El Fogon Katracho

Since I am Honduran and used to live in Miami, FL, I already know what to expect from these type of places. The service always takes forever BUT… the food makes it worth the wait, so just be prepared to wait longer than usual. I took my mom here while she visited and we loved everything we ordered: baleadas, enchiladas de carne and an Horchata. Can’t wait to come back :)

‘El Fogon Katracho’ (meaning ‘cooking fire of the native Hondurans’) is a gift to those who love good, authentic Latin home-​cooking, genuinely delicious and definitely worth your time to explore. The popular native dish called ‘baleadas’ alone makes it worthy of the trip; baleadas are thick pancakes of white corn flour, grilled in butter and stuffed with a mix of Honduran refried beans, redolent of garlic and peppers, and topped off with a special cream they call ‘mantequilla’. Though the word means ‘butter’ in Spanish, the Hondurans use it especially for their rich sauce of lightly salty sour cream, butter and white cheese which has a superb taste all its own – I’ve never had anything like it and I’ve eaten many sorts of Latin cooking! The smooth, creamy texture, combined with slices of avocado, causes a jolt of pleasure to anyone seeking a new and different flavor sensation. You get 3 big baleadas for only $ 5.99 and I challenge you to finish all of it at one go!
For soup lovers the Sopa de Res (beef rib soup) is a savory combo of rich broth, cabbage, onion, yucca, bell peppers, and chayote (a kind of small green melon), served with a moist and flavorful side of rice, a delicate ‘curtido’ (a type of pickled slaw), lime slices and warm tortillas – a very filling and satisfying meal with meat so tender it pulls gently off the bone. The Sopa de Pollo is the chicken version, a soothing and delicious soup of fresh vegetables and herbed chicken. The Pollo Chuco, fried chicken on a bed of golden plantains and pickled cabbage is a real delight and southern taste buds will be well pleased with the fragrant Pollo Guisado con Papas, stewed chicken and potato over rice.
Steak fans will unite over their love of Bistec Endebollado, tender pieces of beef cooked with onions and stewed in a mouth-​watering adobo marinade. One of my favorite dishes here is the Honduran version of Carne Asada (grilled steak), in which the steak is marinated in spices and cut in long, thick, juicy slices that twist and turn upon the plate, paired with a helping of those wonderful refried beans dressed in white cheese crumbles, and accompanied by fried plantains, avocado and pickled slaw (‘curtido’) – truly a supreme expression of Honduran cooking at its best. The Yucca con Chicarron is a deceptively simple meal of salty, fresh fried pork rinds, meaty and nicely chewy. Yucca, if you’ve never had it, is a relative of the potato, but, at least for me, has a better flavor and more texture – the combo of the two is unforgettable!
Savannah has a wealth of excellent seafood dishes and ‘El Fogon Katracho’ adds its own unique style to the mix with a whole fried tilapia, seasoned to perfection – yes, that’s right, a whole fish, no filets here – don’t be intimidated by the huge, golden entirety, because it’s a treat not to be missed, especially with fresh lime squeezed over it. Most of Honduras runs along the eastern coastline of Central America, so they know good seafood and love a dish of fresh shrimp simmered in garlic (Camarones al Ajillo) and their own special blend of seasonings – ! Yes, you can get your shrimp fried here too, though the Ajillo is truly wonderful.
Desserts include Tres Leches, a moist, sweet sponge cake with fruit filling and creamy white icing, or Arroz con Leche, a Latin-​style rice pudding made with sweetened condensed milk, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon (sometimes with raisins) – and flan, of course, that lovely butter yellow custard of eggs, sugar and cream, topped with a thin caramel glaze. Try the horchata (rice milk) to drink – this is a common beverage in Central American restaurants and here it comes ice cold, aromatic of cinnamon and vanilla and perfectly sweetened, or fresh tamarindo juice – nothing quite like it – and Coke for we gringos!
Excellent food, service and atmosphere – don’t miss it!!!
Cheryl Baisden Solis
Imladris Productions on Facebook

Food is delicious, I love eating here. It’s a small business and there is definitely some things that could be better but the food is great, prices are reasonable and it’s close to home. I hope they continue to grow so that they’re better staffed on busy days.