A Delicious Discovery: Authentic Mexican Gem in New Port Richey…read more This weekend, my husband Eriq and I headed up to our favorite Thai spot, only to find it closed. Hangry levels were rising fast, so we pivoted to a nearby Mexican grocery store and market that had been on my radar from glowing reviews. It delivered big time on authentic flavors, generous portions, and warm hospitality. Tucked at the back of the well-stocked Latin grocery store is a casual dining area where you order fresh-made Mexican classics. The menu offers plenty of traditional options and cool protein choices. One of the cooks kindly brought me a little sample cup of their pozole when I asked about it -- tender, falling-off-the-bone pork in a rich broth. Absolute perfection. (She also mentioned their menudo, but I politely passed on that one!) We decided on the tostadas, and wow -- for $13.99 you get three super-crispy house-made tortillas piled high with toppings. I went with two chicken and one steak (which was tender). The chicken was incredibly flavorful and melt-in-your-mouth tender from slow-cooking in spices. Fresh shredded lettuce, cilantro, crumbled cheese, a drizzle of crema, and slices of avocado on top made every bite fantastic. Eriq loved the al pastor version he tried and powered through all three. He also ordered a carnitas taco (which looked excellent, but he ran out of room!). The tortillas held up beautifully under all the toppings -- no crumbling disasters, which is rare and impressive. They brought out two house hot sauces (a smoky red and a vibrant green salsa) that were outstanding, plus ice-cold Mexican sodas made with real cane sugar. Service was friendly and attentive, with staff bringing food out promptly. The whole place felt genuinely authentic (we might have been the only non-Latino folks there, always a great sign), the grocery section was small but well stocked with staples, fresh meats and produce. If you're in the Holiday/NPR area and craving real-deal Mexican food at very reasonable prices, definitely stop in. We'll be back soon -- those tostadas are going to haunt my dreams in the best way possible.

Great food at a fair price. Friendly staff. I will return to try more of the menu. Local family runread more

The best taste and customer services ever!!! Highly Recommended Please…read more The food is absolutely the best Colombian food I ever tried. Thank you for the hard work!!!

We ordered to go since we had our pup with us. We've seen the place everytime we're at Home Depot…read moreand we finally just went tonight after leaving HD. That was a good decision! We got the chicharon arepas and a steak something and I asked if they made yucca fries. She said no, but they made some anyways, which I thought was super nice! We'll definitely be back! The food was amazing! The beans was cooked perfect, the chicharon was crunchy and servings were huge! Such a hidden gem!

What a great experience! Easy to get to, small, quaint restaurant, but spacious, TVs, a bar, and…read morevery nice, kind service. The food was tasty and bigger portions. They're ok with replacing some side items. We'll definitely go back!

The Bandeja Paisa con Entrana was amazing! The beans and plantains were a great side. Servers were…read moresuper friendly and the inside had many ceiling fans to move air in the hot & humid Florida air. I had some Flan for dessert. Tasted right on par with what mama once made.

The Columbia Restaurant in Sand Key Clearwater has pretty water views of the inter-coastal and…read morefeatures a vintage interior style blending old-world Spanish charm with relaxed coastal energy. You can watch boats cruise by while you eat. The best spots are on the open outdoor deck or at a table next to the large windows. Inside, the dining room is decorated in a Mediterranean style. It features colorful Spanish tiles, lush tropical plants, and authentic artwork. The famous historic 1905 salad originally created in 1905 was made table side by Tossing 4 cups of chopped iceberg lettuce, 1/2 cup julienned ham, 1/2 cup julienned Swiss cheese, 1 ripe chopped tomato, and 1/2 cup green Spanish olives. Top with Romano cheese, Worcestershire sauce, fresh lemon juice, and a tangy garlic dressing. The flavor is great and it's a nice light healthy option. 9/10 The Ropa Vieja was Originally introduced to Cuba by Spanish sailors. The name means "old clothes" because the choice beef is shredded, sautéed and simmered with onions, green peppers and tomatoes. Served with platanos and white rice. 9/10 The Shrimp Salteado came with Jumbo shrimp sautéed in exra-virgin olive oil, sliced Spanish onions, green peppers, fresh garlic, mushrooms, diced potatoes, chorizo and red wine. Served with yellow rice. 9/10 For dessert, the flan is one of the best I have ever tasted. The recipe dates to 1935 when the Columbia opened Tampa's first "Conditioned Air" dining room, the Don Quixote. Our grandmother and great-grand-mother, Carmen Hernandez, helped the Columbia gain national fame with her great recipes, especially her flan. Spanish caramel egg custard, prepared the old-fashioned way, using only the best natural ingredients. 9/10 Our server was friendly and informative and our food came out in a timely manner. If you're in the Sand Key or Clearwater area and craving some authentic Cuban food in a classy atmosphere with a nice view of the water, i highly l recommend visiting the Columbia Restaurant.

This is just over the bridge from Clearwater Beach. Different cuisine and things to choose from…read more Tip: Parking is limited in the strip mall this is in. Suggest valet for $6 or a couple of trips around the lot to find a spot. We sat outside, which was enclosed and heated and your are right on the water. Super cool and great views. We started off with the toasted bread and butter and the devil crab croquet. Not a fan - full of crab but the flavors didn't sit well and really needed some type of sauce to pair with it - we only had hot sauce. The original salad - is a must we shared it across four. It's made table side has cheese and olives in it and was really good. We got ours with a side of shrimp. Main courses - Cuban - it's a classic sandwhich which we shared. Comes with fried plantains which were ok. Again would have been better with some kind of sauce to dip it in. Steak Salteado - good flavor l, was expecting thin sliced steak and it was more like stew meat. Paired with rice and was good. Palomilla - would be better as the sandwhich version. Again this one needed a sauce for dipping. Shrimp "Al Ajillo" - this is a must and the oil garlic mix is perfect for dipping you toasted bread.

Not sure if they changed owner or something but the service is bad. I got here at 4:12p and it's…read morenow 4:41p and I just got my appetizer WITH my food.

This is a Colombian restaurant with authentic food such as arepa, many meat dishes and empanadas…read more Also some fish and shrimp on the menu. The place was a little dirty and need of repair in the ceilings. Also it was warm inside as there were fans, but the AC wasn't working well. The food was tasty and reasonably priced. The service was kind of slow since there was only one waitress and maybe one cook. They have a bar and dancing at night and a drink menu.

Still love this Colombian Restaurant. They have made updates to the restaurant and it feels more…read morespacious. They have a new location closer to my house but I still love this location better. The service is much better here. This time my husband and I both ordered mini bandeja paisas which are traditional mixed plates. Ours had steak, white mini arepa, sausage rice, beans, bananas. I also asked for salad instead of beans. Our plates were very tasty. They also have a Bakery with Colombian breads and desserts, we did not pick up anything this time because Many of them were gone

You can never go wrong with a bandeja paisa! If you're looking for Colombian food in St. Pete, this…read moreis the place to eat! The energy is great here- it's always full of people watching the games on tv or hanging out with family. The servers are great- very attentive, and very friendly. The bandeja paisa comes with 2 plátanos, steak, chicharrón, an egg, arepa, rice, beans- what more could you ask for! If it's too much for you, you can order the mini version. Either way you will not be disappointed! Everything was delicious!

My son brought me lunch from here and I can't wait to go back! I got 2 empanadas and a side of…read morebeans. Love the sauces with empanadas whichwere stuffed, great flavor and perfectly cooked even after sitting while he brought them home. He also ate all of his food and loved it!

This use to be one of our faves. Unfortunately it has gone down. The quality of food is not the…read moresame. The flavor is lacking, the plates aren't what they use to be. The A/C doesn't work well. There's also no liquor license now. We were most disappointed by our food. The sauces weren't flavorful at all. My seafood was considerably less as well. We ordered a Pescado Ala macho which I compared pics from before when I ordered it as well. In addition the Tallarin Saltado lacked flavor, was mostly noodles and barely any beef. The server was nice but we could tell the overall experience was not what we once loved.

Authentic columbina food, it feels like I'm still in Colombia. The food was fresh and tasty. Our…read moreserver was the owner and he was very polite and have us a free empanada. The atmosphere was very calm and relaxed. An authentic hidden gem

Excellent food. We have tried the Colombian food here several times and the food is consistently…read moredelicious. The empanadas are the best in the area. Reasonable prices and a convenient location and delicious food make this a favorite of ours!