Jose’s Nicaraguan Restaurant: A taste of Central America in Key West

BY TERRY SCHMIDA

KONK LIFE STAFF WRITER

What a great place to eat!

Three years on from their opening the eatery now known as Jose’s Nicaraguan Restaurant at 1101 Truman Ave. is still going strong, and still adding to the authentic Nicaraguan dining experience they specialize in.

Though foodies often congregate there to sample tasty entree options such as the Carne Asada, the restaurant has recently added a breakfast menu, available all day. Jose’s was also granted a beer and wine license recently, and is now serving Tona lager, Nicaragua’s favorite beer seven days a week, to complement their food.

Clementina and Jose Amador opened their restaurant after years of operating a Nicaraguan-themed food truck. Both Amadors have lived in Key West for decades, but neither has forgotten the food they grew up with, the delicious fare of their Central American homeland.

That love of their native cuisine is evident in the food at Jose’s.

For breakfast Clementina recommends Huevos Rancheros: Two eggs topped with homemade salsa ranchera, on a corn tortilla with fried beans and creole sour cream.

“Nika’s Breakfast” is another gooder, combining fried eggs with mixed rice and beans, sour cream, and a homemade tortilla.

Then there’s the Nacatamal, a yummy traditional Nicaraguan breakfast tamale featuring pork.

Moving on to lunch and dinner, popular appetizers at Jose’s include the Sweet Fried Plantains, served with fried queso fresco cheese sticks, nica sour cream, and a nica salad. The Boiled Cassava is another winner, and is served with a side of chicharrones, topped with nica salad.

For your main course, try the aforementioned Carne Asada, served with black beans and rice, house slaw, fried plantains and fried cheese sticks. You can almost get two good-sized meals out of this generous platter.

Seafood lovers are sure to enjoy the Whole Fried Fish, made with local catch and creole sauce, and what’s not to love about a Mixed Green Salad with Avocado?

Jose’s offers daily specials and even some culinary surprises.

“Our customers are welcome to ask about specials not on the menu,” Clementina said. “Our chef is always changing the menu, so you never know what we may be serving above and beyond the usual.”

Besides the beer and wine Jose’s offers a wide selection of homemade, juice-based “Refrescos,” that are among the most popular items at the restaurant.

“The Cacao (Cocoa) Bean with Milk is the most popular,” Clementina Amador said. “We import the beans from Nicaragua ourselves. We also sell a lot of the Pineapple and Watermelon drink.”

Another hit is the Orchata, a rice drink with cinnamon, vanilla, and coconut milk.

For a sweet treat, Jose’s features the Tres Leches, a traditional Nicaraguan dessert of vanilla cake soaked in three different types of milk. Other offerings from the dessert menu include homemade Flan, Rice Pudding, Key Lime Pie, and the Pio Quinto, a moist rum cake topped with cinnamon-flavored custard.

“We opened up because there’s nobody doing Nicaraguan flavors in Key West,” Clementina Amador said. “To get that kind of taste, you used to have to go to Miami. We wanted to offer this unique taste experience to Nicaraguans who missed this food, and other people who want to try it.”

For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, Jose’s delivers large portions of great food at reasonable prices. And parking, too!

Jose’s Nicaraguan Restaurant is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Free parking in the rear. Free delivery is also available throughout Key West, and Jose’s also offers catering services.