While I won’t pretend to be the most up-to-date Oklahoman about what’s up and coming in the metro’s restaurant scene, I’d like to think I have a pretty good idea of who’s opened their doors in recent months.
However, I’d be lying if I said the opening of Tayta Latin Cuisine, 25 N. Hudson Ave., didn’t fly under my radar.
Tayta brings vibrant flavors from Latin America, including recipes influenced by South and Central America and the Caribbean, to downtown Oklahoma City. With authentic dishes like churrasco con chimichurri (steak with chimichurri sauce) and an entire menu section dedicated to ceviche, this isn’t your typical Tex-Mex fare.
In all transparency, when I decided to try Tayta, I wasn’t in the mood for this kind of cuisine. A warm bowl of queso? Sure. More traditional Latin American food? I wasn’t convinced that I was up for being that adventurous. As much as I strive to avoid being that kind of American, the one who doesn’t stray far from the familiar when it comes to food, even I can’t escape the draw to sometimes stay within my culinary comfort zone. But Tayta quickly showed me the light.
In fact, as I walked into the restaurant, I was greeted by a space filled with natural light and unexpected openness. The interior is nothing short of beautiful, and everything from the light fixtures to the plates seems to have been selected with simple elegance in mind.
Tayta’s Saturday lunch menu features a mix of both breakfast and lunch items, so keep that in mind if you’re looking to try somewhere new for a weekend brunch spot. It also meant I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity to enjoy a tall glass of orange juice — no matter how unconventional. (It didn’t disappoint.)
I started the meal with Peruvian empanadas, a seasonal offering of traditional pastries filled with a choice of seasoned beef or spinach and cheese filling. Never one to pass up any form of meat pie, I went with the beef. As the empanadas arrived at the table, I was conflicted, as they were so beautifully golden and handmade with care that I almost didn’t want to eat them. Almost.
While a pocket of pastry filled with meat typically connotes something hearty and heavy, these little tasty tokens were inexplicably light. Paired with a chimichurri sauce, the herb-forward condiment only added to the airy flavor of the empanadas and made for the perfect nosh to start the meal.
We’ll pause here for a moment of honesty and vulnerability. Alongside the chimichurri sauce, the empanadas also came with a sauce made with ají amarillo peppers. I would love to be able to describe all of the flavor nuances of this beautiful sauce to you, but it was so spicy for me, a Scoville scale novice, that I tapped out after a single bite. Now, back to the regularly scheduled programming.
For our main dishes, we chose the Lechon Asado and the Pan con Lechon.
Lechon Asado is a roasted pork dish served with rice, black beans, fried plantains and a couple accompanying sauces: one was chimichurri, and the other was the most creamy, delightful, garlicky goodness you can imagine. I couldn’t resist dipping everything into it (within reason) and elevating the flavor that much more.
Pan con Lechon signifies a roasted pork sandwich topped with avocado, tomato and caramelized onions. Something about the mention of artisanal bread and the promise of textural intrigue called to me.
While slightly difficult to eat from the sheer size of the pork, the first bite was exactly what I’d been hoping for. Salty pork married well with the creamy but fresh avocado, while the caramelized onions did what they do best: make everything better.
Perfect potatoes
However, as I reflect on this meal, the sandwich takes a backseat as I tell you about the real star of the show. When my plate arrived at the table, I was surprised yet skeptical that my sandwich came with what appeared to be breakfast potatoes.
I know this won’t win me any popular points, but I’m usually not a fan of breakfast potatoes. Most brunch goers will argue that they’re an important staple. I, however, feel they’re usually lacking in flavor and texture and somehow manage to be a little too potato-y, if that’s even possible.
These potatoes were different. These potatoes were a side to write home about. These potatoes had to be some of the best potatoes I’ve ever had the privilege of eating. Am I exaggerating? I really don’t think so.
Cooked to perfection, these small cubes of starchy goodness had what I can only describe as award-worthy texture. Crispy
but not too heavy. Soft without being too mushy. Seasoned without being overpowering. What I would have once considered filler potato pieces on a plate ended up being the culinary highlight of my entire day — so good I felt it would have been disrespectful not to eat every morsel.
Why was something as simple as a side of potatoes so great? There’s a very specific reward you get with the honest simplicity of letting the ingredients speak for themselves. Tayta seems to capture this perfectly. Each dish I saw come out of the kitchen displayed vibrancy, almost as if you could see life on the plate — dishes with recipes that have clearly passed down across generations that tell the story of culture and identity.
Authentic Latin American cuisine isn’t necessarily something the Oklahoma masses are familiar with. But that’s where the staff at Tayta really shine. Every person I encountered or observed during my time there offered up a welcoming smile and went out of their way to be helpful.
To my left, a waitress helped a girls’ brunch duo whittle down their selections based on what “vibe” they were going for. On my right, another staff member patiently walked a newcomer through each menu option, explaining what this word meant over here and which ingredients came with that one there. Never once did she seem annoyed or anything less than genuinely helpful. The woman serving my table was exceptionally attentive, checking in at just the right times while still keeping the meal moving. Even as I went to leave, a staff member stopped me to double-check I had the directions for how to take advantage of Tayta’s free parking next door, if I needed to.
At the end of the day, I’m happy to have been proven wrong about my attitude for adventure. From its beautiful downtown location and bright, welcoming interior to its colorful dishes and genuine staff, Tayta proved it could outshine even the grumpiest of moods by being uniquely itself.
If you’ve ever had the privilege of immersing yourself in true Latin American culture, you may have experienced the vivacious fervor for life, family, friends, food and culture that so much of the community embodies. Tayta Latin Cuisine manages to capture that essence and infuses it into the experience as a whole, something which is clearly intentional.
I’ll happily return to try some of its dinner menu offerings and remind myself that life is about more than corporate achievement or errand completion. Sometimes, it’s about a smile with a side of chimichurri.
Visit taytalatincuisineoklahoma.com
This article appears in Summer Guide 2025.