Dining Out Southeast: Hector's Kitchen, Attalla, Alabama

I finally made it to Hector's Kitchen in Attalla, Alabama a few days ago.  This neat, cozy Latin American Restaurant is conveniently located near I-59.  

Hector Contreras is a native of Columbia, South America and came to America as a young adult.  He lived in Asheville, NC for 30 years before moving to Alabama.

We were warmly greeted by our server, Kim, who was extremely knowledgeable in answering our questions about the menu selections. We both chose to order from the "specials menu."

Sweet Harold chose the spring mix salad with housemade ranch dressing.  Other dressing choices were 1,000 Island and Balsamic Vinaigrette. The salad was fresh with diced pineapple and soft croutons.

I chose the soup:  Piccadillo Beef Sancocho.  The broth was flavorful with ground beef and tender vegetables.  I really dislike it when I order soup and it's lukewarm.  No problem with that here. This bowl was served nice and hot, and I know if I were feeling under the weather, this would be my choice of comfort food soup.

Harold ordered the Pork Colombian Special with roasted pork, all house sides of rice, black beans, plantains, yucca, and topped with his choice of a sunny side up fried egg.  It's difficult for me to begin to describe the goodness which is on this plate.  The pork was flavorful and tender. Both the black beans and rice were well seasoned and perfectly cooked. Two different condiments are provided including fresh house chopped salsa. You could literally taste the freshness of the tomatoes and herbs.  Hector's habanero sauce should be tried carefully at first, but if you love some heat with your meals, this is the one to try.  The plantains (pictured below that look like banana slices) were soft and tasty. Now to the yucca (about 9 o'clock on the plate).  From the few bites I swiped off his plate, I LOVED them. These were lightly fried and reminded me of a delicious thick cut french fry.  You can order the egg fried however you choose or scrambled.  Everything on this plate was delicious!

Now to my selection.  I chose the Mofongo.  Once again, a wide variety of new foods to try. I loved them all. Usually, when I order unfamiliar items, there may be one that doesn't appeal to me as much as the others. Not this time! Let's review everything on my plate!

Slow roasted pork served over yellow rice with green plantain chips with a side of black beans topped with an over medium egg.  See that item that looks like an egg roll in the bottom right?  More on that in a bit.

As y'all know, I know my pork. I love it cooked in any way possible. But slow roasted pork is the ultimate. Hector knows how to cook pork! Where the plantains on Harold's plate were softer, these were more chip like and crunchy.  

Now let's talk about that potato croquette!  Imagine pureed potatoes wrapped around that delicious pork and sofrito (a sauce made from peppers, tomatoes, garlic, onions, cilantro), then lightly battered and fried.  Sounds perfect, doesn't it?  Now add a delicious chimichurri mayo to dip it in, and you've got an ideal bit of deliciousness.  

I could make a meal from these and the yucca!  And I plan to go back and do precisely that.

And yes, we were stuffed, but we decided we couldn't leave without trying the flan for dessert.  Creamy, rich, and delicious. PLEASE save room to try this dessert.  You can come back here and thank me later

Hector stopped by our table, and we had a pleasant chat.  You can tell by talking with him and by tasting his food that he takes great pride in the food he cooks for his customers.  We are incredibly fortunate to have Hector's delicious meals in our area. 

The menu includes Cuban sandwiches, carne asada, coconut wraps, chicken and pork bowls.  There's also a children's menu and a nice selection of cocktails from which to choose.

I'm going to share some photos from Hector for you to get a more complete look at the fantastic food that's offered.  When you go enjoy a meal with Hector, tell him Lolly sent you!