Came in on a rainy day looking for a warm home made meal and we were not disappointed. The sopa de res was packed with flavor and chucks of tender beef that melted in your mouth. Nice vegetables a little cilantro on top for freshness. Dang good. We ordered the ropa vieja and that also was super delicious and tender shredded beef. idk what the other reviews are talking about but this was super tasty. The camarones al mojo de ajo were nice and garlicky a d the onions were very good. The platanos were nice as well a good compliment to the dish and the beans were also well cooked and had deep flavor. The flan de coco was also fantastic very decadent and creamy. The coco flakes were a great compliment. A small space with big flavors and good service. read more

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Went there Friday night for the first time, ordered the paella and ropa vieja which is shredded beef with beans and rice. Both were excellent!! Large pieces of fish in the paella. Generous portions. Met the owner Jason who could not have been nicer, served me a glass of wine while I waited. Don't hesitate to go this fabulous restaurant. Cute setting!! Can't wait to try everything on the menu read more

Food was good, service too. Smaller location than Culver City but glad it relocated and finally opened.

The place is a hidden jewel. Great Cuban food! Great prices and they entrees are plentiful. The restaurant is nice and clean inside. Nelson and Ana made sure my food was hot like I like it. Isabel was very friendly and accommodating. read more

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

So excited that El Rincon has chosen our wonderful community of Playa del Rey to reopen their fantastic restaurant. I've only been once (had the ox tail-heavenly) but will return often to work my way thru the menu. Chatted with the owner and his wife - great friendly people - we in Playa are truly blessed to have this wonderful addition to our incredible dining options! Visit them - you will not be disappointed!!!! read more

As a Cuban, I have to say this is the best Cuban sandwich outside of Miami. Very surprised to find this place on accident. read more

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I'm Cuban and cook Cuban food once in a while and I was very impressed with the taste and quality of their food. I definitely recommend it to foodies that are adventurous like we are. read more

I've driven by this place a hundred times in the past few years and never saw it. Wasn't til wifey said, "Let's try that little place by MetaTouch near Braddock on Sepulveda." I'm like; "What place?" And, there it appeared, sitting right there, like some large-scale magic trick. We ordered the staple of The Portuguese Empire; the HALF CHICKEN w/ PLANTAINS, RICE & BEANS. And it was fine. The plantains were the highlight. The rice, beans and chicken were the lowlights. The chicken was on the dry side and the beans didn't quite meet our flavor expectations. Ditto on the presence of garlic...just wasn't quite there. Generous portions - that was on point - but I'd rather have less food with more flavor, if we're balancing things here in the vast food universe. read more

They finally reopened! Was a little nervous that the recipes would have changed but it's exactly the same. It's delicious and I am thrilled that one of my favorite restaurants is back. read more

I've seen El Rincon Criollo on the 3rd party delivery apps. I was finally in the neighborhood and decided to get something for lunch. Opted for the grilled pork chops - 2 fairly large pieces of pork, rice & beans with 2 pieces of plantains. This was delicious, I just wish there were more plantains. I also got the ham croquettes because why not. The croquettes were hot, breaded & crunchy. The ham and cheese filling was warm but not burning and the banana chips that came with it were crunchy, lightly salted. I came close to when they opened so no one was dining at the restaurant yet. There's a few tables outside on their patio and it looked like a couple of tables inside as well. The woman who helped me was friendly, restaurant was clean. I'd order from here again if I was craving Cuban food. read more

El Rincon Criollo - 2 Grilled Pork Chops - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

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this cuban place is a great stop in culver city! the menu provides a lot of options of authentic cuban food. i originally thought it may be overpriced, but the portions were huge so i believe it was reasonably priced. the cubano sandwich and seafood soup were both delicious. really love the banana chips. service was attentive and fast. read more

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For starters , sorry that I didn't take pictures before my friend and I started eating , but everything smelled so good and we were starving since we skipped lunch . So dinner time couldn't come soon enough lol . I've been to this spot several times during the week and it never disappoints. The food has so much flavor and the chicken is never dry . I've been to another Cuban spot and I wasn't impressed and the chicken was dry, even with all the juices on the plate. The ambiance of this lil hole in the wall is super chill, it's not over crowed or loud, it's just right . Their waitresses are very attentive and sweet . They definitely have a customer for life . Next on my list to try are their empanadas. read more

El Rincon Criollo - Chicken breast with rice and beans and grilled onions ... my favorite - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

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The reviews for El Rincon Criollo are so confusing. They are all over the place in terms of the service and food, all extremely subjective. The dishes are not flavorful they say, the service is terrible, the chicken was raw (or dry), blah, blah, blah. So what can you do except just go see for yourself. So that's exactly what we did. It doesn't seem like a very big place from the outside but upon entering it is more than roomy enough and very well lit. In fact, it has a nice open, airy feel to it (especially when they open the back door). The walls are hung with paintings in bright colors of scenes of life in Cuba. We were greeted by a pleasant young woman who encouraged us to sit wherever we liked and soon we had menus and water. The number of menu items is actually a little overwhelming but in a good way. It took us awhile but in the end we finally decided on a Cubano sandwich, Empanadas and the Garlic Roasted chicken. We were served dinner rolls and butter that looked a little like Kings Hawaiian style until I picked one up and noticed that it had a very pleasing heft to it. When our server returned I asked if the rolls were made in house and was extremely pleased to find out that they were. I did not ask but I would assume that the roll for my Cubano was made there also. They are very very good, nice and fluffy with just a hint of yeast. The empanadas came next and were quite visually appealing. Not the very heavy crusted kind, the shell was tender and flaky with a delicious filling. They were accompanied by a flavorful avocado and tomatillo salsa that was simply perfect. The Cubano is as advertised and enormous! The pork and ham were both plentiful and had a very rich flavor. Personally I would have liked a little more mustard and pickles but that's just me. I will ask for it next time. I asked if I could have rice and beans instead of the other options (fries, plantains, fried bananas) and was so glad I did. They were the most sublime pleasure #heaven. The Garlic Roasted chicken was well cooked (definitely not raw or dry. Why do people write these things?) with a nice crunch to the skin. Not as garlicky as we had hoped for but still very good. We later learned that we could have asked for their garlic sauce and we will be sure to do that next time. I had one of the Cuban sodas called Jupiña that had a very sweet pineapple flavor which I enjoyed. And to top things off we finished with their flan. This was very sweet and dense, perhaps from the addition of condensed milk. It was very yummy and I would highly recommend that it be consumed with coffee. To sum things up: The service was extremely good. It seemed very personal and greatly added to the enjoyment of our meal. The food was good, maybe not as flavorful as we might have wanted but I strongly suggest asking for a sauce or some other option. They were most accommodating and I am sure things can be tailored to your personal taste. I am already looking forward to the next time and trying something new. We so often rely much too heavily on reviews. Let's not forget that personal experience is the only thing that really counts;) read more

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This is the best STEAK Cuban in Los Angeles in my opinion. I was really disappointed with the steak Cuban at Havana Mania which was made with steak-um slices and is tiny. Rincon uses real steak and the portion is huge. I love this sandwich. I also love that they put tomatoes and lettuce in the sandwich before they grill it. The result is a nice, piping hot sandwich. I do not know anything about "ham n mustard Cubans" in LA, because I do not care for the overpowering taste of the American mustard. So I cannot speak to that particular sandwich. read more

I first ate here about 6 months ago. I left a good review. I'm here to take it back. I had the same order as last time cuban sandwich and fries. Also added some empanadas the fries were few small ends very old grease. The sandwich has less pork and cost more. The empanadas were average but I really didn't want them I was talked into it when I ask for potato balls . See you in another 6 months for the tie braker. read more

It was very good Cuban food. We got the mojo de ajo shrimp soup and it was great. We live near Downey Ca so we have tried about 3-4 other Cuban spots. But by far this one is my favorite. read more

Always looking for my Caribbean fix and found this place - late lunch and a meeting , nothing spectacular about the place or the food , service was ok - I will say the empanadas were 5 , being that I'm from out of town my mindset always goes to "would I make a special trip back to this place ?" And unfortunately, my answer is no . If I was in the area, I'd definitely go back for an empanada . read more

I've been here over 10x and the flavor and quality of the food never disappoints. The ladies are always nice and welcoming to all customers and you can see that most are families from the neighborhood that visit or order take out often. I prefer here over versailles any day because of the flavor of the food and the intimate casual atmosphere, it feels like your getting a home cooked meal from your grandma kitchen. Garlic Salmon: 4.5/5 Shredded Beef in tomato sauce : 5/5 Garlic Chicken:4.5/5 Tamales: 2.5/5 Yuca: 3/5 Service: great, ladies are so attentive Will return to support the little gem of a restaurant read more

The Bistec Palomilla is a must buy. Also get the habanero salsa and the green salsa! Service was phenomenal and the restaurant has great vibes read more

El Rincon Criollo - Bistec De Palomilla 10/10 so good - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

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Good authentic Cuban food, good atmosphere, good people. What more can you want? We decided to have dinner here this evening and it did not disappoint! The place is clean and the employees are sweet! I got the Cubano sandwich and it was scrumptious! It was big enough that I took half home to finish tomorrow.. it came with a side of sweet delicious plantains I really enjoyed and my husband got the garlic chicken dinner with rice beans and plantains which he really enjoyed. We recommend this place to anyone looking for good food and good service! read more

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

Entering the establishment, lady waiter look at me up and down and barked at me to sit wherever since was only me, I ordered tostones, arroz con pollo and limonada. She dropped some bread in a basket with my lemonade like she don't like to waiter. Tostones are an entry; which supposed to be served and wait for the customer to finish it to bring the main dish. They were brought at almost the same time which didn't give me space to savor my entrée. Arroz con pollo was not nicely prepared, rice with no flavor at all, once I tasted the chicken an "old fridge chicken" taste came out. Y smothered with the garlic aioli from the tostones but there was a piece form the chicken that almost makes me because was pink in the inside. Instead of offering a coffee o dessert she brought me the bill so it wasn't a pleasant experience on service or food. Nicely decorations and awesome music tho. read more

Just opened and wanted to try. Really good and authentic Caribbean food. Will definitely go back.

Super good, Lechon with habenero sauce and a Jupina pineapple soda. Service was quick even with a lot of customers, waitresses super nice and responsive. Definitely coming back here for other tasty dishes. read more

El Rincon Criollo - Lechon almost all gone-ooops late photo - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

Raw chicken, pink and feels raw when you touch it. So disappointing, definitely not eating this. read more

El Rincon Criollo - Pink chicken, the chicken felt half raw to the touch. so disappointed, definitely not eating it. - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

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Empanadas, salmon and lomo Saltado are delicious! Good wine selection and service is excellent. Very relaxing environment! read more

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The good is the taste and quality of the food. The chicken and garlic sauce was good, although the white meat is dry and they do not add enough garlic sauce in my opinion. The rice, beans and plantains tasted good. However, the portions are small for the price. Also the service is goid and workers are nice. I paid $17 for the half chicken combo plate and only got 3 plantains on the side. The beans were a small portion. This could be because it was takeout. They did not put enough garlic sauce on the chicken. I would only come here rarely because of the price. read more

El Rincon Criollo - $17 - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California

Sad that they moved but I know it's gonna be a bigger and more exciting business experience. I'm going to them for 35 years in Culver City and look forward to seeing them again in Playa Del Rey. read more

C'mon, open up already!! I miss el Pollo al Chef, and the Sandwich cubano, and the combinacion, and.... read more

This place is fire. I stumbled upon it by accident and am so happy I did! This is officially my new Cuban spot. The cuban sandwich and chicken sandwich are perfectly garlicky, gooey cheese, and fantasticly marinated. Their fries are shredded in house and the right amount of crisp. This is not a fancy place, but it is delicious!Definitely check it out! read more

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

This is my favorite Authentic Cuban Resturant. The foid is fabulous. I love the deep fried Talapia, rice, beans and plantains. Customer service is good. Atmosphere is really, there are a lot of original Cuban life paintings on the wall, and they are for sale. P.S. don't go there and purchase my favorite paintings. I highly recommend this business. read more

I just tried calling to order a turkey for thanksgiving and I'm so sad to see that this is closed. Omg where do I get a turkey for my family now. This was the best turkey and everyone enjoyed it. Help read more

I have been coming to this restaurant since a child! I don't live near anymore so it was a treat to be able to eat there food!!!! I ordered to go and picked up. I ordered ropa vieja. When I got home and started to eat all I could find was FAT from the meat!!!! Hardly any meat at all!!!!!!!! So EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED!!! Prices went up and food quality and portion went down! I was so disgusted w all the fat I couldn't eat my food at all! Waste of money!!!! Like I said I was extremely disappointed and sad that the restaurant i so loved has come to this... read more

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Bought the paella that comes with a side of like 10 fries and a small container of black beans. The $23.99 portion is enough for two people! Overall, I thought it was kinda bland for a paella. I added siracha after I ate some. A spicy kick always helps :) The black beans, on the other hand..., really well seasoned! Delicious by itself and also helped give the paella more flavor. read more

Disclaimer: We wound up here because Pho Sho was too busy and understaffed and we needed to be at Boulevard Music for an 8 o'clock concert, and El Rincon Criollo was empty and we thought we'd give it a try in spite of the obvious question of why it would be empty at 7 on a Saturday night. So here are my impressions: The place is very clean. We sat near the window despite the bullet hole in the glass. The waiter was pleasant and had a friendly demeanor. We asked about the black bean soup--two of us are vegetarian, one vegan--and were assured it was meatless. A woman seated at the back--I think she was the chef--recommended it. There were two sizes; we asked the waiter how big the large was and he brought a medium-sized bowl, so we ordered two of those. The others liked the look of the salad with shrimp, which looked light and yummy, and included pineapple, which attracted them. We ordered yucca fries and fried plantains, too. And one of us also ordered black beans and rice. The waiter brought the soup in ENORMOUS bowls, not the medium-sized ones he had shown us. (When we expressed surprise, he said he'd only charge us for the small size, and that's what he did.) It was indeed delicious. The yucca fries were good, too. The beans and rice were tasty. The two salads were just meh. Then we realized they were missing the selling ingredient: pineapple! When we mentioned it to the waiter he just smiled and shrugged, no explanation or apology, and no offer to charge less. (I remarked to the others that he's like the guy who says "Sure I'll use a condom!" and then doesn't but he's so cute and it's too late anyway...) We had a lot of food in front of us, so it took a while to notice that the plantains never came. When the waiter came to ask if we needed anything, we mentioned this, and told him we wanted to cancel that order. It was time to go, so we paid the bill and left a smaller tip than we would have had the aforementioned not happened. We should have taken the time to look over the bill more thoroughly: when we arrived at the music venue, we saw that he had charged us for the plantains he never brought! Bottom line: great black bean soup. That's it. read more

I had the pleasure of dining at El Rincon Saturday evening. It's a cute little Cuban restaurant on Sepulveda. The wait staff was so friendly and kept refilling our tea and the amazing fresh mango juice I loved. We had the empanadas to start. Jason, the owner, found out I don't eat beef and he made me a rice and bean one that was out of this world. Our table ordered the shrimp cocktail which was huge and had largest shrimp I had ever seen. The cocktail sauce was some of the tastiest I have ever had. Order this for sure! My entree was the Pina Colada Shrimp. The sauce was light and delicious and the shrimp, cooked to perfection. I can't wait to go back. It wasn't just dinner, it was a Cuban experience. Add this to your dining to do list in LA you will be happy you did. read more

I'm all for supporting small business, but tonight was not a good experience. Service: There were two people inside standing talking to one of the servers. We waited for about 10 minutes until the server finally saw us standing outside...at least she brought us menus. The two people continued to stand inside just talking with the other server...finally after about 15min they left...never ordered anything. Another 10min later...we got our food, but she forgot that we ordered drinks. read more

My husband and I were looking for a local place for authentic Cuban food. We've found it!! The lechón asado is awesome, garlicky and moist. The tostones crispy and top them off with the ceviche The arroz con pollo delicious! The camarones al mojo de ajo amazing. We're here weekly now. Thank you Jason, Isabel and Corina for your friendly service and occasional wine dinners. read more

Online says they are open until 9:30, it was 8 pm when I placed an order through postmates, I called the store because I wanted to ask about something in my order and they told me they were closed. I asked how could that be when their website and google both say 9:30 and postmates let me place an order. I then asked if she could cancel the order on her end because otherwise I will be charged the full amount on postmates to cancel it. She was unable to do to and when I asked to speak to a manager she was also unable to do connect me with one. This is extremely annoying and upsetting, as a business you should have the correct hours listed. read more

Pretty dissatisfied with the food portions. I ordered 2 ox tail plates and it was mostly bone not enough meat and tons of onion, 2 garlic shrimp plates which only had 5 shrimps each and a ton of onions, Seafood Paella(this was good and a big portion) yucca frita (that was good) Tostones (good too) the shredded pork was a decent portion too but flavor was off. White rice and black beans were bland, I love Cuban food and was very disappointed. I will not purchase from here again. read more

I had the pollo asado and flan with coconut. It was very good and I totally loved it. I paid $1 more for the white meat- it was juicy and not dry at all! Excellent flavors in a small, quaint place. The flan was sturdy and super custardy! I loved the juicy coconut on top. If I were to go back, I would probably order the dark meat but the white meat was really good. Cute, small place, nice knowledgeable server was very good too. read more

El Rincon Criollo - MUST ORDER THIS DESSERT! it's the flan with coconut. I crave it from a far now... - Cuban Near Me - Playa Del Rey, California