Boyfriend and I were in Albany NY for one night - he wanted to go to Cheesecake Factory, but the…read morewait is apparently typically long on a weekend night (I have no idea - never been there!) so we decided not to chance it, and uber'ed from our hotel to this restaurant, hoping it would be good. I'll be honest - my heart sank as we got there, I almost cried. The neighborhood is *sketch*. The outside of the restaurant didn't look like much - but I felt better once we got in. Beautifully decorated with great lighting, lounge-style atmosphere. Great Latin music. We sat on the bar side as it was less busy. Beautiful bar with lots of options! Bartender made us **amazing** margaritas... omg were they strong! Loved it! Since we had never been there before, we played it safe. First we went with a fried calamari appetizer - not the best, but not bad - but then it's not typically something you'd order at a Mexican food restaurant. Boyfriend had the street steak tacos as main - hold the cheese as he forgot his lactaid, lol - and I had the steak quesadilla. Delicious! We loved it. The steak was especially well seasoned, not overcooked and sides were yummy. We ended the evening with churros - definitely homemade and on par with the ones we love at El Mirador in NH. Boyfriend even took his life in his hands and had some of the ice cream, couldn't resist - it was that good! Overall, as Boyfriend put it - this is absolutely a hidden gem type of spot - service was spectacular, food was delicious and we would totally return! (**Seated next to us were two young women on an obvious first date - girl #1 showed up, then girl #2 showed up a few minutes later with a big bouquet of flowers... what a nice touch! We just wanted to put it out in the universe - we hope you guys make it, you were super cute :)**)

L' Roca was good. Food was tasty. Atmosphere is very nice. Service was a little slow at times. I…read morewasn't in a rush, but arrived hungry at lunchtime on a Saturday. I was warmly greeted, seated, and given a menu and then it took some time, well after I was ready, to be visited to place my order. No biggie, but I was ready and it wasn't busy, with guests at 1 other table. When I finished my meal, I waited again. Not a huge problem but a lot of side work was being done vs providing service. I let server know I was all set and he acknowledged then continued to make drinks for kitchen staff. I had ordered lemonade but after checking, it looked like they were out, so he offered the juice (without explaining). Food was very tasty. Lunch was $37 before tip, for 3 tacos meal, 3 empanadas app, and the fruit drink.

Conveniently located just north of downtown Albany Mr pio pio is an excellent restaurant if you…read morewould like to drop in and experience true Latin American country cuisine their dishes are filled with excellent portions and genuine authentic taste as close as you could get from New York that is. The staff are very attentive and quick to serve with a smile on their face leaving you with that warm feeling knowing that you got hot food ready to go and the prices are extremely reasonable which means it makes the experience very satisfying if that's what you look for.

Food is always amazing! The Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice) and the Pollo Guisado (chicken stew…read more) are fantastic, but the Pio Pio Special is perfect! The chicken breast, rice, and beans in the special are phenomenal!

Food was alright! Took about 15-20 mins to get food after ordering. Parking is difficult. We…read moreordered a few different empanadas and unfortunately they mislabeled or the lid moved idk but their system of labeling on the lid didn't work for us. I'd like to suggest wrapping each in a labeled parchment or something to prevent this from happening again. Try the yucca fries and another suggestion to the restaurant or those ordering this is to offer pink sauce for these fries :) (mayo catchup and small splash of vinegar)

We love their food! The empanadas are delicious and the service is superb. We're so fortunate to…read morehave an excellent Peruvian restaurant in our neighborhood.

Absolutely Outstanding Colombian Food!…read more Hands down, some of the best Colombian food we've ever had! The restaurant is small but absolutely beautiful, with a warm, inviting atmosphere. And the music was amazing, it really added to the experience and made us feel like we were transported to Colombia. From the moment we arrived, John Eduard, the owner, and Valentina, our waitress, were absolutely fantastic, warm, attentive, and genuinely committed to making sure we had a great experience. I enjoyed the Bandeja Paisa and asked if they could substitute the flank steak for skirt steak. Even though it's not on the menu, they made it happen and it was absolutely delicious! My husband and son had the La Tabla Mixta for Two, and the meat was incredibly tender, flavorful, and cooked perfectly. And the desserts were to die for! Every bite was better than the last. The food, service, hospitality, atmosphere, and attention to detail were all exceptional. We will definitely be coming back every time we're in the area! Highly recommend this little gem to anyone looking for authentic, delicious Colombian food and a truly wonderful dining experience.

A really nice little hole in the wall Colombian restaurant. Not the prettiest looking place, but…read morethe food, drinks, and service were all excellent. The kids got mac and cheese (looked like Kraft or some equivalent) and the kids chicken (which was SUPER well seasoned and somehow really moist and tender despite being almost as flat as a crepe). My wife got a couple (gluten free) chicken empanadas, which were quite tasty, we both got queso arepas with sausage (which we both thoroughly enjoyed), and I got the arrow con pollo (a touch on the dry side, but oh man was it really tasty). Not a place to go out of the way for, but a place I definitely wouldn't mind stopping at again if I find myself in town.

On this visit to Encebollados El Idolo, I brought along my daughter who is always interested in…read moretrying new foods. We decided to try Bandera or flag. It's a rice dish featuring a combination of beef tripe, tuna, goat and shrimp, inspired by the yellow, blue and red colors of the Ecuadorian flag. It was a big dish that was priced at about $28. We decided to share it. It was the first time I had tripe or goat. The tuna was cooked through. It was very fishy but I think it was intentionally so. The shrimp and plantain were great. The dish was nicely prepared and beautifully plated but I never would have been able to finish it alone. Our server was a friendly young woman, who came back a couple of times to make sure we were okay. It helped that we knew some Spanish. The restaurant has plenty of seating and was clean. My daughter was so happy to eat such an authentic dish. She looks forward to coming back.

Food was sooooo good. Portion was huge! Great value for price, I think I got at least 3 or full…read moremeals out of it. The one pet peeve I had is I ordered from the printed menu, 2 items. 1 was listed at $19 and the other at $22. My bill was $58. I don't know if the menu was old or what happened, but it was more than I expected. I'll try it again.

I got a really nice lunch here, good food at a good price. I was in Albany on layover, and it was…read morean easy walk from the bus station

The food was absolutely delicious, with authentic Colombian flavor you can enjoy in every bite. The…read moreportions are definitely worth the price, and the service was simply outstanding. Without a doubt, a place I'll come back to....

Where are you celebrating life today? Viva Empanadas is a…read moregreat spot to do just that! The Albany location at 90 N.Pearl Street is visually stunning while the empanadas are a true fiesta for the taste buds. Popped in for a late lunch where we enjoyed the tropical lemonade and the empanada special. Shrimp D'verde, Spinach & cheese, and Colombianita for me Classic Cheese, Vegan-licious, and D'verde for my friend The gentleman at the table across from us ordered the rotisserie chicken which looked and smelled amazing - might have to go back to try it soon! They also have a weekend brunch menu served from 10-2 that looks epic.

Not one, not two, but 3 separate credit card companies sent immediate fraud notifications after our…read morecards were swiped at this restaurant. I went here on Saturday, on Monday morning my credit union called letting me know they are increasing fraud protection on my account because I swiped my card at this restaurant. The owner was asking us to Zelle her money. We are still monitoring our cards to make sure everything is okay. We went to multiple restaurants in Albany during the course of the weekend and this didn't happen anywhere else. And the drinks are watered down. Don't come here.

I visited for lunch on a weekend and they have a huge outdoor covered patio as well as air…read moreconditioned dining room. My finance and I were welcomed as soon as we walked in. Their regular menu is huge and they had a specials menu as well. I ordered the shrimp quesadilla with a side of guacamole and my fiance got the carne asada burrito from their specials menu. We were served complimentary chips and salsa, which were delicious. Both of our entrees were good as well. My fiance raved about his burrito too. We'll definitely be back to try more things!

What a lovely place. I've driven by so many times and wondered about stopping in. Wonder no more. I…read morehad an awesome time at Salsa Latina in East Greenbush. For starters, I was impressed by the bright, cheerful decor. The painted furniture depicted charming village scenes of people, places and animals. There's a friendly hostess to greet guests by the door. Our server was nice and helpful, too. My friend ordered carne asada ( beef) tacos and I ordered chorizo (pork sausage) tacos. They are generous with portions. Our corn tortillas were stuffed with meat. Plenty of sauces, refried beans, chopped onions, cilantro and sliced limes came with each dish. The food was delicious and certainly authentic. I ordered a virgin pina colada since I was driving. It was wonderful. It tasted like dessert in a glass. I honestly don't know why this place didn't rate higher. Customers had nice things to say but were stingy when giving out stars. For my part, I think my Salsa Latina experience was worthy of 5 stars.