Wally Kennedy: Latin Fusion restaurant opens on Main Street

Apr. 5—Good things often come in small packages, and this could be the case with the new Latin Fusion restaurant at 1520 S. Main St.

When you walk through the front door, you can't help but notice the light blue-and-white flag of Honduras with its five blue stars hanging from the ceiling. Next up are the flags of Mexico and the United States. It's symbolic because Latin Fusion is fusing the foods of three cultures into a small space, but it works.

When it comes to food, I'll try most anything once. When I visited Latin Fusion earlier this week, it was with the sole purpose of checking out examples of authentic Honduran food. After receiving some expert guidance from owner Kevin Figueroa, a native of Honduras, I ordered a combination plate with one papusa and one pastelito with black beans and rice for $9.25, and a side order of pico de gallo for $1.25. The people here are more than happy to explain the menu and even show you photos.

A papusa is a fried tortilla topped with a red sauce and filled with your choice of cheese, chicken, chicharron, jalapenos or beans. I chose the cheese. A pastelito is a fried pastry filled with rice, potatoes and your choice of chicken or beef. It is topped with a couple of sauces and a small salad mixture. I chose the chicken.

Before your order arrives, you get a complimentary basket of hot chips and spot-on salsa. Two thumbs up for that. The food is served on a hot plate. Two thumbs up for that. The papusa and pastelito were like nothing I have had before. Two thumbs up for that too. I will order both again, especially the pastelito. The black beans, rice and pico de gallo at Latin Fusion are a cut above.

So my initial reaction to Honduran food is very favorable. There are eight Honduran dishes on the menu ranging in price from $4.25 for a baleada, a flour tortilla filled with refried beans, cream and feta cheese, to $22.50 for a parrillada, a dish that includes steak, chicken, smoked sausage and shrimp that is served with coleslaw, pico de gallo, cheese, banana chips, rice and beans, and three tortillas. Next up for me will be a Honduran tamale.

But there is a lot more to the menu at Latin Fusion than Honduran dishes, a lot more. This place offers 11 appetizers, including sweet plantain chips and queso dip with chorizo. The Mexican lineup is complete with nachos, quesadillas, tacos, fajitas, burritos and enchiladas. And there are steak, chicken and seafood entrees, including ceviche.

Lunch specials, ranging in price from $7.25 to $8.25, are served from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. There are also daily specials.

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

Latin Fusion is yet another example of the diversity of cultural influences affecting Joplin's lineup of restaurants. Check it out.

Car wash opens

When a big storm with rain and wind moves out of Oklahoma into Missouri like it did earlier this week, I can count on one thing — my white car will turn to the color of beige thanks to all of the red dirt the storm picks up in Oklahoma and carries to Missouri. That might explain why so many car washes are going up in Joplin.

Lucky for me, I was traveling on North Main Street Road on Tuesday and discovered that the new Let's Go Car Wash was opening with free car washes that day and the following day. The car wash is located southeast of the roundabout at Stone's Corner.

Not only did I get a car wash, I got the top-of-the-line version, a $24 value. I'm splurging when I spend $8 on a car wash. My deluxe wash made my car look like it had just rolled off the assembly line. Even the wheels were clean.

A second Let's Go Wash is set to open at West Seventh Street and Maiden Lane in Joplin. Is another free wash coming? We'll see.

Opening

In case you missed it, American Family Care, an urgent care and walk-in clinic, has opened at 320 Geneva Ave. That's near Chico's in the North Park Crossing shopping center.

The clinic is open seven days a week for services including employment testing and screening, immunizations, lab work, DOT physicals, COVID-19 testing, flu shots and seasonal allergy treatment.

American Family Care now has more than 365 clinics under its umbrella after 71 clinic openings in 2023.

Contact Wally Kennedy at [email protected].