East Idaho Eats: Latino Bites a hidden gem inside Chubbuck’s Pine Ridge Mall

CHUBBUCK — Inside Chubbuck’s Pine Ridge Mall, you will find a series of special treats brought to southeast Idaho by way of several Latin countries.

Latino Bites, in the mall’s food court, boasts a collection of tasty dishes, from Venezuela and Mexico, the birthplaces of husband-wife, owner-manager team Luis Munoz and Genesis Dumont, and beyond.

The empanadas are the star of the menu and, according to Dumont, what led to the eatery’s birth just over a year ago.

“When we first came to Pocatello, we were struggling with money a little bit,” she said. … “We decided to make empanadas and sell by order from my house.”

The fried, chicken- or beef-filled empanadas were such a hit that Dumont and Munoz decided to push their chips to the center of the table and move their distribution to the mall. When Latino Bites opened, in Dec. 2020, the couple had only $100 left in their pockets.

Thirteen months later, there are dreams of expanding.

The empanadas that sprouted the business are a rare offering in that they are made in the Venezuelan style of Dumont’s roots, rather than the more familiar Mexican of Munoz’s.

Dumont explained that the main difference can be found in the dough. Rather than the heavier Maseca dough, Latino Bites uses a lighter white corn dough. The result is a crispier exterior and a lighter, fluffier interior. And because sugar is added to the dough, there is a hint of sweetness that Dumont and Munoz pair well with a slightly sweet cilantro cream dipping sauce.

The sauce, like almost everything else Latino Bites serves, is made in-house by its owners, with flavors handed down through their family.

“Basically, this is grandma’s food, and I think that’s what makes us different — everything is homemade, everything is grandma’s recipes,” Dumont said.

In addition to the homemade family recipes, Dumont believes it is the decision to serve fresh house-made food that makes customers return.

As opposed to many eateries, particularly those you will find in a mall food court, Latino Bites does much of the preparation at the counter. Order nachos and you get to see the tortillas cut and fried into chips. Order the empanadas and you can watch the filling prepared fresh and pressed into shape.

Dumont said that this process is a sign of the love she and Munoz put into their food.

“Everything is fresh, nothing is pre-cooked,’ she said. … “When you see that something is cooked (when you order), you know that that’s good food.”

Latino Bites also serves Venezuelan-style hot dogs, smothered in less-traditional Latino toppings, and a Peruvian special — Salchipapas, or french fries with sausage and a fried egg.

Latino Bites also offers a pair of dessert options — churros and fried plantains.

Dumont and Munoz prepared nachos, asada fries, tacos — carne asada, chicken, pastor and fish — and, of course, empanadas, for EastIdahoNews.com’s visit.

This marked my first taste of a Venezuelan empanada, and I must say it may have been the best empanada I’ve ever had.

The fried tilapia taco was cooked perfectly, with a crunchy crust and juicy center. The other tacos, as well as the nachos and asada fries, were up to par with the rest of the delicious food, which raises the question — can we expect to see Latino Bites expand?

“We are planning to maybe get something different, something bigger,” Dumont said. “We would like to expand our menu, too. But right now, that’s not in the plans, we want to grow first as a business. We for sure want to grow, we don’t want to stay in the food court. We want to do something bigger, but it’s not right now.”

Right now, fans of Latin food can get a tasty bite in the Pine Ridge Mall food court.

Latino Bites is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m.

More information about Latino Bites, including a complete menu, can be found at the company’s website or Facebook business page.

If you want to make a recommendation for the next destination to be included on East Idaho Eats, email Kalama@EastIdahoNews.com and include “EATS” in the subject line.