La Brasa

6110 Denison Avenue
Cleveland, Ohio 44102
216-319-0500

La Brasa, located in the Old Brooklyn area of Cleveland is one of those tiny and unassuming neighborhood restaurants. La Brasa specializes in Ecuadorian and El Salvadorian cuisine. The five table restaurant is situated so that I probably wouldn't have even noticed it if I hadn't been specifically looking.
The first thing I noticed were the bars on the windows as we entered the small space. As soon as I crossed the threshold into this hidden gem, the smell of the grilled meats from the long charcoal grill at the back of the open kitchen wafted over me.
The menu was written on a dry erase board to the right of the counter where you place your order. I really liked the place settings on the tables; what more would you need?
In addition to the dry erase board menu, there are also photos above the counter that depict combination meal options complete with descriptions in Spanish and English. The nice young lady behind the counter explained which was Spanish and which was English...
There were eight of us for dinner, and the three of us at my table ordered three appetizers and three entrees. We started with the Tamale, the Pepusa, and the Enchilada. I believe they called it an Enchilada but it was open faced like a Tostado. The Enchilada was one of my favorite items of the meal. The crisp tortilla was dressed with thinly sliced radish, grilled onions, lettuce, sour cream, cheese, and cilantro. I loved the radish in the dish. It was sweet, crisp, and the accompanying cilantro brought the dish together perfectly.
The Pepusa was a dough pocket filled with refried beans that you top with cabbage and a mild red sauce. This also was quite tasty and flavorful. Next, the Tamale. Ohh, the tamale. Sweet, soft corn filled with meat and chilies, delicious.
For the entrees we ordered the Beef Stew served with beans and white rice, the half roasted Chicken served with French fries and spiced rice, and the Grilled Steak served with beans, white rice, Plantains, and salsa. The Beef Stew was flavorful, tender, and succulent. Even the white rice was delicious, perfectly cooked with a mild sweetness.
The roasted chicken had a spicy rub that left it with a very nice and unique flavor when combined with the smokiness of the grill. The French fries were perfect; hot and crispy.
Finally, the grilled Steak. I would not recommend this dish. The steak itself was so rubbery, I could barely cut it with the knife, and I could hardly bite into it. Fortunately the Plantains were wonderful, very sweet, and had a slight char from the grill. Once again, the rice was very good and the beans were tasty, it is unfortunate that the Steak was so tough.La Brasa ended up being quite a pleasant surprise. If I happen to be in the area again I would definitely stop in to savor their flavors.