This is my husband and I's favorite Cuban restaurant. It never fails. I highly recommend this place…read moreas the food is good, the service is encouraging and the ambiance is perfect for all occasions

My family and I have been coming here for decades but it's not my love for this restaurant, it's…read morebecause my wife loves their oxtail stew (Rabo Encendido). So we come here for her. I've tried almost everything on their menu and was never able to find something i ordered enjoyable. It's just not for me. This visit I ordered their Lomo Salteado and the meat was extremely rubbery and unpleasant. My daughter ordered their chicken empanadas and it was a hard no for her too. When we were ready to close out, I asked the waiter as he was clearing some things on our table, if he could bring some to-go boxes when he had a moment for things we didn't finish so we could take them home. He had a butter knife in his hands and threw it onto the table. Rough day I guess. I personally would not come here myself, but continue to do so for my wife. Will update my review when I visit again. Until next time. . .

Good portions I came here when I was starving and they were so quick and accommodating. Amazing…read moreservice just hungry thinking about my food again

Today my order of two omelettes, one with spinach and mushroom, and the other one with…read moremiscellaneous vegetables did not came out to satisfaction: I precisely wrote in the note and called them and requested the omelettes not dry, juicy, but that didn't happened! I am a little disappointed by Andrea's reply ( she picked up the phone): "well that is the way we make the omelets here; if you do not like them like that you must order something else! She said that if they made the omelette " juicy" it is like raw! I told her that weekly when I order from Ay Papa Que Rico, I spend around $78 each time and I like to be satisfied ( I order a full chicken.... Which THAT IS VERY TASTY AND GOOD!) Wowwww so disappointing

Visiting Puchica is like stepping into Guatemala. The atmosphere immediately put me at ease with…read moreits warm vibes, It felt authentic and cozy, making it the perfect place to eat for any occasion. The food does takes some time but they make you aware of it because it is made fresh and it is worth the wait! Every dish we ordered was a burst of fresh, vibrant flavors, you could really taste the care and authenticity in each bite. The portions were generous, and everything was cooked to perfection. Overall, if you're looking for fantastic traditional Guatemalan good in a wonderful setting, this place is a must-visit. It's a true gem that offers a delightful experience from start to finish.

The experience is a good one!…read more When you come in, you are greeted right away and asked for drinks. Then given menus and time to look it over. Lots of goodies on there to choose from. After a few minutes, the waitress came back to get our order. The food does take some time to come out, as it is made fresh. Everything is freshly made to order. The food is like no where else, it is delicious and different! Definitely give them a try!

This place is a gem!!! A friend brought me here. Just a little open air restaurant. The food was…read moredelicious, portions were great, and the people made you feel like you were a welcome visitor in their home. I'm not a huge pork person and appreciated that they had a lot of different options on their menu. Next time I go, I'll be ordering a margarita. Street parking is not hard to find in the area. It was 93° and they had fans and misting water to keep us cool. The place is not fancy, but the vibes are Havana .

I went to celebrate my birthday yesterday and I couldn't have chosen a better place…read more The surf and turf burrito and plantains appetizer were to die for. My friends had mezcal and when they asked the owner for the brand because they liked or so much, they realized it is imported from Mexico and not available to buy here. The employees were super nice and sang happy birthday to me and brought a delicious red velvet cake. The put a Mexican hat on me, it was fun! The music was amazing! I wanted to get up and start dancing so bad. I am Colombian and they played Merengue which is not common to hear in LA. Even though it is far for me, it worth the drive.

Brad cooks great food. It smells and taste fresh. Give Brad a try and you won't regret it.read more

From the owner: Cuban fusion mixed with traditional Cuban staples like “Cafè con Leche.”read more

I got the stewed chicken (guisado I think?), with the red beans, salad w vinaigrette a side of…read moremaduros and a large morir soñando. Cost me around $30 for everything and the food is AMAZING!! So happy I found this gem in my backyard!

This is the first time I ordered Dominican food I bases…read moremyself on the El Bacano's review in Los Angeles Times 101 Best Restaurants (2024): #81 El Bacano is one of just a couple Dominican restaurants in all of Los Angeles. The restaurant is Located in a strip mall in North Hollywood, the space is small, but With the music and decor, it's a good vibe. At El Bacano you order and pay at the front register, then take a seat and wait for your food to be prepared. I ordered the oxtail stew with Morro, which is a mix of black beans and rice; it was Served with a small salad, this dish certainly satisfied. The oxtail meat was extremely tender and flavorful. Although the bones were NOT very meaty! This was a $30 dish, a bit pricey The morro was delicious The salad was a bit small I really wanted to try that unique Dominican restaurant! I ordered their oxtail stew with Morro which is a mix of black beans and rice, apparently a Dominican specialty ! It came with a couple of small fried plantains and a tiny salad I thought it was a little pricey But oxtail always is‼ Next time, I'll try their traditional and recommended chicken dish: the Santana's Chicken: Tender, long-cooked chicken marinated in garlic, onions, oregano, and cilantro, served alongside rice and beans. yummmmm Here is an article from The Eater regarding the El Bacano: "Founded by a brother and sister duo who previously operated a food truck in Anchorage, Alaska, El Bacano serves a compelling array of Dominican comfort dishes including the cuatro golpes breakfast of salami, cheese, longaniza, and eggs; and bistec encebollado with gandules guisado (pigeon peas) and ensalada rusa (potato salad) to the Valley Glen community. Expect a casual strip-mall vibe with a few tables for dining in; even more take steaming plates of Dominican comfort fare to go."

I rarely leave reviews, but this place deserved some attention…read more We visited Puerto Rico years ago and absolutely fell in love with the cuisine, but ever since, we haven't been able to find good mofongo anywhere in LA...until now. We drove an hour to get here and arrived right when they opened. The gentleman at the counter greeted us warmly and asked if we'd ever had Puerto Rican food before. We told him about our trip and how much we'd loved the food, and from there, he proceeded to walk us through every single item on the menu--including the drinks and desserts. He was incredibly welcoming and clearly proud of the food they serve. After plenty of deliberation, we finally placed our orders. We started with the bacalaitos--a thin, crispy cod fritter served with garlic sauce. A tad greasy, yes, but what a treat! Then came what we had driven an hour for: the mofongo. Between the three of us, we ordered the pernil (slow-roasted pork shoulder), the churrasco with chimichurri, and the shrimp with garlic sauce. These are definitely not light meals, but WOW. The flavors were impeccable--rich, garlicky, savory, and incredibly satisfying. It immediately brought back memories of the food we loved so much in Puerto Rico. Needless to say, we found our mofongo spot. And yes, we will absolutely make the trek again.

Wanted to try something new and stumbled upon this place. The waiter was happy to tell us all about…read moremofongo, which is I guess is the food on a base of mashed plantains in sauce. I had the carnas fritas which was a fried pork, and it was a little hard and chewy, but still quite good (is that normal?). The fried chicken on mofongo was much softer. We took home a flan de queso for dessert and it was great! It was a flan pudding but thicker, closer to a cheesecake thickness, and absolutely wonderful.

FAST Review Food:…read moreeh, it's called Cuban but the food was not really good. I ordered the Cuban breakfast and its fajitas doused in a massive amount of sauce and a side of refried beans. My friend ordered the standard breakfast, 2 eggs over easy, but were hard, hash browns were a McDonalds hash brown crisp soaked in oil. The only thing good that could be considered Cuban was the cafe con Leche, because the basic coffee was also not good. Atmosphere: the only other thing that was Cuban was the background music, which was great! Service: our waitress was very nice, friendly. Tip: don't come here for a Cuban breakfast, just the Cafe con Leche. To the owner, IMO it so much easier to make good Cuban food, why not just do that.

This place is a hidden gym, and it shouldn't be! It's tucked away in the Ramada Inn by the Burbank…read moreairport, and it's a great place for real café con Leche, Cuban sandwiches, and any other Cuban breakfast lunch or dinner you could want! They also serve "regular" fair as well, standard breakfast items, eggs etc. It's great to see a generic "hotel restaurant" strike out and be different! The owners are great,, the service is relaxed (because they make everything right there), and the coffee is very strong! So if you need really quick, hurry up service, or typical weak coffee, go to Starbucks or Denny's. But if you want to enjoy yourself, find this place.

We've been to Lala's Argentine Grill on/off over the years. This Studio City location is off of…read moreVentura Blvd. & Carpenter Ave. For parking there's valet unless you get lucky with street/metered parking. Service for us has always been good with attentive and friendly employees. We've had sandwiches, burgers, steak, etc. Wifey's go-to is the Pechuga De Polo (lemon-orange marinated chicken breast) while my go-to is the Costilla (8oz boneless ribeye steak). The food has been dependable as always. If you want to entertain guests/family/friends or have a nice date, Lala's Argentine Grill is a pretty good option. There's plenty of tables inside and on the covered patio. They also have lunch specials Mon-Fri from 11AM-4PM and happy hour Mon-Fri 3PM-6PM.

First and Last time coming here! I have had better…read moreArgentinian food. Actually Pasadena has some good ones. I ordered a ribeye that I saw, it was 14 ounces. And I said medium. My steak came well done looking like a flat steak tasting blah and a lot of fat. I had never seen a thin looking ribeye in my life. And she said oh I brought you the 8 ounce, which we didn't even discussed. Nasty steak, poor quality meat. She did apologize but irrelevant when I had to eat that disgusting steak. Been there done that!! Oh and I went to wash my hands and the bathroom said a lot right from the start. There's a sink and next to the sink is a hole to the floor. Weird...... I didn't waste my time taking pictures of this dump.

I've eaten at Mercado's sister restaurant in Northridge quite a few times, and I was stoked to…read morefinally get to the mother ship. While the West Valley location is small and hushed, with dark woods and muted lighting, the OG Mercado is the exact opposite: big and bright, with a bustling edge in the air as the staff navigates between eat-in diners, people ordering take-out, and still others buying items from their meat, pastry, and cheese displays. Yes, it's a real market and restaurant in one, and the energy is palpable as you browse the large menu, knowing everything is going to be very fresh and cooked to order. It's always difficult to decide between a Choripan or Steak Milanesa sandwich, but today I opted for the Choripan -- and while I deleted the lettuce & tomato that's usually on top, I added grilled onions. As I waited, I was brought fresh-baked Argentine baguette, which was crusty on the outside and pillowy on the inside, with just a touch of chew. The bread is served, of course, with Chimichurri, but also a tomato & olive oil salsa of sorts that had a light and veggie-forward flavor that offered a nice contrast to the earthy, herbaceousness of the chimi. I've learned the hard way to no overindulge on the bread and sauces, so I pulled back after one piece -- and luckily, my sandwich arrived soon after. This is a hefty Choripan, demonstrably larger than what I've had at the sister location. A very plump, butterflied and charred Argentine sausage resting on more of that bangin' baguette (the chewy center offering solid support for the fillings), and a generous helping of grilled onions. There was a patina of "grease" on the sandwich, but that's not a bad thing -- this slight oiliness was packed with flavor, adding tremendous Argentine Umami to the meal. The sausage was meaty and dense, with just a bit of fat and a very nice punch of herbs and spices, leading to an enjoyably potent flavor very specifically South American. The onions were excellently prepared: grilled to a medium firmness, the chef bringing out the natural sweetness while retaining just enough of the original, onion bite to add extra layers of taste. As if that wasn't enough, the onions were clearly cooked in a bit of spice, which gave them an extra kick of heat that blended very nicely with the spiciness of the chimichurri. This is just an excellent sandwich. Service is friendly, the entire restaurant is spic & span clean (including the restrooms), and the crowd seems genuinely happy to be where they are, eating what they're eating. The meats, cheeses, pastries, breads and empanadas on display in the market areas all look top notch and very appealing. I'll be shopping here for things to make at home, and I'll be coming back for another dine-in meal very soon. If you haven't been, you should stop by to try it for yourself. It's just so, so good!

If you are a Messi fan then his pictures are everywhere here. Argentinan restaurants are hard to…read morefind so thank you for serving the community. Story began with Paul Rodriguez serving meat at the small market. Business kept growing so they expanded to meat market/ bakery/sit down restaurant. Now there are 2 locations in the local area which is Van Nuys and Granda Hills. All I know is everything is good here and taste great. All made in house with so much love and made from scratch daily. They take the time to marinate and triple whip pasties. You can taste the difference. They must buy ingredients/ food from a high end distributor. You can do all your market shopping here, meats, spices, etc too. Market/restaurant (mercado) is your one stop shop for Argentina goods. Btw- there is vegan dishes/burger here too. Breakfast opens at 7:30am. They are a large kitchen inside. Pastries facturas are cute and deliciously fresh. I recommend 3 and coffee if you are on the run. If you have time choose some omelettes which are all under $15. I will need to try breakfast sandwiches one day. Lunch: Handmade empanadas if you are on the run. They are only $2.80 for baked or fried with meat inside. Chimichurri sauce with (crispy baked) bread is a must if you are dining in. Spices in the sauce is sooo amazing. Again I must try the lunch sandwiches one day. Dinner: I have tried spaghetti and steak which has all the right spices that does not resemble Italian. Sauce has a meaty beef stew thickness. I also like the steaks that are certified angus choice skirt steak, bone-in short rib flanks with homemade Argentine sausages. Buenos Aires burger is quite delish too unlike your normal American burger. It has chimichurri sauce inside. I must try the seafood soon because I see everyone else ordering it. Sugar time: Flan that is has vanilla custard with dulce de leche from Argentina. All desserts are good and I yes I have tried them all. Cakes super moist to flaky cakes and specials not on the menu. Improvements: alcoholic drinks would be so much more popular if they are perfect this department. It is def not my fav. I like a good mix from a bartender. The basic wine/beer is fine. Hidden gem with the friendliest staff. Muchas gracias Mercado Buenos Aires!