outside of Fritanga El Güegüense. Photo by Jonás Tijerino