Mamajuana is bringing an enormous Latin fusion party to Fishtown

For their 12th location, and the first in Pennsylvania, the partners behind the new Latin fusion restaurant Mamajuana Cafe decided to go big.

Mamajuana, which grand-opened last week in Fishtown, manages to fill a nearly 400-seat restaurant space with big energy. The bold look is designed to evoke the architecture of historic Santo Domingo alongside a fusion menu that spans the Caribbean (snack-sized mofonguitos), South America (churrasco), and Asia (Latin-inspired sushi rolls, which are among the chain’s best sellers).

Owners added splashy lighting, copious tropical plantings, island-style cocktails, and a salsa-heavy soundtrack. The two-sided bar, a holdover from previous occupants, seats 30.

They have about 10,000 square feet — translating to about 400 seats, including the bar. This location — beneath Brooklyn Bowl and near the Fillmore, Punch Line, and Other Half Brewing — is the largest one yet for the chain, which premiered in 2006 in Manhattan and has a 13th due to open this summer in New London, Conn.

“We wanted to be in the heart of Fishtown,” said David Heredia, a partner in the Philadelphia location. Though Fishtown’s “heart” is closer to Girard Avenue, its entertainment district is clustered a few blocks away, across from Rivers Casino and just off Delaware Avenue.

Previous tenants had a rough go. First up, in 2017, was Mad Rex, whose theme of post-apocalypse America was best described as an Inquirer reporter as “less an immersive descent into the dystopian future than the end-times equivalent of a Hard Rock Cafe.” The Fin, a seafood spot, got a few nibbles but never caught on.

Management soft-opened Mamajuana over the last several weeks, building crowds through fast-cut videos on its Instagram and working with influencers before Thursday’s ribbon-cutting.

Appetizers are $14 to the low $20s, grilled items range from a $24 burger to a 26-ounce rib-eye for two ($80), rolls are $16 to $22, and the main dishes run from the $28 oxtail to fried red shrimp bites at $45.

There’s a kid’s menu with $12 chicken chunks and fries plus $14 penne pasta, as a couple of vegan dishes.

Mofongo, the Puerto Rican mashed plantain dish, is the most popular so far, Heredia said. It comes with chicken ($32), shrimp and lobster ($38), churrasco ($36), and vegetables ($24).

Heredia said the crowd so far has drawn from a wide age range. On a recent visit, folks in their 20s grooving as the lighting and DJ music varied from chill to energetic over the course of 2½ hours.

Mamajuana, 1000 Frankford Ave. Hours: 4 to 11 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 2 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday, and noon to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Happy hour is 4 to 6 p.m. Monday to Thursday.