One of my go-tos in Saco since they opened back in 2017! I've never had a bad meal here. Service is always friendly and the space is always clean. Highly recommended any of their empanadas and their lunch plate is a great portion size. Their limeades are my weakness!! read more

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So good! I wish my appetite was bigger or I would've tried so many things. I'll have to come back. I started with a pineapple limeade and wish I had a gallon of it. I had the Cuban on the fried plantains and it was just sooo good. My boyfriend got it on the roll and tried both, he liked it on the roll better. He also got empanada with carne, pulled pork, and chicken. He added the hot sauce. It comes with a pica de gallo that I ate, very tasty and fresh. I wish I lived closer, but I'd journey here just for this! read more

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This place just wasn't what I expected it to be. It was good but nothing that really makes me want to go back. Flavors weren't very strong but service was great and they have a variety of menu options to choose from read more

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Holy yum! Yelp gets all the credit for directing me here during my toad trip. Just passing through and ended up being one of the best meals of my vacation. I'm dairy free and they have plenty of options. I got the pollo empanadas and yuca fries with garlic aioli. Amaaaaazing. Don't miss these! Service was helpful and friendly and my food was ready quickly. The space is adorable. I love brick and wood and this place has both! Great music too. Not overly crowded on a Saturday. I'll make a special trip when in Maine in the future. read more

Same great food and service as their Portland location. Love this location though, it's got some spaciness and I love the big windows concept. 4 stars because Empanadas could be better, stick to cheese or meat ones. read more

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This place has to be my favorite restaurant in Saco! It's so cute and the food always tastes so good. It's definitely worth the price you pay the amount and quality of food. I order multiple empanadas and loved every single one them! My personal favorite is the Puerco empanada while my husband's favorite is the chorizo empanada. The smoothies are great but I prefer the limeades they make! 100% recommend this place for anyone to try. read more

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Delicious lunch plates! The pork lunch plate gives you all the flavors in one sitting (beans, plantain, pickled onions, guacamole, rice, and pork). The staff is very friendly and their service is top notch. The interior is unique and lovely. I haven't had a similar cuisine so can't compare it to anything quite yet. I highly recommend for lunch and dinner if you're looking to try something new. read more

Great place for sitting down and enjoying the ambiance, the service and the food. You can't do better than that! read more

OMG. I went to pick up a friend of my son's there, from whom I'd gotten a text that said something like, "I found empanadas. In Maine." I had to see this for myself, so when I went to pick him up, I popped in. I'm not an empanada person. Quiero cafe changed all that. Their empanadas are baked; some are savory (chicken) and some sweet (guava and cheese). They come with a dipping sauce that we decided was made of a combination of magical things, as well as guac and salsa. They have other things on the menu -- including smoothies. But while we were in Ocean Park for vacation, we must have gone back three times for empanadas. There are tables inside, but they fill up quickly. I'd recommend eating the empanadas there as opposed to take out; they're better when hot. read more

Quiero Cafe - Saco - Empa-freakin'-nadas. Holy moly, these are good! - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Saco, Maine

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Absolutely love this place in downtown Saco. Counter service with the freshest ingredients that are made to order. I had the lunch special for $14. Including rice, beans, salsa, lettuce, plantains and choice of protein. I had the carnitas. I was so full and it was absolutely amazing. I added a side of plantains because I simply can not get enough of them. They were everywhere in S Florida. To find them in New England is a pure treat and to find them made perfectly is a hidden gem. We also had the special of 3 expanadas for $11. Lots of choices. We had chorizo, Pollo, and beef. Hard to decide a favorite. They have limeade smoothies. We had coconut and a pineapple ones. So smooth and refreshing not too sweet. 2 small tables outside. Lots of space inside. You get a pager to wait for food. Street parking. read more

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Super clean place! The portions are huge! My husband ordered the carnitas burrito and it looked massive. He wolfed it down. I ordered the mushroom, beef and chicken empanada. The mushroom and beef empanadas were my favorite. Skip the chicken. We tried the tamale - chicken - I'd skip that too- I just don't like white meat. The staff are super nice. If you're looking for inexpensive Cuban - this is the place in Saco read more

Quiero Cafe - Saco - Cuban Empanadas chicken. Beef and mushroom. Chicken tamale - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Saco, Maine

Amazing as always. Authentic tasting Cuban o. Staff always helpful and assist with ordering. The space and music has a great vibe. read more

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Food was excellent. Order from the counter and food brought to table. I had the "lunch" meal $16. Has everything I wanted on the plate. The torta and tostones were also delish. No bar but beer selection was ok. We will be back. read more

Quiero Cafe - Saco - "Lunch" plate. - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Saco, Maine

This place was excellent. A friend and I went after she read that it was a "hidden gem." It is just off the main drag in Saco, so I hadn't noticed it. The atmosphere was charming, and the young man at the counter (from El Salvador) was friendly and helpful. You order at the counter. They have a very nice selection of Latin American dishes, and the food was great. I had a burrito with bbq pulled pork and my friend had shrimp empanadas. Highly recommend! read more

I'd been wanting to try their Portland branch while staying near Maine Medical but a blizzard stopped me. So today we went to the Saco location with friends and even this California food snob was impressed. Enchiladas were great, my Patacon(fried green plantain topped like a tostada) was delish and more than I could finish, guys liked their Lomo Saltidos. Only the tostones were not that good. Finally I can have good Central American Food in Maine! read more

Just off the main drag in downtown Saco is this restaurant devoted to savory Latin cuisine. Untreated red brick walls line both sides of this longer than narrow space. The menu includes a variety of empanadas. My gal had the two large shrimp variety, I had the Cubano sandwich on bread. Both were tasty and filling. A side of yucca fries was quite large and enough for two. I'm not very familiar with this type of cooking but my impression is that the dishes were heavy on carbs and light on protein. I've had yucca fries before and these weren't as tasty. This was not our first choice for late lunch in the area but our other two choices were already closed. read more

Quiero Cafe - Saco - menus on the wall - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Saco, Maine

The food was really good went for dinner but pricey, especially because they serve your meal in a plastic basket with a piece of wax like paper in it. we were all sharing so no extra plate. I cut my quesadilla and the paper ripped. Ridiculou. a small limeade was $7.5o and was basically 10 oz the most. Buritto was delicious & Empanadas were very good but again everything was price. read more

Yesterday we were talking about grabbing take out and I started seeing what was around and I saw the website for Quiero. Everything on the menu sounded good but I wasn't sure what I wanted. Today we typically run errands and do groceries so after that we stopped by to take a look and decide what to order. Omg I finally found a place that reminded me of the foods from Tucson. They have a great variety of sandwiches, tamales and empanadas. They also have smoothies, coffee and desert. Now I couldn't pick just 1 thing to try cause it all sounded amazing but the prices are so low I was able to get 4 different things for $21 I ordered 2 pork tamales, a bbq pork empanada and a chorizo empanada. Those came with Pico de gallo.. Now I tried a bit of everything and I was so impressed. It tasted homemade and so freakin delicious. The seasoning was a bit hot but definitely authentic. Yes Maine has some good Mexican style restaurants but not anything with the authenticity that this place has and definitely not at these prices. If you're in the Saco area and craving a real authentic Latino meal you need to stop by and grab something from here. I'll never go Anywhere else . read more

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Delicious and the staff is wonderful. So glad to live nearby so we can get this yumminess often!

Excelle vegetarian options. The empanadas are stamped with what type they are so you can get a basket with a variety. The arepa was my favorite dish. The fried cheese with pineapple salsa was amazing. read more

Quiero Cafe - Saco - all vegetarian options were delicious - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Saco, Maine

Always great food. Easy in and out service. Great shakes and a very open feel inside when seated. read more

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The music ambiance and hanging art was welcoming and to my taste. As a new customer, I tried their lunch menu. My experience was enjoyable. Next time, I'll see about their cafe at their newest location! Felicidades! read more

We enjoyed the baked Empanadas at Quiero Cafe. They taste almost like the ones we had in Argentina. I liked the empanadas with mushroom filling the best, but I tried just three different kinds. The staff was happy to explain details. (I'm not so fond of the black interior of the Cafe, but that's just me.) Best to walk there, since it's a challenge to find parking close by. If you're currently not up for a trip to South America, this might get you at least a taste of it. read more

First time I've ever had a dry tamale! It was like powder. The empanada I had was excellent. Coconut Limeade was 5*. Location is tricky, you'd have to know it's there. Clean, comfortable. No issues with service. read more

A solid empanada shop in Maine!?! Who knew! Being a bit spoiled coming from Chicago area, I came a bit leery of an empanada in a state known primarily for their seafood rolls. Still, this place does really well. Their patacones were crispy and delicious. The empanadas were really good too. I would definitely recommend checking them out. I'm sad to say I missed seeing the Chilean hot dog (or completos as I know them having grown up in Chile). If I get a chance to come back, that is definitely what I'll be getting! read more

Quiero Cafe - Saco - Patacones - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Saco, Maine

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Quiero Cafe was a cool spot in Saco. It is tucked away off of main st. Recently upgraded a few weeks the place was nice and inviting. Minus the door. While we had no issue with it, I watch no fewer than 4 people struggle with opening and closing the front door. Take note. The food is good. The empanadas are clearly the star. They are huge with a lot of filling. They have a huge selection and imprint the name of what empanada that you purchased. Two empanadas can definitely fill up adult. The Cuban sandwich was good but on the smaller size especially at 9 dollars. The tostones a fried plantain that came with salsa, guacamole and some shredded cheese. They seem to lack flavor and just seems bland. They had a ton of smoothies, drinks, and limeades. Along with some different coffee variations. Saco and Biddeford are really starting to flex the culinary muscles. read more

Quiero Cafe - Saco - Cuban sandwich, empanadas, and tostones - Juice Bars & Smoothies Near Me - Saco, Maine

10-21-19 I stopped by for a quick takeout empanada made with pulled pork & plantains. This snack hooked me in. The most spectacular empanada I've ever had. All the different dishes I saw coming out of the kitchen while I waited looked amazing. Good sized menu, coffees , smoothies etc... Can't wait to go back & try other items. I met the owner Alejandra (so). Such a nice woman. We talked about 2 minor issues I noticed & am confident when I return tomorrow night for dinner they will have been corrected. Stop what your doing & go now. You will not regret it. This is a low ambiance restaurant with a bunch of tables & a counter window. 10-22-19 Came back for a 2nd time! This time wife wife & I came in. We ate like little Puercos (pigs) & loved everything. We had Yuca Fries, Gauc & chips Puerco empanadas Tostones. Alejandra is pregnant, so sweet, nice & very pretty. Her little Nino Varon~is due in December. Maybe she'll name him after me & I'll be a Babysitter. Deliciosa comida gracias . Marc & Kris read more

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A buddy of mine recommended their empanadas, and they did not disappoint. I ordered six corn empanadas: half beef and half chicken. The portion sizes were great, and six empanadas were more than enough food for two people. The environment was inviting, the staff was great, and I would recommend this place to anyone and everyone. read more

Woah! Amazing food! I have traveled all over Latin America and I am from Puerto Rico. I ordered two empenadillas which were baked. Chorizo and Beef. Both were amazing and flavorful. The pork Tamale was made with a high quality white corn masa, which is very desirable. It was perfectly cooked as to not be tough or to be soggy. The meat was flavorful and slow roasted before adding to the tamale. To top it off, their pico de Gallo was incredibly fresh and flavorful. The green hot sauce will have you panting because it certainly has a kick. Cleanliness, wow. It was so clean!!!! Friendly! Wow. They compost... which makes them even cooler! Essentially, I will recommend them to everyone. Best Tamale North of Texas. read more

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We walked a trail in the area and used Yelp to see what was around to eat. Boy did we luck out! This place is FANTASTIC! The people are super nice and the food is probably the best Latin American food I've had in Southern Maine. My super picky 3 year old even ate it! We thought the pineapple on top of the fried cheese may be a strange combo but it ended up being our favorite dish. The savory mixed with the sweet was amazing. The empanadas weren't as dry as others we've had. My daughter ate the pulled pork one and my son ate the cheese one so all I ended up with was a nibble of each, which was enough to know they are the best we've had! The branding they put on top is a cool professional touch as well. The smoothies were super fresh and tasty. We have no complaints about this spot. Order something! They won't disappoint! read more

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This is a great place to go for lunch or takeout. The empanadas are so awesome! Smoothies are delicious too. The cuban sandwich is absolutely fantastic. A wonderful addition to Pepperell Square! read more

Beef empanada so salty it made my partner throw up in the bathroom. No other seasoning in the beef. Just a LOT of salt. Burrito was ok!

Food is mediocre and service is poor and inattentive. Parking is difficult during daylight hours.

Delicious, fast service and amazing margaritas! We like both Portland and Saco locations!

Great service, fresh food, not your typical menu, nice set up/vibe, reasonable prices. I got a sampling of empanadas, cant go wrong with these little stuffies! Tried a tamale, definitely enjoyed that! My wife got the cuban on patacon for the win! Also they had a great list of coffees to sip on. read more

We dropped in for Cuban sandwiches with mashed and fried plantains substituted for the bread. Yummy! Plantains may not be to everybody's taste, but regular bread is also available. We also had some of the fantastic but expensive limeades. The place was cool - fun and different. This is only a quick review, but we hope to be back to sample more of the menu. read more

This place is everything that I hoped for and more. My friend recommended that I try it since I have an affinity for Latin cuisine. I often frequent New Moon right across the street as my go-to breakfast and lunch spot, but I had no idea Quiero Cafe was even there. Now, it will be a tough choice between the two! The woman who works here is SO sweet. From the time we entered, she chatted with us and made sure we had everything we needed. She asked how we specifically liked our coffee, checked on us multiple times, brought us ice for our waters (you serve yourself for water). She is friendly and motherly and takes care of customers well. I ordered a sweet corn arepa with cheese which was absolutely to die for. I highly recommend this dish off their "Latin Cravings" section of the menu. I also got a carne empanada which was only $3! It was very delicious as well. I drank a mango juice and it was thick with real mango pulp and very delicious. Overall, excellent food. The coffee is Colombian, roasted in Biddeford, and served here. It was also delicious. The atmosphere here is very cool too--all real wood and brick walls. Super cute, Latin feel. A very cool mural on the back wall, pretty flowers out front, fun brightly colored aesthetic. I could easily sit here all day reading a book and sipping coffee. Overall, a VERY good place to be! I highly recommend this cafe! A true hidden gem of Saco. read more

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Love love love this place! The staff, the atmosphere, the food. All warm and welcoming. The limeade is yummy and cool and VERY FRESH....made to order. This is a must try for anyone in the Saco area and will become a favorite easily. read more

First impressions; adorable, welcoming, comfy. Quiero's storefront is all big glass windows and flower boxes. The interior is roomy with colorful and comfortable tables. You order at the counter. I got a cuban sandwich and a pork and plantain empanada to go. The sandwich was great, packed with pulled pork, spicy mustard and sharp pickles. It was drippy though, napkins needed! I shared the empanada and did not get a section that included both pork AND plantain. On the other hand, the pork was well seasoned and pretty delicious. The empanada also came with an excellent pico de gallo. The World Cup was on near the counter and had a small, but mighty crowd watching US vs France. There were many more intriguing items on the menu. I'll definitely be returning the next time i'm in the area! read more

Tastes great. Fresh and nice. Lunch was a little too expensive to be a daily lunch spot though.