Medellin Burger serves up Colombian comfort with a classic parade of street and home dishes

All restaurants serve food. But some serve memories, a taste of home. Medellín Burger Steak & Bar in Altamonte Springs is one such spot. This Colombian restaurant is an unassuming, casual place with picnic tables outside and a bright dining room inside splashed with color from a mural and floral wall. More than anything, though, it's a Latin space with a true expat vibe where English is secondary, the kind of place that any diverse city needs. Besides, the language of hospitality is universal, and in that language, Medellín is fluent.

Besides living up to its name with a whole menu section dedicated to hamburgers, Medellín Burger Steak & Bar also offers a full range of Colombian classics, with many dishes that lean toward comfort and tradition.

The appetizer list, for example, revolves around Latin staples like arepas, empanadas and tostones. Medellín's chorizo con arepa ($6.99) features exceptional whole Colombian chorizo sausage that's much more dimensional and nuanced in seasoning than the crumbled kind often found elsewhere. The accompanying arepas are small cornmeal discs fried to a nice crunch. They also offer a variety of empanadas ($2.99 each). Our chicken empanada packed seasoned shredded meat inside a tight, crisp crust.

When it comes to burgers, Colombians have built a reputation of flair for their topping profiles. Here, the namesake Medellín burger ($12.99) stacks the patty with signature ingredients like mozzarella cheese, avocado, coleslaw, fried potato sticks, fried plantain crisp and tartar sauce.

While the combo might seem an overload to a hamburger traditionalist, the aggregate effect is actually much more harmonious in reality, with the textural dynamism from the crisp tostone and potato sticks being one of the defining virtues. Those who typically like mustard or pickles like me may find this burger lacking in tart contrast, but if you like sweetness and crunch then the Medellín is for you. Make it a combo with a soda and side of simple but perfect fries for an extra $3.50.

One note for burger aficionados: While our overall burger was generally well-executed, the actual patty was treacherously close to well-done. For anyone who likes their meat with some color, maybe make that special request. We weren't asked how we'd like it cooked, but that could've been the language barrier.

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photo by Rob Bartlett

Like their hamburgers, Colombians also know how to trick out their hot dogs with pizzazz. In fact, the hot dog chicharron ($9.99) was one of the best bites of the meal. The bun was lined with melted mozzarella cheese, stuffed with a plump frank, and topped festively with caramelized onions, crunchy potato sticks, ketchup drizzle and heavenly chunks of fried pork belly.

Of the traditional plates, we went with the bandeja paisa ($18.99), a big sampler of Colombian favorites including thin grilled steak, chicharrones, Colombian sausage, rice, beans, avocado, fried sweet plantain, arepa and fried egg over rice. It's a heavy, meat-forward platter that was more substantial than remarkable, but it did include a nice long strip of that decadent fried pork belly. With all that carnivore action, you could use a little roughage — so maybe take advantage of their very reasonably priced side salad option ($2.50) to go with it.

Of the handful of desserts on offer, we followed the recommendation of our kind server and tried the churros ($4.50). These nugget versions of the fried sweet dough — drizzled with caramel and topped with whipped cream and maraschino cherry — were a serviceable but nonetheless sweet ending to a colorful journey of homey delights.

Whether you're from the old country craving a taste of the motherland or a culinary wayfarer looking for some authentic Colombian flavors, Medellín Burger Steak & Bar will satisfy.