by Washington Washington
We all know and love Mexican food… right? I mean, I make tacos for dinner every other day – lamb, fish, veal, you name it. But how similar is Mexican cuisine to the cuisine of its curious neighbor to the south, Guatemala? Well, luckily Phoenixvillians have the chance to find out now that Antigua Guatemala (119 South Main St. – 610.935.2700) has opened and is currently serving authentic Guatemalan food.
Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted by a friendly woman who quickly seated us and gave us the low down on the place. She pointed out the authentic Guatemalan table display situated at the front of the room… A nice touch to the already bright and comfortable interior. Shortly afterwards, we were given some fresh chips with black bean sauce and an additional cup of salsa verde. We cracked open the beers we brought, began snacking, and all was good.
The menu contains a selection of authentic entrees, fajitas, and soups. There are also a variety of drinks, desserts, and a children’s menu.
I went with the Churrasco, a chargrilled steak rubbed with Central American seasonings and served with Guatemalan salsa, sautéed scallions, black bean sauce, and Spanish rice. The dish came with three warm homemade tortillas which was confusing to me at first. After speaking to the very pleasant and helpful manager (who was walking around to make sure all diners were satisfied) he instructed me to dip the tortilla in the black bean sauce, then add rice and some steak. It turned out to be great advice, as the final construction proved to be a delicious combination of flavors.
The steak itself was thin, yet tender. There were a few pieces of gristle, but not many. The sauce on the steak was fairly basic to my taste buds, however, the manager also brought us a container of the red salsa, which I was warned would be very spicy. It had an excellent flavor… Fiery, but not unbearable, and it made me sweat. I like it hot though. 
My fellow diner ordered the Pollo a la Parilla, a fire-roasted chicken marinated in Antiguan spices, served with a garden salad and Spanish rice. She was pleased and had more than enough to make a second meal of it. I however devoured my entire plate, which was no easy task.
After trying Antigua Guatemala, I can honestly say that I’m very pleased to have a restaurant like this in the neighborhood. Although the selections are somewhat similar to what you might find at a Mexican restaurant, there are some distinct differences. Also, while menu is somewhat limited for now, I would expect their selections to grow in time and look forward to trying something new next time (perhaps the “Latin style” sausage – intriguing!).
Thanks for the review – saw several months ago that this was coming, but didn’t know what to expect. Eddie & I will definitely try & maybe bring the rots if there is a kids menu. Thank WW!
First visit last night and really enjoyed meal, staff and getting to know foods from Guatemala. Will be back again soon.
Restaurante Hacienda Real
Comida de Guatemala con sus deliciosos Platos típicos de Guatemala y su bar, también contamos con restaurante para sus eventos, EL steak perfecto en el lugar perfecto, Te esperamos disfruta de nuestras parrilladas.
Wow Hacienda Real looks incredible… If I ever get to Guatemala or Panama, I’ll be sure to check it out. I do appreciate your reach with social media marketing skills.