Denisse Q.
Yelp
I gathered up all my Ecuadorians (plus 1 Puerto Rican) and made my way to La Pata Gorda! Right off the bat, I was in love with the decor. It's very chic, yet welcoming. The staff is very friendly and attentive. Our server for the night was Nerea and she was a GEM!! She made tons of suggestions and explained the menu to us from top to bottom. We started off with a couple of pitchers of sangria and ordered a few appetizers. Amount them was the Carapacho croquetas, the seafood chicharon, crab and shrimp salad, the crab claws and the jipijapa ceviche. Everything was delicious, but those crab claws!!! Man they took me back to my abuelitas house, to a table full of crabs, and my entire family hammering away. I closed my eyes and allowed the amazing taste to take me HOME.
For our main courses we ordered a bunch of stuff, including the branzino, the brujo filet, lobster tails, the locro, the rib eye, the marinero rice and a couple Chopsue. As sides the patacon with queso fresco was ordered, a few sides of the moro, and sweet plantain with queso fresco. My chopsue I ordered with the sauces on the side. Based on pictures I saw from IG, it appeared to be too saucy for my taste. I loved that they could accommodate that and it allowed me to make the dish my own. Guys this cocolon is EVERYTHING!!! It was delicious and perfectly crunchy! Although none of us had any room left for dessert, we couldn't just leave without giving it a try. We ordered some flan de coco and Higos cheesecake. Both of these deserts were incredible!
As if the meal and service couldn't get any better, we were given a complimentary shot. It's a mixture of mint liqueur, vodka, and condensed milk super yummy and just the right amount of sweet.
I don't know why it took me so long to make it out here, but I'm glad I did! Not gonna lie, I went in not expecting much, cause I'm pretty set in my ways with my family's Ecuadorian style of cooking. I've also never found an Ecuadorian spot that reminded me so much of being back home. La pata gorda did not disappoint. I will definitely be back!