Like Yelp says "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" I've been more times than I'll ever admit; but I will admit this is one of my five favorite restaurants. You can get better food here for $5 than you'll get at many other places for $30+. Go for the tacos, empanadas, arepas (don't overlook the cheese and pineapple), and veggie burritos. p.s. The items I mention above are only 5% of their HUGE menu. Feeling like crab soup? They have it, on the menu at least. read more

Exotic Latin Grill - Sometimes tables, sometimes not. - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Our friend insisted that the 4 of us try this place saturday night. We were very skeptical because it's a food truck in a part of town that we don't usually venture to, and drive-through taco bell on the way home seemed much easier...but thank goodness for being open to new experiences. It was AWESOME. We ordered the chicken baleadas (1 $3 order comes with 2) and they were super toasty and super tasty! Granted we had to wait 15 minutes while they cooked our food, but there were only 2 women working in the truck and it was 4:30AM....the women were very good-natured and friendly, even at that hour! I can't wait to go back for a sober lunch or dinner one of these days and try the steak baleadas! read more

Exotic Latin Grill - 4 in the morninnnn - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I can't believe I've never left a review for what's probably my favorite place to get food in Columbus! Exotic Latino Grill nails it every time. They have a huge menu of Central American dishes. Everything is cheap and the portions are very large--usually enough for 2 meals (or to be really stuffed). I'm a vegetarian, and I almost always get their vegetarian arepa. The base is soft and thick piled on with lettuce, beans, tomatoes, cheese, etc. I also like their veggie quesadillas which are loaded with veggies. My partner who eats meat loves their baleadas, burritos, tortas, and Cuban sandwiches. They also have solid tacos and pupusas. Everything friends and myself have had is always delicious, you really can't go wrong no matter what you order. Note that they only take cash, so come prepared! The owners are super friendly, and wait is usually quick except around busy mealtimes and late in the evenings. While you're waiting, you can stop by the liquor store next door and usually find a good deal on fun imported beers. RIP to the bodega cat, Chanel! read more

Exotic Latin Grill - Vegetarian arepa (no crema) with green sauce - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I find it hilarious that drunk students come here at night, but I guess if you are open so late you can expect this crowd. I did not go at night and it wasn't crowded. It's kind of in an odd spot, but you can just look for the liquor store or the UDF and it's right next to those. I got the Cuban sandwich and it was very delicious, but I would not call it a Cuban sandwich at all. I know what a real Cuban sandwich is like, so maybe I'm being picky, but I wish they would just give it another name. It's like a giant tasty sandwich. My dad got 2 arepas which was unnecessary because one would have been enough. The cheese one was the best. My brother got the hot dogs which sounds really weird, but they cook their hotdogs in a special way that makes them look really delicious. They had pineapple and potato chips on them and I think they were cooked in some sort of tomato sauce. It sounds strange but if you just try it I'm pretty sure you will like it. My brother has also gotten other things from there and he said everything that he has tried was amazing. I will be back to try the other things on the menu. read more

Exotic Latin Grill - This is the Colombian hot dog. I don't really even like hot dogs, but the way that they prepare this is bomb. Get it! Trust me! - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

It's pretty dank Mexican food for really inexpensive. The burritos are huuuge and only $5. The tacos are pretty small, but only $1.50. It's a deal! It's no cantina, but it's also not the dirtiest Mexican I've ever had either. If I had to eat one food for the rest of my life, I'd choose burritos....and I'd be pretty happy if some of those burritos were from the Exotic Latino Grill. They're open during the day and late night. ELG only takes cash, so come prepared! read more

Exotic Latin Grill - Front of the taco truck. - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

I stopped here for lunch and ordered a Columbian hotdog and a burrito, total, $8. If I'd known the burrito was Chipotle-sized if not larger, I may've skipped the hotdog, but the dog was delicious. Definitely not commuter friendly though! It leaked pineapple juice all over me. The potato chips as a topping were interesting, the saltiness pairing well with the pineapple. The burrito contained no salsa, just meat, beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream and rice. The meat (I went with asada) had great flavor. The ingredients weren't mooshed together at all, so there were many discrete layers, which may be a pro or a con for you. Great value at 5 bucks. I look forward to returning to try more of their menu! read more

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The food was very good. I ordered empanadas, baleada & bandeja paisa I would recommend calling in the order because there is a wait read more

Best tamales I've had in Columbus. Good horchata. I tried the baleada with chorizo which was a new dish to me. I will definitely be back.

My husband and I were craving Latin food and we came across this food truck. The food was absolutely delicious! We got 4 different items and they were all to die for. We'll definitely be back! read more

BEST STEAK TACOS MEXICAN STYLE IN COLUMBUS I can not stress this enough these are people throw tf down in that truck and they never miss

This place is so neat! A food truck next to a dodgy liquor store, what more could you ask for? I got the nachos for like $6, and the plate was HUGE. I ended up eating it over two days, and it was enough to suffice for both. The spicy sauce had me crying--just how I like it--and the nachos were nice and mushy--also the way I like it (gotta love all those topics). Just make sure you have cash--cash only!! read more

My families favorite place for burritos, and quesidillas. We all love the meat stuffed potato (I know sounds weird) we like cheese and sour cream on the size. You may have to ask because sometimes they just give it like that and others they don't. Their portions are huge and we have never been disappointed. read more

I will personally wire $1,000 to whoever can give me the recipe for their Colombian hot dog. Specifically the pink sauce. I won't actually wire you the money, but I will thank you so hard and my thanks are worth much more than a thousand dollars. Probably like at least four thousand. read more

Basically, they have Mexican food, and South American food. They do have the typical standard fare as far as Columbus taco trucks are concerned. Tacos, burritos, tortas. The one exception might be that ELG does some pretty awesome tamales. You can tell that these are the same kind that old Mexican women work for days in kitchens before Christmas, and make hundreds and hundreds for their loved ones. Perfectly steamed masa in a corn husk with your choice of filling. On the day we went, they had a sweet corn tamale on special. Pretty amazing stuff. The most amazing part: these folks are Colombian. Well, maybe not amazing, but they nail it when it comes to Mexican food. I'm pretty sure that next time, I'll order something off the Colombian menu. Overall, the wait seems to take forever, but that's because they make every single order after you order. read more

I came down here for a late night snack. And that's no lie; they're open all night. I settled on two tamales the sounded good. They had sweet corn and lots of hot sauce! And they were a lot better than I expected. I'm going to have to get a little adventureous with them on my next trip. read more

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We ended up stopping by this food truck after failed attempts of finding two other trucks around Clintonville's Indianola corridor. Heading South, I ran out of options, and having passes Exotic more times than I can remember, I made the ultimate decision to give it a shot. This place isn't technically a "Mexican" food truck as this site may say. It's actually Colombian and Honduran dishes, but if you're like me, and I'm assuming the majority of Columbus, many of the dishes are almost identical to what you'd typically find at a Mexican truck. The first thing you'll notice is that the menu is pretty gigantic, but after talking with the guy running the place, it seems like they may be missing a few of the items further down on the list. Despite all my options, I went with chorizo and pastor tacos, a pastor quesadilla, and a pastor empanada. This place is cash only so come prepared, or you can stop into the convenience store behind it and take some money out of the ATM. You shouldn't have a problem finding a parking space, since the store has a private lot and is usually not very busy. As far as the tacos go, the chorizo was by far my favorite. It definitely had the most flavor and had a bit of a cinnamon taste that I really like, and it wasn't too salty like a few place I've been to around town. The pastor on the other hand just really didn't have much flavor it all. Unfortunately, the red sauce didn't add much taste to it either, but it did had a hell of a kick. It was pure heat, and that's about it. One of the hottest red sauces I've had around here. The green salsa was much better. I suggest getting the quesadilla without lettuce and all of the other crap that was in it, minus the meat, cheese, and maybe onions. It was super greasy and falling apart, and I just wasn't a fan. It's also enormous with the added beans and sour cream, and I could only finish one half. I actually really liked the empanada despite the pastor, but it was heavy on the shell covering and not packed with filling. Overall, I'd proably skip this one if I had the option for all the above dishes (minus the chorizo), but I would be back to check out some of the more Colombian and Honduran plates. read more

El Manantial is a great late night food truck option in the Columbus area. They offer many Latin American inspired dishes and street food favorites. When we went it appeared there was only one guy in the truck cooking the food and taking peoples orders. Therefore, it was a little slow, but definitely worth it. For the price, the burritos and arepas were massive. This is a food truck in a liquor store parking lot, so it isn't fancy and there isn't seating (well I guess the curb), but for what it is, it's great. read more

I wanted to like El Manantial I really seriously did, I love food trucks but I just wasn't impressed with my food when I ordered. That being said, a taco truck that is open 24 hours a day, in a neighborhood that you can go to with out fear of being attacked is always a good thing. I will give them props for using fresh ingreidiants. When i ordered that Baleadas the lady working behind the counter gave me two huge ones and for the price that can't be beat. Also she hand rolled the tortilla right there and fried it on the griddle in front of me. the Tortilla was the best part. The steak tasted a bit off, to much grease or a strange seasoning. I'll be giving you another shot, soon I believe. Also its worth noting that this truck is currently located near the intersection of Hudson and Indianola at the 14-0 Carryout. Just look for the UDF you'll be in the right place. read more

I'm legitimately addicted to the salsa verde. No matter how hard I try, I can't recreate it. Steak burrito for $5, ask nicely for extra "green sauce". My son refers to it as "the good stuff". As in, "mommy, may I please have more of the good stuff for my tacos?" Cheers! read more

I like this place. It's affordable. The wait has been a bit intense for some of my roommates. Sometimes communication gets messed up and orders have to be re-made. But overall, love the fact that it's within walking distance from home. Great 24/7 place for long nights. read more

This is the perfect place to carb load! They have typical dishes like tacos and burritos but the highlight of their menu would have to be: Empanadas - handheld flaky dough pie deep fried. Arepas - hand patties griddle corn cakes stuffed with all kinds of goodies Papas rellenos - a big ol' ball of mashed potatoes with meat filling Perfect for vegetarians and carnivores alike. Everything seems to be homemade and their pineapple and cheese empanadas are to die for! They have a green sauce (mild) and a red sauce (it's actually spicy). Portions are huge and prices are low. You can easily feed 2-3 big eaters for under $20. Open late which is a plus! Located in a liquor store parking lot next to UDF. read more

I was so excited to try this cart, particularly when I saw their diverse menu options. Alas! No empanadas, no chicharrones. Why!? I was very disappointed, as the thought of a chicharron taco was making me salivate. Their only options were tacos, quesadillas and tortas. Meat options were steak, chicken and al pastor. This was very disconcerting as they had a very large menu that included far more than these paltry options. I opted for an al pastor taco, al pastor quesadilla and chicken taco. I was literally shocked when he told me I owed him $18.00 for three items from a taco cart in the parking lot of a convenience store. My jaw may have hit the floor. I handed over my cash as I though "I only ordered three items, right? Did I order more than three items? These better be the best *$**@*@#&*@ tacos and quesadilla I have ever had." They were not the best. They were not even good. The taco base price was $1.50. That means I spent $3.00 on tacos. Was the quesadilla $15.00, or were the toppings they gave me worth $9.00? You see, I made the mistake of saying yes when he asked me if I wanted everything on my tacos. These tacos were fit for any gringo who's never had a real taco. They were piled with cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream and onions. What happened to onion and cilantro with a slice of lime? This math really isn't adding up, and 24 hours later it is still confusing and offending me. The meats were greasy, gristly and flavorless. The quesadilla was so soggy with grease it was inedible. The tacos I can't really judge because all I tasted was the plethora of toppings. The 14 year old who was handling the window was rude and not at all helpful. I asked when they have empanadas and chicharrones and his answer was "sometimes" Seriously? "sometimes"? He came back to me a few minutes later and inaudibly said something about some Wednesdays when so and so mystery woman brings the something or another (i.e. authentic food, I hope?). I will come back here on a Wednesday with hopes of trying their empanadas and chicharrones, but I can't say that I have high hopes. The food cart scene in Columbus is thriving, and there are just too many good places with good service to waste time and money going somewhere that doesn't impress. read more

Fantastic, and incredibly affordable. You may wait for a bit, but it's most definitely worth it. I walk over a half-mile relatively often to enjoy this treat, and the 14-0 beer shop next to it always has amazing deals as well. Can't stress this enough; this place is worth a special trip. read more

Went here today on my way home from work. No fish tacos! What is up with all these trucks not having fish tacos? I tell you what, the freakin trucks in Tampa and LA have fish tacos. El Manantial Latino even serves fish! Break apart some of that damned fried fish and put it in a flippin' taco shell for me, already!!! Okay, so end disgruntled, lack-of-fish-tacos-rant. Aside from that, there are only a couple of vegetarian options, and the menu as a whole is somewhat limited. Five types of meat for tacos, a few specialty dishes, etc. I ordered the Hawaiian empenada (cheese and pineapple), and an arepa con queso. I ended up with a cheese empenada. Both were delicious, but neither was served with any sort of sauce, as pictured. The arepa specifically would have benefited from some avocado, jam or something. Still, it was quite tasty and quick. I will probably return eventually. read more

Ever since I got introduced to baleadas in Honduras, I've been hooked. They're almost like a fluffly quesadilla filled with bean paste, cheese, cream, sometimes scrambled eggs and/or meat. As far as I know, this is the only truck I've seen that serves it and it's a big thing for just $4. I haven't tried their other entrees, but they've already won me over. Other than that, I've only had the sweet fried plantains and it wasn't so good - not very sweet or flavorful. read more

This food truck serves exceptionally good and reasonably priced Mexican and is open extremely late every night. The employees are extremely friendly and the service is great. I recommend the steak burrito, which is loaded with black beans, steak, lettuce, tomato, rice, and authentic Mexican sour cream. Served with a hot and mild salsa on the side, this will set you back only $6 and is comparable in size to a Chipotle or Qdoba burrito--it could easily feed you for 2 meals. The tortillas are made fresh with homemade dough and melt in your mouth. The baleada and empanadas are also fantastic; particularly the pineapple and cheese which features a from-scratch pineapple jam. Of course, tacos are on the menu too as well as some more authentic offerings not often seen at taco trucks such as lengua and tostones. Make no mistake: this place is the king of "Taco trucks" in every conceivable way. read more

I'm from California where there's Mexican food everywhere so when I moved to Ohio that's what I've been looking for. To my dismay a lot of the Mexican food here has been bland. This place was going to be my last attempt... I heard about this place from the Saver magazine and decided to give it a shot, after all, I was craving tamales and they sell some. Immediately, the smell drew me in! It smells delicious as soon as you pull up next to this truck. The menu is extensive so the foodie in me decided to try different things. I ordered the arepa, tamal, stuffed potato, chicken quesadilla, empanada and a taco Al pastor all for $20! What a deal! The food is full of flavor! My favorites are the taco and quesadilla with the red sauce. the stuffed potato and tamal are my 2nd favorites. The arepa was good, it's like a pupusa but a little more doughy. The empanada has good flavor but a little too greasy. I definitely recommend this place!!! read more

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I had the empanadas and they were amazing! I didn't know what I wanted everything sounded great so I told her to surprise me. Everything was wonderful read more

Definitely a very authentic place. When we went there was about a 10 to 15 minute line and there was lots of good food that was rolling off of the grill. We ended up ordering tacos and empanadas. They were both very delicious. I deafly would go back again. Also the pricing is very good! read more

Exotic Latin Grill - Menu! - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Been going here since it was still on lane ave. They have great tacos at an affordable price. 3 are just north of 5$. Get the green sauce! Their al pastor is nice and sweet. Warning the tacos are juicy and even though they double up on the corn tortillas they usually break so grab some napkins. Arepas and empanadas are also really good. As of January 2015 they expanded their menu even more. Next time I am trying the new Bandeja paisa. read more

Exotic Latin Grill - Carne Asada and Al Pastor tacos - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

All the previous reviews rightfully praise this food truck. It's nothing fancy on the outside, it's a food truck. But damn it's good. My go to's are the pineapple and cheese empanada and the baleada. Ordering both is 7 bucks!!! Sometimes they are out of those dang empanadas, and if that's the case, don't worry. EVERYTHING else is good ;) read more

Great food great price. All taco flavors are rarely available - but they are all delicious. Paella rocks the block party. EDIT - I changed the review from 5 to 3 start on 2014.11.04. I think they got new owners or something. Faces are familiar, but menu and food have changed. New Arepas suck. They were freshly made before. Now it's some kind of deep fried hot pocket thing. Tacos are much smaller and look rather apathetically made. Such a bummer. I can't see going back. read more

Tacos are the real deal empanadas are the bomb stuffed potatoes with meat and cheese chicken tamales are good as well make sure they're fresh make sure everything's fresh and you will be alright read more

Awsome service and the best food ever. If u like latino food, there is no better. They are very reasonably priced too.

Ride or die. Forever. The women who run this truck kick all kinds of ass. Much much much love. Amazing food. Every time. God bless.

It looks sketchy but tastes great. The food is authentic to me and tastes great. There's always a lines which says something given the location. read more

Easily one of the best food trucks in Columbus. Everything is well priced and delicious!

And again... Perfect!! Had it yesterday for the first time. The pineapple cheese empanadas are AMAZING (in thinking about going back for more). Tostones were perfect. I will be back soon (if not this evening). Sorry no pics, It smelt so good I couldn't wait :) read more

Exotic Latin Grill - Mexican Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Perfect late night grub for when I'm getting off work or just wasted. The food is always delicious and my order is always correct. Sometimes it's a little slow when it's busy but that's only because there's only one or two employees at a time. Definitely worth it if you want something you can't find anywhere else. I recommend the baleadas and bean & cheese empanadas. read more

This food truck is one of the best things that ever happened to me. I love the red sauce from this truck. One time I got super drunk on Miller high life and smothered my burrito with the whole container of red sauce. Let me tell you, I felt lifted into the heavens. I felt like I was on a cloud floating with harambe, Steve Erwin, and louie cks career. But it was spicy. You know the kind when it hurts good? This place is phenomenal. Wait in line and treat yourself to this Columbus gem. read more