I came here on a Saturday afternoon at 2pm and the place was still busy with people. At La Taguara, you order at the counter and then find your own seat. I ordered the mojito en coco which is minced fish cooked in a coconut sauce. It came with crispy green plantains, a side of rice, and picadillo salad (like a tomato salsa). The fish was tasty and the acidity of picadillo salad added a brightness to the buttery richness of the coconut sauce. I was not a fan of the plantains that they served me though. It was too hard. Maybe if it had been sliced thinner so that it was more like a plantain chip instead of a overcooked fried plantain.
My friend ordered the pabellon which, according to the menu, is the Venezuelan National Dish. It contains shredded beef and came with black beans, an arepa, and deep fried sweet plantains. I liked the plantains on this dish better, but the best plantains I've had is still at Cafe Costa Rica. The black beans were really good though. They were umami flavorful.
They also serve a variety of juices including passion fruit, tamarind, and sugar cane with lime juice. I ordered the tamarind and it came in a huge glass. This is the only place in Madison that I know of with tamarind juice. I'm eager to come back and try their other juices and sandwiches.