Fire!!!! Or as they say on the internet, "dat bih gah!". Best Dominican/puerto rican food I've had…read morein years. At first bite, I was Instantly brought back to time as a teen in the Bronx waking up in the morning, running to the local hole in the wall mom and pops Spanish food spot to grab my cup of avena and small plate of rice beans and meat of choice. Thank you for bringing my taste buds back to life during my Poconos vacation. 5 stars for sure!!!

La Parada Latina in Swiftwater is an authentic Dominican restaurant offering guests a taste of…read moretreasured, intimate family recipes prepared with fresh vegetables, flavorful meats, and hearty rice. It's no surprise that their rotisserie chicken has been labeled "the best in the Poconos." All dishes are made from scratch and reasonably priced. Menu Highlights~ Tender, roasted pork with yellow rice and beans is a cultural staple that is a popular item. Fried pork chops, grilled tilapia, and stew chicken are available in combo meals that include rice, beans, salad, and drinks. The traditional soup known as Sancocho is so good you need to taste it My favorite is some kind of steak sitting in just a brown sauce made in a miracle of seasoning, served over whit rice. You'll be in heaven eating this dish

Amazing authentic Dominican food. great service. I was here for 5 days on a work trip and I ate…read morehere for dinner all five days. never cost me more than 20 dollars and the food is fresh, tastes great and amazing service. def worth a try.

Food is ok. The staff are horrible. We ordered and they are rushing you, when is time to pay they…read moredon't offer a receipt with the breakdown of the items you buy. Is a random number that they charge and yes it is pricey.

The food is absolutely fantastic. The service was exceptional, swift and well taken care of. The…read morerestaurant itself is classy, cozy and welcoming all at the same time. I recommend this restaurant and it's now my new favorite.

One of the most overpriced dried out fish dinner I ever ate. Wouldn't recommend this restaurant to…read moreanyone.

Everything here was awesome. So friendly and professional, and clean inside. Food is delicious,…read moretop yo bottom. Wish it was not so cold inside.

I agree with other reviewers: a gem of a find! We were staying less than 2 miles away, did not…read morewant chain restaurant food, and this place sounded so delicious. Unfortunately, we don't speak any Spanish, and most of the workers don't speak any English, so ordering was a bit complicated, but we managed. One order of grilled pork loin (thin sliced, well seasoned) with a generous "small" side salad, and one order of the beef steak with rice, both eaten to the last morsel. We also purchased 2 bakery items, don't know what they were, but they were inexpensive, moist and interesting. One had a bit of apple filling; we don't know what the filling was in the other item; it looked like jam, but it wasn't that sweet. With all the workers and all of the other customers speaking Spanish, we figure we hit an authentic spot. Our order was for take out.

The service was fast food was hot and delicious!!! The price was cheap. Love how clean it was. My…read moreson and I will be going back soon.

As a fellow Dominican coming from NYC, I was not at all impressed with the food here…read more In just a couple words, the food here seems bland and not at all up to par with authentic flavors. We have tried this place on two separate occasions, ordered different dishes, and have even introduced the food to my mother who is from the Dominican Republic. We weren't impressed and neither was she. We were very confused as the workers are all Dominican and there was a long wait (30 min to an hour), so we thought the food would be excellent. We will say that the staff is very friendly and welcoming. They handled any concerns and haven't caused us any issues. Most of the juices here seem to be as good as any other Hispanic place (love the passion fruit juice). The traditional "Morir Sonando" (Orange juice and condensed milk drink (tastes way better than it sounds) is made well but nothing spectacular. If you're into that drink you won't be disappointed, but you won't be raving about it. The best thing about this place would have to be the parking right outside the location. The parking makes it really easy to wait while your food is being prepared. If needed, the servers will even wave to you when your food is ready. All in all, we've given this place a fair amount of chances and it's safe to say we most likely won't be eating here again. That's not to say you shouldn't try this location, especially if you've never had Dominican food before. Many other people and reviewers seem to enjoy it. Just be aware that this isn't the standard.

Small spot located on Hazel Street. I stopped here while waiting for my clothes to finish drying in…read morea nearby laundromat. I was charged $14 for a side of rice and corn pudding dessert. I honestly felt cheated as sides were never this expensive in other restaurants I've ever dined in. And the pudding wasn't good at all.

Great Dominican food and very friendly service. We ordered takeout--I had the pernil (the skin had…read moregreat flavor!) with rice and beans, my son had the baked chicken and my fiancé had stewed beef. Everything was really tasty. Empanadas were made fresh and the only complaint I had was that it was mostly a pocket of air with some ground beef, but the flavor was great. We'll order again!

We're on board with, and on record as saying to all our friends that, MVD is our favorite spot. But…read moresince we like trying new places too, we had to come back for the first time in over a year. It's not just the variety of tapas options, or the incredible wine selection, or the impeccable hospitality that will keep you coming back; it's the culinary journey rarely taken where the food transports you and you just sit back speechless thinking, "that was IT, where has this been?" You'll leave completely stuffed, and they'll be drinks... lots of drinks; but the concoctions are adventurous and more than worth trying a few of, and that's before you get to the wine list. They know their stuff; they travel the world to find inspiration for their own curated menu, but bring lesser-known varietals to the forefront that really challenge your palate and leave you needing to speak directly to the associate at the wine and spirits store, in the best way possible. If you have an unoaked chardonnay available, I immediately like you! You don't have to wait long once you order for those tasty shareable plates to come firing out; they're quick, efficient but also know how to help you pace your meal. Funny thing about this meal (that we shared with another couple we go touring with) is that it turned into a Catholic-guided, Lent-abiding seafood extravaganza, which was not necessarily our goal on approach. I love when a place really surprises you with things you wouldn't typically think to pair together or even order, and they become some of your favorite things altogether. Case in point, the escargot; most escargot I've ever had was rubbery, soaked in butter and masked with garlic. None of that was going on here, and they even did the work for you with the shells. Anything fried (empanadas, yuca fries, oysters, seabass tacos) had a very even, full but thin breading. Not a trace of residual oil, nothing heavy about it and still the right temp inside to not blast the filling. I really enjoyed the oysters, and the pickled radish and shallot would be good as an accompaniment for ANYTHING. The chimichurri is spot on, and anytime it appears on the menu, which it does several times, you should get those items. The butter sauce with a camarones was drinkable, the empanadas never disappoint, and the almond tart with wine-poached pears for dessert was literal perfection. Overall, our favorite drink was the Holy Smokes and they have a team-oriented approach to presenting dishes table side. Fun and friendly, the staff is knowledgeable, patient and has great personal recommendations, all with legit culinary knowledge. Go...like, now!

¡Vamos a tapear!…read more This is my first time in Wilkes-Barre and after almost a week of eating pizza, and other assorted quick bites across the town, I was in the mood for something more. I'm from Las Vegas, and I can only eat so much pizza! MVD was recommended to me by someone who hasn't even dined here yet if that tells you how much people talk about this place. It's about 12 mins or so from where I am staying near the arena/Kings College area and is easy to access with its own parking lot. When I walked up, I was very impressed. It is so cute and welcoming! There's a bar at the front when you walk in and you're immediately greeted by smiling faces. The face that greeted me belonged to Brian. (I hope it's with an I and not a Y...sorry if not!) He immediately sat me for my solo reservation and made sure I understood the concept and menu and gave me some time to look it over. They are only open from 5-9 and I arrived at 7:15pm. Nearly everything is made fresh in house (even the ravioli are hand stuffed...wow) and Brian couldn't give the chef enough props for what she does there every day. I ordered the chicken empanada, camarones (shrimp), and mini hamburguesas as well as a caipirinha (alcoholic drink). Tapas are small plates, almost like appetizers, and although the servings are not large, the flavors are so rich it feels like they are! Everything made me do a "happy dance" and I even saved the sauce from my shrimp to dip my burger in. It didn't need it at all, but I couldn't let the sauce go! The empanada...jeez. I wish I remembered to take a photo before I dove in. And the mini burgers...Immaculate. The ambiance is so welcoming. I ended up speaking to every diner around me and even got to talk to another foodie couple who traveled there from some towns over after discovering MVD on a prior visit. They told me something I already knew as well: I'll be back to try the things I missed because YOU CANT GO WRONG! Sal, Brian, and there was a woman at the front as well were all great. And they have a promotion where you send a postcard to anyone you want after your meal. So cute!! I will def visit MVD EVERY time I come to Wilkes-Barre and support them bringing new flavors to the town. I can't rave enough!

My friend and I stopped by this restaurant before going to a meeting to grab something for dinner…read more The food was full of flavor, fresh and service was friendly. Highly recommend

When I travel to this area, I makenit a must to pickup a dozen frozen pasteles. It can be made…read moreporknwith either yuca or guineo. You get them home boil a pair for about 30 to 40 minutes and eat them with arroz con gandules or by themselves. This restaurant makes pasteles perfectly and if you try one first. Once you try it, you will for sure want to buy a dozen to make at home. Always a great batch, great flavor and priced just right. Give them a shot youngest regret it!! 10/10