I had been wanting to try this place for some time and finally had a chance to stop in on a Saturday mid morning. The workers were very friendly and the service was quick. There was a steady flow of business coming in and out as well. I opted to order the Bandeja Paisa since it seemed like a good way to sample items. Everything was delicious and there was enough to take home for a second meal! It came with a spicy green salsa on the side as well. read more

El Cafetal - Bandeja Paisa - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

Food muy mala. Service: el peor que atención tan mala. La mesera super mal educada persona que te tira los platos en la mesa. Ambiente muy malo, nada comparado con un restaurante paisa con ambiente colombiano. Muy mala experiencia en general. read more

First of all, this place is amazing. I've had the pleasure of eating here 4 times now as it is over an hour from my house, but each time it's as good and better than the last. The service is always stellar despite a small language barrier, the people always talk to you and are even considerate of my small Spanish speaking ability. And the restaurant has a truly Colombian feel, small and intimate very similar to the restaurants I frequent in Barranquilla and Santa Marta. Truly thankful I found this place and look forward to eating here again very soon. read more

El Cafetal - Churassco - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

Found this place on Yelp when my daughter and I wanted to eat somewhere latin we haven't gone before. The place is small and quaint, the service was attentive (without being on top of us, which I appreciate), and the food reminded me of home. The only knock was that only one server was taking care of all the tables and that meant it took a little bit to get our food, but towards the end the second server arrived and it seemed to be flowing well. For those looking for good latin food at a reasonable price, give this place a try. read more

God said we should eat Colombian today! Starting with Pan de Bono and Empanadas. We love eating here. read more

El Cafetal - The Gold at end of the rainbow is actually Pan de Bono! - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

I was really skeptical about this place but it turned out to be better than expected. Food and drinks were delicious and staff is friendly and welcoming. I would really recommend this place to try out if you haven't. read more

My daughter and I went for lunch, the food was very tasty. The restaurant is clean and neat. They do have room for improvement when it comes to service. The restaurant was busy and I only saw 2 waitresses. Our server seemed to be in a rush up until we got out food. And then the checkout took forever. I will give them a second chance as I liked the food. read more

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Because of its superb reviews, my wife and I had very high expectations on the Friday evening of our first visit. Let me state up front, that our expectations were easily met. First and foremost, the service was warm and friendly. It was obvious that you as the customers, are greatly appreciated. The dining area was comfortable, clean and, by 7:30, packed. About half of the diners were hispanic, which says a lot in itself. We appreciated their 95 sanitary score and everything looked immaculate from the entrance to the rest rooms. We started with chicken soup. It was savory. As cilantro lovers, we appreciated the fact that it was amply supplied. Normally we have to ask for extra. The empanadas were fabulous. We tried both the chicken and the beef. Normally, I prefer chicken but their shredded beef was outstanding. The outer crust was a little different than what I am used to in that it was corned based instead of flour. Not sure which is more authentic but I loved their version. My Carne Asada was thinly sliced, perfectly grilled and off-the-charts delicious. I will order again! Serving sizes of all entrees are huge. My Cuban wife rated her Arroz con Pollo 7.5 stars as she has been spoiled by her mother's traditional recipe. Their's somewhat resembles fried rice but my uneducated, American taste buds enjoyed it. All of the sides - plantains, rice, beans, salad and dressing - were very good. One small negative overall however is that nothing was piping hot as we prefer it. That will not prevent us from returning soon, however, it does prevent me from giving it 5 stars. Although not quite a Gotta Try, it is close. I highly recommend it! read more

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This was our first visit. We were the only table in the whole place. They did have a handful of take out orders. The food is average. Chicken and rice needs more flavor. The plantains had no flavor. Given the price to eat out now the expectation is great flavor and service. We may wait and try one more time but not thrilled so far. read more

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So I had no clue what to expect! But I'm soo glad I went. Seems like a hidden gem based off its location. The food was sooo fresh tasting. They coulda popped it out of can and I wouldn't have cared because of all the love that went into that plate. I didn't quite know what I wanted to eat so I just pointed at something on the menu and the waitress was soo kind to help me with my selection. The homemade juice!!! I feel in love..I had to limit myself seriously! If you're looking for good food go here...if your looking for something different go here!!!! read more

El Cafetal - Outside, sign, view from parking lot - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

Let's start off with their name, "El Cafetal" which means "Coffee Plantation". You'd think with a name like that they'd have a REAL coffee machine to make Café con Leche, Cafesito, Expresso which are available in EVERY Colombian bakery/restaurant, except this one. They have drip coffee which is blasphemous for a latin bakery/ restaurant! Moving on to the complimentary platanitos (plantain chips) which is also unusual for a Colombian restaurant as they would typically serve warm bread w/butter, except this restaurant. As we placed our order I asked for frijoles rojos (red beans) which EVERY Colombian restaurant has, except this one. I then asked for lentejas(lentils) which EVERY Colombian restaurant has, except this one. I even asked the server if they were sure they're a Colombian restaurant. My Carne Asada Steak was extremely thin and lacking flavor, the rice was up to standard and the ONLY beans they offered were Pinto Beans which are typically available in Peruvian restaurants. The Sirloin Steak wasn't bad and actually had some seasoning. The maduros were ripe and good, but you cannot be a REAL Colombian restaurant and not have RED BEANS or LENTILS! They are definitely not AUTHENTIC COLOMBIANS! read more

Do not waste your time going to this place, they advertise their hours of operation and you walk in 40 minutes earlier and they say they are closed BUT the doors sign is lite opened and the hours are published in the door. Terrible people that will not earn business with this approach. read more

Excellent place! Big portions and tasty food! We ordered the pargo frito, bandeja paisa, beef and cheese empanadas, and the bread with cheese. We ordered guava juice and that was also delicious and refreshing. I'm coming back with my family next week. Definitely a must try. read more

PÉSIMO, todos sus empleados son unos groseros no saben ni decir gracias o de nada. Que horror de restaurante deberían contratar a personas amables y más humildes, no esas señoras mal levantadas. read more

As a Colombian I recommend this restaurant because the food and their flavors are very authentic, we went there for breakfast and everything we order was delicious. If you are around the area don't hesitate on trying very authentic Colombian food! read more

El Cafetal - Calentado Completo - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

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The family & I REALLY enjoyed the family friendly atmosphere ...we felt very welcomed...GREAT all around wait staff! Efficient, attentive and prompt...what more can one ask for!? The food did not disappoint, the prices are very reasonable and to boot the portions were generous. The "bandeja paisa" was tasty & would order again, the ONLY thing I would do differently is to request my egg to be cooked sunny side up, opposed to an over done yolk. The beans were delicious ...as was their chicken soup, nice amount of chicken & veggies the broth was perfect! I m not one for arepas but according to my picky Columbian father they were not bad. He also loved their morcilla, I am not one for blood anything so needless to say I past. Dessert: Las brevas (figs) were TDF they really were pretty special, not rich at all just sweet enough. The Arequipe (dulce de leche) was phenomenal ...I suggest just a slight dab with each bite of a fig, that way it's a perfect balance of sweet. Saved the BEST for LAST! The Lolu is a MUST, do yourself a favor & don't MISS OUT on this beverage, you will NEVER encounter a more unique & rare wild fruit beverage again!!! It taste like a combo of kiwi, orange & maracuyá (passion fruit). VERY refreshing (light) hence easy to drink! I loved it SO MUCH I ordered a couple bottles via Amazon. Buen provecho read more

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The milanesa de pollo is great, and is served with a delicious spicy sauce on the side. Also try their bistec encebollado. Also pick up some tasty cheese bread on the way out. read more

Came here with my nephew for lunch. We loved all of the food. The portions are HUGE! Amazing empanadas (chicken or beef). Great service. Fresh food. read more

El Cafetal - Lunch with the family!! - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

Always heard about this restaurant from a friend and had never gone. Glad that I finally did! This place gives out large portions for a great price. I am excited to go back and try other things on the menu. They also provide you with complimentary plantain chips and they were a great addition to the experience. I loved the family feel you get when you're in there. read more

El Cafetal - Bandeja paisa - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

Sauces they used to offer with the meal for free, they charge 1.50 each for now. Also in the habit of not answering their phone.

Best columbian food around, my fiancé and I love eating here, great service, clean dining area

Came here with my GF for the first time, was pleasantly surprised. We love Mexican food so we figured Colombian food was probably similar. It's different, but in a good way. Most dishes seem to come with savory (not sweet) baked beans (not refried), white rice, and fried plantains...which is odd to me except the beans are amazing tasting and I seem to like fried plantains more than I thought. I had the plate that comes additionally with a corn cake, sausage link, fried egg, piece of flat steak, and piece of avocado. Everything was tasty, we had some leftover chimichurri from the appetizer empanadas (best I've ever had btw). The chimichurri went well on everything. Anyhow, the staff was very nice and the food was awesome, but very filling. Will be back for sure. Definitely a nice change from La Unica which is in the same plaza. I wish more people tired this place because something this unique deserves to stay in business. Try it if you are on the fence. read more

I've lived in the area my whole life and just discovered this place last year. I really feel like I've been missing out so now I need to go weekly to make up for lost time. read more

I was dying to try this place for a long time and when I say that I mean 6 months! The main reason was that I thought this place was way far from my house than it actually is. I have a Colombian friend that told me this was the best Colombian place in the city and since I LOVE Colombian food I had to check it out! The service was outstanding! I have nothing bad to say about them, they were nice, attentive and fast! We ordered a guayaba juice for me that was pretty good and a limeade for my husband. For appetizer we had beef empanadas and for entree we both went with the carne asada that originally comes with fried plantain but we asked them to switch it for fried yucca and they did it without additional charges. Food came with at the same time the empanadas did. One of the waiters apologized and seriously it was not big deal the main problem was the ceiling fan, our food got cold within few minutes :( The food was good, we loved everything! The empanas were not my favorite today, they tasted good but the dough was too rough even though they were fried as per request. Both sauces that came with the empanadas were good, chimichurri and another one that I don't know the name, the second one was real spicy but good! Unfortunately they are too far away from us so I don't see us going back there any time soon. I believe they are worth the try, great service and good food. read more

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I've been to this restaurant a few times and the food is okay, now the service is a different issue there is one permanent waitress there who isn't polite and is borderline rude. The first time I got a mango water it was just puree and the soup was cold, the bread they serve you was kind of burned so I ate and left. I tried to let somebody know but there's no clear management of this place so I couldn't even talk to anybody besides the rude waitress. I'm not sure I'll be going back read more

The best Colombian around by far!! I highly recommend going if you haven't tried it. Just about anything you order is sure to be amazing.

Yummy Colombian food that's close and very reasonably priced. All the flavors...so good

I'm always on the search for the next best bandeja paisa, currently these guys have my favorite in town. Haven't had anything else of there menu but if the bandeja is good I'm sure the rest is too. The chicharrón is cooked crispy just how i like it. The chorizo was outstanding. However The beings were a tad bit runny and over cooked, and it wouldn't kill the waiter to smile more. But no big deal. I highly recommend you try it! read more

This is the best Colombian food outside of Colombia. Went there today for the first time and had the Bandeja Paisa. This dish was phenomenally delicious. Chorizo was perfectly cooked and of high quality. Fried egg on top was an adorable touch. Rice and beans were yummo. Great service. This place is just plain great! I'll be going back again soon. Tomorrow. I'll be going back tomorrow! read more

El Cafetal - Bandeja Paisa - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

We love Columbian... and this is our favorite place (along with Los Paisas). Perfectly done, always. Lunch specials to choose from as well- it's all fantastic! read more

Great spot tucked away in the Food Lion shopping center off Old Monroe Rd. They have solid authentic Colombian food. For lunch i got a half roasted chicken, rice, beans and fried Plantains for $6.50! I really liked the green sauce they brought with the entree. It mixed well with the rice and chicken. For dessert, they have really good Tres Leches.... read more

OH MY! The Empanadas were D E L I C I O U S!! The Bandeja Paises was more than my words can describe. Meat was well seasoned, beans were tender, and rice was great! read more

You will love the food and the service you receive at El Cafetal, we've never had a bad experience throughout our visits.

I had beef tongue and pork . Milkshake is very yummy too. All good are Very Yummy and clean ! Highly recommend !

A wonderful new find in Clipper Magazine. El Cafetal in Indian Trail is delicious. Very nice inside and a delightful staff. Find their coupons and deal on Local Flavor. Make sure you don't leave until you try dessert! read more

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There is very few options for Colombian food in charlotte area, this one is a very good option to try. My server was not so good, but then another person took over, saving the day! Good experience i will sure comeback and it s recommended for a good Colombian bite. read more

El Cafetal - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

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My second time being here the first time I died in and the second time I carried out a summer service has been good so far and so has the food . The place it's very small and a little hidden . read more

Woo that amazing place for breakfast, lunch... For start before u order, fried plantains.. Attention very fast, an the food is great... Omg I love this place read more

AWESOME COLOMBIAN FOOD !!! Had breakfast at El Cafetal, everything was delicious. I had perico with rice and My husband huevos, chicharron, chorizo, and arepas. The service was fast, friendly and everything clean and welcoming. Can't wait to go back and try the Bandeja Paisa !!! read more

El Cafetal - Menu Side One Latin, Colombian Food - Colombian Near Me - Indian Trail, North Carolina

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The best empanadas and I always get la bandeja paisa, it's just that delicious. I would give this place a 10 star when it comes to service and food read more