As you enter the eatery, you are struck by the simple yet uncluttered ambience. The service was quick and top notch. The food was really good. This place is what a small eatery should be: quick, clean and efficient, and most of all tasty... read more

Following a visit to The Villages VA Clinic, my wife and I were eager to try this place out for a late lunch after reading glowing reviews. It was a cold day and we were looking forward to some Colombian cuisine which was new to us. The place was easy to overlook as the signage didn't really stand out. And more construction is ongoing along Hwy 301 further obscuring visibility into this location. In any case, this is not a "sit down" restaurant as we had to place our order before sitting down. We previously checked out the menu online so we pretty much knew what we wanted to order. I ordered the Paisa Bowl ($17) and my wife tried their Steak and Papas bowl ($20). We also ordered French fries ($3.50) and a can of Coke Zero ($2.50). I thought service was a tad slow (there were maybe 5 tables occupied including us) but we were served our lunch soon enough. Our first impressions were good presentation but the portions were meager. The fried pork belly pieces were nice and crunchy but there weren't enough of them. The ground beef had good flavors and I liked the fried egg over the rice and beans. My wife liked the flavor of the beef, although a bit fatty for her taste, but found the potatoes a bit dry and wished they were French fries instead. Speaking of French fries, it was served with this savory dipping sauce but again, the serving portion was miserly. My wife thought the guacamole was nice and fresh, making it the best part of her meal. All in all, we came away liking the flavors but thinking the value and portions were lacking. Service was a bit detached as well. Lunch for 2 with tip came out to just over $51. read more

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I stumbled upon this hidden gem about two years ago, and I'm so glad I did. We've visited multiple times--just the two of us and also with friends--and the service is always great and the food consistently delicious. They offer traditional Colombian dishes, all full of flavor. The décor is very cute and welcoming. It's a counter-service spot where you place your order, find a seat, and they bring the food to you. The place is always very clean. We will definitely be back! read more

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Awesome food & service! This was my first time here. Pretty busy midday on a Sunday (Mother's Day). As such, it took some time to get my meal but it was more than worth the wait. I'll definitely be back and even get take-out. read more

Candelaria Eatery & Cafe - Rice, beans, tostones, egg, chicken. - Burgers Near Me - Oxford, Florida

Straight to the Point Food. I was looking for cuban food I apparently this is more colombian food. Or maybe its a crossover of tastes ? I dunno. I was looking for a plantain meal. YAY PLANTAINS ! Who loves plantains like I do ? There are quite a few cuban places in Florida as you can imagine... but Floridians LOVE their cuban restaurants... they are actually few and far between in the Central Florida Area. the fact that this restaurant is even IN THE VILLAGES ?????!!!!???? THIS IS INCREDIBLE ! I actually didn't have to travel far to get my favorite latin food and I had the Ropa Veija Bowl that comes with a whole HALF of an AVOCADO and, red beans kinda pureed and plantains ! WoW! Score. This is NOT Chipotle or Pollo Tropical... this is REAL latin food goodness from people who are a small independent operation who actually know what real good authentic and quality food is supposed to taste like. Candelaria ,,,, if I can even spell this... is going to be one of my go-to spots for sure while I'm "interned" here in The Villages. read more

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I love the fact that this restaurant is authentic and clean. They are also on top of making sure their customers are happy. If you are tired of the same old breakfast that we've been fed for years go get yourself a little bit of Columbian food from a place that is proud to serve. read more

Food was very good! Rice and beans were my favorite! So flavorful. The fried pork belly (chicharron) were crispy bites of deliciousness! Red beans were so good. Ground beef was good, not great. I had the Paisa Bowl with a fried egg and avocado on the side. Lemonade was not that great, but will choose a different drink next time. Service was very good. Friendly yet a little timid in helping choose an item off the menu, but that's on me. I would like to try everything on the menu. Will definitely be returning. Nice to see a restaurant in Villages with the a Colombian flavor! Ambience was clean, with a small number of tables. Great place! read more

Candelaria Eatery & Cafe - Paisa bowl with Regular lemonade - Burgers Near Me - Oxford, Florida

Hooray! The Pandebono pastry with guava (think tropical strawberry jam flavor) inside is back! These sweet and slightly salty little Gluten Free pillows from heaven are the perfect comfort food to treat yourself with along with the top shelf Columbian coffee. read more

Candelaria Eatery & Cafe - Pandebono with Guava - Burgers Near Me - Oxford, Florida

Excellent fresh food. As good as any my only complaint is they are not open for dinner.

Candelaria Eatery has survived its first year and today I brought my vegetarian father to try this delightful Colombian restaurant. He had the veggie bowl and finished the whole thing in 1 sitting (usually does to go with less) but he enjoyed the flavors so much, he kept eating. Hubs did the tropical bowl and I chose loaded papas. Everything was so good. We're so happy to have this unique restaurant in our area so we can keep coming back. A couple next to us were trying them for the 1st time and they were equally impressed with food and service. Try Candelaria and see why so many give it great reviews. Today I noticed that the plastic eating ware is compostable - love the environmental bit. read more

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Restaurant was very cute, only about a dozen tables. Service counter girls were pleasant and food came out promptly. We all enjoyed our food. Bowl dishes (paisa and steak/papas) were hearty portions and very tasty. Spent about $95 for a family of 4. Would recommend for something different than the norm. We will definitely come back! read more

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What a fun find in the Villages! In a place rife with ONLY corporate food, this gem is a locally owned Columbian fusion restaurant! They have Columbian burgers with fried platains for buns, Columbian breakfast, and Columbian pastries! We got the Patacon Burger with Yuca Fries and Calantao de la Casa. For fun we tried the buñuelo and pandebono pastires. The Patacon Burger was incredible: the creaminess of the sour cream and guac matched with a perfectly smashed and grilled patty, contrasted by the cruchiness of the fried platain patties for buns! Calantao de la Casa was a breakfast bowl with sausage, ropa vieja, mixed in Spanish rice and corn salsa, topped with a fried egg. I got the egg over easy of course. Well it's like a breakfast paella. Delight in every bite. The dining room is bright and inviting, though it might be full b/c this is such a great and popular spot! Free parking in the lot. It's a self service deli vibe, though they do bring the food to you. Everyone is friendly, and the owner even came out to greet us! If you're craving authentic latin food and you're staying in the Villages, this is an oasis you need to check out! read more

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The chicken sandwich and passion fruit drink was enough to hold me down to start my weekend errands. Food was made fresh. Great service and cute ambiance. I will go back and try other items from their menu. read more

The bowls were filling fresh and tasty. The service was pretty good with the exception of a small glitch that was made right it was a nice meal. There is not too much ambiance to speak of but it's a cool spot for a quick bite. read more

This place is a must, Best Colombian food I had so far here in this area. Food was amazing this is my second time here and both time the staff have been super friendly and food never failed. This time we ordered the Paisa Bowl let me just say it was finger licking good. This place is a must if you're around The Villages. read more

Candelaria Eatery & Cafe - Paisa bowl - Burgers Near Me - Oxford, Florida

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Great fresh food. You order at the counter and they fill. Bring your food to the table. Great fresh food. You order at the counter and they fill. Bring your food to the table. read more

Delicious food, clean atmosphere and friendly staff. Food made to order. Small seating area but our group of 8 were able to find a table. read more

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Really good food, the ambiance what nice, music low, and it's really clean!!! The service was great and it didn't take that much time to get the food, definitely would comeback read more

Candelaria Eatery & Cafe - This is the place - Burgers Near Me - Oxford, Florida

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I Went here looking for Empanadas after seeing many reviews on FB of good South American cuisine. Cute little restaurant with pleasant ambiance. Located off a busy area on 301. Only ordered the Beef Empanadas to go but in review of their menu a variety of other items are available such as Burgers, Sandwiches, salads and breakfast. The Beef Empanadas were on the smaller size and contained shredded beef instead of the traditional ground beef found in most empanadas. Mild flavor and appears to be made fresh to order as ours were still warm when we arrived home. Empanadas are served with a house salsa also mild in flavor. I would recommend and return wanting to try the other dishes on the menu. read more

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Fantastic food! Made to order. I had the loaded sappos with chicken, chorizo, plantains, cheese and sauce.

Loved the burger- very juicy and flavorful! The lemonade is also very good, it's the real deal not some crummy powdered mystery stuff. I'll certainly be back to eat my way through the menu! read more

We really enjoyed the food here. The flavors were very tasty, although, the beef was not the best quality, and the shredded chicken was dry. Our first meal out during our trip to The Villages. We had this amazingly delicious gluten free desert, and took another piece to go! The restaurant staff were very friendly. We will be back... read more

Delicioso good foo ! Very tasty glad we eat there we recomend ! Great atmosphere and always open

Sorry to write this as you have nice reviews. The positive aspects in eating here were the tastes, as they were good. Also, the staff were very nice and helped to accommodate both Gluten Free and no meat in ordering. The negative parts are that my wife could not cut her food with the plastic utensils. She asked for real silverware to be able to cut the food and she finally ended up picking the whole thing up to eat. It was a bit messy. Yet, she said it was good. By the way, the staff tried to be very accommodating during ordering. I had the American breakfast minus the bacon. Instead they gave me an arepa to try. The arepa was only fair, as I was expecting more cheese inside. (My first arepa.) The pancakes were small (3), and seemed as if they had been taken from the freezer. So, not sure if they are homemade or brought in frozen. The over-medium eggs were for both of us, over done, more like well done. Yet, to our surprise, they were very good. We noticed that the prices were on a par with places like First Watch and so felt that this value was not terrific. Plus FW uses real utensils. Again, the flavors were good, but based on some simple aspects of eggs, cutting the food and prices, I'm not sure we would return. The coffees looked good, but the smoothies were in the $7-8 range. Again, for a hole in the wall cafe, I sort of expect it to be different in terms of prices. That being said, I also know how difficult it is to run a restaurant with rising costs. To this point, the place was very clean, new and updated, which was appreciated. Also, they filter their water, which isn't even found in the expensive restaurants nearby. Good for you on that count! Maybe I'm not their target as I don't eat meat and the menu is loaded with meat. So, you will have go there and try somethings to decide what you think. I do want to see them succeed. Maybe we are not into Colombian food. Having read the very thoughtful response from the owner, I will come back and try it again.. I only wish you had more vegetarian dishes. There are lots of options for veggies and especially if you were to use Jack Fruit or tofu, you could enhance the number of options of your dishes. Thank you for respond read more

So delicious! great menu, fair prices and the staff are great!! There are so many chain restaurants in the Villages and surrounding areas so this, a great independent restaurant with wonderful unique fresh flavors is very much appreciated. And did I say the staff are great? Where did they get these gracious angels? Nice, attractive dining room...this place is really, really great, but you guessed that already :) read more

Candelaria Eatery & Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Oxford, Florida

Absolutely love this place. Finally something different in the area, tired of all the same fast food places.

Great food! Clean atmosphere and helpful staff. This is a must try! Fresh food and really good. Reasonably priced as well. It's hard to find Colombian food around and this place exceeded our expectations. Also, SO grateful for all of the gluten free options! They have gluten free empanadas which were yummy! read more

Candelaria Eatery & Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Oxford, Florida

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We tried various items and they were all delicious. The only drawback was the iced tea! It had an odd chemically flavor and I could not drink it. I let them know and traded for a water. Otherwise, nice people and casual order-at-the-counter atmosphere. I would come back...but no tea. read more

The food was amazing! Loved the chicken bowl and the patacon Rojas viejas!! The mint lemonade was truly refreshing.

Great service, wonderful food. Super fresh ingredients. The selection was good, the staff was awesome, and the restaurant was clean and modern. read more

Bright new eatery in The Villages area. Columbian food, which is a welcome change!! We had a nice breakfast bowl with rice and beans, chorizo and sweet plantains. The other dish is a scrambled egg, bacon, and a corn like cake cut up and mixed in. A tasty mango smoothie and latte to finish up! Try it, you will like it! read more

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This little gem is located in a strip mall on 301. We were greeted with a smile and a menu to read. I ordered chicken bowl with red beans and the hubs ordered Loaded PaPas. We dined in and noticed a clean, comfortable setting. Our food was delivered to our table and it was not only delicious, but generous! We had to each take 1/2 to go. We will definitely return, read more

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Our first time to this restaurant. EXCELLENT food - I had a cheeseburger and my wife had a breakfast burrito. Food was cooked to order and everything was fresh. The two young folks working the front were great - very polite and accommodating. I had a chance to have a few words with the owner - extremely nice fellow who knows what he's doing. You can tell he strives for excellence. Said the restaurant has been open for 3 years ..... but you wouldn't know it based on the appearance. And that it a positive - the place is completely spotless and as clean as a pin!!! Very nice decor. We'll be back! read more

We brought our friends with us today and they enjoyed it also. We have been there several times and only had one less than good experience . I think maybe some new help that day. Our friends enjoyed it also and said they were going back. read more

Will definitely return to try more of the menu! Food was excellent along with very friendly service too! Loved the ambiance. read more

Candelaria Eatery & Cafe - Hubby had a burger topped with egg and said how fresh and delicious it was. I had Eggscentric fries (pictured) and they were perfection! - Burgers Near Me - Oxford, Florida

They serve a variety of delicious Colombian food and desserts. They use fresh ingredients and provide great service!

Great food options. Great service. Very good food, had the arepas with ropa vieja, delicious! Some nice options to take home as well. read more

The burgers were great that we had. Small place, but the food is really good. We also shared some french fries.

Visiting the villages and decided to stop by this local place and have to say we found a gem! From the service to the food, it was top notch. Immediately attended to. The menu has a variety of items to choose from. I decided to try the paisa bowl, empanadas and yucca fries. All super delicious and flavorful! The restaurant itself is super cute and super clean. Overall, it was a great place to find! We will be back! read more

Small restaurant with intriguing dishes. Enjoyed the Piasa Bowl very much. Seats 30 customers