Typical Puertorican food is excellent. Great service. Nice…read moreambiance. Didn't expect to see this little gem in the neighborhood.

We stopped in Orangeburg for the night while on a road trip and got take out from Mami's for…read moredinner. It was the day after Christmas, so the place was absolutely dead. Besides an employee sitting at the bar and watching TV, there was one other couple. The employee brought us some menus, came back to take our orders, and went to the kitchen to cook our food. The other couple left, and she said their food was good. The server/cook brought us our food and took payment. Turns out she was the on by herself. I had the Caribbean nachos which I enjoyed. The restaurant is located in a Ramada Inn and would be a pleasant place to dine in as well.

This is probably our favorite restaurant in Roanoke. Delicious food and drinks, try the guava…read morejuice! The owners are so kind. We keep coming back and are never disappointed with the food. Also highly recommend trying the vinegar hot sauce, it's delicious and they sell it by the bottle!

Amazing!! Authentic and pure Puerto Rican food. I know because I am boricua and I can tell…read more Delicious and fresh. Is like tasting the island. My new favorite place.

My 20-year old son (who attends Virginia Tech) and I were pleasantly surprised to find authentic…read moreCuban cuisine near the Roanoke airport. We found this place through Yelp for an early Saturday dinner. The restaurant was full of customers at 5:30pm - so we ordered takeout to bring back to our hotel. The service is warm with a family-friendly vibe. I would strongly recommend the vaca frita - which was outstanding and ideal for carryout. The red beans and rice were also delicious. I tried the ropa vieja (which is a bit more messy for takeout - but a great option if you're dining in). We also enjoyed the vanilla flan dessert which was very sweet (ideal with coffee). Overall, this was a great surprise in Roanoke - we hope to return to Cuban Island Restaurant on our next trip to Blacksburg, VA.

I was super excited to try this authentic Cuban restaurant, especially after seeing all the amazing…read morereviews and seeing that it was marked as one of the top best Cuban restaurants in the USA. I added it to my trip itinerary months ago. After driving for 5hrs on my route, I stopped in. I arrived around 12PM and there were 2 people sitting inside the restaurant. My greeting was lukewarm and I was seated in a cold corner and provided with a menu. After about 7 minutes, no water, no check in. Seeing the staff talking to each other and joking during that time period, I decided to take my service elsewhere. They did not seem like they cared, and I definitely did not want to be eating anyones food who is not genuinely present. It was a nice try. Yall, please implement the Southern hospitality.

Was very pleased with my find today The customer service…read morewas amazing and one thing for sure I will be coming back for more Ordered empanadas 1 Pizza (Mozzarella cheese, Homemade red sauce, seasonings)....$3.50 9 out 10 1 Carne (ground beef)...$3.50 Also 9 out 10 4 of the Alcapurrias de Carne..... 9 out of 10 (Green banana fritter stuffed with ground beef) 1 Bacalaitos...10 out 10 (Cod Fish Fritter - flour, cod fish, cilantro and spices) Very crispy and delicious Mofongo y Carne Frita ....10 out 10 (MOFONGO consist of fried plantains, mashed and mixed with garlic paste and pork cracklings) Choose (1) pork tips, chicken tips or grilled chicken (grilled chicken upon availability) Make sure to give them a try if u want to try some very good Puerto Rican style food. They are at the compare food supermarket Thursday through Saturday and are open from 12 PM to 6 PM

While at an event at Bailey Park, this food truck was present. I stopped by around 5:05pm and…read moreplaced my order at 5:08pm. They had a special menu for the event. I got wings and fries ($12) for myself. I got pizza empanadas for my sons. I also goy a kola champagne soda. This is a drink from Puerto Rico. After ordering, I was given a buzzer to be notified when it was ready. The staff person were very friendly. The buzzer went off at 5:23pm. The food was hot and fresh. However, the fries and chicken was unseasoned. Ketchup made the fries taste better. I had to eat the chicken how it was, lol. Overall, it was a good deal. My kids enjoyed their empanadas. The kola drink was interesting. It wasn't nasty but I can't say it'll be something I'd crave or be my first option. They are normally open Thursday-Saturday from 12pm-7pm at Compare Foods.

A friend recommended and did not disappoint! Hidden gem with big flavor. I grabbed the empanada…read morecombo with the spicy chicken empanada. It was crispy, flavorful, and had just the right kick. The rice and beans were comforting and well/seasoned and the plantains were sweet and caramelized to perfection. I'm also Cuban for what it's worth and had my fair share of rice, beans, and plantains! The tres leche coffee was a little sweet for me but still fantastic. I typically drink black coffee and just felt like trying something different. The inside is super cozy! Makes you feel like you're in someone's home (in the best way). Definitely worth a stop if you're in the area. Nothing has survived long in this building...hoping this one stays!

I don't know why it took me so long to come here. But I am so glad that I finally made it out to…read moreEmpanada Grill. This meal warmed my soul and eased my evening. On the edge of the Greensboro and Summerfield border, near the PTI airport, lies a small restaurant with big flavor and big heart. This location has been many things in the past, but I am hopeful that Empanada Grill will last forever. The menu is very simple , but nobody needs to make complicated empanadas. I would rather a place do a few things well than have a wide variety of things and be mediocre. Empanada Grill is as far from mediocre as you can get. I opted for their empanadas undressed in the traditional chicken style. It came with a side of rice and beans. You got to choose between red or black beans, and white, yellow, or traditional rice. I went with the black beans and traditional rice. This was enough food for two meals. I received my food to go, as I had a practice to get to, but there is a variety of seating areas within to accommodate groups of all sizes. The black beans deserve a picture of their own because they are basically a full meal themselves. I ate half before I remembered to take a picture because they were so good. I would definitely bring the family back to this restaurant, as we all love empanadas. I would love to try the traditional beef next time. The worst part about this trip? My car smelled like empanada the next day and I had no more empanada to eat. But that's a problem that can easily be solved with a trip back to my new favorite empanada place.

I celebrated my 38th birthday and I am so pleased to say it was a GREAT choice! My in-laws are…read morevegan, so I'm always trying to find restaurants that are enjoyable for them and my omnivorous family. I emailed a few days ahead of time to ask about their options and Juan was kind enough to answer all of my questions. Pangaea is a fusion restaurant that offers a 3-course (soup or salad, entree, and dessert) menu or you can order à la carte. My husband, my FIL and I opted for the 3-course. My daughters ordered chicken wings and fries. My MIL selected an appetizer and an entree. So let's talk food. Starters: -husband got the watermelon tataki salad. This was really tasty but def an explosion of flavor in your mouth. So brace yourself if you're not an eclectic food eater. -I got the peach panzanella salad. Lots of bread but that's what panzanella is lol. I wish there was more peaches but the flavors were really balanced. MIL got the dodo. Think of sweet and spicy. This is a Nigerian dish with sweet plantains, accompanied by pickled red onions and a mild hot sauce. Not too spicy. Plantains perfectly cooked. If I had a gigantic bowl of this, I would've been in heaven lol. Entrees: -The chef whipped up a new creation just for my in-laws. It was PERFECT. Tempura flash fried broccoli with stuffed peppers. They really really enjoyed the dish. Super Compliments to the chef. Even tho it was my birthday, I am so thrilled that they took the time and care to personalize a dish just for them. -husband ordered the Chinese Five Spice Ailine Chicken. Roasted chicken leg quarters with shaved brussels, Chinese sausage, a lime fish sauce and a citrus demi-glacé. Husband stayed getting the true fusion stuff lol. This dish was SO diff btw the five spice and the limey fish sauce, but it again worked so well! I liked this dish too. - I got the mofongo. The shrimp were big and plenty - perfectly cooked. That was the best part. The actual mofongo tho... could've used some more seasonings. That said, it's okay because I had so much flavor in all of my other dishes. Dessert: -husband got the Apple Pie Mille-Feuille. FIL got the vegan version of that. Both really enjoyed it. - I got the ube cheesecake. Btw the dodo and this, favorite dish. I LOVE ube and that mango sauce complimented it perfectly. Staff were super friendly. It's an intimate kinda restaurant and not really a kid kinda place (no chicken tenders lol), but I liked it that way. Comfortable seating with an outdoor covered option. Parking isn't really easy cuz it's downtown Greensboro so we had to walk from a nearly parking deck. Full bar available if that's your thing too. Pangaea, I'll be back!! (&& so will my in-laws!!)

We hit up Pangaea in downtown Greensboro last night with another couple, and it delivered a strong…read more4-star experience--with just enough personality to keep things interesting. I kicked things off with the "Alex Old Fashioned," which I enjoyed. Brittani, however, took one sip and looked at me like I had just ordered dessert in a glass--so, your mileage may vary depending on your sweet tooth and relationship dynamics. Instead of going full tapa chaos, we opted for the $60 three-course route. The tomato soup was a solid opener--comforting, no notes. The burrata was... fine. It felt like it was one good drizzle of something sweet away from being memorable, but it never quite got there. Then the mains showed up and completely changed the tone of the evening. The burger and the gnocchi? Unreal. Like "briefly stop talking to your friends mid-sentence" good. Easily the highlight. Dessert was an empanada that landed squarely in the "we're already full but let's be polite" category. It did its job, but the stars had already been earned earlier. Shoutout to our server, Amanda--absolute legend. Cool, knowledgeable, and casually working on a full tattoo bodysuit, which somehow made me feel like I showed up to dinner wildly underachieving. She was fantastic. Bonus points: parking downtown was easy, and it wasn't packed, which felt like winning twice. All in all, Pangaea is a great spot--just a few tweaks away from 5 stars, but definitely worth the visit (and the gnocchi alone is reason enough to go back).

I don't leave reviews for anyone unless you have exceeded my expectation. I have had the pleasure…read moreof cooking and tasting some of Atlanta's best Latin Chefs. So coming to NC I was not expecting to find any food this good. I talking first bite the room got quite until the last bite. I will recommend to anyone looking for something different something with a whole lot of flavor, make wiggle in your chair during the conference call, this is the place. Great job, oh and to the young lady at the counter super sweet and nice.

Great service, gluten free options, Latino music playing in the background. Making it lively and…read moreinviting. Spirits available at the bar as well. Perfect for small or large groups. Overall had a great time. Coming back for sure.

I dined alone a little after 4 PM and was seated right away before the dinner rush, although there…read morewere already about 12 to 15 people inside. By the time I left around 6, there were people standing and waiting to be seated. The patio was open with one couple enjoying the nice weather and relative quiet of outdoors. Embur recently relocated to Smyres Place in Greensboro and the new space feels much smaller than I expected. The design reminded me of what I imagine a modern restaurant in Peru might look like. Industrial with solid wood floors, warm finishes, and a large wine display. There are around 25 to 26 tables, mostly two tops and four tops. The largest table seats six, but they will push tables together for larger groups. While I was there, a group of more than 20 came in celebrating something and they were seated quickly without disrupting the rest of the room. The small patio has outdoor seating with about 8 tables and a they have bar area with about nine comfortable seats. The menu took me a minute to understand but I ended up liking the setup. You choose your entrée, which comes with set ingredients, and then choose your protein. Each protein has a different price, so you can control the cost of your meal somewhat. Most menu items can also be made gluten free according to the menu, and vegetarian options seem easy to do. For my appetizer, I ordered the flatbread. Perfection. Rosemary, olive oil, sea salt. Crispy outside, soft inside, and so flavorful I almost ate the whole thing before my meal was served. The server came with water right away and remain attentive but not intrusive the whole time. For my entree, I ordered the Arroz Chaufa with salmon. Arroz Chaufa literally means fried rice. At first the dish seemed a bit salty to me, but once I added the green sauce that comes with it (served on the side), everything balanced out. The green sauce has very mild heat, so if you are not a fan of spicy food, that is the one I would recommend. There is a list of sauces so I assume you can customize your entree. According to my server, the other sauces bring more heat. The salmon was excellent, well seasoned but not too much, and moist. The portion was ample. I was very hungry but I had leftovers to bring home. Service was exactly what I want when dining alone. Attentive without being intrusive. I watched Netflix while I ate and enjoyed my meal without feeling rushed or bothered. The noise level is average for a busy small restaurant. Comfortable enough to relax, but if you want to talk to someone in your group a couple of seats away, you will need your outside voice. This place feels upscale without being fussy, so expected to pay more than average, but I thought it was good value for the quality and portions. I loved this restaurant and will absolutely go back. Must order: Rosemary flatbread appetizer. Tip: Ask about sauce heat before ordering. If you do not like spicy food, start with the green sauce.

IYKYK..in case you don't...I was so disappointed with the service received on this visit!! It was…read more3 in our party, arrived about 1:20pm for lunch, we we seated immediately and server took our drink orders and brought them, asked if we needed a few moments to decide, we replied yes. Then he literally never came back to take our order, we actually had to ask another server to take our order...smh We asked for drink refills and he was just chatting it up with co-workers, then brought drinks without ice..what is going on, we wondered... No one checked on us our entire visit. I really enjoyed previous visits to Embur. The food was good as usual. This visit was not the norm, but I will not go back anytime in the near future....yes I will definitely miss the good food. The service was awful today and it was not busy!!