Great Caribbean food...it's hard to find this in the Midwest. They have a large selection and great drinks as well.

Roja Viejo was great! Food and service was excellent for a casual eating experience.

I never had mofongo before, so first time having it. Not sure if it's really my thing. But everything was good, from the white rice (had a nice tenderness/savoriness to it) to the plantains. The fried pork chunks were good, and the fried chicken chunks were even better. They have precooked items that are ready immediately at the counter, or other specialty plates and sides that are made to order. This time, we only got the made to order, but next time, I'm trying the precooked items, since they all look really good! The decor is nice, and the place was really clean, including the bathrooms! Service was very friendly and helpful too. read more

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The food is wonderful. I feel like I'm on the island when I eat the food from here. Thank you!

The staff was really nice and the food was good!I'd recommend an order of "Mofongo" made fresh with a variety of flavors (meats, sauces and spices) at the time of each order. Very nice space with outdoor deck seating for those cool summer nights and afternoons to enjoy the good and drinks, "alfresco"! read more

Mofongo Cafe - Delicious Hispanic Caribbean Food! - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Don't go here with 30 minutes before closing. The kitchen is closed. Sorry that is really annoying.

The stars don't lie! Merengue Cafe will make your heart and mouth merengue. I don't know why I haven't been here before. But now that I discovered it I want to be here again and again and again. Four things that are outstanding: Flavor, quality, ambience, and service. This is my first time trying a mofongo and I just want to say mofongo, mofongo mofongo! What a dance of sensation is this? Plantains fried and then mashed...sweet, salty, crunchy, hearty and garlicky. Mind-blown! The mofongo is made to order, so it takes a good 15 min. But it is so worth the wait. And guess what? They have two kinds- vegetarian and non-veg (with pork!). It is very heavy on the garlic but I am no vampire and I loved it. There are multiple meats to choose from that go with the mofongo; we went with beef short ribs. It was rich, rich in spices and simply delightful. It tastes a lot like beef curry from Asia, but I could tell the spices were different. It felt so close to home yet pleasantly different. The beef was cooked to perfection, it just melted off the bones and melted in the mouth. The mofongo and short ribs complement each other so well. Plus, the two slices of avocado cool and cut the richness from the beef and mofongo. We also got chicken and beef empanadas. The size was larger than usual empanadas and delicious. The pastry was crispy and flaky, the chicken a very pleasant flavor. I loved the beef empanada more, because the flavor was so close to a flavor at home yet so different. It was not too spicy and just slightly tangy and sweet. You know what amazes me about a dish like empanadas, is how nuanced the flavors are depending on the country. While I have had empanadas before, these tasted like nothing I have had before. So if you think you have had Argentinian empanadas and these will be the same, they won't and you should try it! Now if you love spicy, ask for the spicy sauce. It is a jalapeno dip (like the chuy's one but twice as hot) with a strong kick! Now to the service, when we came in we saw the buffet layout behind the glass and that's what we want to try next. For ten dollars you get a plate with a choice of rice, a choice of meat, choice of salad and plantains or croquet. It definitely seemed to be the popular choice and the food looked plenty for one. But when we walked in, the host asked if it was our first time and he went on to explain the dishes and options. And, we weren't the only one. He showed the same enthusiasm and patience with every first timer there. It is one thing to be treated nicely but to witness the unrelenting hospitality deserves appreciation. And, everyone at Merengue were so smiley and friendly, even the music. Plus, they have ample seating, the place is clean and very welcoming. I felt so happy walking out of there. I want the world to know about Merengue Cafe. It is such a gem of a place. And, I want to be here again and again and again! read more

Mofongo Cafe - Beef and Chicken Empanadas. - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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A must stop in Nashville!! I checked this place out based on a recommendation from a friend. Very friendly waitstaff and the food is very generously portioned! We tried the Yuca fries, empanadas , and mofongo with beef. I recommend stopping by to grab a casual lunch or dinner. Support your local businesses! read more

As a puertorrican this place hits like home! Such a hidden gem with good flavor and amazing service. Try the Mangu y Medallas read more

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I was over all the BBQ and hot chicken on our trip to Nashville and was jonesing for something different. Enter Merengue Cafe, 5 out of 5 stars when I yelped it and boy was I glad we were led here! It's a small order-first then sit-down cafe. There is a steam table as well as made-to-order kitchen menu items so you have a choice depending on how much time you have. We opted for the buffet style servings and had a custom shared plate made with the following: Rice and peas + Rice and red beans: both are great but I preferred the rice and peas since it's a little lighter. Braised pork shank: BOMB!! Must get- best item on the steam table. The pork was fall off the bone tender and braised in a savory sauce. Chicken: very tender and good but it's just chicken guys. Live a little! Oxtail: Exceptional! There's a slight tang to the sauce which helps temper the richness. Okra, lentils, and red beans: all good Plaintains: Excellent! Barely fried with oil Seasoned + plain potato croquette: lotsa carbs so skip if you're watching that waistline Potato + beet salad: what an interesting mix that works so well because of the similar textures Macaroni salad: mild and less mayo than traditional American style $30-ish dollars for this custom spread. The owner is SO friendly and super helpful. He walked us down the pre-made buffet line and talked us through every single option. He even gave us samples of the meats so we could make a more educated decision based on the flavors we liked. Ask for the spicy jalapeño sauce! Amps up every plate and makes it so much more flavorful. read more

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Me and my Hubby drove down from Smiths Grove just to try this place for my hubby's Birthday. We ordered a whole bunch of food but I only got a few pictures. Hubby was very happy and we will definitely be back! read more

Mofongo Cafe - 1 Chicken and 1 Beef Empanadas. I thought the Chicken was the best but Hubby thought the Beef was! - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Delicious lunch. My friend and I meant to go to Sunflower cafe across the street, but accidentally parked here instead. We were starving, so we decided to try the place out. It was delicious!!! And the guy behind the counter was so helpful in explaining the dishes. Everything was phenomenal. I tried my friends vegetarian spinach empanada, the chicken salad, and a bite of the rice and beans. Everything was so flavorful, but not overwhelming. We will definitely be back. read more

Mofongo Cafe - Beef plantains and veggies. - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I'm somewhat surprised about all the highly rated reviews. Being in the mood for some Latin food I saw this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try as I do cherish a good Mofongo . A big plus is the cleanliness and friendliness of the staff. I ordered the fried pork mofongo and wanted to get some meat crockets, but they were at no avail. My meal was not hot, even though the place was not crowded. In addition to me the dish was bland and adding some salt and lime helped, but it did not satisfy me. read more

Mofongo Cafe - Mofongo fried pork - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I have been meaning to try this place out for months, but somehow never made it in. My sister ended up sending me their Instagram page suggesting I try this place out because she knew my boyfriend is Dominican. He has been telling me that one of the dishes he missed eating was mangu and the moment he found out that it was on the menu he was so excited to try this place out. The restaurant itself is warm and inviting both inside and outside. He order the mangu and I ordered a plate with the beef ribs. We both loved our food and they served generous portions. We also both ordered the fresh juices. I had the mango with tasted so amazing. I would highly recommend Merengue and I'm excited to visit them again. read more

The food was awful. Absolutely no flavor at all. Not a hint of salt even. I was so excited to get my Puertorican food and was so disappointed. The carne frita was over cooked, completely unseasoned, didn't even had onions on it. The mofongo was totally flavorless and unseasoned. It was a waste of my money, time and excitement. Save yourself the heartache and find a different place - because there is not enough mayo ketchup in this world to cover this awfulness read more

I have been waiting to try this place for a while. Because of COVID-19 my order was carry out. I ordered the Monfongo with coconut shrimp, two Empanadas and passion fruit drink. I tried everything separately before pouring the coconut shrimp into the monfongo. The shrimp sauce was okay. I was expecting more flavors. The empanadas were good. I definitely will be going back for more of them. Let me know if you try this place. read more

Mofongo Cafe - Coconut shrimp sauce with Mofongo - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Delicious and Authentic! It is great to see a restaurant dedicated to the Dominican, Puerto Rican and Cuban food. I have not found a restaurant in this area that is truly authentic. We tried the tostones, beef empanadas, pollo guisado, plantains, arroz amarillo, frijoles pintos and salad. You could taste the passion to cook in the taste of the food. It reminded me of Puert Rico! Later this week we are going to try the mofongo. What surprised me was they had Pasteles! I always bring them back from Chicago, now I have a local supplier. We brought a dozen home for later. They also had my favorite drink, Cola Champagne! We received a generous portions of food for the price. The atmosphere is spacious with lots of options for seating. Smaller tables to long tables for a group. Very clean! I was impressed with the smiles, friendliness, and helpfulness of the staff. We will definitely be back! read more

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I went to the cafe based on the rants and raves of my coworkers. I was introduced to this pleasant cafe through Fooda. I didn't work from the office that day, so I decided to try the food on my own. The Merengue Cafe is a true hidden gem in the Berry Hill area. I walked in with no knowledge of the menu, but luckily remembered/recognized some of the foods in Spanish.. After a recommendation from a gentleman (unsure of his position there), I went with the Garlic Shrimp Mofongo (in English). It was my first time trying it. The food was absolutely delicious. The cafe had a pleasant atmosphere, the food tasted great, and the staff was very patient and pleasant. They took the time to answer any questions I had regarding the menu. Although, I ordered from the menu, they have a host of other delicacies via a serving station. I will definitely be back! read more

Mofongo Cafe - In English .. the Garlic Shrimp Mofongo - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This place had mostly great reviews so I decided to try it. Got there about 15 mins before 11 so was the first customer in the door. They were training some new staff but everyone behind the counter was super helpful, though as we know the masks make it hard to hear and to understand. I really wanted to try the mofongo but being I was gonna be in the cockpit for 4 hrs after lunch I didn't want stinky breath so I went with the counter service lunch. I got the red beans and rice, the pinto beans, roast pork and the beet/potato salad. The nice lady behind the counter said the chicken was most popular item on the menu but I'm a pork guy, she said she was a pork guy too. Haha. I'm not a big rice or bean eater but they were delicous. The pork was ok, it was a little dry, next time I'll get the chicken! The standout item was the potato/beet salad. (I'm not sure which came first the beet or potato. I mean it was so good I was googling recipes for it a little bit ago. Russian salad? If Dee wants to drop the recipe in the comments, I'm from Indiana I won't compete from my home kitchen.) Did I say the Beet/Potato salad was good? Next time I want 3 scoops of that, pass on the rice and beans and try the chicken. A birdy behind the counter that was a pork loving bird told me the Cuban sammies are the best in Nashville. Being I had a couple of long flights to make with no time to get dinner I got two to go for myself and my co-pilot. I threw them in the freezer at the airport until we took off then chucked them in the nose baggage to chill, planning on eating them when we got to Houston. We decided we weren't hungry yet and left them in the nose as we quick turned for Nashville. Of course, 20 minutes later we were both like, man I'm hungry now. Back in BNA after dark we put the plane away and heated them up in the nuke machine. They were pretty good. Wish we'd known there was chips and sauce in the bag. Being unpressurized at 45,000' it exploded everywhere, what was left was good. Speaking of sauce, the green hot sauce recommended at lunch was amazing, I put it on everything, really helped the pork a lot. Overall a nice experience. Clean. Friendly. Huge portions. So.....about that recipe....just an ingredient list and I'll figure out the ratios? :) read more

ALRIGHT, lemme start by saying the music is BUMPIN as soon as you walk in the door. Got me doin the Macarena and salsa steppin to myself. Next you smell that irresistible buffet and oh my goodness the rice and beans... I had some tears come to my eyes I also tried the porkchops per recommendation of the owner's son Benny who is also an incredibly well spoken, bright and extremely talented! We had a great conversation and boy does he know how to recommend the BEST food at THE MOFONGO CAFE! Please do try this spot and if you don't know what's good, I promise you will be lead in the right direction for what suits you best! I cannot wait to go back read more

Love this place! Everything is a 5 Star the food was delicious, service were friendly, atmosphere were calm, and declarations were amazing. I had the chicken, broccoli, rice & beans, and plantains. Seriously no compliant here. Had every bite. My date has the pork with rice & beans and salad. Love it all. If you're wanting a something different instead of the usual this is a great place. read more

4.5 Like most other reviewers on here, I'm so psyched to have Merengue Cafe in Nashville. I've heard whispers and rumors of Dominican food in LaVergne but I haven't explored enough to check it out. Luckily for the wear & tear on my car, I won't have to drive that far to get some of the grub. Come here for all the hits: mangu, sancocho and Country Clo! It's not just Dominican fare on the menu, Puerto Rico and Cuba are represented with items like mofongo and ropa vieja. Basically, if you need a taste of the the Spanish Caribbean, you'll find it here. But don't get ahead of yourself. First timers, should keep it 'simple' and go with a plate. If you're good on that, graduate to a specific dish (that will take time to make; homemade food always does). The good news is that the plates are large and delicious. You'll begin with your choice of rice. Then, you'll pick a type of bean. From there, it's on to 4-6 types of different stewed/grilled/barbequed meats. Finally, pick a salad (to be healthy). There are other items to choose from (maduros) but this is the basic plate options. The beautiful thing about the options is that they change daily. So you can come here a few times a week, get a plate and have a completely different meal each time. Since I try to live by the words I speak, I ordered yellow rice, red beans, stewed chicken (pollo guisado), and lettuce/tomato/cucumber (ensalada rusa). I couldn't resist a side of maduros, either. I was going to get a red Country Clo, but the woman behind the register (owner?) convinced me to go with a merengue. If this is your first time with this type of food know this: the pronounced spice is garlic/sofrito. This is not hot/spicy food. This isn't that type of party. But since heat is never misplaced with beans and rice, there are plenty of bottles of Cholula to keep you happy.* My food was every bit as delicious as I thought it would be. After paying for my food, I chose a small table in the large dining room. Even on a rainy Wednesday after the lunch rush, the dining room decently busy and I didn't want to take up more space than I needed. I was so pleased to see that people were showing MC so much love. Talking with one of the employees, she confirmed that traffic has been constant and busy. It just goes to show that there have been food vacuums in this city and when people fill it with expertly-done food, there's money to be made. And before I end, I just have to give a shout out to the folks behind the curtain. Both of the ladies with whom I interacted were nice, funny, helpful, and chatty. They're proud of MC -- and rightfully so. It's nice to see good people succeed and I'm excited to see how MC grows. Look around at the reviews, there's a reason why people are showing MC so much love. Don't miss out and don't be late. Next time: *Though you should opt for spicy green sauce if you need a kick of heat. read more

Mofongo Cafe - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I've just come back from having dinner here with my cousin, we are both dominican and get pretty homesick for home cooking so when I saw an article in the Nashville Scene about this place I knew we had to go. I amm sooooo happy we did! We both ordered mofongos with chicharron de pollo it was soo delicious!! it was legit with a side of caldo and everything! i also got us a picadura plate, a small one had more than enough food for both of us and we had a bunch leftover, i really missed that crisp dominican salami! we also had jugo de chinola and it was so awesome and fresh. we are coming back next week to try their rabo and will be making this our go to place for our dominican food cravings! read more

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The staff was friendly and had good suggestions for what to eat! I tried the mofongo with the coconut shrimp on top and it was so filling and delicious! I only wish they had the price on the menu above the counter. read more

Mofongo Cafe - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This place has a lot of food to choose from. Everything I had was full of flavors. Definitely will be back to try other things on their menu board. And their juices was fresh. The inside was a cute setup with plenty of space to sit. read more

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My goodness!!! That was SO DELICIOUS, I came back 2 days in row!!! They were testing their food truck by the Guard gate at Smynra Airport. I just happened to drive by there yesterday and stopped, got a beef burrito and it wasn't too big to hold but it was FULLY PACKED...oh my goodness... it so delicious. Priced right too! Sooo like I said I went back today and got another with chips and salsa. All delicious!!! I hope that come back out once everything opens back up!!! Thank you so much giving our area a shot!!! Best of luck!!! Thank you. 4:39 pm update - I saved about half the chips and most of the salsa home to my family and scarfed them down while asking "where did you get these?!" They love it too!!! Thank you!!! read more

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Merengue Cafe is in the Berry Hill area on its own lot with a decent amount of parking. It's 3 months old. I arrived at 11:30 and it wasn't crowded yet, but they are new. The food is sold cafeteria style. They offer Cuban, Puerto Rican, and Dominican food. I ordered beef ribs, lentils, black beans & rice and a side of beef croquettes. The croquettes were the best, but obviously because they are fried. Everything was pretty good, and it's great to have this type of restaurant in the area. Overall it was a very good lunch. read more

Mofongo Cafe - Beef ribs, lentils, black beans & rice and a side of beef croquette. - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

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Damnnnnnnnnn Gina! The Mofongo was so good. She gave me a special green sauce to go on it. OMG it was so delicious! So I'm going to start a little bit negative... Please don't come to this restaurant asking for vegan and gluten-free mofongo! If you don't know anything about ethnic food, please know that most of our food is meat-based! That's like asking for meatless collard greens! Yeah you can make it but it won't taste like anything... Well it'll taste like paper trash! But the food looks good as well as smell good. Dessert time!!! I got this pineapple and coconut type pudding. The smell was that of a warm winter candle. The Taste made me want to sing Christmas carols! Now a restaurant can lose an entire star if their dessert aren't worthy of my palate. I'm big on desserts! Your dessert should make me want to marry you! And for the lady who made that dessert... I'm Yours lady! It was so good! I had to eat it slowly and carefully indulge in every bite! By the way... I was told the desserts change time to time. So whatever the name of this, it had pineapple and coconut in it! I know that's not helpful but do know it was incredibly delicious! I'm sorry but a dessert should make me want to be friendly to my man when he's f---ing up! And that's exactly what this dessert did! I will be back... And probably soon! Hats off to the chef! Some ethnic foods are incredibly hard to make. It's too easy to use a bunch of artificial flavorings to enhance the flavor. But this was perfect! It wasn't over season or under season! ***Also, this restaurant is in Berry Hill*** and it actually has seasonings! And don't act like I'm being funny... You all know that area is known for seasonLESS food! I'm certain over half the restaurants there don't even know what salt it is! In short.... five stars in worth it! Every single bite! One more thing... They have this fruit juice there. Now I'm not saying take a small little thing of rum to put in your fruit juice.... buttttttttt! Well.... wink wink! read more

Mofongo Cafe - Mangu con huevos y queso (mashed plantains with eggs and fried cheese) - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

I was super excited to eat at this location especially after reading the reviews. Unfortunatey, the food was not fresh at all. I ordered pernil (pork meat) with rice, beans, and salad. The pernil was dried out, the worse was the rice as they use instant rice. I have travel to so many placed and have had Caribbean food in Florida, Los Angeles, New York, TN to name a few And this place has been the worse. You should never use inmaranta rice and call yourself an authentic restaurant. I do Not recommend this place. read more

Thank God for an authentic joint like this! I was the only white girl in there and you can tell by how breathtaking and authentic the food is. I hope this places around forever. read more

OMG THIS FOOD IS SOOOOO GOOD!!! I definitely will be back. The chicken is falling of the bone, all the flavors ...my mouth is so happy right now read more

Mofongo Cafe - Stewed chicken with yellow rice, pinto beans, salad and plantains.. Empanadas (not pictured) didn't make it home - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

It's a buffet style restaurant but the food was very good and had a nice variety to choose from! I would prefer to be more of a traditional service type place but other than that it was very nice and we would go back read more

The food was cold and not many options. According to the reviews I expected a lot more. Not authentic in my book but if you want a decent lunch why not. read more

Mofongo Cafe - Rice and beans cold chicken and goat with pink inside - Dominican Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

Pretty weak. $10.99 for a plate of dried out pernil with no chicharron or fat (or juice), arroz con gondolas that was overcooked, but kind of tasty. But then a ridiculous and absurd $2.50 extra for 4 crappy dried hard sweet plantains. Pretty weak. read more

Food was awesome, very delicious. People are ready to help you as soon as you walk in. The ambiance feels like your in Miami.

If you are a fan of Puerto Rican or Cuban food you may have realized how hard it can be to find good variations out in Tennessee. I went there with my husband and his family who are from Puerto Rico and we all loved our food!! It is set up similar in style to a chipotle or subway so you order at a counter at the front and tell them what kind of food you would like on your plate. My husband loved the empanadas and was very happy that they had India Malta (his favorite). I had the chicken sandwich and it came out hot and delicious on pressed Cuban bread. The food is all fresh- watch out for bones, as you would in traditional home cooking and you are good to go! read more

Authentic! Authentic! And absolutely delicious! It was nice visiting the Nashville area from New York to find such a great spot. If you want a good home cooked style meal from Puerto Rico this is your spot. Just like my Abuela used to make it. You will not be disappointed read more

I don't know what they got from Puerto Rican food they don't got nothing there the food was nasty small portion for kid over price the food was not cooked and I'm professional that you have no star or nothing read more

A nice discovery! When you arrive, they have prepared food ready for you. It's like a cafeteria style service. Lots to choose from.

Been here twice & can't wait to return and try more things on the menu. The food is excellent and reasonably priced. Home-cooked goodness that feels like eating at mom's house. I love plaintains and it is hard to find a place that knows how to prepare them in multiple ways. Merengue fills the bill! Today, I got the chicken soup with vegetables. They take time to hand dip into your bowl to make sure to get the perfect balance of meat & veggies. Delicioso!!!! read more