SEATTLE — A 303-square-foot all-electric kitchen in Capitol Hill is home to Bad Chancla, a small restaurant offering big flavors with their bodega-style menu. 

Meaning "Bad Sandal" in Spanish, owner José Garzón chose a name that would mean something to the Latin community.

“We wanted a name that really hit every Latino, South America and Central Americans,” he said.

Garzón has many awards and national recognition and the food at Bad Chancla reflects his personal journey to the United States.

“This is the food that got me going when I came into the United States as an immigrant," he said. "It was one of those foods that wasn't Ecuadorian food, which is where I'm from, but it was the food that I relate to.”

The menu includes all-day breakfast and a variety of sandwiches and rice bowls. One of the most ordered dishes is the Ropa Vieja rice bowl that comes with Guisada beans, shredded roast beef and their house chimichurri aioli and aji sauce.

Each menu item has a fun name like the "Fake Ass Cuban."

"It's fake because it's on a Hawaiian roll," Garzón laughed.

Bad Chancla is Garzón's love letter to immigrants and first generation Latin Americans.

"This food means a lot to me," he said. "It's very simple food, yeah, very delicious food. But it's just a big part of my story."

Bad Chancla is open Wednesday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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