I was hesitant to try this place because it had a B rating, which usually dissuades me from eating somewhere. But I had made a bit of a drive to get some Nicaraguan food so I had to do it. And I'm glad I did. The food was great and the prices were decent. The only thing I didn't enjoy was the horchata. But that's not a normal Nicaraguan drink so I'll give them a pass haha. I would've given a 5 star rating If it wasn't for the B grade. Try the 3 meat plate. My husband and I shared and we still had leftovers. My favorite part was the bunuelos!!! Delicious. read more

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What a hidden gem. My parents are from Nicaragua, and I grew up eating truly authentic Nicaraguan food. This was our first visit to El Gallo Pinto, and it definitely won't be our last. The service was wonderful, and the food was so delicious and authentically prepared that I was genuinely in awe. It felt like home. read more

El Gallo Pinto - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

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Came here with my parents and wife for a Saturday late lunch and unfortunately we were disappointed overall. The churrasco that my wife and I ordered was not only overcooked the chimichurri sauce was tasteless and the cut of meat was very tough. They were supposed to use entraña cut but this was not the case. My dad ordered the Lengua en salsa that had more tomatoes than beef tongue. The pork in my mom's nacatamal was very dry as well. I will say the Tona beers were cold and the curtido chile was tasty. They charge you a percentage on top of your bill if you use a credit card which I was not aware of. Would recommend going a little farther to Portobancos in LA which is hands down the best Nicaraguan food in SoCal and they grill their meats! This one is a hard pass. read more

El Gallo Pinto - Inside restaurant - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

First time trying Nicaraguan food and I really liked it. There's plenty of parking in the lot. We were greeted by friendly staff and he was very patient and informative since I had a lot of questions. We got the fritanga and the baho which is one of the weekend specials. Everything was amazing. The cheese was my absolute favorite. We also got to try some of the drinks, and wow were they unique and refreshing. I'm excited to come back! read more

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The food here is consistently top notch!! As a Nicaraguan I can confirm that the seasoning and fresh ingredients are as authentic as one can get in LA. The owners and servers are very attentive and provide a 5 star experience!! 100% recommend read more

El Gallo Pinto - Fritanga de carne asada y Cacao - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

Food taste is not the best, the menu has a variety of Nicaraguan food, some drinks have a lot of sugar! definitely not my favorite place for Nicaraguan food read more

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Authentic Nicaraguan flavors, big hearty plates, and the kind of gallo pinto and plantains that make you want to come back the next day. They gave us free pork to try, it was delicious. And also gave us different types of juices for free to try. They were all excellent, we couldn't decide which one is better. The fritanga platter is a feast, and the staff treats you like family. The utensils also come in a paper bag so they wouldn't touch the table. Check out my pictures. read more

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I came here since I've wanted to try Nicaraguan food and this place was close by. I tried their cacao ($6.75) and chicha ($6.75). I thought their chicha was like chicha Miranda but it had bits of corn in it. Both were not too sweet. I came to try their churrasco with chimichurri and crispy plantains ($19.99). They had two types of plantains, a soft and a crispy chip type plantain. The platter came with a tender, grilled beef with sides of rice and beans with a small cabbage salad. It came with a small bowl of onions in vinegar. The staff is nice and the tables were filled quickly drinking lunch time, parking lot is small. read more

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Bistec entomatado is the plate to go with. Fried cheese....trust. Also steemed yucca and chicharrón. Just do it. What to drink you ask??? Try the Milca. It's a strawberry soda that'll knock your socks off. Seriously. Get here fast. read more

I applause the staff at Gallo Pinto. My son moved to West Covina from Corona & recently discovered their Azusa location & said it reminded him of his Abuelita's Nica cooking! We ordered catering for this Mothers Day weekend & it was so delicious & authentic! We no longer need to drive to downtown LA to get our Nica fix. Viva El Gallo Pinto Jodido! read more

El Gallo Pinto - Gallo Pinto, Maduro's, Queso Frito, Asada, Chancho y Yuca! Mmmmm - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

I'm from the bay, whenever I'm in town, I want platos tipicos. I'm Salvi, but I was craving Nicaraguan food. The Churrasco con Chimischurri was soooooooooo delicious omg! I ate that up!! I will be returning :) Thank you! Two plates took about 30-35 minutes, well worth it, food was freshhhhh. read more

Es lo más rico de comida Nicoya que hay en estos lados oh sercanias de riverside y Azusa. Probé el gallo pinto con carne asada. Estaba delicioso. El cacao lo asen bien puro y es para ponerlo ah bailar el palo de mayo. read more

Placed our order for pickup up and noticed that the maduros were missing. When we brought it to their attention, they took our to-go boxes and took food out to add the plantains. Mind you, I touched the food in my box because I was looking for the maduros. That's incredibly unhygienic for a food establishment. It's not the first time it's happened. We love the food here but the prices have gone up significantly while their customer services continues to be so poor. read more

There isn't that many places like this, everything is Mexican food, so this is a nice little change for the area. I gave it a try and have been coming here for years. Only bad thing is that they open late, but being a family run, I guess they don't have that much help. That being said, I haven't been disappointed yet. read more

It was delicious to try Nicaraguan tamales and rice and beans and both crisp and soft/sweet plantains. Flavorful steak Assad as well as fried cheese, salad (vinegary coleslaw no Mayo... yum) yucca fries and the puréed onion 'salsa' to put on almost every. The Cacao drink was so good I had to order one to go when we finished our excellent lunch. Damon was the well informed waiter (owner?) who guided us to each tasty bite. Will definitely be back. read more

Authentic is the word. Closed my eyes and I'm at casa de mi tia comiendo un gallo pinto. Authentic is the word. Great ambience. Narrow onsite parking spaces so park on the street. read more

The food is always delicious, authentic Nicaraguense food. I've tried a lot of their dishes, never disappoint.

Muy rica sus comida la señora que cocina ai por anos es muy buena cocinera la número uno y la Duena que have los jugos el cacao es número uno también prepara los jugos exquisitos la atención excellente Recomendado al 100% read more

Messed up my order after an hour drive smh wow never again, I asked for white rice NOT rice and beans and didn't get my fried cheese which is the BEST PART.. and also didn't get the plantains smh trash place read more

El Gallo Pinto - Asked for fried cheese and WHITE rice with my carne asada, and got this smh no white rice and no fried cheese - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

Bring your appetite to El Gallo Pinto. This is the place to go when you are in need of hearty Nicaraguan fare. The Fritanga Chancho is a large platter containing chancho (fried pork), gallo pinto (rice and beans), two types of plantains, and fried cheese. The cabbage salad cuts through the richness of the crispy pork as does the delicious pickled onion salsa. Tajadas are plantains fried in long thin ribbons placed above the gallo pinto. Maduros are plantains that are sweet, soft, and caramelized. Chicha is a pink-purple beverage made of ground white corn kernels, cane sugar, water, and ice. The restaurant is just south of the 210 on Azusa Avenue. There are numerous booths inside, but you need to get here early as it closes by 6. read more

El Gallo Pinto - Fritanga Chancha with fried pork - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

Interesting food. The Mondongo is similar to menudo. Gallo Pinto is rice mixed with beans. Friendly and attractive servers; though not all speaks English. One tip to patrons, bring cash. They accept cards, but there's a charge for using them. read more

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The food was excellent again. Redemption is here! I ordered the chicken with white rice and cabbage. The plantain chips are a nice crunchy accompaniment to the food. Fresh and authentic food makes us come back for more. Staff are so friendly and remember us from prior visits. The ambience is neat with a Nicaraguan vibe. I recommend. read more

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#1 Carne asada fritangas are BOMB!!! To be frank- I come here for the Gallo pinto (amazing flavor) but the great steaks, plantain chips, fried queso that come with it are allll amazing. Don't leave without getting a large PINOLILLO to drink with it, I am OBSESSED. I always ask for extra cabbage salad and extra of the onion salad/salsa because I love the flavors and everything from this restaurant together is such a hit. The carne asada fritangas come with Gallo pinto (rice and beans), plantains, plantain chips, fried cheese, and broiled steak. Everything is very fair priced considering the quality, the flavor, the portions! If my last meal was from this restaurant, I would die happy and reincarnate to order another pinolillo to go. This place is a must for me!!! Thank you Daemon and everyone at this wonderful restaurant!! read more

El Gallo Pinto - #1) Carne asada fritangas - BOMB! With cabbage and onions salad/salsa on the side - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

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La peor comida Nicaraguense , La carne durísima como chancleta , tiesa . Pedimos un churrasco de lo peor , el servicio pesimo se dilataron tanto para servirnos y llevarnos la peor comida .es una vergüenza , pagamos casi $150 para arrepentirnos . No lo recomiendo ni a mi peor enemigo read more

I'm a Nicaraguan by birth, but came when I was young to the U.S.A. My Mom always did the best Nicaraguan dishes. After she passed I never thought I was going find delicious, well made, like my Mom used to make, Nicaraguan food, especially around the West Covina area. I was wrong. El Gallo Pinto takes me back every single time. I'm proud to say. Pinolero forever.! read more

El Gallo Pinto - Once a Pinolero, always a Pinolero. - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

I loved this place when the owner ran it. Now her son runs it and it is unorganized. Today I came in for two drinks and four rosquillas. Paid like $30.00. Before I was greeted, I waited ten minutes at the pay counter. They proceeded to cook and prep others food. Finally, they took my order and charged me. I waited half an hour for two to go drinks and four bags that were just sitting there. I had to walk into the kitchen and ask for a refund because it had now been 45minutes. He gave me attitude and gave me $30.00 cash back. My family spends thousands of dollars here per year. Now this. Food has changed and prices have gone up, smaller portions and just plain selfish. So sad! I drive 45minutes one way to come here. read more

First time having Nicaraguan food. Pretty tasty if I don't say myself. I got the fritangas el gallo pinto which came with so much stuff - fried cheese, rice/beans, plantains, meat (I chose chancho or I call it lechon), and a couple of other things. For what you pay, you get so much food. I couldn't even eat everything and I have a massive appetite. The beans/rice was a little dry. The fried cheese wasn't what I expected. I guess I was thinking more of a gooey inside, but instead it was a little dry and salty. The chancho tasted like Filipino lechon with an added flavor. It was good and not too overly fatty. The plantains were delicious. And, it came with a bag of mariquitas! I love plantain chips!! I might go back to try the other dishes. read more

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El servicio al cliente no es amable, es horrible esperar casi 90 minutos por nuestra comida! Los meseros nada amables.... Pagamos con tarjeta la comida que es algo subido de precio y me cobraron cobro "extra" por pagar con tarjeta!!ed horrible aqui no volveremos! Service is horrible, we waited almost 90 minutes for our food! Waitress and waiters very unfriendly. Food is good but expensive and on I was charged a service fee for using my credit card to pay? We spent over $100. I dont even remember paying for a service fee at a restaurant?? read more

I've lived within 2 miles of El Gallo Pinto for a number of years and yet, for some reason, I never tried it until now! I could kick myself for that! The food is phenomenal and authentic. Good, authentic comida Nicaraguense (Nicaraguan food) is not easy to find around here...or, I guess it has been but I just never made the effort to check out this spot lol! This stuff was the real deal...from the tajadas to the queso frito and the cacao, oh, the cacao! The last time I tasted a cacao that was so perfectly made, I was actually in Nicaragua! The restaurant itself is small, charming, and homey and the prices are great. I noticed that they take quite a bit of to-go orders so I'll be trying that next time. The only reason I'm not giving 5 stars is that service was a bit underwhelming. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't terrible, it simply wasn't the best. Perhaps that will be different the next time I eat there! read more

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Haven't been here in years. The ambiance is still the same. Still one of my favorite Nica Restaurants! Our server was very polite and attentive especially with it being busy. I highly recommend this Nica Restaurant! read more

Nos encanta El Gallo Pinto tengo 25 años visitando este restaurante. el servicio muy bueno y la cantidad de comida perfecto. La fritanga es deliciosa. Muchas Gracias read more

Mal servicio, compré dos ordenes de maduro con queso y creo de un maduro sacaron las dos ordenes. Bien poquito cada orden y me costo mas de $22 . Por favor somo latinos paisanos y cobrar tan caro para un mal servicio? No es justo. La próxima vez mejor comprar maduro con queso donde hacen Pupusas que sirven mejor mayor cantidad por menos dinero read more

El Gallo Pinto - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

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My mother is from Nicaragua so I grew up on this food plus the many times I flew down to Managua. The food is very good and close to what you will get in the actual country itself. The COVID-19 pandemic had this restaurant closed and now it's open for dine in or take out. I give props when fresh bread is delivered to your table and its hot and not cold out of a package. read more

El Gallo Pinto - Viva Esteli ! - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

Comida nicaragüense deliciosa, la comida me gusto, el servicio fue pronto. la locación está un poquito vieja, el techo tiene mojo y no está bueno para la salud del trabajar o el cliente. read more

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The fritanga was on point. I had the fried pork. It was delicious and flavorful, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Tried other Nicaraguan restaurants but always come back here. read more

Best Nicaraguan food around. My family and I love going to this place for their authentic and yummy food. read more

El Gallo Pinto - Nicaraguan Near Me - Azusa, California

Stumbled upon this spot while driving on Azusa, decided to stop since it caught my attention. I love Central American food and El Gallo Pinto did not disappoint. Been here twice now, it gets busy but worth the wait! Flavorful food, the nacatamales was delicious read more

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Delicious! Love everything we have ever ordered here. A taste of Nicaragua in the heart of LA!

I've been driving past this place for years never giving it a second look because I thought it was just another typical Mexican restaurant . Until one day, while I was at the red light, I looked over and stared at it and then realized it was not another Mexican restaurant. It's a Nicaraguan restaurant! Cool, because I'm half Honduran and the only Central American restaurants out here in SGV were El Salvadoran. I would have to go to LA to get Honduran food. So I was happy to have another option in the area. I ordered a nacatamal to start with and then had their salpicon dish. The nacatamal was huge and packed with meat! The salpicon (mince meat) came with Gallo pinto (rice with beans mixed together) and I chose the sweet fried plantains for the side. Never had salpicon before but I was impressed with it. Really good and the Gallo pinto, too. To drink, I had pinolillo and that was refreshing. For dessert, I ordered buñuelos and oh my goodness, they were wonderful. The service was great. The server, Damon, was very patient with me and answered every question I had about the menu. Because I was the only customer there at the time, he played punta music for me on his radio because I told him I'm half Honduran. LOL. He's a chill guy and very nice. I'm happy to have tried this place and will be coming here whenever I'm craving some Central American food and don't feel like driving far for Honduran food. read more

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Sad excuse for Nicaraguan food. Service is horrible !!! Girl who waiting on us was upset to be alive. We got bland onions I'm thinking that's what they want to be chilero maybe. Maduro was a slob of bananas just smooshed. I order fritanga with carne asada and a got a 2 oz piece of meat! Very upsetting. Not cut like nica meat at all. Ensalada is missing everything. No rábano no cucumber !! Bland!! Cheese was not cooked all the way. I asked for a side of cerdo asado and I got cerdo frito !! All in all I did not like anything. As a nica I was so disappointed. I took my partner to eat nica food for the first time and she hated it . Asked for salsa or something got and I got tapatillo not even nica hot sauce. Won't be returning at all. No music something traditional would be nice ! Place is just dead no life in the environment. Kid waiting on some customers was dragging hit feet ... damn can't even pick up his feet.! Lights are off no natural light tables unstable . I mean. I can keep going. If you want good nica food your best off going go La 27 . At least you know your going to take the good to go. And real nica food real flavors. Lastly as a waitress you do not stand and wait for customer to put card or money in the check book. You leave it and wait for it to be ready. No need to rush anyone to pay for crap food. read more