Let’s Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month in Staunton

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Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Week (September 15-18) and Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15) by paying tribute to the history, culture, and positive contributions that have made our nation and our city richer and more diverse. Read on to learn about Staunton’s Hispanic-owned restaurants and businesses!

Latin Soul and Sweet Addie’s

Whether you love Latin food or you’re just looking for a new place to get good breakfast, check out Latin Soul. The restaurant’s name and the cuisine it serves are inspired by the owners’ El Salvadorean and African-American heritages. The menu serves “a little bit of everything,” including traditional items from both cultures like pupusas, street tacos, ceviche, yuca fritta and fried plantains as well as shrimp and grits, chicken-fried steak, and homemade meatloaf. You can also get modern fusion creations. Breakfast service starts at 8 am with the menu including omelets, pancakes, and eggs Benedict. You can also get the signature Salvadorean breakfast and the chorizo con huevo platter, which are served all day long. There’ also a kids’ menu to please smaller appetites.

Come celebrate on October 26, 2024 at 12:00 pm while Latin Soul hosts their first-ever Staunton Festival Hispano alongside Shenandoah Latin Dance! There will be dancing and dance lessons, food specials, a health clinic, a petting zoo, face-painting and all the tacos, margaritas and sangrias you can imagine!

Latin Soul owners Bessy Peralta and Jeff Coffey also recently took over Sweet Addie’s and continue to serve what some call the “best Belgian waffles on the planet.” Made with special pearl sugar, Liège waffles caramelize beautifully and have the perfect level of sweetness. Top them with sweet or savory toppings. Or better yet, start with chicken and waffles and follow with cannoli cream!

Chicano Boy Taco and Pizza Luca

Before opening its downtown brick-and-mortar restaurant in 2015, Chef Justin Hershey’s Chicano Boy Taco served its food at a pop-up stand. Now, this Mexican-American taquería has casual sit-down seating inside and on the patio and still serves enormous mission-style burritos, taco bowls, and handmade tacos on the best tortillas you’ve ever eaten. From the simple menu, you’ll pick from fillings like pork, chicken, chorizo and potatoes, or sweet potato and black bean. Next, select your salsa from a range of mild to hot. You can get a domestic, Mexican or craft beer and eat here for lunch or dinner. Want to make your selections ahead of time? Download the app and see how easy it is to order and customize your meal.

Culinary institute-trained Hersey recently opened Pizza Luca. Just steps away from Chicano Boy, the new restaurant delivers a very different vibe and cuisine. The lovely space is light-filled with it’s high-ceiling, and there’s outdoor seating with a new mural as a backdrop. Pizza Luca specializes in pasta dishes and brick-fired pizza with gourmet toppings like caramelized onion, fennel sausage, kale, hot honey, and eggplant. The menu includes several wines and craft beers and you can finish your meal with cannoli or tiramisu.

El Jimidor

It might be hard to find El Jimidor tucked away in the Kroger shopping center, but once you dine there, it will be your new favorite Mexican restaurant. There’s a lot to pick from on the menu of classic dishes like fajitas, burritos, tacos, and huaraches. You can also enjoy vegetarian bowls, Mexican burgers, lunch specials, and a la carte side orders. Don’t skip the giant margaritas!

Gloria’s Pupuseria

Welcoming and authentic, Gloria’s Pupuseria serves amazing Salvadoran cuisine in its new space in Staunton’s historic district. You can enjoy tamales steamed in plantain leaves, fried plantains, or Salvadoran enchiladas, all featuring fresh, local ingredients. The menu also includes pupusas, which are tortillas packed with flavorful chicken, blended pork, vegetables, and cheese. Refresh yourself with a mango and pineapple juice ensalada or a cocktail from the bar.

Los Marquez Mexican Restaurant

Los Marquez Mexican Restaurant shines for its authentic Mexican food, cozy atmosphere, and friendly service. It’s close to Gypsy Hill Park, so you can stop by to dine or carry out after a ball game or a round of golf. You’ll find reasonable prices and a big menu of all your favorites in platter and combination forms. There’s even a vegetarian menu that has tasty dishes like fajitas stuffed with squash, mushrooms, green and yellow peppers, onions, tomatoes, beans, and guacamole. Wash it down with a drink from the bar!

Magdalena Bake

Alba Wright’s pasteleria, Magdalena Bake, invites Stauntonians to enjoy the Uruguayan tradition of relaxing over coffee and pastries with friends. A farmer’s market and food truck favorite since 2019, Magdalena Bake’s shop serves coffee beverages, homemade pastries, and lunch from Thursday to Sunday. They also specialize in delicious and beautiful cookies, wedding, birthday, and custom cakes, as well as special-ordered items. If you’re looking for something savory, try the empanadas. 

El Puerto

Family-owned El Puerto Mexican Restaurant opened in Staunton in 2003 and specializes in reasonably-priced, flavorful food. If you’re dining for lunch, try the quesadilla rellena, the tortilla soup, or one of the specials. The dinner menu is loaded with appetizers and authentic entrees. Try the signature California fish taco meal or the spicy viva Mexico. Save room for flan or sopapillas for dessert. There’s a separate kids’ menu. And yes, you should treat yourself to the frozen margarita. Decision made.

Mi Rancho

Staunton diners can choose from two nearby Mi Rancho locations. One is located on West Beverley and the other is in Verona. Mi Rancho serves fresh Mexican favorites and a menu of wine, beer, and icy margaritas that come in regular or jumbo sizes. The bar also has a menu of a dozen different taquillas to taste. The extensive menu is flavored with hometown spices from Jalisco, Mexica. It includes appetizers, a la carte favorites, combo platters, specials, vegetarian selections, a kids’ menu, and more. If you’re famished, try the molcajete mixto, which features sizzling steak, chicken, shrimp, chorizo, and veggies piled in a molcajete and piled with a combination of cheeses.

Bonita’s Salon

Bonita’s Salon has been helping downtown Staunton look its best since 2010. Whether you’re seeking for a new hairstyle, artistic nails, a special-occasion look, or hair and makeup services for your wedding party, you’ll find it here! Go ahead and make an appointment: you need the pampering!

Noelia Nunez

Originally from Uruguay, Noelia Nunez is a Staunton-based painter whose work depicts landscapes and downtown Staunton scenes. She creates commissions for local businesses, teaches classes of adults and children, and supports the community by creating work for fundraisers. She “hopes to forge a connection with her audience by transporting them to a place of beauty and wonder wherever her artwork resides.”

You’ll love celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Week and Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month with these Staunton businesses!