The foods all taste the same and is too salty. Also, the signage says you can get a small size meal with all pork or chicken. When I asked for pork chops I was told not for "pork" chops. WTH???? Are they that incompetent? Pork is pork. They refused to sell it to me so I will be doing business where my $ are respected. These people have taken there customer base for granted until they go somewhere else. read more

Go to here! We need to support small businesses like this spot. Served up very similar to other places like this I've been to, lots of big steam trays of stewed/braised meats and veg. I got the oxtail with rice and beans and cabbage. Everything was excellent. I just wish I had asked to have more gravy added over my rice. The lady behind the counter was super nice, helped me decide what to get. It's pretty bare bones inside, just a couple tables, plastic utensils, etc. I'd be fine eating in again but I might get take out next time. Either way, go here and get some great Latino/Caribbean style food, expand your horizons. Oh before I forget. Add the pickled onion on top, it's a great counterbalance to all the rich flavors. read more

El Latino Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Rochester, New York

Order here all the time. Today I received my Fried Chicken Chunks Dinner and the meat tasted burned or as if it was made in old grease . Worst customer service read more

El Latino Restaurant - Order here all the time. Today I received fried chicken that tasted burnt or cooked in old grease. Received the worst customer service. - Spanish Near Me - Rochester, New York

I ate there and I felt like the food they gave me had a container of salt on it. Had to throw out Less salt read more

The empanadas are amazing! Tons of flavor in both the beef or chicken with cheese. Very nice staff and can't wait to go back again

Yum yum yum!! A friend from work recommended El Latino and I'm so glad We gave them a try. Super super friendly service, answered all my questions about options. My son and I each tried a different large sized meal which included meat and rice with beans and a choice between stewed cabbage or salad. I would recommend salad over the cabbage. And definitely get their homemade hot sauce absolutely fantastic. We also tried their empanadas sampling both the chicken and the beef with the beef being the clear winner. The portions are so generous this lasted us for three meals! read more

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Stopped in and enjoyed a great lunch. There was a bit of a line which was a good sign that they're popular. People of all ages and families were here too, which likely explains why they had rules posted- no profanity, no baggy jeans, etc. We both got medium sized rice, beans, and pork shoulder which was very good and a lot of food. Neither of us could finish it. My only criticism would be that the menu was impossible to see from the line so when we got up there we had no clue what the options were or how to order. They were patient with us but I felt bad about slowing down the already long line. read more

Affordable and delicious! My whole family loves their tostones. My daughter, who lives elsewhere, wants El Latino when she is back in town. Their homemade hot sauce is a must! read more

Poor customer service and very nasty attitudes. Had a rude lady that worked there and had an attitude for no reason.

Really good chicharrones but very busy and slow service . But is worthy the wait Good beef stew read more

Book marked this place months ago. Finally I made it! Stopped in at 1:15pm on a Friday. The line was out the door. Overall the whole ordering process seemed unorganized and chaotic. Certainly not as orderly and cafeteria style as D'Mangu. Signs hanging up are hard to read due to the hand writing and some half wiped off board. There were a few tables to eat, but most of the folks took their food to go. Parking is mostly in back. I ordered the medium Pernil (pork shoulder) with crispy skin, yellow rice and beans and a salad. Enough food for 4 hearty meals if you ask me! Rice and beans were on point. Pork was really good.... meat overall was moist. The skin however was Rock hard and inedible if you like your teeth and want to keep them for a long time. I had all intentions of ordering an empanada, but forget in the ordering confusion. I'll have to give that one a try next time. read more

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So if Hispanics took over the public transport system in Chicago, would the "El Train" become known as the "El Latino"? And start charging much less per ride, to make it more affordable for the Midwestern City Folk? If so, even that would not be as affordable and awesome as this unassuming restaurant just west of Rochester. What to get: Pernil lunch special with yellow rice What else: everything on the menu If it was a Salvadoran watering hole, it'd be "Well Latino." Far and away my favourite Puerto Rican food in Rochester, this little gem has everything you'd expect from a Puerto Rican place... rotisserie chicken, Pernil, fried stuff, empanadas, and every single bite of every single thing is delicious. If it was a Colombian personal injury lawyer, it'd be "Fell Latino." What makes El Latino even more special is that the prices are bargain basement cheap, rock bottom... you'll pay next to nothing for this amazing food. The lunch specials are 5 or 6 for enough food to feed the entire island of Puerto Rico for a week. Or two. If it were a Honduran psychiatrist's office, it would be "Tell Latino." As with any Puerto Rican place, I highly recommend getting here nice and early so that the food is fresh and as juicy as it can possibly be. I had a Pernil late in the day and it wasn't the juiciest or hottest. I had one at the beginning of lunch time on a couple of occasions and it was *spectacular*. A nice touch is that they give you a bit of pork skin with your order... delicious. If it were a Mexican perfume and candle store, it'd be "Smell Latino." I haven't been too impressed by most of the Latin food I've tried in Rochester, but this is the shining, glowing exception. It's absolutely delicious. It's up there with Niagara Cafe and Sazon Criollo in Buffalo, as my fave Puerto Rican spots in the region. If it were an Argentinian "English as a foreign language" school, it'd be "Spell Latino." El Latino is one of Rochester's best eateries and also one of the best value. Plus the girl that works here is super cute, and I appreciate that. And if it were a Uruguayan sex shop designed to make you grow in your nether regions, it would be "Swell Latino." Or swollen perhaps. But I digress. Get here. Eat the Pernil. Kthxbye. read more

El Latino Restaurant - Pernil lunch spesh $6 yummmm - Spanish Near Me - Rochester, New York

I've been driving past this place for years in my 'hood. If there is ever a sign of good restaurant, its when the lot is full of cars. El Latino is a quick take out joint that has a wide variety of foods on any given day. After hearing people at work rave about the amazing meals, we decided to give it a try and we are glad that we did. Their serving sizes are, "HUGE Rochester HUGE," as they say. The plates are served by size in small, medium and large. The large is big enough for at least two meals. On the buffet, they had beans and rice, ribs, baked chicken, black & pinto beans, pulled pork, cabbage, empanadas, shrimp & crab rice and much more. All that we tried was good, but be forewarned that if you're not a meat eater then you'll probably be out of luck here unless you order a specialty item ahead of time. My hubby loved the food, but if I were going back again, I would order from the menu as opposed to the buffet simply because there wasn't a lot available for my needs. This is recommended for anyone wanting quick takeout of this variety. read more

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This is my favorite Latin restaurant in Rochester. The oxtails are so delicious and tender, the beans and rice are delicious as well as the plantains. I've tried the pork as well off of my husband's plate and he's seasoned with perfection. read more

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I was in Irondequoit and on the hunt looking for a Spanish restaurant open after 8 pm on a Thursday and fate brought me to El Latino in Gates. Initially, I was hesitant because I'm not familiar with the area and I was going alone, but it's in a quiet location near I-390. There is a parking lot so I didn't have to worry about parallel parking. =/ When I walked in, I joined the end of the line leading to the buffet counter. I skimmed the restaurant and it has seating available for about 20 people or so. From what I could see on my tippy toes, the buffet spread had a variety of meats - ox tail, stewed chicken, beef, pork, as well as red or black beans, and yellow or white rice. Not to mention other food on both sides of the main buffet line up. I ordered a medium plate of ox tail, red beans and yellow rice, and cabbage topped with onions. My eyes were bigger than my stomach, however, my intense craving for Spanish food was soothed and satisfied! They stacked the plate full. The red beans were soft and moist and the rice was fluffy. It was slightly salty to me, but it offset the mild, yet tasty flavor of the cabbage and onions. The ox tail was tender and full of flavor, but definitely not a lean meat. The wait was short and the server gently guided me through the options for my plate. She probably could tell I was a noob there. I walked out with take out in about 10-15 mins. So if you want something quick, flavorful, inexpensive, and filling with a splash of Caribbean spices, this is the place to go! read more

El Latino Restaurant - Medium plate of ox tail, cabbage topped with onions, and red beans and rice. - Spanish Near Me - Rochester, New York

This place is legit. We got the Spanish paella, potato balls, fried pork chunks, beef and cheese empanadas. They forgot my fried cheese, but not a big deal - they were super busy and said they would get me on the next trip. The paella was great, the whole family loved it. I found the seafood a tad dry, I'm guessing from frozen, to be expected, and not a huge problem. All apps were fantastic. The oxtail and pork shoulder looked great from what I could see. And I'm interested in the Sancocho and stewed chicken as well so I'm definitely going back. read more

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My husband is Boricua and he was in heaven! He ordered chicharrón for us to go-wow! We split the pernil and chicken with side of yellow rice and red beans. We could not finish it. They gave us 1 quarter chicken leg and then 2 large legs plus lots of pernil. Cereal bowl full of rice that was packed in, then dumped onto plate. He pernil was super juicy and tasty. Baked chicken had a light seasoning and very tender too. We talked to people who eat there several times a week. Most people got take out. They serve food very quickly as it is served cafeteria style. The homemade passion fruit juice was amazing and recommended by locals. There are security cameras all over for safety I imagine as the neighborhood was kinda shifty. Customers were all well dressed and polite. Staff was helpful as well. read more

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This is my favorite Spanish restaurant. I've used them on several occasions to cater work events and had them cater my son's graduation party. The staff is very helpful and friendly. I've gotten their pork shoulder, stewed beef, baked chicken, empanadas (beef and cheese), yellow rice, and white rice with beans..The food is always amazing. It has so much flavor and is definitely authentic Spanish food. If I don't feel like cooking it at home they are the only place I will go. If your in the mood for Spanish food, I highly recommend them. read more

This can't be missed. Reminded me of spending years eating w family from PR. Popular place w great service and tastes to die for. My family and I got the cabbage - plantains - Pernil - oxtail - and baked chicken w yellow and white rice and red beans. We live 90 min away and were here for a biz thing so we hope to come back when we can. We can see why locals love it! read more

Food was ok at best, or at least the oxtails I got where. Rice was good but cabbage was bland and lacked flavor. My biggest issue was not only did they weight my oxtails but it was all bone. I don't know what the weight was but 80% of it was bone. Besides the amount of meat on them they weren't the worst I have had but definitely no where near the best. read more

Food is good service is not. No smile no hello is more like next next next. They ask what you want an as you speak they walk away.

This is a nice spot if you want some Dominican food. The only complaint i have is the price, their a little on the pricey side to be a mom and pops spot, besides that their pastelitos are Bomb. read more

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Best Latin food around. I love the black beans, rice, and pork. Mmmmm! I used to live in Miami, Florida, and this tastes like home Great prices. Good service read more

El Latino Restaurant - Black beans, white rice, and shredded pork. Awesome meal! - Spanish Near Me - Rochester, New York

Good food good service they are professional and fast all around great place to eat from

Good, authentic Latin fare. Consistent with their cooking. Prices have gone up a bit, like most places, but you still get pretty good bang for your buck here. Oxtail always tastes good. Good luck finishing all of a double meat combo at one sitting if you order one just for yourself. Satisfying. read more

We ordered a few trays of food for after a funeral - rice and peas, stewed chicken, pork and vegetables. They were all very good and the staff was very nice in walking us, through the sizes and how much food we'd need. Of course, we ordered too much, but everyone loved it so we ended up with a couple more meals while all the family was in town. read more

El Latino Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Rochester, New York

Tasty food and good portion size. The medium made two meals. Had yellow rice topped with beans and the pork shoulder which came with a piece of crispy skin. read more

First time I've gone, so maybe I'm being generous with five stars, but I don't think so. I ordered a small, which comes to $7 including tax. $7 will get you 1 meat and 1 rice choice. I opted for yellow rice, and pork shoulder. Since the rice already had beans in it, I wasn't expected to be offered more beans, which I happily accepted. I was also offered a piece of the pork skin, which was neat. I got my food home, and expected it to be as salty as the food I've grown accustomed to while eating at my Latino friends houses. It really wasn't that bad at all. The rice was a tad salty, but even less salty than I'm used to. and hardly intolerable. The meat wasn't salty at all. I thought it was deliciously seasoned, and very moist. That piece was pig skin was out of this world! I should've saved it for dessert, but it was too good. The portion size for a small is actually 2 normal sized portions. Of course nobody in America eats normal sized portions, and that's why we're all fat. I definitely am making 2 meals, or at least a meal and a snack out of this. And an edit to this, I'm glad KFC went out of business and these guys moved in. read more

El Latino Restaurant - $7 small size. Enough food for 2 normal sized people, or 1 fatty. Check out that delicious piece of skin on top. - Spanish Near Me - Rochester, New York

One of my go-to dominican spots. What I really love about this place is the consistency--I have been coming here for years and the food is always mind blowing. The rice is always thick, moist, and hearty, the meat is always flavorful and tender, and the empanadas always have the perfect dough texture and meat to dough ratio. The portions are plentiful, although this is typical of Dominican food. I got the pork shoulder (pernil), rice and beans, and a beef and cheese empanada. The salad was included on the side, so as to avoid spillage between salad and beans, etc. They tend to be a bit heavy handed with the salad dressing, so if you're not a fan of that I'd make sure you ask for light dressing. Another thing is that they used to keep a bottle of hot sauce around that anyone could use at their own discretion, but now they charge 50 cents for a small container of it. A bit disappointing for a hot sauce person like me. Regardless, this place always fulfills my Spanish food craving. read more

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My go-to Dominican restaurant in Rochester. They are definitely consistent with the food. Always satisfied whenever I go here. Being that I'm from Brooklyn, I grew up with dominican food. El Latino reminds me of home. I usually always get the same thing. An empanda, pernil, baked chicken, red beans, and yellow rice. I sometimes come here for breakfast to get some mangu, fried cheese, and salami. Honestly, if you really like Dominican food. You can't go wrong with El Latino. read more

El Latino Restaurant - Peril, Baked Chicken. Yellow Rice and Red Beans - Spanish Near Me - Rochester, New York

I used to come to this restaurant all the time. I went today and it was disgusting. Pollo guisado was from the day before (you can tell, I also went in at noon. There should be no reason food isn't fresh). I ordered a flank steak and white rice for my husband, they gave me gross cubed steak and the rice was from the day before as well. I'm puerto rican and Dominican, I make my own food at home so I know if it's bad or not. - the only thing fresh on my combo, was my plantains. Even the salad was soggy and brown. Definitely not going here again, after so many years I'm saddened to leave a review like this. ​ read more

I was near the airport and wanted somewhere to eat that I can't eat just anywhere. Yelp pointed me to this place. It was hopping and doing quite a bit of takeout. Many of the reviews said the food is salty. I'm not a fan of a lot of salt and I didn't find the food salty. I had the chicken with yellow rice as well as plantains. The prices are very good and they moved the line quickly. It tastes a lot like what I've eaten in Costa Rica. I probably won't have the opportunity to return, but if I lived in the area I'd probably visit occasionally. read more

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Great food at great price. One of the best hispanic food I had. I really their fried plantains

I've always had good meals at El Latino, but was a bit disappointed the last time I went. Most of the meats choices were WAY over salted, especially the roast pork, which is usually a highlight. I didn't even finish mine. I'm definitely going to try again, and hoping this was just an off day, but for now, they get 3 stars. The rice and beans are good, but nothing spectacular. The ox tails are good, but nothing beats Jamaican ox tails in my book. One can choose to order off of the buffet, which has some meats selections available every day (stewed chicken, stewed beef, roast pork, baked chicken) every day along with some rotating selections as well. Choose from three sizes, the small has rice and beans and your choice of meat, the medium adds a salad or cabbage, and the large gets you your choice of two meats. The El Latino sampler platter gets you some of everything on the buffet! The cabbage is very tasty, well seasoned but not overly so. Don't, however, overlook the menu, because there is tons of deliciousness contained within. The octopus, shrimp, and snail salad was outstanding (albeit a bit pricey). Tons of fresh tomatoes and peppers and herbs, and the dressing was mildly piquant and flavorful without overpowering the delicate flavors of the seafood. I also recommend the fried pork chunks. They come with an amazing garlic sauce. The mofongo is also delicious. As far as sides go, The stuffed potato and chicharrones are very good. The empanadas might be the best in town. The tostones are very crisp and tasty, and come with a delicious sauce for dipping. Plenty of parking in a private lot, service can be a bit slow when they are busy. They also have ample seating inside if you opt to dine in. read more

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The food is good, but the service is horrible. The owner put me on hold for more than 10 minutes, so I hung up and order somewhere else. and another time, I called to place an order that I would be picking up and returning to my job. The owner asked me if I could deliver the food to another party working in the same building. Of course, I said "no", I don't get paid to do their job. Honey, that took a lot of nerve to ask a customer to deliver for them. read more

Every thing is good. Mofongo, roast pork, baked chicken, arroz con gandules, chicharrones de pollo, etc. Come and taste a little of The Carribean cuisine. read more

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Is there anything better than having no plan or expectation only to find one of the best hidden gems in the city? I asked my new trainee what he would want for lunch. He suggested El Latino Restaurant. I was apprehensive. Small place, former KFC, located near a somewhat not so great part of the city. I couldn't have been more wrong! First off, the neighborhood is fine. People from every walk of life were ordering there including Rochesters finest. The food choices, portion sizes and price were all excellent. I ordered the medium sized pork shoulder with yellow rice and beans. I had lunch and now also have dinner! The friendly staff member kept ladeling more and more food into the carton! Then topped off the pork with some pork au jus broth! OMG! What wonderful flavors! Lean juicy pork, moist rice and flavorful beans. Not too much salt, not too spicy. If you want hot sauce they make their own so you can kick it up a bit. The food is behind a glass steaming table so you can see exactly what you would like to order. The staff was very friendly and answered all questions posed by this newbie. I can also see stopping by to pick up a large for dinner for the wife and I on the way home from work. I Have worked in the West Ave area for almost 15 years now, and I am ashamed to say I never knew about El Latino's until today. Well I am proud my eyes are finally opened and now have a new favorite place to eat in Roch. Can't wait to go back and try some more dishes! read more

Good food for a decent price. The baked chicken is my favorite. But everything tastes good here. read more

El Latino Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - Rochester, New York

I really enjoy the food here. Their drive-thru window makes it easy to still get the great food you love while being able to practice social distancing and keeping the customers and employees safe. I will definitely continue to do business here. read more

Food is great! If you're looking for home cooked food for a good price, there is where you need to eat! So far I've tried their beef and chicken empanadas, oxtail, and stew chicken and it's ALL good! read more