Well - the last review I wrote for this place was in 2012 and consistency is key with this place!!…read more We brought friends here for lunch and they really loved the food and I suspect they will be back with their family! :) Hubby and I started our meal sharing the Plantain Crusted Goat Cheese Salad - AMAZING and DELICIOUS!! Two disks of goat cheese is coated with this crunchy plantain crust - so when you cut into it the goat cheese melts out gooey - then you take a piece and eat it with the salad greens which are PERFECTLY dressed (cause I HATE over dressed salads) - it was creamy, crunchy, and AMAZING. This is definitely a great way to start our food adventure!! I just HAD to get my Arzzo con Pollo and I'm SO GLAD I did - it did not disappoint - exactly as I remembered it over a decade. Definitely need to come back here more often! Chicken so tender, rice so flavorful - with the sweet baked plantains and that delicious sauce. Flavor bomb in the mouth for SURE!!! I know other dishes here are good too but I honestly crave this one.... Hubby and GF had the Tierra y Mar. I snuck some of the sofrito mashed potatoes off hubby's plate - it's SO GOOD... i could eat a whole bowl of just that!! And then there's the delicious tender and perfectly cooked marinated skirt steak! YUM... The coconut crusted shrimp was delicious as well but I feel like it was a bit over cooked - I mostly tasted the coconut crust. Hubby LOVED the asparagus - just the perfect accompaniment to the overall dish! Hubby and GF both LOVED this dish!! GF hubby got the lunch appetizer specials - he got the CdP Snack (Chicharrones de Pollo - appetizer side of their popcorn chicken with Cuban spices), the Camerones Pequenos (fried shrimp) and their side Coleslaw. He devoured everything and loved it. We ended our meal with their Key Lime Tart and it was delicious. Not too tart, not too sweet - a perfect bite! Overall we had an amazing time. The only thing that struck me was at lunch they aren't as careful about things - like for some reason we had to eat our main course meals with a salad/dessert fork and butter knife. Hubby wasn't pleased with the fork so he got a regular fork - and then when we got our steak and chicken we couldn't cut them with the butter knife and had to chase down our waiter for steak knives. I remember when we used to go for dinner - they automatically gave us the right utensils with the meal. That did take away a bit from the overall experience when you can't cut your meat and have to chase down the waiter... But overall the staff cleared plates, made sure our water was filled at all times and was overall courteous. Am definitely coming back and THANK YOU again for making sure my cravings were fulfilled and the food was EXACTLY as I remembered it!

I want to start by saying this review is specifically about my experience with Lara -- not the…read morerestaurant as a whole. Everyone else we interacted with was fantastic, and the food itself was delicious. I've been here countless times as I work across the street and I've never had any issues. Setting that aside, here's what happened. My group was meeting another company for a lunch they had organized, and going in, we didn't know who we were meeting, who the reservation might be under, or if there even was one -- think of it like a corporate blind date. When we approached the host stand, we gave a few names we thought a reservation might be under and were upfront and apologetic that we weren't sure, but were trying to figure it out together. Lara's response was to ask, in an unbelievably condescending tone, if this was our "first time at a restaurant." She then pointed to a corporate group on the patio and said, "why don't you ask them? You're adults." Once we found our group, we came back inside to ask about getting a larger table for six. The person who'd organized the lunch apologized and explained he hadn't realized he needed a reservation as he didn't know how many would attend the lunch. Lara told him that was "restaurant 101" and that they had no tables available for a party of six (despite the interior being completely empty from what we could see). A few minutes later, other staff pushed two tables together -- clearly we were not the first party of six to ever eat here. After scanning other Yelp reviews, there are some going back over a decade (!) talking about how rude and condescending Lara is. I'm sorry to report things haven't changed.

Amazing experience at Fonda Colombiana! The food was absolutely delicious!!! full of flavor and…read morecooked perfectly. You can really tell everything is made with care. We order the bandeja paisa, la toxic, and side of empanadas Carlos was our server and he was outstanding. Super attentive, friendly, and made sure we had everything we needed the entire time. His service definitely made the experience even better. Great food, great service, and a welcoming atmosphere. We'll definitely be coming back!

This place is a hidden gem. It's a small shop tucked away in the middle of a tiny strip mall, but…read moreonce you walk inside, it's beautifully painted and decorated. It has a super homey, welcoming vibe. Here is the breakdown of what we ordered: Bistec with Chorizo: The serving size was huge! Definitely big enough for two light eaters. It was really tasty overall, though I do wish the beef had been a bit more tender. Beef Empanadas: Hands down, some of the better ones I've ever had. The skin was thin and perfectly crispy, and the filling was packed with flavor. Pair them with their chili oil sauce... yumm! To top it off, our waitress was incredibly friendly and made us feel right at home. I'll definitely be returning to try some new dishes next time!

First visit to Oakland and this small brightly colored clean open layout restaurant, reserved on…read moreOT, great full window views of street, paid parking in front, and both lunch and dinner menus. 5/5 Paul the Great, both Host and Waiter, made me feel right at home explained specials on menu and recommended some great Oakland places to visit. 10/10. Please ask for Paul when you visit. The delicious reasonably priced entrees cooked by the owner/chef included Dominican salad and Pico Pollo served with little wait.5/5. I will definitely visit again!!

We had an absolutely exceptional experience at alaMar Dominican Kitchen in Oakland! From the…read moreincredible food and delicious drinks to the warm, attentive service, everything was truly outstanding to the ambiance and creative decor brought authenticity and warm welcoming . My husband complimented Chef Nelson on the amazing food, and we were so pleasantly surprised when Chef Nelson came out to greet us personally. He was incredibly kind and gracious, and even treated us to a special creation of his own. That personal touch made an already wonderful experience even more memorable. You can truly taste the passion, creativity, and love that goes into every dish. The flavors were incredible, the drinks were fantastic, and the hospitality was top-notch. We're already looking forward to bringing our folks from Brentwood, Pittsburg, and Antioch to alaMar so they can taste and experience it for themselves. Oakland has a real gem here! Thank you, Chef Nelson, and the entire alaMar team, for such an amazing experience. We'll definitely be back!

It's such a struggle to find things I can eat while traveling for work and maintaining keto…read more I have to say you know you messed up when you order food to go and they provide you with 3 sets of cutlery. This place has no business being buried behind in SoFi Market. The ambiance is pretty quiet and dark since it's a small food court with multiple restaurant stalls. Ordered 3 entree platter with a garden salad. Cannot recommend this enough. That's hands down one of the best meals I've had in ages. 10/10 Lechon Vaca Frita Pechuga de Pollo The sauces set it off to 11/10 Ajo Sauce Habanero Ranch Habana Mayo Mojo Sour Cream Portions were huge, quality was good on every bite and service was quick and easy and I got to stuff my face back in my hotel. Win win win win win. If you want big portions with great flavors hit it

Place the order on the kiosk and once it was ready they texted me to pick it up ; they gave me my…read moreCuban sandwich with a side of fried plantains a fork & napkins! The sandwich was delicious and although I didn't interact much the service was very good.

I came here on Friday night with a friend. Staff does a good job checking on us. However, one of…read moretheir recommendations was a huge fail. Amongst the items they recommended was the ribs and chicken combo. Ribs were tender but they were just basic bbq sauce ribs. My friend was disappointed since he expected them to lean on Caribbean flavors. I had the chicken and oxtail combo which included rice and beans, and plantains. Decent size portion with a couple of oxtails, two thighs and drumstick. The proteins were moist and tender, but very under-sauced. The collard greens were tender and velvety! I'd suggest that too. It can get loud. But I think that was mostly because people are compensating when one table is loud.

This was my first time having Caribbean food and it did not disappoint. Everything was flavorful…read moreand cooked so well. First, the plantains were so crisp outside and super soft inside. The sweetness from the plantains paired so well with the savory flavors of the meats. The jerk pork was tender, crisp in some spots, and delicious; the jerk chicken was perfectly cooked, well-roasted on the outside, and not at all dry inside; the oxtail was yummy and so tender. My favorite was definitely the jerk chicken. Then, previous to this plate, I've only had red bean rice, which was soggy rice mixed with red beans, so the seasoning on this rice surprised me, and it tasted so good. Besides the yummy food, the staff at this establishment were super welcoming and generally friendly. I haven't been met with such warm service in a while.

Finally came here this morning and it was a great experience! The worker was suuuper friendly, I…read moregot a mocha frappe and the lomo empanada. The empanada was soooo delicious, and their portions will fill you up! I forgot to get sauce like chimichurry to dip my empanada in as I normally do elsewhere at another empanada shop, but the lomo by itself was very tasty! Super clean, lots of parking, and a lot of people dining in on a Friday morning, and there's always someone ordering food, which is telling on their end! Would come back again!!

I'm giving Big E Cafe three stars mainly because they are CONSTANTLY sold out of the sausage and…read moreegg empanadas. This isn't just a one-time thing--almost every time I come here, they're gone. I usually get there about 11am. Big E is much closer to my house than their sister cafe, BAE, which is why I keep trying to come here instead. But if the sausage and egg empanadas are selling out this consistently, they're clearly one of the more popular items. You would think they'd adjust and stock more of them rather than repeatedly running out. I usually end up driving to BAE anyway, where they actually have them in stock and, in my experience, the presentation is better too. I'd much rather support the location closest to me, but it's frustrating to keep making the trip only to find the same popular item sold out again. Hopefully they start stocking according to demand.

This place makes me want to visit San Mateo just to eat here!…read more I am currently on a very difficult journey to try everything on the menu, but the problem is I keep wanting to reorder the same staples, especially their famous Cubanos. Everything I've tried has been delicious, and the sauces are seriously amazing. They make their own chimichurri sauce, a super spicy habanero sauce, and a creamy white sauce that somehow makes every bite even better. The fresh juices are also worth trying. You can tell they're actually fresh. This spot is flavorful, memorable, and absolutely worth going out of your way for.

Went on a hike nearby and found this place for food afterwards…read more It's a small restaurant with some outdoor seating as well, right on El Camino. The place wasn't very busy . They have a variety of options , including salads, bowls, wraps and sandwiches. They also had multiple customizable options for vegetarians or vegans that included impossible patty, broccoli or veggies . I got the Quesawrap with Maduros ( plantains ) and veggies options. It came with a side salad as well. Unfortunately , they made the wrap with some seafood or meat , the 1st time. Luckily ,I checked before eating and notified the staff. They made a new one for me and comped off some amount from the bill. The staff was very friendly. They also have a bunch of interesting sauces . Would try this place again

You Guava be Kidding Me…read more A bakery and juicery that has been serving up delicious Colombian specialties since 1999 in Colombia, before emigrating to the US and opening up shop here in Cambrian Park in 2014. Milohas (mil hojas) means a thousand layers in Spanish, and one taste of Milohas' pastries will make you understand why they picked that moniker. The Good: * Large shared parking lot * Friendly service * Covered outdoor dining * The crust of the empanadas was buttery, flaky, and delicious. All the fillings were good, but you have to try the Hawaiian filling! It was truly fantastic and had us wishing that's all we'd ordered. * Guava Finger has the same perfect crust and tasty guava jam--I could eat a dozen of these and come back for more. *oink oink* * Carissa really enjoyed their lentil soup. I didn't try it, so I can't comment. The Meh: * I kind of prefer the chunks of meat in Peruvian empanadas to the ground meat in Colombian ones, but that's just a personal preference. It was still delicious, so at the end of the day, it's all academic. The Ugly: * No indoor dining, and outdoor dining is limited to only a handful of seats. Conclusion: We've been on the hunt for the best empanadas in the South Bay, and we finally found them.

Friendly staff. It's not exactly a restaurant like you might expect from the listing/reviews…read more There's no inside seating and very limited outside. It's basically a bakery-like store that has a wonderful selection of Colombian style empanadas and colclos (so?). They also have some delicious looking flans and a few other items. Need to go back and try more. The chicken large empanada and Hawaiian empanada I had were both amazing. Limited beverage selection, unfortunately. Friendly staff and reasonable prices.

I ordered the mofongo supremo with tostones and arroz con gandules, and this meal hit me in a way I…read morewasn't expecting. A few bites in and I was right back at my grandmother's house, eating the kind of food I grew up with a thousand times. It actually brought tears to my eyes. You can taste the care behind what comes out of this kitchen. Parada 22 has real Boricua soul, the atmosphere feels right, and the food speaks for itself. This is what soul food means to me.

This restaurant is wonderful!!!…read more It is located in a very trendy and thrift-heavy neighborhood within San Fran. Very walkable and fun to explore. Would recommend walking to the nearby park after your meal. This food was delish, made with love, and reasonably priced. The plantains alone warrant a return visit!

*was open as of April 2025*…read more This place is a cute rooftop restaurant! Will definitely be back. Really relaxed ambiance, the staff was very attentive, the drinks were good and the food was good. There was one menu item that I would be back for specifically, the pork shoulder. MmmMmM The tortillas here are super thick and sit heavy in your stomach so I was not a fan. Crispy Fish tacos 7/10 Birria tacos 7/10 Potato tacos 7/10 Kale salad 10/10 this was delicious! Comes with big chunks of avocado and every bite was a great bite. Margarita pitcher 8.5/10 Chicharrones and carne 11/10 the pork shoulder was tender and fall off the fork. Had a crisp to it but was full of flavor. The actual chicharrones were not salted and kind of heavy - not like the light and crispy that I'm accustomed to. The beans with this dish were tasty! Will definitely be back.

***Unfiltered Photos***…read more Great location and the ambiance is to die for! Service was great too! From the entrance all the way to the top. Some food we ordered were good, but the chicharrones were amazing! A must visit and could be one of your regular hangout spots too. Will absolutely come back.