I had a great experience at La Empanada Loca. I ordered the pollo a la plancha and it was…read moreabsolutely delicious--well-seasoned, cooked perfectly, and very satisfying. What really caught my eye, though, were the mofongo dishes coming out of the kitchen. They looked incredibly authentic and beautifully plated--definitely something I'll be coming back to try. The portions were generous, which made the meal feel like a great value. Overall, flavorful food, solid portions, and a spot I'd happily return to.

Absolutely fantastic experience at La Empanada Loca. The mofongo was moist, flavorful, and cooked…read moreperfectly. The cuchifritos and empanadas were crispy and delicious. Emmanuel was attentive, friendly, and made the meal even better. Highly recommend! As a Newyor Rican, I can say this is one spot I'd recommend to anyone who's from the island or has had Puerto Rican food in New York. The flavors here really hold up and feel authentic. Just like home.

When your Puerto Rican friend spots the food trucks, she's going to pick Pork O' Rican which is how…read moreI ended up here. By the time I arrived at the Margate Fall Festival the lines for all the food were really long. It was either eat at Pork O'Rican, wait in another line for over an hour, or be hungry. Pork O' Rican it is! According to Pork O' Rican this is their story "We are a Puerto Rican food truck who also provides catering for corporate events, parties, festivals and more. We have been cooking authentic Puerto Rican food for years and wanted to be able to share it with the community. Our famous signature dish is our roast pork. Amongst that are some of our top sellers including tostone platters, rice & bean platters, empanadas, alcapurria, and more. We just want to share the Puerto Rican culture and provide the community with the natural flavors of Puerto Rico. This is a family run food truck. Mom and Dad cooked, their daughter took orders, and they even put their young son to work. By the time we got to order they were out of the arroz con gondules, yellow rice and pigeon peas. Fortunately they still had the bacalaitos, codfish fritters which my friend really wanted and she also ordered the alcapurias. I chose the roast pork platter with rice hold the beans ($12). A water was an additional $2. I was pleased that they took both card and cash payments. I gave the plantains to my friend who enjoyed them. The roast pork portion was small, had really hard pieces, and was swimming in pork grease. Once I dislodged it from the grease and shredded it, and incorporated it into the rice it was okay and it did the job of abating my hunger. To be fair my friend really enjoyed her food and she is Puerto Rican so you should trust her opinion more than mine. This is one of those times I really wished Yelp had half stars. If I averaged our two opinions it would be a 3.5. After reading the owner's thoughtful and fair reply and other good reviews I would be open to trying them again when they aren't so busy.

Ok, commentary. Did a Drive-by of Culver's, was a nightmare long line, did a U-Turn, and saw Pork…read moreO' Rican truck on 2701 SR 7 (441) in Margate parked in one of the lots. I got the pork sandwich which normally comes with lettuce and tomato, they do not offer onions raw or cooked which is a bummer, but I had sweet onion and spicy pineapple vinegar at home so no biggie. Roll is like an amoroso or something, it's a hoagie type, I would have preferred it as a panini-style on Cuban bread or a round roll but I guess that's what they used today. Next time I won't get it with cheese, frankly next time I'll probably just get it as a plate with beans and rice. Pork itself is nice and tender. Came with tostones. They look good, left them for later. Empanadas are clearly homemade, they are a nice size. Got the beef picadillo ones, haven't touched them yet. I did, however, try their beef Alcapurria. This is a fast food dish unique to Puerto Rico, it is like a tamale but made of mashed plantains, filled with any number of things (this was beef picadillo) and then deep-fried. OMG. An empanada with a plantain crust. Some notes. They did not give me any condiments and didn't ask if I wanted any. Tostones really require Salsa Rosa (pink sauce) or some mojo. I, fortunately, had the ingredients to make it myself, it's ketchup mixed with mayo and usually some spicy vinegar. I would ask and make sure they give you something to dip in. They did take credit card payments and put it in my trunk while I waited so relatively contactless.

Bohio Latin Flavors, Margate…read more Dominican and Puerto Rican cuisine with a heavy emphasis on mofongo, and based on this visit, that's one of the reasons to come here. They offer numerous variations, with your choice of sauce and protein, making this one of the more mofongo-focused restaurants I've seen in Broward. We started with the shrimp mofongo. The plantain mound itself was moist, flavorful, and nicely seasoned, avoiding the dry, dense texture that plagues lesser versions. Ours came topped with a rich shrimp sauce, but other options included a garlic cream sauce and a Creole-style sauce, both of which looked excellent as they passed through the dining room. Of the dishes we tried, the mofongo was actually my favorite. The masitas de cerdo (fried pork chunks) were flavorful and well-seasoned, although they came out a bit drier than I would have preferred. I'd still order them again, but based on what I saw arriving at nearby tables, the pernil may be the move on a future visit. The rice deserves mention as well. The arroz con gandules was excellent, with plenty of flavor rather than simply serving as a side dish. They also offered moro rice in both red bean and black bean versions, which was nice to see. The Punta Cana cocktail was worth ordering. Sweet, tropical, and considerably stronger than it looked. The dining room is much larger than it appears from outside, but this is very much a casual neighborhood spot. It reminded me of the kind of local restaurant you'd find in Puerto Rico or the Dominican Republic: a large dining room, full bar, TVs on the wall, families gathering for dinner, and the emphasis squarely on the food rather than creating an upscale experience. There's also a stage and DJ setup for live entertainment. One note: service was slow on our Sunday evening visit. After speaking with the manager, I learned she was also the restaurant's only server and that a single cook was handling the kitchen while also keeping up with a steady stream of takeout orders. Given those realities, the pace made more sense. Everyone was friendly, but this isn't the place to visit if you're in a hurry. Both English and Spanish menus are available, although the primary server was clearly more comfortable interacting in Spanish. They also feature Latin music and a DJ on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights, which is probably when the room really comes alive. If you're a fan of mofongo, pernil, arroz con gandules, or Dominican comfort food in general, Bohio is worth adding to your list.

The restaurant looks small from the outside however, there's plenty of space and seating. The…read moreladies greeted us and were very kind and patient. The menu had some really good options and The food was good. The drinks not so much. Overall, it was a nice vibe. My girlfriends and I had a great time. The music was fun and everything felt authentic.

Hidden Gem Alert!! This spot might not be on everyone's radar yet, but it definitely should be! I…read morestopped by with my mom and was blown away by how good everything was. I ordered the Pechuga a la Criolla mofongo, and wow--what a dish! The portion was super generous, packed with tender, flavorful chicken all the way to the bottom of the bowl. Every bite was delicious! My mom ordered the carne frita mofongo but I loved mine more!! Lol. Her's was good too if you prefer that type of meat. I also got a side of alcapurria, and it was piping hot, clearly made fresh. Crispy on the outside, perfectly seasoned on the inside... Absolutely hit the spot! The lady at the counter was kind and patient, answering all my questions since I wasn't familiar with a few of the menu items. Her helpfulness made the experience even better. This place feels like one of those underrated treasures you're lucky to stumble upon, and I can't wait to go back! Very authentic vibes inside... Loved it!

Best Puerto Rican restaurant; food well made, fresh and good quality; good variety of plates…read more Affordable prices. I recommend this restaurant.

$3.99 1/4 Chicken Lunch Special is what kept popping up for me on Instagram and I finally had the…read morechance to try it out! I was greeted when I entered. Told the cashier that it was my first time and was given a menu, explained the options and current specials. There were plenty of seats, spacious and the menu was an entire wall with photos which I appreciate. 10/10 Hospitality. I ordered 2 lunch specials to go, it was ready in 3 minutes. I didn't specify dark or white but they gave me one of each. The food was fresh. The breast was juicy and flavorful, the beans were amazing and paired nicely with the rice. Will be coming back for their lunch special again!

Ordered La Parrilla via delivery. The sides were the highlight of the meal, especially the french…read morefries, fried yucca, rice and beans, and plantains. Everything was flavorful and well prepared. I also loved the green and white sauces and the marinated tomato and onion, which added a lot of freshness and flavor to the meal. I tried the half roast chicken and the lomo saltado. Both meats had good flavor and were cooked well, but they were a bit too smoky and salty for my taste, which took away from the overall experience. I'd order again for the excellent sides and sauces, but I'd prefer a lighter hand with the smoke and salt on the meats.

Last week I came to Konakai after a car salesman from Peru recommended the place. He made the place…read moresound so delicious and fun that we left the dealership in Sunrise and came here. Once we arrived I realized we have been here before... It's been about 10 years and my memory from back then was good food and nice atmosphere. And now we're back.... a Friday night and they have some outside tables available (if you wanted some quieter atmosphere) because inside was dinner drinking and karaoke... we had a table good for hubby and I to watch. There was a large group (a party of some sorts) and a lot of great singers; and so many people jumped up to dance along with many of the songs. We tried a couple of varieties of the peruvian classic drink, Pisco Sour... once traditional and one with a mango twist. They were very good (not my thing but very good for what they are). We shared one of their ceviches (amazing) I ordered Tacu Taco with chicken and my husband got some seafood dish; I can't remember what it was called but I know we could've shared one dish since the servings are huge. We can't wait to return !

Konakai is located in a plaza right next to the movie theater, with plenty of parking, and every…read moretime I pass by it always looks lively and packed , so I finally decided to check it out on a weekday. The vibe did not disappoint. They play great music, the atmosphere is fun, and the service was friendly. The only thing that threw me off a bit was the timing of the food. I received my dish first, but it took about 10 more minutes for the person I was dining with to get theirs. I also noticed the same thing happening at a few tables around us, so it seems like the kitchen was running a little behind that day. Now, the food itself? Delicious. I ordered the shrimp ceviche, which was fresh and flavorful, and the filet mignon lomo saltado. The steak was a bit tough to chew, but the flavor of the sauce was spot on and really well seasoned. Overall, despite the slight delay with the dishes, I enjoyed the meal and would come back to try more. Their Peruvian-Asian fusion options sound especially interesting, and I'd love to explore more of the menu.

Located in a strip mall but the main dining area has an upscale ambiance…read more Our waitress was very nice and attentive. Ceviche is fresh served with long plantain chips. The appetizer platter also comes with the same kind of plantain chips. Highly recommended if you want to try a bit of everything. Empanada has fresh homemade crust Lechon asado: tender and juicy roasted pork. I substitute the moros with fried plantains. I really enjoy it. Plantains are ripe and sweet but not mushy. Tostones are the biggest I've ever had. Well fried and not greasy. Plenty of drink options. Sangria is ok, not very fruity. Only has two slices of oranges . Mojito: strong rum from my favorite rum brand Don Q. My friend ordered paella. The portion is huge. You can share it with more than one person. It takes three containers to take home the leftover. Very tasty with fresh seafood.

I was really looking forward to trying out Padrino's World Cup Menu, but they didn't even have what…read moreis on their menu. Like no chicharron. I merely ended up having their regular menu Frita Vaca, though tasty was dry and exceedingly tough. My service was, as always, friendly and polite and my cocktails were good.

Los Verdes is an absolute gem. I ordered the PerriPollo and it was packed with flavor, cooked…read moreperfectly, and just so satisfying. The mango natural juice was fresh, sweet, and refreshing -- the perfect match to the meal. The ambiance was really cool too, with a fun and welcoming vibe that makes you want to hang out and stay a while. Everything about the experience felt lively and enjoyable. Definitely a spot I will be coming back to. Highly recommend Los Verses if you are looking for great food, fresh drinks, and a relaxed atmosphere.

I have been coming here a few times after I moved north of broward and the food here it's always…read moregood and fresh . It's recommended to order in advance to minimize the wait time but you know it's fresh . Service it's always quick and everyone it's friendly . Plenty of seating and a good space to hang out with friends .

OMG Folks!!! Here is the BEST Lunch Special in South Florida right NOW!!! We are regulars each week…read moreat Aruba Beach Cafe in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, but this one SLAMMED us!!!! For just $25 get a seafood stuffed 1/2 baked lobster, bathed in Whiskey Sauce. OMG!!! Served on a bed of yellow rice and crunchie fresh veggies!!! WOW!!! I have had this for lunch, FOUR times in that past month!!! I asked the bartender how they could afford such a bargain, and she said they are trying to get people "in the door" during the hottest months of the year in June, July and August 5-STARS from me!!!! And the music and service and ocean view are the BEST ambiance!!! Just GO!!!

Aruba Beach Cafe is one of the best local spots around! The food is always fresh, and you really…read morecan't beat the location. Sitting right on the beach, it's the perfect place to enjoy a meal with a view. There are also plenty of other restaurants, shops, and things to do nearby, making it a fun area to spend the day. I highly recommend starting with a loaf of their famous Bimini bread. It's soft, fluffy, buttery, and served with even more butter on the side. It's the perfect way to begin the meal! A friend and I shared the grilled chicken Caesar salad and the quesadilla, and both were delicious. The Caesar dressing was flavorful without being overpowering, and the grilled chicken was cooked perfectly. The quesadilla was loaded with melted cheese, chicken and veggies and served with salsa, guacamole, and sour cream on the side. Even with a full house, the service was friendly and attentive. They do offer takeout, but with the beautiful beach views and unbeatable location, I definitely recommend dining in if you have the chance.

Walking to Mario's it's like entering a different world. It's an oasis in a crowded busy plaza with…read morewhite tablecloths, beautiful artwork, and lovely music.. We were greeted by the gracious Owner made sure we were seated in a table that we liked, and then immediately we were brought freshwater and a complementary alcohol free Mojito, which was absolutely wonderful. When our dinner was delivered at first glance, it seemed as if the servings were small. And they are too small to share, but as a single meal, it was completely satisfying. It came out warm, fresh and plated beautifully. My sweetheart and I were in the mood for dessert so we ordered the bread pudding and we were going to share it, but when the waiter brought back a dessert, it was two servants courtesy again of this gracious Owner. Define a spot like this a true oasis in a busy, noisy Jody Plaza with white tablecloths and a gracious Owner and beautiful artwork I know for sure that we will be back to enjoy more of their delicious food!

I rarely leave reviews for restaurants, but I genuinely cannot say enough good things about Mario's…read moreCatalina Restaurant. From the moment you walk in, you're greeted by the owner himself, who is incredibly kind and welcoming. He takes the time to talk with you and recommends dishes he thinks you'll enjoy, which made the experience feel very personal. As a Cuban-American, I've eaten at countless Cuban restaurants, and this is the closest I've ever come to food that truly tastes like my abuelita's cooking. Everything was that good. In fact, my husband and I loved it so much that after going for lunch, we ended up coming back again for dinner the same day. The ambiance is warm and home-like. You'll hear Andrea Bocelli playing softly while you sit surrounded by the paintings on the wall and soft lighting, which makes the whole place feel cozy but still special. It was also my husband's first introduction to Cuban food, and I couldn't have asked for a better place for him to experience it. I'm honestly surprised this restaurant doesn't have more traction because it absolutely deserves it. If we're ever back in the area (we were here for our honeymoon) we will definitely be returning. I would recommend Mario's to anyone and everyone looking for authentic Cuban food and a genuinely welcoming atmosphere. You will love Mario and every item offered here!