I really liked the atmosphere (except for the screaming babies, which is the parents fault not the restaurants), I enjoyed the authentic Cuban music also. The arroz con pollo was ok. The Oxtail was quite good and the Pollo al Chef was also very tasty. I really liked the Flan with Coconut!!! The Tres Leches cake was very moist and sweet. They have normal beer and wine selection. They are pricey on their drinks but the food is pretty comparable to other places. read more

Loved it. Don't mess around, go straight for the Pollo Asada. Preferred the platanos maduros (soft & slightly sweet) over the tostones (flattened & fried). Go hungry. The food is salty, pungent, sour and slightly greasy: very satisfying. For me, El Rincon Criollo has a slight edge on Versailles (which I also enjoy). read more

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2.5, but I'm rounding down to 2. Ordered some pick-up this weekend and was pretty "eh" about everything. Shrimps in Garlic Sauce - (Pictured). Came with like 4 pieces of shrimp, 4 times the amount of white rice, and the sauce was super tart and tangy - I don't get it. Paella Valenciana - it's aiite. Portion of seafood is decent, but the paella itself was unexpectedly REALLY dry. Grilled Top Sirloin Steak - Tasty - but somewhat overcooked. Oxtail Sauteed - Probably the only thing I would go back for, if I were in the area. read more

El Rincon Criollo - "Shrimp" in "Garlic" Sauce - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

El Rincón Criollo in Culver City is a small but excellent Cuban restaurant. One of my favorite dishes is Ropa Vieja, this is a delicious Cuban specialty, made with shredded beef that's been cooked for a long time in a tomato and wine sauce, served with white rice and black beans that are out of this world. You also get a couple of pieces of fried plantains, uhmm, so good. I also like their other beef, chicken and seafood dishes which are also excellent. I highly recommend Rincón Criollo for a wonderful, delicious meal. read more

This place is ok food was just ok but the service was good and the owner Jason is great and welcoming.

Had a chance to stop in for dinner here. I had a great meal and a refreshing cocktail. The staff was friendly and attentive. Looking forward to my next visit. read more

El Rincon Criollo - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

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Let me start with saying that we have been going to this restaurant for over 6 years now, there was a stretch where we would go once a week because we enjoyed the food so much. This is not a review to bash this place, its more like an observation post. Well, last night the family and I invited our sons friend and his dad (their first time) to join us. There was no one inside the restaurant and a party of 6-7 sitting outside, we placed our order and waited about 40 minutes for our food. I asked whom I believe is the new owner (american guy) if they hired new cooks and what was the hold up, I told him in the past when there were 4 tables in the restaurant at the same time we have never waited that long. I didn't make a big deal out of it, I was just looking for an explanation. The owner apologized and offered us complementary drinks, wine etc... I kindly replied with that is not necessary. We finally got our food and the kids orders were not right, SMH. The owner asked if we liked Flan, he basically offered us Flan because of the mistake and I kindly replied with that is not necessary. 3 of us get our food, 2 Ropa Vieja and I ordered Bistec De Pollomia I think this is how its spelled. Anyways we sit there another 10min waiting for the kids chicken strips and my wife's Carne con Papas, finally we all have our food and we start eating. My son says right away Dad my chicken taste weird, then I remember him saying this on our previous visit as well. Okay so here is what I am really writing this review for, I know that business's do budget cuts and I totally get it. But in the restaurant business you cannot cut corners because the customer that has been going there for a long time will notice the changes. Again I am not complaining, just an observation that hopefully the owner fixes. My observations: The plates are round and not oval anymore. That means you are getting less and for the price you pay its not worth it, I left still hungry and I don't even eat a lot. The french fries are different as well. My message to the owner: if its not broke don't fix it. Last nights experience was a little disappointing so we will be giving it a break and not returning for a while, we live in Santa Monica and will now be making the trek over to Mambo's Cafe in Glendale to get cuban food. read more

My rating 5 (Highest) 0 (Lowest) Chicken tamale - 2 Garlic 1/2 chicken w/ rice, beans and 2 plantains - 3 Guanábana milk smoothie - 5 Customer Service - 5 Atmosphere- 3 read more

Great lunch. Wide variety of Cuban food. Casual environment for lunch. Pork sandwich. Metered parking. read more

El Rincon Criollo - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

Overall the food was tasty with a few exceptions. Ambience was exceptional, wait staff was pleasant and attentive. The Latin infused music playing on the patio added greatly to the enjoyment. Prices were acceptable as well. Dinner for two plus coffee totaled$42...not bad at all. We'll give them another try. read more

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Great classic cuban food (this is coming from an actual cuban born x raised in Miami)

I've been coming here for years and in the recent year the place has really gone downhill. This use to be my favorite Cuban spot but I don't think I'll be coming back. There is just one waitress who is taking both online orders and seating people. She seems very overwhelmed, which I'm sure is not her fault but they need to have someone else working with her. Took her a while to get our food order, and then finally got our food after about 25mins. The rice and beans were cold. My boyfriends chicken was raw and my salmon was over cooked. read more

Best Caribbean food in LA. The place is super cute and Cuban themed. The servers are so sweet and the food is bombbbbb. I honestly come like once a week. Can't go wrong! Xoxo read more

We had shrimps w garlic sauce and grilled halibut from the seafood menu. There's only 5 shrimps in the whole dish, although the shrimps were pretty fresh, they were too cooked. My halibut was a huge piece, but a bit too salty and over-cooked as well. The garlic sauce was really nice because it made the rice taste good. The fried plantain that came with the dish was really greasy and luke-warm, eh ! They have some free bread before we ordered, it was fresh and home-made, but it tasted just OK. Maybe their chicken & pork dishes are better, since that's all the pictures I can see on this restaurant. So maybe we just didn't pick the right thing. read more

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My favorite spot in LA! Whenever I'm in town I ALWAYS stop by and pick up garlic quarter chicken dish!! The flavor is on point!! I even buy containers and pack it to bring back to Seattle!! That's how much I love this place! read more

El Rincon Criollo - Yum. Garlic chicken with beans and rice - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

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Paella Valenciana a must. And I thought only my grandma made it this good. Cuban Menu good. But some of the food tasted and looked as if from a Nicaraguan menu. I like both so a would come here again. read more

The closest I've ever been to Cuba is South Beach Miami but I Make the drive from studio city to this joint regularly. EVERYTHING on the menu from the Guanabana shakes, fried yucca, roasted pork, mojo de ajo, platanos fritas, to the bistek pollo de empanizado is delicious. Hell, even their black beans & rice is superb. Makes Versailles taste like dog food in comparison. Absolutely delectable and consistent. read more

This review is coming from someone who is from cuban descent and recently visited LA. I've been searching for Cuban food to have and been unsuccessful in finding a good restaurant. I was excited reading the menu and placed my order online which was easy and accommodating. However, when I got into the restaurant to pick up my food I was iffy about my food. For starters I asked if they had swizz cheese to replace the American cheese they had and they did not. Cuban sandwiches are made with swizz cheese not American. So that was my flag to go but I wanted to give the establishment a try. So I got home and opened the sandwiches which was pan con lechon (roast pork sandwich) and pan con bistec (steak sandwich). I can't begin to tell you the smell of oil used for the food it reeked. It was impossible for me to finish my food yet even look at it. The steak tasted bland and the lechon tasted a bit better however still wouldn't recommend it. In addition, to my orders I even asked for a side of mojito and let me tell you that wasn't mojito. I will not be returning and I would not recommend it either. read more

Amazing food!! Try the halibut soup as an app. Number one plate the tongue is amazing!!!! Try the cubano sandwich too!!! read more

I'm Cuban. My mom knows how to cook Cuban food,and my grandmother taught her. There are not too many decent Cuban restaurants in L.A. to begin with, but this place by far is the worse Cuban food in the area. It's really bad. I have tried it several times because I meet up with friends every week,and this was a place that they go to sometimes. I have a upset stomach now because I had the bistec empanizado, and it was cook in old oil and it was horrible. They actually used Salvadorian quesadilla for bread once! I like it,but this is suppose to be a Cuban restaurant. The owner should have some pride and serve good fresh food. It's not cheap either. Good luck, not going to give it another try. read more

The food here is pretty good. I usually get the chicken sandwich and my wife's likes the fish soup and empanadas. A little longer than usual wait times for take out.. but good Cuban food nonetheless! read more

Closed for dine in right now, but we got some take out. I got the tongue and my fiancé got the Cuban sandwich. Delicious!! The hot sauce puts the food over the top. Really happy we decided to finally give this place a try. Good service too, the lady was nice. Didn't have to wait long, maybe 10 minutes for our food. read more

Been coming here for over 15 years. Hands down the best cuban food in the Los Angeles area.

Excellent service, great food. Pollo al chef is my weapon of choice. Perfectly seasoned and juicy, light on the grease. Flan de coco, excellent. Best yucca Frita fried with olive oil. read more

El Rincon Criollo - Pollo al chef - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

It's easy to miss this delightful, comfortable, pocket hidden on Sepulveda, but if you're lucky to slow down in life to find it, you're in for a treat. Leti was my server: she was kind, offered great suggestions, and made me feel at home during these awful COVID times. I originally ordered to go, but the place was so homey I enjoyed a few bites on the patio. My first bite into the arroz con pollo literally blew my mind. The yellow rice was surging with rich, authentic flavors and the chicken was cooked so perfectly it hardly could stay on the bone. The house made habanero chili sauce was absolutely out of this world. Please support this business; not only are they incredibly authentic and flavorful, but the service is unmatched. read more

Great place. Their chicken with the garlic is tasty. What you would expect from a Cuban restaurant. Overall clean and the servers are nice! read more

Best Cuban food on the Westside. Its a hidden gem, the service is fantastic AND they deliver! We order frequently and we are never disappointed. I recommend the Lechon. Better than Versailles. read more

After reading mixed reviews about this restaurant, I decided to give it a try anyways. I ordered the Cuban Sandwich to go. The sandwich was huge and the meat was cooked well. It wasn't soggy and it wasn't too dry. However, it seemed like something was missing. Perhaps it needed more pickles and mustard. I'm not really sure. Bottom line, the flavor really wasn't there. It just tasted like meat and bread. Although my sandwich was lacking, the customer service was good. The staff was polite, friendly, and offered me water while I waited for my food. read more

Delicious, down-home Cuban cooking. You'll feel like you're in some little old Cuban lady's dining room. The arroz con pollo is everything. The fried pork is definitely worth the price of admission. Ask for extra plantains in advance so you won't be disappointed... I'm just sayin. read more

Every time we come here the servers are sooo rude. We continue to come for the food but wow, we are so ready to just give up on this place. The servers are just clueless to social skills and how to talk to customers. This place could be doing so much better if they learned how to talk to people and be polite. I don't recommend this place because of the staff. The food is decent. But the staff just ruin it for us each time. read more

A really laid-back/home-y restaurant. The ambiance of the restaurant is very eclectic but in a hole-in-the-wall kind of way. Note: I came on a weekday during lunch (definitely not a peak time) and the quiet and relaxed vibe of the restaurant was appreciated during a busy work week. I got the 1/2 Garlic Roasted Chicken - 1/2 Pollo Asado plate ($13.95) and serving size could be for 2 people. I enjoyed all the seasoning in the dish, but needed to add their homemade hot sauce to add a little kick of flavour that completed it. Complementary bread and butter was served while waiting for your meal to come. Service was standard and I would definitely recommend this place if you want to get the most bang for your buck for some Cuban food! Other things to note: -street parking read more

It was good but the price I believe that is a little too high even though gas prices and everything is going up is a little too much but is nice if you want to feel a little Colombian love their decorating on walls read more

Best Cuban food I have ever had in Los Angeles. Will be coming back for sure !!! I really recommend this place

I'm honestly not the type of person to leave yelp reviews. But this place is AMAZING. I absolutely love the favors. I'm a huge garlic and onion fan being Puerto Rican. This reminds me of my grandmas house. Only issue was the small portion of plantiains for a big plate. Will definitely order again! read more

Great food. Friendly staff. They were following strict CDC guidelines when me and my family ate there. We were very comfortable. I would highly recommend. read more

I just moved to the area and was so excited to try this authentic cuban joint. I'm giving 2 stars because the service was good but the meal started off with a stale dinner roll and the oxtail was the worst I've ever had. The rice was even under cooked or just dried out. I'm pretty bummed as I thought this would be a nice stomping ground. read more

I have lived in Los Angeles 20 years and this is one the best restaurant i have ate... but definitely the best Cuban period! There rice and and beans is to to die for! There fries plantains are just godly! I absolutely recommend it to any one looking authentic carribean meal! read more

So good I had to dock a star for my previous writeup on Versailles. I will refrain from any sexual innuendos I may align with the food, due to our employer's mandatory online sexual harassment training running concurrently with this review. First thing's first. Being greeted by a cute, um, cheery employee with an alluring, er friendly smile is already a plus over the no-frills dudes at Versailles. She suggests several recommendations to John W. and me, as we peruse the take-out menu. The combo chicken and pork, oh, pig sounded delectable... but it's too close to the basic dish everyone gets from their Venice Blvd. competitor. John orders the chicken breast, wait... the upper ventral mammary gland region (go wiki!), but I ask for something a little more freaky, I mean, weird. The girl offers the lomo saltado, the chicken/rice and oxtail, er I mean oxhind... I've had it all before, so I decide to go with her original suggestion. Why not compare the standard dish to Versailles' most popular? While waiting for our orders, we see our guide whipping, no, blending a coconut, wait a sec... a cocos nucifera shake for two other customers. John can't resist, so he sticks it- wait, that's real bad... I mean he adds it to his meal. She darts her sparkling, strike that, radiant eyes towards me and asks, "You sure you don't want one too?" It's super tempting, but I've gotta stick (whoops), I mean stay with my agua during this salt-infused meal. She didn't flinch... Instead she makes John's drink and gives me the remaining shake in its own glass. A free shake! Like a criminal mastermind, she had planned this accordingly... the cocos nucifera shake sold me on future purchases. Back at my apartment, we opened our food. Bar none, this place is heads and shoulders above the more popular (and closer) Versailles. The garlic sauce is bold and the chicken's skin is much tastier and crispier than Versailles. The chicken falls off the bone, er calcified connective tissue! The pig doesn't seem to be as soggy and drenched as Versailles'... I sometimes think the lechon dominates the meat at V's. Here, the meat speaks for itself. The onions are more caramelized than the rawer ones found at V's. These onions elevate, instead of define, the pig. I also highly recommend the Arroz con Pollo (if you're really hungry, ask for half a chicken instead of 1/4)... mouth-watering dish incorporating yellow, saffron-infused rice with garlic and peppers. You get a few less plantains than that other place, but I'm telling you- they're ridiculously tastier. You can see the sweat glistening from each yellow... no, must resist continuing this thought. To cap it off, I actually looked forward to each bite of black beans and rice. Honestly, whenever I eat Versailles' moro it's a chore- it's way too thick and pasty. At El Rincon's, chunks of green pepper are mixed in with the beans. On top of the lighter rice, this place does it right. So what does all this mean? It means I can't take this self-monitoring of words anymore! Stop contributing to that gang-bang of a line in front of Versailles. Blow your wad at Criollo. Eat out until your inner-lesbian cums full circle. At El Rincon, every visit concludes with a happy ending! read more

Forget about the cheesy plastic lobsters hanging from the nets on the ceiling (which btw, I liked), or the lack of parking spots, or the nonchalant service from the rather bored wait staff (which btw, I found laughable considering how teeny this spot is), just come here for the ARROZ CON POLLO, an incredibly comforting savory dish they do so much better than Versailles. Yes, I said it, and I'd say it again! I'll even add this: El Rincon Criollo's food is actually slightly better than the behemoth chain that everyone and their mother go to for Cuban comfort food. They understand subtlety here and don't drown their roast chicken in too much garlic sauce (when you have to pour a portion of your sauce onto another plate, it's overkill) or too much raw onions (I end up giving half of them to my onion-obsessed hubster). The chicken portions come in 1/4 and 1/2 sizes, and you can choose white or dark meat. The onions atop the meat are also cooked well. Even the fruit shakes are better. I had mango but coveted my friend's papaya choice. And they have a rather extensive menu at really cheap prices. One complaint (specifically from my papaya-drinking girlfriend) is that they don't give you enough plantains on your combo plate. Two is stingy. Seriously, that's the easiest item to make and it's the tastiest part of the dish! Other than that, El Rincon Criollo, please dust off your lobsters, wake up your waitresses, and bring out the plaintains, cuz I'M COMING BACK . . . and I'm bringing the hubster, who is perhaps even more discerning than I when it comes to Cuban food. read more

I promised myself that I would never cheat on the Versailles garlic chicken. Initially, I was going to order the lechon asado (shredded pork in garlic sauce). But then after talking to the waitress and having expressed my love for the chicken, she instantly told me about the combination plate that included lechon and roasted chicken. Do I dare? I asked myself. Will it hurt, even though it's only 1/4 chicken and not half like at Versailles? Will Versailles ever find out? Can I play it off? Pretend like it never happened? "I'll have the the combo plate." Damn! Who said that? It was delicious. The chicken was very crispy and the lechon was all tangy & tender. HELL YES! Give me more!! "Sunny D. do you want some?" "Sure," she says. Damn, I hope she doesn't take that big chunk that I have my heart set on. Ok, good girl! She got the little piece at the end! CAUTION: this plate is for extreme garlic and lemon lovers only. Next time I'll try the oxtail. The waitress strongly recommended it. Does size matter to you? If it does, and you are used to Versailles' huge portions, you'll probably be disappointed when you see the tiny cup of black beans and the TWO, yes, two pieces of platanos fritos (fried plantains). That was fine by me. I can only have about two pieces before it gets too sweet for me anyway. Sunny mentioned that the plantains are better here than at Versailles. I concur. They were more glazed and with a softer consistency. And to give credit, where it's due, even though the portions were a bit smaller, I still didn't finish half of it. Yay, lunch for tomorrow. After going back and forth about dessert, Sunny and I finally convinced each other to split an order of guava shells & cream cheese. All was well until I put that cheese in my mouth. Mama did not like! But I think it's because I don't really have a sweet tooth. Sunny and my other friend really liked it. We came to the conclusion that my salty taste buds overrule my sweet ones. Had they served guava with lemon and tapatio, I'd have been all over that sucker. Speaking of which, they do have tapatio available for the mighty mighty faithful. We loved El Rincon Criollo. It provided us with the perfect outside dinner to chat about new/old jobs, new/old boys, new/old memories and of course plan those upcoming beach days on this beautiful, first day of summer. read more