As you walk into a restaurant, you are greeted with smiles and a familiar greeting, “Hola!” While you get seated, you hear the hustle and bustle of conversations in Spanish and the clinking of forks and spoons. When glancing at the menu, you are greeted by familiar Colombian dishes such as Bandeja Paisa, Colombian Tamales, and a side of empanadas. The menu is filled with various Colombian desserts such as flan and tres leches.
We tried 3 Colombian restaurants along with a Colombian Bakery in order to find out more about the delicious Colombian cuisine. All of the restaurants were scattered around various parts of Queens, some further away than others. Below are the restaurants we went to and our impressions of the food and ambiance. We hope you enjoy them as much as we did!
Tienda Vieja
65-62 Fresh Meadow Ln, Fresh Meadows, NY 11365
Our Order:
- 2 Beef Empanadas
- 1 Chicken and 1 Cheese Empanada
- 1 Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice) served with plantains – $15.99
- 1 Bandeja Paisa (without ground beef) – $21.99
- 1 Flan
Review:
Tienda Vieja is the place to go if you are craving family style Colombian food. Our order of empanadas were golden brown, crisp and came with salsa verde and hot sauce. All the empanadas were crisp and the beef empanada had a soft pulled meat and potato filling while the chicken empanada was filled with flavorful chicken. The cheese empanada was filled to the brim with cheese, however, it was too much cheese for our personal preferences. Next, we tried arroz con pollo which was rice flavored with saffron and mixed with chicken, peas, and carrots. While we found the chicken to be a bit dry, we found the dish itself to be comforting. We particularly enjoyed the golden brown plantains that were served alongside the dish, which had a smooth texture yet retained a crisp texture on the exterior.
Moving on to our next dish: the Bandeja Paisa. Bandeja Paisa, also known as Bandeja Montañera, consists of the following: white rice (arroz blanco), beans (frijoles), avocado (aguacate), fried egg (huevo frito), fried plantains (plátanos fritos), ground meat (carne molida), pork sausage (chorizo), chicharrón (pork skin), and arepas (corn cakes). We enjoyed the spiced beans, which paired well with the rice and with the avocado and eggs. Again, plantains were served with this dish and it provided a soft yet crisp texture to the plate. Also, the creamy avocado balanced out the meatiness of the grilled steak and the salty and fatty chicharron. Overall, this was a loaded yet fun dish to try. Before we left, we tried flan, which was made up of custard and served in a bed of sweet caramel sauce. This dish had a thick and creamy texture and we found it was a great way to end off a heavy meal. We would also like to point out that, while basic Spanish is required to order, there are plenty of English translations on the menu, accommodating to Spanish language learners or those that are not fluent in the language.
La Tamalería Colombiana NY
32-23 Junction Blvd, Queens, NY 11369
Our Order:
- Chicken empanada & Beef empanada – $2.50
- Empachonas – $3
- Tamal-chon (Pork Tamale) – $26
- Brownie con Helado (Brownie with Ice Cream) – $8
Review:
This restaurant specializes in Colombian tamales, which are made up of “la masa” (corn mash), meat (usually beef, pork, chicken), and other vegetables depending on the region. In our case, our tamales consisted of a giant corn masa that consisted of whole ribs, rice, arepas, a mound of pork, and pork skin to garnish. We found the tamale to be big in portion and could easily feed two people with large amounts of chicken, chickpeas, and pork. On the side, we also had empanadas, which had a smooth filling, and pork empachonas, which consisted of pork filling encased in a thin crisp exterior. We would like to note that the empanadas and empachonas tasted very fresh. Lastly, we had a warm chocolate brownie and vanilla ice cream, which was drizzled with strawberry syrup and rainbow sprinkles.
In the front of the restaurant, you can find various pig themed decorations that reflect the prevalence of pork amongst the menu items. As you follow the colorful displays and bright neon lights, you can find the arcade and bar open behind the restaurant from Wednesdays through Saturdays. All in all, this restaurant is the place to go if you want a filling meal and fun! However, if you plan on visiting this restaurant be prepared to order and read the menu in Spanish.
La Pequeña Colombia-
83-27 Roosevelt Ave, Queens, NY 11372
Our Order:
- La Colombiana (soda) – $3.00
- La Aguapanela con Limón (sugar cane juice with lime) – $3.00
- 2 Beef Empanadas and 1 Chicken Empanada- $8.00
- Yuca Fries
- Bandeja Montañera de Carne Asada – $23.00
Review:
If you’re looking for a place with authentic drinks and various types of Colombian food, La Pequeña Colombia is the right place to go. Out of the three places we went to, La Pequeña Colombia had the largest selection of authentic drinks such as aguapanela con limón and classic Colombian soda: La Colombiana. Aguapanela con limón is juice made from brown sugar stalk along with lime juice and can be served either hot or cold. In our case, we had it served cold and it tasted very strongly of lime with an overall flavor similar to that of Sprite without the carbonation. On the other hand, La Colombiana had a strong orange color and tasted just like the soda version of butterscotch candy.
Moving on, the empanadas at the restaurant were very crispy and their fluffy meat filling paired nicely with the spicy green sauce that came with them. We would like to note that the salsa verde was very spicy, so depending on your heat tolerance it may not be for you. As a side, we ordered Yuca fries, which were very resemblant of normal french fries in both appearance and in taste. However, the texture of the Yuca fries was much starchier and thicker than their potato fry counterparts. For our main dish, we ordered Bandeja Montaña de carne asada with thin and juicy steak with a strong grilled flavor and crispy chicharron.
La Pequeña Colombia is located in the middle of bustling Roosevelt Ave and is very accessible due to the train stations located nearby. While sitting in the restaurant, you can hear the train bustling along the tracks above, which is drowned out by the sound of authentic Colombian music and conversations of other customers.
Café de Colombia Bakery
83-03 37th Ave, Queens, NY 11372
Our Order:
- Pan de bono (Colombian cheesy bread)
- A slice of Milhojas cake
Review:
Just a 4 minute walk from La Pequeña Columbia is this authentic Colombian bakery which features many authentic Colombian desserts, drinks, and authentic meals. The drinks range from coffee to passion fruit juice and you can even buy a mini Bandeja Paisa here! At the bakery, we tried a thick slice of Milhojas cake, which consisted of layers of thin puff pastry stacked on top of each other with dulce de leche (caramelized milk) and pastry cream in between; we found the cake to be resemblant of the French mille-feuille dessert. We found this dessert to be extremely sticky and sweet due to the thick layer of caramel. As a result, we found cutting the pastry to be difficult due to the stickiness of the pastry and the caramel to be too much for our tastes. On the other hand, we tried Pandebono, which is a typical Colombian bread made with cheese and eaten with hot chocolate. The bread was fluffy and the sweet flavor of the dough paired nicely with the saltiness of the cheese. Overall, we found the baked goods to be delicious and enjoyable to eat.
