Chilean food is hardly the most common type you'll find in Utah Valley, but have no fear -- there's a friendly server at Pantrucas waiting to introduce you to it.

As we gazed unknowingly at the menu items with Spanish names, the owner of the small restaurant explained what each dish was. He even told us there was no need to add fries to our order because we had enough food (and he was right). Not much of a salesman, but he makes a great server.

Pantrucas serves Chilean sandwiches, soups, empanadas and a couple of entrees. Many of the sandwiches, like the Churrasco Palta we tried, come on large soft rolls smeared with avocado. The rest of the Palta sandwich is either chicken or steak pieces, tomato and seasonings. The sandwich was so flavorful it disappeared quickly.

When we visited, Pantrucas was offering Bistec a lo Pobre (steak and eggs over fries) and Pastel de Choclo (a corn and meat pie we later learned is a Chilean classic) as entrees. The Chilean steak was less thick than the American version and was seasoned simply, with garlic and salt.

The real eye candy of the night was Cazuela de Ave, a chicken and vegetable soup served in a big bowl. Sitting in the tasty broth was a piece of a corn cob, a chicken leg and several large pieces of soft squash. It's not how you normally picture a soup, but this one has its place among the best we've tried.

Pantrucas is in the shop on Canyon Road where Lon's Cookin' Shack used to be, and you can order Lon's barbecued meats there, too. The storefront has very little dining space, but many things, especially the empanadas and sandwiches, can easily be taken out.

Pantrucas also offers blended juices (our triple berry was wonderful) and some desserts. We can only hope this little restaurant sticks around longer than some of the other authentic South American places we've seen come and go so quickly.