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El Molinito

4.1 (141 reviews)
ModerateColombian, Empanadas
Open 10:00 am - 8:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

Order El Molinito Takeout or Delivery

El Molinito Photos

EL MOLINITO ATMOSPHERE

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

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Recommended Reviews - El Molinito

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Reviews With Photos

connie v.

I visited El Molinito because my Colombian friend had beef empanadas for her birthday and I thought they were so delicious. The place is in Pico Rivera so it was a bit of a drive for me. It was a Sunday morning about 11 and and they were already pretty full in the dining area. We were told to sit anywhere we'd like. The waitresses were so nice and polite. They asked if it was our first time. I said yes and explained I had tried the empanadas. She went over what we could order as our first time We didn't want too, too much so we ordered off the appetizer menu to try different items in smaller portions. Of course we got beef empanadas, 2 arepas, one with cheese and one with the whole yellow corn and cheese (a bit sweeter). I also ordered a small chicharron and rice and beans to complete our meal. I asked for decaf coffee and they told me they would make me a "light coffee" which I thought was such a nice gesture since they didn't have decaf. They also made us a special spicy ahi sauce. Wow everything was so fresh and delicious! I loved both arepas. I definitely recommend both types. The empanadas have a potato and shredded beef filling inside with a crispy corn outer encasing. The rice and beans were okay. Overall, this is such an amazing hole in the wall. You totally get the whole experience! The empanadas are a must. I also ordered 20 to go. You can order them cold that way you can heat them up in a lightly oiled pan or a toaster oven at home. Honestly, give this place a try! It is amazing for Colombian food.

Sancoch de Pescado
Luis P.

The Best the #1 Colombian Food Today I'm eating Sancocho de Vagre it's Super Yummy Soup I recommend this Colombian Restaurant The Service is excellent With the waitress Rosa y Jennifer

Jordan G.

El Molinito in Pico. Wow. My mouth was left wide open in awe. Great service. Tasty, tasty, tasty food. I cannot emphasize how tasty the food was. Pics do not do this food justice. You really gotta try this place. You will not be disappointed. Dieters and Vegans I love you, but Dieters and Vegans need not apply Steer clear if you are in a Diet. Cheers. Jordan

Juice passion fruit (Maracuyá) and tamal so good
George S.

El Molinito is a small restaurant, but giant in flavors; its greatness of commemorating Colombian cuisine during the last 20 years. Mario and Carolina are a Latin couple, she is from Colombia and he is from Guatemala, they have the magic of service, the atmosphere with the small details makes you feel in Colombia. The music is great and a family atmosphere. I tried and ate tamale; sancocho; ajiaco and Mondongo. I spoke with God and returned to earth; thank you El Molinito; I promise to return if God allows it, life and destiny. The best of all are the prices, very good

Colombian Sodas Colombianas
Kenny E.

This little place is easy to miss. I came and tried their food and I was not disappointed. I tried a variety of items from their menu. They were made fresh and super delicious. The servers work hard to put the food on the tables and they are really nice. This place is definitely not quiet. It's filled with lots of laughs and smiles. The ambiance is very welcoming so if you haven't tried Colombian food before, look no more, this place is as authentic as it comes. If you are feeling adventurous they offer a beer mixed with soda. Be prepared for a wait but one well worth it. To the staff of El Molinito, thank you so much for the great food and service.

Chicharron platter
Nicole M.

This is the best authentic Colombian food you can get in California. The staff is so kind and considerate they treat you like family. Our family usually gets the paisa platter that gives a sample of a lot of their foods but my personal favorite is their Chicharron platter and empanadas. You will not regret giving this place a try. The place is always clean and tidy as well. Everything you look for in a good restaurant.

Sing
Adrián A.

Es un abuso que quieran cobrar 18 % adicional a la cuenta más los taxes el servicio no es bueno y la comida a cambiado en realidad no lo recomiendo

Menu
Julio P.

So we're watching Encanto with the kids and I get this craving for arepas. I should preface by saying that growing up in LA, I haven't had very much Colombian food in my life. Colombian restaurants are just not as common as food from other LatinAmerican countries. In LA, Mexican food is king among Latin food! So when I came across this spot so close to home, I went for it. I'll make this a "pre-review" because I only got the arepas, empanadas and a taco that I ate while watching TV. So it would be unfair to make a definitive call - but.... everything was bomb! The empanadas were fresh and delicious. The arepas de queso were very good and generous with the cheese. And the taco de asada was flavorful. Definitely going back, and I'll update when I can sit to eat. Stay tuned!

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17 years ago

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15 years ago

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11 years ago

This restaurant is the best the empanadas and aahee is very good perfect taste and the service is great food is always on time.

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10 years ago

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11 years ago

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10 years ago

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9 years ago

Finally I found a GOOD Colombian restaurant! Affordable prices and good quality food.

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13 years ago

Helpful 1
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12 years ago

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12 years ago

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14 years ago

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El Molinito Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - El Molinito

Hay música. Gracias?

Musica ambiental. Para escuchar mientras se come... no para bailar o karaoke. Eso hay en el Colombiano que está cerca de La Curacao en el Centro de LA

Does anyone know if they cater?

Yes

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Wezzarepas

Wezzarepas

4.9(62 reviews)
3.6 mi

Wilmer and his team at Wezzarepas are so incredible! We had them cater both our cocktail hour and…read morelate night snack at our wedding back in October, and it was definitely a hit! The empanadas, arepas de choclo, and mastiff dog were so delicious that even those having Colombian food for the first time kept talking about them! Growing up around Colombian food, they do an amazing job along with amazing service. Wilmer helped make the planning process so smooth and showed great flexibility. He even took the time to visit the venue to finalize the details and set up. He was incredibly responsive in communication, flexible with our requests, and his team was amazing with all of our guests. Outside of making and serving the amazing food, they went above and beyond in creating beautiful custom menus for our special day, and made it easy for our guests to order. Whether you are thinking of stopping by to try out the delicious food or need someone to cater your event, don't hesitate to reach out to Wezzarepas! I would recommend 10 out of 10 times and would work with them again for planning an event.

I always see this good truck when driving and finally got a chance to try it!…read more The owner is friendly and there are clean tables and chairs to sit at. La Diablo arepa - has cheese and chorizo. The chorizo was soooo good! I didn't expect to get such a big piece. Everything together tasted delicious. Cheese stick - I really enjoyed the flavor of the outside of the cheese stick. It tasted kind of like a pastry. Didn't get a cheese pull though. Definitely want to try other items here!

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Wezzarepas - Food truck located in Whittier

Food truck located in Whittier

Wezzarepas
Wezzarepas

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Biikho Colombian Food - Chicken arepa! Warm crispy shell with chicken, quail egg, guacamole and dipping sauces. Colombiana peeking in the background

Biikho Colombian Food

5.0(56 reviews)
35.1 mi

I eat here at least once a week now, and that's saying a lot because there are some bomb ass food…read moretrucks outside of Target. Tonight I ordered a Beef Arepas with a side of fries - the fries are always amazing. I'm an uncultured American so this was the 1st time I've had an Arepas. The shell's crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside and the shredded beef's tender and delicious. I'm sad it took me until I was 50 to try one of these. I still can't figure out what's in the green sauce but I really like it. And they gave me a another sauce today, I jabe no idea what it is, but I'll ask for more next time. As much as I love Mexican food, after eating here about 8 times now I think I might go see if I can find a Colombian female to marry because this food is damn good.

Food trucks have been around for quite some time, but finding a cluster of them in a single…read morelocation in Riverside is rather new to me. On a sparsely traveled side street that separates the Target parking lot from the 91 freeway, is an attraction that will have you slamming on your brakes and craning your neck to see what the fuss is all about. The day we came, a Sunday afternoon, there were about 10 different, brightly colored trucks lined up along the curb, lights flashing, music blaring, and lines starting to form. You can park your car in the adjacent parking lot, there's plenty of room! Yes, this a very successful food truck according to Yelp. And by far the most patronized truck I saw that day. Inside the tiny galley kitchen are 4 hustling adults, including sweet Isabelle, the food ambassador of a husband and wife duo. I loved her enthusiasm and bright smile. At this point, I want to mention that Columbian taste buds are more finicky than many of their Central and South American brothers. So do not expect hot chile anything. Their palates prefer milder, not spicy foods, even though one of the sauces served with the empanadas was a garlicky, bright, herbal, oily sauce, not unlike the Argentinian chimichurri sauce. They call it aji (ah hē). I find it very addictive. Bandera Paisa - this is a combo plate that features a fat, Columbian chorizo (a non spicy sausage), a pile of moist shredded beef, a large strip of pork belly, white rice, Columbian red beans, a fried egg, avocado, and several pieces of fried sweet plantain. There is also one Cheese Arepa included. This dish can easily be shared by two and is a phenomenal deal and interesting taste adventure. Beef Arepa. This is basically a fried masa pocket substantially filled with their signature shredded beef, then topped with guacamole and white cheese. This is very similar to their beef empanadas, so I would encourage ordering one or the other, not both. It's big. Beef Empanadas (3). This is not your usual empanada. The generous beef filling is made from their sensational slow-cooked, flavorful shredded beef with a hint of corn and vegetables. The pastry is actually made of a coarse grained masa, formed into the traditional moon-shape, then deep-fried. It is heavier and far more filling than what I am accustomed to, but it has a chewy, coarse textured mouth appeal and rich flavor. One order is 3 empanadas. They offer an interesting variety of drinks, the most notable being their iced Columbian coffee (intensely rich, creamy, and sweetened) and a Passion Fruit Slushy that is an exotic fruity perfection. Both are pre-made and served out of a dispenser. Columbiana soda, plus other sodas and juices, are available in bottles and cans. The only downside is the seating. A few wooden tv trays and canvas folding chairs are set up on the uneven dirt adjacent to the sidewalk. It appears that using the sidewalk is off limits for seating. I loved their cute, vibrant Cuban music, but oftentimes it became overwhelming as it competed with another truck's equally loud Mexican music right next to them. That, and the seating, effectively convinced me that eating my food elsewhere was probably a better idea, even though sweet Isabelle was frequently checking in on us to make sure we had everything we needed. Our bill was really reasonable, considering the amount of food we had. It was approx. $42, and there was plenty to bring home for another day.

Photos
Biikho Colombian Food - Look for the red bird

Look for the red bird

Biikho Colombian Food - BANDEJA PAISA

BANDEJA PAISA

Biikho Colombian Food - COLOMBIAN MIX

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COLOMBIAN MIX

Selva - Plantains

Selva

4.5(519 reviews)
14.3 mi
$$$

Selva was a great dinner experience! I came in for date…read morenight with my boyfriend and we loved everything. My family is Colombian so I was happy to see that they had refrajo on the drink menu. ( it's Colombian beer mixed with Colombian soda - it's amazing!) We ordered the arepas with chicharron, steak, and ceviche. Everything was super flavorful and delicious. The butter that came with the steak has sooo much flavor, I put that on everything. Our server Jake ( I believe that was his name) was super friendly and informative. Overall great experience, and will be back.

Selva has a very cool vibe you can feel upon entering, with its checkered floor, teal bar chairs,…read moredark wood, and alternative rock playing in the background. It also smells like amazing meat which is a huge plus for me. We didn't have reservations so had to sit in the bar area which did include high top booths thankfully. It was our first time and happened to dine during one of their collab nights. We were disappointed at first because we were craving Colombian food. But the limited menu looked promising so we gave it a go. It turned out that everything was delicious. The spare rib was fall off the bone tender and had great smoky flavor. The beans were surprisingly tasty too. (I always find beans an unnecessary and bland accompaniment). I absolutely loved the brisket stir fry. The flavors blended well and it had a nice kick. The meat was so tender and I appreciated the meat to noodle ratio. The chicken inside the empanada was deliciously smoky but not overly so and the crust was the right consistency and crisp. It came with 3 sauces which were good but would have like a more spicier option. I tried two cocktails that were in the collab menu. The black old fashioned was too strong for me. I definitely preferred the buffalo soldier which was tasty and refreshing. My favorite dessert was the Natilla. It was like a flan mousse and so good. The toasted coconut flakes added a nice texture. The oblea was fun to eat. That cream and jam were a great combo. Overall a worthwhile experience. I hope to come back to try their regular menu items.

Photos
Selva - Inside

Inside

Selva - Scallop Crudo. So good!

Scallop Crudo. So good!

Selva - Smoked Pollo Half plate. Delicious!

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Smoked Pollo Half plate. Delicious!

El Paisa Restaurant

El Paisa Restaurant

3.7(356 reviews)
14.4 mi
$$

I was brought here by a Columbian friend of mine; I had never tried Columbian food before. It was…read moreby far the most flavorful meal I have had in a long time. Not to mention the service was impeccable, waitress was attentive, and very kind to us. The ratings posted on here are truly inaccurate to my personal experience.

I'm so sad, I've live in Long Beach all my life and always wanted to try this place since it was…read moreclose to home. I didn't realize how huge inside was, don't let the corner door fool you. It was beautiful inside, I was excited to try their food. We went for Happy hours, their margaritas was buy one get one free. For the price it was good amount. When we got seated it was just the two of us and another couple. The server took our orders right away. Ordered the chicken, beef and shrimp empanadas and shrimp ceviche. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! At this point it was just the two of us and the server. Waited roughly 45 minutes for our food because it looks like the server decided to take a lunch while we wait for our food. The server did not check on us or apologize to us that it was taking a while for the food to come out until she saw the frustration on our face and inform us the food is almost ready! 45 minutes later, she brought out the empanadas and I received two chicken and one shrimp... it was OK with the help of the sauces that was given. The shrimp ceviche was actually good, the shrimp was cooked perfectly. Here's the thing, the menu does not have prices on it and when we received the bill, the ceviche was $22! For the amount and for what it was, it was not worth it. The whole experience was horrible.

Photos
El Paisa Restaurant - Seating

Seating

El Paisa Restaurant - Buñuelos and arepa de choclo

Buñuelos and arepa de choclo

El Paisa Restaurant - PONYMALTA

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PONYMALTA

La Casa De Las Parrilladas - Rica Mojarra!

La Casa De Las Parrilladas

4.3(38 reviews)
6.1 mi

Delicious pesca mojarra!…read more Good food! Our kids loved their meals. Quaint interior and television. Service was fast and nice.

I have been a customer for about 3 years as I work nearby and love Colombian food the food in…read morecomparison is not bad. I always make big orders, and share with family and friends. today I made a regular size order (5 arepas con queso y 10 empanadas) picked them up on my break. Get back to work and noticed none of the arepas had cheese. called and let them know. Didn't ask for anything. After thinking about it, asked if I could stop later, on my way home, to pick up the missing cheese. The lady said of course and that she'd be there. She offered a free order of arepas to fix their mistake. Once I arrived the lady recognized me right away and told me they would give me three arepas, I said that was fine. She told me it was going to be a while and couldn't tell me how long because there was a big order. Then she came out of the kitchen and said the owner had said Two arepas. I told her that was fine, but I was more concerned about the time it would take. I heard the owner saying from the kitchen that it would be fast. I said ok. I asked if I could have cheese for the other three arepas. The owner told (from the kitchen) no! That she'd was giving me two arepas already. I asked her to come out and speak to me that I had not asked for anything free and did not want to eat the initial arepas without cheese. She replied that she could not come out of the kitchen to speak to me because she was busy. I didn't say anything else and left without the cheese I had original requested or more arepas. Not sure where she thought she was doing me a favor. They made me the mistake and handled the whole situation as if they were accommodating me for something I had done! I will never go back or any of my friends or family.

Photos
La Casa De Las Parrilladas - Inside is so cute.

Inside is so cute.

La Casa De Las Parrilladas - Empanadas

Empanadas

La Casa De Las Parrilladas

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Mr. Bacano / Colombian Fast Food - Colombian Style Hamburger!

Mr. Bacano / Colombian Fast Food

4.7(129 reviews)
36.0 mi
$$

I planned on going to the movies with my family and had heard about this Colombian fast food spot…read morenext door. We are Colombian, so we immediately knew we had to try Mr. Bacano at our earliest opportunity. We came on a Saturday night around 6pm and were the only ones there. The restaurant is super close to the theatre and is a very small and cozy place. They have some traditional Colombian decor along one of the side walls which looks like a cute little balcony and elevates the aesthetics. They have bar style seating along the walls and window with stools as well as a couple of tables so there is not too much room for eating inside but they do have more tables outside! The staff was incredibly warm and nice-- plus they are also Colombian! They have a pretty comprehensive menu of burgers, hot dogs, empanadas, salchipapas (fries with sausage), and corn, etc, and they offer a variety of Colombian sodas which was exciting to see. We placed our orders and since we were the only ones there for dine in, they started cooking and had them out in less than 10 minutes. For food I tried: Empanadas: they offer several fillings but I tried one of the chicken and one of the cheese. The shell was made of fried corn dough and it was delicious-- it had the perfect level of moisture and was very crispy without being oily at all! I was very impressed. The chicken came filled with some shredded chicken and potatoes and the cheese one was generously filled with this delicious, melted cheese. They gave us some aji, or spicy sauce, on the side which was delicious! Very happy with these. Hawaiian Burger: to preface this, I try not to eat red meat and have not had a beef burger in probably 3-4 years. I am not sure I have the strongest gauge for this but I personally found the burger delcious and filling. The buns were toasted but not buttery/oily, the meat patty was generous and well seasoned, and the toppings just made this taste like home. Adding pineapple to food is such a Colombian staple so I'm happy I found a place where I can get food which quenches that nostalgic desire for pineapple on random savory things. All their sauces are also amazing but my favorites were the cilantro and the garlic! I added a little more to my burger and it was divine! Salchipapa: we split a small order to try between our table and I will say these were very delicious! The fries were perfectly crispy and again, not oily at all. They added a medley of their delicious sauces as well as a lot of cheese and very good sausage. Would highly recommend this! I thought they were very strong although I wish they had a little bit more sausage but I'm sure the larger order comes with more. Very good! Overall, had a really great experience here. I'm happy a fast food Colombian place has joined the Santa Clarita community and that it is well located nearby the movie theatre. The staff was incredibly kind and personable, the place was very clean, and the food was delicious! If you are looking for some great fast food with a little twist outside your average American place, don't hesitate to come here!

Decent spot. My order was ready in about 20 minutes, and the customer service was fine. The food…read moreitself was okay, but for the slightly elevated prices, I expected a bit more. Portion sizes were on the smaller side, and the ingredients didn't feel particularly special. The seasoning was underwhelming, and I found the lack of spice options disappointing--it just didn't hit the mark for me. The burger I had was a bit of a letdown, with conflicting flavors. It was crunchy in some spots, soggy in others, and oddly sweet, which didn't quite come together. Still, I'm curious to try the empanadas next time and see if they redeem the experience

Photos
Mr. Bacano / Colombian Fast Food - Mr. Bacano Hot Dog

Mr. Bacano Hot Dog

Mr. Bacano / Colombian Fast Food - Loaded Corn Dish! Mr. Bacano Style.

Loaded Corn Dish! Mr. Bacano Style.

Mr. Bacano / Colombian Fast Food - Hamburger Protein Bowl

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Hamburger Protein Bowl

El Molinito - colombian - Updated May 2026

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