Cheerful ambiance, gracious service from an attendant young woman who also seemed to be doing a…read moregood deal of kitchen help. The food was well prepared, seemed to have a solid consistent quality to it across all the dishes we tried, and everything was flavorful. We were a bit shocked at how real and fresh the two passion fruit items were--we didn't taste the normal crazy amounts of added sugar.

We came to try out some Puerto Rican cuisine, and it was a relatively good experience…read more El Cilantro offers a traditional menu with a good number of dish and drink options. This is not a high-end restaurant and more of a casual experience. We ordered the octopus mofongo, the empanadas and the alcapurrias. For drinks, we had the pineapple juice. Out of those, the empanadas and the juice were really good. Other than that, the rest was OK. The service was excellent, and our two waitresses were helpful and professional. The vive felt traditional and colorful. The restaurant is located in a centrally located small shopping plaza with plenty of free parking. If you are not familiar with the area, the GPS will take you straight to it.

I really don't want to share this place because I want to keep it to myself but anyways they're…read morealways busy. The food speaks for itself and the service is always friendly and genuine. The prices are great. So many options to choose from. If you're hungry bring a friend so you all can get a side of their stewed oxtail along with their rotisserie chicken. And omg their crispy roasted pork! They have different beans daily to go along with your rice and there's three different options! You know I fell in love I come here about every two days! And I get a plate for my coworker too! Wait what had me!!!! Was my first bite of the black beans and rice. It took me back to the islands when a friend cooked me her stewed flank steak with black beans and rice. So I've been coming back ever since. Sorry this is long! But I had to express my gratitude for finally finding this gem!

The best Dominican food in the city! The service is great and the options are available. Also the…read moredessert are delicious.

AUTHENTIC Ecuadorian restaurant ! Finally stopped in. It's hidden in a tiny strip mall on S. Tryon…read morenear Arsley. The first time we were there it was Friday, so we opted for the Fish. Hubby got the fried fish and liked it. I got their fish and shrimp peanut soup. Omg it was divine !!! That soup had amazing flavor !!! There was plenty of tuna and a few shrimp. The tuna seemed to sink to the bottom and was a bit dry. Next time I think I would get just shrimp, but the broth was delicious and unusual. We got one savory and one sweet cheese empanada. I highly recommend the savory one with it's melted goodness. I got the flan for dessert. It was good. But my favorite was the morocho that I took home to enjoy. It is a hot liquid beverage that reminds me of rice pudding. It was so yummy !!! We loved this place so much we came back again the next week on a Saturday. This time we tried the beef empanada. Hubby got the pork chops and I got the carne asada. Both came with rice, lentils, and small salad. The lentils were a little watery, but had decent flavor. I put them over the rice and that helped. They have a small jar of homemade salsa that was so good, I slathered it all over every bite of my carne asada. My plate came with tostones that were good and hubby's plate came with maduros. For dessert, I got the morocho to consume at the restaurant. Our waitresses were very nice both nights and spoke English. The owner checks on tables during the meal, which is admirable. My husband and I were the only non-latino people there, which is always a good sign the food is delicious. The first time we were there, the place was decorated for Valentine's Day. The second time, it was decorated for Easter. Highly recommend this place !

This was a recommendation from a friend originally from Ecuador for authentic food and boy was she…read moreright! The wait staff was patient and explained the options and how they were served! And the food arrived super fast fresh and hot and most of all delicious!!!! The empanada was cheesy and I don't recall the name of it but in the table is a type of chutney slightly sweet spicey and full of flavor! Hubby has what was a fish stew and gobbled it up! I had the steak (skirt) with lentils very flavorful tostones and salad. We will definitely return! The place is clean sorta spacious and we learned you seat yourself.

Muy buena comida fresca ,preparada al momento bien caliente.El servicio muy ameno y…read morefamiliar.Variedad para todo con la adicion de taco es un palo.La atencion alegre y buen ambiente con parking.

Our daughter lives in Charlotte, and this was the very first place she took us after picking us up…read morefrom the airport, one of her favorite spots in town. After one meal here, we understood why. Calle Sol has a cool laid back vibe, great service, strong mojitos, and food that absolutely delivers. The ceviche is the star for a reason. Super fresh with bright flavor, and the crispy plantains alongside it were the perfect seafood fish combo. The skinny spicy margarita with the tajín rim and mojitos were excellent too. Our favorite was the Cuban rice. Rich flavor with this aioli on top that made everyone at the table keep stealing bites from each other. The vaca frita (beef) had great flavor with crispy edges done right, and the banana tres leches dessert was flat out dangerous. Easily enough for three people unless your family has zero self control. We don't really have Cuban food like this back home, so this felt like a treat. Safe to say our daughter picked a winner. We'll definitely be back next trip to Charlotte.

The food was good. We had the fish and shrimp ceviche…read more The kids ordered the noodles with chicken and buttered noodles. My favorite was the shrimp ceviche. Service is table service. Ambiance is nice.

Everything about Pio Pio is a 10 out of 10! The service was beyond lovely - friendly, super…read moreattentive, and service was fast. Restaurant was beautifully decorated and clean. Everything we ate was incredibly delicious and so authentic. We ordered a ton of food for our table (most not pictured here because we ate so fast!). Notable the tostones, calamari, the chicken, and yuca...all absolutely amazing. We also ordered pollos soltado to go for a family member who raved it was the best they had since moving to this area.

Pio's restaurant has gotten a facelift and it's even better than it was in the past! The score has…read moreincreased to 99, the seating has been updated and the food is still delicious--maybe even better! We went on a Saturday afternoon and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and attentive service. Our meal was excellent as it has consistently been, especially since the changes have been made to the restaurant. I want to make sure that I mention the cleanliness of the women's bathroom. This is the second time in a row that I've used it and it is very well maintained. It's large, clean and odorless. It gives me an overall positive feeling about the restaurant, which adds to my comfort when we eat here. We love coming here. The prices are reasonable, the portion sizes are just right, and the servers are attentive and friendly. A great experience!!

I ordered the chicharrón plate with tostones, and it did not disappoint! Everything was packed with…read moreflavor. I'll definitely be back to try more from the menu!

I've driven by this place for years and finally came in tonight. I had two different types of wings…read moreand a chicken empanada, all of which were awesome. The black lite Black lager is outstanding as well. All of the people in the place were friendly, including the staff and customers, and Audrey was an outstanding server/bartender. They have a cool interior, a big deck hang out on, and a couple fire pits.

Listen! I have no idea what has taken me so long to eat at La Isla Bonita! I ordered through…read moreDoorDash. When my food showed up, it was still steaming. I have never had a restaurant where I ordered from DoorDash and the food showed up still hot and steaming like I'm dining in! I appreciated that so much. I still wasn't ready for what came next.  I tried the steak first. Speechless. The pork is what I tasted next. Floored. Then the rice and empanada; both were really tasty as well. The portions are good and filling. I can't wait to go back. This place has been on my radar for years, and I'm mad it took me so long to get to this delicious food.

Love love loveeeeeee the empanadas! Food always comes out quick, hot n ready, & always within my…read morelow budget. Nice restaurant setting, a comfy and homey vibe, and the woman who tends to work the cash register is an absolute angel. Cant wait to go when they reopen tuesday