Standards are high for holiday decorations in downtown Lawrence, but a new restaurant on the 700 block of Mass Street has not just raised the bar, but become the bar for Christmas spirit. Upon entering you are greeted by what seems like a Hobby Lobby clearance sale for Christmas decorations. Delicias Del Sur serves Cuban and South American food to the Lawrence community, filling a glaring gap that existed before March in Lawrence cuisine.
Much of Delicias Del Sur’s menu is either arepas, a Venezuelan and Colombian cake or sandwiches. My Havana Cuban Sandwich (as opposed to the Miami Cuban Sandwich) was perfect. The slow-cooked pork, classic Cuban Mojito, lettuce and tomato with a side of plantain chips was juicy, yet it did not fall apart in my hands. The lettuce and tomato were palpably fresh, mixing well with the savory Mojito and pulled pork. The plantain chips, while dry, helped to offset the greasy taste left in my mouth after a bite of the sandwich. My arepa was similarly delicious, yet some arepas’ cheese may be overpowering for some.
The one drawback with Delicias Del Sur is that it is expensive. My Havana Cuban Sandwich was $19. If you are out for lunch downtown, looking for a good, cheap bite to eat, Delicias Del Sur will fall out of your range. It is best to save its masterfully-crafted food for Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, or at least when you find twenty dollars in your shirt pocket before school. However, you will get what you pay for.
In my opinion, a sandwich’s price should max out at $12, yet the quality made up for the extra seven dollars.
