I was a Versailles customer until one of the servers pissed my friend Hope & I .... I came here to dinner wit my little sister. I had Garlic chicken it was delicious.. I loved it better then Versailles Y La Ropa Vieja was great as well. We loved the hot sauce and the plantains. read more

My Bf is a big big fan of their cuban coffee. Strong and Sweet....the way he likes his women! ha! I usually order the oxtail. You can't go wrong with this dish. Its always consistent. I've ordered it 10 times now. The cuban sandwich is great the lengua dish is amazing. Ask for a side of the hot sauce. It has a very nice kick to it. read more

I just love it here. Cuban has got to be one of my favorite cuisines - if not THE FAVORITE. Every time i dine here i am reminded of that. It's quaint and authentic - art from Cuban artists for sale on the walls. It's a small place but there's seating inside and out. Great service, big menu, and WONDERFULLY prepared and seasoned food. My only problems here are what to choose and how not to eat TOO MUCH! Fair prices, not nearly as crowded as other local Cuban spots and in my opinion ...just a bit more FLAVORFUL. El Rincon Criollo is easily in my top 5 favorite restaurants because i feel so at home here and i'm not even Cuban! Try it one afternoon or evening soon - i think you'll love it :) read more

Came back to use my Groupon the other night (is that why it's way more crowded now?) and felt that my review needed to be upped. The food is legit. They have mamey shakes there, which my bf swears by. Had the Colombian style steak, which was pretty bomb - it's like a thin sirloin stewed in a tomato sauce with onions and peppers. Still only got two plantain nuggets though. read more

This place has been here forever, and the menu reflects that. I haven't seen it change more than once in ten years! Ouch. A little pricey for what they offer, and there are so many good places to eat in the neighborhood. The chef's special is a pretty solid. They have some of the best plantains in town. read more

We tried their oxtail and roasted pork, both were good, very tasty. Their coconut water with rum was good, just bit pricey. A place worth to try. read more

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I was having a hellish day until I came here and had a very tasty lunch! I felt so much better as soon as I got my food. I had the Pulled Pork with Rice and Black Beans, and some Plantains....yum! I'll definitely be back for more. PS-They also have some great artwork on the walls from Cuban artists. read more

The place was very comfy. We sat outside, and we were able to have a conversation. The mojitos were great, not too sweet. The food was delicious. We went on a Saturday. read more

I'm not sure how much of the menu tastes. Out of the hundreds of time's I've been here. I've been very consistent with ordering the Cuban Roasted Chicken. So.. Order the Cuban Roasted 1/2 Chicken. Pour on the homemade hot sauce. Enjoy the BEST Cuban Roasted Chicken in Los Angeles. Take home the leftovers to savor for another meal. read more

Exactly 45% of my sandwich actually had meat in it. Received 1/3 the portion of fries you'd expect, half of which were thin and burnt. On my way out, they almost forgot to include my coke which I had to ask for again. Food is OKAY but I won't give more than 1 star for holding back on half my meal. read more

My favorite Cuban food in LA. The ropa vieja is delicious! It's small space along Sepulveda. You've probably passed it and never noticed it. The service is friendly and the food top notch. read more

The rum coconut (literally in a coconut) is delicious. The food is okay. I had the halibut and it was very fishy and overcooked. My friend's oxtail looked tender and delicious, though. The rice and beans and plantains all do the trick. Cute little place. read more

I have been here at least 5 times now. It is really a hit and miss with the quality of the food and what kind of service you will receive. My wife and I ordered the chicken and pork combo. First of all the pork was such a small amount (but it was good) that I could barely see it. The chicken was dry and lacked flavor. The cooked bananas should have been hotter. So basically it was not that good. The server was nice but it was impossible to get her attention. Not sure if I will be back. read more

Service can be hit or miss, but the food is tasty. They recently raised thier prices and made the portions a little smaller, which isn't great. The food is tasty enough to go back, and the location is convenient enough to bring a guest or two. read more

Don't Order the Beef Cocido, you won't get any Beef. The portions are small for the money, but then again this is West LA, the land were the prices are high and portions are small. The quality and taste of the food is actually really, really good, but Latinos are used to Real Platos, not the West LA idea of food service. The Beer and Latin Sodas are Bomb and the service is polite and professional. Maybe they can blow up by serving real Latino servings and let the locals get a real good taste of Cuban. read more

The first time I ate here, I loved it and couldn't wait to come back.. every time I came after that, I liked it less and less. The black beans are REALLY flavorful and cooked to perfection, as are the plantains and rice. But the dishes all get kind of boring after awhile and the flavors start tasting the same from dish to dish. They do have a pretty good shrimp cocktail... BUT the last time I went there, I ordered it and it is SUPPOSED to come with avocados and it didn't. We asked the server to give us some avocado on the side since the cocktail didn't have any in it as it usually does. At the end of the meal, the bill came back with a $3.25 charge for the half an avocado she gave that was supposed to be there in the first place! Bottom line... since the food is just mediocre and after being charged three bucks extra for part of an avocado that was supposed to already be in the dish, I have never returned and am looking for a better Cuban spot to get my black beans and rice... any suggestions? read more

Not like Versailles... their signatured sauce is like mayo with catsup. Their dishes is not really seasoned well. I do like their mojito and their tres leches but that's it. read more

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The food is awesome, authentic and the staff is very sweet. Started going here just before the pandemic and still show up all the time.

I had my bridal shower at this restaurant. We had an amazing time. The food and service were great. The atmosphere was amazing. The goal was to capture Cuba because our honeymoon is there and that goal was accomplished. read more

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I never noticed this place before until dropping by here with some friends. I first noticed that they had a few drinking deals advertised- which is good for those who like to drink but often indicates lackluster food. I like the decor with the paintings for sale filling the wall, I can see myself just going thee to look at the artwork. Fortunately my lengua guisada proved otherwise, with the meat going well with the tomato sauce. I can see why they I push their liquor though as I didn't care for their mixed fruit juice much, but admit it could have just been poor flavor choice. From looking around my own and my companions' plates I noticed they use grilled onions a lot to add seasoning. I like! onions are one of those things that can really top off a dish but are often used wrong. I'm going to have to come back just to get some pork leg. One thing though-I wish they gave us more bread before the meal- I admit one a piece for a guy like me is a bit disappointing. read more

Came here on a Wednesday night around 6pm with a friend to use my Groupon, which gives us a choice of any appetizer, any two entrees, and any two beverages. Metered parking looked full on Sepulveda, however, free street parking was easy to find as we turned onto Barman Ave. right past the restaurant. For our appetizer, we ordered the Shrimp Cocktail. It was kind of meh and nothing special. The sauce was a bit too watery and the shrimps were very bland. For our two entrees, I ordered the Paella Valenciana and my friend ordered the Chicken and Pork Combo. The Paella Valenciana was just edible... which isn't good at all since it's normally priced at $18.95 and the most expensive item on the menu. The portion is big, but not a lot of seafood inside. And their definition of seafood is a few shrimps, random tiny crab leg pieces, and some CHICKEN. It's mostly just a big bowl of yellow rice and super bland. No clams, no mussels, no squid... and they dare call it "A seafood lover's dream" on the menu! My friend had slightly better luck with his food... the pork was good, however, the chicken was way too dry. For drinks we both got the Mamey shake after reading good things about it here on yelp. I did like the shake which saved this place from getting one star. Groupon together with tax and tip came out to about $30 which still wasn't really worth it for the quality of the food we got. Can't imagine paying full price. Versailles is WAY better! read more

I want to give this place 3.5 stars, but since it's super cute I rounded up. The walls are colorful and the decor is fun. I came here around 8pm on a Saturday night with two of my girlfriends and had to wait less than 5 minutes for a table. The three of us decided to split the garlic shrimp, shredded beef, and chef special chicken. All three came with white rice, black beans, and two smallish fried plantains. I LOVE plantains so I wish they had given a few more, but they were good, so I was satisfied. I thought they could have spiced the rice, but I'm not familiar enough with Cuban food to know if plain white rice is normal. As for the meats, the shredded beef was definitely the best. The shrimp was good but there were only 5 shrimps in the dish which seemed like too few (esp since we were splitting). We also ordered a liter of sangria. There was no fruit in it and it tasted more like juice, so next time I would definitely skip it and try the crazy coconut drinks that other people had. Overall it was a nice dinner. Not my favorite Cuban restaurant, but it did the job! read more

Came in on a Friday afternoon with my family. I had the Ropa Vieja for the first time ever, since it's always recommended to me by others. The food was delicious; the beans and platanos were on point, and my picky kids actually devoured their plates. It was a bit pricy but the service was great and my kids enjoyed it, I'm def coming back! read more

Came in on Friday night excited to finally try this Cuban hole in the wall. Every thing was great until we got our food! Excited to try my meal i take my first bite of black beans with white rice! To my surprise i almost choked when i suddenly spit out my food into a napkin. Once i looked to what i spit out it happen to be a piece of swirly metal which looks to be from a opened can. I immediately got the waitress attention and told her of my incident and even showed her the piece of metal. She didn't even apologize or look surprised as she said let me take this to the back to see what it's form! She came back about 10 min later literally!!! When she came back she said I'm sorry but it "might of" been from the rice when opening and just said I'm sorry. She didn't even ask if I was ok or to replace my meal. That's honestly the least she could of done is replace my metal tainted meal. At that point i didn't even feel like finishing afraid that other shards of metal would be in it. I am not the complaining type but when it comes to something that can damage your health i will take the time to post and let it be know BEWARE when eating here especially the chicken plate. read more

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

This restaurant is a hidden gem. Amongst the best Cuban food I've had! Or for that matter some of the best food I've had anywhere in LA. Sometimes the best gifts come in the most unassuming packages. I must've passed this place 100 times before I went in. The atmosphere is simple, The chairs and tables very utilitarian, There are paintings on the wall depicting Cuban culture in an authentic and tongue in cheek way. Every table has a wine bottle with a 1970's theme on the label. There's just something comforting about that down-home neighborhood vibe. I had the pleasure of meeting the owner, Jason, a career chef who always loved this restaurant and decided to buy it rather than let it go extinct. He had the good sense to keep the original chef on. One thing about about Cuban food is it can be very heavy handed with a lemon and garlic. The dishes prepared here found the perfect balance. The yucca fries are to die for. Made fresh with a garlic lemon dipping sauce. Every dish I've tried so far is exceptional. Amongst my favorites are the lengua, if you don't know what it is, don't be alarmed, just order it. Another favorite, the chefs special chicken, the oxtail, the fried chunks of pork, One of the best Cuban sandwiches I've ever had. They even make their own hot sauce which is exceptional, but you have to ask for it. Jason hand picks a fine selection of wines. There's a lot of love and pride in this restaurant. read more

I have a soft spot for this place since I've been eating here since my infancy. I either order the ropa vieja, palomilla or pollo asado. I don't even both with the lechon asado because it can't touch the lechon that we eat in Puerto Rico or made by family. It's good comfort food. The place is cozy and reminds me of home. Each meal comes with rice, black beans and some plantains. I will also order a side order of fried yucca because...srsly, you can't go wrong with fried yucca. This restaurant also makes a great roast turkey for Thanksgiving. It comes with the garlic sauce and onions. we had it once and it was a hit. read more

Just ate here for lunch. I had the oxtail and it was really tender and tasty! The papaya shake I had was also super delish! My friend ordered the lomo saltado and said it wasn't anything special, he's had better. I liked my food and actually would have loved to try the flan de coco if I wasn't so full! read more

Awww man! I just found this place the weekend before I moved from the area. I'm bummed now.... Anyways, the food here is awesome. I find it to be much better than Versailles. The Ropa Vieja tasted like a very comforting beef stew, my favorite! Also, the Sopa de Res was great. I like the subtle cilantro flavor. I'd also recommend the Pierna Asada if you're in the mood for pork. Nicely roasted with savory sautéed onions. mmmm They also deliver! Aww man, i miss this place. read more

Versailles usually gets the pub around here, but there's a new kid in town. ERC (The full name is just to awkward for me to say) brings Spanish-Cuban food to the Westside. There beefsteak is smothered in onions. So is their Roast Pork. Entrees come with your standard beens, rice and plantains. Portions are smaller than Versailles. Seating is more limited. The wife and I had a groupon, so it was a pretty good deal. I'd go back. read more

I came here for a late lunch with a friend. The staff was very friendly and accommodating. I decided to get the Ropa Vieja which was good. My friend said her shrimp dish was not as good, but as previously mentioned by other Yelpers, the seafood dishes here are a little lacking. The flan I got for desert was unusually small, but good, not great. The highlight of the meal was the Cuba Libre, very well mixed. This was the first time I came here, and it's good enough that I would come back for another late lunch on the patio. read more

When it came to Cuban food, I used to be an avid patron of Versailles on Venice Blvd....until I found El Rincon Criollo! Can it be classified as a hole in the hole? Yes. Is the atmosphere a little cheesy? Sure. Is the food finger-lickin' good? Definitely! This place has made it on my list of go-to restaurants both for take out and dine-in. It's really a cheap, delicious, authentic cocina that'll fill you up and leave you satisfied. I always get the Lechon Asado, the best Cuban style pork I've ever had, with tender meat and a tangy succulent sauce! And a good Cuban meal is never complete without a serving of those sweet, delicious fried plantains! Yum! read more

YUMMY FOOD! I had the snapper and seasoning on it was PERFECT! Good drinks! I forget what it's called but it comes in a coconut! The people there are very polite and very friendly. read more

I love this little hole in the wall restaurant, and I think they are better than Versailles. Their plantains are very sweet and perfectly cooked, not too soggy, not over cooked. Lechon asado is the best, and they make pretty good mojitos. I've come here a handful of times and I order catering for work pretty often. If you have a big group, they are happy to reserve their tables for you, even though their restaurant is small. read more

I've been coming to this restaurant since I was a little girl. My family absolutely loves this place! Every time I come I order half a chicken with rice and beans and ( even though it comes with platanos ) an extra side of platanos ( plantains) DELICIOUS read more

El Rincon Criollo - Amazing ! Best thing in the world - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

I found this gem a few weeks ago when I tried out the nasty pho place down the block. My friend and I got the same thing; Ropa Vieja (shredded beef in tomato sauce and onions). I have to say that the Ropa Vieja here has been the best I've had in the various Cuban spots I've tried in LA. It's even better than the one I had in Miami Beach (Puerto Sagua Restaurant). The beef was sooooo good and flavored just right. It comes with a side of white rice, black beans and maduros (sweet plantains). My only small complaint is that we only got two slices of maduros haha... My friend and I sat in the patio area which was pretty cool. It had a cozy, island-ish feel to it. The service was good. The waitress did not look friendly and was not social but she was very attentive. As long as you get my order right and you check on us periodically to make sure we don't need anything else, it's all good. I plan to come back to try some other dishes. Hopefully they're as good as the Ropa Vieja :) read more

Had lunch here based on the recommendations on yelp. My first choice at a Cuban restaurant is the Carne con Papas. They had it, so that's what I ordered. It was unremarkable. Not much flavor. This dish is far tastier over at Versailles. Also ordered tostones. These were fried in oil that was obviously previously used to fry other foods. The Guanabana shake was awesome, but that's also the case at Versailles, so for now Versailles remains my #1 choice for Cuban food. read more

Pulled pork mmmm... This place is good, really good. And that hot sauce.. Now that is some good stuff too. As I started eating my meal that came out really fast, the first few bites were bliss. a good amount of salt and seasoning, the pork moist and tender, the onions are cooked wonderfully. But oh that sauce. Heaven, pure bliss. Oh capsaicin ecstasy. On to dessert.. The "3 leches," not just tres leches, but three leches was okay. Better than most but not the best I've had. Flavor was all there, just needed a different cake recipe, it was a little corn meal'ly. read more

The prices have gone up in the 10 years that I've been going there (which is expected), but the quality of the food has gone down. Versailles is their competitor and hands down Versailles has stolen my business. The last few times I have gone here, the portions have gotten smaller and the chicken is over cooked. However, their fish soup is still delicious and Versailles doesn't have this soup there. Service is very slow as well for it not being so busy. Back in the day I used to eat here once a week because of the quality of food and the prices. Now that has all changed. It's a good place if you would like to dodge the wait at Versailles, and have a quieter meal. read more

Once again! Best cuban food! I was going for a no carbs day and we ended up here. I ordered the Grilled Halibut which was served with two halibut filets, rice, black beans, and fried plantains. I took one taste of the rice and remembered how much I love their rice. I ordered an extra side of rice! We also ordered the grilled chicken. The drinks here are potent. You can only have one. We ordered the Mai Tais and glad there was no fire close cause those drinks were flammable. I also had to have two orange Jarritos to help combat the festivities from tne night before. We love this spot. This is comfort food you can't stop eating! read more

I want to like this place more -- its local, the folks are nice, and its Cuban food, what's not to like? Truth be told, we've had better, and definitely for the price. I was waiting to come back a second time and give it another shot, but unfortunately we don't have a single urge to return, even to give it another stab. I ordered the Roast Chicken and my husband ordered the Barbeque Chicken. There was no room inside, where we wanted to sit, so we ordered it to go. When we got home, we opened up two styro boxes and our enthusiasm quickly deflated. The bbq chicken was drenched in very ordinary bbq sauce. The rice was mediocre and there were 2-3 plantain pieces. The beans were fine, but nothing outstanding. My roast chicken was incredibly dry, same portions on the rice and the beans. If I'm looking for chicken, beans,rice and plantains, I'll be giving my business to Versailles, where the product has been consistently delicious over the years. I can respect that its such a beloved restaurant as evidenced by the reviews here as well as the crowd upon our arrival but our experience was less than average as far as the actual meal as concerned. read more