Didn't expect to like this place as much as I did. Be prepared though, the portion sizes are huge,…read moreand they don't skimp on the cheese. Food is delicious, affordable, and good for a filling bite without breaking the bank. I believe they also make their cheese which is delicious and chewy. They also have sugarcane juice and passionfruit juice, and I personally liked the sugarcane one a lot, even though it's been already pressed and is sitting there.

Only ordered delivery, but anything I've ever gotten here has been so insanely good. If you haven't…read moretried it you should. Delicious

A random showing on my Instagram algorithm tipped me to this place and I have been curious about…read moreVenezuelan and Colombian cuisine so I made the trip to this location. Off the bat, the exterior seems kinda plain but the inside the area is themed just like how it would be coming into a brick and mortar South American restaurant. Latin music, treats and snacks from their country. Service was swift, steady and courteous as it took no longer than 5 minutes for my food to reach my table. My lunch for the day was the Grilled Chicken Pabellon Lunch Special, Chicken Empanada, Tequequava and Tamarind juice. When the pabellon got to my table I thought it was a little on the small side but it was surprisingly filling. The Grilled chicken, a bit on the salty side still had taste to it and it was a good mix to go with the rice and beans. I loved the texture of the Empanada I had and the Tequequava (Cheeze & Guava stick) was actually superb. Never thought Mozzarella cheese could mix well with Guava fruit, but it was a solid blend. The Tamarind juice was sweet and savory. That was quite a meal I've ordered yet came just under $30 so everything was reasonably priced. The place is on a seemingly sketchy area of Cypress Hills but it's worth a second visit because the food is good and the menu has a bevy of choices there.

Brought a Honduran family here for their first shot at Venezuelan food. They loved it. Two diners…read moreunder the age of 6 and the restaurant was super accommodating. I'm a vegetarian and the menu had plenty of options. Highly recommend.

Cute little cafe with quick and kind service. The shredded chicken pastelito was amazing and…read moreperfectly seasoned. And for the price, the size is generous. I didn't realize they have several locations so I'll look forward to seeing them again around.

This place is fantastic & a cute spot tucked away in a place that I usually don't frequent. Their…read morefood is great & fresh albeit I've only tried a couple items. I'd definitely come back, need to try the patacon!

This place was great! We ordered food via Uber Eats. The delivery was SO QUICK! And the food was…read moreabsolutely delicious! I ordered the build your own bowl for $13.95. They have so many options to choose from and the ingredients tasted so fresh. I will definitely be ordering from here again! You can definitely get healthy options from here, there is something for everyone!

Wow, this place has to be one my favorite spots to add to my go-to for dinners…read more Patacon Pernil is incredible. Just watching them assemble this layer by layer with generous portions of each ingredient, sandwiched in between two deep fried large plantains, was enough of an experience to make me want to get it. Yuca fries are fried to perfection. You will be leaving with a robust and filling meal for a fair price. Will be coming here again the next time the craving hits.

Fairly new Venezuelan spot on Metropolitan Ave. My family is from Venezuela so I was eager to try…read more The decor is very nice and colorful. I went twice and had great experiences both times. I had two arepas- reina pepiada and papellon, along with tequeños and a chica smoothie. Everything was delicious. There was only one person working, so there was a little wait for the food, but it wasn't bad. Highly recommend.

Went for a pre mother's day brunch, had some good drinks and good food. It was only an hour after…read moreopening so service was quick and accommodating

As soon as we walked in, my friend pulled her phone out to take pictures. The whole restaurant is…read moredecorated to the nines for Halloween. I had to go touch the wall to see if the Halloween mural was painted or hung on the wall. No space was left undecorated. I've been here a few times for lunch but today is definitely the most memorable. Opens at noon and came for the lunch special. Lunch specials are around $16. We ordered the bistec( sirloin steak that came with rice and beans, salad and sautéed onions), salmon came with roasted potatoes and salad and the pork chop. All delicious. Asked the very attentive waitress if there were any happy hour specials and the Wednesday special is mojitos for $8.95 for any flavor. We ordered the passion fruit and coconut flavors.

Ate here for lunch by myself during my lunch break at work. I definitely few different kinds of…read moreempanadas such as ham, ham with cheese and pineapple, beef with cheese and banana nutella. As an overall it had tasted really good and delicious. The service there was also attentive, pleasant and friendly. Finally, I would definitely eat and come back again next time.

Got some empanadas to try and see if we will return. We got pork, meat, chicken and plantains. They…read morewere good but they weren't too big. Thought they may be bigger. Consensus was it was good but not sure if will return.

Got takeout, service was good, the place itself was a typical Hispanic spot in Jackson heights,…read morenothing out of the ordinary - arepa la rumbera was the best thing ever, it was so fatty, so cheesy, so flavorful, and I was impressed with how well the takeout arepa held up - arepa Reina pepiada was also really good, just eclipsed by how good the rumbera was - chicha was solid, chicha is life

With the World Cup underway and the United States taking on Turkey, I wanted to salvage what was…read moresupposed to be a great night for Venezuelan food after attending a lackluster Yelp event in Jackson Heights. Thankfully, my visit to El Budare Café was a delight. The wait was a bit long, but given the occasion--and the Venezuelan parade taking place outside--I'll give them a pass. The $11 beef arepa tasted like it was made from scratch, and every bite showed it. Toasty, savory, juicy, crunchy, and generously sized, it definitely hit the spot. The place certainly is built to enjoy with a huge group. It is not loud and packed with dancers, but I am sure there are dancing on other occasions.

This place was awesome. Quiet, not too packed, very simple décor but pleasant vibe. We were blown…read moreaway by the arepas, I got the chicken and my friend got the vegetarian. Both were so flavorful, especially the chicken, and the plantains and cheese on the veg were the perfect combo. The empanadas were so fluffy and the cazón I got worked really well inside, the spices they added to the fish married it well with the dough. And the sauces!! Total must, particularly the creamy green sauce, but also the others ruled. And the prices were reasonable, I was very full after a $6 empanada and $13.50 arepa, for a lighter meal could probably just have the latter. Awesome spot in Bushwick for sit-down arepas.

I fell upon this place on a whim. I was strolling Bushwick and was enticed by the photos of their…read morearepas. I can confirm that they look the way they are advertised! And they taste delicious. I felt like the servings were huge!!! Immediately walking in, I was greeted and sat down. My order was taken quickly too. It was a busy day but my food still came out within 10 minutes. And good thing too because I was starving. I got the pollo arepa and pollo empanada. Looovveee how soft the pollo empanada is... it's so dang fluffy. That was my first time having an empanada with that kind of dough. I have to say that I prefer it. Wish Filipinos used that dough when we make our empanadas. lol. The pollo arepa was everything!!! I had never had an arepa until the day I had one here. The meat was seasoned so nicely in their tomato based sauce. And the actual arepa... soft yet had a bit of a crunch. It was the perfect textures for me. I also enjoyed their soursop juice. It paired perfectly with my meal. My friend got the pernil arepa and was impressed by the taste and the green sauce. I didn't get much information out of him other than it was hitting the spot lol. Definitely a solid place to go in the area. It's kind of medium sized in there but there is plenty of seating if you're with a party no bigger than 3 or 4 people. I think most people come in here for a grab and go situation. But it's cool to hang around to watch the kitchen at work and hear the music.

Wow! Wow! Wow! Fine dining in my own hood and a James Beard finalist. The nomination is so well…read moredeserved. My fellow yelpie Jeannie has been raving about their duck à la pressie for ages and we finally organized an outing so she can share her love of Tourmaline and the duck with us. Thank you Jeannie. The duck in itself deserves an award. You can tell that Yvan the head chef and owner has put so much detail into creating this magnificent dish for his customers. From picking the perfect farm to order the duck from in PA, to purchasing the machinery for churning out the sauce from the bones and internals of the duck, to incorporating different aspects of duck preparations from different cultures (French Normandy, Chinese roast duck) and teaching to Daniel in the city for some tips. You know Yvan has put his heart and soul into this one dish. I love how this dish is prepared table side by the chef himself with so many different stories and presentations. He starts off the duck with a serving of the perfect tot crispy skin served with his seasonal sauce. We had rhubarb. We were the stars of the room with everyone envying us. I can't recommend this experience enough. Worth every penny! In addition to the duck, we ordered some apps, salad and a fish dish. The seasonal cocktail Noveau Peach so refreshing and delish and dessert wine was a perfect accompaniment to the desserts. The atmosphere or the restaurant was cozy and high end. Lots of couples on cute romantic dates. The owners Yvan and Rebecca are the sweetest. I met Rebecca at our building bbq that they catered and she was just so lovely. Mentioned to her that we were going to see her the following week and she remembered me. Definitely check out Tourmaline. A true gem in FH and so happy to have them here.

We had dinner last night for the first time at Tourmaline !…read more The ambiance and service from Seth were excellent! But sadly, the pork tenderloin special that I had was tough and dry . Both my husband's and friend's hanger steak was very chewy!!! A restaurant of this quality should definitely serve a better cut of beef!!! We really looked forward to this dinner having read about the chef but were very disappointed with the entrees! The kale salad and celery root latkes were good as were the desserts. Too bad as Forest Hills is really lacking in fine dining restaurants !!!