Pata… Que??

You’re probably wondering “What is a patacón”? Well let me tell you. Patacón is literally THEE best sandwich I have ever had in my life. It is a sandwich made with shredded chicken, secret sauces, shredded lettuce, cheese, and of course platano maduro.

According to an article, Colombia: Patacones (Tostones) on 196flavors.com, written by Mike Benayoun, “The origin of the word patacones seems to either come from the Spanish word for “toast” or from the currency of the same name dating from the time of Great Colombia in the first half of the eighteenth century. The patacón is, originally, the name of several different currencies used in different countries at different times”.

I know I know. What does a coin have to do with toast? Sweetie, where’s the correlation? Let me tell you.

Benayoun also writes, “The origin of the word patacón comes from the Arabic batakká, and it is the name of many coins used by the Arabs in the Middle Ages. This word is at the origin of the Italian word patácca, which at the time designated money from Muslim countries and then a “currency of little value” to take the meaning of “counterfeit currency”. In modern Italian, this word means “fraud”. In Portuguese, the word pataca was used to refer specifically to certain currencies of former colonies, such as Macao. Finally, the name patácca became patacón, name that gave birth to the first Colombian coin. The patacón was the first currency used in Colombia, in Cúcuta. It is thought that because of its rigid and almost round appearance, the famous patacones bears the same name as the coin”.

Ok so I hope you understand the history of the word patacón. If your experience is like mine, and you had no idea such a sandwich existed, then you should be all caught up. Moving on to the restaurant, price and taste.

Epa! Come Arepa! is a Venezuelan Restaurant that is located on 2870 Peachtree Industrial Blvd, in Duluth, GA. It is a fairly small space that is super colorful and lively. When you walk in you feel like you just walked into a mini family reunion. The best positive vibes live there. Their menu looks super good. They serve food varying from arepas (sandwiches) to chicken wings. I ordered patacón (with yellow plantain), with half chicken and half beef. My total with tax was $8.55. Of course, card payment was accepted for my purchase. It took about 10 to 12 minutes for my food to be ready. You definitely get your money’s worth with this sandwich. The plantains were sweet, moist, and soft. They paired well with the cheese, meat, and sauce. The crisp and crunch of the lettuce added a refreshing element to the sandwich. I promise if you eat this by itself without any drink, you will get full. Thanks for following my plantain crawl. Come back next week to see what places I explore next. Take this fun Buzzfeed quiz to see what Latin American food you are based on your personality!