Guatemalan Night Market

At the intersection of Bonnie Brae and 6th Street in Westlake, a loosely associated coterie of food carts, folding tables and shopping carts make up the city’s best Guatemalan street food scene every day of the week after 5pm. Though weekends offer more food vendors, a few mainstay vendors show up night after night, mainly to feed Guatemalan workers, but also everyone else as well. Where to begin? Start with Guatemalan-style tostadas, tamales (also known as chuchitos) or a platter of garnachas—small, deep-fried corn tortillas topped with meat, tomato sauce and cotija cheese. Depending on the night, you can also find bubbling caldos, Guatemalan chow mein, atoles (hot, sweet masa-based drinks) and deep-fried half-moons of shredded chicken known as dobladas. Though they bear little resemblance to the stuffed, baked pastry, you might also hear them referred to as empanadas. Make sure to have enough cash on hand to sample it all.