It's hard to find a restaurant that accommodates everyone from omnivore to vegetarians. Arepa sure…read moredoes. Where staff aren't knowledgeable in regards to the food's nutritional contents (sodium, sugar, etc ) they are very friendly. The food is outstanding. We sat next to a pair of men. One complaining that he wouldn't like this food. He only liked Mc Donald's. Before we left, he was stating how surprised he was about how good his meal was. Quote "I could come back here ". Restaurant is kind of no frills but does have a nice patio area outback.

My first dive into Columbian food, and I couldn't be more pleased. The atmosphere and host were…read moreinviting and the decor is bright and welcoming. It is not fast food, due to cooking to order, but well worth the wait. The aji columbiana and Blanca sauces were amazing. I wished the portions were bigger, but that's me being greedy. I think I like plantain chips better than fries, and the empanadas were exceptional. I highly recommend you try this place out, and I will definitely be back.

What a delicious find! My son was searching for dinner on our recent overnight and La Columbiana…read morepopped up. After checking out the menu and reviews he suggested we give it a try. When we arrived we realized it was literally next door to our hotel! Score! They were really busy, but the service was still friendly and efficient. And the food ... so good! I enjoyed an Arepa con queso and a chicken empanada while my son had the carne asada and a beef empanada. Everything was fantastic. So much food too. I especially loved the hot aji sauce that came with the empanadas - I put it on my arepa too -yum! If we are in the area again, I will definitely return.

Looking to expand the palate, we recently tried La Colombiana. Started with fried plantains and…read moreempanadas (two beef, two chicken). Both were delicious, especially the fried plantains. I've had plantains in the past, but these were certainly the best I've tried. For entrees, we went with arroz con pollo and bandeja paisa which was basically an assortment platter. I was a little disappointed in the arroz con pollo. Rice was over cooked and the flavor was overall muted. For dessert, we tried obleas -- thin waffles filled with jam, caramel and cheese. The waffles weren't true waffles, but more just cracker type. Again, rather disappointing but maybe I just don't have the right taste for it. The service was excellent, and we did enjoy the appetizers. Entrees and dessert were a let down. Overall, 3 stars in my book.

I'm addicted to this place. I have to have it at least once a week. It's the plantain chips with…read morethe blanca salsa, which is perfectly garlicky. I've had and enjoyed the chicken cheese arepa, the cheese arepa, and the vegetarian arepa with black beans, cheese and plantains, which are sweeter than the chips. It's the perfect meal for lunch and I am so glad they are here in Cincinnati. Just yum!

Made fresh to order, the Arepa Plce was a perfect stop for lunch. I had the chorizo and cheese…read morearepa, filling; the heat of the sausage melted the cheese. Larger than a taco and smaller than a buritto, the arepa is a nicely sized lunch meal. Make sure to use the salsa, it enhanced the flavor overall. The drink menu has Latin alternatives to the American soda. Easy to order at the counter and take your meal to go or use one of the counter stool to eat in. A beautiful day had me sitting outside for my meal.

Came here for a special occasion birthday dinner. There were three of us, which I think is the…read moreperfect number for tapas. We were welcomed warmly and seated at what I think is the very best table in the restaurant. It's the booth that feels like you're almost in your own private room. It kind of hugged us into our own little world and was perfect for a birthday dinner. Then there was Joel, the loveliest of servers. Fun, funny, knowledgeable about the food and just delightful. Joel gets five stars all by himself. We all started with the El Luchador cocktails. They were SPICY. Probably a touch too spicy for some people, but we loved them. Now, I'll be honest. When I first looked at the menu, I was concerned. I don't like goat cheese. I know, I know. I like ALL the other cheeses, just not goat cheese. And this is a goat cheese heavy menu. But I jumped to conclusions because there turned out to be plenty for me to eat. We started with the PAN CON TOMATE. Get this. It's amazing. It seems like it should be simple, but they've somehow elevated it to another level. SANDÍA CON MACHA. This is one of those dishes where you imagine someone in the kitchen putting these flavors together and asking, "Is this good?" And the answer is YES. ACEITUNAS ALIÑADAS Y QUESO MURCIA AL' VINO. They were kind enough to keep my olives from mingling with the goat cheese. The olives I had were meaty and delicious. MEJILLONES CON VINO. My FAVORITE. The mussels were fantastic, but the fennel and that dreamy broth were what really did it for me. PULPO. I tried it. It was delicious. Eating octopus just freaks me out because they're so smart. This is not Mita's fault. This is between me and the octopus. TOSTADA DE CANGREJO. My second favorite thing of the night. A party-in-your-mouth situation. YUM. TACOS DE CORDERO. I didn't eat these, but the others in our party were very happy. BROCHETAS DE POLLO. By this point we were FULL, but these were still very good. Tender, nutty and just the right amount of kick. Overall, the flavors here are unexpected in the best possible way and clearly created by someone who really knows their stuff. If you're up for a culinary adventure, this is absolutely the place. And even if you're not particularly adventurous, there are plenty of delicious things here that can make a special night feel even more special. Fantastic food, fantastic service and a fantastic birthday dinner. And Joel, five stars. Sorry about the lack of photos.

TL:DR good service, decent food, nice ambiance for dates or fun group dinners. Not the best tapas…read moreand at this price point, I wanted a little more but all in all fine, not great. This spot was close to our hotel so we made a reservation for a group dinner here. It's a nice looking restaurant with fitting decor that doesn't feel overly stuffy but has a colorful elegance to it. The waitstaff was friendly and helpful with the menu. We ordered a variety of items, including the empanadas, the plantains, 2 ceviches, cheese plate, chicken skewers, and mussels. The empanadas, standard ceviche, and skewers were good. The rest were pretty meh. See my pictures for more but it was a very uneven meal. I got the cheesecake for dessert and it was slightly frozen in the middle. All in all, it's a good restaurant but not great as the food was inconsistent. But if you want to come on a date or for a group dinner, it's worth the visit. Just be selective of what you get.

We've been meaning to stop here for so long but every time we drive by we're on our way to do…read moresomething! We finally did it! Don't sleep on this spot! My husband had the half chicken with rice and black beans and I had the same chicken shredded in a tortilla bowl - think taco salad with their house dressing. It was all delicious and more than we could eat. No problem. We love leftovers! Our server was delightful and happy to help us with their specialties. The decor was terrific as well!

I've been to Nelly's twice and was underwhelmed both times. The first time I had their "specialty"…read more- roasted chicken. It was good, but it's just roasted chicken, not special IMO. The second time I ordered the relenos. Those were tasty, but the service was so freakin slow that I decided it's not worth it to go back. We had a party of eight and two of us arrived early. They seated us quickly and there was only one other table with guests. The server would not take our drink orders until everyone arrived and even then, I had to motion for her to come over. She just stood in the corner doing nothing until I asked her to take our drink orders. She was clearly not busy, so I don't understand why she made us wait so long. Weird.

Always an excellent dining experience. Food is outstanding…read moreand service is impeccable, Can be a bit noisy at times, but not too much to keep me from coming back.

We had reservations for 6:30pm on Saturday night. We were a little early, but they were able to…read moreseat us right away. The atmosphere is dark and rich, and the seating is very comfortable. All tables have the cutest box-light centerpieces, all with fresh flowers, that added to the ambiance. Our server, Kayla, was smiley and fun! She explained all we needed to know about the nightly specials. She knew the menu well. There were also lovely food runners and other staff that kept our night going smoothly. This is what we had for dinner and our thoughts: Mussels - The PEI mussels were so plump and cooked perfectly. We sopped up all the broth we could with the charred bread pieces. I wanted to pick up the bowl and drink the rest. We order mussels at most places that offer them, and these were the best we have had in Cincinnati. Croquetas - These were interesting. The flavors were good, but we thought the consistency was a little pasty. It was like all the ingredients were blended up together in a, well, paste. Pasta Duo - We chose the Wild Mushroom in vodka sauce, and the Gnocchi Bolognese. We thought the vodka sauce overwhelmed the mushroom in the ravioli and that maybe a lighter sauce would complement the mushroom filling better. However, the sauce was excellent. The gnocchi were pillowy and tasty with the sauce, but there was not much beef in the bolognese. Although these weren't the favorites of the night, they were still very good. Skirt Steak with Chimichurri - OMG! I don't usually order steak out, but serving skirt is rare and it is one of my favorite cuts. It was so tender with a fabulous grill flavor and the most delicious chimichurri. Except for about four bites my wife enjoyed, I ate the whole 10oz steak!! It is pricy, but I would gladly spend the money for this excellent preparation again. The potatoes were roasted and seasoned well, but I wish there were more than five pieces of asparagus for the price. Chocolate Caramel Tiramisu - Very light and chocolatey. Yum! We will be back over and over for the mussels and skirt steak.

Service was very quick and polite. The food was absolutely delicious! And inside the restaurant was…read morevery cool looking. Will 100% be back!!

I have been a patron for many years now. This has to be one of my favorite restaurants in the…read moreGreater Cincinnati area. The Birria and Pastor are my go-to dishes but I haven't had a less than stellar experience with any other dishes. The service is always friendly and accommodating and I enjoy dining in. I enjoy the upbeat music and overall aesthetics. I highly recommend.

This restaurant was so excellent in so many ways. I love it and will return again and again. The…read moreambiance is lovely; colorful, nautical, festive yet soothing. Service is top notch. They have this great system where there's a little table tent and you stand it up if you need something, and a staff member appears quickly. Lay it down and they leave you be. Genius. The food is absolutely fabulous! We have dined here twice. Both times we came early and chose a low top in the bar/lounge because they have an unbeatable happy hour applicable to cocktails, draft beers and several of the delectable appetizers. 4 to 6 pm. So far we've had the Elote corn bites, Coco bites, fried Yuca and the crab bites. 5 stars for all though the Yuca was the weakest link because I'd like it so much better boiled. Their sauces just dance on your tongue. The sides, notably the black beans and garlic potato salad, are superb. And don't miss those Latin cocktails! They were agreeeable to split a main for us, the Arroz con Pollo which had plenty of tender chicken and was full of flavor. On a second visit we each got our own main. So we've had a lot of different dishes here and they were all excellent. My rating is 4 1/2 stars, rounding up due to all of the above. The minus half star is due to one negative. When you're done, the waitress arrives with a hand held electronic device and says 'I can take your payment right here.' Yeah, I expect you to take my payment at the table, AFTER you've given us our bill, then quietly withdrew for a bit while we look over our bill, decide if we're paying cash or card, and also consider how much we plan to tip. I did not like this at ALL, particularly since she did not also say "or would you like a printed bill." We did in fact request and receive a bill to handle in the normal way. So don't feel pressured to just hand over your credit card. This is a practice I would expect from a big corporate chain, not a Mom & Pop. But I love everything else about El Meson.

My husband has been talking up this place for years, but I had never been. We finally had the…read moreopportunity to come together and it did not disappoint! It's a Latin-fusion tapas restaurant and they have happy hour every day from 4pm-6pm! We came early on a Saturday and it was pretty empty but by the time we left the tables and parking lot were full!! The food was so yummy and our server was incredible! They have a system where you put a sign up if you need something, but we never ended up using it because she was so attentive! The ambiance is eclectic and perfect for this place. Also, the restaurant feels like it goes on forever! It's a very cool space. Would definitely go again - it's an experience worth repeating!

We stopped at Mango Twister after dinner tonight. The staff were incredibly kind and taught us so…read moremany things about these unique and delicious Columbian treats! We had a Panela Tea, which is a lot like an apple cider (without the apple). It's made with a type of brown sugar and cinnamon and cheese. Yes, cheese! It was delicious! It had that wonderful balance of sweet and savory that I love, like the ever tasty slice of cheddar on apple pie. Mmmm! We also took a piece of mango cake to go for the house. It never made it out of the car. I hope the best for this business-such a great experience!

When it takes sugar to make fruit sweet quality of their ingredients aren't either fresh or poor…read more Smoothie was absolutely horrible. My suggestion: probably best order from menu. Ordering just fruit is tasteless and it shouldn't take sugar or additional sweeteners. Thinking about it I have rancid after taste. Zero personality but that's pretty much American service. I won't go back. I usually give establishments several chances to get it right. Not them.