Latino & Hispanic-Owned Restaurants in Baltimore

Alma Cocina Latina

A waitress carries food in a bright restaurant

Located in Station North Arts & Entertainment District, Alma Cocina Latina takes a contemporary approach to Venezuelan cuisine. Must-try items on the dinner menu include the cheesy tequeños, the fried sweet plantains and the solomo criollo—a grilled 13oz NY strip steak with adobo, guasaca, yucca and culantro mojo. Owner Irena Stein published the first arepa-focused cookbook in the world, so you’ll also want to pop next door to Candela at some point to try her rendition of Venezuela’s national dish.

Arepi

This beloved Fell’s Point eatery is on a mission to make the arepa—a Venezuelan corn cake stuffed with savory ingredients like shredded beef, black beans or avocado—a Baltimore street food staple. Also on Arepi’s menu are cachapas, or sweet corn pancakes, and empanadas, plus bingeable sides such as Yukon fries, plantains and tequenos. Beyond arepas, Arepi is known for fostering community in Fell’s Point. Together with their neighbor Sound Garden, they’ve hosted movie nights, flea markets and dance parties in El Jardin, their shared parking lot turned neighborhood hub.

Aru Aru

Also in Fell’s Point, Aru Aru puts a modern and distinctly Baltimore spin on Latin street food. The pupusa, a griddled corn cake stuffed with cheese, is the star here. Their renditions of the dish include a birria pupusa, which is topped with beef that has been braised for six hours, and a crab dip pupusa that is filled with a honey sriracha crab salad and dusted with Old Bay. Their empanada fillings range from guava and coffee-braised pork to gochujang-spiked potato and vegan ground beef. Aru Aru is takeout-only, so grab your order at the corner of Eastern Avenue and South Caroline Street. You can also find them at the Fell’s Point Farmers Market on Saturdays and the Patterson Park Farmers Market on Tuesdays.

Bayside Cantina

From longtime Baltimore restaurateur Carlos Cruz, Bayside Cantina offers one of the best waterfront settings in the city with ample covered and uncovered outdoor seating options. The menu features traditional Mexican fare like tacos and burritos while the cocktail list encourages you to step outside your comfort zone. The Mescalita, for example, is a twist on a margarita that pairs mezcal, sour mix and caramelized chile ancho syrup. There’s also the Bayside Manhattan, which uses tequila and chocolate bitters. Follow their Facebook to keep tabs on Taco Tuesday deals and live music nights.

Bmore Taquería

After 25 years of experience working in prestigious kitchens in Philadelphia and Baltimore, Chef Valentino Sandoval realized his culinary dreams with his first self-owned restaurant, Bmore Taquería. Showcasing the flavors of his native country, Mexico, this Upper Fell’s Point eatery offers authentic street tacos, delicious homemade flan, and refreshing sangrias and micheladas. Be sure to try the al pastor tacos—Sandoval is known for his “Trompo” technique, a method of roasting meat on a vertical rotating spit. During happy hour from 4-6 p.m., enjoy lower prices on beers, sangrias, wine and select tacos.

Cafe Los Sueños

Carlos Payes spent his childhood in El Salvador working in the coffee fields, and he brings the expertise and passion he gained there to his storefront in Remington. Sueños is Spanish for dreams, and the shop is filled with reminders of all Payes has overcome to fulfill his American dream. Behind the counter hangs a framed black t-shirt: the only shirt Payes owned when he first emigrated to the United States in 2005. In addition to handcrafted coffees, Cafe Los Sueños carries Wight Tea products and pastries from Ovenbird Bakery.

Man wearing an apron poses with a scoop of coffee beans in his hands

Chicken Rico

Chicken Rico promises the best Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken in the world, thanks to a 50-year-old family recipe forged when Dora Giordano opened her first location in Lima, Peru. In 1995, ownership transferred to her daughter, Mirian, who brought Chicken Rico to the United States. In addition to the chicken, which is cooked over fiery charcoal in rotisserie ovens, Chicken Rico sells other Peruvian specialties like pollo and lomo saltado, a traditional stir-fry dish. Find them on Eastern Avenue in Highlandtown, or check out their fresh “Poyoteca” concept near Power Plant Live in the Inner Harbor.

Clavel

Before you even take a bite, this Remington mezcaleria and taqueria’s clean white walls, warm wood furniture, incandescent string lights and gorgeous greenery will have you dying to snap a picture worthy of Instagram’s Explore page. Just as stylish is the Sinaloan-inspired menu, which boasts modern takes on classic Mexican dishes. Standouts include the lamb tacos with barbacoa braised in Mexican coffee and ceviche with lime-cured shrimp, spicy cilantro pesto and cucumber. There’s more to Clavel’s tortillas than meets the eye, too: the flour ones are the result of Head Chef Carlos Raba’s own family recipe.

Franchesca’s Empanada Cafe

With her cafe, Franchesca Nuñez aims to provide the Highlandtown community with affordable high-quality Latin American cuisine, and she delivers. She and her team serve up delicious empanadas with an impressive selection of filings to accommodate all diets, including shredded chicken, ground beef, and spinach & ricotta, plus vegan options like sweet plantain & vegan cheese.

Josefina

With bold, authentic Spanish flavors and a striking two-floor waterfront setting, Josefina offers a transportive dining experience. Led by James Beard Award semifinalist chef David Zamudio—who previously helmed Alma Cocina Latina’s kitchen—the menu features classic pintxos and tapas like pan con tomate, alongside pristine seafood and shareable mains. At the bar, cocktails arrive with a complimentary tapa, echoing a beloved Spanish tradition.

La Calle

This Fell’s Point restaurant, known for its ceviches, salads, tostadas and chef-driven entrees, is owned by the Sandoval brothers and inspired by their hometown of Puebla, Mexico. Signature recipes, such as the mole poblano, are created using 25 to 30 fresh ingredients. La Calle also offers a robust selection of tequilas and mezcals.

Owl’s Corner

This family-owned café in Mount Vernon brings cocina criolla—a style of Puerto Rican cooking that blends Spanish, African and Taíno influences—to Baltimore. Highlights include flaky empanadas stuffed with savory shredded chicken (there’s a Maryland-friendly crab version, too) and a whole fried red snapper. Pair your meal with a café con leche that could transport you to San Juan, or a frozen, alcohol-free piña colada. Be sure to save room for a guava quesito, a sweet cream cheese-filled pastry!

Picante Taco Restaurant

It doesn’t get more authentic than Picante Taco Restaurant, whose owners employ their grandmother’s recipes to serve up bold, homestyle Mexican dishes. They’re best known for their birria tacos, but you can’t skip the sizzling, crazy-spicy fajitas and the crispy mole oaxaca chimichanga. The cozy Fell’s Point space is colorful and casual, and the staff wants everyone to feel like part of the “Picante familia.”

Puerto 511

Slightly tucked away in the Bromo Arts District, this petite restaurant takes on Peruvian cuisine that varies from street food to ceviche. At Puerto 511, Chef Jose Victorio Alarcon cooks up specialties such as lomo saltado, a stir-fry of marinated beef, onions and tomatoes that nods to the country’s Chinese-Peruvian chifa cooking tradition.

Taquería La Patrona

What started as a food truck has grown into a locally loved franchise with five locations across the Baltimore region. Many consider Taquería La Patrona‘s tacos to be the best in town, and the house-made tortillas are stuffed to capacity. You’ll also find delicious birria dishes, homemade sopes and machetes, and refreshing agua frescas. Best of all, this woman-owned business is open for breakfast and late-night, so you can satisfy your craving for Mexican at any time of day.

Restaurante Tio Pepe

Billed as authentically Spanish, Restaurante Tio Pepe has been beloved by diners for more than half a century. Chef and owner Emiliano Sanz has been with the restaurant for almost as long, serving as a friendly, welcoming presence for the locals who return to the restaurant for regular doses of gazpacho, paella, tapas and decadent desserts like the sought-after pine nut roll. Located in Mount Vernon, Restaurante Tio Pepe is the perfect place to stop after taking in the sights from the top of the Washington Monument or exploring the Walters Art Museum.

Fries topped with queso, meat and cheese

Ruben’s

Reviews of this Federal Hill Mexican joint rave about the “fire” hot sauce, the fast service and generous portions, but there’s another secret to Ruben’s success: the familial spirit. Owner Ruben Ramirez has been making crepes and burritos since he was 12, and when it came time to open his own restaurant, he recruited his cousins, aunt and close friends to run it with him. The result is a joyous community restaurant that feeds patrons more than flavorful burritos, tacos, queso and agua frescas. Open until 3 a.m. on Friday and Saturday, Ruben’s is the place to grab a bite after a night out on Charles Street. Both the Federal Hill and Fell’s Point locations also offer breakfast and $1.99 tacos on Tuesdays.

Sacré Sucré

It doesn’t get more saccharine than Sacré Sucré, a pastry studio in historic Fell’s Point owned by Manuel Sanchez and David Thibodeaux. Beyond their iconic pink packaging and whimsical decor, this shop is known for their artful presentations and experimental bakes. We’re talking expertly-crafted heart-shaped Valentine’s danishes or egg-shaped macarons at Easter. Plus, Sacré Sucré doubles as a tea and coffee shop, making it the perfect morning pit stop.

Taqueria Vargas

Another Highlandtown hotspot, Taqueria Vargas stands out for its large portion sizes and affordable prices – everything on the menu is less than $15. Popular dishes include the sizzling queso fundido, huevos rancheros, picaditas and, of course, tacos. Beyond the traditional al pastor, asada and carnitas fillings, Taqueria Vargas offers campechanos, tripas, lengua and buche. Across the street, community staple Vargas Bakery sells a wide variety of pastries and sweet breads, though it is known for its rosca de reyes, or king cake; the bakery sells up to 400 of the wreath-shaped cakes every year in preparation for Three King’s Day, or Día de los Reyes.

The Empanada Lady

After operating a boutique empanada cafe out of Motor House in Station North for three years, Elisa Milan (aka The Empanada Lady), opened a larger, sit-down restaurant downtown with a full bar and expanded menu. In addition to a variety of empanadas, diners can enjoy crab balls, ceviches, salads and one-of-a-kind cocktails. The colorful interior celebrates Milan’s Puerto Rican culture; a mural by Jaz Erenberg features the Puerto Rican resistance flag, native plants to the island, and traditional Taino symbols, and hanging umbrellas pay homage to Old San Juan’s Umbrella Street.