Loved the latino seasons!!!! This place is a gem in between pizzas and hamburgers. Reminded us of Home Recommended A+ read more

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What a hidden gem! My coworker found this place and we decided to try this place. I hadn't had much Latin American food and I was so pleased to have gone. The restaurant is tucked in a residential neighborhood so we almost missed it so keep your eyes peeled. Parking wasn't an issue since there's a parking lot next to it. Service was great, our waitress had been working there for a very long time. I suspect it was a family owned business so it was great to hear her recommendations and she did not disappoint. All of her recommendations were on point. I got the garlic shrimp in coconut sauce and that was amazing. But the star of the meal was the sweet plantains! Omg those were delicious! It was an appetizer for us but I swear I could have ate just that for my main meal. Portions are very generous too so you'll leave feeling very full. So if you come across this place, don't hesitate and try it out! read more

Los Galapagos - Shrimp in coconut milk - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a long time! Their cuisine is more or less pan South American. It was hard to pick from the multi-page menu (with pictures), but I went with whole steamed tilapia with a coconut sauce. It was flavorful and fresh tasting and the sauce was delicious. Next time I might try the fried version or red snapper. Rice, tostones (fried non-ripe plantains), and a little salad came on a separate plate. Also shared fried ripe plantains (maduros), conch ceviche, and an arepa filled with cheese. The arepa was made with yucca instead of cornmeal and was lighter and delicious. Service was attentive and helpful with explanations and suggestions. Dining room is plain but very clean. They have a little grocery along one wall. Definitely will go back! read more

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My first visit to this Colombian restaurant was with a woman who is immigrating to the US from Columbia. She said it was the closest thing she had to home cooking since she had left Columbia and we have been back several times. I find the food very flavorful and quite enjoyable read more

"CRAZY GOOD...!" That's what my co-worker said about our lunch at Los Galapagos. Yea, I agree completely. Los Galapagos characterizes itself as Latin American. I asked, and they said it's Ecuadorian. The restaurant is in a little building down a side street past the Home Depot on West Broad, immediately outside 270. The interior is very clean and nicely decorated and updated. The people are friendly. When we were there, all other customers were born in Latin America, not the U.S. - that's always a great sign when you're having authentic ethnic food. The Mofongo with Coco Shrimp was OMG GOOD - to die for - awesome, incredible, fantastic, mouth-watering, wonderful and worth returning for very soon. The Churrasco steak was a little tough but very tasty. Both entrees came with a nice side salad and either rice or very good fries. The Queso Empanadas were crispy and very tasty, and the onion garlic salsa they serve was delicious. I can't wait to go back. We're going to try the Stewed Chicken with Rice and Spicy Beans that Christopher and Gia wrote about, and a meat Empanada, and get the incredible Mofongo with Coco Shrimp all over again. Another table had blended drinks (it may have been the Guanabana Milk drink that Gwen mentioned), and they looked delicious, so we'll try those too... Los Galapagos is a hidden gem, very authentic and fresh, and SO GOOD...!!! read more

I enjoy their white rice and beans. Had the nice latin flavor inside of the rice. I ordered their chicken in sauce. The sauce is super falvorable, and the chicken is nice and tender. Prices are not cheap for the portions, but if you are looking for authentic puerto rican flavors, you will most definitely get it from here. Parking is tight, and indoor seating is tight, but the food does taste fresh and made to order. read more

I was told by a good Puerto Rican friend that I had to mofongo because it's a staple of their cuisine. So we search and search and we found this location he explained to me. Let me start with They do not honor the 10% discount coupon that you get from Yelp. This is one of his favorite dishes that he could not find it in Ohio. So while he was talking I looked up and yelped it. Found the location and took him to it. When we arrived you had to wait to be seated which was wasn't a long wait. The menu was very clear with clear pictures in English and in Spanish The prices were rather expensive for what they offer. He even said it was high. Mofongo is like a mashed up plantain which is pretty good. The only issue I had with my dish was they didn't have enough stew sauce for the mofongo. You don't really get a lot of meat for the price you pay. However, the dish was okay for me. I like more bold flavors. I did add some of their special blend of hot sauce. I also understand they don't really do spicy in his culture which is okay for me. It needed just a little bit more bold flavors and it's a little overpriced for what you get. The restaurant sits off by itself so you can't really miss it but it's on a back street. In closing as always, is this a place that I would take a friend from out of town? Yes I would. If they were of Latin descent I would take them so they can experience it and let me know the differences. I will let them know it is pricey. For lunch you are going to spend close to $20 a plate for lunch? read more

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Delicious Bandeja Paisa! I've gained weight since I discovered Los Galapagos but it is NOT their fault. I am not supposed to be getting takeout that often but, man!, it is too darn good! I wish I could tell you about the other items on their menu but I'm in a rut. I love Bandeja Paisa so much it's the only entree I have ordered from there. LOL I know I need to mix it up. I'll update this review when I do. Check it out! They are great! read more

A great little mom and pop restaurant. Our exchange student from Ecuador was missing home so we drove him over to get a taste of home. At first, he was skeptical, but they won him over! He loved it and said it was very similar to his food from home. We had the pork, fried plantains, empanadas, and fruit smoothies. They have a very friendly staff to answer questions as well., read more

The food tasted great and I am definitely interested in returning soon, however, the portion sizes were quite small in relation to the price point. I ordered the pollo guisado, camarones en salsa de coco, and the caldo de pollo. Again, delectable food with great service, but relatively small portions. read more

Stopped here for a business lunch with a few people and was surprised to see the menu only had $20 options. We ended up ordering a few empanadas and fries, which were pretty good. Probably a great place for a full meal, but a quick lunch was not appropriate. read more

Really enjoyed the food. Portion for takeout was pretty good! Will be coming again for sure! read more

Los Galapagos - a close up of a plate of food - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

Great local mom and pop spot serving up Ecuadorian food. Thankfully the menu has descriptions otherwise I wouldn't know what to order lol. Be sure to try a few things here to really round out our experience. If you have questions like me, just ask the severs. They are happy to help. I do recommend takeaway/takeout because they don't have a large sit in area. read more

Tried this place because I love Ecuadorian food (lived there for 3 months) and was expecting at least some similarities to authentic Ecuadorian food. The chifa plate (Ecuadorian fried rice) was the most disappointing - the wrong rice was used (too big, not crispy at all), and was pure salt and chewy beef. While the portions were exorbitant, the platter itself was a disaster. The Ecuadorian plate was much better - but a little pricey. Crispy white rice, a yummy yellow curry, a healthy amount of pork, and shrimp. Hoped for a more authentic, if not tastier experience, but I'll take what I can get approximately 2,900 miles away. read more

Los Galapagos - Ecuadorian Plate (Bandera) - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

La comida ha subido de precio demasiado. Sin embargo, vale la pena. Todo super rico. Mi única recomendación es tener un mejor sistema de administración. Yo hize una orden por telefono, cuando llego pague y me dice pa muchacha que espere afuera que me lo lleva al carro. Yo entiendo porque estan llenos. Cuando pasan 20 minutos regreso y todavia no habian empacado mi orden. Aun con esa discrepancia, lo recomiendo, el trato es bueno, el servicio es bueno y la comida es esquisita! read more

A home cooked meal with treats from all over Central and South America. I had the steamed chicken and it was really good. We also had the arepas. A bit pricey but would go again! read more

Los Galapagos - Chicken and rice - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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The food is great, I've never left hungry once in my life. Plenty of good authentic choices. The bendeja paisa is my go-to.

Delicious Ecuadorian food! My husband is Ecuadorian and says it's very good! My son loves the cheese empanadas, hubby had the carne encebollado and I had the mofongo and carne asada. Everything was delicious and the servings are huge! Enjoy! read more

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Got the seafood soup....I know...I know....in Columbus?....right...not exactly seafood capitol of America but this little shack/restaurant packs some serious simple Central and South American flavors....and the soup was good, would get again but probably try other things first read more

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FUTBALL FANS UNITE! LET'S PARTY! Los Galapagos is a wonderful little gem hidden away in the western side of Columbus. They are known for their homemade Colombian and Ecuadorian food, so it was ironic that I came here for some FIFA World Cup catering. Since there's no real Argentinan food in this side of the country, this will do! The management was extremely nice and accommodating to my budget and questions regarding what to order! In the end I ordered: 1. Large Fried Rice ($90) - extremely tasty fried rice with beef, pork and shrimp 2. Empanadas ($1.50 each) - Hella good! A mix of chicken and cheesy options, these were the real stars of the meal 3. Fried Plantain ($40) - A tray of deliciously fried plantain for an excellent side dish! They didn't taste like deep fried oil and it came our scorching good. Definitely a bit higher on the catering end, but the food was delicious and enough to compensate for the price. Service was great and they took care in ensuring our order was correct. I would definitely recommend them for some good Latin catering and for lunch sometime. Everything on the menu looks amazing! Worth the trek from downtown if you get the chance. Private lot available for parking. read more

Los Galapagos - Inside the menu! - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Our meal was FANTASTIC! My first time here and while I was shoving my face I was already talking about going back. Service was great too. read more

Los Galapagos - Maduros, arepa, and don't recall what the main dish was. - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Only four other tables being used, so I didn't have to wait. The young waitress was very polite, very helpful when I asked for recommendations (I don't speak Spanish, and I wanted to eat something that was popular with the locals)! Based on the pics (at the bottom of the menu) and the fantastic Yelp reviews of this place, I chose to go with #17. Reading reviews, I went on suggestions and ordered a Guanabana Milk drink. Holy SPACEBALLS!! The Guanabana drink? It IS like a milkshake, but even smoother. Subtly sweet, very refreshing! Good rubber, Batman!! Stellar. It's like melted homemade ice cream! Everything on the freaking dinner plate was out of this world! So much flavor! If they use seasonings and herbs, I couldn't even tell because the melding of the dishes. Flavor explosion - Hiroshima level. Light splash of Italian-esque dressing on the lettuce. Several slices of ripe avocado. Juicy, fresh tomato chunks. Shoot, the salad alone was wonderful. Beans? In sync with the meat and rice. Blended heaven. Perfectly cooked. The plantain does not have extra sugar to pan fry it in, just natural flavor. Not overly sweet. Put it this way, this entire dish had everything going for it. Next time, if I get the same phenomenal dish, I will ask for light sauce/gravy that goes on the steak. It was a tad too much for me. But that's not even a negative, just something for me to remember for return visits. If this place was on the east side of Columbus, it'd probably cry cause I can't have it every day :p read more

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While the food was ok, the experience was absolutely horrible! They are not family friendly and not accommodating to their customers. The customer service was beyond disappointing and the prices were high. On top of that they force you to pay tips and unfortunately they put their own tip down! I have never been so disappointed. They do not advertise or inform of their forced tip policy and without knowledge they called the cops on me! The service was really terrible and as a server myself, I didn't think she deserved the $30 tip she added to my bill without my permission or letting me know of the policy! I was informed by the cops it's not the first they have had to deal with this situation! So be careful out there! This place is not worth sh!t... I would rather go to McDonald's, even they have better customer service! read more

Pros: This may have been the best whole fried snapper I've had in the city. It was a decent size, the flesh wasn't dried out from over frying and had a clean flavor. The exterior was nice and crisp. Overall the dish was simple but masterfully executed. The shrimp in coconut sauce was a bit more complex, with a nice helping of small/med sized shrimp that were cooked appropriately. Cons: I wasn't a big fan of their empanadas. They were barely warm and lacked flavor. I was also surprised at the pricing. I can get decent sized whole fried snapper from $15-18 it at most Asian, Hispanic, or African restaurants in and around the city, but it was $20 here. As a west side, tiny, mom and pop shop you expect it to be a pretty good value. I considered it fair at best. read more

WOW! This is one of those places I hope the word gets out about. Amazing place!! I would definitely frequent Los Galapagos if I lived in Columbus and hope to be back some day. Found this place on Yelp a really long time ago. I was instantly drawn in by the photos of the food. (It's as good as it looks or better!) We tried to go here about a year ago, only to find it closed when Yelp said it was open. This time, we called to check, and they were there. It's not the biggest restaurant, and while it looks a little iffy from the outside, it's extremely clean inside. They have a wide variety of drinks and some other Latin foods for sale in the little grocery section in the back. This place instantly gave off all the signs of a great Latin American restaurant...signs about their soup specials (written in Spanish), groovy modern Spanish music, eclectic decorations, great smells coming out of the kitchen...I love these kinds of places. This was my first time with Ecuadorian food, although I have had Peruvian and Venezuelan. Although similar, I was surprised at the distinct flavors that this food had that really separated it from similar cuisines. ***A major tip here: the portions are RIDICULOUSLY HUGE. Our party of 3 definitely would have been full from 2 plates of food, instead of the 3 we ordered.*** I ordered the chaulafan, a rice dish unique to Ecuador inspired by Chinese fried rice brought by Chinese immigrants to the country (according to Google, anyhow). It was absolutely delicious. It had chicken, shrimp (not much, don't steer away from the dish if you don't like seafood, it's easily picked around), peas, carrots, onions, and a little bit of cilantro. It was SO good. Picture your favorite Chinese fried rice. Make it three times as tasty and add a Latin flare. That's chaulafan. I highly recommend. My mom had the hornado, a platter of various things that included what was probably the best item we tried here: puerco al horno. This was some of the most succulent pork I have ever tasted. It was a near-religious experience. I felt bad thinking it, but it kinda blew Mexican carnitas out of the water. My mom also highly enjoyed the salad that came with the platter, and the beans were good too. The llapingacho photo that has been the cover photo for El Galapagos is what actually initially spurred me into looking more into this restaurant. It looks SO good in the photos...but it was one of the few "meh" things we tasted here. It wasn't bad at all...it was just a little dry and wasn't as cheesy as it looks. It was pretty much just a cake of mashed potatoes (with unique Latin flavor of course, but still just potatoes). But that's okay, even if it had been bad it's still what brought us here! My dad had the carne de res guisada, another platter including various little dishes. The beef tasted good, but it was a little tough. The puerco was definitely better. However, this dish came with a plantain that was out of this world! Hands down one of the best plantains I've ever had. Perfectly cooked to achieve just the right amount of sweetness and the ever-slightest crisp on the outside. The only downside here is the price. We didn't think it would be so expensive but we ended up spending around $50...for LUNCH! However, for the quality of the food and especially for the portions, it is very understandable. I was barely able to make it halfway through my rice (the picture doesn't do it justice of just how much food is really on that plate). It would definitely be cheaper if we had known to only order two dishes to split. Also, the service was very good, and the place was clean...the price is really the only complaint, and since everything was so good it's not enough to deter me from giving this place the big old 5 stars it deserves! read more

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Enjoyed our Ecuadorian meal. The chicken empandas were flaky. We shared the fried rice dish (portions are large), chifa. We liked the chifa. I never had it before and note that other reviewers, who relay that they are knowledgable about this dish, vary their opinions on whether it was an authentic recipie/ingredients. We are looking forward to returning to try more dishes. read more

Los Galapagos - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

highly not recommen! its not family friendly or kid friendly! staff was very rude. i expected more from a latin restaurant! they have a forced tip policy that they make up the amount for it. so better pray the server has had a decent day or she will charge you for her days pay. and don't let me forget to mention to all you mommys out there its a nooo stroller policy. on another note; food is very overrated! its bland and has no taste. there mofongo is veryyyy crispy! for a second there i thought i was having bacalaito o chicharon ! never the less they are veryyy over priced ! and drinks are self served ! highly recommend to hold your piss to the next rest stop or home. oh and dont even think about challenging them about the tip or stroller policy they will not hesitate to call columbus pd ! if yall want some good food go home instead its cheap and better service! read more

Loved this place! It's tucked back in a neighborhood over in Galloway but it's nice and cozy inside . Glad we finally found a nice family owned restaurant near us- everything else is a chain and unhealthy. We got a pina colada (virgin) and split it- it was so dang good! Then I got the shrimp in coconut sauce, it was full of flavor just wish it was a little spicier but they did serve homemade hot sauce/salsa, so you can spice it up that way. It's served with lettuce, avocado and onions, wish they used something different than iceberg but it's a small family restaurant and other lettuces can get pricey. Overall very pleased with the place and looking forward to trying their ceviche next! read more

AMAZING FOOD. TERRIBLE SERVICE. I cannot complain whatsoever about the food. It is amazingly delicious and it is the only thing that keeps me coming back. However, the waitresses are always horrible. They are rude and always seem to be in a rush. I really wish they would train them better in order to provide a better experience. read more

Food it's ok, slow service, not enough room to walk, needs more attention to customers service

I'm so glad this place is near my house. It's this little family own restaurant. I'm not from Ecuador but a good friend mines is and she told me about this place. She told me it was the best Ecuadorian food around. So I decided to give it a try. So I went with my sister to give it a try. We ordered they're milk shakes. I got the Guanabana milk shake and my sister got the Papaya milk shake and they were both Amazing. For my meal got the shrimp in coconut sauce which is amazing. They also have tilapia in coconut sauce which is even better. The meal comes with a side of rice and fried plantains and an Avocado salad. The combo of everything is mind blowing got my taste buds dancing. They also make this homemade salsa/hot sauce that is great to dip your plantains with. I have been there multiple time. I also tried this chicken in tomato sauce I'm not sure what it's called but it was phenomenal. Honestly I think everything they whip up would not disappoint. They're so nice and friendly. It's not the nicest place but the food will get you going back. It's usually gets really busy on the weekends so plan ahead to go early. It gets filled pretty quickly. read more

Mofongo was good. Churrasco not good at least not for me. Not that much meet on it. The worst one I have ever try. I ask for an empanada and wait for a while, others came in and order too and they got it right away. I have to ask again for mine as he forgot I guess. I ask for guanavana juice as it says on the menu I got (not the same menu on the site) and they gave me a kind of slushy type drink. I ask and was told thats all they have, that is the juice i order. Im sorry but juice is juice is juice amd that is not juice. Took a while to get the food. The chicken empanadas are more potato empanadas with a little bit of chicken. Service. not for me. And I go out all the time. This one is no no return for me. Kind of weird as I saw a lot of good reviews for this place but this one is out of my list. This will be a 1 time visit. Feel bad as I like to find a great latin food place that is not mexican as tjere are plenty of those arownd. Well this one is out of the list. Try it yourself as I may be just the exception of allnthe other reviews. My opinion, I will not mention this place when I give my opinion for where to go for latin food. And If I am ask, I dont recommend it. read more

Los Galapagos - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Yum... This place is soo good... I think I'm going to give birth to little empanadas. Chicken and cheese ones are so good! I'm definitely a regular here, the Ecuadorian food is yum not to mention authentic. Now if they would just open a Bolivian restaurant, I'd really appreciate it!! The also sell south american products and beverages, so if need to find some chuno, mote, or aji amarillo... you know where to look! Enjoy! read more

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Im Ecuadorian American and lived in LA and nyc and this is by far the best Ecuadorian food I've ever had. Hole in the wall but decent seating. Service is great and fast. Had sancocho (beef soup) and it had yuca, maduro, and choclo. The menu has tons of options for staple Ecuadorian food. Had to take some seco de chivo to go because i wanted to make sure i could have it later tonight. Seriously if you miss South American food, this is the place to go!!! read more

The best Ecuadorian food in the U.S.!!! Awesome encebollado and sango de camaron!!! Try the empanadas as well. :) Can't wait to visit it again. read more

This is one of the best Latin eateries in Columbus. It is an inexpensive and delicious Ecuadorian restaurant. Be sure to get one of their fresh fruit juices, as they are amazing. read more

Los Galapagos - Delicious entrees with tremendous portions! - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio

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Small place but the food is great and the service I always order to go and the serve lady so kind

I love the food at Los Galapagos. Everything has a home-cooked vibe, but not your mama's home cooking (unless your mama is Ecuadorian). It's easy to miss Los Galapagos because it's in a more residential area, a few blocks down from Lincoln Village. The parking lot is tiny. You go in and you're met with a very casual dining room; you seat yourself and gaze upon the coolers of delicious beverages, including Jarritos, Inka Cola from Peru, juices, coconut water, and more. The server brings you menus and they're not extensive. You've got a few nibblies, like plantains and empanadas (the cheese empanada is super tasty, get it), juices that look really good and that I'm going to get next time, and main courses. The whiteboard on the wall has specials for the day. I've usually had the same server, as I think it must be a family business, and she's very helpful with explaining dishes, which are listed in both English and Spanish on the menu but might still be a bit unfamiliar if you don't eat a lot of South American food. Like Bryant M. said, a lot of the main courses are meat, beans, and rice with plantains. I usually get the bistec encebollado, which is a thin steak smothered in a savory sauce and onion, with rice, beans, and plantain. The food here has a very savory quality overall, perfectly seasoned and cooked. I've also had the hornado, which is slow-roasted pork, and it was delish. The restaurant serves several fish options, which I haven't tried because I regrettably don't eat fish. The service is always un-intrusive and prompt; the food is consistently delicious. My one caution: sometimes they have a guava dessert that, if you're used to American desserts, you might want to pass on. It's very sweet and tastes basically like guava paste mixed into marshmallow fluff. I found it far more sweet than I'd like--but that's okay, I can always get an empanada instead. read more

Another food adventure on the West Side! There's no wonder why the mantra over here is "West Side, best side." Los Galapagos is Ecuadorian, which I was not familiar with. Luckily it fit nicely with my obsession for South American cuisines... I have a thing for meat, rice, beans, and plantains, and you'll find several versions of that here. The restaurant is small, the menu is small, but the experience is very grand. Our server was this incredibly sweet young lady who handled a full dining room with ease. She made excellent suggestions and even helped me navigate around some food allergies. I had the pork chops, rice & beans, plantains, and a side salad. Everything was really fresh and delicious. The plantains were my only slight letdown -- I don't think they were quite ripe enough when they fried them. I still nommed my way through them though. The tiny restaurant also has a few retail goods you can take home and some delicious, real sugar drinks to have with your meal. Consider me a fan of Ecuadorian food! read more

Have been trying to slowly weed out the better of the local eateries and this one definitely made the list. The food was good. I got the shrimp in a coconut sauce and it was a nice light flavor, my fiance got some sort of steak platter. I found his steak a bit too chewy for my tastes but boy was there a lot of food. This place doesn't skimp on the portions and the fried plantains are excellent with a bit of the salsa they provide. I think overall the food probably could have used a tad more spice but it was filling and really hit the spot. All in all it's definitely a place I'd go back to; it's a clean, quiet restaurant and seems to be a family run operation. The waitstaff is very polite. read more

Los Galapagos - Latin American Near Me - Columbus, Ohio