Final Review - (English + Español) English: The owner personally called to apologize for his employee's behavior, and I truly appreciate that. He handled it professionally and showed that he genuinely cares about his customers. The food is good, and almost everyone else who works here has always been kind to me. However, I'm keeping this review up because once I go back to the restaurant, I do expect a personal apology from Sophia. The way she treated me was terrible, and normally I don't post a negative review after one bad visit -- but the fact that my sister also had an issue with her before is concerning. On October 19th around 10 PM, I ordered takeout and paid at the counter. After I paid, Sophia saw that I didn't tip on the card (I usually leave cash when I leave), and her attitude completely changed. She claimed she gave me six hot sauces when there were only two, rolled her eyes when I asked politely for more, and said, "Empanadas don't come with hot sauce." When I explained I've been coming here for years, she said, "I don't speak English." I also noticed an old receipt showing an 18% gratuity, so I asked if it was added again that night. They double-checked and confirmed it had been removed -- so I suggest customers always review their ticket just in case. After I shared my experience, Sophia called me around midnight and even threatened to sue me instead of apologizing. I later saw several new reviews within a few hours all mentioning how "nice Sophia" is, which feels suspicious. I don't want to assume, but it really seems like a cover-up. I removed her photo out of respect, but I'm leaving this up because she still hasn't apologized -- the owner had to. The food and most of the staff are great, but I hope this situation reminds management that every customer deserves respect. Español: El dueño me llamó personalmente para disculparse por el comportamiento de su empleada, y de verdad lo aprecio. Él fue muy profesional y se nota que realmente le importan sus clientes. La comida es buena, y casi todos los empleados siempre han sido amables conmigo. Sin embargo, mantengo esta reseña porque cuando regrese al restaurante, espero una disculpa personal de Sophia. La forma en que me trató fue terrible, y normalmente no dejo una reseña negativa por una sola visita mala, pero el hecho de que mi hermana también haya tenido un problema con ella es preocupante. El 19 de octubre alrededor de las 10 PM, pedí comida para llevar y pagué en el mostrador. Después de pagar, Sophia vio que no dejé propina en la tarjeta (normalmente dejo efectivo al salir) y su actitud cambió por completo. Dijo que me había puesto seis salsas picantes cuando solo había dos, puso los ojos en blanco cuando le pedí más de manera educada y me dijo: "Las empanadas no vienen con salsa." Cuando le expliqué que llevo años viniendo aquí, me respondió: "No hablo inglés." También noté un recibo viejo que mostraba un 18 % de propina incluida, así que pregunté si me la habían cobrado esa noche. Revisaron y confirmaron que la habían quitado -- por eso recomiendo siempre revisar su recibo. Después de publicar mi experiencia, Sophia me llamó cerca de la medianoche y hasta me amenazó con demandarme, en lugar de disculparse. Luego vi varias reseñas nuevas, todas publicadas en pocas horas y mencionando lo "amable" que es Sophia, lo cual me parece sospechoso. No quiero asumir nada, pero parece un intento de encubrir lo sucedido. Quité su foto por respeto, pero dejo esta reseña porque ella aún no se ha disculpado -- el dueño fue quien tuvo que hacerlo. La comida y la mayoría del personal son excelentes, pero ojalá esta situación sirva de recordatorio de que todos los clientes merecen respeto. read more

Came here on a friday evening around 6pm for dinner. We had an event in the area and figured to stop by. I saw this place on ig. Our server was very nice but the food took 52 min to arrive. I ordered salmon with rice and beans, guacamole, tostones, and yuca. The guacamole took 40 min alone to come out. We just had to wrap up our food to go and couldnt even sit and enjoy or we would of missed our event. I would not drive 40 min to come here again. read more

Ended up here as we were in the area and after hitting a dead end at the spot around the corner we decided this spot would do. Being Colombian, we are very familiar with the food so felt comfortable in our ordering of classics. We ordered a beef empanada (likely the best part of the meal), beef style soup (sancocho), some steak plate and a mini paisa. For one everything felt under salted and lacking deep taste. As for the mini paisa the pork rind was not pleasant and the meat was a little too burnt. The beans and rice were just ok so overall we didn't finish it. While the other plates were passable nothing really met our expectations. Ambiance was ok but unfortunately a little cold. Service was generally good. Overall, I don't believe I'd return or recommend unfortunately. read more

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I went here for the first time for my husband's birthday. The food was ok even though they messed up my order. We received the bill and they were charging us 17 dollars more for our meals. When we brought it to their attention it took them awhile to figure out our bill. When they realized they made a mistake they gave us 15 dollars in cash. If you go there check your bill. read more

Bandeja pagaisa that I ordered was 22$, they gave me a tiny sausage, and only one egg. Usually for 22$ you can expect a big sausage and two eggs. Not worth the price, quality was okay. Wouldn't buy from here again. Service was good. Ambiance was good as well. read more

El Roble Bakery - Bandeja Paisa - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

The food was very yummy. i ate a plate of "SarchiPapa" Food was amazing, and I will probably visit twice a week. read more

Excellent food service and atmosphere. Only issue is parking on morris avenue but that's the restaurant's fault. read more

This is probably the best Colombian Spot to go to if you're in a budget and want a great size portion amount of tasty food. My favorite drink to order when I go to a Colombian restaurant is Mora (Black Berry) with milk and it was tasty here, I was pleased because some places make it watery and when ordered with milk, I expect some thickness which there was. My only complaint is that the food is a bit oily but quality is good for the money you pay, that's for sure. It's a family environment, kid friendly so you can bring your family with no issues. They have plenty of tables and easy to merge to bring along big parties. Wait time for the food was low, overall I enjoyed my experience. Will eat here again. read more

El Roble Bakery - Time to feast like a King. Colombian food always hits the spot - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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The one thing I love about the place is the service. Always making sure that the table is taken care of. The menu is extensive but oh so good. And the baked goods are delish. read more

El Roble Bakery - Wonderful place for Colombian goodies and food - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Traveling for work and came upon El Roble Bakery in Elizabeth! tThis place is a must for some traditional Colombian food! Plates were big, filled to the rim and delicious. Stephanie was super attentive and very welcoming! I would recommend it to anyone looking for a really good Colombian food! read more

El Roble Bakery - Bandeja Paisa, with all the protein you can ask for, carbs and some other stuff that makes it the perfect dish for anyone with an open mind! - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Food is delicious! The service is great, large portions and the prices are very reasonable. read more

El Roble Bakery - Churrasco and yuca fries, salad. - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Ordered a picada and two specials... the side salad was chopped tomatos and a piece of lime - horrible! read more

El Roble Bakery - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Awesome little place I found while I was roaming the Elizabeth streets late in a Friday night. Right in the middle of little Columbia this place was a quaint and surprisingly crowded spot in the middle of the loud Spanish music and cigar smoke that polluted the air. The food and service was very laid back and felt like I was eating a dinner at a locals house. I got the garlic shrimp which came with rice and perfectly cooked tostones. My friend got the grilled chicken with rice and beans and sweet plantains. You have to wash it down with an Inca cola. The shrimp was cooked perfectly. Star that's missing is just quantity, it's ok to give bigger portions and still make money I promise. However everything was awesome and I would definitely come back. However if you are hungry find somewhere with bigger quantities, if you have self control and want a portioned meal this is perfect for a light dinner. Either way we'll done!! read more

El Roble Bakery - Garlic shrimp - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

Would highly recommend this restaurant. Price to portion ratio is perfect. Very delicious food. Ate The sancocho, the mango shake, and the fried pork with rice beans and tostones. Great ambience. Family friendly and parking in the rear which is excellent on a busy street. Would highly recommend it. read more

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I like going to this colombian bakery and restaurant. I love the arepa de choclo, the empanadas, and the lengua!! they also serve a very good daily menu and a la carte dishes. Recommended. read more

El Roble Bakery - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

The food was amazing. Although I am married to a Colombian I am not at all crazy about Colombian food, but this place was amazing. the coffee with milk was the best I ever had. i came with my mother in law who was born and raised in Medellin and she absolutely loved tge food as well. She had a mini paisa and I had garlic shrimp which came with white rice, fried plantains, and salad. The service was pretty good and the price could not be beat. Two Colombian coffee's, a mini paisa, a garlic shrimp platter, and a small soup for my father in law came out to 35$ after tip, Amazing! read more

El Roble Bakery - Garlic shrimp platter - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

We went there for a family members birthday and we were expecting at least a decent level of service and restaurant level quality. Food was good, but the attention was despicable, really really bad. We waited an hour for them to come and take our order. There was no pan-de-bono, no aji, no lemons, the bandeha paisa didn't have aguacate, and when we wanted to order empanada de pollo they said they had none! We were so embarrassed for them that we didn't want to try ordering anything else on the strong possibility they might not have what we would normally order at a Colombian restaurant. They never came to see if we needed anything or make sure to see if everything was ok. The owners should really not allow this continue considering there has been bad reviews from others over the course of the years, it really is surprising that this place is still in business. They should have better employees that should be more interested in helping customers and not just standing around chatting it up and gossiping. Don't waste your time here instead if you are looking for good service and food go to Brisas Colombianas Bakery down the street. Will never go back there again and strongly suggest others think twice before going there. FYI, here is a review from Yellow Pages site that is spot on can still be found from a cached version of the page, but for some reason has disappeared from the site reposting it here. http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:ZQQW7Z0NT2UJ:www.yellowpages.com/elizabeth-nj/mip/el-roble-bakery-16887554+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a "STAY AWAY FROM THIS PLACE!! I went to eat with my friends and it took this people 2 hours to finally bring only half of our order. We ordered empanadas and after the two hours of waiting the waitress tells us that they don't have any more empanadas, when we ask for the bill, they charged us for the empanadas. The worst experience ever, DONT GO TO THIS PLACE!!!!" read more

Good food, get a better bang for you buck. Restaurant is cozy and staff are pleasant. read more

El Roble Bakery - Bandeja Paisa - Latin American Near Me - Elizabeth, New Jersey

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One if my favorite new spots for Colombian food...this place has excellent food...never had a bad dish...waiters and staff on point...very helpful...delicious big portions of food and reasonably priced...we always start off with beef empanadas...big and crispy...following San cocho soup..then we useally split a dinner of bandeja Pisa..big enough for 2 people...A+ on the food and service...parking on the street and also a parking lot behind with rear entrance... read more

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I witnessed a very gross public health issue here (read last sentence if that's what you want to know off the bat). I used to eat here. Food is ok, although I think they buy some of their stuff outside of the bakery and then reheat it for customers (more on that below). If you think this is quality Colombian food, then you have never lived or visited quality bakeries or restaurants in Colombia. My guess is you may have an idea of what quality Colombian food is, but you have never eaten in a decent place in Medellin, Bogota, or Cali to make that claim. The food here is sometimes served with missing ingredients. Basic baked goods that are supposed to have certain ingredients are missing the correct amounts. Like an almojabana or pan de queso that tastes like straight up dough. This would be unacceptable in Medellin. I would know, I was born there and have eaten in all over Antioquia. I also once ordered a sausage here and it tasted cold, which was odd since it should be fried in-house right? Well, when I asked the waitress, her response was: "The woman who sells us the sausages didn't stop-by today, so these were reheated for you." I then asked her, to confirm, if they were buying their food outside of their kitchen. Her response: "Yes. That's what we do." I didn't eat the sausage after that, and told her that was unethical and if I wanted to reheat food, I would just microwave my leftovers. She rolled her eyes and walked away. I don't think they understand how a restaurant is supposed to work. Reheating old food is a health risk. Also, I witnessed a cook exit the kitchen, take a cell-phone call outside in the street, pick his nose for over 10 minutes, and then return to the kitchen. Not sure if he washed his hands or used sanitizer, but I never returned after that incident. read more

This is my favorite place. Good food, good attention. Good job. I'll be back soon. Aa read more

El Roble is a smaller Colombian restaurant. When we went there were only a couple of other people dining in. It was around 4:30 on a Wednesday afternoon. The service was pretty good from start to finish and it was the best Bandeja Paisa I have ever had. read more

I have been to this place twice before and the food was decent and service has been ok. My bf wanted to try it out for the first time and we were so disappointed. The service was mediocre. We ordered 3 jugos de Mora (blackberry milkshakes) and a soda which took the waitress 15min to bring out. Once we got our drinks they were terrible. It was basically milk and sugar with barely any mora. We sent the drinks back and it took them another 15 min to bring them out and that's cause we asked ( the girl forgot) my soup had no flavor it was like eating a bowl of water salt and veggies. We ordered our kids hot dogs and my bf ordered the mini paisa. It took 35 to bring out 2 hot dogs and a mini paisa. My kids hated their hot dogs, and my bf barely ate his food(very unlike him). The food was really gross and to top it off the service sucked. read more

the food is great for the amount we paid. catch is, you most of the serves dont speak english. I dont speak or understand spanish, i just point at the picture. read more

My wife's dinner came out 15 mins sooner then mine. I asked for broiled fish and it was fried. Terrible service. There are better Colombian restaurants in the area read more

During the peak of the pandemic I ordered a pescado sudado, which in the past was a nice platter despite the long wait for it to be served. I am not a cook and I could have done a job ten times better. Had a few more experiences during the emergency and earlier this year all negative. Upon reopening I found out the pescado sudado is no longer on the menu, not biggie since I can get it somewhere else, but what upset me on my last visit was the string of new charges, in addition to the standard charges, like a mandatory 20% minimum tip and a credit card fee. The reason to visit this place was that the food was reasonably priced and had acceptable quality but the customer service was never there. If the quality of the food is decreased, the prices increased and on top a new string of charges added to the tab, not a good recipe for a restaurant to survive the competition. We'll not return.... read more

Good service! The juice on time and delicious, the food was delicious and on time. So happy with the waitress was so friendly and funny. I love it read more

Great spot to grab some flavorful food. They have $1 empanadas! There's also this pink sauce they bring to your table that's SO GOOD! Portions are really generous. Only con I would say is that if you want water, you have to buy a bottled water. read more

Same as other for the service bad... But the food was very good... I took the bandera paisana ... The door just next too was cold ...

Update! After much prodding from my fellow co-workers, i went back to El Roble to try their famous Bandeja Paisa. Oh boy i was not dissapointed! The amount of food in a huge platter! My initial reaction was are you sure this all for me? LOL! So i took it home for my family and they loved every bite from the Chorizo, steak, rice and fried plantains! Don't forget thier beans! It was Excellent! I'll be sure to come back again and again! read more

It's not surprising someone else here posted something similar I'm about to post. The ppl who work here are rude a $$ holes. Like you're an annoyance. TERRIBLE SERVICE!!! For me to complain is a big deal, because I'm a pretty easy going person. They made me feel like a piece of sh*t here. No one asked me what I wanted when I was sitting at the bar. When I asked her to repeat (it was loud here) she ignored me. Again. It's not me. I'm a sweet person and I've never gotten sh*tty service like this. Be aware. No one is getting a tip from me. Never again am I coming back here. read more

the worst atention the food is very good the people woorking ther they do not care we wait for 25 minutes for cup of cooffe and the weitres toking and they ignore us read more