So happy we found this place. My husband is Puerto Rican and says their food is just like mom used…read moreto make. Staff is so friendly, great variety of options, eat in or take out. Prices reasonable for the quality of food. HIGHLY RECOMMEND

Been a customer here for 7 years and I've never had one bad experience. The food is always amazing…read moreand continued to bring me comfort. The service is amazing and the family who owns the restaurant is incredibly hard working. Couldn't vouch harder for this place. Best food in New Haven easily.

This review is not the easiest for me to write. I have been coming to the Little Columbian…read morerestaurant since 2015. I loved this place, their food was fantastic and the quality was super consistent; an excellent spot to get together with friends or a date. So much attention to detail was paid, house made dressing, salsa, all ingredients were super fresh, the meats were always cooked excellently, and the staff was friendly. I hadn't been to the restaurant in a while but at some point in the last few years the Little Columbian restaurant became My little Columbian restaurant. My friends and I went there for dinner at the end of October, there was one couple that was leaving the restaurant but we were the only ones there when we first walked in. The vibe of the restaurant has changed because they changed how they decorated the interior of the restaurant. I prefer their older vibe but no big deal. Our waitress was nice and very attentive all night and the staff in general was quite friendly. Here's my issue, the food quality is not as good as it was in the past. And if they are going to charge along the same lines as what they have, always been on the pricier side, then the quality should still be at the same level. There were a bunch of little things that added up. To start, the salad I ordered didn't have the same quality of greens (I think they used a spring mix in the past), there were some small bits of core in the salad. More to my disappointment the Salad dressing was no longer the house dressing they used to make it was Ken's balsamic dressing, which generally tastes like diabetes syrup. Maybe it was an off night for the salad and I could live with that but the lack of the old house dressing was disappointing. Speaking of cutting corners, the chimichuri used to be super fresh and of good quality ingredients. The chimichuri this time around had a lower quality olive oil and the parsley was dried instead of fresh. My friend ordered some empanadas, which were partially burnt and again the slasa wasn't the same quality as they used to make with the empanadas. For an entree, I ordered Bandeja Columbiana. The chicharon was a bit overdone but ok enough. The chorizo was probably the best part but you have to try to mess up chorizo. The maduro was kind of dry and somewhat bland. The chicken was a touch rubbery and the steak was fine; nothing to write home about. As I had mentioned before the food wasn't terrible, it was fine enough but it was not worth the price it cost. Much worse is the fact that the quality in general just isn't the same as it had been prior, maybe they just had an off night but something tells me this is how it is now. It's too bad this restaurant isn't quite what it was; it used to be one of my favorites.

Great food. Acceptable prices. In a sneaky little corner of East Haven. Would recommend to friends…read moreand family. Will go again. Be prepared to order in Spanish.

I usually enjoy the food here but the staff at night definitely charged me more than the plate was…read more I was charged almost $5 more. Mind you I think she thought I've never bought food from there and took advantage What kind of people do this

The best food in New Haven, the rice, the green bananas and the chicharron, fresh and great flavor…read more Service and cleaniness excellent. Everything is well maintain and clean including the bathroom. 100% recommended.

Had a great experience at MIA! The décor is super cute and definitely very Instagrammable perfect…read morespot for photos and a fun night out. I came here with coworkers to celebrate a farewell for someone moving out of state, and it also happened to be around my birthday. My coworker had the servers come out and sing happy birthday, and I loved the Latin flair they added it made the moment feel really special and lively. The overall vibe, energy, and experience were really enjoyable, and it's definitely a place I'd return to. The only downside is that the drinks are on the pricier side, but everything else made up for it.

Exactly the new restaurant Middletown needs!…read more The happy hour is A-MAZING. The prices really can't be beat for the quality of the food and drinks, as well as the atmosphere. They also use gorgeous dish ware that feels luxurious. Certain food and drink items are listed for $8 each on the happy hour menu, and we got two margaritas, empanadas, shrimp tacos and a burrata salad, plus we threw in a side of tostones, and everything was delicious. It was less than $30 per person including tip! Do not snooze on this!!! We sat at one of the swing tables, and while the novelty of swinging while eating was quite fun, it was a little tricky to get close enough to the table to eat comfortably. But it's worth trying at least once! They did a great job decorating for the holidays, and the server was super kind. I loved the whole experience and will most certainly return.

I brought 120 high school students here today for a Spanish field trip. The staff was super…read morehelpful, very patient with the kids, good communication, and they accommodated us as best they could. Every student I spoke with afterwards said the food was delicious and they were happy with their lunch!

Family run business with HUGE variety of Latin food…read more Everything here seems homemade and filled with love. The vibe: bright and airy location with a large amount of buffet style items to choose from. The food. Very good. I tried the family platter of meats and Yuka fries, and the shrimp with salad. Wonderful flavors, and em the Yuka fries were tasty with the homemade sauces.

I can't believe I haven't written a review about Rubamba yet! I've been stopping here for a few…read moreyears and they've always been consistent with the Arepas. I like to switch up the type of arepa that I get and this time decided on the orange Cuban, which came with rice and sweet plantains. I almost wanted to lick my plate. It was so delicious!! Their tacos are pretty popular too, and some of the arepas are big enough to split. There are a couple of tables inside, but I know most people opt for a takeout.

I've been here a couple times for the empanadas which i absolutely love! Got a toogoodtoogo order…read morefrom here a couple weeks ago and it was absolutely delicious! The chicken was so flavorful and the portion size was surprisingly large! I was greeted with warm Smiles when I picked up my food. I'm excited to try other items from their menu!

good lord this place has got every puerto rican delicacy and they do it right. Sitting in the turn…read morearound on long wharf the line on a beautiful summer day was so long it was impeding traffic. Worth every penny, and every second I waited. Crispy fried Renello De Papas, Arroz con Gondules & Pollo Frito. Couldn't ask for a better meal. $7.25 with a coke.

Their empanadas are good, not fantastic, but definitely good. Especially with the hot sauce that…read morethey have. Their passion fruit juice, however, is out of this friggen world incredible. It's obviously in Spanish on the sign, and I don't remember what it's called in Spanish, but you can figure it out. I'll update this to be slightly more helpful next time I'm there, but in the meantime, go try the passion fruit juice. Thank me later.

They have me a birthday flan! The food is good, the service…read moreprompt, and overall a great find. Highly recommend.

Definitely a hidden gem for Latin food! The restaurant is inviting with bright flowers decorating…read morethe dining room, and we noticed how clean everything was. Everything is made fresh in-house, even the French fries, and you can taste the difference! Their guacamole was some of the best I've had, and the salsa was good too. One of our favorites was the cuatro Estaciones burger because it was so cheesy and tied in a bunch of Latin flavors. Excellent seafood dishes, drinks, and desserts. The owner was the only one running the dining room and she did a great job! All of the food came out quickly from the kitchen. Such a great spot to know about!

Everything was amazing!! The staff was very friendly and food was delicious especially the steak!read more

Very good food, tastes like homemade. I go almost everywhere weekend. makes me feel closer to home!read more