La Colombianita food truck brings Colombian cuisine to STL

La Colombianita food truck's most popular menu items are its empanadas.

For Diana Sampedro, La Colombianita food truck isn’t just about creating tasty Colombian cuisine – it’s about keeping Colombian traditions alive as well. “I have always liked to cook; not only to satisfy a personal deep passion, but to preserve and keep the tradition of our typical cuisine passed by my family and ancestors,” Sampedro says.

La Colombianita's ceviche and tostones.

Sampedro hails from Cali, a small town in southern Colombia known for being the world’s salsa dancing capital. She says the culinary scene there includes street food, cafeterias and fine dining. This range of options is why La Colombianita rotates its food truck around the metro area while also participating in events like the Saint Louis Art Fair, Little Hills Festival, Festival of Nations and more. “La Colombianita Food Truck is a business idea that was dreamed of and implemented in the St. Louis area as an answer to the growing Colombian population in need of authentic cuisine options from their home country,” Sampedro says. “We also identified the opportunity to reach communities in the region to give them a taste of our amazing flavors and magical culture.”

La Colombianita food truck.

Sampedro accomplishes this goal by selecting superior ingredients and handmaking everything from scratch. La Colombianita has diverse options like stuffed potatoes fried to crispy, golden perfection and chicharrón, or crispy fried pork belly accompanied by tostones/patacones – also known as deep-fried green plantains. Additionally, the menu includes Colombian burgers that are smothered with crushed potato chips. According to Sampedro, some of La Colombianita’s bestsellers are the empanadas.

La Colombianita's arepa.

“The empanada valluna is a deep-fried corn crust stuffed with shredded meat and potatoes, accompanied by ají – Colombia’s very flavorful but watered-down version of a hot sauce,” Sampedro says. “I also have chicken empanadas and cheese empanadas. For each empanada, I add on the side salsa verde (mayo and cilantro) pineapple sauce.”

Plus, you can’t pay a visit this fabulous food truck without trying an arepa. “Like empanadas, there is a local arepa for every town or city in the country [of Colombia],” Sampedro says. “Our arepa dough is made with a corn base filled with chicken or fried pork belly, shredded beef or just simply mozzarella cheese.”

At the end of the day, Sampedro is fulfilling a personal passion that is no doubt felt through her food. “La Colombianita is a dream come true," she says. “For years I have wanted to own a business where I can cook traditional Colombian food and raise my kids along with my husband, Luis.”

For more information on La Colombianita’s whereabouts, follow the food truck on Facebook.

La Colombianita, St. Louis, Missouri, La Colombianita on Facebook

Get local news delivered to your inbox!

The five restaurants are minority- or woman-owned, and the diverse combination of cuisines creates an experience that goes far beyond typical …

New Sugaree Baking Co. owners Megan and Derrick Cobb are living the sweet life as they plan to open their second Dogtown business in late August.

Beginning September 6 and extending through the end of 2023, The Lucky Accomplice will be offering a nightly experience that recalls elements …

The restaurant offers an expansive and enticing array of beloved Chinese classics like dumplings, bao, milk tea and more.

Heavy Metal Ice Cream co-owner Jay Smith boasts a catalog of more than 300 creations and hopes to hit the big time soon by way of a brick-and-mortar.