Since its opening in 2019, Latin Quarters has been the if-you-know-you-know answer to the timeless query, “What’s going on tonight?” Both its Main Street location and the more tucked-in hub off Beneva Road draw elbow-to-elbow crowds for their Friday and Saturday dance nights. Stop in to the former on Tuesdays and Thursdays or the latter on a Sunday evening for karaoke, and you’ll feel like you’ve wandered into a live audition for “The Voice,” only with stronger cocktails and a more enthusiastic audience. And at both spots, the food is every bit as much of a draw as the atmosphere.
The restaurants are the creation of Rafael Arguelles, a former Latin King gang member who became an FBI informant, a journey chronicled everywhere from national news programs to an episode in the documentary series “Locked Up Abroad.” After moving here from Chicago more than 25 years ago, Arguelles wanted a place where diners could enjoy authentic Latin cuisine—like a whole fried red snapper ($19.99) served either standing upright or “swimming” through a sea of onion rings—to late-night favorites like Puerto Rican crispy plantain fritters called alcapurrias ($4), the Venezuelan fried cheesy tequeños ($4) and savory empanadas ($4, but only $1 if you make it to the downtown location on Wednesdays from 11 a.m.-6 p.m.). Plus, the portions are generous. Just leave enough room for dancing…