I have learned that the places that look a little suspicious from the outside often end up being…read morethe biggest surprises when it comes to food. This place is definitely not located in a fancy area, and I have to admit, I had second thoughts the moment I pulled into the crowded and chaotic parking lot. Located in the heart of Latino Town in Spring Branch, the atmosphere immediately reminded me of back home (Venezuela). The vibe is different, authentic, and familiar in the best way. I trusted the process because this spot had been on my list for a while, and I'm so glad I gave it a chance. Once you make it through the parking adventure and walk inside, you are pleasantly surprised by a small, quaint, clean, and charming restaurant. The aroma coming from the kitchen was enough to convince me I had made the right choice. We were seated right away during a busy lunch hour. The staff works together as a team, and the service was efficient and attentive. But, of course, the star of the show was the food. I had a steak cooked to perfection with sweet plantains, and it was absolutely delicious. They offer an extensive menu featuring flavors from Argentina to Venezuela, with plenty of options to choose from. Everything came out fresh, flavorful, and in a timely manner. If you are in the Spring Branch area and craving grilled, savory, authentic food, this is definitely a place to check out. I will absolutely be coming back. A true hidden gem!

And we're off! Today we kicked off our "A to Z International Dining Adventure"! We're planning to…read moreeat our way around the world, choosing a different country for each letter of the alphabet at restaurants around town. Houston has an amazing international dining scene and we won't have any problem finding food to match all 26 countries. Today we started with "A is for Argentina" at Pampa Grill & Market in Houston on Hammerly. We were thrilled to start our journey with newlyweds our son and daughter‑in‑law. We all shared freshly baked bread with chimichura sauce and marinated vegetables salsa criolla, delicious empanadas of all sorts, the Argentina Grill parrillada platter, and flan and Nutella crepes for dessert. Pampa Grill & Market is a beloved family-owned neighborhood gem run by Argentine owners. Definitely a fabulous experience all around. Pampa serves wine, but they also allow BYOB, so we brought a delicious 2022 Decero Remelinos Malbec and John and Katherine brought a lovely white blend, also from Argentina. Weare going to have so much fun taking this food journey together! "B" takes us to Brazil in the next couple weeks. Stay tuned!

The food is ok. There are better Venezuelan pastry places in the Katy area that certainly have an…read moreedge over Pastel Pizza, but it's not bad if you are craving for tequeños or empanadas. The tequeños I had were fried at very high temperature, evidenced by the dark brown color on the outside and not evenly cooked on the inside. Service and ambience are ok, but lacks warmth/authenticity of my dear Venezuela.

This spot is situated in a shopping strip shared by a Buff Burger and Salata...yep, choices were…read moremade in choosing the pizza/empanada option, but who could say no to Venezuelan pastelitos. It was nice to see mandocas on the menu at this fast casual spot, but intending to grab only a quick snack, I decided to try the Napoli pizza pastelito, chicken pastelito, and Carne mechada empanadas. 3 diff shapes. 3 different products. Simple, each a different flavor and texture, filled as stated. As I waited for my meal, a team member sat, and played on their phone, shrinking themselves into a ball behind the counter, just us two and the TV and stereo until another gentleman arrived with a bag, my bag, and my empanadas were ready. The empanadas themselves are fine, they just don't taste like they've been made with love, which I've been told as a food truck they used to! My favorite was the carne mechada. The beef itself, succulent, tender, and well flavored, while the shell held its integrity, and provided a much needed crunch. I was not asked a choice of sauce, but was given two small containers of a light, ranch-like one. I'm not an empanada expert (ok, we'll I've had quite a few in my day), but the restaurant is clean, and I'm sure the staff will be trained, warm and welcoming soon enough. I'd say the beef is worth ordering if you're in a pinch! I wish them the best of luck!

I come every morning to get the best chorizo and egg torta I've ever had…read more I can't express in words how orgasmic the tortas are! Wow..it really starts my day off great. I literally can't get enough! The hard working ladies are always accommodating and nice to me. Thank you sooo much y'all truly! I drive an extra 20 mins just to come and it's sooo worth it. Don't second guess on coming here. Also, if you love chorizo try them tortas!!!

Sometimes all it takes is a craving and a good map app…read more My son and I were headed from Northwest Houston toward the Galleria when I got a random craving for empanadas. A quick search along our route brought us to The Empanada Company, and we arrived about 45 minutes before closing. The place isn't very large, and the bakery display cases held what was left of the day's offerings. The young lady behind the counter had been sweeping when we walked in and wasn't especially chatty when I asked about the different empanadas, but she answered my questions and let us browse. I was disappointed to find that the Chicken Tinga empanada I had my eye on was already sold out. My son ordered a couple of chicken pastries, and I gave him the side-eye because those aren't really empanadas in my book. I went with a Picadillo empanada, which came in more of a bell shape than the traditional empanada shape I'm used to seeing. Since I was still craving chicken and the empanada version was gone, I also grabbed one of the chicken pastries. The pastries were incredibly flaky--so flaky that half of one seemed determined to end up in my lap. Fortunately, the chicken filling was so good that I forgot about the mess until I finished eating. The Picadillo empanada was also quite tasty and easily the highlight of my visit. One thing that stood out was the pricing. Compared to other places I've visited for empanadas, the menu was surprisingly affordable. That's becoming increasingly rare these days. My only real complaint is the limited drink selection. A good empanada deserves a good beverage (Dr. Pepper) to go with it. Overall, this was a pleasant stop. The food was good, the prices were reasonable, and I'd definitely come back--especially for two or three more of those Picadillo empanadas. Worth a visit if you're in the area and looking for a quick, satisfying snack.

There food is just Deliciously Good! The Tequenos are…read moreDeliciously out standing! The service is good too!

I really wanted to enjoy my food I swear I did.. but it was really bad! I didn't even eat all of…read moreit! The only thing I did completely eat was the empanada! The burger was lukewarm, so they either had it in the warmer or put it in the microwave either way it was awful. My fries were clearly old! They were cold and probably been sitting out half the night.. My juice was good! Very tasty and cold. The guy that helped me with my order was nice, I should have known when my food came out 5min later it would be bad.. but i really tried to give it a try

This one was so hard to rate because I had both standout bites and a few real letdowns on the same…read moreplate. I started with the beef empanada, and honestly...this was a win. Perfectly crisp on the outside with tender, flavorful beef inside. Paired with their salsa? Absolutely worth it. Now, the main event: the Bandeja Paisita, one of my all-time favorite Colombian dishes. Presentation-wise, they nailed it. And major points for serving the egg over easy (not overcooked like so many places do). That rich, runny yolk mixed into the rice? Pure comfort! But here's where things got a little mixed... The steak was actually a pleasant surprise, thicker than expected and full of flavor. The plantains were tasty, but sliced a bit too thin for my liking. As someone who loves plantains, I definitely wanted more! The pork sausage just wasn't for me, but to be fair, that's a part of the dish I rarely love at any Colombian restaurant. The biggest disappointment, though, was the pork belly. It came out overcooked and tough. I tried, but it was just too hard to chew, and I ended up leaving it behind, which is never what you want with a dish like this. Overall, I enjoyed parts of the experience, but it didn't fully hit the mark for me. I'll keep exploring other Colombian spots to find that perfect Bandeja Paisa.

Stumbled upon this place and it was like finding water in the desert!! After lots of traveling, I…read morewas happy to find delicious affordable dishes that tasted home-cooked. I had the sopa de costilla de res which came with rice and an arepa. My boyfriend ordered a pan de bono which he said tasted like ones he's eaten in Colombia. Definitely stop in if you're in the area! ¡Me topé con este lugar y fue como encontrar agua en el desierto! Después de viajar mucho, me alegre a encontrar platos deliciosos y barratos que sabían caseros. Tuve la sopa de costilla de res que venía con arroz y arepa. Mi novio pidió un pan de bono que, según el sabía a los que había comido en Colombia. ¡Definitivamente pasa si estás en el area!

One of my Cuban heritage colleagues recommended this place, and it did not disappoint. Off an…read moreunassuming strip mall on Highway 6, this place has great menu variety and value for the price. For starters, I appreciated the complimentary Cuban bread (which they graciously gave us another serving of)! I had the Bistec de Palomilla, the traditional skirt steak, with a generous serving of black rice and beans and yummy plantains which were a sweet treat to end the meal with. My partner had the ropa vieja, the sauteed shredded beef with onions and peppers, along with some garlic yucca. Overall, I recommend this place to Cuban food seekers in the area. With a great price point, traditional menu, and fantastic service, this place can't be beat.

In the mood for some Cuban food while driving through the area, we stumbled upon Rincón Criollo…read morelocated in the Barker's Oak Plaza, south of Addicks. This family-style restaurant instantly takes you back to Miami or even Cuba. We were greeted with a smile, invited to sit wherever we liked, and attended to right away. Our food arrived in less than 15 minutes and was very tasty. Overall, it was a great experience and a spot we'd happily return to.

Latin Bites exceeded all my expectations. This is a restaurant I'll definitely be returning to for…read moreauthentic Peruvian dishes. I'm already looking forward to coming back and trying more from their menu. The customer service was excellent, friendly, attentive staff and the food came out in a timely manner. I've tried the Aji de Gallina, Lomo Saltado, Arroz Chaufa, fried yuca sticks, Causa Limeña, and La Regia, and every dish was flavorful and well-prepared. Their drinks are just as impressive, especially the refreshing passion fruit, mango juice, and limeade. Highly recommend.

I love, love, love this Peruvian restaurant in the heart of the Galleria in Houston…read more We walked in without a reservation because it was a late Monday afternoon and we figured it was safe to assume there wouldn't be a large crowd. Fortunately for us, that was the case as it didn't start getting busy until we were leaving. The entire experience was fabulous--including the music and the courteous & timely service! We were a party of four-and-a-half because my daughter was famished, wanting to satisfy her cravings and eating for two! We started with tapas of causa limeña, ceviche, and a baked empanada trio: spinach, cheese & beef. We sipped our drinks and quickly moved on to the main course: Ají de gallina, lomo saltado, arroz chaufa con mariscos and chicken strips from their Kids menu. To top off the amazing experience, we enjoyed tres leches and churros with a couple of cappuccinos; both decaf & regular. In spite of the casual name, Latin Bites Kitchen is a restaurant and bar--also serving sandwiches, soups & salads, family trays, and Wine Wednesdays with 50% off all bottles of wine (check availability). If you're looking for authentic Peruvian cuisine in H-town (Do they still call it that?)--this is it! Check out their online menu: www.latinbitescafe.com

I don't ever do this but I just feel that I have to speak my mind over my experience. I went in to…read morethis place thinking it was going to be great. The place was super packed with locals so I knew it was going to be delicious. I was so wrong. I don't know but what I ordered looked like they threw in a pot and called it a day and then the waitress that sat me down for over half an hour never checked on me didn't apologize about the time or why the food came out that way and I could tell she knew I was right bc she apologized. I finally had to ask her what was going on. Her answer was the kitchen was packed while other people were being served around me that were seated after me. I don't know if it was because I didn't look Salvadorian or she forgot to put in my order but I will NEVER GO BACK. I had to leave pay for what I had consumed because I got tired of waiting for my food and leave.

I have been eating here as long as they have been open. Their desayuno completo is delicious with…read moregreat tasting refried beans and the tortillas fritas with queso on top are so so good. The coffee is always hot and has a great flavor! The portions are always generous! I have eaten the carne asada, arroz con pollo, ceviche, pollo encebollado, Pan con pollo, Cameron frito, pupusas just to name a few and they never disappoint. The owners are kind and service has always been good. The decor and ambiance inside is nice there is a fish tank and TV with music videos or soccer and they always have decorations from El Salvador or for the time of year like at Christmas.