We made a reservation in advance to celebrate my mom's birthday here, especially since she had…read moreheard great things about their crispy pork--one of her favorites. Unfortunately, our experience didn't live up to expectations. While the staff was friendly, there were several issues that really stood out. We arrived early for our reservation, but after the rest of our party showed up and we ordered, it took ONE HOUR for our food to arrive. I understand that it can take longer for larger parties, but once the food came, some of the dishes were cold. The portions were smaller than expected and didn't seem worth the price. After such a long wait, we were too hungry to send the food back, so we ate it anyway, but it definitely wasn't satisfying. The appetizers and entrees were just okay. We had several things missing from our order and had to ask our server for basic items like plates and glasses. There was a drag show going on inside, and the music was extremely loud. We were seated outside right under a speaker, and the sound was spotty and staticky. A staff member mentioned that the music would be turned off because it was too loud, but it took 20-30 minutes for that to actually happen. Overall, the whole experience felt overstimulating, and the long wait just wasn't worth it. I was hoping for a better celebration, but unfortunately, I can't recommend this place based on our visit.

Had seen several reviews on this place in the past. And I know there was a Yelp event there as…read morewell. So we decided to try it today. Got there shortly after they opened, got sat down right away. They had a really cool brunch menu, but chose to stick to the.Regular menu. Our appetizer was okay. Our main courses came out.My salmon was very tasty, came with cilantro rice and was supposed to be mixed vegetables, but it looked more like cabbage and onion.It still tasted good, but. Wife got paella., it was okay as well The atmosphere of the restaurant towards the end of our meal. Became very interesting, i'm not sure what was planned, but yeah.. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful.. They have indoor and a large outdoor seating area. It is definitely a unique dining experience. Situated in thornebrooke shopping area.

Went by for a quick bite and got bacalaitos and 2 empanadas. The first empanada was pizza and the…read moresecond one was pastelon . The pastelon one was a little too oily for my taste. It was oozing oil and so greasy along with a little burnt . The pizza one was delicious and my favorite . It was so comforting. The bacalaitos were nice and golden but inside was soft and flavorful.

Amazing food, wonderful service and pleasant outdoor atmosphere. We will return often to their…read morelocation by the Jonesville persimmons farm (Tropical Roots Inc.) during persimmon season in September.

Excellent local lunch spot. I'm from Tampa and I know Cuban sandwiches. Mi Apa offers three--the…read moretraditional Cuban, the Ybor Cuban, and the Key West Cuban. Yum. Good stuff. The place iteself is not fancy, but comfortable and very friendly. Lunch counter kind of vibes. Prices are very reasonable for food of this quality. This will be a regular lunch spot for me--and is close to UF. Highly recommended!

This is honestly very uncomfortable for me to say because I usually have a great experience with…read morethe food and service at Mi Apa. However, I came in on a Tuesday evening, and unfortunately, my experience with our server, Esteban, was very uncomfortable. When we first sat down, he did not come over to ask what we would like to drink. Instead, he stood there and stared at me very awkwardly for about a minute, which made me feel very uncomfortable. After he eventually brought our drinks and food, he did not come back to check on us for almost two hours. Then, right as he saw that we were getting ready to leave, he came over to take our payments. He did not say anything or clarify whether we were splitting the check. He went directly to my friend and had her pay, and we later realized that she had paid for both of us. At that point, it was already very late, so we did not complain or say anything. However, I truly felt uncomfortable throughout the entire experience. It was not just the lack of checking on us, but also the fact that he barely spoke to us, never communicated with us, and never made any effort to make us feel welcomed or comfortable during our visit. I want to emphasize that I have never been treated this way at Mi Apa before, which is why it is unfortunate that I feel the need to bring this to your attention. I have always had a positive experience here, so I hope this feedback can be helpful in some way. Thank you for taking the time to read this and for hearing me out. I hope this helps in any way.

I recently visited El Sazon de Mama for lunch. The restaurant serves a variety of Dominican and…read morePuerto Rican foods buffet style. I ordered the Pernil & Arroz con Gandules, The pork was super tender, the rice was savory and the beans were delicious. Overall, a quality and filling lunch stop.

Looks can be deceiving. Located next to a laundromat on a strip mall, this hole on the wall was…read moreamazing. I ordered the large roasted pork and it was incredible: salty, shredded, tender goodness. Reminded me of Michoacan style carnitas but shredded. A fantastic pairing to their perfect yellow rice. What really took this over the top were the black beans. Not sure if the pork or the beans were the star of this show as both were equally mind blowing. One of the best meals I've had in a while. Pro tip: a large meal is more than enough for 2 people. It comes with 1 protein and 2 sides.

PALERMO PUERTO RICAN... UN AMOR PROHIBIDO…read more Ay, Dios mío... I walked into Palermo Puerto Rican in Florida thinking I was simply going to have dinner. Pero NO. What happened that day was something much more dangerous... I fell in love. I ordered the Christmas Plate, and the moment it arrived at the table, I froze. Pork. Arroz con gandules. Pasteles. Plátanos maduros. I whispered... "No puede ser..." One bite, and suddenly I wasn't in Florida anymore. I was back in Puerto Rico during Las Navidades. I could almost hear the coquí, the music, the laughter of family, and somebody in the distance yelling, "¡Dale, que llegó la comida!" The pork was tender and full of flavor. The arroz con gandules tasted like Christmas memories on a plate. The pasteles... AY, LOS PASTELES! I wasn't emotionally prepared. And those sweet plátanos maduros came into my life like the forbidden lover my mother warned me about. I looked at my plate and said: "¡¿POR QUÉ?! ¿POR QUÉ TUVE QUE CONOCERTE AHORA?" Because this wasn't dinner anymore. ESTO ERA AMOR PROHIBIDO. Every bite brought back memories of Puerto Rican Christmases--the food, the family, the music, the alegría, the traditions. It was nostalgia, happiness, heartbreak and romance all served on one plate. And when the last bite was gone... I stared at the empty plate like the final scene of a telenovela. "No te vayas... todavía tenemos una vida juntos." Palermo Puerto Rican, you didn't just feed me. You took me home. And now our love may be complicated... it may be dangerous... it may even be forbidden... PERO VOLVERÉ. Because some loves are simply too powerful to forget. ¡QUE VIVA PUERTO RICO, QUE VIVA LA NAVIDAD... Y QUE VIVA ESTE AMOR PROHIBIDO!

Everything was delicious. Maybe put a Cuban on the menu?…read moreThe pork was so tender and flavorful. The mofongo was not dry at all! Sangria was perfect. Not to much citrus! I would come back again when in the area.

Have try 3 different times to try this restaurant, but it is a ghost restaurant. We have never been…read moreable to find it. ‍

so to be honest this place has no yelp reviews which made me skeptical of it, i looked at the…read moregoogle reviews and they all said the food was amazing so i decided to go. THE BEST STEAK AND MOFONGO I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. I recommend this place to anyone driving by ir living in ocala

The ambiance of the room was quite pleasant, although the building side facing the street could use…read moresome work. I've driven by many times and through the smoked glass it looked like chairs or something else was stored behind it and I though it had closed.The service was very good, prompt but not over attentive! The selection of Beers was outstanding! I had a starter of what was billed as Chupe De Pollo, (chicken chowder), it had very thick broth and was chocked full of chicken. Chicken breast was used and although there was a lot it was very dry and the broth was more like a heavy veloute. It also did not have much flavor. I won't be ordering that a again. My wife and I had Empanadas, mine was shredded beef and hers shredded chicken. I could have used a bit more sauce for dipping. The shell was quite crisp but not greasy. But all and all it was good. Our friend had the vegetarian arepas and let me taste some, it was quite good. She finished the whole dish! We also shared the loaded fries which came out hot with an interesting sauce drizzled over it. We didn't have the bacon on it as our friend is vegetarian. That would have made it even better for me. All in all it was a fun experience and we'll be going back.

Updating my review after another visit to Tinker. It's always nice to have a place in Downtown…read moreGainesville where you can enjoy Latin flavors in a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. The menu offers a little taste of our culture, and it's a great spot to meet friends, share a meal, have a good coffee or drink, and simply enjoy the evening. Definitely a place worth having on your Gainesville list.

Years later, and the food is still what keeps bringing us back!…read more My husband is on vacation this week, so we headed to El Pollo Colorao for lunch today as a party of four. We've been eating here for years, and while we love supporting local, enjoy the atmosphere, and have always found the staff friendly, let's be honest -- the food is why we keep coming back. We arrived around 1:30 and had two groups ahead of us at the counter, but the line moved quickly. In fact, there was a pretty steady line the entire time we were there, right up until we left around 2:30. Their takeout business was hopping too! Despite how busy they were, we had no problem finding a table in the dining room. I decided to branch out this visit and tried the #14 Pernil Sandwich with yellow rice. The sandwich has roasted pork and potato straws on their delicious bread, and my first comment after taking a bite was about how flavorful the pork was. It was tender and juicy, and I loved the contrast of the crunchy potato straws with the pork and that soft, slightly sweet bread. So good! Two people in our group ordered the #2 Tripleta, one with yellow rice and the other with yuca. The Tripleta is actually the favorite sandwich of all three of my family members. They love the combination of meats along with the crunch from the potato straws. My husband is normally firmly on Team Tripleta too, but decided to branch out and order the Mediodia this time. We were told when ordering that it would take about 30 minutes and were given the option to change his order, which I appreciated. He decided to wait and was glad he tried it. He enjoyed it, but since he tends to prefer savory over sweet, I have a feeling he'll be right back to his beloved Tripleta next time. And, as always, he got his favorite side -- the maduros. Yum! When everything was ready, they brought our food and drinks right to the table on a tray. The gentleman who took our order was very personable, and Abel came over to our table while we were eating. He recognized my husband and remembered his name -- which really impressed me considering it has probably been about a year since our last visit. And can we talk about the value? We spent about $60 for four meals with sides, three drinks AND a bag containing two loaves of their bread to take home. Yes, we buy the bread every time. It's that good. Even better, the portions are so generous that everyone took about half of their sandwich home for dinner. They definitely don't skimp on the meat here, so you fill up quickly. The dining area is comfortable and has some fun, whimsical artwork that gives the place plenty of personality. They also have a nice assortment of drink options and seating by the windows for customers waiting on takeout orders, which seems to help keep the dining tables available even when they're busy. After all these years and multiple visits, El Pollo Colorao continues to earn 5 stars from us. Great food, generous portions, good value, friendly people, and a locally owned restaurant we're happy to continue supporting.

Nice little place. Service was good. Food was also good. I had the roast pork with rice and red…read morebeans. Good flavor. Big servings.

Great place for Cuban food. Just tried it out on whim today. My wife and I ordered breakfast…read moresandwiches and cafe con leches. The food and the service was awesome! We will be back!

My wife and I received a gift certificate for this place from our friend and realtor after we…read moreclosed on our house in Ocala, having moved here from Central Texas. Located in a strip mall anchored by a Roses Discount Store, the place looked dark from the outside and the "Open" sign didn't appear to be lit but we knew they were open because of various Open yard signs in front of the establishment. Upon walking in, we were seated right away and presented the menu. They have daily specials but they didn't have pernil, although they had lechon asado like most of the Cuban/Latin American restaurants we've tried in the area. I ordered the lechon asado which came with yellow rice, fried plantains and red beans. My wife tried their Midnite Cuban sandwich. The lechon asado was flavorful (but of course no crunchy skin) and the yellow rice was good as well. My wife's sandwich, however, was a disappointment! The roast pork had an off taste and was gristly...she had to remove that meat from her sandwich. I tried her roast pork and was thinking of sending it back but my wife just removed all the meat from her sandwich. Perhaps we'll be back but definitely not ordering the Cuban sandwich again. Lunch for 2 came out to just over $30 with tip.

It was a pleasant surprise to realize there was a legit Puerto Rican food truck next to the Devils…read moreDen water cave area we were visiting today. After partying and walking into the area we could hear some PR merengue playing. It made more sense as we rounded the corner and saw the food truck. We made note to stop by after our excursion (and had a wallet in hand then) to grab something on our way out. We did, and grabbed the cod fritter, a Malta and three empanadas. My gal liked the cod a lot, wasn't my thing. The empanadas were all very tasty. Beef, chicken, and guava cheese. It was a nice bite to energize our drive home.

Had food from the truck, pork chop, rice & beans, salad & sweet plantains. Food was good, 1st…read morePuerto Rican food since I left NY. I recommend it. I would have liked more seasoning & dark red beans in the rice. I would definitely eat from them again.