Highway 311 Grills and Eatery (Highway Tres Uno Uno) is a casual dining restaurant situated on the lake level in Cluster R in JLT, serving Latin American street food mainly from Columbia, Peru and Mexico. Stepping into Highway 311 is like being transported into Latin America…. Colourful, vibrant paintings and hats adorn the walls, foot-tapping Latino music playing in the background, and funky table mats featuring a colourful hip llama!!! The staff are friendly and quite knowledgeable about the cuisine.
My friend and I stopped by for lunch one Saturday afternoon. It was quite sunny, so we chose to sit indoors but outdoor seating too is available. As we were deciding on what to order, we were served Chips and Salsa. Loved the slightly tangy salsa.
Upon the attendant’s suggestion, I had the Chicha Morada, a classic Peruvian version mocktail made of purple corn. It was subtle, refreshing and yum and makes for a good drink instead of red wine. I’m not too fond of spicy drinks but I was tempted to try the Citric-Pepper Spiced Strawberry. It is orangish-red and looks like a sweet drink, but one sip, and the heat just burns through. I never thought it would be this spicy even though I was warned by the waiter. Try it at your own risk!!! But I have to say, I did keep going back for a couple of sips, one sip at a time 😊
Another drink that I tried was a Strawberry Mojito which was just average. We were also given a new drink that by now would have made its appearance on their new menu – a non-alcoholic homemade version of champagne, made using grape juice, soda and a secret ingredient. It does look like champagne and tastes good too.
The first dish that we tried was Frijoles, a stew of white beans and traditional Peruvian herbs and spices, served hot in a wooden bowl with a pretty little wooden spoon. It was wholesome and very delish.
Next up were the classics – Quesadillas, Burritos, Tacos and then a new item to be up on their menu, Columbian Arepas. Since my dining partner and I were both vegetarians, you’ll only find the review of vegetarian dishes here. I’m just waiting for Easter, so that I can go back and try their non-veg. since I heard it’s very tasty and the aroma while I was there was just tempting.
The Quesadillas were cheesy, and the bell peppers gave it a hint of spice which went well with the sour cream. The Veg. Burrito was good as was expected and the portion size was huge too.
The presentation of the Tacos was lovely and the filling topped with sour cream was just delicious. I was excited to try their new addition and it didn’t disappoint. Arepas is made of cornmeal, water and salt, the dough is formed into a patty, and then grilled, or baked, split open and stuffed with a variety of ingredients like a sandwich. It was crispy and just scrumptious.
Highway 311 also has vegan and gluten-free options, you just have to let them now before ordering.
For desserts, we had two of their classics, Tres Leches and Churros. The Churros were huge and crispy on the outside and filled with Nutella and it was super delicious. It usually comes in three pieces per plate. Tres means three and leches means milk, so Tres Leches is basically three layers of milk. It’s similar to a milk cake but a bit denser and not as sweet as milk cakes usually are. I would have loved it to be a bit sweeter.
We were also treated to a kitchen tour at the end. Taking pictures wasn’t allowed so can’t show you how it was. But it was very neat and tidy and no wonder they were rated highly for food hygiene from Zomato and from Dubai Municipality.
Overall, Highway 311 can be best described as a hidden gem and an absolute paradise for those who love or want to try Latin American street food. The rates are reasonable and this month they have a special offer of 50% discount for dine-in from Sunday to Wednesday from 11am to 2pm. So if you’re looking for a venue for your next office lunch gettogether, you know where to head to. You can thank me later 😊.
Lizbethology 