So, I believe that part of my complaint here will be for something I'm sure they were trying to…read moremake special for our group of 7. They put us upstairs in a room. This was great in that we could converse with no issues, but it was too warm in the room. They had fans, but we had to turn the fans away from blowing on our food, hence we didn't get cooled down from them. The food wasn't that great either. I ordered the Chicharron and though the tostones underneath were DELICIOUS, the fried pork belly on top (and there was a lot), seemed undercooked to me. It was chewy, not crispy as I've experienced it before. I was unable to eat most of it. The cocktails were delicious and the service was as good as can be expected considering he was having to go up and down the stairs each time. Maybe they're better for dinner? And definitely DOWNstairs!

Group get together and given a nicely set up room for us in which conversation could be heard at an…read more"inside voice." Temperature a bit on the warm side up there. Service was generally attentive, but having to go find a server when you need him could be better. My meal choice sounded great on the menu but seemed lacking in flavor and quantity for a brunch meal choice. Ok meal experience that may be different down in the dining area.

In the mood for something different so we dropped in here. First impression was that it was very…read moreclean (as an aside, even the restroom was spotless). We were escorted to a booth near the bar area, took our seats and ordered soda and tea. Surprisingly, they came in smallish plastic cups with lids. Orders were placed and while waiting we admired some of the painted walls. The plaintains were nicely cooked and filled with beef. Being smothered in mozzarella cheese was nice also. We weren't disappointed with the taste either. The menu is pretty extensive so it will take a few minutes to figure out what you want. Overall, an excellent experience and we'll be back.

Nice informal Colombian cafe catty corner from OB Clark's in the former Applegates space. We…read morestarted with blackberry drinks (jugo de mora) which were delicious! I had the churrasco steak, which was just ok - rather bland and fatty. For sides, fries and tostones, both very good. My wife had whole fried fish (mojarra frita) which she thoroughly enjoyed. Good service and moderately priced. Will be back for the arepas and empanadas! Recommended.

Apparently I missed the memo that Mayo Ketchup was no more and Salsa Rosada was the place to be! I…read moredecided to check this place out early Saturday afternoon. I walked in and decided bar seating looked best so I could watch tv. I was immediately given water, menus, and some time to decide. I was craving something sweet, so I got some passion fruit juice and decided on the steak bowl with arroz con gandules as my entree. The dish comes with steak, black beans, pico, white rice, jack cheese, and maduros. I think most dishes can be customized, but rest assured they're nothing short of flavor! Since I was one of few people, my dish came out rather quickly. The steak was tender and flavorful; the rice was seasoned perfectly and the maduros were fried to perfection. Everything was even better than I imagined. The server/bartender did a great job at keeping my water refilled and making sure I didn't needed anything. I was quite pleased with the food and service overall and I look forward to my return visit.

Finally! I made it to this place. And I was not disappointed. I went with a friend and she also…read morereally enjoyed it. We ordered grilled chicken bowl, chicken and a beef empanadas, Cuban sandwich, maduros (sweet plaintains), avocado salad and Nutella empanadas! Obviously I took some home. All the food was really good. The Nutella empanadas were stand outs. The other empanadas were good but a little greasy I think because I ordered the corn. Maybe the flour ones are not so greasy??? They have a fair amount of indoor seating without the tables being too close. Also there is an outdoor patio which is where we sat. Might be better to be under the awning so no rascally bird puts a deposit on your food. (It barely missed the the Nutella empanadas) I can't wait to go back to try more menu items.

I've been coming to Fritanga for about a year now, and it's easily one of my favorite spots in St…read more Louis. I've tried the churrasco nica, pollo frito, and chancho asado, and every single dish has been beyond spectacular. I'm from Los Angeles, and people told me I'd have a hard time finding great food out here, but Fritanga proves them wrong. It's exactly what you want from a small, family-owned restaurant: excellent service, flavorful food, affordable prices (steak dinner + sides for under 20$ is a steal), a fun atmosphere, and genuinely friendly staff. I even planned a 17-person celebration dinner here (with some of those people from LA) and got to work directly with Orlando, the owner. He was responsive, welcoming, and went out of his way to make the night special, even celebrating with us. Everyone loved it. I'll be leaving St. Louis soon for my career, which makes this a bittersweet review to write. But I hope it encourages more people to check this place out, Fritanga is something special.

The restaurant is amazing and the people are very nice. My favorite food is the Queso Frito and the…read moreCarne Asada.

I should have stopped in this place long ago. And while I debated reviewing it cause they are…read moreplenty busy and I kind of want to keep it to myself I worry that someone out there like me needs this places as badly as I did. When I moved to STL well over a decade ago I bemoaned the lack of good Latin American food. I have since found a lot of good places that I love but I didn't realize til I was eating my lunch how big a gap was still there. I ordered tacos al pastor -- a favorite since I was in Sonora years ago and ate them multiple days in a row cause this street vendor was amazing. I order them a decent frequency but I now realize I haven't been truly satisfied til today. Seriously, I am wondering how quickly I will be back because these were incredible. Al pastor is a unique flavor profile and it goes in-depth, these folks GET IT! I took a bite and absolutely closed my eyes as I chewed because this was the al pastor I so often miss. I ordered two tacos al pastor and one asada. They came the Mexican way, simple onion and cilantro which I asked to clarify as recently I ordered street tacos and found them served with lettuce and cheese and was not happy. These were perfect. The steak was good but man I needed those al pastor tacos! Two would have been plenty and at $3 each what an inexpensive lunch! Other reviews mention lots of the other things that touch on the restaurant: - they have sections by country for Salvadoran, Honduran & Mexican foods - customers are mostly Central American, a combination of families and work crews - it is Spanish speaking by and large for staff and customers. - it's bare bones, simple tables and chairs, coolers with drinks and very few bottles behind the bar/register - chips were good (thick not too salty) with red and green sauces, the green was a bit hot for me but I mixed a bit into the red. I am so going back and hope to stay in the minority with English as my first language. They speak the language of slow cooked flavor!

My husband and I just moved here from LA, and we've been searching for some authentic Salvi-Mex…read morefood that reminds us of home. So far, this has been the best we've found in the area! The tacos and pupusas were SO good, and the servers were very kind and attentive. We got the asada and pastor tacos, pupusas revueltas, torta especial and horchatas! First off, it's so hard to find a place that makes their tortillas in-house, so that was already a huge plus! The curtido and salsa for the pupusas were also really good. Everything tasted fresh and authentic. I also saw some reviews complaining that some of the servers only speak Spanish, but honestly, that's part of why I'm writing this review. This place is AUTHENTIC -- authentic food and an authentic experience. As Salvadoran and Mexican people ourselves, this is exactly the kind of place we've been looking for. If a language barrier makes you uncomfortable, there are plenty of more Americanized/gentrified Latin food places around. But if you want the actual good, authentic food, this is the place! We'll definitely be coming back!

Cocina Latina has been one of my go to's since I moved to St. Louis. I am obsessed with their ají…read morede gallina. They have a wide and diverse menu, offering many classic Latin American dishes.

I have to admit, I haven't been back to Cocina Latina since it moved from Delmar Blvd. I remember…read moreit being quite delicious, but I was a bit disappointed when I took my mom there a few weeks ago. I remember the Lomo Saltado being one of their popular dish and it being tender and juicy. This time, it was rough and chewy to the point that it hurt our jaws. I found it odd because the steak that came with the Tallarin Verde was tender and perfectly cooked. We also ordered the Jalea, which came out cold and dry. They decorated the place with Cinco de Mayo and Mother's day feats, which were really cool and pretty! I'd like to give this place another try because there are so many good reviews about this place. Since the Lomo Saltado was disappointing, I plan to try their ceviche and the Aji deGallina next, as those seem to be popular dishes as well. Street parking Service was good Clean restrooms Two bar areas

I leave 5 minutes before the City game half to get This food. If I'm eating at the stadium, it's…read more100% Mayo Ketchup I always get- empanadas and friend plantain. Get the pink sauce- aka mayo ketchup. Slaps every time. 10/10

As a Caribbean myself, I can confirm this is not a good representation of Caribbean food. All items…read morelacked flavor and tasted like frozen products. The rice was undercooked, beans were hard and watery, ropa vieja lacked flavor and the sweet plantains were 100% frozen. We also ordered the queso frito which was a joke and nothing like true queso frito. Would not recommend. Update 7/28/26: I tried this place multiple times at their old location. While they moved to a new location which I have not been to due to my previous experiences, I stand by my original review (was posted on Google a while back and just transferred it here recently) unless they changed their recipes! I'm sure many people may find this place good, but as someone born and raised in Puerto Rico, I can confirm this isn't (or wasn't if recipes changed) authentic.

Absolutely amazing. Literally cannot put in words the experience that we had. The owner and chef…read moreGeorge and the staff made us literally feel like home. There are many great restaurants. There are very few that make you feel like family is feeding you. The decor is wonderfully warm and inviting. Making you feel like you genuinely stepped into a restaurant back in Brazil. The food is indescribably good. We had some of the best steak and fish ever. The desserts were amazing. The spareribs were beyond reproach. Whatever restaurant you might consider. Stop and go here instead. You will do yourself a favor.

A big disappointment when we first arrived. We had made a reservation for four at 7, but they…read moredidn't have any tables for us. So we were seated in their barroom in the corner, surrounded by all sorts of things that the restaurant had piled on other tables that were not put away in storage as yet., such as piles of paper napkins in their plastic wrappers that came from the restaurant store, and an unused griddle, and ledgers on another table. We were assured by the owner's wife that we would not be forgotten with the churrasco service. We weren't. That was good but we still felt uncomfortable as if we were imposing, to be seated where we were, as a complete afterthought despite making a reservation on their website a few days ago. The buffet: The sides were not replenished and a lot of them were quite dried out. Many empty platters. The churrasco service: Beef sausage was good, not overcooked. Spicy beef sausage was very good. Skirt steak was cold, charred and very dry. Beef bacon was dry. Picanha was cold, tough and dry. Lamb was tender and correctly seasoned. Pineapple was not even grilled. It was covered with a thin layer of cinnamon as if to simulate grilled char on it. It was very disappointing. Filet mignon was warm, somewhat tender, but extremely salty. It was already in small pieces and these scraps were seemed to have been hurriedly removed off the skewers and repositioned prior to serving us. The dessert table had many empty platters. Probably the best things that were left on there was the watermelon and a lonely mandarin orange that I rescued. The owner came by to ask us if we would join him in a glass of alcohol with passionfruit juice, but we declined, not because it wasn't good. From our memory when we were there before, that passionfruit drink that we had in the past on our last patronage at this restaurant, about a year ago, was spectacular. Be aware that Check comes with an added 20% gratuity tax on it. Will we ever return? You bet we won't, and we don't recommend it. It has gone beyond downhill.

I visited with a group of ladies for Saturday evening drinks. We were happy to learn that you can…read morepark for free in the designated lot between Sanctuaria and the church if you don't want to park on the street. We were also able to make a reservation. Our party was seated in their lovely conservatory so it was outside but covered - the perfect mix for a cool evening! There were a ton of wine, beer and cocktails to pick from. I skipped the food on this visit but my friends enjoyed small plates. Our server was friendly and attentive. We were able to pay on separate checks. We will definitely return.

It has been awhile since we went to sit at one of the best patios in St. Louis. Well, the…read moreexperience is still great, but not as good as about a year ago. Nonetheless, Sanctuaria still pumped out some great food for us tonight. The vibes on the patio are immaculate. Peaceful, warm, intimate, and completed by artsy fountain ordained in the middle. Our server was great to chat with, although the pace was a bit slow. It seems staffing may be a contributing factor to the slight decline of this St. Louis gem. The interior was completely vacant, but outside was full. While full, not overwhelmingly busy. In any case, we waited about 10 minutes to receive water. Not a huge deal, just not the norm. I have mixed reviews on the drinks. I love old fashioneds, I love mezcal, and I love mezcal old fashioneds. So, naturally, the vape juice seemed like a walk in the park. For me, it lacked balance, and was missing sweetness. As it got diluted it was more palatable. I was just hoping for the basil to really shine through with the mezcal. The cherry me away, and honeysuckle this were both much better. Cherry me away is accurately depicted and executed. A cherry caipirinha that is equally tart as it is sweet. A crusher. Much of the same from honeysuckle this. A drink on the sweeter side with the honeysuckle taking center stage. The peppercorn garnish offers a great flavor contrast to the sweetness of the drink. As for the food, the devil bites are the clear winner. Not too spicy, crispy, and packed with flavor. You've heard of a cheese pull, but these have a pulled pork pull. I won't talk your ear off, just go order them and chew in awe. Everything else was good as well. The pork on the pinchos muronos was well marinated. The smoked paprika aioli was another favorite. Creamy, tangy, and just enough smokiness. Of course, the chicken sliders are always a smash with the sweetness of the Hawaiian rolls drawing out the saltiness of the chicken. The vaca frita was interesting. The steak was crispy which I was not prepared for. Still great, and the chimichurri was warmed which I think really elevated it. The New york strip was also good. Simply seasoned with salt and pepper. A nicely prepared steak. At the price point: a generous helping with good quality. And, the carrots are amazing. Super sweet, buttery, and tender. I would order 5 bowls of them if I could and if my heart could handle it. All in all, a phenomenal date night spot especially on the patio. The present drink program is pretty good, although I think past programs have exceeded this one. And of course, the extensive tapas menu has no misses. Great for happy hours, celebrations, or a last minute date night!

Good place for arepas. They are stuffed with a lot of meat. One arepa is plenty! We had the chicken…read moreand cheddar arepa and beef and cheddar. Both good, but beef was the best! We also had the TEQUEÑOS which are like cheese sticks. These were also delicious! I also had an empanada with beef, beans, cheese, plantains. So good and not offered many places! The restaurant was open and spacious! Service was great! If ordering to go it might be a 15-20 minute wait so ideally just order ahead.

We ordered carryout from Arepa Bar and had a good overall experience. The restaurant was clean, and…read moreeveryone we interacted with was friendly. There was a communication mix-up with our order. My son ordered 7 churros, but we ended up receiving 7 orders of churros, with 6 churros in each order. Fortunately, the churros were delicious, so they certainly didn't go to waste! Aside from that misunderstanding, everything else went smoothly, and we appreciated the friendly service.