PHOENIX — The owner of a Puerto Rican restaurant shares his unique culture with Phoenicians through food and stories.
Wesley Andujar, the owner of Puerto Rican Latin Bar & Grill, has been serving up Puerto Rican to Phoenix for nearly a decade.
“We make different rices: Arroz con Gandules, Mofongo, Camarones al Ajillo. We make the Tamales Pasteles, which is a Puerto Rican pork tamale,” said Andujar.
Puerto Rican Latin Bar & Grill, at 2714 W. Thomas Road, was Andujar’s favorite place to take his clients when he used to sell construction equipment.
When he heard that the owners were going out of business in 2011, he decided to take it over and keep Puerto Rican food in the Valley.
“Puerto Rico is the island of enchantment, you know, everybody likes to go down there and have fun,” Anduajar said.
“Everybody likes the culture; Puerto Rican culture is a mixture of all different backgrounds.”
Puerto Rico is a U.S. colony, but it's also considered part of Latin America.
Andujar said he is grateful to be part of both cultures.
“All the Latin countries -- Central America, Mexico -- they all come here just to try some of the Caribbean food, so we’re grateful that we can share that with everybody.” Andujar Said.
This restaurant has people visiting from all over Arizona to enjoy its authentic food.
Even during spring training season, you’ll see a variety of baseball players getting a taste of what feels like a home cooked meal.
An opportunity for Andujar to bring a slice of home to the Valley.
