As a Colombian who has been craving authentic Colombian cuisine since my last visit to New York in…read moreDecember, I can confidently say this restaurant truly satisfied those cravings. Being nearly eight months pregnant, my expectations were especially high, and it is rare to find a place that meets them so well. From the seasoning of the food to the warm and attentive service, everything about this restaurant stands out. Although I don't recall my server's name, he was incredibly kind and provided excellent service throughout. The ambiance is also worth noting--the space is large, offers plenty of seating options, and even features a large TV, making it a great spot to relax or watch sports. To start, I ordered a watered mango juice along with a beef empanada. The empanada exceeded my expectations--despite being on the smaller side, it was packed with flavor. I enjoyed it so much that I ordered five more to go, which speaks for itself. They were served with fresh ají, a traditional sauce that complemented them perfectly. For my main course, I had the carne asada plate, which included steak, rice, beans, sweet plantains, avocado, tomato slices, and a small arepa. Every component of the dish was well-executed--the beans were flavorful, the meat was well-seasoned, and the overall plate felt authentic. It is often difficult to find truly authentic Colombian food, especially in San Diego, where options are limited or not genuinely Colombian. This restaurant, however, delivers on authenticity and flavor. The portion size was generous, and I ended up taking leftovers home to enjoy later. In addition to the empanadas (two chicken and three beef), I also ordered a buñuelo and a cheese arepa to go. Unfortunately, these items did not meet the same standard. The arepa lacked flavor and was overly greasy, and the buñuelo was dry and similarly oily, even after absorbing excess grease from the bag. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for Colombian food, especially given how rare it is to find quality options in this area. Friends of mine visited recently as well and thoroughly enjoyed their bandeja paisa, further confirming the consistency of the food. I will definitely be returning--especially for those empanadas. Como colombiana que ha estado antojándose de comida colombiana auténtica desde mi último viaje a Nueva York en diciembre, puedo decir con confianza que este restaurante realmente cumplió con mis expectativas. Además, estando casi de ocho meses de embarazo, mis expectativas eran aún más altas, y no es fácil encontrar un lugar que las cumpla tan bien. Desde el sazón de la comida hasta el servicio cálido y atento, todo en este restaurante destaca. Aunque no recuerdo el nombre del mesero, fue sumamente amable y atento. un servicio excelente en todo momento. El ambiente también merece mención: el lugar es amplio, y limpio. cuenta con muchas opciones de asientos y tiene una pantalla grande, lo que lo hace ideal para relajarse o ver deportes. Para empezar, pedí un jugo de mango (rebajado con agua) junto con una empanada de carne. La empanada superó mis expectativas; aunque es un poco pequeña, tiene muchísimo sabor. Me gustó tanto que pedí cinco más para llevar, lo cual habla por sí solo. Venían acompañadas de ají fresco, que las complementa perfectamente. Como plato fuerte, pedí la carne asada, que incluía arroz, frijoles, plátano maduro, aguacate, rodajas de tomate y una arepita. Cada componente del plato estaba muy bien logrado: los frijoles tenían un excelente sabor, la carne estaba bien sazonada y jugosa y, en general, el plato se sentía auténtico. Hoy en día es difícil encontrar comida colombiana verdaderamente auténtica, especialmente en San Diego, donde las opciones son limitadas o no lo son del todo. Sin embargo, este restaurante sí cumple con ese nivel de autenticidad y sabor. La porción fue bastante generosa, por lo que terminé llevándome lo que no pude terminar para comer más tarde. Además de las empanadas (dos de pollo y tres de carne), también pedí un buñuelo y una arepa de queso para llevar. Lamentablemente, estos no estuvieron al mismo nivel. La arepa carecía de sabor y estaba grasosa, y el buñuelo estaba seco y también muy aceitoso, incluso después de que la bolsa absorbiera parte de la grasa. En general, recomiendo este restaurante sin duda a cualquiera que esté buscando comida colombiana, especialmente considerando lo difícil que es encontrar buenas opciones en esta área. Unos amigos míos también vinieron recientemente y les encantó su bandeja paisa, lo que confirma la calidad constante del lugar. Definitivamente volveré, especialmente por esas empanadas.

BEST EMPANADAS IN ALL OF SAN DIEGO. I spent my whole day trying to find good empanadas here in san…read morediego that would remind me of new york and this was the only location that didn't disappoint. $1.99 per empanada, they are super filling and can tell are made with love. Service was amazing and quick and the atmosphere is very welcoming i love this place. LAS MEJORES EMPANADAS DE TODO SAN DIEGO. Pasé todo el día buscando buenas empanadas aquí en San Diego que me recordaran a Nueva York, y este fue el único lugar que no decepcionó. $1.99 por empanada, son muy llenadoras y se nota que están hechas con amor. El servicio fue increíble y rápido, y el ambiente es muy acogedor. Me encanta este lugar.

The food was the best Salvadoren food I've had in a while. The service was great as well. My server…read morewas sweet and didn't mind my talkative side. She gave the best recommendations of food I just couldn't decide. I ended up getting 4 cheese and chicken pupusas and a side of fried plantains with condensed milk. Overall my experience was great and the food was even better. 100000/10 for me.

We have been coming to this San Diego institution for years. We were craving Latin food and we were…read morenot disappointed. The service was very friendly and quick. We had the plantain chips with fried pork. It came with a simple side salad. The shrimp rice was plenty for two people so we had leftovers. The passion fruit juice was so big we had to take it home. The place is family casual. Happy.

So happy we stopped in. We came mainly for Cuban coffee but the snacks looked too good to pass up…read more And they have $1 croquettas on mondays! We ordered: Ham and cheese croquettes Yucca fries 2 types of Cuban coffee (regular and one with condensed milk) Everything was so good. I really loved the texture of the yucca fries. I'm not sure what they did different than normal but it was much less stringy and they were quite tender inside. The Cuban coffees were both so good and perfectly sweetened.

This place is fantastic!!…read more The service and the live music sets the tone as soon as you arrive. Pleasant and lively. The waiter was from Cuba and we had never tried it before. He understood the menu and learned our likes, and made the best recommendations. Those recommendations were all very good. I am sorry I can't remember which menu item we ate specifically, but all of it was very good and flavorful.

I had the house smoked pastrami sandwiches Rueben style. It was really good. There was so much…read morepastrami on the sandwich o cold only eat half. The pastrami was lean, a little Smokey, tender and just really tasty. It is only available Tuesday and Wednesday. Definitely worth checking it out. They have info and out door seating. This is a great spot for families with kids and large group. Parking is street parking in the neighborhood. But I always find parking.

I keep wanting to like this place, it's in my 'hood and it draws a good crowd. I remember liking…read moreit more, back in the day, but the last 2 visits were MEH. The other day, I got the tri tip sandwich with chimichurri. The order came up quickly. I live a couple of blocks away. By the time I was home, the sandwich was cold. Not lukewarm, not tepid, but cold. But the REALLY disturbing thing was the bun/bread. It fell apart, into large chunks, the minute I opened the paper wrap up. A sandwich has two major components, BREAD and the filler. Can't you have decent fresh bread? This seems to be a challenge lately for the Grand Ole BBQ. A couple of months ago, I got the hot links, and they were served on the most run of the mill, grocery store quality, HAMBURGER bun. LINKS, folks, should be on a hot dog shaped bun, not cut up into small pieces and placed on a cheap, round, bun. I can't decide if this is hipsters, serving food and doing it their way, with whatever happens to be available at the moment, or if this is management saying "we don't care about your expectations." It isn't novel, to put links on a hamburger bun, it doesn't make it artsy, or unique, it makes it look like an afterthought. So does try-tip on a bun that wasn't. And the chimichurri- driest, almost oil-free chimichurri I've ever had, I had to add oil, at home, to be able to spread it. Good chimichurri isn't difficult, I make it all of the time. Make an effort people. Restaurant are closing. Disregarding your customer is one quicker way to meet that end.

Went for my sister's birthday. Food was amazing. Dani recommended one of the plates I got and was…read morefantastic. We really enjoyed and appreciated Dani's service

Amazing meal and Giuseppe was amazing! Food was so fresh!…read moreLoved the carpaccio and branzino! Will not disappoint

We had an amazing experience here. Too bad it recently closed…read more We go down Wednesday for lunch and lucked out as we found parking right next door. Only one space left near the restaurant. We get there right before it opens and they sit us down right away. I thought that was awesome. Some places will wait until they officially open. Even while just opening it was a festive atmosphere and the employees were amazing. My wife had the Diabla shrimp plate and I had the three taco platter I choose the birria and Korean tacos and they were amazing and had a different twist to them. You get to choose from various ones. This place is very instagramic and you may be paying a little bit more but in my opinion it is well worth it. We had the Miche mango blended drink and I ordered the Cadillac Margarita. They were very good and reasonably priced as well. The grand finale was the churro cart. What a show. Definitely worth some social media posts. We really enjoyed this place and hope it makes a comeback

Honestly pretty happy this location closed down. I figured it was only a matter of time…read more When we went here, both times it was fairly busy, but not packed, and the service took wayyy longer than expected to get our orders taken and food brought out to us. I believe this restaurant banked on the fact that it was in Little Italy within downtown so they could charge extra for everything. Nothing you would get food or drink wise felt it was justified and the food was really plain or didn't taste good. Ambiance was a bit of a mess too since it seemed to try and mix a lot of different themes together which didn't work out too well. I think it was for the best this business moved on. Let a new restaurant take it's place that can do a better job in the night life scene, or try something new and different.

This Mexican themed restaurant and bar is located in the Gaslamp. It has vibrant themed colors and…read moredecorations. It's a bit small but cozy fun. The service was good and helpful. We loved their back staff who brought our food. The nachos and quesadillas were good for group sharing. The margaritas were tasty and well made. Music here was good and fun. Overall, a fun place, centrally located.

This place is loud, energetic, and full-on party atmosphere -- in the best way. It was crowded and…read morelively when we arrived, but we were seated right away. The staff were friendly and helpful, guiding us through the menu and making great suggestions. We started with margaritas, then moved on to chips and a spicy, tasty salsa. For our meal, we had enchiladas and the taco plate, and both were enjoyable. If you're in the Gaslamp District and want a fun, upbeat spot with good food and a lively crowd, I recommend checking out El Chingon.

Guac and chips , fresh Margaritas with nice Steak and Shrimp Fajitas were on point.!!!!read more

I went to Las Hadas for the first time this past Friday night. It was a busy time of the evening…read morebut we got sat right away. The playlist was on point! Our server Rose was lovely and attentive. My friend is celiac & there was a separate menu and Rose informed us that the food would be prepared on a separate grill, so awesome! I had the Camacho Fire Grilled Shrimp and it was so flavorful and delicious! I've been thinking about since my last bite! My celiac friend had chicken fajitas that were awesome. My wife had the vegetarian quesadilla with soyrizo and poblano and a birria taco. Each item had a proper amount of spice and was prepared perfectly. I'm looking forward to the next time I come dine at Las Hadas!

Brought my man-child for a quick lunch on Friday..... This place is simple yet very good. Pretty…read morepopular too. Great service & vibes. So lucky to have it near our home. What we ordered: Pupusa de Pescado x2 Pupusa de Cameron x1 #DiningWithTheAndersons #Pupusas #SilviasPupuseria #NationalCity #SalvadorianFood

I enjoyed this place so much! I have not been in over 3 years, but after having a craving for…read morepupusas, I am glad I came back here. My partner and I tried four different kinds (revuelta, chicharron, queso con jalapenos, and loroco). I had a to-go order, but I put on all the toppings at home and it was great. The curtido was nice and fresh, I wish I could just buy this alone and use it as a topping for so many things at home. The horchata was also delicious and not overly sweet. I liked the nutty taste of the seeds. The interior was well kept, clean, and felt very at home. I came in when no one else was there and my order was made fresh and the wait was not long. Cant wait to go back and try other menu items or pupusa fillings.

Absolutely amazing spot chill vibes excellent customer service even better food a must go!read more

Coco Maya is such a cute brunch spot in San Diego! The whole place has this pink, white, and green…read moretropical vibe that kind of reminds me of the Beverly Hills Hotel. It's super pretty and definitely a spot where you'll want to take pictures. We got the Mango Guava Spritz and it was so good. Very refreshing and not overly sweet. For food, we tried the French Toast, eggs breakfast, truffle fries and the Lobster Benedict. Every dish was really good, although I do wish there was a little more lobster in the Benedict. Overall, I really enjoyed this place. The atmosphere is definitely the highlight. It's fun, lively, and really pretty I'd definitely recommend Coco Maya for a girls' brunch or a fun weekend brunch with friends.