Hispanic Heritage Month: Celebrating Manuel and Nacho Olivera of Ceibo
For Hispanic Heritage Month, we are going to focus on Hispanic immigrants who make the Washington DC area a better and more interesting place. So, please meet Manuel and Nacho Olivera, the owners of the hit Uruguayan restaurant, Ceibo in Adams Morgan.
From Uruguay to Washington, D.C.: Meet Manuel and Nacho Olivera
Manuel and Nacho are immigrants from Uruguay. With Nacho as the Executive Chef and Manuel running the front of the house, Nacho and Manuel have been delighting diners in Washington DC for nearly two decades.
Ceibo: A Love Letter to Uruguay and South America
Ceibo is an upscale and refined take on South American cuisine that opened in 2023. It is a love letter to the brothers’ native Uruguay and its neighbors. A hit from the beginning, Ceibo has been a mainstay of all the Best Restaurant lists, including a Michelin Guide recommendation.
With a menu that changes with the season, Ceibo’s Hamachi crudo, leek tart, and chorizo dumplings are mainstays that are on our table every time we are there. But no Uruguayan restaurant is asking to be judged by crudo and vegetables.
The star of the show is Nacho’s steak, the measure of dining in South America. The steak arrives at the end of the meal, perfectly tender on the inside with a beautiful char, reminiscent of the asados on the brothers’ youth.
From Fast Gourmet to Ceibo: A Washington, D.C. Immigrant Success Story
But if you think that Ceibo is all about fine dining, you don’t know Manuel and Nacho. The brothers earned DC legend status with Fast Gourmet, the sandwich shop in a gas station at 14th and W.
While U street partiers might hit McDonalds or Jumbo Slice, those who knew went into the brightly-lit gas station where heavy metal music pulsed under fluorescent light to devour monster Chivito and Cuban sandwiches. The now defunct Washington City Paper put the Chivito on its front page and claimed it the best sandwich in DC.
The Chivito Lives On at Ceibo
What is a Chivito, you ask? Well, it is just a sandwich with steak, mozzarella, ham, bacon, a fried egg with mayonnaise and an olive spread.
Although Fast Gourmet has long since closed, the brothers pay homage to their youth at Ceibo, where you can order the Chivito at the bar on Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday evenings.
Manuel, Nacho and Ceibo are clients of the firm and the BPR team has been thrilled to help them grow and to watch their success. Go to Ceibo and see for yourself how Hispanic immigrants make our life better and more interesting in Washington DC.