I returned to this restaurant yesterday and it was just what I needed. Their food is like a…read morecomforting blanket that wraps you up and keeps you warm inside. The Pabellon bowl for me has to be the best thing on the menu, but I wouldn't hesitate to order the empanadas, or arepas. It is so refreshing to have them and right in my neighborhood. We are so lucky that they are here. Go there immediately. Not sure why I gave them a bad review earlier, maybe it was just an off day.

Cilantro & Ajo is a Venezuelan street food restaurant. They have multiple locations, but my friends…read moreand I visited the Lawrenceville location. Parking is a little tricky because it is street parking only, but we got lucky with a spot right out front. Ordering is super easy and efficient. They have menus up front where you order, and then you sit down and they bring your food to you. I've never tried Venezuelan food so this really was a great experience. I wanted to try it all. Here's what I ordered: [Brown Lemonade]: Tasty and different than your average lemonade [Plaintains]: Sweet with queso fresco [Arepas]: Mine had chicken & gouda and was absolutely delicious. Soft and flavorful. [Empanadas]: These were really tasty. I really loved the beef with the peppers & onions. My friends really loved their papallon bowls, and overall, the experience was really great! This was such a unique experience with unique food. I will be back!

The Colombian Spot has two locations--this one in Oakland and another one in the South Side. I ate…read moreone lunch at this location in Oakland. The menu listed bowls, salads, empanadas, arepas, sides (e.g., yuca fries and black beans), desserts, and juices. An employee promptly took my order and payment. Several minutes later, she called out my name for me to pick up the foods from the counter. Here are my ratings for my order: Paisa salad - 5 stars - This salad was a large size, and it was loaded with very fresh lettuce, plantains, red peppers, cheese, avocados, tomatoes, corn, carrots, and cucumber. All of these ingredients worked very well together. Choripollo arepa - 4.5 stars - A crispy corn paddy was filled with chicken chunks, cheese, and other ingredients, and I liked the flavors. Tres leches - 5 stars - This moist cake was delightfully sweet. Mango juice - 5 stars - The sweet taste of this juice was very refreshing.

Not bad but found the portions, esp for the Yucca fries, to not be worth it. The arepa also wasn't…read moretoasted at all, but the flavors were all pretty good. The bowl was mostly rice and beans, and again the flavor is good, but Chipotle is way more bang for your buck.

Really enjoyed our first visit to El Pollon which is just a few min from our house and a hidden gem…read moreon Main Street in Carnegie! Clean, open interior and very quick and friendly service! Both of us enjoyed our entrees. My husband had two pieces of bone in chicken and they were quite small, so he would have gotten a whole chicken next time. I had the bistec a la pobre and it was a tonnnn of food for the price! Delicious plantains and Peruvian fried rice. Looking forward to going back and trying more dishes.

Stopped by here the other day when there were zero other options because of the construction…read morehappening on Main Street. It was hard to get around and other things were closed on a Monday. The food here is very reasonably priced. The service was good. There was only us and one other table at the time we were there. I split a meal with my companion, and it was plenty for us together. Not a bad place to stop.

Had a great dinner last night at El Pollón in Castle Shannon with my wife and some friends. We've…read morehad takeout from there before, but this was our first time dining in with them. ​Everyone was really happy with their meals. We got a variety of sides, which included the onion salad, green beans, onion rings, fried plantains, fried yucca, and Peruvian rice. Everything we had was delicious. ​I went with the quarter chicken, which was cooked perfectly--tender, moist, and had a nice smoky flavor. The green beans were fresh and done just right with a hint of garlic and butter. ​The onion salad really surprised me. When the server dropped it off, I'll admit I was a little skeptical since it looked like nothing more than a bowl of sliced red onions with some tomato, cilantro, and chives. It ended up being excellent, though. The lime really cuts through the richness of the chicken, which makes it a great side to balance out the smoky roasted flavor. ​Overall, a solid meal. If you're into Peruvian-style chicken, this place is worth a stop, and definitely stop in. They had a constant take-out going, but eating in was worth it. The staff was friendly, the food came quick, the restaurant was clean and we didn't feel rushed to leave.

El Pollon is a restaurant chain that has locations in a few states. The restaurants specialize in…read more"Pollo a la Brasa," Peruvian-style rotisserie chicken that is said to be marinated with native Peruvian spices and cooked over charcoal. Please see my attached photos for the full menu in April 2026. Almost a year ago, my husband and I ate at the El Pollon in Carnegie and loved the flavor of the half chicken with fried rice and plantains. As a result, when this restaurant in Castle Shannon opened, I felt excited to try it. When we arrived, two employees greeted us and seated us in a booth. My husband and I immediately noticed an *ant* crawling on his utensils! Nonetheless, we ordered foods and a soda, and the waitress politely and promptly served us. Here are my ratings for what we ate: 1/2 Chicken White Meat - 3 stars - The meat was juicy and tender, but it tasted plain and NOT like Peruvian chicken that we have previously eaten. We again chose sides of fried rice and plantains, and they tasted OK. Tallarín a la Huancaina w/Lomo - 3 stars - This was spaghetti noodles with beef and vegetables. It tasted OK. Chicken Empanada - 3 stars - We received three large empanadas, and they tasted OK. We did not feel like eating the foods, so we threw most away. The total price was $48 plus tax and tip.

The food was all homemade and really tasty! We ordered a pupusa and two tacos and a horchata and a…read morepiña to drink. The staff was super friendly too! We will definitely return.

Delicious Salvadorean food in McKee's Rocks on Broadway. At $4 per pupusa (fried corn patty with…read morefilling) had to try several of them. The cheese was nice and rich, super filling. Loved the earth taste of the loroco one and the crunchy chicharrón. The curtido that came with was zesty and had nice vinegar flavor. People working that evening were super nice too, and interior was clean. Enjoyed coming here and give it 5 stars.

Flavor of Puerto Rico is a local restaurant that sells Puerto Rican foods such as empanadas, red…read morebeans in sauce, rice, sweet plantains, house-baked breads, stewed chicken, roasted pork, steak, and pork chop. I was a customer of this business when they had a tent at Pittsburgh's Veg Fest. Their menu listed island punch, sweet plantains, rice with gandules or pigeon peas, tostones, yucca fries, and vegan empanadas. The prices were $7 each plus tax and tip. The vegan empanadas were made with coconut flour, flax meal, yeast, lentils, beets, chickpeas, and seasoning. I ordered only the tostones, which could come with mayo-ketchup. The employees served me promptly and kindly. I liked the flavor of the tostones.

The pernil was the best!!!! Flavor of rice and maduros was also very good…read more I ordered a salad and the lettuce was not clean... Also, the portions for the price were not sufficient. Received a large takeout container of rice with a small scoop of the pork. The pollo guisado was okay.

Fulfilled a longing for Venezuelan food that I didn't realize that I had…read more I highly recommend Arepittas for lunch. I had the beef Pabellan, yuca frita, and and a side of fried plantains. All were very perfect. Staff was very friendly. Plenty of foot traffic in and out, but open tables were available at 12:30.

YE Gurl Says: The Best Food Finds Are on the Side Streets!…read more Occasion:Birthday Month Celebration Destination: First time in Pennsylvania! Mission: Bruno Mars' The Romantic Tour First time in PA, and we're already finding gems! We were in town for Bruno Mars' The Romantic Tour as part of my birthday month celebration, and bae came through with a restaurant find close to our hotel. You know I appreciate a good discovery, especially when I don't have to travel far to get there! Now, let's talk about this food. A Taste of the REAL Culture The menu was MASSIVE, with plenty of options to choose from. There's seating inside and outside near the parking garage, so don't let the surrounding area fool you. We decided to sit outside, catch some sunshine, and let our piping-hot food cool off a little. And when I tell you this food was GOOD?! This was authentic Venezuelan food, not some watered-down, Anglo-friendly interpretation of the cuisine. The flavors were there, the food was hot, and everything we ordered hit the spot. Here's what made it to our table: Vegan Chorizo Empanada - $8 A hearty, hand-sized empanada that made for a satisfying bite. Vegetarian Pabellón Empanada - $8 Another generously sized empanada that delivered on flavor and left me satisfied. Arepa Perico - $13 Bae's choice, and apparently, a good one because he made QUICK work of that meal! Tostones with Cheese - $12 THE ACE OF THE MEAL! Listen, these were soooo good! The crispy plantains with cheese were the standout for me. If you're ordering, put these on your list. Jarritos - $4 Maltín Polar, Large - $5 The food arrived piping hot, the portions were satisfying, and the flavors reminded me why I enjoy exploring cuisines in their authentic form. No need to dress it up or change it to appeal to everybody. Just make the food GOOD. YE Gurl Insight Isn't it funny how some of the best food finds are tucked away on a side street in a seemingly dead part of downtown? You might drive through an area and think there's nothing happening, only to discover a restaurant serving food that makes you want to come back tomorrow. Sometimes the gems aren't on the main drag. They're hiding around the corner. And that's why I love traveling with somebody who enjoys finding those places. Bae found this one, and he did GOOD! Final Take For my first visit to Pennsylvania, this was a delicious little discovery near our hotel. The extensive menu, indoor and outdoor seating, generous empanadas, and freshly prepared food made this a worthwhile stop during our Bruno Mars birthday getaway. YE Gurl Says: Don't judge a restaurant by the parking garage next door or the lack of foot traffic outside. Sometimes the best meals are waiting on the side streets.

Food is quite good. Large portions…read more The service was good. The ambiance is simple but nice.

I'm pretty sure this was my first time at a Peruvian restaurant. I was with friends who had been…read morethere multiple times so they helped me order! I got the chicha Morada to drink which is like a punch but better. It is very sweet so I added water to it. They only have water in small bottles which is kind of annoying. We ordered the fish ceviche to share as an app with the spice on the side. I'm glad we did because the hot sauce was very hot for me. For my main, I got the bistec a lo pobre. It was a thin steak so you don't get to pick how it is cooked. It came with fries, rice and plantains. It was a lot of food! It was simple but good flavors. There are a lot of cool murals inside and a giant tv which was playing some strange DJ videos. The pricing is a bit higher than what you would expect for the vibe of the place (around 50 per person with tip) but I do think the food is worth it. I think they could improve it by having free water and perhaps more relaxing shows on tv.