Right near the Boise River, Wepa Cafe delivers tasty, comforting Puerto Rican dishes
I am always excited when a new restaurant opens, but especially excited when it opens in Garden City, where I live. It’s fun to both try and support new spots in your own community.
When Wepa Cafe opened its doors at 175 E. 35th St., I couldn’t wait to sample the menu of Puerto Rican fare. I went twice to make sure I could try everything that spoke to me, and I’m glad I did.
Of the many appetizers they offer, I tried the ground beef pastelillos (2 for $7) and the tostones ($6.95) — and were they ever flavorful.
A pastelillo is a crispy, flaky turnover filled with perfectly seasoned ground beef that is smoky and rich. With flavors of chili, cinnamon and pepper, the beef is accompanied by chopped green olives that provide a light, tangy counterbalance.
The tostones are a slightly sweet and salty delight. Made from mashed green plantains, they are formed into thin shapes and fried, but they still have a good chew. They’re served with a house fry sauce and a somewhat spicy “Puerto Rican ranch” to accompany them.
Even though the appetizers were rich, they were not overly filling, so naturally my dining partners and I loaded up on entrees to share. The ones I recommend are the pernil, the churrasco, the mofongo and the arroz con pollo.
The pernil ($14.95) is well-seasoned chopped pork that has a lovely char to it. The heavy seasonings are garlic and oregano, which take over the palate immediately and warm you up. This is, like most of the food there, a comfort dish. And all dishes are served with beans and rice, and your choice of plantains, which we got fried. They were sweet and excellent.
This pork is a perfect match with the rice. A bottle of garlic-infused white vinegar on the table really elevates the dish.
The churrasco ($17.95) is a long cut of flank steak, grilled and served with a red-pepper chimichurri sauce. It’s flavorful and decadent. The meat was a little on the well-done side for me, but paired with the chimichurri, rice and beans, I didn’t mind the beef’s slight chew. The sweetness of the sauce mixed with the meat’s smoky, peppery marinade to make a well-balanced dish.
The mofongo is a mash of green plantains, garlic and chicharron (pork rind). My dining companion and I had differing opinions on it. I loved the texture, which was akin to chunky mashed potatoes — with crispy potato chips mixed in — but I thought the flavor was a little bland. My friend didn’t love the texture but loved the flavor.
We got the mofongo as-is, meaning no meat. The protein options are chicken, carne frita (crispy cubed pork), steak and shrimp, which add anywhere from $5 to $7 to the $7.95 dish. When I went back the second time, the person I dined with added shrimp. They said it brought the mofongo to life a little more with good, subtle flavor.
The arroz con pollo (chicken and rice, $13.95) is a well-known dish. It’s not creative or out of the box, but what it provides is comfort. A warm rice casserole with marinated chicken, grilled onions, red bell peppers, olives and capers, it all just blends well. You get a little heat from the chicken, sweetness from the peppers and onions, and brine and tang from the olives and capers. It’s a perfect dish for a cold day when you just want something familiar.
For dessert, I tried the guava-infused chocolate mousse, which was a big winner. The mousse was rich and had a great custard consistency. The guava sauce added a refreshing, sweet-sour contrast to the dark chocolate mousse. It was a great combination of flavors to wake up and satisfy the taste buds. It would pair perfectly with a cup of coffee.
Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience at Wepa, a place that can be enjoyed for a special occasion or a weeknight out. It’s always exciting to see a restaurant go from a food truck to a full brick-and-mortar operation, and it’s been good to see a warm welcome in Garden City. The food and service were solid, the servers and staff were polite, and everything came out in a timely fashion.
When the rooftop deck opens next year during warmer months, it will be a great place to enjoy a cold beer and a good meal in the sunshine. I am looking forward to seeing this restaurant grow and mature.