Taken over by competitive food eater and Atlanta celebrity, Grace Lee, Cruzado is the revamped Las Palmeras, a Cuban restaurant that had been popular for decades. Start off your meal with empanadas and the cod fritters. Both priced at $6, they are small but quite delicious. Grace and her fiance/partner, John, also share that they're proud to be one of the only restaurants in Atlanta with pique sauce, a Puerto Rican sauce (hard to come by here in Atlanta) made of peppers, oil, vinegar, pineapple and a bunch of other yummy, secret ingredients.
Photo courtesy of Cruzado Restaurant
Masitas de Puercos can also be found on the menu. This is made with monfongo, a mashed plantain dish, and Cruzado serves this with pieces of fried pork. The pork is tender and juicy and pairs wonderfully with the slightly garlicky plantain mash. A side of yuca fries is offered with bacalo ketchup, ketchup with pieces of cod fish in it.
Photo courtesy of Cruzado Restaurant
The oxtail stew is also wonderful. Sides of okra and maduros, or sweet plantains, are perfectly done. Do save room for the mango pie for dessert. In contrast to some mango pies that taste store-bought, this has the delicate balance of sweet and tart ,and the guava sauce served with it is superb. Cruzado also serves brunch on Sundays with items like chilaquiles and all sorts of egg dishes.
