We got several appetizers and the food was wonderful and tasted very fresh. Our waitress was very…read moreattentive and helpful with explaining some of the items we were not familiar with. The calamari with the pineapple and banana peppers (see the picture) was a combination that I would have never thought of but it tasted amazing. A great place that we will be visiting again soon!!!

Excellent brunch meal today. The place was nearly empty when we walked in - Saturday at 12:30pm…read more The staff were friendly and quick to serve. I had the avocado toast and I would order again in a heartbeat - best I've ever had.

This places continues to do Colombian food in ALL the right ways. If you're needing a good hearty…read morecreamy soup, get their seafood soup it comes with shrimp, mussels and squid. Dip the rice in the soup, delicious! If you don't know what to get, you can't go wrong with the Bandeja Paisa, it has a little bit of all the best things, steak, chorizo, chicharron, rice beans eggs and some sweet plantains. More than enough for two! The food always comes out fresh. I'd definitely go in between the week, evenings and weekends are packed! The restaurant is really small so expect a wait.

The food was good.. seriously the rib eye sandwich is the way to go…read more We waited more than 10 minutes to order and the burger was a tad dry. I would still return as the service after receiving food was top-notch and great seasoned food

A new Puerto Rican restaurant in the downtown area. As a native Puerto Rican, this is DAMN good…read morefood. The Arroz con Gandules (yellow rice with beans) is almost as good as my mothers. Give this place a try! You won't regret it ;)

Delicious food! We had the jerk chicken and the shrimp empanadas and they rocked!…read more Service was very attentive but not intrusive Ambiance was nice, but they're new and working on a small budget. Family owned This place is wonderful and needs to get popular! Henderson, don't overlook this jewel.

Friendly and fast service. The food was good. Located across from the Compare Foods. This place has…read morea variety of different empanadas to choose from

To begin, My son took me to Bridanys for Mother's Day. I had a wonderful experience. The food was…read moreAMAZING!! I had the "Lomo Saltado", it was delicious, and tasty all flavors the servings are big and tasty. Prices are reasonable. The service was fast and friendly. Would recommend this restaurant to Spanish as well as Americans. If you want a good experience with food, claim this restaurant

Great, food, tucked away down a small side street. Worth the visit. Flavorful options. I enjoyed…read morethe Bandesa Paisa and the figs stuffed with caramel! Oh, my! Owner is friendly, helpful with explaining the Columbian food choices. Casual atmosphere, fun music choices. I plan to return.

Esmeralda Grill is a very authentic local Mexican spot that does a lot of things right, especially…read morewhen it comes to classic comfort dishes. I usually rotate between the tacos, enchiladas, and molcajetes, and while the tacos themselves are just okay, the overall experience is solid. The fresh chips are easily some of the best I've had at a Mexican restaurant (warm and crisp). Add queso to those chips and it really seals the deal. They more than make up for the tacos being a bit underwhelming and are honestly reason enough to come back. This is a great neighborhood spot if you're looking for authentic flavors, generous portions, and excellent chips and dips (biggest downside is no liquor aka no margaritas). Not every dish is a knockout, but the highlights keep it comfortably in 4-star territory.

Esmeralda Grill absolutely rocks, and it was almost a restaurant that I considered avoiding because…read moreI ordered the wrong thing. I was really one mayonnaise filled torta away from missing out on my favorite Mexican restaurant of Cary. The food is some of the freshest and most authentic in the area, and is consistently spot on. Forget heavy burritos or overly sauced enchiladas, this place is the real deal. When you come to Esmeralda Grill, you should really focus on the meat heavy dishes, whether it be via land or sea. There are so many different options to choose from, from both categories. When thinking seafood, expect the full fish. If you find yourself with the fresh grilled tilapia, you will receive a delicious whole fish that tastes as if it was caught that morning. It is such a fantastic option. I also appreciate the camarones a la diabla, or Diablo shrimp. The shrimp are plump and juicy, the spice of the dish is excites your taste buds and is a great dish. My favorite entrees are the land meat dishes though. El Trio Perfecto is my go-to order, it is grilled steak, chicken and pork all on one plate with rice, beans, salad, and tortillas. The Mexican spice rub on the meats is absolutely mouth watering, the flavors are so bold and tasty. The meats are all cooked to perfection and the portions are gigantic. You can make different tacos with the various meats, it is seriously one of my favorite Mexican dishes. I would highly recommend this! Additionally, Esmeralda Grill has so many other wonderful dishes for different flavor profiles. My grandparents are pretty particular about empanadas, but simply cannot get enough of Esmeralda's version. They also make some killer tacos, and some very affordable ones if you were to come on Tuesday! The moral of the story? Don't base your opinion of a restaurant after a single visit. You don't come across a fantastic hole in the wall every day, Esmeralda Grill is one that every Mexican food lover should know!

This place didn't show up on Google, but I think that's because they just recently opened…read more Stopped in for a quick lunch break - had a pupusa (fried corn cake with pork/beans/beef inside) and garnacha (tortilla with beef) for about $4. I'll definitely be back. The people were friendly, and the food was delicious.

I can't say enough about Cuya! From the amazing food and secret hits (they have pastelón! Iykyk),…read moreto the excellent drinks, and gorgeous vibe - I can't say enough! But the hospitality took it over the top- our wonderful server was so friendly and kind and on her game. And the owner as well. He is so gracious and warm and just out there with his guests! It was a very relaxed chic vibe with music and low light and then he went around to every table to ask if they had interest in watching the World Cup game (England v Norway). Luckily everyone said yes and then the vibe was all heart and all love. We stayed for HOURS & didn't want to go. lol. This was our first time in RTP, and as New York foodie snobs, we were blown away by the food scene and overall vibe. LOVE Cuya & really dig RTP!

I've driven past Cuya Cafe more times than I can count, and now I'm wondering why it took me so…read morelong to go inside. The vibe? 10/10. The drinks? 10/10. The food? Unlike anything I've had before. And somehow they managed to be stylish, delicious, AND fast. The only thing that took some time was us deciding what to order because there were so many amazing things on the menu! Raleigh, add this one to your list immediately & honestly...this may be the best fried chicken in Raleigh! CUYA Cafe