La Colombina Burger Opens in Norwalk with Colombian Style Stacked Burgers, Loaded Hot Dogs + More

Andrew Dominick

The burger list at La Colombina Burger is 14 deep! Pictured is the “La Colombiana,” an Angus beef patty with grilled ham, cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, potato sticks, pink sauce, and garlic sauce.

When Antojos closed at the tail end of 2023, it left a void in Norwalk as it pertains to Colombian fast food. Yeah, you know what I’m talking about; those humongous hamburgers, those loaded hot dogs, and massive orders of fries topped with every ingredient imaginable.

Seemingly appearing out of thin air to answer those prayers was La Colombina Burger, that unbeknownst to me (and I’m sure a bunch of you) opened last July very under the radar, in a little strip of stores, in a parking lot I hadn’t pulled into since Tony’s Pet Shop was there all those years ago. The Tony’s shout is for the Norwalk heads. IYKYK.

It’s a miracle I didn’t get papas rellenas, but that’s what next times are for. These battered, then fried, sweet plantains stuffed with mozzarella were the vibe on this particular day.

Anyway…

La Colombina Burger came highly recommended by some friends that likely spied it when cruising down Westport Avenue. If you blink, you’ll buzz right past it. It’s a small spot with only a handful of tables where people stop in for a fast bite or takeout.

The focus here is pretty obvious. Their menu is centered around those excessively topped (and I mean this in the BEST possible way) burgers and perros calientes, aka, hot dogs, all of which, if you’re like me, are one of the greatest forms of a guilty pleasure. Salty, sweet, creamy, crunchy. Beef, sometimes paired with bacon, ham, or both. Some at La Colombina Burger even have a Korean twist by adding spicy gochjuang, while another burger has a sweet sauce in the form of a strawberry reduction.

It's all wild stuff. It’s the “Friday night by yourself” meal that’s meant to be eaten in private, specifically, those Colombian hot dogs that you might need to tackle with utensils, but why would you? Just grip it with both hands and shove it down, let the sauces run down your chin. Messy delicious is a thing.

La Colombina Burger’s founder, Nathaly Escober, created a fun concept that’s also a more vibrant, fresher take on her country’s fast food by using Connecticut local ingredients whenever possible in her Colombian recipes. Diced tomatoes in the pico de gallo are a vibrant red, and their guac is made fresh, too.

Believe it or not…there’s a hot dog under there. The “Callejero’s” toppings are coleslaw, cheese, potato sticks, bacon, an array of their house made sauces, and a hard boiled quail egg.

To the left? Yeah. That’s an order of fries loaded up with hot dog slices, plenty of chicharrons, cheese, fresh pico, guac, and pink sauce.

But it’s not all burgers and dogs. Tostones, empanadas, six different salchipapas that are a meal in itself, a few pressed sandwiches, arepas, patacones, and traditional Colombian entrées like bandeja paisa (steak, pork belly, sausage, rice, beans, sweet plantain, fried egg, avocado, arepa, rellena) are represented on the menu also.

Homemade flan, fresh strawberries & cream, churros with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce for dipping, and obleas, a dessert sandwich consisting of caramel, cream, marmalade, and shredded white cheese between two thin wafers, are all waiting for you if you somehow still have space to eat a little more.

We’ll miss having two Colombian fast-food spots in Norwalk, but La Colombina Burger fills the void no problem.

239 Westport Avenue, Norwalk
203.229.0241,
lacolombinaburger.com