5/5 stars! El Rincón Criollo hit all the right marks for great Cuban food in LA…read more ​We tried the ​Cubano Sandwich with Fried Plantains: The sandwich was flavorful, well-pressed, and paired amazingly with the crispy, sweet plantains. ​Empanadas: Exceptionally fresh and packed full of meat, they definitely don't skimp on the filling. ​A huge bonus for dog owners, they are pet-friendly. I'll definitely bring my family next time.

Ok spot if you crave Cuban food. The service is polite and helpful. Indoor dining and to go options…read moreare available. I'd say the Ropa Vieja is my go to here. Stop by and give it a try.

I cannot stress enough how good this garlic chicken is. It is the platonic ideal of chicken: crispy…read moreoutside, tender and juicy inside, and the most incredible lemony garlic sauce. (Plantains and beans and rice also delicious)

Service is efficient and gets the job done, just not the friendliest or most energetic bunch…read more Restaurant is a classic. Food tastes the same as it has for 30 years. Lechon asado cuban style roasted pork: 5/5 Moros y cristianos: 4.5/5 White rice and black beans: 2/5 Versailles famous garlic chicken: 4/5

Lonzo's consistently delivers an exceptional dining experience. I had the Peruvian pesto fettuccine…read morewith filet mignon, and it was absolutely amazing. The pasta was cooked perfectly, and the sauce itself was amazing as well. The steak was super tender and juicy alongside it. Lamb is also an option for that pasta, and I've had it before as well. It was just as amazing. Their lomo saltado is also amazing, and honestly their entire menu is full of great options. Everything I've tried here has been fantastic. They also serve bread with a verde sauce that was incredible on its own. Overall, the food here is consistently outstanding. Highly recommend.

Great little Peruvian restaurant. Very friendly wait staff- we weren't rushed to order. They now…read morehave beer and hope to have wine soon. Loved the ceviche (fisherman & mixtp. I can't do spice, but even the "spicey" one was okay for my mouth. Great lomo saltado- nice cut of beef and good sauce. Would def go again!!!

Fantastic flavors and the portions are generous; at least by my observation of LA standards. I had…read morethe Criolla and spicy pollo. Both make me wish they had a spot at home. We have unrivaled Latin cuisines at home, including Colombian, Cuban, and Puerto Rican, but Argentinian seems less prominent. The owner Roque is a really genuine and thoughtful guy. He lit up when I told him my first and probably last (for a while) visit was delicious. That's how you know you're in for a treat; when someone who's been in this business 30+ years is just as excited as the first time when you commend their craft. If you're lucky enough to try here, enjoy!

Absolutely delicious empanadas in the area! We stopped by on a Wednesday afternoon and we were the…read moreonly customers at that time. We were greeting by a friendly staff member, perhaps the owner, who helped us with our empanada selection. We got spicy chicken, spicy beef, corn, and criolla empanadas. I strongly recommend the Criolla empanada, which is the most traditional, Argentinian empanada. It has ground beef, raisins, eggs, green onions, and spices. It was absolutely delicious and, when I go back, I will select this empanada!! I also recommend the corn empanadas (humita), especially if you're looking for a vegetarian option. It has corn, melted mozzarella, and white sauce. So delicious! I got these to go, but there are cute tables indoors and outdoors if you want to enjoy your empanadas there. They also sell mate and other Argentinian goodies like alfajores. Prices are reasonable; you can purchase just a few or a dozen. This has become my favorite empanada place!

Food (5/5): This place is not only delicious but consistent! I've come multiple times here during…read moremy visits to LA and the food is always the delicious. The chicken with the green sauce is amazing and the fries are so nice and crispy. The green sauce is just so yummy. The fish tacos are also really good with nice crispy fish. The lomos saltado was also super tender and flavorful. Service (5/5): No issues with the service and the food came out with a good speed. The staff was friendly and attentive. Ambiance (5/5): Chill ambiance with good music and nice views of the beach. There's now a good sit down area.

My first time trying Peruvian food and wow!!…read more The Lomo Saltado was so tender and flavorful. The fried fish tacos were perfectly battered and fried, I liked the onions on top as it helps cut through the friedness of it all. Yucca fries were delish, dip it in the green sauce and it's perfection. The ceviche was fresh and bright. Love the citrusy sauce at the bottom, yum! The corn is not like the regular corn we have at the grocery store. It has a bit more bite to it in terms of texture like it's not soft. Passion fruit juice was absolutely needed after all day on the beach. The cake has swirls of dulce de leche, very tasty. I would come back just for the lomo saltado alone! Service was friendly and fast. They have a few tables inside and a few outside. Right on the Venice boardwalk so if you dine outside, you also get a show with your meal.

I was so excited to go to a Puerto Rican restaurant that claimed to raise the bar in elegant food…read more So disappointed, food was COLD and the flavors were off.

From the owner: This pop up restaurant is closed.read more

I was craving Colombian empanadas at the beach and ended up at Rico's. The owner, I assume,…read more(working shirtless, beach-casual vibe) took my order -- I asked for the special, grabbed a ginger-lemon seltzer from the fridge, and got two ground beef empanadas. Total came to $16 plus tax and tip, about $20 -- solid value for dinner on the beach. I asked for chimichurri, but it came already poured over the empanadas rather than on the side. I wish the waiter had asked first -- I'd have preferred it separate so the crust stayed fully crisp. Everything was served in a simple disposable tray with a plastic spoon, and no napkins came with the order, which mattered more given the sauce situation. You can't grab and pick the empanada up without getting sauce on your hands and trying to eat the empanada with a spoon just crumbles everything... Despite that, the crust held up reasonably well, and the filling was rich and full of umami, a touch dry on its own but the chimichurri more than made up for it. Would I go back? Yes. Would I ask for sauce on the side next time? Definitely Suggestion for the owner: 1. Offer a to-go half-dozen option cause your empanadas are 2. always ask customers whether they want sauce on or on the side -- (or include napkins by default when chimichurri's involved)

Empanadas are a great alternative if you don't want a hot dog, pizza, hamburger or any other junk…read moreon the boardwalk. They bake the empanadas to order. Some are already cooked and just need to be reheated, which only takes a few minutes while those with cheese take at least 10 minutes. I ordered the eggplant and jalapeño and cheese just before leaving. The staff said the eggplant would be ready quick but the jalapeño and cheese would take about 5 minutes. My parking time was ending in 10 minutes so I figured that's perfect. 15 minutes later, other patrons were crowding around waiting for their orders while I was still waiting for my jalapeño and cheese. The staff and small ovens were doing their best and were finally able to get everyone's orders out. They put a good amount of chimichurri on top, the crust is crispy and the flavorful fillings were hot. Besides empanadas, they offer fresh baked cookies, muffins, bottled beverages, coffee and tea drinks. I'd definitely come back but will keep in mind the ones with cheese take a while!

I've been to the Culver City location many times and I don't recall the last time I ate at this…read morelocation. It has a tiny parking lot and easy access. I decided to deviate from my usual garlic chicken and, instead, ordered their Carne Con Papas - Beef Stew. I've got say it was super delicious. It wasn't especially well presented, however, I've never ever tasted better beef stew - ever. It seemed a bit pricey at $33 but still well worth the visit. I actually still have a craving to go back for more. As I said the parking lot is small. When we went to my car I was blocked in by a delivery truck. I took me 10 minutes to locate the driver, who was actually across the street, to get him to move. Next time I'll park on the street.

Ropa Vieja - meat was too vinegary…read more Also the black beans that came with the entrée had an undertone of burnt Anyway experience was meh...

Ordered the Rabo guisado served with rice, y maduros and also ordered a bottle of Mexican coke,…read moretotal came out to about 43$ which I didn't mind paying for it. A big fan of island -Dominican food although it was overpriced compared to what you Can get it for on the east coast but what ever.. I went back to the counter to ask for hot sauce and the cashier told me it was a 1$ for hot sauce.. I said really? The owner, walked over very politely with a straight face and said we don't eat hot sauce on the island so it's going to cost 1$ What does one have anything to do with the other? I didn't understand her logic. I paused for a second and she said so would u like some hot sauce? It was some bottled generic hot sauce not even house made. I declined to order. The food was pre cooked , set in a steamer. Fast casual restaurant with a few tables Food was bland and subpar.

Stopped by Karibbean Cuisine after seeing an Instagram review and was looking forward to having…read moresome good Dominican food, especially because it reminded me of my summers spent with family in New York and visiting the DR. When I got on Yelp, I saw mixed reviews, especially comments about a woman being rude or having a bad attitude. Thankfully, we did not have that experience directly. I did briefly see her come out from the kitchen, we caught eyes, and she walked back inside. The ambiance was ok, good music , no customers at the time, but a few tables were dirty. The young man cleaned it right away . To be fair, I don't think the issue is primarily the young man taking the orders. He was kind, apologetic, and seemed to care, but the overall operation felt unorganized. Our order was incorrect three separate times. First, the drink order was wrong, but he fixed it and apologized. Second, we paid extra for mayo ketchup and garlic sauce in small 1 oz containers, but they were not placed on our tray, so we had to get up and ask for them. Again, he apologized. Then, when we received our tray, he let us know they had run out of lettuce and gave us potato beet salad instead, without offering us an option first. We ordered the goat stew plate and the grilled chicken plate, both served in to-go containers. For the plates, you get your protein, then a choice of green salad or potato beet salad, along with either white rice or moro rice, which is rice cooked with beans. We chose the moro rice. I've had Caribbean/Dominican food many times before, and it is usually packed with flavor, so I was honestly surprised that this was bland. This definitely feels like a coaching opportunity for the cook to taste the food throughout the cooking process, because a little seasoning and balance can make a huge difference. The grilled chicken portion was generous, and the plantains were delicious. The guanábana/soursop drink was also delicious, and the tamarindo had good flavor, though it had a lot of pulp/flesh in the cup. That said, the chicken and onion sauce were very bland and needed salt. For the prices being charged, the guest experience should feel more polished. Our total came out to $78 for two plates, two drinks, a small side of beans, and plantains. Pretty costly for what we received. Another thing that stood out was the napkins. When we asked for more, we were only given two additional napkins, which felt very stingy, especially when eating saucy dishes like goat stew. It just didn't feel like the best way to treat guests. As a chef and food safety professional, I also noticed behaviors that need coaching, including apron use when going into the restroom, lack of visible handwashing afterward, and bare-hand contact after scratching the head before touching food containers. These are important food safety habits that should be reinforced immediately. Overall, Karibbean Cuisine has good flavor potential and generous portions, but they need stronger operational structure, better order accuracy, improved guest communication, and tighter food safety practices. At this time, I personally would not come back, but I do wish them all the best in their business. I hope they take this feedback as constructive criticism and apply it in a way that helps the restaurant grow, improve the guest experience, and build long-term guests. If I see changes in the future, I would gladly give them another try. Until then, I truly wish them success.

Great Caribbean spot in Santa Monica! The jerk chicken for both the Cha Cha chicken and enchiladas…read morewere excellent. Very tender, the jerk flavor permeated throughout the juicy chicken. The beans and rice and plantains were also excellent. The empanadas were also very good especially the beef one. We got the guava lemonade and coconut pineapple fresca and they were both very delicious and refreshing while not being overly sweet. The staff was nice and the atmosphere has like a chill tiki island vibe with plenty of tables and seating.

I really wanted to love Cha Cha Chicken in Santa Monica. The presentation was beautiful colorful,…read morefresh-looking, and definitely a pretty plate but unfortunately, the flavor just wasn't there for me. When I say I want Caribbean food, I want CARIBBEAN food, bold seasoning, spices, layers of flavor, something that makes you stop after that first bite. I just didn't get that here. The food wasn't necessarily bad; it was simply much more mild and flavorless than I expected. For the price, I expected the flavor to match the presentation, and unfortunately it didn't. Pretty plate, but overpriced for what we actually tasted. Maybe this spot works for someone looking for a milder take on Caribbean inspired food, but if you're looking for those strong, authentic Caribbean flavors to come through, this one may leave you wanting more.