Had take out from here and was blown away! We got the roasted pork and chicken as well as…read moreempanadas, plantains, beans, yuca root fritters (the latter was similar to mozzarella sticks) with rice. Everything was delicious, especially with the orange mayo-based sauce they provide. A tad on the saltier side, but such a great hearty meal. Hope to try some of their soups in the future!

El merengue has to be my favorite Dominican place in the Baltimore area, or even just period…read more We live in Alexandria VA and driving to Baltimore just to eat at El Merengue is worth it. The service is impeccable. The entire staff was attentive and super friendly. And we came in right as they were getting ready to close and they still let us order off menu. The owner, chef, and waiter held plenty of conversation with my husband and I. He ordered off the hot bar and I ordered off the menu. We had quipes, bistec encebollada, moro de guandles, pescado frito, tostones, and jugo de chinola. I had 0 complaints. Everything was delicious. I have been here before a few years back and learned today they have new ownership. I always loved the place before, but now everything is just better! We will for sure be back!

This spot is IT for empanadas ! I stopped in for something small and just got the empanadas and the…read moresides and all 10/10. I would like to try other items on the menu. But everything is affordable and clearly made to order. My partner did try the guava pastry and was obsessed with it. One of my friends did try this spot with us and got a mango smoothie and it is one of the best I've had. It tastes so fresh and delicious. The staff is so friendly here, everyone is so accommodating and helpful. Plenty of seating in the space and I appreciate the Puerto Rican decor around to give it a different feel. I will definitely be returning.

The guava pastry was SO good!! The pasty was delicate and fluffy with many many layers. The filling…read morewas amazing and had a perfect flavor. I would only wish for a little more filling, but somehow the amount that was in there was enough The chicken empanada was SO good too!!! The dough was beautiful and cooked perfectly. It had a great flavour. The filling was also amazing. It wasn't an overwhelming taste, but it was still very very well flavoured. Again I could only wish there was more filling, but again somehow the amount in there was enough The service was quick too! The only thing I would say is the guava smoothie wasn't my fave. It wasn't bad but it might not be something I'd order again. I did somewhat enjoy it because it was very fresh and a little sweet but I'm not super crazy about it.

Frituras on frituras!!!!…read more The food was spectacular. I miss Puerto Rican food so much after moving here from New York. This place hit the spot. Cute truck with some outdoor seating. The service was great. The food was so so so good. I need to go back soon.

Reliable and creative build your own bowl style Puerto Rican food. A little pricy, but always open…read moreto providing options for those with dietary restrictions. Important to follow their Instagram to know when they're open. The hours are not accurate on Yelp.

This is a truly tiny establishment. We drove right by it at first, because it is very unassuming…read moreand does not really have a sign. You have to be buzzed in and the dining room is literally the size of my living room. Very intimate. The food was superb. Stellar. Outstanding. Truly, each course was delicious, with layers of flavor and unexpected combinations. The ceviche in an intensely limey coconut broth started off the meal and I thought that if everything else sucked I would still be happy. But the dishes kept getting better. I did not anticipate enjoying veal heart skewers, but they were smoky and very reminiscent of good carne asada. The purple corn tamale was a very interesting mix of heavier corn with light ahi tuna. And even the little bowl of plantain chips they bring out first was excellent. This is a set menu, 5 courses on the weekdays and 6 on the weekends, and is a bring your own alcohol set up. As a result, there is almost no interaction with the waitress, and the food just arrives, but it is timed very well, with reasonable periods between courses.

Every dish I've eaten at Puerto has been incredible. I am pescatarian and they have no problem…read moreaccommodating that in the tasting menu. Do yourself a favor and try it!

Last week I had lunch and there was a 18% "Love" tax added to my bill. I still tipped 20% because…read morethe server was very good but will avoid this venue due to the lack of upfront transparency. The consumer will dictate what they want to pay for a product/service, if there is "value" they will pay, if not they will go someplace else. By the way, the maduros were over cooked and the arroz con was undercooked. The empanadas were good.

This place is always a hit every time I have been here! Whenever I'm eating I'm always questioning…read morewhy I don't eat here everyday. It's a good thing I'm not close to here or I would be really heavy. The flavors are just right. You must try, everything I have tasted is amazing. This place has the best shrimp and grits I've had! The grits are the perfect consistency and packed with flavor in every bite! The same goes for the shrimp that are marinated. The waffles are heaven. It's like a gingerbread waffle. We can't wait to come back. The service is great and the staff are friendly. They have tvs and music so you can watch the game and hear some tunes.

Really delicious Peruvian chicken and stellar sides! Each chicken plate comes with two sides. We…read moregot two quarter dark plates with yuca, plantain, beans, arroz chaufa. The chicken was tender and well-seasoned, and all the sides were delicious and complemented the meal. Their sauces that come with the meals are also really tasty. Side street parking available, quick assembly line service, indoor seating and take out options.

Food was BOMB!!!! Oh my goodness. Portions were hefty. I got two quarter chickens (one white meat,…read moreone dark meat). The white meat had more meat but the chicken was a little dry. The dark meat was a little smaller (not noticeable) but the flavor was way better and it was moist from all the juice. The sides were so delicious- the plantains and yuca fries were everything! I'm not a fan of brussels sprouts because they can easily burn but the ones here were perfection. The green (spicy) sauce was excellent and the perfect amount of spice. The mild sauce was great with the fries. Service was exceptional- was greeted warmly when I walked in and was given explanation of ordering. The server even cut a whole chicken to show me what the portions and different part of the chicken was. Ambiance was inviting- there was Latin music playing, lots of light, and seating. Highly recommend

The food was out of this world. So tasty. Everyone loved their meals. The snapper dish was amazing.read more

What can I say... I had a lot of expectations as this place has been open for a while, but I was a…read morebit disappointed. We had to get an early reservation as they were fully booked at dinner time. The food was just okay: the appetizer with the plantain and fried calamari was okay, it lacked a little bit of dimension and was too acid forward (needed more salt to balance it). The main was the "olleta" which is a vegetarian meal; it wasn't exactly memorable. It has an incredible amount of olives and capers and not enough tofu/plaintain/mushrooms. It was also very acid forward and lacked layers/balance to the flavor. Lastly, we tried two desserts: the flan (I believe it was called quesillo) and the chocolate one. I LOVED the flan with the foam on top, and the chocolate one was towards the bitter side (which was pretty good) but I wouldn't get it again. The desserts were very overpriced for the size of it. The place is well maintained and I love the plants all around. I would like to give it another try as I like to support my fellow Latinos

This food is bomb!! I'm on the last hour of my time in Baltimore and I'm already planning my meals…read morefor the next visit. We split the "just enough" and it was more than enough for 2. The empanadas are large, flavorful, and mesh perfectly with the sauces. The chimichurri on the tostones was a big highlight for me. On top of all that, the cupcake that comes with it ain't no grocery store dessert! Lastly, the music was just perfect! I'll be back here every time I'm in Baltimore.

INSANE delicious, you must come try this! I came during…read morejury duty - for $20, it's one huge empanadas, a side, a drink, and a dessert. It was a ton of food. I think even without the jury discount it was only a few bucks more. The empanada was amazing - I got beef, it was huge and filling. I also loved the tostones but I want to try the fried sweet plantains too! Dessert was also BOMB, some kinda bread pudding. So delish. Everything came quick and was hot and fresh. I know they do catering, I would definitely consider it. The space is also very nicely decorated with nice furniture and decor. Unfortunately, the area is a bit odd, not much to do around there. Service was also a bit strange. My server may have been having an off day but he was quite impersonal, I wondered if he was okay. Also note that tip is included (they call it "love" on the bill." Overall, I would definitely recommend The Empanada Lady and really want to come back!

There's no other restaurant like this! Excellent in all…read moreaspects. We traveled from NY just to try their food. DELICIOUS! The BEST! We did not know what to order from the diverse menu, so we ended eating a lot! Everything was amazing!

Five stars! Amazing food! Authentic drinks…read more No idea how this is just a 3.5 star average. Perhaps too authentic for some? Well, if you want authentic Mexican food, go here! Well, I LOVE coming here on Sundays when they have freshly made carnitas, yep, cooked in pork lard how they're supposed to. I also love their Sunday lamb barbacoa with consomé (like an au jus from cooking the lamb). Pair it with all the fixin's. Guacamole salsa, pico and red salsa for a kick. Chopped onions, lime and cilantro. The chilaquiles are amazing too! (Also pictured)