PALMER TWP., Pa. – A longstanding, family-run eatery serving up freshly prepared roast pork, rotisserie chicken and other tasty eats is moving to a larger location in Northampton County.
Adobo Latin Kitchen, a fast-casual restaurant specializing in authentic Puerto Rican cuisine, within the next few weeks will move from its eight-year-old location at 2429 Nazareth Road in Palmer Township to a larger location a few doors down in the same 25th Street Shopping Plaza, co-owner Jose Pinargote told 69 News.
Adobo’s new location, roughly triple its current size, will operate between 25th Asian House and H&R Block.
Adobo Latin Kitchen
It will have the same address, 2429 Nazareth Road, as the restaurant’s current location, Pinargote said.
The expansion was prompted by a multitude of factors, with a primary one being the business’ continued growth, Pinargote said.
The new location will feature “new everything,” including new flooring, counters, furniture and stoves and other equipment installed in a much larger kitchen, Pinargote said.
Seating will be available for around 45 guests.
“We built it from the ground up, keeping the same warm, welcoming atmosphere our customers love — just reimagined in a more modern and sleek way,” Pinargote said.
“We’ve expanded both our kitchen and dining areas, which will allow us to add even more dishes to our already well-rounded menu. We’ll also be launching a new website and mobile app, where customers can order delivery directly from us — saving on third-party fees.”
Adobo Latin Kitchen
Pinargote and his wife, Nilda Pinargote, opened Adobo Latin Kitchen in March 2017.
The fast-casual restaurant offers a wide array of freshly prepared Puerto Rican specialties, including appetizers such as canoas, alcapurrias and rellenos de papa.
There are also various plates, served with white or yellow rice and beans, including fried chicken, fried pork, roast pork, pork ribs, cubed steak (bistec), rotisserie chicken, chicken stew and beef stew.
Other menu highlights include mofongo (fried mashed plantains with choice of meat); sandwiches (made to order on Cuban bread) such as ham and cheese and roast pork (pernil); and sides such as tostones, yuca fries, maduros (fried sweet plantains) and potato salad.
Various empanadas, including beef, beef and cheese, chicken, pork, shrimp, guava, pizza and ground beef with plantains, are top sellers, Jose said.
“Our menu is going to stay the same at the new location, but we’ll be adding some of our daily specials, like fish specials, pork chop specials and certain soups and salads, to our regular menu,” Jose said.
“Among our most popular current selections is rice and beans with roast pork. We also sell hundreds and hundreds of empanadas every day. Currently, we have six or seven flavors, but we’re going to expand that to 10-12 flavors at the new location. We also do tons of family combos, like roast pork, chicken and chicken stew.”
Adobo Latin Kitchen
Adobo’s current location totals around 1,200 square feet, and its new location will be about triple that, Jose said.
In addition to brand-new kitchen and dining areas, it also will feature a refreshed logo.
“Everything’s been awesome since we launched in 2017,” Jose said.
“We’ve continued to grow, but now we’re bursting at the seams. We have so many catering orders and are busy throughout the day. So, it was time to expand in a refreshed space. We originally thought about remodeling our existing location, but even if we made our original space perfect cosmetically, it wasn’t solving our major problem, which was we just needed more space. Our cooks are on top of each other, and the customers don’t have enough seating. So, we decided to take the leap and build this new space right next door. It’ll be a similar layout to our current restaurant, but much, much bigger.”
An exact opening date for Adobo’s new location has not yet been determined, but it will likely be by the end of the month, Jose said.
Adobo Latin Kitchen
The restaurant would only temporarily close for a day or two during the transition, Jose added.
Online ordering will continue to be available, with an added delivery option, and operating hours of 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily will continue at the new location, Jose said.
The Pinargotes are no strangers to the Lehigh Valley’s restaurant scene.
The couple partners with their friends, Anthony and Bridget Sherman, at Bun Busterz, a year-old eatery specializing in gourmet hot dogs, in downtown Easton.
Additionally, Jose operates Pints & Pies neighborhood pubs in Wilson and Bethlehem with his friend, John Kehm.
For the latest Adobo Latin Kitchen updates, including more details regarding the upcoming move, follow the business’ pages on Facebook and Instagram.