El Coqui Restaurant

Food was horrible, never again. It was picked up, and…read moreservice mediocre. Ambience very quiet.

This review is not the easiest for me to write. I have been coming to the Little Columbian…read morerestaurant since 2015. I loved this place, their food was fantastic and the quality was super consistent; an excellent spot to get together with friends or a date. So much attention to detail was paid, house made dressing, salsa, all ingredients were super fresh, the meats were always cooked excellently, and the staff was friendly. I hadn't been to the restaurant in a while but at some point in the last few years the Little Columbian restaurant became My little Columbian restaurant. My friends and I went there for dinner at the end of October, there was one couple that was leaving the restaurant but we were the only ones there when we first walked in. The vibe of the restaurant has changed because they changed how they decorated the interior of the restaurant. I prefer their older vibe but no big deal. Our waitress was nice and very attentive all night and the staff in general was quite friendly. Here's my issue, the food quality is not as good as it was in the past. And if they are going to charge along the same lines as what they have, always been on the pricier side, then the quality should still be at the same level. There were a bunch of little things that added up. To start, the salad I ordered didn't have the same quality of greens (I think they used a spring mix in the past), there were some small bits of core in the salad. More to my disappointment the Salad dressing was no longer the house dressing they used to make it was Ken's balsamic dressing, which generally tastes like diabetes syrup. Maybe it was an off night for the salad and I could live with that but the lack of the old house dressing was disappointing. Speaking of cutting corners, the chimichuri used to be super fresh and of good quality ingredients. The chimichuri this time around had a lower quality olive oil and the parsley was dried instead of fresh. My friend ordered some empanadas, which were partially burnt and again the slasa wasn't the same quality as they used to make with the empanadas. For an entree, I ordered Bandeja Columbiana. The chicharon was a bit overdone but ok enough. The chorizo was probably the best part but you have to try to mess up chorizo. The maduro was kind of dry and somewhat bland. The chicken was a touch rubbery and the steak was fine; nothing to write home about. As I had mentioned before the food wasn't terrible, it was fine enough but it was not worth the price it cost. Much worse is the fact that the quality in general just isn't the same as it had been prior, maybe they just had an off night but something tells me this is how it is now. It's too bad this restaurant isn't quite what it was; it used to be one of my favorites.

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Buen Gusto Restaurant

4.3(14 reviews)

0.2 mi

I usually enjoy the food here but the staff at night definitely charged me more than the plate was…read more I was charged almost $5 more. Mind you I think she thought I've never bought food from there and took advantage What kind of people do this

The best food in New Haven, the rice, the green bananas and the chicharron, fresh and great flavor…read more Service and cleaniness excellent. Everything is well maintain and clean including the bathroom. 100% recommended.

Front menu

Mixed food plate

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Right side of the menu

Arecibo's Restaurant

4.5(4 reviews)

0.2 mi

Their food is great, great flavored, has a variality of foods & style to choose from which is…read morealways great, their yellow rice, beans & pork chops are to die for, service a bit slow when you are in a hurry but very friendly...

The food here is so delicious, the best in the area. It serves puerto Rican food, but their…read moreclientele is extremely diverse, which is always a good sign for a restaurant. I always order steak and yellow rice, but I've tried all their dishes. The food us fresh, hot, and their employees are always polite. I've been in their bathroom, and seen their kitchen. It's not your typical kitchen, but it's very clean.

MIA - Platter MUST TRY !!!!! Highly recommend, you can share it or have a feast for yourself.

MIA

4.0(75 reviews)

21.6 mi

My friend and I went to Mia for happy hour on a Thursday afternoon shortly after they opened for…read morethe day. The staff were very pleasant and attentive. The restaurant has a fun casual atmosphere and the premises were very clean. The happy hour menu prices were quite reasonable and we thoroughly enjoyed our margaritas. The Ronda Mia sampler platter was a great choice to enjoy a variety of apps. I will be returning here again!

Had a great experience at MIA! The décor is super cute and definitely very Instagrammable perfect…read morespot for photos and a fun night out. I came here with coworkers to celebrate a farewell for someone moving out of state, and it also happened to be around my birthday. My coworker had the servers come out and sing happy birthday, and I loved the Latin flair they added it made the moment feel really special and lively. The overall vibe, energy, and experience were really enjoyable, and it's definitely a place I'd return to. The only downside is that the drinks are on the pricier side, but everything else made up for it.

Jungle Bell and Empanadas

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Margarita

Mansion De Las Americas

5.0(2 reviews)

1.9 mi

Family run business with HUGE variety of Latin food…read more Everything here seems homemade and filled with love. The vibe: bright and airy location with a large amount of buffet style items to choose from. The food. Very good. I tried the family platter of meats and Yuka fries, and the shrimp with salad. Wonderful flavors, and em the Yuka fries were tasty with the homemade sauces.

I brought 120 high school students here today for a Spanish field trip. The staff was super…read morehelpful, very patient with the kids, good communication, and they accommodated us as best they could. Every student I spoke with afterwards said the food was delicious and they were happy with their lunch!

Family platter (HUGE)

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Chicken combo

Rubamba Restaurant

4.1(230 reviews)

1.7 mi

Nachos: I third-wheeled to Rubamba with my couple-friend, and we got seated next to two more…read morecouples on a double date. All of a sudden I was ninth-wheeling. I felt like a lab rat mid-experiment, having a sudden moment of clarity that this fun maze might actually be a death trap. The older gay men beside me glanced at my empty seat before smiling at me with mischievous curiosity. They led with kindness and asked "how are those nachos?", but I knew they meant "why don't you have a date". When I answered with explicit detail about the flavor composition of the nachos and they burst into laughter, I watched the "ah, that's why" land on their faces in real time. Fair. A girl's gotta get her satisfaction somewhere, and in that moment, it had been from the even cheese distribution. The nachos were quite nice, actually. Could've used a bit more beans. And a lot more heat. Incidentally, and according to the four gay wise men, so could my love life. All else: a familiar redhead walked past the window and I said, "I know that redhead from somewhere", turns out it was Conan O'Brien. Second-tier celebrity sighting of the night. First tier was our waiter, sweeping the floor with a little rhythm in the hips. I love when people are so caught up in their own world that the noise fades out. It made me smile.

Had a craving for guac and arepas and found this gem. They didn't have a liquor license but the…read moredrinks were refreshing and plentiful. Started off with the guacamole, corn, and shrimp. Great sizes and we shared. We both got the arepas and needed to bring home because the serving was really big and got to enjoy it again the next day. Limited ibdoor and outdoor seating and limited street parking. Service was quick and very friendly.

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Lechonera La Unica

4.3(3 reviews)

1.4 mi

good lord this place has got every puerto rican delicacy and they do it right. Sitting in the turn…read morearound on long wharf the line on a beautiful summer day was so long it was impeding traffic. Worth every penny, and every second I waited. Crispy fried Renello De Papas, Arroz con Gondules & Pollo Frito. Couldn't ask for a better meal. $7.25 with a coke.

Their empanadas are good, not fantastic, but definitely good. Especially with the hot sauce that…read morethey have. Their passion fruit juice, however, is out of this friggen world incredible. It's obviously in Spanish on the sign, and I don't remember what it's called in Spanish, but you can figure it out. I'll update this to be slightly more helpful next time I'm there, but in the meantime, go try the passion fruit juice. Thank me later.

Fried pork (carne frita), rice with pigeon peas (arroz con gandules), fried plantains

Fried pork (carne frita)

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Mojitos Latin Cuisine

3.5(8 reviews)

3.4 mi

They have me a birthday flan! The food is good, the service…read moreprompt, and overall a great find. Highly recommend.

Definitely a hidden gem for Latin food! The restaurant is inviting with bright flowers decorating…read morethe dining room, and we noticed how clean everything was. Everything is made fresh in-house, even the French fries, and you can taste the difference! Their guacamole was some of the best I've had, and the salsa was good too. One of our favorites was the cuatro Estaciones burger because it was so cheesy and tied in a bunch of Latin flavors. Excellent seafood dishes, drinks, and desserts. The owner was the only one running the dining room and she did a great job! All of the food came out quickly from the kitchen. Such a great spot to know about!

Green enchiladas

Mexican horchata

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Chaufa Mixta Peruana

Donde El Paisa

3.7(30 reviews)

2.2 mi

Everything was amazing!! The staff was very friendly and food was delicious especially the steak!read more

Very good food, tastes like homemade. I go almost everywhere weekend. makes me feel closer to home!read more

Menu cover

Plantains pulled pork beans Mexican rice and sauce.

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Menu 4

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1 review that is not currently recommended

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Jose C.

0

5

0

11 years ago

Closest thing the my mom's PR food I can find in New Haven.

El Coqui Restaurant - latin - Updated October 2026

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Nachos: I third-wheeled to Rubamba with my couple-friend, and we got seated next to two more…read morecouples on a double date. All of a sudden I was ninth-wheeling. I felt like a lab rat mid-experiment, having a sudden moment of clarity that this fun maze might actually be a death trap. The older gay men beside me glanced at my empty seat before smiling at me with mischievous curiosity. They led with kindness and asked "how are those nachos?", but I knew they meant "why don't you have a date". When I answered with explicit detail about the flavor composition of the nachos and they burst into laughter, I watched the "ah, that's why" land on their faces in real time. Fair. A girl's gotta get her satisfaction somewhere, and in that moment, it had been from the even cheese distribution. The nachos were quite nice, actually. Could've used a bit more beans. And a lot more heat. Incidentally, and according to the four gay wise men, so could my love life. All else: a familiar redhead walked past the window and I said, "I know that redhead from somewhere", turns out it was Conan O'Brien. Second-tier celebrity sighting of the night. First tier was our waiter, sweeping the floor with a little rhythm in the hips. I love when people are so caught up in their own world that the noise fades out. It made me smile.

Had a craving for guac and arepas and found this gem. They didn't have a liquor license but the…read moredrinks were refreshing and plentiful. Started off with the guacamole, corn, and shrimp. Great sizes and we shared. We both got the arepas and needed to bring home because the serving was really big and got to enjoy it again the next day. Limited ibdoor and outdoor seating and limited street parking. Service was quick and very friendly.

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Their food is great, great flavored, has a variality of foods & style to choose from which is…read morealways great, their yellow rice, beans & pork chops are to die for, service a bit slow when you are in a hurry but very friendly...

The food here is so delicious, the best in the area. It serves puerto Rican food, but their…read moreclientele is extremely diverse, which is always a good sign for a restaurant. I always order steak and yellow rice, but I've tried all their dishes. The food us fresh, hot, and their employees are always polite. I've been in their bathroom, and seen their kitchen. It's not your typical kitchen, but it's very clean.

The Little Colombia

4.6

(192 reviews)

Food was horrible, never again. It was picked up, and…read moreservice mediocre. Ambience very quiet.

This review is not the easiest for me to write. I have been coming to the Little Columbian…read morerestaurant since 2015. I loved this place, their food was fantastic and the quality was super consistent; an excellent spot to get together with friends or a date. So much attention to detail was paid, house made dressing, salsa, all ingredients were super fresh, the meats were always cooked excellently, and the staff was friendly. I hadn't been to the restaurant in a while but at some point in the last few years the Little Columbian restaurant became My little Columbian restaurant. My friends and I went there for dinner at the end of October, there was one couple that was leaving the restaurant but we were the only ones there when we first walked in. The vibe of the restaurant has changed because they changed how they decorated the interior of the restaurant. I prefer their older vibe but no big deal. Our waitress was nice and very attentive all night and the staff in general was quite friendly. Here's my issue, the food quality is not as good as it was in the past. And if they are going to charge along the same lines as what they have, always been on the pricier side, then the quality should still be at the same level. There were a bunch of little things that added up. To start, the salad I ordered didn't have the same quality of greens (I think they used a spring mix in the past), there were some small bits of core in the salad. More to my disappointment the Salad dressing was no longer the house dressing they used to make it was Ken's balsamic dressing, which generally tastes like diabetes syrup. Maybe it was an off night for the salad and I could live with that but the lack of the old house dressing was disappointing. Speaking of cutting corners, the chimichuri used to be super fresh and of good quality ingredients. The chimichuri this time around had a lower quality olive oil and the parsley was dried instead of fresh. My friend ordered some empanadas, which were partially burnt and again the slasa wasn't the same quality as they used to make with the empanadas. For an entree, I ordered Bandeja Columbiana. The chicharon was a bit overdone but ok enough. The chorizo was probably the best part but you have to try to mess up chorizo. The maduro was kind of dry and somewhat bland. The chicken was a touch rubbery and the steak was fine; nothing to write home about. As I had mentioned before the food wasn't terrible, it was fine enough but it was not worth the price it cost. Much worse is the fact that the quality in general just isn't the same as it had been prior, maybe they just had an off night but something tells me this is how it is now. It's too bad this restaurant isn't quite what it was; it used to be one of my favorites.

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