One of the original anchors of Old Town, Sabor Latin Bar & Grille continues to exist as a classic and as one of the better restaurants in Old Town. Although their menu lacks any updates in the past few years, they continue to execute consistently. However, I learned that consistency does not always mean better.
Sabor Latin Bar & Grille feels very hit or miss with me. I have had some dishes that I would call the best in Wichita and some dishes that I would not touch with a 10-foot pole. I generally feel pretty safe with their appetizers; their calamari and queso are some of my favorite appetizers to order at any restaurant. I also enjoy that they offer some vegan and vegetarian friendly dishes as well.
I particularly like ordering their caesar salad and I generally add a protein to round out the meal. I definitely crave their caesar salad with salmon on a regular basis, but, unfortunately, this time I ordered their caesar salad with shrimp. I think both items taste great on their own, but when you combine them, you mix the salty, savory flavor of the caesar salad with the almost sweet and smoky flavor of the shrimp. It was jarring to me. It also cost me $15, due to my addition of 4 shrimp at $6 per skewer. I definitely prefer this salad with salmon instead.
Sabor Latin Bar & Grille also offers some signature dishes that can hit or miss. Several people in our group ordered signature tacos and entrées that they enjoyed.
However, their signature paella disappointed. I feel strange calling it paella because it does not meet any of the general characteristics of paella other than consisting of rice; I would call it seafood with rice. The rice lacked any discernible flavor and the bottom third of the dish contained mostly broth. An ideal paella would have flavors of saffron melded with seafood with perfectly cooked rice without so much additional liquid.
Still, Sabor Latin Bar & Grille consistently shows up as one of our viable options for dining downtown, due to the mass appeal of the type of cuisine that they offer and consistent execution and service. As long as no other better restaurant comes around, I see Sabor Latin Bar & Grille staying in Old Town for a while. I could go either way on it.
Sabor Latin Bar & Grille
309 N Mead St, Wichita, KS 67202
316-201-4880
Monday-Thursday 11:00AM-10:00PM
Friday-Saturday 11:00AM-11:00PM
Sunday 4:00PM-9:00PM