Editor’s Note: Fork & Dagger is 828newsNOW’s anonymous restaurant review series, written by our independent Grub Scout—no freebies, no press perks, no agenda. Grub Scout pays full price, visits unannounced, and takes notes on food, service, atmosphere, and value. Each review reflects a recent, honest experience rated on our 1‑to‑5 fork scale. We aim to help you discover standout dining spots—from casual diners to white‑tablecloth affairs—one bite at a time.
There’s a little hole in the wall in South Asheville on Sweeten Creek Road that’s been all the rage for a while now. Just after Christmas, I finally made it down to check it out.
Upon opening the door to this cozy spot called Juancho’s Fonda, I was hyped. Pleasantly loud, soulful deep house music filled the room — the kind of music I would have DJed in my younger days.
The decor was foreign but inviting. In fact, everything about the atmosphere was warm and inviting, including the very excitable and friendly host/server who sat us. This guy treated us like old friends and could not wait to tell us all about the menu and the place itself. Colombian food was not something either of us had ever had, so we were very excited.
We were so carried away with it all, that after ordering drinks and appetizers, we asked him what two entrees we should get, and we actually chose those.
I ordered the spicy margarita, and it was the best I’ve tasted since the early days of Limone’s downtown. I couldn’t believe how fresh the citrus mix was. She had a basil cocktail with blueberries that was also fresh and tasty
We started with chorizo tostones and a chicken empanada.
Tostones are savory, slices of twice-fried unripe green plantains. These were served with sliced chorizo, hogado (Colombian creole sauce) and chimichurri (an Argentine sauce of parsley, garlic, oregano and red wine vinegar). Delicious…
An empanada is a savory turnover made of pastry dough. This was filled with tender shredded chicken. It was a delightfully decadent small bite.
One entrée was the whole fish of the day: a fried red snapper, served with coconut rice, avocado, fried yucca, Tostones and salad fresca. This was one of the best whole fish I’ve ever tasted.
The other entrée was lomo saltado: steak tenderloin marinated with beer and served with rice, carrots, avocado, diner-style fries, red pepper and soy sauce. This lean cut of steak was incredibly tender and flavorful, as if fattier, and the sauce was just great.
For dessert, we had the passionfruit mousse topped with giant juicy blackberries. If you have room for it, don’t skip this!
After dinner, we chatted with the server, only to find out that his enthusiasm stemmed from the fact that he was the owner. He was a longtime veteran at Salsa’s downtown, and this is his first restaurant. This man was absolutely charming. I admire what he’s doing with this place, and I hope he succeeds wildly, because everything he’s offering is exactly what a restaurant is supposed to be.
