College Park is a hub of different people and cultures, and a major part of someone’s culture is the food they eat and grow up with.

In honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month, here are some Hispanic restaurants to visit in and around College Park:

1. Ritchie’s Colombian Restaurant

Located on Route 1, Ritchie’s Colombian Restaurant has, you guessed it, Colombian cuisine. Colombia is home to many delicious and unique dishes, such as arepas — stuffed cornmeal cakes that are crispy outside and fluffy inside. One of the restaurant’s most popular dishes, it has its own section on the restaurant’s menu. Arepas are also popular in other South American countries such as Venezuela, Bolivia and Ecuador.

A popular entrada, or starter, at Ritchie’s is empanadas. These are popular in Latin American countries and others that have had Spanish influence.

I recommend the arepas de pollo and empanadas de pollo or de carne with jugo de coco, or coconut water.

2. Cafe Azul-Caracas de Ayer

Owned and run by the same family since 2009, Cafe Azul-Caracas de Ayer is a Venezuelan restaurant located in Riverdale Park next to MOD Pizza and across from Jersey Mike’s Subs.

Like Ritchie’s, Cafe Azul has arepas and empanadas, but its other Venezuelan cuisines include tequenos, hallacas, and cachapas.

I recommend the arepas de pollo y ​​aguacate, or chicken and avocado arepas, and cachitos. For dessert, tres leches, a traditional Hispanic sponge cake, are a must.

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3. Sardi’s Pollo A La Brasa

Sardi’s Pollo A La Brasa, or Sardi’s Peruvian Chicken, is a Peruvian restaurant known for its rotisserie chicken. Sardi’s is very popular in the Hispanic community and can be found in a variety of locations.

When I’ve attended a family gathering, church, or other occasion with a large Hispanic guest list, Sardi’s has often catered the event.

I recommend pollo a la brasa, or charbroiled chicken, with a side of yuca or fries, as well as cole slaw and arroz chaufa, which is Peruvian fried rice.

4. Taqueria Habanero

Another restaurant on Route 1 is Taqueria Habanero, a Mexican restaurant located in the Campus Village Shoppes. According to the sign outside the restaurant, it is “99% Authentic Mexican Cuisine.”

Though it is a taqueria, there are other Mexican dishes you can try, such as quesadillas and huaraches, masa tortillas that are typically fried and topped with beans and salsa. However, you can never go wrong with some tacos, and this restaurant makes some impressive ones.

I recommend the tacos de bistec, which have grilled steak, accompanied by a Mexican Coke. For dessert, flan, a Mexican caramel crème brûlée, is the way to go.

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5. Pupuseria La Familiar

Located in the same shopping center as Taqueria Habanero, Pupuseria La Familiar is a Salvadoran Restaurant. El Salvador, the place both I and wonderful food call home, is a small Central American country that borders Guatemala, Honduras and the Pacific Ocean.

The traditional and most popular Salvadoran dish is pupusas. There are multiple types of pupusas: de queso, or just cheese, frijoles con queso, with beans and cheese, chicharron con queso, which have pork and cheese, and revueltas, which contain a mix of cheese, beans and pork.

It is impossible to go to a pupuseria and not order pupusas. Therefore, I recommend pupusas revueltas with horchata to drink. Yuca frita con Chicharron, or fried cassava with pork, as an appetizer is also a must.