Antigua Guatemala: Good Guatemalan Comfort Food at Value Prices

Some days, you just don’t want to cook. You don’t want to travel too far and you don’t want to pay too much. You’re probably a bit cranky to boot.

If you live in Phoenixville, you need a comforting, flavorful meal at Antigua Guatemala. The restaurant is cheerful, the platters are large, the prices are reasonable and the food hits the spot on those days you want someone else to make you a home-cooked meal.

Every meal starts with a complimentary platter of crisp tortilla chips topped with a mild black bean sauce, queso fresco cheese and a side of just-the-right-amount-of-heat green salsa. The menu is written in both English and Spanish so even if you haven’t heard of the dish before, you’ll have a good idea of what you’re ordering.

Start out with the Horchata ($2), a refreshing beverage of rice, milk, sugar and cinnamon, which is the perfect palate cleanser as you try each other’s entrées. At least in my family, where we didn’t grow up with Guatemalan cuisine, everything looks so interesting that we can’t resist bribing each other with tastes from each other’s plates. Each table also receives a basket of fresh, homemade tortillas. 

My cousin ordered the Antiguan Pork Chop Platter ($9), which arrived with a lightly battered pork chop, a side of yellow Spanish rice flecked with vegetables, a salad of iceberg lettuce, carrot shreds, radish and a tomato slice and a side of tomato salsa brightened with cilantro and onion. A meat professional, my cousin was delighted with his “well-trimmed” pork chop that was juicy with a crisp, tasty coating.

My husband ordered the Cheese Pupusas ($7) with Repollo (billed as a Latin sauerkraut which was lighter and less salty than the traditional German sauerkraut we make at home). Described as “cheese-filled tortillas,” they were hearty dinner pancakes, similar to blintzes (to continue the comparison with European cuisine), which my husband thoroughly enjoyed.

I ordered my favorite, the Guatemalan Tamales ($8) steamed in banana leaves, which are not on the regular menu only because the restaurant can’t always get the banana leaves, which gives the masa harina (corn flour from corn treated with lime) dough a delicate flavor. The day’s filling was boneless chicken breast. Roasted pepper strips and just enough spice to warm the dish rounded out the flavor.

We’re often too full for desserts ($5 each), but they are worth ordering. The flan, a traditional Spanish/Latin caramel egg custard served with whipped cream, squiggles of caramel sauce and a slice of strawberry, is rich, dense and delicious. The chocolate cake is probably not “traditional Guatemalan,” but with thick layers of chocolate ganache sandwiched between layers of dark chocolate cake, we simply scraped the plate and smiled.

Service is helpful and efficient. Occasionally, you may get a server whose first language is not English and may not completely understand your questions.  However, everyone at Antigua Guatemala genuinely wants you to enjoy your meal and love Guatemalan cuisine as much as they do. Therefore, the staff will make every effort to find the answers to your questions, even if they have to translate those questions with someone whose English is better than theirs. It’s a restaurant worth patronizing anytime you’re looking for comfort food at good prices.

If You Go:

Location: 119 Main St., Phoenixville

Cost: Entrées $7 - $12.50

Hours: Sat. - Sun., 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Mon., Tues., Thurs., Fri., 11 a.m. - 10 p.m.; closed Wednesdays 

Phone: 610-935-2700

Parking: Street 

More information: Check out the Antigua Guatemala page on Facebook for menus (in the photo section) and more.