For a wonderful, unique taste of Latin America in Oklahoma City, look no further than 1492 New World Latin Cuisine in Midtown.
I was raised Catholic, so as a kid there was no option whether or not we were going to church. Once I got to college, I stopped going. My friends and I all had the same idea…we were on our own, and nobody could tell us what we had to do. I eventually became a Christmas & Easter Catholic, and then last Easter I decided to start going the first Sunday of each month.
I go to church in OKC, so that I can try new restaurants and run errands. Perfect way to kill 3 birds with one stone. I pick a church based on where I want to go to lunch, and I had decided to eat at 1492 New World Latin Cuisine, which is located in the Midtown area of OKC. St. Joseph Old Cathedral is only a couple miles away, and has a 10AM service, so it worked very well. The church is in the heart of downtown OKC, across the street from the site of the Oklahoma City National Memorial. If you’ve never visited the Memorial, you really need to go. It’s an experience that you won’t soon forget.
Last year I went to 1492 New World Latin Cuisine with a group of friends before going to see a show at the Civic Center Music Hall. But, as is the case with way too many of my older posts, the pictures weren’t the greatest.
On this visit I arrived about 11:15AM, and was one of the first guests. I had beaten the church crowd, which is a good thing because I was starving. I had my choice of sitting in the main dining room or bar area, but I chose the bar because it had so much more natural light. The restaurant is a pretty good size, with the main dining room taking up about 2/3 of the restaurant on the right side, and then the bar area on the left side. There is a full bar with seating around it, as well as tables. The entire front wall of the restaurant is windows, which I really like. They also had great Latin music playing.
I was quite surprised my bartender was also my server. Since it was early and the restaurant still nearly empty, it works. He was very friendly and helpful to me in making decisions.
Chips and salsa came to the table first
The chips are thick, crispy, lightly salted, and warm. My favorite type of tortilla chip. The salsa is also very good. It packs a little heat, but is not overwhelming. On our last visit we had the 1492 Queso, which takes regular queso up several notches.
It was fantastic, but I knew it would be too much for just me, so I went simple with an order of the guacamole. You can choose from 1/2 or full size. I briefly considered the full size, but that would have been seriously gluttenous.
The half order of guacamole is a very generous serving. It is excellent, and tastes freshly made. After one bite of the guacamole, I don’t think I even touched the salsa again. After a while, I also stopped eating the chips, and just ate the guacamole with a spoon. No chance I was letting any of that deliciousness go to waste.
On Sundays at 1492 New World Latin Cuisine, you can choose from the brunch or regular menu. I looked at the brunch menu, but nothing really jumped out at me. The menu itself is pretty compact, with only 8 options. The main menu is quite a bit larger, but still not overwhelming. I briefly considered the carne asada, which is what I had on my last visit. The yucca fries were undercooked, and the entire dish was just warm, so I wanted to give it another chance. But that defeats the purpose of the repeats with a twist, at least on the very next visit. I also thought about the fajitas, which Reilly & Michele had last visit, and were outstanding. But I didn’t want so much food. So after some back and forth and help from the bartender, I finally decided on the duck enchiladas
This is a massive portion of food that can easily be shared by two people. The rice is delicious. I really like the addition of corn, as it provides a subtle sweetness. I rarely eat refried beans, but these are really good. They are creamy, and have a lot of flavor. The enchiladas hav a wonderful flavor, and are a great combination of sweet, savory and spicy. I love duck, and this one was delicious, but a little dry for my tastes. I think if the duck was cooked in a sauce, the duck would be more tender. I really enjoyed the pineapple, as it adds a great bite and sweetness.
They are much too generous with the sauce, and it overwhelms the dish. After a couple of bites I opened the enchiladas, and ate the filling while dipping it into the sauce. I will say, though, that the sauce itself has excellent flavor. At first the heat was unexpected, but then I read the description, and it clearly states “spicy”. I wish I had saved some of the guacamole, because it would be perfect to tone down the heat of the enchiladas.
Will I go back to 1492 New World Latin Cuisine? Yes. Even though there were misses on both of my visits, overall I really enjoy the restaurant. The reviews are overwhelmingly positive, and by the end of this visit the restaurant was packed.
1492 New World Latin Cuisine recently opened another location, so I’m looking forward to trying it out.