Well.. First and last visit. Disappointing to say the least... Had mofongo con pernil. Dry,dry,dry,dry!!!! Lots of choices around town, select another resteraunt.
(1)
Melony R.
The reason I even remember this place is because it was probably the worst restaurant I've been to in a long time. The restaurant is dirty. The service is lacking big time. We ordered very simple foods and it took over an hour before we decided to tell them that when it's ready just make it to-go...mind you we didn't tell this to the server...we had to go up to the window. The food was greasy and tasteless. I had high hopes for this place...I love finding great hole-in-the-walls, but this place isn't one of the good ones.
(1)
Brandon L.
Friendly service, good food, and truely Puerto Rican. The Mofongo was served on a plate, different from the style I had in Rincon Puerto Rico but still good. There is nothing fancy about the location but I'm not there to appease my eyes.
(4)
Ramon R.
I was looking for a new place to have mofongo. This is not the place. Mofongo was dry and not very tasty. I had mofongo with Chicharron my guest had mofongo with shrimp. The prices are all blanked out with a marker......for good reason...paid over 40$ for this mess. Will not recommend or return..
(1)
Nannette A.
Went here because of the reviews about great food. Food is horrible. My boyfriend ordered the the steak. The meat is dry. I ordered the mofongo...big mistake. Our first time here and making it our last. What restaurant have a menu with no price (price was blacked off with marker). My boyfriend is Puerto Rican and he was ashamed he took me here. On a side note: beer is awesome. They kept it ice cold.
(1)
Jason T.
While i visited my daughter in Tampa we stopped in and dined at this mom and pop restaurant. Being born and raised in new york. I am very critical about bad spanish food. This small restaurant has the feeling and decor of a typical restaurant found in Puerto Rico. The service was prompt and the waitress was helpful and talkative. I ordered a camaronfongo which is green plaintain mashed with garlic and the shrimp pour over top in a red sauce. It was amazing! The plaintains were fresh and the order was plentiful, enough for 2 people. This is a great spot for authentic Puerto Rican food. I gave it 4 stars only because the restaurant could use a lil TLC.
(4)
Steve E.
I haven't eaten really good Puerto Rican food in a long time, and so I was delighted to follow in the footsteps of many of the Yelpers whom I respect and make the pilgrimage to El Mofongazo. This small, ethnic restaurant is located in a little strip mall off Hanley Road, just north of Hillsborough Avenue. If you've not been here before it's best to plug the address into your GPS rather than trying to read the signposts at every small strip mall along Hanley. El Mofongazo has a lunch counter overlooking the grill, and then seating in their dining room which has tables for 7 or 8 small parties of people. The people inside are very friendly, and more than willing to answer questions and make recommendations about your order. I happened to have Sam Q's Yelp review open on my phone when the lady came to take my order, and she pointed to Sam's picture and broke into a big grin. Clearly this man is legendary in El Mofongazo! To start my meal I asked a small cup of Sopa de mondongo, and the woman brought me this HUGE bowl of soup with all of the fixins. (I'm sure this had something to do with being a friend of Sam's). Sopa de mondongo is better known as Tripe soup, and while it is very tasty, I hestitate to recommend it to people who've never eaten tripe before. I do not know El Mofongazo's exact recipe, but tripe soup is generally made from diced tripe (the stomach of a cow) slow-cooked with vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and root vegetables. Their variation also included salted pork and corn, along with a plate of white rice, avacado, and Cuban bread. Extreme yumminess!!! For my main course I ordered Mofongo Tradicional de Platano Verde con Lechon, which is the traditional Puerto Rican Mofongo with shredded roast pork. Mofongo is is a fried plantain-based dish which is typically made with fried green plantains mashed together in a pilón (a wooden mortar and pestle), with broth, garlic, olive oil, and pork cracklings or bits of bacon. The Mofongo ends mounded in the middle of your plate, and served with your choice of meat or seafood and sides of broth and garlic mojo. Absolutely delicious! If you're feeling adventurous and want to step outside your traditional Chinese / Mexican ethnic dining options, then I highly recommend a stop at El Mofongazo to try some wonderful Puerto Rican food. Oh, and tell 'em that Sam Q sent you!!!
(4)
Sam Q.
It's time to update my review. I can't believe it's been three years. And this place has done nothing but get better with age. The seating has improved, the floor now supports the dancing they host on weekends, and the general ambiance has improved. But it's still a Puerto Rican restaurant, so it retains a certain charm that your typical chain restaurant can't touch. And the food.... I have to make the disclaimer that I'm Puerto Rican. So when it comes to Puerto Rican food, I'm an expert. I know good Puerto Rican food. And and I know bad and mediocre food. I can unequivocally state this is freaking outstanding Puerto Rican food. In Tampa it just doesn't get any better than this. The taste remains home made. Maintaining that taste in a commercial venture is hard. If you want to taste authentic Puerto Rican food, look no further. Ask for "morcilla". It's blood sausage. Don't Google it. You don't want to know what's in it or how it's made. Trust me. But if you like sausage, you will love this. Just bit into in and don't think too much about it. Ask for "alcapurrias". It's Puerto Rican fried appetizers that are amazingly delicious. They make them in house. It's the real deal. And, of course, there's the mofongo. It's the house specialty. I don't remember having it better even in Puerto Rico. Bring a big empty stomach. You're gonna need it. I eat out all over Tampa Bay and enjoy all sorts of food. I prefer genuine ethnic foods as they tend to be more flavorful and interesting. But I have a soft spot for Puerto Rican food, and I'm glad there is one place in Tampa where I can get the authentic experience without having to go back to the island. Come and enjoy this place. It's as good as it gets.
(5)
Alvin G.
Decided to look for a new place to try and came across this restaurant in my search (which is why I'm now leaving a review). If I recall correctly, I ordered the mofongo with carne frita (fried pork chunks). Let's just say I was disappointed in my meal. There aren't too many places that make mofongo and only ate it because I didn't care to waste my money. Would I recommend it to anyone? No, not at all. Having lived in Puerto Rico in my past, I'm a fairly decent judge of PR food. May try a couple other places for comparison. I've actually had mofongo from a food truck in Orlando that is 10 times better than what I had here. Yes, a food truck. And if you're ever in the Orlando area, pass by Guavate or Latin Roots for good mofongo. The food truck I am referring to is Piñones En Orlando. I also feel the Cuban food in the Tampa area is subpar. I compare the Cuban food from this area to what I've had in Miami and Miami is hands down, a lot better in every aspect. Good luck.
(1)
Mark H.
I've been back to El Mofongazo several times since my first visit and review back in 2011, and I was right. This is most definitely a 4-star joint. They're a little slow on the service side, but it's always worth the wait. And it's a great after hours option for food, instead of IHOP and places like that. Well, unless you're not a fan of Bachata and Cumbia. You'll get an earful of that stuff and possibly witness some dancing if you're here late at night. I think it's great for people gazing. Anywho, everything is good. The media noche, Cuban, arroz con gandules, morcilla, pernil, you name it. Still, and ironically, the only thing I haven't had yet is the damn mofongo. lol
(4)
Tiffany B.
Wow. I'm not a PR cuisine connoisseur by any means, but this was sooo goooood. I ordered the mofongo with fried pork and the steak jibarito (the husband and i split both). The mofongo & pork were very very tasty and I would have been satisfied, although not totally blown away, with just that. But then I got to the jibarito. Oh, jibarito. I could write you a poem. I could sing you a song. I might even briefly consider giving you a lap dance. The steak was perfectly seasoned and the sandwich itself was the perfect combo of juicy and crunchy. Bottom line: Go forth, and conquer the jibarito. And then conquer it again. And again. You won't be sorry!
(4)
Cooper S.
During our spring break trip to Florida we had decided we wanted to try something new. This happened to be near the location in which we were headed and none of us had tried Puerto Rican food before so thought it would be nice. Upon entering the restaurant it was pretty empty. We were seated and realized that the person that was serving us was only speaking Spanish. Not a problem though as she went and sent another person out to help us. Since it was lunchtime we had all ordered the Jbarito's. These were delicious. We either had steak or chicken and it is served on a fried plantain rather then bread. The garlic sauce that is served with it was amazing. The reason that that they didn't receive a full 5 stars is because it did seem to take a while to get our food considering that they weren't very busy. But definitely worth it if you have the time to spare.
(4)
Debbie R.
They had a live band playin Plena and they were great. Rice was undercooked and fried chicken was dry. The place needs better upkeep. Bathrooms had no soap to wash hands. Nice bar w cold Medallas . This was my second visit. I wanted to give them a second chance. Don't think there will be a third.
(2)
Heri425 ..
Priced between 7-10 dollars for a good Puerto Rican dish is absolutely awesome. OMG their mofongo with the sauce was absolutely delicious. Great flavor. GREAT PRICE and the music is pleasant. Strongly recommend it.
(4)
Chris M.
Really good! depending on who is working you have to be able to speak a little bit of Spanish. definitely a hole in the wall type place but the food is pretty good much better than Cafe Colao I haven't tried any of the sandwiches but the mofongo is really good.
(4)
Rachel M.
I've been wanting a jibarito forever and forever! I'm serious! Who really says that, especially coming from an asian girl???!!!! Well, bc of yelp, my car knew where to drive me to finally try it, and I was thankful and happy. This place is not a pretty as a whistle, look like a fancy vegas loungy type of place. It's a small modest place in an older strip mall. Seriously though, those are the places that you need to go to. The fact that this place was so busy in such an area where there is really not much around except houses was a real eye opener there. I knew I had to stay and wait for the food. I must say that I waited and waited and waited, and did I say waited. Yes I did. All in all though, the waiting period paid off. I split a jibarito with steak and alcapurrias. A jibarito is a sandwich. Green plaintains would be the bread, and the steak is the steak, came with lettuce and tomato and whatever else you put on a regular sandwich.. But Regular, it is not. It is just an undescribable yumminess. It came with rice and gandules(not yellow rice) puerto rican rice, and I swear I like it so much better. We got alcapurrias with it. They look like fat fried fish sticks or mozz sticks. They said it was pork inside but really the taste was just of fried. That didn't not float my boat once. The last thing that was heaven was the fresh pina colada juice, yummy yummy oh so good. I'll be back there and I gotta try the mofongo. You can see the pics from the other yelpers I still don't know but I am excited to try it. So Come one come all to El Mofongazo!!
(4)
Margatita V.
I went there for the first time and me and my friend love it! Food was amazing, reasonable price and we had a great time!
(4)
Zach H.
I wanted to love this place soooo much because I love all Latin food... but it was just average with more lows than highs. It's open seating, but there were only 2 tables open in the small dining area-- one wasn't entirely cleaned off and the other had a couple small pieces of plexiglass sitting in the booth. My friend and I chose the table that wasn't cleaned off. After the table was cleaned off and our food order was taken, it took waaaaaay too long for any food to hit our table. We ordered a Pastelillo de Carne (Beef Empanada) and an Alcapurria (Beef Fritter) as our appetizers. The empanada was fried nicely with a pretty tasty filling. The Alcapurria was bland and there really wasn't anything special about it, not nearly as good as ones I've had in the past. For our entrees, we ordered the Mofongo (mashed plantains) with Roast Pork and a Steak Jibarito (Plantain Sandwich) with Rice & Beans. I love plantains, but the mofongo was lacking a lot of seasoning. The roast pork that accompanied the mofongo was extremely underwhelming and not at all appetizing. It was dry, chewy and sitting in a pool of oil. The Jibarito was much better. The steak had pretty good flavor and the plantain "bun" was nicely prepared. However, the rice & beans were very dry and very bland -- such a disappointment and a disgrace to rice & beans. I would come back for the Jibarito and empanada, but I'd call it in for a to-go order. The average food combined with the average service left an impression that doesn't make me want to come back to dine in. Other reviews tells me that this is a great place, so it's possible I came on an off-day. I'm all about giving places a second chance... but this one will probably in the very distant future.
(3)
Michael C.
I'm surprised it took me this long to try a place that is right down the road from where I live. Come for the food and service, ignore the decor. I came in on a Friday night because I wanted something cheap, in the area, and new. A lot of good reviews for this place, so why not? Went in, and again, ignore the decor - tape on the seats, cheap furniture. Just find yourself a seat (I choose near a TV so I could watch the Heat game) and get comfy. The server came over quickly with a menu. I was still debating between the mofongo or the jibarito. It didn't help that the other table in the restaurant, a family of 6, all got the mofongo. But I decided to be different and based on a lot of suggestions, got the jibarito de bistec. Also a pastilillo de carne (which is an Empanada). The pastilillo was good as an appetizer and soon came the jibarito de bistec. For those that don't know, jibarito is a sandwich where the "bread" is actually fried plantains. Anyways, this sandwich was good. Haven't had pan con bistec in a while, but this was a good alternative. Definitely will be coming back for lunch sometime to try the mofongo. And again, the service was excellent. The server was friendly, social with all the tables, and worth giving a bigger tip.
(4)
Kevin F.
Nice upbeat atmosphere and friendly staff. I had steak and mofongo. No complaints there. The skirt steak served with it was pretty basic, but tasty. I wasn't a fan of the small side salad being included on the same plate as the main meal. After all, no one likes a warm salad. The sauces, dips, etc. are also put on the same plate, which made things seem a bit cramped and awkward. Maybe it's a personal quirk, but I prefer that sort of thing to have its own small dish. That way, it's easy to move and very little chance of getting the table (or yourself) messy. Hopefully they'll square away that issue soon. They recently opened here and I think they are still getting a feel for things... There are some framed prints sitting against the walls with price-tags between $50 and $100. I would've preferred if they were hung up and had less obtrusive (and more reasonable) pricing, but it's not anything worth dinging them for on the review. Next time I'm here, I'll be sure and try the goat stew or the blood-sausage. I'm sure either will be tasty here.
(3)
Mel R.
Love my latin restaurants, but have To say this One disappointed. Hate to have to give such a poor review, but this place just wasn't for me... Not very clean, Very long wait despite coming in on a slow weekday, there might have been three of four other tables being served and still had a 45 Minute wait for a simple Jibarito which in the end was not even that good... cheese tasted very cheap, rice wasn't fresh. A total waste of time. Had high hope, not even close.
(1)
Chikis Q.
Smelled awesome, looked clean. Except NO cafe con leche to go with the antojitos, so I left. No coffee? Really?
(3)
Mike S.
Positive comments by reviewers whose ratings I respect brought me here. Very well pleased, even if some menu items were not available. Test Puerto Rican dishes that we had included mofongo, alcapurrias, plantain "spiders" (that look like latkes)....all in a 3-way appetizer sampler, plus churasco steak jibarito where fried green plantain slabs are used instead of bread to make a very savory sandwich. Prices were low, large menu, lots of island specialities, good service.....but the flavor of the dishes was the stellar aspect, meriting a 4 star as top of the pack for PR restaurants. Upon leaving we said we had seen lots of postitive reviews on Yelp. That elicited a blank look....then I said Sam told us to come...and that brought a big smile. So much for brand recognition. But to give due credit, I would not know Sam existed or what he likes if it were not for Yelp
(4)
Frances V.
Good food, but not the best welcoming environment or service. Need to improve on their customer service and they would be full all the time.
(2)
Nathan H.
I have never had Puerto Rican food before so we decided to try it. I was very impressed. We first ordered a fresh mango drink that was frozen (non alcoholic). We were both impressed with the fresh flavor of mango and it was not overly sweet. I ordered the mofongo con chicharrones de pollo and my girlfriend ordered the mofongo con churasco. My chicken was very good, lightly breaded and crispy with good flavor. Her steak was also tender and tasty. The mofongo was great. We could hear the chef in the back making it for us. The service was also very good. We live in Pinellas county and had to drive a distance to get there and we will definitely go back.
(4)
Jessie B.
Quality of the food is pretty good however the portions were very small. The service was poor and it wasn't even packed. But I'm still giving it 3 stars because of how great the food tasted. I got the Mofongo con Churasco and a side of platanos and it was delicious. Pretty good Puerto Rican dishes.
(3)
Arnaldo T.
Worst experience ever... The one and only restaurant that charges upfront without serving the food... Although 1 star it should received 0 stars!!
(1)
Peter C.
Everything was very good from the service to the food. I really enjoyed myself and would definitely visit again
(4)
Gigi S.
Where the hell else are you going to get blood sausage (morcilla) at 3am? Nevermind that you probably need Spanish to get by in here, that it's also a dirty little club on weekends, and that it took me about 30 mins to get a wine. With a media noche sammich that tasty I can overlook hard rice and questionable digs!
(2)
Brett N.
Why 4 stars? Because apparently Puerto Rican food rocks it. --- --- --- I have only had Puerto Rican food three times, so I am thoroughly in my beginner stage, but I do know that I enjoyed my Mofongo from here. I recently discovered this phenomenon and will be enjoying it at any place willing to serve it to me. Sam Q sent me here and told me to make sure I let the owner know about that. He couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating. I don't live terribly close to El Mofongazo, but I'll be a repeat customer when I'm in the area.
(4)
Dan J.
Foodgasm! Words can't describe how good the meal was! I am certainly no Puerto Rican food expert, but I know what I like and I know what is good. Word of advice: Bring your appetite to this restaurant because the food is very filling! We ordered the tostones for an appetizer and then the pork mofongo and blood sausage jibarito and just split everything. The tostones were very good as was the pork mofongo, but the jibarito was like nothing else I've ever had before! Amazing, incredible, you get the picture! Not only is the food great, but the prices are a total bargain! if you feel like trying something a little different, program your GPS and check this place out!
(4)
Vero O.
My family is here on Vacation and missing home we wanted to have some Puerto Rican food. La Casona was closed so we went here to El Mofongazo. We arrived at the restaurant at 8pm, they seated us immediately. By 9:16 we'd only had our appetizers (Thank God, but they were cold anyway) about 5 minutes later our entrees finally arrived. My sister asked for Roast Pork, it was awfully dry. Some tostoned were burnt. The beef steak and churrasco (skirt steak) weren't much better, and my mofongo was all right, but the plating was awful, it was flat and the sauce fell on the sides. The owner didnt have any servers. It was just him, the cook, and what looked like his 12 year old daughter working and handling our food. While eating, they started getting ready to close, and turned off the lights on our side of the restaurant. WTF! Then they had the nerve to include their tip on our check. We paid 82 dollars for food and service we hated because we unfortunately feel guilty about not paying. My husband went to speak to them and apparently they didn't see a problem with the waiting time because they supposedly make everything "a la carte". I call BS. Just avoid the place.
(1)
Cindy S.
1. Hole in the wall 2. I think it might be a family owned place 3. Great reviews 4. Nearby First off, our navigation instructions to get to this place were very confusing, not sure if that has happened to anyone else. It's a hole in the wall place inside a plaza. The front of it isn't all that appealing but that wasn't why we went there. Inside, place needs A LOT of help! It can definitely use some attention. The lady at the front who greeted us was really nice, had a huge smile on. She walked us over to what looked like the bigger seating area of the place. Nothing fancy about this place at all, in fact some might hate it because of it's dire need of some changes. There is a cool painting on the wall of Puerto Rico which is awesome for a pic :) we finally ordered our drinks and food, took us like 10 mins to figure out what type of mofongo to get I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT THE NAME OF MY DRINK was. OK with that said all I do remember is that the mofongo I got was the BISTEC one and the one the BF got was the POLLO something. I know I know what is a review without names? well it is whatever it is to you! I don't remember so whatever, sue me. I will post pics of the food later. OK so it took FOREVER to get our drinks, she seemed to be busy doing who knows what, it was then that I noticed there was a bar behind me! A BAR! and a tiny DANCE FLOOR! I mean OMG ^_^ right then the male employee came by to tell us that the lights were gonna be turned off and the disco lights would be turned on. Apparently they have karaoke nights there and people love it! FOOD WAS DELICIOUS!!! the CHOCOLATE FLAN I got was heavenly! the drink I had was amazing (no I don't remember what it was called FML) Service could have been better but it wasn't horrible. When the lady did come around she would smile and her Ora was awesome :) The worst thing about my experience there? As we were waiting at the front counter to pay that male was "talking" with some female (I think she works there) about I don't know what but OMG! no respect whatsoever for us, didn't even acknowledge the fact that we wanted to pay. Female was so ghetto and trashy looking smh FHL I just felt like walking out because they just wouldn't shut up. Finally that lady came by and charged us (those other two folks were talking trash about her which wasn't cool to do in front of customers) I don't know why people can't seem to have some type of discretion while they are around customers!! I mean common'!!!! -____- My 3 stars is due to that, which falls under customer service, and the fact that the BF said "I'm glad you didn't go to the bathroom because you would have run out and you would have made us leave. That's how filthy it was" aside from it needing some upgrades and more cleaning. PS. the food is DELICIOUS!!! pick up and take off LOL that's the best advice I can give y'all
(3)
Manny V.
This place is really great , the food is outstanding , the owner is very attentive and so is his wife !!!! A must visit if you want authentic Puerto Rican Food !!!! Enjoy
(5)
Kristen M.
The food was good and while the inside was not up to date it was clean. However, the waitress that was working was not very inviting and customer friendly. Most likely will not go there again because of this.
(3)
Stephanie C.
I went to this restaurant excited to get some good, authentic Puerto Rican Cuisine but was very disappointed. I went with my mother on a Friday evening. As stated in other reviews, this is definitely a hole in the wall place, but I never let this scare me from a place that has good food. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those places. The service was terrible. We were the only ones there and when we sat down it still took a good 15 minutes for the server to come greet us. The server was not what I would call personable and we seemed more of an annoyance then anything. We started with a stuffed potato ball (relleno de papa) and a seafood empanada. The appetizers alone took 20 minutes to get to the table. When they arrived, they were visibly burnt. The potato ball was okay flavor-wise but couldn't get past the burnt taste. The empanada didn't taste fresh at all and was also burnt. For our main courses, we both ordered the mofongo. My mom ordered the mofongo "special" with churrasco steak and garlic shrimp (al ajillo) and I ordered the mofongo with just garlic shrimp. The food took 1 whole hour to come out. By this point, our canned Coke' s were warm and we weren't given a cup with ice. We had to ask for it. While waiting for the food, the server never checked on us and jyst talked with the cook in the back. Our food finally came, and I will say the portion was huge. The consistency of the mofongo was very good and very similar to what I have had in Puerto Rico but way too salty. It wasn't even edible. I took a few bites and just was overwhelmed by the salt. My mother's was the same, including the very small piece of steak. The server never asked us if we wanted more to drink and didn't even bring napkins to the table. We asked for our check right away as we had already been there almost 2 hours. I was shocked to see a bill of almost $60! I have no problems paying money for a good meal. But this was outrageous considering what poor service and food quality we received. I am not sure if I went on a bad day since there are so many good reviews but I definitely will not be going back.
(1)
Darcy G.
My first time trying a Jibarito and some other Puerto Rican food items. The flan with cake dessert was delicious. Very casual place and mostly Spanish is spoken.
(4)
Shauna E.
Three stars because the plantains rocked. Maybe we came at an odd time. We called in our order, and when we arrived the place was dead. We went to pay and the person at the counter and found out our food wasn't rang in. Slightly annoying as we were on a lunch break but whatever. So we waited until the order was sent through and we paid. The atmosphere was weird. We didn't feel welcome. My friend ordered a steak sandwich and it was watery. The peppers and onions were definitely old. I had a cuban which was shredded salami, pork and some sort of mystery meat (it tasted like tongue so that's what I'm going with) on bread with lettuce tomato and onions. It was ok but nothing special. Maybe we ordered the wrong things but nothing was very good. I'm giving this a 3 for now but I'm probably going to go back and try something else, jsut to be fair.
(3)
Bridget K.
Amazing mofongo !! Tastes just like they make it back home ! Moist and crunchy con chitcharron de pollo!! Soo delicious !!
(5)
Matt S.
This restaurant should have been a better experience. I love small, ethnic places, and I often give them the benefit of the doubt. This place just could not win me over. Don't mistake my language here. There were some great dishes here, and I will likely go back. I just didn't love it. The Good- El Mofongazo had a solid menu full of items that are not seen at other places including a full array of mofongo (smashed plantains with sauce), el jibarito sandwiches (using palntains instead of bread), blood sausage, and pig ears. They have a really good empanadilla. Their fried pork and chicken are excellent. The staff is courteous and invested. The Bad- Food preparation was really slow. I can take slow, but if you are going to be slow, it better show up in the final product. I can't imagine the time needed to serve the food if the place was actually busy. While the items mentioned above were good, the mofongo was not the star that it should be. The plantains themselves needed more salt, and the sauces that were served lacked the ability to transform the dish. The garlic was very pungent and lacked any depth. The caldo sauce had some depth but no pop. Even mixing these sauces together didn't help. I There are more dishes to to try here, and I look forward to experiencing them. For those with time on their hands, I encourage you to be adventurous. It really is a good place to get your hands on some decent Puerto Racan comida, however, it's challenging to be crazy about place called El Mofongazo when the mofongo was the weakest dish.
(3)
Elizabeth D.
Why why why does it take so long to make this sandwich? I'm not sure but it was almost worth it. The plantain as the "bread" is genius but my steak was so tough and chewy that i could not bite the sandwich cleanly. I would definitely return with hopes of better steak next time.
(3)
Dominic S.
This is a true hole in the wall style eatery. They offer live music on certain days of the month and have delicious food. Do not come here and expect to receive fast service. This food takes time to make and to keep it as true to the island as they do a few minutes having a beer or two will not kill you. You will feel like family while you are here and your food experience will match.
(5)
Dave K.
I've had mofongo before and so had an idea of what I was getting into. I have to admit I like, but don't love mofongo....it's good, but I don't think it's amazing. I called in my order and got it to go. They were very friendly! Overall, the mofongo here was good. I got it with fried pork and regret not getting roast pork instead. I also got the jibarito with steak. Meh. The inclusion of american cheese was a curious add. It was fine. The steak was pounded thin and cooked to shoe leather. Maybe a different meat choice would be better? I might give this place another try (if only to try the roast pork), but probably only if I'm in the mood for something like mofongo.
(3)
Karl L.
Mofongo is fantastic! If you are reading this, you know what it is, so a description isn't necessary. The owner and staff were great, directing me to a cooler spot to sit, and seeming genuinely happy to have me there. Coconut flan was the owner's pick for dessert, and OMW was it good!
(4)
Reynaldo R.
I have tried it twice and the second time some of the food was burnt and greasy. I am staying away based on my experience.
(1)
vanessa g.
Being from DC I don't get the chance to enjoy Latin/Carribean fare very often. This place offers primarily Puerto Rican cuisine. I ordered the tostenes. They arrived with a film of garlic, something not typical of Central American food but nevertheless okay, My mother order pollo sancocho while I requested a Cuban sandwhich.My mom, , who has high standards for Latin food was satisfied with her order, I however was wanting more, The contents of the sandwhich were meaty & warm but I craved more. The quality of the sandwich was not typical of Cuban fare, There was no Cuban bread & although the bread was pressed in traditional fashion I was not impressed, Overall good food, standard service & reasinable price.
(3)
Jay S.
Soup was good, almost a meal by itself. I ordered mofongo w lechon, average here. Lechon was dry, and stale. Mofongo was huge but a bit tasteless and stale, the cook was new maybe, she seems excited to serve but I wished she tried what she served!
(3)
J M.
If you like awesome food, but don't care about eating in a place where the hygiene is the best, come here. It's pretty run down but the food is awesome. The people are friendly, price is awesome. I won't be coming back, but I do not regret trying it.
(2)
Shane C.
wife is puerto rican, so we eat a lot of PR food at mother in laws, we had just returned from PR when we ate here. wife was very impressed with their representation of PR food
(4)
Annie C.
Excellent mofongo! About the best one I've had in the area. If you like Puerto Rican food this place is worth it. And the prices are very reasonable!
(5)
Gilberto G.
El Mofongazo was and Is for me a great place to eat Lunch And dinner. I enjoy the Jibarito sandwich and the Flan. Also, I have enjoyed the live salsa and other latin bands Mr.cotto/Owner has during the weekands. people check it out ! you wont be disappointed !! Thank you, Antonio Cotto.
(5)
Rich D.
After reading the cool reviews for El Mofongazo, I decided to check out Puerto Rican cuisine for the first time. A guest and I stopped by in the afternoon for an early supper. The restaurant was largely empty, and as such we received prompt and extensive attention from the owner who stopped by frequently throughout the meal. The menu was hard to choose from but I finally settled on appetizers of pastelillo de carne and de marisco (similar to empanadas with beef and chicken), and entrees of carne guisada (beef stew, $8) with yuca (a root vegetable) w/ rice and beans. My guest ordered the jibarito de lechon (a sandwich made with slices of plantains as the "bread", and roast pork topped with lettuce, tomato & cheese, $7). We also chose the jugos naturales (fruit drinks), with tamarind for me and mango for my guest. The pastelillos came out quickly and I found the beef a bit bland, but the chicken was excellent and full of flavor. Shortly after the entrees arrived....my carne guisada was cooked & seasoned well, as were the rice and beans. I had never had yuca before, and I loved it. I didn't know what to expect, but it was much better than I imagined it would be. The jibarito was quite good with the flavors of plantains, roast pork and toppings melding together nicely. Another nice surprise was the jugos naturales with the tamarind outstanding and mango good as well. ' The portion sizes were all abundant, we could barely finish everything. For this tasty of a meal of ~$30, I thought the value was outstanding. After the meal we chatted with the owner and his wife for about 15 minutes, and they shared the history of El Mofongazo as well as their backgrounds. The great conversation was a nice finish to a great afternoon. As it's open to 5am on Friday/Saturday nights, I'm betting this is a great spot to get your munch on. Being my first encounter with this cuisine I can't compare it to any other specific restaurants, but can only say that I found the flavors and seasonings excellent. My scores compared to other Latin/South American restaurants are: Atmosphere: 3 Service: 5 Food: 4 Value: 5
(4)
Adil J.
Very authentic, the setting and simplicity of the restaurant is just like you're in a local restaurant in San Juan. And yes there is a Puerto Rican flag hanged on the wall. The house specialty is the JIBARITO sandwich wish is served with your choice of meat, sea food and even vegetarian one, check the picture section here for that delicious banana sandwich. I also added a picture of the menu so you have idea what to expect.
(5)
Jose D.
Amazing. No other place like to eat our famous Mofongo. Will go back again.
(4)
Manny M.
Old school Puerto Rican food at its best. Fun atmosphere at very reasonable prices for the quality food you will surely enjoy. Had the mofongo with seafood and arroz con gandules, kids had the Jibaritos de pernil. Both were full of flavor in the traditional Puerto Rican style, "Con Sabor".
(4)
Ingy Y.
Delicious alcapurrias and relleno de papa...!
(3)
Harry N.
Not good foot, to grease, cold and not Puertorrican flavor at all. We are from Puerto Rico and known. The mofongo was was more a like a Dominican Mangu. Service was ok, the server was nice and ready to provide good service all the time.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Philly C.
Well.. First and last visit. Disappointing to say the least... Had mofongo con pernil. Dry,dry,dry,dry!!!! Lots of choices around town, select another resteraunt.
(1)Melony R.
The reason I even remember this place is because it was probably the worst restaurant I've been to in a long time. The restaurant is dirty. The service is lacking big time. We ordered very simple foods and it took over an hour before we decided to tell them that when it's ready just make it to-go...mind you we didn't tell this to the server...we had to go up to the window. The food was greasy and tasteless. I had high hopes for this place...I love finding great hole-in-the-walls, but this place isn't one of the good ones.
(1)Brandon L.
Friendly service, good food, and truely Puerto Rican. The Mofongo was served on a plate, different from the style I had in Rincon Puerto Rico but still good. There is nothing fancy about the location but I'm not there to appease my eyes.
(4)Ramon R.
I was looking for a new place to have mofongo. This is not the place. Mofongo was dry and not very tasty. I had mofongo with Chicharron my guest had mofongo with shrimp. The prices are all blanked out with a marker......for good reason...paid over 40$ for this mess. Will not recommend or return..
(1)Nannette A.
Went here because of the reviews about great food. Food is horrible. My boyfriend ordered the the steak. The meat is dry. I ordered the mofongo...big mistake. Our first time here and making it our last. What restaurant have a menu with no price (price was blacked off with marker). My boyfriend is Puerto Rican and he was ashamed he took me here. On a side note: beer is awesome. They kept it ice cold.
(1)Jason T.
While i visited my daughter in Tampa we stopped in and dined at this mom and pop restaurant. Being born and raised in new york. I am very critical about bad spanish food. This small restaurant has the feeling and decor of a typical restaurant found in Puerto Rico. The service was prompt and the waitress was helpful and talkative. I ordered a camaronfongo which is green plaintain mashed with garlic and the shrimp pour over top in a red sauce. It was amazing! The plaintains were fresh and the order was plentiful, enough for 2 people. This is a great spot for authentic Puerto Rican food. I gave it 4 stars only because the restaurant could use a lil TLC.
(4)Steve E.
I haven't eaten really good Puerto Rican food in a long time, and so I was delighted to follow in the footsteps of many of the Yelpers whom I respect and make the pilgrimage to El Mofongazo. This small, ethnic restaurant is located in a little strip mall off Hanley Road, just north of Hillsborough Avenue. If you've not been here before it's best to plug the address into your GPS rather than trying to read the signposts at every small strip mall along Hanley. El Mofongazo has a lunch counter overlooking the grill, and then seating in their dining room which has tables for 7 or 8 small parties of people. The people inside are very friendly, and more than willing to answer questions and make recommendations about your order. I happened to have Sam Q's Yelp review open on my phone when the lady came to take my order, and she pointed to Sam's picture and broke into a big grin. Clearly this man is legendary in El Mofongazo! To start my meal I asked a small cup of Sopa de mondongo, and the woman brought me this HUGE bowl of soup with all of the fixins. (I'm sure this had something to do with being a friend of Sam's). Sopa de mondongo is better known as Tripe soup, and while it is very tasty, I hestitate to recommend it to people who've never eaten tripe before. I do not know El Mofongazo's exact recipe, but tripe soup is generally made from diced tripe (the stomach of a cow) slow-cooked with vegetables such as bell peppers, onions, carrots, cabbage, celery, tomatoes, cilantro, garlic and root vegetables. Their variation also included salted pork and corn, along with a plate of white rice, avacado, and Cuban bread. Extreme yumminess!!! For my main course I ordered Mofongo Tradicional de Platano Verde con Lechon, which is the traditional Puerto Rican Mofongo with shredded roast pork. Mofongo is is a fried plantain-based dish which is typically made with fried green plantains mashed together in a pilón (a wooden mortar and pestle), with broth, garlic, olive oil, and pork cracklings or bits of bacon. The Mofongo ends mounded in the middle of your plate, and served with your choice of meat or seafood and sides of broth and garlic mojo. Absolutely delicious! If you're feeling adventurous and want to step outside your traditional Chinese / Mexican ethnic dining options, then I highly recommend a stop at El Mofongazo to try some wonderful Puerto Rican food. Oh, and tell 'em that Sam Q sent you!!!
(4)Sam Q.
It's time to update my review. I can't believe it's been three years. And this place has done nothing but get better with age. The seating has improved, the floor now supports the dancing they host on weekends, and the general ambiance has improved. But it's still a Puerto Rican restaurant, so it retains a certain charm that your typical chain restaurant can't touch. And the food.... I have to make the disclaimer that I'm Puerto Rican. So when it comes to Puerto Rican food, I'm an expert. I know good Puerto Rican food. And and I know bad and mediocre food. I can unequivocally state this is freaking outstanding Puerto Rican food. In Tampa it just doesn't get any better than this. The taste remains home made. Maintaining that taste in a commercial venture is hard. If you want to taste authentic Puerto Rican food, look no further. Ask for "morcilla". It's blood sausage. Don't Google it. You don't want to know what's in it or how it's made. Trust me. But if you like sausage, you will love this. Just bit into in and don't think too much about it. Ask for "alcapurrias". It's Puerto Rican fried appetizers that are amazingly delicious. They make them in house. It's the real deal. And, of course, there's the mofongo. It's the house specialty. I don't remember having it better even in Puerto Rico. Bring a big empty stomach. You're gonna need it. I eat out all over Tampa Bay and enjoy all sorts of food. I prefer genuine ethnic foods as they tend to be more flavorful and interesting. But I have a soft spot for Puerto Rican food, and I'm glad there is one place in Tampa where I can get the authentic experience without having to go back to the island. Come and enjoy this place. It's as good as it gets.
(5)Alvin G.
Decided to look for a new place to try and came across this restaurant in my search (which is why I'm now leaving a review). If I recall correctly, I ordered the mofongo with carne frita (fried pork chunks). Let's just say I was disappointed in my meal. There aren't too many places that make mofongo and only ate it because I didn't care to waste my money. Would I recommend it to anyone? No, not at all. Having lived in Puerto Rico in my past, I'm a fairly decent judge of PR food. May try a couple other places for comparison. I've actually had mofongo from a food truck in Orlando that is 10 times better than what I had here. Yes, a food truck. And if you're ever in the Orlando area, pass by Guavate or Latin Roots for good mofongo. The food truck I am referring to is Piñones En Orlando. I also feel the Cuban food in the Tampa area is subpar. I compare the Cuban food from this area to what I've had in Miami and Miami is hands down, a lot better in every aspect. Good luck.
(1)Mark H.
I've been back to El Mofongazo several times since my first visit and review back in 2011, and I was right. This is most definitely a 4-star joint. They're a little slow on the service side, but it's always worth the wait. And it's a great after hours option for food, instead of IHOP and places like that. Well, unless you're not a fan of Bachata and Cumbia. You'll get an earful of that stuff and possibly witness some dancing if you're here late at night. I think it's great for people gazing. Anywho, everything is good. The media noche, Cuban, arroz con gandules, morcilla, pernil, you name it. Still, and ironically, the only thing I haven't had yet is the damn mofongo. lol
(4)Tiffany B.
Wow. I'm not a PR cuisine connoisseur by any means, but this was sooo goooood. I ordered the mofongo with fried pork and the steak jibarito (the husband and i split both). The mofongo & pork were very very tasty and I would have been satisfied, although not totally blown away, with just that. But then I got to the jibarito. Oh, jibarito. I could write you a poem. I could sing you a song. I might even briefly consider giving you a lap dance. The steak was perfectly seasoned and the sandwich itself was the perfect combo of juicy and crunchy. Bottom line: Go forth, and conquer the jibarito. And then conquer it again. And again. You won't be sorry!
(4)Cooper S.
During our spring break trip to Florida we had decided we wanted to try something new. This happened to be near the location in which we were headed and none of us had tried Puerto Rican food before so thought it would be nice. Upon entering the restaurant it was pretty empty. We were seated and realized that the person that was serving us was only speaking Spanish. Not a problem though as she went and sent another person out to help us. Since it was lunchtime we had all ordered the Jbarito's. These were delicious. We either had steak or chicken and it is served on a fried plantain rather then bread. The garlic sauce that is served with it was amazing. The reason that that they didn't receive a full 5 stars is because it did seem to take a while to get our food considering that they weren't very busy. But definitely worth it if you have the time to spare.
(4)Debbie R.
They had a live band playin Plena and they were great. Rice was undercooked and fried chicken was dry. The place needs better upkeep. Bathrooms had no soap to wash hands. Nice bar w cold Medallas . This was my second visit. I wanted to give them a second chance. Don't think there will be a third.
(2)Heri425 ..
Priced between 7-10 dollars for a good Puerto Rican dish is absolutely awesome. OMG their mofongo with the sauce was absolutely delicious. Great flavor. GREAT PRICE and the music is pleasant. Strongly recommend it.
(4)Chris M.
Really good! depending on who is working you have to be able to speak a little bit of Spanish. definitely a hole in the wall type place but the food is pretty good much better than Cafe Colao I haven't tried any of the sandwiches but the mofongo is really good.
(4)Rachel M.
I've been wanting a jibarito forever and forever! I'm serious! Who really says that, especially coming from an asian girl???!!!! Well, bc of yelp, my car knew where to drive me to finally try it, and I was thankful and happy. This place is not a pretty as a whistle, look like a fancy vegas loungy type of place. It's a small modest place in an older strip mall. Seriously though, those are the places that you need to go to. The fact that this place was so busy in such an area where there is really not much around except houses was a real eye opener there. I knew I had to stay and wait for the food. I must say that I waited and waited and waited, and did I say waited. Yes I did. All in all though, the waiting period paid off. I split a jibarito with steak and alcapurrias. A jibarito is a sandwich. Green plaintains would be the bread, and the steak is the steak, came with lettuce and tomato and whatever else you put on a regular sandwich.. But Regular, it is not. It is just an undescribable yumminess. It came with rice and gandules(not yellow rice) puerto rican rice, and I swear I like it so much better. We got alcapurrias with it. They look like fat fried fish sticks or mozz sticks. They said it was pork inside but really the taste was just of fried. That didn't not float my boat once. The last thing that was heaven was the fresh pina colada juice, yummy yummy oh so good. I'll be back there and I gotta try the mofongo. You can see the pics from the other yelpers I still don't know but I am excited to try it. So Come one come all to El Mofongazo!!
(4)Margatita V.
I went there for the first time and me and my friend love it! Food was amazing, reasonable price and we had a great time!
(4)Zach H.
I wanted to love this place soooo much because I love all Latin food... but it was just average with more lows than highs. It's open seating, but there were only 2 tables open in the small dining area-- one wasn't entirely cleaned off and the other had a couple small pieces of plexiglass sitting in the booth. My friend and I chose the table that wasn't cleaned off. After the table was cleaned off and our food order was taken, it took waaaaaay too long for any food to hit our table. We ordered a Pastelillo de Carne (Beef Empanada) and an Alcapurria (Beef Fritter) as our appetizers. The empanada was fried nicely with a pretty tasty filling. The Alcapurria was bland and there really wasn't anything special about it, not nearly as good as ones I've had in the past. For our entrees, we ordered the Mofongo (mashed plantains) with Roast Pork and a Steak Jibarito (Plantain Sandwich) with Rice & Beans. I love plantains, but the mofongo was lacking a lot of seasoning. The roast pork that accompanied the mofongo was extremely underwhelming and not at all appetizing. It was dry, chewy and sitting in a pool of oil. The Jibarito was much better. The steak had pretty good flavor and the plantain "bun" was nicely prepared. However, the rice & beans were very dry and very bland -- such a disappointment and a disgrace to rice & beans. I would come back for the Jibarito and empanada, but I'd call it in for a to-go order. The average food combined with the average service left an impression that doesn't make me want to come back to dine in. Other reviews tells me that this is a great place, so it's possible I came on an off-day. I'm all about giving places a second chance... but this one will probably in the very distant future.
(3)Michael C.
I'm surprised it took me this long to try a place that is right down the road from where I live. Come for the food and service, ignore the decor. I came in on a Friday night because I wanted something cheap, in the area, and new. A lot of good reviews for this place, so why not? Went in, and again, ignore the decor - tape on the seats, cheap furniture. Just find yourself a seat (I choose near a TV so I could watch the Heat game) and get comfy. The server came over quickly with a menu. I was still debating between the mofongo or the jibarito. It didn't help that the other table in the restaurant, a family of 6, all got the mofongo. But I decided to be different and based on a lot of suggestions, got the jibarito de bistec. Also a pastilillo de carne (which is an Empanada). The pastilillo was good as an appetizer and soon came the jibarito de bistec. For those that don't know, jibarito is a sandwich where the "bread" is actually fried plantains. Anyways, this sandwich was good. Haven't had pan con bistec in a while, but this was a good alternative. Definitely will be coming back for lunch sometime to try the mofongo. And again, the service was excellent. The server was friendly, social with all the tables, and worth giving a bigger tip.
(4)Kevin F.
Nice upbeat atmosphere and friendly staff. I had steak and mofongo. No complaints there. The skirt steak served with it was pretty basic, but tasty. I wasn't a fan of the small side salad being included on the same plate as the main meal. After all, no one likes a warm salad. The sauces, dips, etc. are also put on the same plate, which made things seem a bit cramped and awkward. Maybe it's a personal quirk, but I prefer that sort of thing to have its own small dish. That way, it's easy to move and very little chance of getting the table (or yourself) messy. Hopefully they'll square away that issue soon. They recently opened here and I think they are still getting a feel for things... There are some framed prints sitting against the walls with price-tags between $50 and $100. I would've preferred if they were hung up and had less obtrusive (and more reasonable) pricing, but it's not anything worth dinging them for on the review. Next time I'm here, I'll be sure and try the goat stew or the blood-sausage. I'm sure either will be tasty here.
(3)Mel R.
Love my latin restaurants, but have To say this One disappointed. Hate to have to give such a poor review, but this place just wasn't for me... Not very clean, Very long wait despite coming in on a slow weekday, there might have been three of four other tables being served and still had a 45 Minute wait for a simple Jibarito which in the end was not even that good... cheese tasted very cheap, rice wasn't fresh. A total waste of time. Had high hope, not even close.
(1)Chikis Q.
Smelled awesome, looked clean. Except NO cafe con leche to go with the antojitos, so I left. No coffee? Really?
(3)Mike S.
Positive comments by reviewers whose ratings I respect brought me here. Very well pleased, even if some menu items were not available. Test Puerto Rican dishes that we had included mofongo, alcapurrias, plantain "spiders" (that look like latkes)....all in a 3-way appetizer sampler, plus churasco steak jibarito where fried green plantain slabs are used instead of bread to make a very savory sandwich. Prices were low, large menu, lots of island specialities, good service.....but the flavor of the dishes was the stellar aspect, meriting a 4 star as top of the pack for PR restaurants. Upon leaving we said we had seen lots of postitive reviews on Yelp. That elicited a blank look....then I said Sam told us to come...and that brought a big smile. So much for brand recognition. But to give due credit, I would not know Sam existed or what he likes if it were not for Yelp
(4)Frances V.
Good food, but not the best welcoming environment or service. Need to improve on their customer service and they would be full all the time.
(2)Nathan H.
I have never had Puerto Rican food before so we decided to try it. I was very impressed. We first ordered a fresh mango drink that was frozen (non alcoholic). We were both impressed with the fresh flavor of mango and it was not overly sweet. I ordered the mofongo con chicharrones de pollo and my girlfriend ordered the mofongo con churasco. My chicken was very good, lightly breaded and crispy with good flavor. Her steak was also tender and tasty. The mofongo was great. We could hear the chef in the back making it for us. The service was also very good. We live in Pinellas county and had to drive a distance to get there and we will definitely go back.
(4)Jessie B.
Quality of the food is pretty good however the portions were very small. The service was poor and it wasn't even packed. But I'm still giving it 3 stars because of how great the food tasted. I got the Mofongo con Churasco and a side of platanos and it was delicious. Pretty good Puerto Rican dishes.
(3)Arnaldo T.
Worst experience ever... The one and only restaurant that charges upfront without serving the food... Although 1 star it should received 0 stars!!
(1)Peter C.
Everything was very good from the service to the food. I really enjoyed myself and would definitely visit again
(4)Gigi S.
Where the hell else are you going to get blood sausage (morcilla) at 3am? Nevermind that you probably need Spanish to get by in here, that it's also a dirty little club on weekends, and that it took me about 30 mins to get a wine. With a media noche sammich that tasty I can overlook hard rice and questionable digs!
(2)Brett N.
Why 4 stars? Because apparently Puerto Rican food rocks it. --- --- --- I have only had Puerto Rican food three times, so I am thoroughly in my beginner stage, but I do know that I enjoyed my Mofongo from here. I recently discovered this phenomenon and will be enjoying it at any place willing to serve it to me. Sam Q sent me here and told me to make sure I let the owner know about that. He couldn't have been more friendly and accommodating. I don't live terribly close to El Mofongazo, but I'll be a repeat customer when I'm in the area.
(4)Dan J.
Foodgasm! Words can't describe how good the meal was! I am certainly no Puerto Rican food expert, but I know what I like and I know what is good. Word of advice: Bring your appetite to this restaurant because the food is very filling! We ordered the tostones for an appetizer and then the pork mofongo and blood sausage jibarito and just split everything. The tostones were very good as was the pork mofongo, but the jibarito was like nothing else I've ever had before! Amazing, incredible, you get the picture! Not only is the food great, but the prices are a total bargain! if you feel like trying something a little different, program your GPS and check this place out!
(4)Vero O.
My family is here on Vacation and missing home we wanted to have some Puerto Rican food. La Casona was closed so we went here to El Mofongazo. We arrived at the restaurant at 8pm, they seated us immediately. By 9:16 we'd only had our appetizers (Thank God, but they were cold anyway) about 5 minutes later our entrees finally arrived. My sister asked for Roast Pork, it was awfully dry. Some tostoned were burnt. The beef steak and churrasco (skirt steak) weren't much better, and my mofongo was all right, but the plating was awful, it was flat and the sauce fell on the sides. The owner didnt have any servers. It was just him, the cook, and what looked like his 12 year old daughter working and handling our food. While eating, they started getting ready to close, and turned off the lights on our side of the restaurant. WTF! Then they had the nerve to include their tip on our check. We paid 82 dollars for food and service we hated because we unfortunately feel guilty about not paying. My husband went to speak to them and apparently they didn't see a problem with the waiting time because they supposedly make everything "a la carte". I call BS. Just avoid the place.
(1)Cindy S.
1. Hole in the wall 2. I think it might be a family owned place 3. Great reviews 4. Nearby First off, our navigation instructions to get to this place were very confusing, not sure if that has happened to anyone else. It's a hole in the wall place inside a plaza. The front of it isn't all that appealing but that wasn't why we went there. Inside, place needs A LOT of help! It can definitely use some attention. The lady at the front who greeted us was really nice, had a huge smile on. She walked us over to what looked like the bigger seating area of the place. Nothing fancy about this place at all, in fact some might hate it because of it's dire need of some changes. There is a cool painting on the wall of Puerto Rico which is awesome for a pic :) we finally ordered our drinks and food, took us like 10 mins to figure out what type of mofongo to get I DO NOT REMEMBER WHAT THE NAME OF MY DRINK was. OK with that said all I do remember is that the mofongo I got was the BISTEC one and the one the BF got was the POLLO something. I know I know what is a review without names? well it is whatever it is to you! I don't remember so whatever, sue me. I will post pics of the food later. OK so it took FOREVER to get our drinks, she seemed to be busy doing who knows what, it was then that I noticed there was a bar behind me! A BAR! and a tiny DANCE FLOOR! I mean OMG ^_^ right then the male employee came by to tell us that the lights were gonna be turned off and the disco lights would be turned on. Apparently they have karaoke nights there and people love it! FOOD WAS DELICIOUS!!! the CHOCOLATE FLAN I got was heavenly! the drink I had was amazing (no I don't remember what it was called FML) Service could have been better but it wasn't horrible. When the lady did come around she would smile and her Ora was awesome :) The worst thing about my experience there? As we were waiting at the front counter to pay that male was "talking" with some female (I think she works there) about I don't know what but OMG! no respect whatsoever for us, didn't even acknowledge the fact that we wanted to pay. Female was so ghetto and trashy looking smh FHL I just felt like walking out because they just wouldn't shut up. Finally that lady came by and charged us (those other two folks were talking trash about her which wasn't cool to do in front of customers) I don't know why people can't seem to have some type of discretion while they are around customers!! I mean common'!!!! -____- My 3 stars is due to that, which falls under customer service, and the fact that the BF said "I'm glad you didn't go to the bathroom because you would have run out and you would have made us leave. That's how filthy it was" aside from it needing some upgrades and more cleaning. PS. the food is DELICIOUS!!! pick up and take off LOL that's the best advice I can give y'all
(3)Manny V.
This place is really great , the food is outstanding , the owner is very attentive and so is his wife !!!! A must visit if you want authentic Puerto Rican Food !!!! Enjoy
(5)Kristen M.
The food was good and while the inside was not up to date it was clean. However, the waitress that was working was not very inviting and customer friendly. Most likely will not go there again because of this.
(3)Stephanie C.
I went to this restaurant excited to get some good, authentic Puerto Rican Cuisine but was very disappointed. I went with my mother on a Friday evening. As stated in other reviews, this is definitely a hole in the wall place, but I never let this scare me from a place that has good food. Unfortunately, this wasn't one of those places. The service was terrible. We were the only ones there and when we sat down it still took a good 15 minutes for the server to come greet us. The server was not what I would call personable and we seemed more of an annoyance then anything. We started with a stuffed potato ball (relleno de papa) and a seafood empanada. The appetizers alone took 20 minutes to get to the table. When they arrived, they were visibly burnt. The potato ball was okay flavor-wise but couldn't get past the burnt taste. The empanada didn't taste fresh at all and was also burnt. For our main courses, we both ordered the mofongo. My mom ordered the mofongo "special" with churrasco steak and garlic shrimp (al ajillo) and I ordered the mofongo with just garlic shrimp. The food took 1 whole hour to come out. By this point, our canned Coke' s were warm and we weren't given a cup with ice. We had to ask for it. While waiting for the food, the server never checked on us and jyst talked with the cook in the back. Our food finally came, and I will say the portion was huge. The consistency of the mofongo was very good and very similar to what I have had in Puerto Rico but way too salty. It wasn't even edible. I took a few bites and just was overwhelmed by the salt. My mother's was the same, including the very small piece of steak. The server never asked us if we wanted more to drink and didn't even bring napkins to the table. We asked for our check right away as we had already been there almost 2 hours. I was shocked to see a bill of almost $60! I have no problems paying money for a good meal. But this was outrageous considering what poor service and food quality we received. I am not sure if I went on a bad day since there are so many good reviews but I definitely will not be going back.
(1)Darcy G.
My first time trying a Jibarito and some other Puerto Rican food items. The flan with cake dessert was delicious. Very casual place and mostly Spanish is spoken.
(4)Shauna E.
Three stars because the plantains rocked. Maybe we came at an odd time. We called in our order, and when we arrived the place was dead. We went to pay and the person at the counter and found out our food wasn't rang in. Slightly annoying as we were on a lunch break but whatever. So we waited until the order was sent through and we paid. The atmosphere was weird. We didn't feel welcome. My friend ordered a steak sandwich and it was watery. The peppers and onions were definitely old. I had a cuban which was shredded salami, pork and some sort of mystery meat (it tasted like tongue so that's what I'm going with) on bread with lettuce tomato and onions. It was ok but nothing special. Maybe we ordered the wrong things but nothing was very good. I'm giving this a 3 for now but I'm probably going to go back and try something else, jsut to be fair.
(3)Bridget K.
Amazing mofongo !! Tastes just like they make it back home ! Moist and crunchy con chitcharron de pollo!! Soo delicious !!
(5)Matt S.
This restaurant should have been a better experience. I love small, ethnic places, and I often give them the benefit of the doubt. This place just could not win me over. Don't mistake my language here. There were some great dishes here, and I will likely go back. I just didn't love it. The Good- El Mofongazo had a solid menu full of items that are not seen at other places including a full array of mofongo (smashed plantains with sauce), el jibarito sandwiches (using palntains instead of bread), blood sausage, and pig ears. They have a really good empanadilla. Their fried pork and chicken are excellent. The staff is courteous and invested. The Bad- Food preparation was really slow. I can take slow, but if you are going to be slow, it better show up in the final product. I can't imagine the time needed to serve the food if the place was actually busy. While the items mentioned above were good, the mofongo was not the star that it should be. The plantains themselves needed more salt, and the sauces that were served lacked the ability to transform the dish. The garlic was very pungent and lacked any depth. The caldo sauce had some depth but no pop. Even mixing these sauces together didn't help. I There are more dishes to to try here, and I look forward to experiencing them. For those with time on their hands, I encourage you to be adventurous. It really is a good place to get your hands on some decent Puerto Racan comida, however, it's challenging to be crazy about place called El Mofongazo when the mofongo was the weakest dish.
(3)Elizabeth D.
Why why why does it take so long to make this sandwich? I'm not sure but it was almost worth it. The plantain as the "bread" is genius but my steak was so tough and chewy that i could not bite the sandwich cleanly. I would definitely return with hopes of better steak next time.
(3)Dominic S.
This is a true hole in the wall style eatery. They offer live music on certain days of the month and have delicious food. Do not come here and expect to receive fast service. This food takes time to make and to keep it as true to the island as they do a few minutes having a beer or two will not kill you. You will feel like family while you are here and your food experience will match.
(5)Dave K.
I've had mofongo before and so had an idea of what I was getting into. I have to admit I like, but don't love mofongo....it's good, but I don't think it's amazing. I called in my order and got it to go. They were very friendly! Overall, the mofongo here was good. I got it with fried pork and regret not getting roast pork instead. I also got the jibarito with steak. Meh. The inclusion of american cheese was a curious add. It was fine. The steak was pounded thin and cooked to shoe leather. Maybe a different meat choice would be better? I might give this place another try (if only to try the roast pork), but probably only if I'm in the mood for something like mofongo.
(3)Karl L.
Mofongo is fantastic! If you are reading this, you know what it is, so a description isn't necessary. The owner and staff were great, directing me to a cooler spot to sit, and seeming genuinely happy to have me there. Coconut flan was the owner's pick for dessert, and OMW was it good!
(4)Reynaldo R.
I have tried it twice and the second time some of the food was burnt and greasy. I am staying away based on my experience.
(1)vanessa g.
Being from DC I don't get the chance to enjoy Latin/Carribean fare very often. This place offers primarily Puerto Rican cuisine. I ordered the tostenes. They arrived with a film of garlic, something not typical of Central American food but nevertheless okay, My mother order pollo sancocho while I requested a Cuban sandwhich.My mom, , who has high standards for Latin food was satisfied with her order, I however was wanting more, The contents of the sandwhich were meaty & warm but I craved more. The quality of the sandwich was not typical of Cuban fare, There was no Cuban bread & although the bread was pressed in traditional fashion I was not impressed, Overall good food, standard service & reasinable price.
(3)Jay S.
Soup was good, almost a meal by itself. I ordered mofongo w lechon, average here. Lechon was dry, and stale. Mofongo was huge but a bit tasteless and stale, the cook was new maybe, she seems excited to serve but I wished she tried what she served!
(3)J M.
If you like awesome food, but don't care about eating in a place where the hygiene is the best, come here. It's pretty run down but the food is awesome. The people are friendly, price is awesome. I won't be coming back, but I do not regret trying it.
(2)Shane C.
wife is puerto rican, so we eat a lot of PR food at mother in laws, we had just returned from PR when we ate here. wife was very impressed with their representation of PR food
(4)Annie C.
Excellent mofongo! About the best one I've had in the area. If you like Puerto Rican food this place is worth it. And the prices are very reasonable!
(5)Gilberto G.
El Mofongazo was and Is for me a great place to eat Lunch And dinner. I enjoy the Jibarito sandwich and the Flan. Also, I have enjoyed the live salsa and other latin bands Mr.cotto/Owner has during the weekands. people check it out ! you wont be disappointed !! Thank you, Antonio Cotto.
(5)Rich D.
After reading the cool reviews for El Mofongazo, I decided to check out Puerto Rican cuisine for the first time. A guest and I stopped by in the afternoon for an early supper. The restaurant was largely empty, and as such we received prompt and extensive attention from the owner who stopped by frequently throughout the meal. The menu was hard to choose from but I finally settled on appetizers of pastelillo de carne and de marisco (similar to empanadas with beef and chicken), and entrees of carne guisada (beef stew, $8) with yuca (a root vegetable) w/ rice and beans. My guest ordered the jibarito de lechon (a sandwich made with slices of plantains as the "bread", and roast pork topped with lettuce, tomato & cheese, $7). We also chose the jugos naturales (fruit drinks), with tamarind for me and mango for my guest. The pastelillos came out quickly and I found the beef a bit bland, but the chicken was excellent and full of flavor. Shortly after the entrees arrived....my carne guisada was cooked & seasoned well, as were the rice and beans. I had never had yuca before, and I loved it. I didn't know what to expect, but it was much better than I imagined it would be. The jibarito was quite good with the flavors of plantains, roast pork and toppings melding together nicely. Another nice surprise was the jugos naturales with the tamarind outstanding and mango good as well. ' The portion sizes were all abundant, we could barely finish everything. For this tasty of a meal of ~$30, I thought the value was outstanding. After the meal we chatted with the owner and his wife for about 15 minutes, and they shared the history of El Mofongazo as well as their backgrounds. The great conversation was a nice finish to a great afternoon. As it's open to 5am on Friday/Saturday nights, I'm betting this is a great spot to get your munch on. Being my first encounter with this cuisine I can't compare it to any other specific restaurants, but can only say that I found the flavors and seasonings excellent. My scores compared to other Latin/South American restaurants are: Atmosphere: 3 Service: 5 Food: 4 Value: 5
(4)Adil J.
Very authentic, the setting and simplicity of the restaurant is just like you're in a local restaurant in San Juan. And yes there is a Puerto Rican flag hanged on the wall. The house specialty is the JIBARITO sandwich wish is served with your choice of meat, sea food and even vegetarian one, check the picture section here for that delicious banana sandwich. I also added a picture of the menu so you have idea what to expect.
(5)Jose D.
Amazing. No other place like to eat our famous Mofongo. Will go back again.
(4)Manny M.
Old school Puerto Rican food at its best. Fun atmosphere at very reasonable prices for the quality food you will surely enjoy. Had the mofongo with seafood and arroz con gandules, kids had the Jibaritos de pernil. Both were full of flavor in the traditional Puerto Rican style, "Con Sabor".
(4)Ingy Y.
Delicious alcapurrias and relleno de papa...!
(3)Harry N.
Not good foot, to grease, cold and not Puertorrican flavor at all. We are from Puerto Rico and known. The mofongo was was more a like a Dominican Mangu. Service was ok, the server was nice and ready to provide good service all the time.
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