Best non-Mexican Latin American restaurant
Pura Vida was the clear winner among readers and the AJC's international dining specialist. (ADRIENNE HARRIS/special)
1. Pure Vida
Readers love chef Hector Santiago and Pura Vida, with one reader calling it the most creative food in Atlanta.
2. Havana Grill
3. Tierra
4. Papi’s
5. Las Palmeras
1) Pura Vida, Virginia Highland
The AJC’s dining team’s specialist in International Cuisine Gene Lee says, “Pura Vida is the easy top choice for this category. Chef Hector Santiago and his Virginia Highland restaurant has come a long way over the years with a stint on Bravo’s Top Chef for Santiago to send the restaurant’s evolution into overdrive. The attached sandwich shop Super Pan and El Burro Pollo, the weekend-only burrito store in the same space, offer some of the best intown dining options for around a $10 price tag.”
2) Las Brasas
3) Las Palmeras
5) Havana Grill
accessAtlanta Partner Sites
Sections
Advertise on accessAtlanta.com »
Reach the audience you want by advertising on accessAtlanta.com
Join the Access Atlanta Network »
Advertisers and Publishers, expand your reach by joining the Access Atlanta Network.
Tell us what you think about the site
Visitor Agreement | Privacy Statement | About our ads
© 2013 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
110 comments Add your comment
mary b
November 21st, 2011
1:43 pm
Havana on Buford Hwy
Ted
November 21st, 2011
3:53 pm
Pura Vida
TimT
November 21st, 2011
3:57 pm
Las Palmeras on 5th street is the best Cuban or Latin American food in the Metro Area. If you haven’t had their marinated and then roasted chicken, you haven’t lived.
Brent
November 21st, 2011
4:00 pm
Papi’s Caribbean in Lawrenceville.
Sou eu
November 21st, 2011
4:02 pm
Casa Vieja on Shallowford is one of my favorites in the Buford Highway corridor. It’s a Colombian restaurant and the food is flavorful, authentic, and the prices are great. If money were no object, I would eat at Fogo de Chao every day.
ziza
November 21st, 2011
4:04 pm
mojitos in midtown
LR
November 21st, 2011
4:05 pm
Pure Taqueria, Cinco, & Mojitos!
TC
November 21st, 2011
4:10 pm
Havana South in Buford
Munson
November 21st, 2011
4:10 pm
Tierra in midtown
midtownblue
November 21st, 2011
4:17 pm
Tierra on Piedmont (Midtown).
Kiss Me
November 21st, 2011
4:17 pm
Las Palmeras hands down!
Virginia
November 21st, 2011
4:20 pm
Havana!!
Donkey200
November 21st, 2011
4:26 pm
Eclipse di Luna
tiffyinmbc
November 21st, 2011
4:28 pm
Pampas!
Bernard The Woodpecker
November 21st, 2011
4:28 pm
Thank you for differentiating between ‘Latin’ and ‘Mexican’. I routinely get suckered into going to restaurants touted as a great ‘Latin meal’ only to be served the all too familiar glop of cheese covered excreta (ostensibly, frijoles), cozied up to some nondescript mound of beef, lettuce, tomatoes and bilious guacamole. Going with ‘Pura Vida’ as my vote.
PJ
November 21st, 2011
4:32 pm
For quick lunch, Palomilla in Norcross. For fine dining, Pampas.
SAWB
November 21st, 2011
4:33 pm
Havana Restaurant on Buford Highway.
Moderate
November 21st, 2011
4:41 pm
Mojitos midtown
NomNomNomATL
November 21st, 2011
4:42 pm
Pura VIda
Theron Sapp
November 21st, 2011
4:49 pm
Tierra. One of our city’s real jewels.
KJ
November 21st, 2011
4:51 pm
A lot of good choices, but Tierra’s my favorite. Great pork and seafood dishes and their tres leches cake is the best I’ve ever had.
Mark Richt
November 21st, 2011
4:51 pm
Mexicali Grill in Athens
j
November 21st, 2011
4:52 pm
Tierra on Piedmont is amazing!
alana
November 21st, 2011
4:52 pm
Papi’s off Ponce!!!!
Kar
November 21st, 2011
4:56 pm
Soft spot for Machu Pichu and their hot pepper/butter spread and more than one type of ceviche. Seriously, any place that can saute beef tips, onions and tomatoes and serve it over hot fresh fries should be honored. I’ve seen many a good ol’ boy lose their heart there.
Latin
November 21st, 2011
4:58 pm
Pampas is consistently good, but only slightly Latin in spite of the Argentine label. Tierra is excellent.
Thorton
November 21st, 2011
4:59 pm
I like the Lunar Tappas. The food there is very, very good. I also like the one waitress. She is pretty. And she really, really gets me I think. I go there and she never, never has to ask what I want because she sees me so much. Sometime I feel like I don’t even exist, but then she lifts my spirits because she remember me. I hope she gets to celebrate “Christmas,” but I also hope she is working so I won’t feel so alone in the world. I know it’s not typical but I may buy her a present if a waitress is allowed to accept gifts. That would make it a happy, happy Christmas. But if she is not there to get the gift it might make me even sadder. I wish my kids could have met her before it happened to them.
Reality
November 21st, 2011
4:59 pm
Pura Vita, without a doubt.
JATL
November 21st, 2011
5:01 pm
Mezcalitos in Oakhurst (Decatur)
HoneyB
November 21st, 2011
5:02 pm
Havana South in Buford
chainshaw
November 21st, 2011
5:02 pm
Las Palmeras on 5th
mamajosh
November 21st, 2011
5:03 pm
Tierra. Best. Meal. Ever. (Latin or otherwise).
atl
November 21st, 2011
5:09 pm
Havana on buford hwy, and la parilla!
Jen
November 21st, 2011
5:16 pm
Mmmmm….Havana on Buford Hwy!
Kar
November 21st, 2011
5:20 pm
Never got the Havanna love. Mediocre medianoche sandwiches and they don’t even have moros.
Egger
November 21st, 2011
5:21 pm
Las Palmeras for sure!
Realtvjunkie
November 21st, 2011
5:23 pm
Mojito Cafe @ Johns Creek. Good Cuban Food
Byron
November 21st, 2011
5:49 pm
So many choices! Havana on Buford Hwy is a perennial favorite for Cuban. (Love their empenadas!) Cafe Mambo in Alpharetta is Cuban / Peruvian and quite tasty. Eclipse di Luna is good for tasty (but not authentic) tapas. I’m still on the lookout for a good Colombian restaurant. (Any suggestions?)
Edward
November 21st, 2011
5:53 pm
The topic is NON-MEXICAN and people still post crappy Mexican joints. My vote is for Las Brasas in Decatur. Amazing Peruvian rotisserie chicken and sides. Las Palmeras used to be good, but of late it seems their heart just isn’t in it any longer. I’ve had better ropa vieja or picadillo from a can.
ATL Diner
November 21st, 2011
5:55 pm
It’s not even close: Pura Vida and Chef Hector Santiago in a landslide victory….
Chris
November 21st, 2011
6:01 pm
Tierra is incredible.
Dominican11
November 21st, 2011
6:05 pm
pollo tropical lawrenceville awesome food and its cheap
Matt
November 21st, 2011
6:16 pm
Any decent Venezuelan places around?
Winger
November 21st, 2011
6:22 pm
Pollo Campero. Best chicken and black beans ever served.
Sarah P
November 21st, 2011
6:26 pm
Tierra is my favorite upscale Latin restaurant. I like their inventiveness and the way they combine elements of cuisine from many different Latin American nations.
Casa Vieja has great Colombian, though I prefer Patacon Pisao in Norcross for a family outing.
Southside Progressive
November 21st, 2011
6:33 pm
Tierra is a hidden jewel in ATL. Intimate seating, great food!
Cerezita
November 21st, 2011
6:42 pm
Papi’s on Ponce De Leon! Authentic Puerto Rican food! I spent a summer in Puerto Rico – Papi’s is good!
MOMMA WAS RIGHT
November 21st, 2011
6:49 pm
Natarica Grill & Restaurant Great Venezuela Food!
5730 Buford Highway # K Norcross, GA 30071-2569
(770) 582-1059
Jefe
November 21st, 2011
6:52 pm
Pampas is a great upscale spot, while a good casual place is Fina Estampa in Norcross (best Peruvian food in Atlanta after my wife’s of course) and Eclipse de Luna for tapas and drinks. Pura Vida is pretty good too, especially the Pisco Sours that are served at the bar there.
Steve
November 21st, 2011
6:54 pm
Tierra for upscale, La Fonda Latina for budget (love the Paella)