The old adage is true, don't judge a book by its cover or in this case, the exterior of a restaurant. The parking lot may be unkept and the exterior a tad rough, but once inside the sounds and smell let you know the food is going to be amazing. We stopped for dinner on our way to the zoo, and we were pleasantly surprised. The menu is simple and authentic. The plantains were cooked perfectly, a little char was the perfect balance to the sweetness, likely the best in the area. I also had the vegan empanadas, don't let vegan fool you, it was rich in flavor and the potato exterior was incredible. I had to force myself to stop eating so I could have leftovers. And the cabbage slaw was sweet, hot and grilled. You can place an order to go at the counter or eat in house with table service, the choice is yours. We will definitely be back. read more

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All the food is amazing, I dont care what you get its all . I love the chicken and cheese puposa, tacos are good, also. THEY DONT MISS! I see all walks of life in the restaurant. It really is a hidden gem I give it read more

This place is truly a hidden gem in Old Brooklyn. The quality of both the food and service is outstanding. Everything I've tried has been delicious, and Cynthia always provides exceptional service that makes every visit even better. I come here at least once a week, whether for dine-in or takeout, and the prices are very reasonable for the quality you receive. I originally discovered this spot because I enjoy exploring different restaurants. My boyfriend, who has lived in the area for the past eight years, was initially skeptical, but after I convinced him to try it, it quickly became one of our favorite places. read more

Went to the old neighborhood as had an event to go to at the zoo tonight. Found El Rincocito in Yelp. And Holy Flavor explosion!!! Sooooo good! The place looks a little divey from the outside but DO NOT let that detour you. Service was excellent. Food was 10/10. Plantains, tacos, pupusas, and just all around good ness. If you like Latin American food. Try here! read more

My friend and I shared an order of ganachas and two pupusas and it was a lot of food for two people! I loved that both dishes came with some pickled cabbage salad thing, very flavorful and the acidity of that cabbage balanced the carb and meat very well. The prices here are so good for the size they give you. I highly recommend coming here! We were too full for dessert, but next time I come I will save room for the tres leches and flan! read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - Garnachas - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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El Rinconcito offers CHEAP Guatemalan food, served in good sized portions in a heavily Hispanic neighborhood near the heart of Cleveland. I went with a large group for lunch on Sunday and we were all taken care of very fast and the food was served hot. Most of my group got the sampler so they could try a variety of items, but I got the cubano sandwich with yuca fries and a side of chicken + cheese puposa to go. I can't help it - if a Cubano is offered, I have to get it! The bread was delicious and had a buttery, crispy texture and the ham/pork/cheese/mustard combo was a delight in every bite! The yuca fries were a bit dry and hard. Not my favorite yuca fries I've ever had. But anyway - All this for under $20? What a steal! read more

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Came here last year for Cleveland Taco Week and did not have the best experience. I love the vibe and what they are doing at this old fast food building, but the meal experience did not live up to the hype. We ordered a basket of chips along with salsa and guacamole and then a bunch of tacos (beef, pork, chicken). The salsa was thick and very onion forward tasting, the gauc was creamy and we liked the chips. Our tacos lacked seasoning on the grilled meats themselves which led to our disappointment. I did finish the meal with a flan that was creamy but was missing all the syrupy goodness that usually comes with the dish. Hoping it was just an off night for them and we can give 'em another go to see what so many others feel is a great restaurant. read more

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I recently discovered this authentic Guatemalan restaurant. Visiting El Rinconcito Chapin is like traveling to Latin America without leaving CLE. You know, good hearty meal and warm hospitality. My order included the following: - House Specialty (Especialidad de la Casa): Lomo de Puerco - $13. It is pork stir fried with adobo sauce and onions. Sides include plantains, rice, and pitas. There was a bit too much sauce but the meat was flavorful and very good. Plantains were considerably better than any that I've tasted at local Latin restaurants. More importantly, they weren't dry or overcooked. For $13, it was a tremendous deal with good amount of food. - Milkshake: I ordered a milkshake as my beverage. It wasn't too milky or thick, tasted more diluted. It wasn't my favorite but I think I expected something more Americanized. It goes more for cultural preference. - Tres Leches topped with whipped cream and caramel drizzle. It was only $3.50! It was the most delicious Tres Leches I've experienced. It was generously topped with milk, was very moist, and flavorful. It's a must try! I finished all of it! The menu is pretty extensive. There are a lot of vegetarian options! All are reasonably priced, so you can have a pretty good multi-course casual dinner without breaking the bank. The restaurant has very humble interior and exterior (with big parking lot). It has many cultural accents that allow you to immerse into the culture such as: - Guatemalan wall decor - Resplendent quetzal in the restaurant logo. It's Guatemalan parrot-looking gorgeous bird. - Guatemalan fun facts in the menu Last and not least, the service is so warm. My waiter checked on me so many times. It was just a very cordial experience, true Latin hospitality. I plan to return soon to experience more menu items! I'm especially excited to try more dessert items. They have flan and seasonal torte! And I'm absolutely ordering another tres leches next time! read more

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El Rinconcito Chapin welcomed our group of 15 with kind, quick, and attentive service! They have a drive up window and plenty of room to sit inside with a ton of natural light. The food was good and I enjoyed trying something new! read more

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There was a large group of us and all of the food came out in a timely manner and our server was PHENOMENAL! I'm not sure how she did it, but she rocked it out! read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - Chapin Sampler - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

The food is excellent and fresh. They employees are very nice and explain everything you need to know

Went with a group of 15 women today to try this restaurant. I had never been before and was very impressed. The staff was very friendly and attentive. I ordered the sample platter to try a little variety of everything. It came with chuchito * dobladitas * mini bean & cheese pupusas * platanos fritos * yuca fries. The food was hot and delicious flavors. If you're looking to try Guatemalan food I highly suggest coming here! I will definitely be back. read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - The Traveling Tastebuds group - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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I wish I could rate this place 0 stars. I rarely leave reviews but could not shake the feeling that this place is doing a serious disservice both to those discovering Guatemalan food; as well as Guatemalans, craving a piece of home. In summary: the food lacked flavor, the service was bad, the prices are ridiculous, and the room was unbearably hot. We got the Chuchitos and the Enchiladas to go. As we waited in the restaurant; we asked if they could open the doors, the room was unbearably hot and smoke from the kitchen was reaching the dining area (making it hard to breath.) They refused and said the AC was on. We left sweating and smelling like smoke. The Chuchitos were tiny (a fourth of an authentic Chuchitos's size) and had absolutely no flavor. The Enchiladas were also flavorless. As Guatemalans, we were so excited to finally have some authentic dishes in the Cleveland area - we were left offended by such a distasteful representation of Guatemalan food. read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - tiny "Chuchitos" - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

I really enjoyed visit! Such a kind and patient staff and the food was amazing. I truly recommend the pupusas and the pollo adobado plate. read more

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Awesome food serving size has decreased but still more than enough and you'll need a doggie bag!! Love this place

Love the drive thru where they have a menu and take your order at the window. Prices are very reasonable for individual items or meals. Ordered the steak taco and a bean and cheese pappusa. The taco was stuffed full of meat and was perfectly seasoned. The pappusa was extra large and super filling. I'll definitely be back again! read more

This place has the best, most flavorful tacos, refried beans!! Food of the gods! I've tried a lot of their menu, and everything is very flavorful! read more

My friend and I decided we wanted street tacos. We pulled up and it looked closed so we were like should we try? We drove past and saw people inside so we pulled up to the drive thru. We weren't able to see the signage very well so I pulled over to look at the menu online. We opted for chips and salsa, she got a chicken taco and I ordered two carnitas tacos. The salsa has a kick to it. I love spicy stuff so it was fine with me. The chicken taco had onion and lots of cilantro. The carnitas has a a mango salsa. The tacos are stuffed to the brim especially for being street tacos. I could only finish one. It was really good. We will definitely be back for tacos when the craving hits. The drive thru lady was super friendly. Also FYI the speaker for the drive thru doesn't work so just drive up to the window and they they will help you there. They also have a menu at the window if you still don't know what you want. The place itself looks hella sketch but those are always the best places. I would recommend this place. The chips taste like store bought but the salsa is good. Oh and the verde salsa bomb!! read more

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Authentic dishes in clean surrounds with excellent service. We visited in mid afternoon on a Sunday, when there were only 3 other occupied tables. There were two servers running both front of house and drive-through and 3 cooks making the magic happen in the kitchen. Wait time was very short, and our servers checked in regularly. First off: The guacamole is essential. My husband ordered the chicken quesadilla, which came out with the perfect freckled tortilla that you want in anything that has melted cheese inside. The winner for me were the vegan empanadas, which were gently crispy on the outside and thick and savory inside with a kind of butternut squash filling. They are accompanied with shredded cabbage slaw and salsa. We each also had one chicken taco which was small but filling, served up street style with shredded chicken, and plenty of cilantro and onion. The salsa is a little spicier than I'm used to for a chips and salsa appetizer, but everything was so clearly freshly made. Finished off with a flan, which was just what you expect in a sweet, syrupy and eggy custard. read more

Had dinner here today. The service was phenomenal and the food was even better. We have been here a few times and have never been let down. We went in around 4pm and there weren't too many customers. There were quite a few carry out orders. read more

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Good evening everyone ! This is the fiambre special , large portion It's a traditional dish that have running atm , try it out before it's gone ! It's like slaw , cold salad , different veggies different meats but so good read more

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Didn't expect much when we drove up- honestly thought it was closed til I saw the open sign lit up. Once we got inside, it was clean- and smelled clean, someone just Fabuloso'd the place, but wasn't overwhelming. Started with the sampler to start. Nothing was bad, but nothing stood out IMO either. It was a little small for the price, but you got to try a variety of things which was nice. My dad ordered the enchiladas- not at all what we expected being more familiar with Mexican style rolled tortillas. These were fried open faced tortillas topping with carnitas and a really good Guatemalan slaw. It didn't have as much meat as we would have liked, but the slaw was generous and delicious- it had pickled cabbage, beets, carrots, and onions. Wasn't expecting beets, but added a nice touch. I got the seared flank steak. It was nicely cooked and the guac and green onions were nice. The rice and beans were bland, but ordered some extra salsa and made them pretty good. My girlfriend ordered ejotes dish- it was battered and fried green beans that she really enjoyed and said they were traditional (having spent months in Guatemala). She said the same thing about the rice and beans as I did, but did the same with some salsa. The cubano was the stand out of the meal- it was perfect. Pork was tender, ham was the right amount and tasty, with a good Swiss cheese and mustard and pickle. The bread was very far from traditional, and I've eaten a ton of Cubans over the years having spent many years in Florida, but the bread was perfect for the sandwich all the same. Not a perfect experience, but still 5 stars as I have to root for the small businesses that try so hard and do so many things right- give it a try and thank me later. read more

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I'm so happy I stumbled across this beautiful restaurant. I'm always in the mood to find good Latin food and I may have found some here. The staff was super friendly and helpful. The food tasted amazing even though the dessert was a waste. Garnachas: the best thing I have put in my mouth in a long time. Homemade crispy corn tortillas topped with beef, onions, cheese and some pickled slaw. The beef was moist, tender and flavorful. The slaw was light and uplifted the whole dish. I, personally, would have liked a little more cheese to offset the flavors but it still tasted amazing. Pupusas: basically what got me to stop. I've been looking for good pupusas for a while now and these were ok. Nice thick flour shell but the stuffing left me a little lacking. Although everything on the inside tasted great there just wasn't enough to offset the flavor of the corn shell. Because it was so thick it was a bit dry and crumbly. The loroco was good, although you couldn't taste a lot of it. Better I guess for non natives that may not care for the flavor. The revuelta was good but overall bean. Not a lot of meat in it which made me just want to purchase a bean and cheese one next time. Trae Leches: this is where everything went downhill for me. As a Puerto Rican I'm always down for a good tres leches cake and this was NOT it! Even upon first getting it I had my doubts. The cake looked dry, thick and the sauce looked runny and thin. Upon tasting it, I found my initial observations were correct. The cake was super dense and extremely dry. The sauce tasted like chocolate milk and had only absorbed to the bottom third of the cake (probably to it being so runny and not being able to hold). Also, traditionally in PR you get a homemade almost marshmallowy topping for our cakes so to get canned whipped topping and chocolate sauce was disappointing. Ive seen pictures of the cake from others on Yelp and it looks much better than this so I'm hoping this was just a fluke day or I got the last piece at the end of a dish/day. Whatever the orange sauce that came with both dishes was won me over. Could have used just a touch more salt but it was great and I ate both containers of it. Hot sauce was good too. Too smoky for my taste but it had good heat. Overall, it's a great local shop to visit and I will try to go again to try some other things on the menu. To tell you the truth, the Garnachas alone are worth going back for. read more

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Why is this spot not packed? The food and service are so good. It's a little Guatemalan spot with a variety of tasty options like pupusas, taquitos, full and small plates of Guatemalan specialties and an array of vegetarian dishes. This evening they had a hot elote beverage that was sweet and the best kind of comfort food. They have different juices too. read more

Very delicious food and excellent service! Don't judge the restaurant's aesthetics, or you will miss out on Guatemalan food! My husband and I had Platanos Fritos, Garnachas, empanadas, pupusas, and flan. read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - Garnachas, empanadas and pupusas. - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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I think we just found our new favorite casual date spot! I've never really had Guatemalan food before - let me start by saying while the fare is reminiscent of foods you might see in a Mexican restaurant, don't expect the food to taste like Mexican food. They share a spice palette and style and some staples, but the food in unique in it's own way and they aren't interchangeable. I was incredibly pleased to see they have horchata on the menu - an option I have seen at no Mexican or Latin American restaurant I've been to in the CLE area (and I've been to many) despite it being a staple beverage. This one was so good! The cinnamon flavor was a little stronger than the Mexican horchata I've had and the sweetness was more subdued. We got a pretty decent sampling of the menu - we started with chips and salsa - both were excellent, but you may be surprised at the salsa if you're used to Mexican salsa. It was much thinner and onion-y in flavor. I also got a bean and cheese pupusa and while I am no expert on how they should be, I can tell you is was completely delicious, and the sauce it was served with really brought an extra flair of flavor. For our entrees my wife got a massive veggie burrito - she thought it was quite good and had plenty left over! I had the Pepian which was amazing - the flavor was unlike anything I've ever had and the serving was extremely generous. For dessert, we got Tres Leches to go - I have no shame in saying I scarfed it down unbelievably fast! The service was also great - the staff were friendly, helpful, and quick. Once again, I have to say these hole-in-the-wall places are simply the best. read more

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Ridiculously good!! Vegetarian excellence! If you are a veg, GET HERE!! The yuca fries are amazing. The pics speak for themselves! read more

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OMGAWWWWD No need to look for other Latino places when this one is awesome Yummmm read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

We had some of the best service here by Jasmine! The food is good, reasonably priced, and plentiful! My mom and my husband and I came in for dinner one night and shared a few things. We got a few pupusas, empanadas, the adobo chicken and the enchiladas. It was a lot of food for 3 people but somehow we finished it all. I asked for extra salsas and I'm glad I did because they were very flavorful and added to the spice (everything was pretty mild without sauces). Definitely worth a try! read more

Another Old Brooklyn gem! Been here about 4 times. Each time we have ordered something different and have not been disappointed! Tonight's food was delicious Arepas $9 3 white corn cakes with chicken avocado mixture Tres Leches $3.50 Sponge cake soaked with 3 milks * whipped cream * chocolate sauce Pollo Empanizado $10breaded fried chicken breast rice refried black beans Carne Asada $13 Grilled skirt steak * refried beans * rice * guacamole * grilled green onion * chirmol sauce tortillas Food was so good we forgot to post pictures. Highly recommend these 4 items! read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - Tres Leches. Very good. (Half eaten in the pic) - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Food was excellent. Chaplin sampler platter was ok. Should have been bigger or priced lower, but that was our only issue with our experience. Enchiladas were delicious and more than you could eat and beautiful presentation. The Cubano was the best and biggest one I had in years. I couldn't even finish it and the yucca fries were fantastic. Carne asada done perfectly, rice needed a little more flavor and the chorizo taco was just right. Our server Raquel was attentive and very polite. Keep up the good work. read more

Love this place, then again I've never met plate of rice and beans I didn't love either. What's the difference between Guatemalan vs Mexican cuisine, I'm not qualified to say. But you'll see a lot of familiar dishes/spices/flavors that you would at any restaurant specializing in authentic Latin American cuisine: enchiladas, rellenos, adobo, carne asada, chorizo, quesadilla, guacamole, empanadas, papusas, plus soup specials on the weekends, and don't forget their atol elote (hot sweet corn porridge like drink, it's good trust me) - but it's only served Tuesdays and Wednesdays. read more

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I tried the pupusas which I've never had before and they were ok. Again I've never had them so I can't say if they were good or bad. The beef empanadas were really good though! They had a delicious sauce that came with them. Very good. The yuka fries were also amazing. I tried the torta sandwich as well and it was also great. They threw in a free slice of cheesecake which was lemon flavored but very light lemon. Very creamy and good. Overall I think everything was good except I might not have the right palette for pupusas ‍ read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - Beef empanadas - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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I was waiting for someone in the medical center down the street. Just happened appon this gem. Service is excellent and friendly. Food is authentic, generous, and delicious. You cant go wrong here. I will come back even though it is not close to my home. Well done Elrinconcito! read more

Just a little hole in the wall place that serves good food. Located in an old storefront on Pearl just North of I-480 look for the striped awning. Inside is a clean little dining room with minimal decorations. The menu is simple central American food. Since its Tuesday I had the special which is Shrimp and Fish Tacos for $2.50 each. The Tacos come out as small soft corn tortillas topped with the shrimp or fish with onions and cilantro; the highlight is the small bowl of salsa verde, bright green and vibrant with a hint of heat. The shrimp and fish is griddled and delicious, with enough seasoning to make them extra tasty. The tacos are not big, but they are well prepared and authentic. I will try and get back to try a couple of other items on the menu. read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - Dining room. - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

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Once again a great meal! Tried a few new things and enjoyed. Best guacamole in town! Highly recommend the Jocon de pollo. We ordered online and food was ready when they said. Never had a bad meal! read more

I was so excited to write a five star review for this place bc I really wanted to love it. I mean, it's pretty awesome to have Guatemalan fare in CLE. But the food mostly fell short of tasty. Let me start with the positive. Service was friendly and there was plenty of lot parking. The arepas were wonderful. It was like a chicken salad with avocado wrapped in corn flour cakes. The taquitos guatemaltecos lacked both chicken and flavor. The repollo- or vinegary slaw - atop could not offer enough flavor to make them delicious. The empanadas were also meh. The biggest disappointment was the pupusa. The pupusa we were served was greasy. The masa crumbled on the plate in a way a well done pupusa should not. I love pupusas and was pumped to find a place closer to home to buy them. This unfortunately fell short :( read more

Do not order take out food from these people and if you do ask for a receipt before you pay because if they mess up and put an incorrect dish on your order like they did mine they will not take it back or offer a refund they will expect you to pay for the dish desired. I ordered 130 dollars worth of food and the 2 most expensive dishes must have been tossed in the bag or angled downward and this is what I received. Poor customer service and they lost future business for a mere 18 bucks. read more

El Rinconcito Chapin - Our Churrasco and Carne Asada packed horribly - Latin American Near Me - Cleveland, Ohio

This is some solid home cooked Guatemalan food! I saw it on yelp and I wondered how I had missed this place in the past. Anyway, I'm glad I found it and I'm glad we went. I ordered some Garnachas, chips, and guacamole. Then I ordered churrasco with rice & beans. A bit later, the food was served and it was very well presented. The tastes and textures were just above average. The steak was a little chewy, but it tasted good. The rice was yummy. The refried beans were on point. My wife really liked the sandwich that she ordered and it came with fried yuca, which I tasted and liked. My daughter didn't really like her chicken tacos because there wasn't much chicken on them. See photos. We'll be back soon to try more food. No alcohol is served. PS: the water was cold and filtered - bonus read more

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UGGHHHHH. I really don't like giving this place a lower rating. I was going to give them two stars BUT I'm going with three because I feel as though they are a family owned, hard-working restaurant that just so happens to not be to my personal tastes. I suspect that Guatemalan food is very calm in flavor. So that is why it's not really my taste, because I like !!!!!BIG BOLD!!!! flavors. Items we ordered include... Sweet plantains, guacamole, pork tamale, horchata, and chile rellenos. I would honestly rather order these items else where. Nothing was poorly made, but it wasn't good enough to make me keep wanting to come back either. I definitely kept thinking "I can get this somewhere else and have it be tastier". The place is clean. Pretty sure it used to be some sort of Asian restaurant, judging by the counter set up. So yeah... I won't be back. It is worth a try though, if you're curious. read more

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