Bohio Latin Flavors, Margate…read more
Dominican and Puerto Rican cuisine with a heavy emphasis on mofongo, and based on this visit, that's one of the reasons to come here. They offer numerous variations, with your choice of sauce and protein, making this one of the more mofongo-focused restaurants I've seen in Broward.
We started with the shrimp mofongo. The plantain mound itself was moist, flavorful, and nicely seasoned, avoiding the dry, dense texture that plagues lesser versions. Ours came topped with a rich shrimp sauce, but other options included a garlic cream sauce and a Creole-style sauce, both of which looked excellent as they passed through the dining room. Of the dishes we tried, the mofongo was actually my favorite.
The masitas de cerdo (fried pork chunks) were flavorful and well-seasoned, although they came out a bit drier than I would have preferred. I'd still order them again, but based on what I saw arriving at nearby tables, the pernil may be the move on a future visit.
The rice deserves mention as well. The arroz con gandules was excellent, with plenty of flavor rather than simply serving as a side dish. They also offered moro rice in both red bean and black bean versions, which was nice to see.
The Punta Cana cocktail was worth ordering. Sweet, tropical, and considerably stronger than it looked.
The dining room is much larger than it appears from outside, but this is very much a casual neighborhood spot. It reminded me of the kind of local restaurant you'd find in Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic: a large dining room, full bar, TVs on the wall, families gathering for dinner, and the emphasis squarely on the food rather than creating an upscale experience. There's also a stage and DJ setup for live entertainment.
One note: service was slow on our Sunday evening visit. After speaking with the manager, I learned she was also the restaurant's only server and that a single cook was handling the kitchen while also keeping up with a steady stream of takeout orders. Given those realities, the pace made more sense. Everyone was friendly, but this isn't the place to visit if you're in a hurry.
Both English and Spanish menus are available, although the primary server was clearly more comfortable interacting in Spanish.
They also feature Latin music and a DJ on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, which is probably when the room really comes alive.
If you're a fan of mofongo, pernil, arroz con gandules, or Dominican comfort food in general, Bohio is worth adding to your list.
