So, I believe that part of my complaint here will be for something I'm sure they were trying to…read moremake special for our group of 7. They put us upstairs in a room. This was great in that we could converse with no issues, but it was too warm in the room. They had fans, but we had to turn the fans away from blowing on our food, hence we didn't get cooled down from them. The food wasn't that great either. I ordered the Chicharron and though the tostones underneath were DELICIOUS, the fried pork belly on top (and there was a lot), seemed undercooked to me. It was chewy, not crispy as I've experienced it before. I was unable to eat most of it. The cocktails were delicious and the service was as good as can be expected considering he was having to go up and down the stairs each time. Maybe they're better for dinner? And definitely DOWNstairs!

Group get together and given a nicely set up room for us in which conversation could be heard at an…read more"inside voice." Temperature a bit on the warm side up there. Service was generally attentive, but having to go find a server when you need him could be better. My meal choice sounded great on the menu but seemed lacking in flavor and quantity for a brunch meal choice. Ok meal experience that may be different down in the dining area.

Cocina Latina has been one of my go to's since I moved to St. Louis. I am obsessed with their ají…read morede gallina. They have a wide and diverse menu, offering many classic Latin American dishes.

I have to admit, I haven't been back to Cocina Latina since it moved from Delmar Blvd. I remember…read moreit being quite delicious, but I was a bit disappointed when I took my mom there a few weeks ago. I remember the Lomo Saltado being one of their popular dish and it being tender and juicy. This time, it was rough and chewy to the point that it hurt our jaws. I found it odd because the steak that came with the Tallarin Verde was tender and perfectly cooked. We also ordered the Jalea, which came out cold and dry. They decorated the place with Cinco de Mayo and Mother's day feats, which were really cool and pretty! I'd like to give this place another try because there are so many good reviews about this place. Since the Lomo Saltado was disappointing, I plan to try their ceviche and the Aji deGallina next, as those seem to be popular dishes as well. Street parking Service was good Clean restrooms Two bar areas

Apparently I missed the memo that Mayo Ketchup was no more and Salsa Rosada was the place to be! I…read moredecided to check this place out early Saturday afternoon. I walked in and decided bar seating looked best so I could watch tv. I was immediately given water, menus, and some time to decide. I was craving something sweet, so I got some passion fruit juice and decided on the steak bowl with arroz con gandules as my entree. The dish comes with steak, black beans, pico, white rice, jack cheese, and maduros. I think most dishes can be customized, but rest assured they're nothing short of flavor! Since I was one of few people, my dish came out rather quickly. The steak was tender and flavorful; the rice was seasoned perfectly and the maduros were fried to perfection. Everything was even better than I imagined. The server/bartender did a great job at keeping my water refilled and making sure I didn't needed anything. I was quite pleased with the food and service overall and I look forward to my return visit.

Finally! I made it to this place. And I was not disappointed. I went with a friend and she also…read morereally enjoyed it. We ordered grilled chicken bowl, chicken and a beef empanadas, Cuban sandwich, maduros (sweet plaintains), avocado salad and Nutella empanadas! Obviously I took some home. All the food was really good. The Nutella empanadas were stand outs. The other empanadas were good but a little greasy I think because I ordered the corn. Maybe the flour ones are not so greasy??? They have a fair amount of indoor seating without the tables being too close. Also there is an outdoor patio which is where we sat. Might be better to be under the awning so no rascally bird puts a deposit on your food. (It barely missed the the Nutella empanadas) I can't wait to go back to try more menu items.

I've been coming to Fritanga for about a year now, and it's easily one of my favorite spots in St…read more Louis. I've tried the churrasco nica, pollo frito, and chancho asado, and every single dish has been beyond spectacular. I'm from Los Angeles, and people told me I'd have a hard time finding great food out here, but Fritanga proves them wrong. It's exactly what you want from a small, family-owned restaurant: excellent service, flavorful food, affordable prices (steak dinner + sides for under 20$ is a steal), a fun atmosphere, and genuinely friendly staff. I even planned a 17-person celebration dinner here (with some of those people from LA) and got to work directly with Orlando, the owner. He was responsive, welcoming, and went out of his way to make the night special, even celebrating with us. Everyone loved it. I'll be leaving St. Louis soon for my career, which makes this a bittersweet review to write. But I hope it encourages more people to check this place out, Fritanga is something special.

My sister and I made an impulsive stop and were absolutely delighted. I am unable to name the dish…read morei had, but it was sliced beef covered with cheese! We finished with the tre leche dessert and were served complementary coffee. Actually, the best part of the experience was how attentive the owner was. He knew that we were in uncharted territory and did his best to understand the menu. Great resterant!!

I should have stopped in this place long ago. And while I debated reviewing it cause they are…read moreplenty busy and I kind of want to keep it to myself I worry that someone out there like me needs this places as badly as I did. When I moved to STL well over a decade ago I bemoaned the lack of good Latin American food. I have since found a lot of good places that I love but I didn't realize til I was eating my lunch how big a gap was still there. I ordered tacos al pastor -- a favorite since I was in Sonora years ago and ate them multiple days in a row cause this street vendor was amazing. I order them a decent frequency but I now realize I haven't been truly satisfied til today. Seriously, I am wondering how quickly I will be back because these were incredible. Al pastor is a unique flavor profile and it goes in-depth, these folks GET IT! I took a bite and absolutely closed my eyes as I chewed because this was the al pastor I so often miss. I ordered two tacos al pastor and one asada. They came the Mexican way, simple onion and cilantro which I asked to clarify as recently I ordered street tacos and found them served with lettuce and cheese and was not happy. These were perfect. The steak was good but man I needed those al pastor tacos! Two would have been plenty and at $3 each what an inexpensive lunch! Other reviews mention lots of the other things that touch on the restaurant: - they have sections by country for Salvadoran, Honduran & Mexican foods - customers are mostly Central American, a combination of families and work crews - it is Spanish speaking by and large for staff and customers. - it's bare bones, simple tables and chairs, coolers with drinks and very few bottles behind the bar/register - chips were good (thick not too salty) with red and green sauces, the green was a bit hot for me but I mixed a bit into the red. I am so going back and hope to stay in the minority with English as my first language. They speak the language of slow cooked flavor!

Food was amazing! The price matched that as well! Our only issue was the language barrier...but…read morehonestly to me, that's a win! Service was perfectly fine, had I been thinking I would have used Google translate to help us through. Honestly I could also quit being lazy and learn Spanish lol. I'll 100% be back to this one. It's a decent sized place, and we didn't have any issues seating 3 right away around lunch time. Clean and the food was out quick :)

Today I drove down South Kingshighway to try a restaurant recommended by one of the talented ladies…read moreat Sonder Lush Nail Salon. (Yes, I talk about food with everyone.) Her recommendation was Merendero Las Catrachitas. She told me her favorite menu item was Honduran Fried Chicken. I just had to go and find out for myself what made Honduran Fried Chicken so special.  I arrived at exactly 12:00 pm and the lady behind the counter smiled at me, held up one finger...the one that means "just minute" and continued taking an order by phone. The smell of the food had my stomach putting on makeup and eyelashes...we were about to throw down! I chatted with a gentleman that was picking up food for his entire crew (it had to be about 20-30 to go containers). I asked him what his favorite item was and he said he and his coworkers love the Carne Asada. Enough said! A lovely young lady walked to the counter, gave me a menu, let me know I could sit wherever I liked, and patiently took my order. (Patiently because I asked a lot of questions .) I ordered... Pupusas de Queso: soft corn tortilla filled with cheese. It came with a side of what "I" am describing as slaw with salsa (?)...it was good!  Polo Cena: Fried Chicken, Beans, Eggs, Honduran Sour Cream, Cheese, and Green Fried Banana Chips. I am not going to try to describe the amazing flavor of the fried chicken, I was simply blown away. I am not sure if I can eat fried chicken any other way now. #onthe12s Carne Asada: I ordered it to go, but tasted it in the car. It reheated well in the oven and had my kitchen smelling amazing. It was delicious!  Extra notes: EVERY customer that walked into this restaurant smiled and said hello to me. The customer service was OUTSTANDING! #stlmetrofoodie

I was craving pupusas, tamales and plátanos - all three were fantastic!!! I was so delighted to…read moresee we had such a restaurant in St. Louis!

The chicken here is EXCELLENT. The tajadas are also delicious. This is a great place to go to if…read moreyou want to try different Latin American cuisines instead of the better known ones. Highly recommend.

I want to start this review by saying I do not expect anything in return and that I truly enjoyed…read morethe first half of my meal. The flavors, sauces, and cooking seemed great. I also do not want to provide undue negativity to a non-corporate local spot. This review is purely to provide caution to other diners and a message for the owners to clean up the establishment. I got a Togo order with empanadas and the pollo cena and the plate was stuffed full. So full the lid couldn't close. That's a good thing. I ate one empanada and only a third of food and the rest I went to save and that's when I saw the cockroach. Bugs are simply unacceptable. I cannot in good faith return to this establishment. I wish them well but you need to clean your spot to protect yourself and your customers. Good luck.

Great salsa, cheese dip, guacamole, food, drinks, great vibe, great waiters, great everythingread more

Many restaurants, hamburger joints in Steelville apparently close their kitchen at 8pm. This led us…read moreto Coco's and I was happily delighted to find quality Mexican food, as well as an enjoyable and attentive waiter. Even my picky grandgirls found something on the menu they liked! We adults, however, cleaned our plate. (We ate chili verde, pollo con chorizo, and tacos a pastor) Given their location, they might be out of your favorite Mexibrew but, please, relax. There are plenty of others from which to choose.