New Latin Restaurant Concept The Hunger Block Now Open

The Hunger Block (www.thehungerblock.com), a new Latin restaurant to the Omaha area, opened its doors to the public in late May. The restaurant is located in the old Little España location in the heart of Rockbrook Village. Co-owned by Carlos Mendez, Palmira Balsiene and Rognny Diaz, The Hunger Block offers a unique selection of made-from scratch dishes and drinks that will represent authentic Latin American dishes in a fun, relaxed, and family-friendly atmosphere.

Born and raised in Caracas, Venezuela, both Mendez and Diaz wanted to open the concept in Omaha because there currently aren’t options that truly represent the Latin culture as a whole. “Right now you can’t find much other than Mexican restaurants in Omaha and our concept will showcase how diverse our culture can be from one country to the other,” adds Mendez. “This menu is a representation of our favorite dishes from both Venezuela and the numerous Latin American countries we’ve travelled to throughout our lives.”

The restaurant will feature authentic Latin dishes and a portion of the menu will be dedicated to the street food you can find in many Latin American countries, which is also the inspiration behind the name of the restaurant. Mendez explains, “If you travel to Venezuela, Columbia, Peru, Mexico, etc., you will find food vendors gathered on a particular street or block selling some of the most fresh, flavorful, made-from-scratch food in town. In Spanish they call it La Calle Del Hambre, which translates to The Hunger Street.”

Open for brunch, lunch, dinner (and look for a happy hour menu coming soon), patrons can expect to indulge in the culture of Central and South America, from authentic food, to atmosphere and family-style dinning. Menu items will be made using fresh ingredients, many of which will be sourced locally, and will feature everything from street tacos to stuffed arepas (similar to a sandwich and made with grilled cornmeal masa), empanadas, fried plantains or patacon, as well as Latin-style hot dogs and burgers.

The Hunger Block will be open Monday – Thursday 11 a.m. – 9 p.m., Friday & Saturday 11 a.m. – midnight, and Sundays 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, visit www.thehungerblock.com or contact Carlos Mendez at (402) 557-6738 / carlos@thehungerblock.com.