I'm going 4 stars. I like the concept. Execution and service was a lil off for me but the food and baked goods were on point from chicharon to guava and cheese rings to the Tampeño sandwich with chips (their version of a Cuban). Some nice little touches with menu shape and accoutrements. I would've liked some hogao sauce to go with my empanadas and one waiter for the dine-in to-go and bakery counter customers was a stretch. But tasty Colombian foods and friendly staff. All in all, eating is believing. Next I will try the Bandeja Paisa Bowl. Pick up some baked goods or dine in and relax. Get some coffee or hot cocoa. Just don't be in a hurry.. :) read more

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I ordered the bandeja paisa, pollo asado, and kids chicken strips with fries. Everything was poorly seasoned and the staff was not friendly. The pollo asado was dry and overcooked. The beef empanadas and passion fruit juice were delicious. read more

Treat yourself to a real coffee / espresso drink. You can't go wrong with the breakfast and now lunch selections. It's getting popular, but still quaint! read more

This place was AMAZING. I got the perico wrap which was delicious, and my dad got the calentado with chicharron which was perfectly crispy. The café con leche was to die for. Don't even get me started on the mini waffles. I would rate this 6/5 stars if I could. GO HERE IMMEDIATELY! Very fair prices for the quality of ingredients and flavors. read more

Lpcx Cafe - Perico wrap, calentado, café con leche, waffles - Bakeries Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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We went for brunch last month. The atmosphere in the open area in the back, open area is absolutely amazing. The place is beautiful and clean, super cool decor. As a Latina, I'm a big critic of the Latin food, it was ok, not my favorite. I did have an incredible paracuya juice! I say this constructively, if the food gets better, the business would boom! Also you have to order in the front as there is no waitressing, they just bring you the food which for some people may be inconvenient. read more

Mike S provided personable service, food and coffees were on point. LPCX is a great place to hang. Worth the drive from Valrico!

0 stars if possible, the wait time is not worth it. Do not waste your time; the area has plenty of better food and service restaurants. We started by trying to make a reservation, which is impossible; if you want a reservation, you have to do it weeks in advance. We live far away, so we called at 9 am, they don't make phone reservations, but we were told that before 12, the wait time was decent; we arrived at 11 am and were told the wait time was 30 min. At 11:30, they asked for 15 more minutes every 15 minutes. Absolutely ridiculous and unacceptable. After 1 1/2 hours waiting outside in the middle of the summer, we left. read more

Why 3 stars? Because it's nothing like the regular La Pequena. --- --- --- Then again, is it supposed to be? Here's my angle. The experience started off badly during my visit. I had been salivating for days over the anticipation of my long awaited return to the regular La Pequena. They do not have hours posted on their website, so I called ahead and found out they were open until 8pm. My friend and I agreed to meet there at 7. As I am walking up to the front door, they lock it. Um what? The man then comes out to tell me something (in very broken English) along the lines of, "twice a month we have maintenance crew come in and we have to close at 7." Me: "But....I just called an hour ago and was told you were open until 8." Him: "Oh, so sorry, so sorry - we have other restaurant next door - fast food." Great. So I head to La Pequena's fast food joint. It wasn't bad, it's just that I was looking forward to a juicy steak with some chimichurri sauce. Instead I had to settle for street food. I don't remember what I had, I just kind of pointed to the picture that looked the best. It was some kind of bread base with cheese sprawled all over the top. I did like their selection of Colombian treats and sodas, however, I don't think I will return. For those interested, it is open til 1am and 6am on the weekends, so that's nice. read more

Lpcx Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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I went to this place when it first opened, and it seemed like they were trying to decide what type of place to be - a restaurant or fast food takeout place. They appear to have developed into a happy combo of the two, and the inside was way nicer than I remembered. The front section has tables, and the back area is more bar-like with high tops and televisions. A server took my order at the front counter. I tried to get the Ceviche Mixto, but they had no tilapia, so they couldn't provide the fish portion. Instead I went with the SalchiExtra - salchipapas, but with the addition of potatoes, chicken and corn. It's funny how this dish tastes different from restaurant to restaurant. While I liked the hot dog element, the chicken was very dry and stringy, and the french fry base seemed to make up the majority of the platter. All in all, just okay. I'm sure I'll be back to try other items, since the convience of it being on my way home from work, and on the correct side of the road, is pretty hard to beat. read more

Lpcx Cafe - SalchiExpress-I love the hotdog mustaches. :) - Bakeries Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I've been going to La Pequeña Colombia next door for some time and had recently heard good things from friends in the coffee crowd about the cafe next door. After visiting with my fiancée a few weeks back, LPCX quickly shot to our top Saturday/Sunday morning breakfast and coffee places. It's rare a place has both good coffee and breakfast options, let alone filling for the latter. There are truly few better combinations than a Colombian coffee with a bowl stacked with meat, eggs, plantains, avocado, rice, and beans. LPCX is a really chill, unique coffee shop & cafe which I'm excited to see grow. read more

Lpcx Cafe - Paisa Bowl - Bakeries Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Since the sister establishment the next building over was a forty-five minute wait list, we decided to walk over to the "fast food" version to see what the difference is... Ummm, difference is; no bakery and smaller menu. But, all of the hits are still there-- for me, that being any form of Bandeja Paisa assorted meat platter. I ordered the Arriera platter, which is a Paisa platter with the addition of a quarter roasted chicken. It is the best Columbian roast chicken I have ever had, the flavor is bold and the skin is to die for. The sausage, beans, rice, and steak are just as good as the long wait place... and, there is still table service. So, I am really not understanding why the outside states "fast food," because the food was not any faster than any other dine-in joint. We were lucky, because the service was excellent during our visit. It is my duty of always annoy the crap out of the kitchen staff by requesting an arepa covered in cheese and baked open faced. It is so damn good dipped in the beans. You should annoy them by ordering it also, let's make it a thang. The passion fruit juice and the blueberry juice were tangy and not too sweet. read more

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Saw this place on Facebook and decided to try. Outdoor patio had such a nice ambiance. The service was great and our food was absolutely delicious! Everything tasted very fresh! Will be back for sure!! read more

Beautiful location. Highly recommend sitting outside in the back. Its scenic and relaxing. The food is great. Service is warm and quick. Glad we decided to stop by today! read more

This is definitely *not* fast food in the American megachain dollar menu sense. Instead, this is great food, made to order, with an emphasis on meat, more meat and even more meat, in a nice air conditioned oasis. The is a porch outside if you'd like to brave the heat but we stuck to the inside. Univision was playing in the big screen tv's and we were clearly the only English speakers in residence. But, who cares? The food was tasty, especially their home made Columbian sausage. read more

This place deserves a way better review. What they did inside is so beautiful for the location. I went for a concert of Christmas Venezuelan music and it was Amazing. Great service, great music, clean bathrooms. It is traditional latino which if you are not used to it then may give a bit of a culture shock. read more

This place has great bakery goods and a good selection for lunch and dinner. The service is helpful and friendly. This place needs a makeover though. The rice and beans are the best we had since NOLA. read more

Lpcx Cafe - Bakery and tv - Bakeries Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Yes, it's open. We came here for breakfast since they've moved it from the main restaurant next door. I was a big fan of breakfast when it was in the big restaurant. But I have issues with this place. First, no diet drinks. Really? It's 2017. What eating establishment doesn't offer at least one diet option to drink besides water? This one. The menu is very limited. I'd love to comment about how I enjoyed my meal, but I can't get over not drinking a Diet Coke. Ruined my morning. I'm not coming back. read more

Lpcx Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This place was delicious. A great place to grab a quick bite. The food is authentic and very delicious. Seasoned very well. They have a white garlic sauce that I fell in love with I put it on everything I ate. The bread was really tasty. Good place to eat for a great price. read more

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We loved the food- fresh & cafe con leche was delish. Sat out back- nice.. Service was friendly & good. Will definitely be back

La Pequena Express (LPE) is a nice alternative to the traditional fast-food restaurants which are open late at night, but they do not serve the same high-quality menu to be found at the main La Pequena restaurant in the next block. They do have many of the same menu items, but the focus at LPE is on Colombian street foods like empanadas, carne asada, Bandeja Paisa, and tamales. You'll find La Pequena Express on Armenia Avenue in between Sligh and Hillsborough Avenues. LPE is in a stand-alone building, whereas the main La Pequena sits in the middle of a strip mall just north of that location. The crowd at La Pequena Express is younger, and mostly blue-collar guys stopping off for some beers after work. The restaurant is large and can easily accommodate larger groups. Many of the people in the restaurant were entranced by several televised soccer matches, and cheering loudly for their teams. I was there late at night and just ordered a couple of empanadas with some chimichurri sauce, and rice and beans. It was not the best Colombian food that I've ever eaten, but it did the trick. read more

La Pequeña Express is well known by all Colombians in Tampa to be a cool late night spot. It's legit and the food is good. It gets packed around 2:00 am due to being next to Chibcha (Colombian nightclub with the best latin music in Tampa!) They have everything from typical Colombian street food (chuzos, burgers, hotdogs, arepas, empanadas) to more typical foods like sancocho and consumé. The prices aren't bad and the food satisfies. I actually like it better than its parent restaurant; La Pequeña Colombia (which is very good, but very overpriced) It blows the IHOP (and pretty much any other late night eatery) away. Check it. read more

Lpcx Cafe - Medio pollo asado. Que riiiiiiiicooooo - Bakeries Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The empanadas and iced matcha latte were delicious! Would recommend and would want to go back.

I'm sorry to write this review. We came here for breakfast, The food is expensive, not very good quality, greasy and overly fried. ( price vs value). The service is OK, they are courteous, as Colombian people are always beautiful, however the service would benefit from training. They dropped the food and never checked again... overly done eggs, no water so we had to ask several times, Missing napkins in the table and when I got up to ask her, she sent me to the coffee station vs getting them for us...Little details that add up. We won't be coming back. Clean n pretty restaurant inside, good location. read more

Went here looking for a place to work on my laptop for a few hours. The service was excellent, the spanish latte was delcious and the environment is perfect, newly remodeled with stylish touches. Chill lofi music was playing and it was exaclty what I was looking for, I'll definitely be back regularly. read more

This review is more like 3.5 stars. I do believe La Pequena Express is beyond OK. However, I'm not a devoted fan either. So I'll stick with somewhere in between! This place is the sister spot to La Pequena Colombia Restaurant, which is located in the neighboring plaza. There is a different ambiance at La Pequena Express compared to La Pequena Colombia. The Express is more young and modern in feel. People are on the go, walk in, take out, late night, interesting characters (at times). This is fine and dandy. But honestly, you miss out on the family vibe you get at La Pequena Colombia, which in my opinion makes a difference. But let's not compare too much! La Pequena Express serves its purpose: it's fast food and open late. I've never intentionally gone there because we always go to the restaurant next door. As such, my visits have always been last minute decisions, whenever the urge for a taste of home kicks in and La Pequena Colombia happens to be closed. For me, this means I've had an obscene number of beef empanadas and passion fruit juice, always on the go. It's fast food, right? I can't speak for the other menu items; however, it doesn't seem like anyone else is complaining. ;-) Something to note, though it shouldn't sway you in any way: One time, I was ignored by the staff as I stood waiting by the front registers. They claimed they thought I was being helped. However, seeing as I walked in when they were all present and no one asked to help, I do believe I was ignored. Keep in mind that there are no language barriers here... Spanish is my first language. Maybe they were busy with other things... or maybe not. I couldn't really tell and I didn't really care so long as I got my empanada and juice. lol Overall, La Pequena Express is good to go. The empanadas taste the way they are supposed to taste (if you're Colombian, you know what I mean). I would definitely return for late night quick fixes. However, in my heart of hearts, I prefer the sister establishment down the street. read more

Fresh late night food. Can't beat that at 1am. Good food for reasonable prices. I get the Cuban sandwich. Or the pork chops with beans and rice. That's always a winner for me. They always serve beer & now stay open till 3am on Saturdays. read more

La Pequena Express is the little brother to the fine La Pequena in the plaza next door. On a late evening when the regular store was closed, I thought I'd check out LPE. One thing you'll notice upon arrival is the huge projection of soccer games on the wall of the building next door. I can only guess that the parking lot may be a popular place to hang out on a late night to see a game. The interior of LPE is fairly big and well decorated, with variety of seating options. The menu still seems like they're trying to sort things out, as my excellent waitress mentioned some items they will adding over the next few weeks. I decided to stick with the basics and ordered a carne asada/steak with rice and chili beans, and it arrived fairly promptly. The steak was beaten thin as is typical, and was well cooked with good flavor, but was a bit chewy and almost (but not quite) hard to cut. The rice and beans were very good. I found the prices a bit high for the quality. I think you get more value at the regular restaurant as I've had nothing but high quality excellent meals there. If I hadn't tasted the great food at the regular store, I might judge the express location differently. I'd probably visit here again for another late night visit if I couldn't make the hours of the regular location. Atmosphere: 4 Service: 5 Food: 3 Value: 3 read more

Breakfast here is horrible and over priced do your self a favor and don't waste your money here. Attention is not that great neither. Waitress got an order wrong twice after making us wait 20 mins. Its a colombian restaurant with no flavor! Everything is bland with no hispanic seasoning... honestly I prefer a Mcdonalds breakfast over this... read more

I waiting a long time for sandwich that was not what I asked for but a 9.50 chicken salad sandwich and another $2 for a small Coke. Never again!!!! Overpriced although ok food. Order ahead or you will wait a long time for takeout. They need to drop the word Express from the name. read more

Waited 45 minutes for a meal I never received. The people next to us got their food in less than 10 minutes. All we received was a "sorry." The costumer service here has just gone way low. read more

I have tried this place 4 times now and have gotten sick each and every time. The food was good so I returned but 4 for 4 is enough for me. Will not return read more

This place is our go-to when it's late and our appetites are roaring. Is the term "fast food" used loosely when describing this place? Yes. Is the food on a completely different plane than other spots that may be open at all hours of the night? Absolutely! After about a 10-15 minute wait, what you get is a huge plate of fresh, heart warming, succulent deliciousness. This is fine columbian food that will make you want to go back again and again. We usually order the Mixta for 2 which is a large mound of assorted morsels: pork rinds, pork chunks, rib pieces, columbian chorizo, morcilla, plantain chips, fries, potato pieces, tomatoes, and lime wedges. Everything goes together so perfectly! What I love is that the quality is consistent. We have gone and ordered the Mixta at least 10 times, and it is always just as delicious as the last. My boyfriend also orders a side of rice and asks for their homemade hot sauce which absolutely exudes freshness. It's crazy good! And there's beer! Now go. Try it. You won't be disappointed. Unless maybe if you order a burger. I wasn't impressed with that once. read more

Great place to get a bite to eat, food was phenomenal and the customer service was outstanding, you couldn't ask for better. Will be returning as well as referring friends and family. read more

Excellent Coffee! Excellent Food! Highly recommend it! Pan de Bono is amazing! Food is fresh and absolutely delicious! Great service and I simply love supporting local businesses! read more

Formerly La Pequena Columbia Express and it looks like the same menu, just new name. Not sure why they want to mute the connection with La Pequena Columbia in the next block. read more

Honestly, don't even waste your time. Find a different Colombian bakery for your cravings. I went there 3 times. Every time, the service was slow. (Well over 40 minutes) to get my food, etc. And the last time I went, my server didn't even put my order in! So, I waited 40 minutes only to find out my order was never placed. Maybe he was new, who knows. But he didn't apologize for his mistake. Another server did everything he could to make it up. So I'm appreciative of him. Regardless, the wait in this place is outrageous. Especially since it's supposed to be express? Take your money down the street to another Colombian bakery. read more

What a terrible experience. The food was cold, tasted horrible and way overpriced. The place was also understaffed.

Loved the how it was decorated, the atmosphere and I was greeted as soon as I walked through the door. On top of that, the coffee and buñuelo we're fantastic! read more

If you want to wait 45 minutes to receive your food come HERE!! Bland cold food with a side order of attitude from the waitress!! The water was good!!!! read more

Good food, friendly service, good-size portion and reasonably priced. We ordered the Bandeja Paisa (rice, red beans, sausage, fried pork belly, thin slice of steak) - and it was very flavorful. We also ordered a breaded pork loin (I can't remember what the dish was called) - and it too was very tasty. I will definitely come back! read more