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.

Terrible, terrible service. The lady at the front had such a bad attitude that it completely ruined…read morethe experience. She was unwelcoming and acted like we were inconveniencing her just by being there. The food was mediocre at best. The rice was bland and the pork was dry and hard. Nothing else we ate stood out but I would have considered giving this place another chance to try other items on the menu but after the way we were treated i have no interest in returning. ESPAÑOL Terrible, terrible servicio. La muchacha del frente tenía una actitud muy mala que arruinó por completo la experiencia. Ella no fue placentera y actuó como si la estuviéramos molestando solo por estar allí. La comida es mediocre en el mejor de los casos. El arroz sin sabor y el cerdo estaba seco y duro. Nada más que comimos destacó o nos hizo querer volver. Haría considerado darle a este lugar otra oportunidad para probar otros artículos del menú, pero después de la forma en que nos trataron, no tengo ningún interés en volver.

I recently visited La Cocina de Abuela for lunch. The restaurant is set up cafeteria style and you…read moreorder a small, medium or large portion. You choose your rice, beans, meat, and side. I ordered a large with Ropa Vieja, Yucca, Black Beans, and Coconut Rice. I love Cuban food and the portion was massive, however, I was disappointed. The Ropa Vieja was tender but watery, the yucca was soft but bland and a little chewy, and the beans lacked any seasoning. I liked the rice: savory with a hint of sweetness. The best word to describe the food was edible.

Friday night , we stopped into Flaco's for some late night eats after listening to our friend's…read moreband play at the bar/lounge next door. My first time at Flaco's but definitely NOT my last The person (who I assume must be the owner) working the register, taking the orders,and making the food was so kind, suggesting options for me given it was my first time there. I got the beef arepas and a cheese pastry cause I was not too hungry. The food was piping hot and delicious. Others in our group got their empanadas, Cuban sandwich, cheese arepas, quesitos, loaded nachos, and guava cheese pastry. As we sat there eating, the line was growing longer and longer, and out the door by the time we left. It was not due to slow service but volume of last night revelers. The one person working that night was incredibly efficient. Kudos to him. Clean bathroom is a good sign of a clean establishment. Flaco's bathroom was clean. I will be back for more tasty eats!

Great music and loved the paintings. Definitely more of a casual place but the environment is very…read morecomfortable. The food is not presented in a special way but tastes great. For example the tacos looked somewhat iffy when I first saw them but ended up being really good. I also tried the pastries which were delicious. The team members are very kind and friendly as well.

I spent about $100 on two entrees and two appetizers for a to go order, and it wasn't just "not…read morethat good", it was honestly terrible and inedible. One of the worst meals I've had in the last 2 years here in Gainesville. The whole chicken was burnt and so dehydrated it was inedible. It was missing the fries it was supposed to come with, and the salad was missing half its ingredients (see pics). The ceviche was extremely fibrous and chewy, clearly made with low quality fish that should never be used for ceviche. The lomo saltado was overcooked, and the nearly $20 calamari came with about 12 small, dried out pieces that looked nothing like the advertised photo (again, see pic, it's laughable). Here's the real reason I'm leaving this review, not just because the food was bad, but because of how it was handled. When I called to request a replacement or even a refund, I was told the food was "fresh" and that the chicken was dry because it was a rooster, despite it being completely inedible. First of all - it literally says chicken, and they usually rotisserie young chickens, pretty sure they use roosters only in stews because the meat is tough. I was also told they don't give refunds because they serve fresh food and the food I got was fine. To make it even more confusing, she then said maybe I could come in "now" for a replacement. When I pointed out that they close at 6, she said yes they do, put me on hold, and then repeated that I could maybe come in today for a replacement, but that there was no one there to cook the food so she's not sure how I would get my food today. So how exactly would that work? The entire conversation made no sense and only made the situation worse. Then she just told me she's unable to do anything for me. I never leave negative reviews, but this genuinely pissed me off. I've been eating Peruvian food for over 20 years, it's one of my favorite cuisines and this was unacceptable in both quality and customer service. How about this for an idea: If you're about to close and can't serve fresh food, stop taking orders. Don't send out what tastes like old, dried out leftovers. I would not recommend.

Came here for the Pollo ala Brasa. It surely did not disappoint. Usually I am dying for fish or…read moreseafood when I go out. This time I had a feeling their chicken was not meant to be missed. We ordered the whole chicken. This is nice bc it's already cut up for both of us. We also ordered tostones and salad which comes with it. I made it like a tostada and stacked the chicken and lettuce on top with their sauce which was so to die for. I was really happy I was singing. I do that sometimes when I get excited for my food. Don't ask lol! Haven't found such wonderful Peruvian chicken in a while. This was great. Place is not fancy and it's old and stuff in the back. That's ok bc the service and the food is great. Same plaza as other stores such as Home Depot.

GOOD MORING!!! great service to star my day!! Thank you Mi…read moreApa the food was great!! Keep up the great service for your community!!

I love this Cuban restaurant. I love the turkey sandwich press and dress. I also love the…read morePiccadilly, which is good hot and fresh and they guava pastry.

We had a terrific HH / dinner @ Bahama Breeze. Dishes were big portions, all appetizers are half…read moreoff, and the Jerk Wings were the star of the show. If you're going with a big group of people and want to try a diverse set of dishes, the HH deal is a must. We enjoyed rummaging through all the yummy eats. Ordered - Firecracker Shrimp (3.5/5) - Jerk Chicken (5/5) - Empanadas (4/5) - Seafood Linguine (3/5) - Cheese Sticks (3/5) - Spinach and Artichoke Dip (3/5) - Chicken Tostones (2/5)

Food is tasty but service was abysmal Was sat immediately…read moreduring evening with very little people. Sat at the high tops on the patio which was great with the night time breeze. However, didn't get a server to take drink orders for about 10-15 minutes. Once drinks and food were ordered others in the area that arrived after me received their food. The spinach artichoke dip was as to be expected and the jerk chicken was great!

Very authentic Mexican food! This is a great Mexican staple for Gainesville. You order at the…read morecounter and choose a table, so a great place for lunch or a quick dinner. The service is always super fast. The food is always fresh and authentic. Not pictured are the birra tacos, which are my favorite and go-to item at La Tienda. The spice is tolerable, and the meat is always fresh. The nachos were a huge portion and had nicely seasoned meat. The queso was warm which was lovely

What this place may lack in presentation, it makes up for in taste. The tacos al pastor were…read moreabsolutely delicious. The three dip trio with the chips was great; the queso had a great flavor and the amount of guacamole given was beautiful. I knew I could trust this place for authentic food due to the paper notices on the outside. La comida estaba riquisa, and I would definitely go back. Ambiance was super friendly. Staff was also very nice and making sure to answer any questions we had regarding modifications. There is a pretty big drink selection.

Good food at Los Pollos Rotisserie (Original Location) Gainesville, FL…read more Switched it up and tried their Tex-Mex side of the menu: - California Burrito - A big flour tortilla filled with steak, rice, black beans, cheese, pico de gallo, and guac. I threw in a side of maduros (sweet plantains) and honestly... they should offer that officially. Call it the SunRaye Burrito with steak and sweet plantains inside a burrito? Yum. Personal critique -one note- it'd be more steak, less rice. But the flavor was on point. We had swung by Los Pollos Rotisserie just before closing, and even at the end of the night, they did a great job. I love most to see this spot is consistently good and always updating - haven't been let down by a meal here, and I keep coming back. This is a stand-in-line, order-at-the-counter, seat-yourself type of place--and it works. Freshly remodeled interior looks great, and I've always loved the outdoor patio area... maybe one day they can screen it , especially for those perfect Florida days.

Food was very tasty. Chicken, of course, had great flavor. Ribs were a surprise but were a nice…read moreaddition. Ordered at the counter to-go, large family order was filled quickly. Green salsa was delicious. Price was high, but food was worth it. Would come back on a return visit.

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.

Saw this just opened up and had to visit. I was impressed by the wide selection of sweet and savory…read moregoods. The cashier helping me was friendly and informative. I definitely walked away with more food than I planned to, but I'd say it was worth it. My only critique is the guava pastries were a little dry (easily solved by sprinkling with water before reheating them) and Venezuelan Christmas bread didn't have as many olive and raisins as I expected (it was more like a stuffed ham and cheese roll). However, the soup of the day was delicious and it made me excited to come back to try the breakfast and lunch. The interior is bright, simple, and very clean. There are plenty of tables and chairs that would make this a great spot for meeting up with a friend during the week or getting work done on a weekend (though I didn't check if they have wifi).

I recommend the beef, chicken and chorizo empanadas, tequenos, guava and cheese pastry, and pupusa…read more Great service and food. Can't wait to come back.