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    El Cafetal

    4.2 (92 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 9:00 pm

    El Cafetal Photos

    EL CAFETAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for working
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - El Cafetal

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    The Gold at end of the rainbow is actually Pan de Bono!
    Nathan D.

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

    a plate of salad with dressing
    Roberto Y.

    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.

    Arroz con pollo, chicken and yellow rice
    Melissa H.

    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.

    Inconspicuous exterior.
    Vince M.

    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!

    Outside, sign, view from parking lot
    Courtney H.

    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!!!!

    Calentado Completo
    Monica M.

    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!

    Lulo is phenomenal ...taste like an orange and a Maracaya
    Any1Unbiased ?.

    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

    Lunch with the family!!
    J H.

    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.

    Bandeja paisa

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    7 years ago

    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.

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    5 years ago

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

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    4 years ago

    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.

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    4 years ago

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

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    8 years ago

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    6 years ago

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

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    4 years ago

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

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    Mochica Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken

    Mochica Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken

    4.2(14 reviews)
    9.6 mi

    Finally made it here. As a lover of Peruvian food I wanted to try this not so chain Peruvian…read morerestaurant out. Located where the former Moes was in the Pineville Matthews shopping center with Bonefish and Panera. The place looked pretty clean although after ordering my food I noticed the sanitation grade was a 91...yikes. Anyways I went ahead and ate there. So let me start by saying the menu is large, so many different items to chose from and not only Peruvian food. I saw some Colombian and Venezuelan items. With that being said I was very shocked at the lack of standard side items. Literally rice and white rice at that, pinto beans and like one other things. All other sides are considered premium sides and those premium sides would be basic sides at like hello chicken or viva chicken. I got the 1/4 chicken, white meat with reg side of white rice and premium side of plantains. For the dipping sauce I was limited to the yellow mild sauce or the spicy hot sauce. They were all out of the green mild sauce. Just for context I arrived at 11:40, they open at 11. Not sure how they ran out so fast but I would have loved to try it because the yellow sauce was just ok and the red was cold and just spicy no real flavor. Thankfully the chicken was flavorful and juicy, the white rice was white rice and the plantains were cooked beautifully. Also the cashier was great and provided excellent service. All in all, I would visit again but no rush to go back again. Viva Chicken still takes the lead for now for me. I would love them to mature their side menu, increase their sanitation grade and have the green sauce available.

    If you come for the chicken, this place may be great. I did not come for the chicken. I am Peruvian…read moreand really like the Concord location. So, decided to try this location when in the area. We ordered Tallerin Saltado and Tallerin Verde con lomo (which usually is con bistec) and it came with angel hair pasta and super soupy sauces. Mediocre at best. I truly hate writing bad reviews, but I want it to be known that this is not an authentic Peruvian restaurant. That's not to say it's not a good food restaurant, just not authentically Peruvian. With that said, the restaurant was clean & service was great.

    Photos
    Mochica Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken
    Mochica Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken
    Mochica Peruvian Rotisserie Chicken

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    Muraya - Beef empanadas

    Muraya

    3.9(180 reviews)
    14.4 miSouth End, Dilworth

    Really enjoyed this restaurant. The atmosphere was great, and the staff was very friendly and…read morewelcoming. The food came out surprisingly fast, which was a nice bonus. The octopus honestly wasn't fully my type flavor-wise because of the seasoning, but it was cooked extremely well -- probably the most tender octopus I've ever had. The cocktails were also very good and definitely strong in a good way. Overall, a really good experience, and I'd come back again.

    After a couple hours scrolling on the internet, my friend and I agreed to try this spot. I…read morepersonally have been craving latin food since coming from Honduras. Great location in south end near the light rail. We had a reservation for 6:30 and were seated promptly. The restaurant is gorgeous! I was in amazement walking to my seat. The host was about to sit us at a table, but we requested a booth and were accommodated. Our server was very nice and thoroughly explained the menu. We started off with the empanadas and I ordered my first virgin "pinny yolada" :). The empanadas were mind blowing! They were nice and hot, flavorful, and absolutely a delight! We were so impressed, we decided to order the double fried wings afterwards. The wings were good and had an interested flavor with the tamarind. After the wonderful appetizers, it was time for the entrees. I ordered the short rib yuca gnocchi and my friend the arroz con pollo. On paper the gnocchi sounded sublime, but in actuality it was lacking a lot. The entire dish lacked so much flavor, even with hot sauce, additional salt, and lime it tasted bland. I was very disappointed. The empanadas and service were a saving grace, I ordered two orders of empanadas to go for my family. However they were so expensive. I paid $14 for 3. Even though I loved the empanadas, I probably would not be back.

    Photos
    Muraya - Atmosphere

    Atmosphere

    Muraya - Calentado Criollo

    Calentado Criollo

    Muraya - Limonada de Coco

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    Limonada de Coco

    Pio Pio - Chicken & Beef Empanadas |Instagram @restaurant_aholic

    Pio Pio

    3.8(508 reviews)
    13.1 miDilworth
    $$

    Pio's restaurant has gotten a facelift and it's even better than it was in the past! The score has…read moreincreased to 99, the seating has been updated and the food is still delicious--maybe even better! We went on a Saturday afternoon and enjoyed the friendly atmosphere and attentive service. Our meal was excellent as it has consistently been, especially since the changes have been made to the restaurant. I want to make sure that I mention the cleanliness of the women's bathroom. This is the second time in a row that I've used it and it is very well maintained. It's large, clean and odorless. It gives me an overall positive feeling about the restaurant, which adds to my comfort when we eat here. We love coming here. The prices are reasonable, the portion sizes are just right, and the servers are attentive and friendly. A great experience!!

    What happened to this place It used to be really good, we…read morecame for Lunch on a Saturday all the windows were down so it was pitch back inside! I asked the waitress and said the owner likes it dark!!!? We literally couldn't see each other! The food was terrible, We ordered empanadas as an appetizer and they were soo bad i couldn't finish one filled with RICE??? the meat tested horrible, we ordered half a chicken with rice, beans and plantains How can you mess up such basic food? 30 min after eating we felt sick.. coincidence probably not.

    Photos
    Pio Pio
    Pio Pio - Guacamole with Tostones |Instagram @restaurant_aholic

    Guacamole with Tostones |Instagram @restaurant_aholic

    Pio Pio - Mango juice Sangria

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    Mango juice Sangria

    El Cafetal - colombian - Updated May 2026

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