Tried a local Nicaraguan spot recently and it did not disappoint. I ordered the churrasco and the carne asada plate -- one came with classic gallo pinto and the other with rice and beans, both cooked perfectly and packed with flavor. The meats were well-seasoned, tender, and had that great grilled, smoky taste you want from these dishes. We also ordered tostones on the side, which were crispy and great for dipping, but the real surprise was the fried cheese -- absolutely amazing. Salty, golden, and perfectly crisp on the outside while still soft inside. Easily one of the highlights of the meal. Overall, a really satisfying experience with hearty portions, authentic flavors, and sides that definitely deserve attention. I'd happily go back to try more from the menu. Service was great. They brought the food pretty quickly. And we're helpful on trying to decide what to eat. Everything in the menu look tasty and I think these were probably one of the top choices. There's plenty of seating good for family, friends, and for date dates. They do offer valley parking as well. Unless you find parking in the street. read more

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The restaurant is located in a low income area. You can't tell is a nice restaurant from the outside. Inside is nicely decorated. It has valet parking at $7 +3 tip = $10. I don't think is a safe area to park your own car in the neighborhood. Pay the $7 to avoid the unexpected repair cost. The food was good, I had the leguna, it was soft and tasty. The cacao taste like horchata w volka after taste, there's no alcohol in the drink. I didn't like the tostones, the cheese was on the hard side. If I'm in the area. I would eat here again. read more

Very disappointed with our Nicaraguan Mother's Day experience. Our waitress was rude, dismissive, and seemed intent on controlling how our family placed our orders. Instead of making us feel welcome and allowing us to enjoy our celebration, she made us feel like an inconvenience.We understand holidays are busy, but that doesn't excuse poor customer service or a disrespectful attitude toward guests. Unfortunately, this experience left a negative impression on our family, and we would be hesitant to return Muy decepcionados con nuestra experiencia en el Día de las Madres. Nuestra mesera fue grosera, poco amable y parecía empeñada en controlar la manera en que nuestra familia hacía los pedidos. En lugar de hacernos sentir bienvenidos y permitirnos disfrutar de nuestra celebración, nos hizo sentir como si fuéramos una molestia. Entendemos que los días festivos son muy ocupados, pero eso no justifica un mal servicio al cliente ni una actitud irrespetuosa hacia los clientes. Lamentablemente, esta experiencia dejó una impresión negativa en nuestra familia y dudaríamos en regresar. read more

The food was amazing as well as the service. The outdoor patio ambiance is perfect for a date night. I definitely recommend the churasco. The steak was cooked to perfection. Absolutely delicious! read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Churasco - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

I came here on a Saturday night with no reservations and we were able to be sat right away around 6 PM. It looks like there is plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. The service was so great. I felt like they were friendly, helpful with the menu and we were well taken care of. I ordered the fritanga and it was so good. Definitely one of the best fritangas I've ever had. The portion size was huge and for some reason, I thought the leftovers were better the next day. I would highly recommend this spot. My partner who is from Nicaragua said that it was delicious and tasted very authentic. read more

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Got a Fritanga $25.75, it was ok the cabbage was old and saggy, the gallopinto and meats were bland. Portion is big. Order a cacao which was good. The restaurant was clean, parking $10 and the service was very slow. Order 2 corn tamales that never came. Music was loud enough to hear but quiet enough to enjoy our conversation. Not impressed. read more

Never a bad meal at Portobancos! The staff is always friendly, courteous and attentive. Pops and I had the carne asada with fried cheese, plantains and gallo pinto. Absolutely perfectly cooked and full of flavor. The wifey had the polo asado which was perfectly cooked and marinated. Grill flavor was on point. Mama Dukes had the Nacatamal which was full of marinated pork loin . So so good. Washed it down with a Cacao with no ice so it doesn't get watered down. all around. Doing it again next week. Strongly recommended to my fellow yelper elites!! read more

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Server was nice and attentive. Appetizers delicious. Food was delicious. Portion was big , so much food couldn't finish my plate . read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Prices are higher for what you get !!!! Food is okay nothing extraordinary . Take forever to serve the food They are many waiters but they all stand there and it's hard to get their attention read more

Forced to come here because my in-laws are Nicaraguan. Nothing has improved. Service is still horrible. Came with a smaller party this time (6 people), and we didn't get checked in once. When our water glasses were empty, they took the glasses instead of asking if we wanted more water. We spend hundreds every time we come, service needs immediate improvement. read more

Hands down the best Nicaragüense food in LA! The only place I take my parents when they come into town. How Nicoyas do, they have excellent service and the quality of the food is top tier. Can be a little pricey but always worth it. Ambiance: Upscale Nica food with inside & outside seating, including a nice fire pit. Parking can be tricky but they have valet if you want to not struggle. They even had a photographer going around taking photos, with a free print & option to pay for more. If you're new to this cuisine, you can never go wrong with one of these items: Drink: **Cacao (milk based) or a Cebada or Toña (beer) Food: Fritanga, offers you a little bit of everything to try. Nacatamal. **Baho, a steamed dish of rich flavors with yuca, plantain, beef, over rice and salad. Sopa de Gallina **my fave ¡Que viva Nicaragua! read more

Came here with the family for Mother's Day. My mom has been wanting to come here for some time now. We are Nicaraguanse so I came in with very high expectations. The restaurant was packed but we did not wait long, 35 min. We sat outside as it was a warm day but the inside looked very nice. The waitress that we got had a bunch of tables so I won't give her a hard time for going a while with no one coming over to check on us. The appetizers were really good but the fritanga was just ok. The gallo pinto didn't have much flavor and the plantain chips were a bit stale. Will give this place another chance. I give it a 3.5 out of 5. read more

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Nuevamente fui esta tarde a Portobanco, estaba cerca de la zona y tantas opciones me decide por esta. La atención excelente felicidades, típica atención Nicaragüense en un restaurante como este. Esta vez ordene 1 cebada para beber, haber por donde empiezo! Tomé 1 sorbo y ya no pude más, estaba demasiada dulce así que tuve que regresarla y pedir solo agua. Por Favor cuiden la cantidad de azúcar que ponen a sus refrescos! Ordene la Fritanga, tanto el corte de la carne de res como la de cerdo y su cocción estaban al punto, jugosas ambas carnes y suaves, excelente trabajo en este aspecto; Sin embargo, fallaron en el sabor de las carnes, tenían demasiada naranja agria, Por Favor, cuiden el balance de los condimentos! El queso frito ya estaba frío al igual que el chorizo, mal hecho! Un restaurante como este no debe de descuidar la temperatura de las frituras, los clientes pagamos por la experiencia y la buena comida, todo el paquete. El chef no estaba hoy, creo firmemente que esto afectó grandemente la calidad y sazón de la comida más no afectó el servicio. En general fue buena la experiencia pero pudo haber sido excelente. Ahora, si son más exigentes que yo, probablemente su experiencia hubiera sido decepcionante, si les gusta la buena comida y dar segundas ó terceras oportunidades como yo, entonces no estuvo nada mal. read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Parrilla para 2 - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

(English & Spanish) The food is really good, but a bit pricey. Two things I don't like about this place is the following. 1.) When it's busy the service is not good. They take a long time and service goes downhill. 2.) There is no free parking. You have to pay $7 to park in the restaurant and that is also limited. The side streets are full of parked cars, so no luck in finding free stree parking. La comida es muy buena, pero un poco cara. Dos cosas que no me gustan de este lugar son: 1) Cuando está lleno, el servicio no es bueno. Tardan mucho y el servicio es pésimo. 2) No hay estacionamiento gratuito. Hay que pagar $7 para estacionarse en el restaurante y también es limitado. Las calles a los lados están llenas de carros así que encontrar parqueo afuera no es opción! read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Fritanga - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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Portobello has excellent Nicaraguan food, so says my cousin from Managua and so says me, a US Nica. The quesillo appetizer had excellent cheese, and the tortilla was perfect. Their tamarindo is wonderful, the right balance of tart and sweet. My cousin gave 5 stars to the bajo (succulent vegetables with tasty meats). I was impressed by the delicious lomo de cerdo asado; it was grilled and juicy (not an easy feat). We got sopa de res to go for my mother. First, the portion is huge. Second, the meat is delicious and succulent. The vegetables were fresh and cut thin so they were no mushy. She enjoyed it. The service is friendly and professional. They're fast without rushing you. I'm going back for sure. read more

I can't say enough about the owner Heberto, Mayra, and staff were very friendly , excellent customer service and the food was delicious de muerte lenta como decimos los Nicas. Heberto, I enjoyed our conversation and I appreciated de opportunity to talk with you about options that might support your restaurant. We will back again!! I encourage you to stop by and taste their delicious Nicaraguan's Food! read more

Many restaurants ran by Nicaraguan natives but this one so far is the Best of SOCAL. Recommended by my friends who came up her from Nicaragua. So I had to try it with them. Great Staff and Food was a hit. read more

Really tasty. Looking forward to coming back. I had the chicharon side order, the bisteca mixed with both tomato and onion and the cacao chocolate milk which was all great. My gf had the carne asada she liked it as well. read more

I had very high hopes for this place. Ive eaten Nicaraguan food both in Nicaragua and Miami which has a large Nica population. We ordered a variety of dishes and drinks. I would rate the food a 7/10. The flavor was definitely there but it wasnt say a 10 like Miamis Los Ranchos or Novillo the fried cheese was very hard which was a disappointment. The food was more in par with La Adelita's hotbar on Union Ave nearby which is considerably cheaper and just as tasty. The service was a 10 staff was friendly and attentive. Decor Cleanliness 5/10. The establishment could use some serious interior upgrading. We noticed various boths with torn seat cushions and even an area with water damage on the ceiling right atop the main dinning area which was a little gross. Also the floors which are tile had very dirty grout that need a deep clean. At their price point I expect a better aesthetic experience and unfortunately I will probably not return and get my Nica fix at Adelitas. read more

Siempre ordeno por uber para que me llegue a el trabajo tenía antojo de enchilada y una orden de tostones con queso. (Enchiladas) bañadas de aceite y (tostones) muy mala calidad yo hago tostones en mi casa y ni con un pie los haría así de mal Eso me decepcionó read more

First real good customer service. Go out of there way to treat you very very good and the Nicaraguan food excellent read more

If you're looking for a truly authentic Nicaraguan dining experience in LA, **Portobanco's Restaurant** is an absolute gem! From the moment I walked in, I felt like I had been transported straight to Managua -- the music, the smells, the vibrant décor... it all felt warm and welcoming. I ordered the **Pechuga Jalapeña**, and WOW. The chicken was tender, the jalapeño cream sauce had just the right amount of kick, and it came with gallo pinto, maduros, and a crisp cabbage salad -- super satisfying and flavorful. My friend got the **Nacatamal**, and we both agreed it was one of the best we've had outside of Nicaragua. You can tell the food is made with love and family recipes. Service was friendly and fast, and the staff genuinely made us feel like part of the family. The owner even came by to say hi and check on our meal -- such a nice touch! Parking was easy with their \$5 valet option (worth it in this area), and the live music on the weekend was a fun surprise -- not too loud, just enough to add to the festive atmosphere. Whether you're Nica and missing home, or just looking to try something different, Portobanco's hits the spot. Highly recommend! read more

I tried the parrilla and it has carne asada gallo pinto chicken service, food all excellent music..offer valet parking. read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - La Parrillada on the menu is soo good. - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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As always. My experience my review. Unfortunately came here for a gathering after a church service for a dear friend of our family's whom passed away. They are from Nicaragua. I have never had Nicaraguan food but this place was outstanding. From the service to the ambiance. we were served a plate of there most recognized food from there. it was a plate of bean and rice, fried chicken steak, a steak kabob, plantains and a fried piece of cheese. it was delicious. As for the drink I had a pitaya drink. so delicious. I will ned to come back here again for another plate of Nicaraguan food. read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - 2nd cup of pitaya drink. - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Un poco cruda la gallina que ordene el precio caro bueno todo esta caro en estos tiempos pero el relleno estaba regular creo que no volveré a ordenar gallina rellena ahí primero prueben antes de comprar. No recomendada read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Gallina rellena el 24 - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

A great addition to the Nicaraguan food scene in Los Angeles! The food was delicious and service was great.

Ayer Lunes Nov 10 mi esposa y mi hijo fuimos a almorzar. Mi hijo y yo pedimos carne asada, mi esposa fritanga y de aperitivo pedimos una orden de quesillo con un Cacao, maracuya y una soda, Ademas dos Nacatamales y dos ordenes de quesillos para llevar. Todo lo que comimoa en el restaurante tenia el sabor a su punto. Hoy 11 de Nov decidimos probar los Nacatamales pero la masa estaba un poco salada. De otra manera recomiendo Portobanco's Restaurant read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Nacatamal - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Brutally honest review here. Came in for lunch on a Monday. As we entered the parking lot a valet flagged us down and made us valet the car. (Even though there were several empty spaces, and I was literally about to back into one) So he valeted my car 90" away and into the spot. Seemed odd but whatever. The service was just above average, I'd say it was a 7/10. Nice enough staff but nothing to write home about. Then comes the bland, boring and overcooked pollo asado. Man it was downright awful. The rice and beans had absolutely no flavor either. I had to drench the chicken in hot sauce just to choke it down. But the absolute worst part was the buñuelos. They tasted like straight up VOMIT. I'm not exaggerating here, every single person in our party thought the EXACT SAME THING. They were absolutely atrocious. $200 lunch that was fucking horrendous. And the icing on the cake was when the valet pulled our car out of its spot and said "uhh it's four dollars for the valet". This place is a joke, I'm not sure how the hell it got four fucken stars on here. Hopefully this place gets it together. Also yes I'm a gringo, but the other five people in our group were all Hispanic. read more

I ordered a carne asada plate to go and it was delicious! The meat was tender and with a lot of flavor. The gallo pinto was also very delicious. The salad tasted not fresh and didn't taste good. I don't recommend having the salad. The dish itself reminded me of the food I up grew with as a child. Everything was delicious except the salad. Definitely will order again from here and will try different dishes. read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Carne Asada plate to go - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We decided to visit here for my aunt's bday as she loves Nicaraguan food. It was our first time going so we did not know what to expect. The place is huge and it has plenty of seating. They were able to take our party of 8 with no problem, although I did make a reservation via Google earlier that day. It didnt look like I needed to though. The valet in the back is kind of pointless, it should really be self-park but who knows how busy it gets on weekends. We ordered the salpicon and the parrillada. The parrillada was DELICIOUS. It had all the meats, everything was seasoned well, and it was enough food to feed three of us. The salpicon was also good. We ordered tostones con queso as an app and was honestly not impressed. The tostones were bland. The calamares were also just okay, slightly disappointed in the apps honestly. I would give this place a second chance, just because the service was great and the parrillada was so good. read more

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El mejor restaurante Nica en los angeles y el staff muy amable, las veces que he esperado por mesas por que esta lleno, la cocina me ha regalado bebidas de cortesia. Lo recomiendo por la comida y el gran ambiente los viernes con musica en vivo. read more

Excelente servicio :))) la comida estuvo deliciosa recomendado 100. Primera ves que venimos a este restaurante recomendado por familiares y nos encantó read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Parrillada - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

The calamares was delicious. The onion salad topping was even more delicious. The cilantro was mild and did not overpower the onion. The pescozon or baked squash with cheese topping was cooked perfectly. I loved the plantains. I ordered a box to go of this delicious treat. The bunuelos is also unforgettable! Pur server was very helpful and patient with us. The overall decor was okay. If you are craving for Nicaraguan cuisine, you must visit this place. read more

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First time trying Nicaraguan food and it was so delicious! Everything is well seasoned and it's a unique flavor experience overall, in the best possible way. Our servers were polite and helpful. The ambience was relaxed and dim, intimate. You can tell it's good since it's always full of people. read more

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Here's the thing: dine-in is always excellent. Superb service; I always love the music and cleanliness. But... I'm never ordering takeout again. Unfortunately, whether they're having an event (like tonight) or just a regular night (like we have done in the past), there's always something wrong with our order. It's frustrating. So, always dine in. It's worth it. Never take out. The plates are consistently incomplete or wrong. Today, we ordered three plates that should have had fried cheese (a staple of Nicaraguan dishes). The cheese was regular cheese on each plate. And the tostones and meat look questionable- like they've been out for a while. Dine in. Don't take it out. read more

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First and foremost, I love the food here, but $7 to valet a vehicle 5 feet away is a little much, but hey... I don't knock the hustle. The ambiance was nice and our waitress was a sweetheart... she spoke a little English, we spoke a little Spanish, so we made it work. We started off with the Nicaraguan beer, tona, which was the best beer I've ever had. We also ordered a glass of wine (Chardonnay). This place does not sell champagne, so do not expect mimosas for breakfast. We ordered the pollo asado and the pollo tapado. The pollo asado was absolutely delicious!!! If you like a lot of potato's the pollo tapada might be more of your flavor. I would highly recommend this restaurant to enjoy for yourself! read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Pollo Asado - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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My friend & I drove about 45 minutes to check out this place that was highly recommended. Food was good & portions were decent for the price. I enjoyed that we could talk across without yelling while good music was playing. Beatriz & staff were friendly, attentive & provided great customer service. Will definitely go back & recommend this place. I suggest t that you check out their menu & if you don't want to pay for valet parking & food prices, don't go. Keep in mind that it's a business & we are not forced to do anything like others have commented. read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Firstable.. I will never recommend this restaurant, you've been forced to use valet parking and place seems to be very unfriendly their Gallo Pinto and salad very questionable , nothing like the other restaurants. read more

Esta fue la primera vez que probé comida nicaragüense y ¡estaba deliciosa! The restaurant itself is rather spacious and moody, and there was a live singer who serenaded us during our meal! My friends and I ordered the parrillada to split amongst the 3 of us, along with an additional order of gallo pinto, and it turned out to be the perfect amount of food. The dish comes with gallo pinto, queso frito, grilled pork, beef, chicken, chorizo, shrimp, salad, and a healthy serving of plantains. Although we found some of the meats to be a little dry and tough, the food was still so flavorful and hearty. I wanted to order another plate of just the queso frito alone! I felt grateful that my Nicaraguan friend was able to share a piece of his home with me through the meal Don't forget to order a cacao (or 2 each as we did) to drink! read more

Portobanco's Restaurant - Parrillada - Latin American Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Great service, Good tasting food. Awesome Experience and fast service. The carne asada and búñuelos were Awesome!!! read more