Great service, tasty food and good vibes. Grab a lunch if your hungry you won't regret it(rice…read morebeans maduros steak and soup)

I've been coming to Fonda Paisa since la Dona Janet opened. My family and I went on Friday night…read more Shelves were bare. No Colombian products. New waitress and workers. They had a large Mexican menu. Colombian drinks gone. Food was served differently. Bandeja Paisa served with no chorizo or arepa. We asked for water and were given pineapple water and chicken wings to start that we didn't ask for. The waitress left before we paid. We were told the credit card machine wasn't working and that we can Zelle or pay cash. The food was good but it wasn't the same and certainly not what I've been eating for 30 years My cousin said she heard it was sold. I'm disappointed that no matter how many times I asked about Janet, my questions were avoided. I took home bunelos and pan de queso. Completely different. I'm sad to see her go, but if it's under new management, the new owner could've been honest with us.

Just got in town...wandering around for a lunch spot and saw Columbia House...quickly checked…read more"Yelp" of course...and based on reviews it was a go. Besides almost every table full at 1:15 lunch...including the back room and it is a large restaurant. We were seated without a wait. Took longer to navigate the huge menu. Hubby and I just wanted a light lunch. He ordered the chicken wings and I ordered the "fish" sandwich w/o cheese. Unfortunately, I was served the chicken sandwich not the requested fish sandwich. It still came with avacado, onions, tomato and lettuce. (No cheese as requested). Once I took a bite I realized I had the wrong sandwich. I was disappointed. Waiter apologized and offered to switch it up...I can see he felt bad and we were not quite sure where we both messed up...could have been me? Him? Not a big deal...I just kept it and enjoyed. Chicken was slighty dry (cheese would have fixed the dryness) but seasoned perfectly. It was a large sandwich with two layers of thin grilled chicken. I would split it next time. I like the way it was served...wrapped in a paper. I requested un-seasoned fries and my request was honored. It was all a generous portion. The restaurant is high energy, food around us all looked delicious and fresh, cocktails looked really good...I wanted to taste the cappuccino martini next to us...tempting to order one. Service was timely, friendly and efficient. Noise level a tad high however it was easy enough to carry on a conversation. Overall, I understand the reason this place was so busy...definately a solid fun place...wish it were on my neighborhood as I enjoy exploring different dishes. Thumbs up for sure.

Fun, authentic and mostly delicious Colombian food. Bakery too! :)…read more Very friendly service. Large, very comfortable room. I wish they had fresh juices (not just fake OJ called "fresh") that's the only part that does not feel truly Colombian.

I had not been here in many years and was in the area, so I decided to stop by hoping it would be…read moreas good as I remembered. Parking was available outside and when I walked in there were no customers inside. The space was dimly lit but seemed clean. I was eventually greeted by a woman, though there was a bit of a language barrier. I was able to communicate through another staff member, so it worked out. I ordered the large bistec burrito, which came out to about $13 with tax. That is pretty standard pricing right now. One thing I did notice right away was that they no longer had the meat spindle like they used to, which was a little disappointing. The food came out quickly, within about five minutes, and the portion size was solid for the price. Unfortunately, the flavor did not match expectations. It was just okay. The meat was not very well seasoned and had some fatty pieces that took away from the overall experience. The sauces were good, but nothing that stood out. Maybe it was an off day or maybe I should have tried something different like the tacos or cecina. Hard to say, but based on this visit, it did not live up to what I remembered and I am not sure I would recommend it right now.

Stopped by while heading north out of the city. I ordered a grilled chicken burrito and it was a…read morevery fresh-tasting, healthy burrito, while still satisfying the comfort-food urge. There was nice attention to detail in the making of the burrito, and it had a variety of upgraded items included like Oaxaca cheese and avocado, as well as fresh vegetables. For around $13 it is a filling and delicious meal. The restaurant feels authentically Mexican as well and the staff seemed happy to be there and serve good food.

Amazing!! It's my first time here and I'm surprised--the pan de bono and buñuelos are really good;…read moreeverything is delicious.

Delicious! The bakery items are a homerun. It's the only place in town where I've found almojabana,…read morea cheese bread, which they do a fantastic job at preparing. Their other items (pandebono, pan de queso, etc.) are also great. We have also ordered empanadas de carne and chicharron to take home and eat. The empanadas were great and flavorful, especially if you put some of the picante salsa on top. The chicharron was good, but it was a bit difficult to chew (the skin, especially, was really hard). Not sure if this would be different if you got it fresh in the restaurant vs. driving it home as take-out. In summary, a great place to get a delicious coffee and a bakery treat!

The Food was phenomenal, service was great, and the ambiance was cozy. I enjoyed watching the World…read moreCup while eating today. It was really fun! There are two huge TV's on the wall facing the tables and one TV above the bar. I ordered the rotisserie chicken and specifically asked for white meat. It was juicy, perfectly cooked, the skin with slightly crispy and tastes sooooo good. My meal surprisingly came with 2 sides of my choice. I chose the Chaufa and plantains. The chaufa is Peruvian style fried rice that is flavored with a bit of soy sauce, ginger, scallions and scrambled egg. Delish!!!!! A must try. You can even order the Chaufa as a stand alone dish with whatever meat you want inside. :-) The plantains were my least favorite. Because they are super sweet and soggy. I like a crunch and sort of carmelized look. There's a Purple CornLemonade drink that is supposedly really good. But I didn't take a chance on it. Despite the owner offering me the opportunity to try it and take it back if I don't like it. I had to opt out. Because I'm on a lemonade and limeade kick right now. They are my preferred drinks of choice at the moment. But Hey!!! I'd like you to encourage you to try it.

We came here for lunch on a Sunday. Service was a bit slow at first, but I think it was just that…read morethey were understaffed at the moment. Once plates started coming our way, we were on an exciting and flavorful journey to Peru. We ordered two appetizers, guacamole and ceviche, and both were excellent and served with the perfect accompaniments. For our main dishes, we ordered the lomo saltado, chaufa de pollo y carne, and a skirt steak. Everything tasted very authentic with perfect seasoning. At the end of our meal, we ordered their churros, which were delight. The atmosphere felt just like any casual restaurant in Lima, Cuzco, or any big or little city in Peru. They have a great selection of Peruvian beers and other beverages. We will definitely return when the craving for Peruvian food hits again.

I don't get lots of chances to come here, but when I can, I run! Owner and sweetheart of a lady…read moreAnnarella and her family have truly given us something special. This is Cuban food your abuela - and in Annarella's case, her dear Mima - would make for you. (And many of the recipes are hers) Everything on their menu is good. Seriously, you can't go wrong: Mima's daily specials, empanadas, the De Todito Pollo chicken sandwich, Mima's croquetas, the oxtail sandwich, the Cuban sandwich & medianoche, the vaca frita fries (yes, if I lived closer, I'd be even chunkier for sure!) and one of my cravings, the Elena Ruz (a classic Cuban treat of turkey, cream cheese and strawberry jam - it just works!) Important to note: "Asi viene el sandwich meng!" Please don't ask for modifications on anything they make - just trust them and have the true experiencia cubana - they know what they're doing. :) It's a sweet, tiny spot with a cute counter to enjoy your feast. They also have great fruit batidos (shakes) - mango, fruta bomba (papaya) and mamey -- all delicious and made fresh. They'll also make a cafecito for you - all part of the most lovely, authentic Cuban experience you'll ever have for many miles. Dale!

Great Cuban spot! We were thinking of heading to Jersey to get Cuban and then found this highly…read morerated cafe so decided to head over and I'm so glad we did. The space is small and cute with a counter to eat and appears to be very clean. The owner (I think the woman is the owner) is super friendly. The food is all reasonably priced and is fantastic. Went with ropa vieja, cuban sandwich, empanada, and the pudding dessert. It's one of those places that after you leave you text ppl in the area telling them they have to come here.

Went on a Wednesday evening with a group of three and had a great experience. The restaurant was…read morebusy and only had one waiter, so service was a bit slow--but she stayed attentive throughout. We ordered the calamari, gallina soup, pollo Milanese, and pollo a la brasa. Portions were large and everything was flavorful, especially the chicken. Great bang for your buck overall. Looking forward to coming back to try the lunch and weekend specials.

We came here for dinner on a Friday after seeing folks enjoying their meals from the window as we…read morewalked by. When we walked in, we were promptly greeted and seated and given menus to peruse. We ordered the chicha morada to drink. Deliciously, well made and generous in portion, not too sweet--Perfect. To eat, we ordered the Leche de Tigre, Pollo a la Brasa with Maduros, and Lomo Saltado. The leche de tigre was perfection. Fresh, flavorful and a generous portion size. Perfect for sharing. I was super excited for the lomo as it's one of my favorite Peruvian dishes. Unfortunately, it left much to be desired. It simply was not fresh--the steak was dry, tough and lukewarm, the fries were cold, and the rice was cold and hard. As a result, the dish was barely touched. I told the waitress, and while she was surprised and provided the feedback to the kitchen, she didn't offer compensation or a remake. The pollo a la brasa was delicious. Hot, fresh, juicy and a generous portion size. The maduros were good but not cooked on both sides, which was a bit strange but still satisfactory as an accompaniment to the chicken. This dish was served with the arroz chaufa, which was well executed. Super flavorful. The ambiance is clean, mom-and-pop vibes--no frills, but good service and good food. Overall, a solid experience; will definitely be back.

I am so happy this place opened up the street from me, these were the perfect Colombian empanadas…read more So beautifully balanced with their flavors. And I loved the yuca too. The only issue I really had was that the guacamole was overwhelmed by lime juice but I'll be back to try it again to see if that was a one time fluke. definitely want to try the guava and cheese and spinach and cheese too next time. I think my favorite was the beef one but I really liked all of them! The yucas fritas were sooooooo good.

Taste the Rainbow! A new empanada place has opened on Halstead Ave and we had to try it for lunch…read more The empanadas are Colombian style with the crust made from corn meal and baked. There is a big variety of fillings to choose from ($3.75 ea) or you can mix and match them for 1/2 dozen ($22) and whole dozen ($40) boxes. We gathered orders in the office and put in an order for 3 dozen (There is a 3.5% credit card charge). Parking on Halstead was easy and so was pick up. The very nice lady proudly presented our empanadas to us, packed our boxes in bags and loaded us up with dipping sauces. Each flavor empanada is color coded, so we were able to sort them out for each person's order. The coloring is natural, so you don't have to be worried about artificial dyes. Empanadas: Beef (Carne) - Red (Rojo) Chicken (Pollo) - Yellow (Amarillia) Mango Pork (Cerdo con Mango) - Black (Negro) Guava & Cheese - Pink (Rosada) Spinach & Cheese - Green (Verde) Chorizo & Cheese - Purple (Morado) Blueberry Goat Cheese - Black / White (Negro y Blanca) Vegan Black Bean & Sweet Bell Pepper (Frijol Negro) - Orange (Naranja) Vegan Chorizo & Sweet Potato (Chorizo Vegano) - Purple / White (Morado/Negra) Vegan Beef & Plantain (Mofango Vegano) - Red / White We were given 3 dipping sauces: Signature Hot Sauce (Orange) Cilantro Lime Crema (Light Green) Grilled Tomatillo (Green) My favorite is the spicy orange sauce, but other people said it was too hot, but perfect for me. It paired very well with Beef & Chicken, but was excellent with the Chorizo & Cheese. There are other menu items like Arepas con Queso, Tostones, Maduros & Yuca Fries to try, but 3 empanadas for lunch was plenty and I'm taking 3 home for my familia to try.