Mano’s Food Guide To Barranquilla
It would be remiss of me not to begin my Food Guide with the city that started it all for me, Barranquilla! I say it started it all because that’s literally where everything started, I was born there. And now I have to pay taxes, wash dishes, and wake up early in the morning to get on a machine to pretend I’m walking places – all because of Barranquilla. Thanks.
Located on the northern coast of Colombia which borders the Southern reaches of the Caribbean, the port city of Barranquilla is a major industrial and trading center which grew due to its location on the Magdalena River. A city with good sea transportation means that it’s an easy place to get to, and throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the city became the entry point to immigrants from Europe, and the Middle East. All of this means that Barranquilla, home of the first airport in South America (an iteration of which was designed by my grandfather, architect-cum-mayor Ricardo Gonzalez Ripoll!), has a very unique local cuisine. The large Middle Eastern minority there means that Middle Eastern food (mostly Palestinian, Lebanese, Syrian), is ubiquitous. There is nothing more Barranquilla than eating kibbeh and falafel! It’s an unusual surprise, but that is why my palette leans so heavily towards Middle Eastern flavors – it’s what I grew up with! The geographic location of Barranquilla – located on an estuary where the Magdalena meets the Atlantic ocean (the water is brackish, so not beautiful, but full of life), means that its a hot spot for seafood. You can get saltwater and freshwater fishes all in the same day! The cuisine is also heavily influenced by Afro-Caribbean culture. We love our beans, rice, yucca, and, of course, plantains! Fried, baked, with cheese or just with salt, plantains are a way of life. Barranquilla also loves corn (but then again, who doesn’t?). This concludes the educational portion of our post, thanks for participating. Shakira was also born in Barranquilla. Lots going on over there.
Manolo with family in Barranquilla.
Anyway, as with most cities, the best places to eat local food are actually the homes of the locals, but, unless you’re willing to make friends by participating in small talk (heavens, no!) or breaking into some unsuspecting family's house (which I also don’t suggest, as it is frowned upon in most cultures), you’ll be stuck eating out. So, if you find yourself in the city of Barranquilla and need a place to eat, worry not, because we got you covered!
Here is a list of some of my favorite places to eat in Barranquilla, a list which is as diverse in style of foods as the city itself!
FOR BREAKFAST
If you want a traditional Barranquilla breakfast, this is the place to go! It’s also the place to go at five in the morning directly from the club, still in your heels or sweat-through Polo shirt (it’s very hot in Colombia). An agrarian culture, the breakfasts in the country still reflect its historical past, which means that the typical breakfast is rather heavy and hearty…and fried. (Lunches are also equally as heavy, and usually include two or three different starches). If you make it to this no-frills palace of fried delights, there are two things you absolutely must get: chicharron, and an arepa e’huevo!
Chicharron is fried pork rinds, which is the cornerstone of every nutritious breakfast. Arepa e’huevo is a fried arepa filled with an egg. It’s not the most ideal meal before doing cardio, but it’ll keep you satisfied and happy for hours, unlike cardio.
FOR LUNCH
EL ARABE GOURMET, Middle Eastern
Some of the best Middle Eastern food I have ever had is from this place. El Arabe is almost an institution by this point, and it’s absolutely delicious. My favorite things there are the kibbeh (raw or fried), the falafel, and the arroz con almendra y pollo (almond rice with chicken)! You won’t be disappointed.
STEAKHOUSE, French
Steakhouse is the best choice if you’re in the mood for a, ya know, steak. Its old-school servers and almost sitting-room environment make you feel like you’re eating something truly special. The steak au poivre is spectacular.
It’s Greek, which is rather rare in Barranquilla, which is in itself weird considering how much Eastern Mediterranean food there is there! The octopus is zesty, and the spreads are beyond delectable. Also, if you’re a kid or just in the emotional need to break something, the restaurant will let you break a plate a la Greek! Opa!
FOR DINNER
EL PUNTO MULTIPLE DEL SABOR, Everything
Situated in the mini-mall across from El Parque Washington (as in George), there is one magical place that is multiple magical places in one - the name, ‘El Punto Multiple de Sabor’ literally means the point of many flavors. This is like five restaurants in one. You get an enormous menu, and the change in fonts tells you you’ve turned the page onto a different restaurant. Within this establishment, you’ll find PIZZA HOT (sorry, trademark lawyers!), LA PAPA LOCA (for all your potato needs), TACOS OLE, and EL TORITO. I love this place, and when I was a kid it was heaven. It’s like our Cheesecake Factory - menu so large, there’s something for everyone. My favorite things to get there are the cheese and jamon pizza from Pizza Hot, and the potato skins from Papa Loca.
CUZCO, Peruvian
The ceviche here is almost as good as it is in Peru, except it isn’t in Peru, which is why it’s so special. It is fresh and zesty and full of authentic and fusion dishes that will leave everyone happy and ready for a drink.
LA PIAZZETTA DE FLAVIA Y MICHEL, Italian
We love our pizza in Barranquilla, and this one is a classic. The location itself is also super cute and nice to go to!
Steaks! I love steak and this fine-dining establishment does it amazingly well. This restaurant focuses on Argentinian-style cuts of meat, which are much more similar to the ones we have in the United States and are used to. The steaks are thick and charred, not small and lean like most of the ones coming from Colombian-bred cattle. Try the Tomahawk, baby!
SMALL BITES & SWEETS
The good stuff. Meals are great, but we all know that the real culinary delights come from snacking.
This boutique bakery chain has some of the best that Barranquilla can offer, from the more traditional deditos de queso, to the Middle Eastern kibbeh frito, to croissants, cookies, cakes, pandebonos, coffee, pastries and sandwiches. The deditos are some of the best I’ve ever had, and the kibbehs I could eat all day every day.
I used to eat at El Punto Multiple, then walk across the parking lot to the Mimos in the same mini-mall, colloquially known as El Parque Washington. My favorite’s are the Mimitos, which are an assorted bag of tiny little ice cream cones dipped in different flavor chocolates. They’re the size of your thumb and a bag contains enough of them to fill the void.
EL CHUZO DE LA 85, Barranquilla
This is as Barranquilla as you can get! First, let’s explain what a chuzo is: it’s basically a chicken skewer served on a bed of shredded lettuce, topped with crushed potato chips, cheese, mayo-based and pineapple based sauces, and served with a side of white corn bollo, which is like a polenta medallion (in fanciest of terms). This dish is a drunk person’s dream. Most nights end with a chuzo if you’re going out; it’s that kind of thing. Since I was a child, it was always my absolutely favorite thing in the world. This location was our go-to, but it’s literally a cart with plastic tables on a sidewalk, it’s the quintessential Barranquilla street-food. Mexico has tacos, we have chuzo, and it’s really only found in Barranquilla. It’s a gem, a delicious, trans-fatty gem. Also on the menu are salchipapas, which are, in essence, butterflied hotdogs topped with potato chips. Eat your heart out, Ramsay. If you love corn, (which, again, who doesn’t?), order the mazorca desgranada, which is the same basic lettuce, sauce and cheese mix of the chuzo, but over a corn off the husk. I love eating corn with a spoon, no flossing involved afterwards.
The cuisine in Barranquilla may seem like a bit of an enigma, a mix of a little bit of everything, but then again, that is very Barranquilla, and we love that for us. Just go with the flow, and remember, Coco-Cola with every meal, especially breakfast. That is the Barranquilla way.