El Rincon Criollo

We decided to come here after we left a terrible restaraunt. From the moment we walked in we were welcomed with so much kindness. It felt like i was at home with my own family. Right away they seated us and started us off with these amazing coconut drinks ! They were delicious! All the waitresses and icluding the manager were beyond attentive. This is the kind of service every restaurant should have. I ordered the BBQ chicken with some extra yuca on the side and OMG it was amazing! My whole family was pleased with their orders as well. It was my cousins birthday that day they were so thoughtful that they serenade her with some nice cuban music. We will definitely come back again.

I grew up in Miami and both of my parents were born in Havana. This restaurant serves excellent Cuban food. If you did not like the food, then you cannot appreciate real Cuban food. This is a classic Cuban restaurant straight from the streets of Little Havana. We have been dining here for 9 years, and it never disappoints. All of the poor reviews below are from ‘Gringos’ who are well versed in McDonalds, but not in properly prepared Caribbean fare. The tostones, rabo encendido, croquetas, bistec, arroz con pollo are ALL perfectly prepared. The quality of the food attributes to the higher than expected prices. Ignore the pundits, this restaurant is Cuban to the core. If you want authentic Cuban food here, then dine here.
Also, Cuban restaurants in Miami do not cater to their clients. They serve you great food, beer and coffee. IF they like you, they will joke and banter with you. The service at El Rincon is leagues better than in Miami. Also, Cuban food is markedly different than Mexican food. Most of the negative reviews delineate the fact that the author cannot differentiate between the two cuisines.
This restaurant serves the best Cuban food in West-​Los Angeles. Period!

I have dined here twice. My first experience was with someone who has been coming here for over a decade.
I must say my first experience was amazing. I had the seafood paella. It was bursting with flavors and 5 stars all the way.
My second visit was even more pleasurable because our waitress was so sweet and friendly.
The halibut soup has a beautiful flavour I just wish it had less bones.
I ordered a side of plantains and they were delicious and did not seem oily like other places make them. 5 stars for the plantains!
I will return because I really love the energy of this place. The Cuban music is great and I love all the beautiful paintings displayed here.
* this restaurant would be great for big groups or a dinner party.

Loved the food. Just as good as Versailles but less congested. Highly recommended. We loved it. And I’m a tough critic. Clean and great customer service.

Friendly service… And that’s it. The food was overpriced, old, cold and over cooked. Tasted like it was left cooking in the microwave too long, then left under a heat lamp before serving. If it weren’t for the salt and pepper I added, I would have thought I was eating raw leather. I do not recommend the paella, the Cubano sandwich nor the garlic chicken. Versailles is far better!

I really wanted to like this place but everything it offered makes this a one star rating. We were the only people in the restaurant at 7pm on a Tuesday night. It slowly started to pick up after an hour. The place is pretty small, and has paintings hung up all over the place that are for sale. The first thing I noticed were all the signs underneath the glass table tops. Not professional for my standards. The table clothes were a turn off for me too just because I don’t like cloth that’s been touching everyone else to touch me while I eat. The service wasn’t very good. Our waitress didn’t inform us that there would be a splitting fee, we found out on the bill afterwards. She didn’t check up on us till after we finished eating. And the other waitress helping her was rude. We asked for plates for everyone to share (5 people) and they came back with two plates. The food was average. For the price I would think it would be better. We ordered the suggested entrees for pork, chicken, and beef tongue. Each entrée came with rice and black beans. The pork was tender and salty. No other flavor. The chicken was average. Spritzed with a bit too much lemon. The tongue was average. Maybe if it was paired with a different sauce I would’ve enjoyed it more. Overall the appearance of the food did not look appetizing. The black beans were very salty. And the rice was clumpy. Each plate was covered in onions. The steamed yuca and fried plantains were probably the best part of the dinner. The worst part is. After dinner 3 out of 5 of us had upset stomachs, which isn’t very common for our group. So I would not suggest this place unless you just want yuca and plantains.

They were so nice I want to give them 5 stars. However, the experience only measures up to 2.
The service was a 5. They were nice, prompt, and competent. The ambiance was nice. It was a great L.A. day, and I would have preferred to sit outdoors. But I don’t share my meals with pets. The outdoor tables were too close for people and their dog-​gone dogs mixing with my food. So we sat inside.
Inside is clean, but a little too dark. There’s also distracting Cuban music playing too loud when we’re trying to talk. Lastly though, and the reason for the two stars, is the food. I love Cuban food! This food however, is not good. The chicken was dry and not near the Cuban flavors I’m accustomed to.

I rarely write reviews on Unilocal but I feel the need to warn others about this place. I ordered delivery on a weeknight and was told that it was take about an hour to be delivered. I generously waited an hour and a half before I decided to call the restaurant to see what the status was. The girl over the phone told me she would call the driver and see what the status was and call me back. Waited 5 – 7 minutes to receive a call back but never received one. I called back once again and she said they haven’t picked up my food yet so I told them to forget it and to just cancel my order. I then receive a call saying they were at my apartment delivering my food so my boyfriend went down and no one was there.
Inconsistent and terrible customer service. I’ll be sticking to Versailles if Im craving Cuban or Chop Daddy’s for a good Cubano.

My girlfriend and I ordered food. waited over 1.5 hrs, we called to find out where the delivery was. The person we spoke with said she’d call the driver and call us back. Another 15 min go by and no call. We called back and she said the order was never picked up, so we cancelled. 5 min later the driver calls and said she was here. Horrible service and no communication. First and last time we order here. Too bad, I love cubanos.

Love this place, been coming here for years. Everything I’ve had here is delicious (notably, the lechon asado and ropa vieja). The only thing is, I wish they’d give you more plantains with your meal, but it’s alright. Also, their homemade habanero sauce is DELICIOUS!!! Put it on everything, seriously, you’re welcome. Place is chill, service is good, easy to get seating.

Great little place. Reminds me of the Cuban food I’d get in Florida.
My friends and I come every couple of months. Not the kind of place if you are in a hurry, but the casual atmosphere is good. Almost can’t go wrong on any dish!

The food was 3 stars
The delivery lady was rude. Will never order again. She made a comment about being scared of getting shot? Meanwhile we live in a safe neighborhood, and tipped well so not sure why she was such a huge snob. Train your delivery women better! This was the woman who had to call to run my credit card.
Like Reynaldo b. Mentioned service seems racist and classist for such a hole in the wall.

El Rincon Criollo: the name translates to «the Creole Corner», but the food is as authentically Cuban as it gets.
If Versailles is the Cuban star of hustling-​and-​bustling Los Angeles, El Ricon Criollo is its more subdued rural cousin. Both the attitude and atmosphere here are a lot more laid back and, I’d argue, better, at least if you’re here to enjoy conversation with a friend. It’s smaller and has less tables, but this all the more allows it to retain a traditional Cuban setting. Cuban paintings adorn the walls (which are for sale), and the interior is abound with various trinkets and explanations that illustrate Cuban’s rich history and culture.
At times, the food may not be as good as Versailles; but it’s still darn good, and prices here are certainly better.
Firstly: at $ 9.95, their ¼ Pollo Asado is easily the best deal in town for a Cuban meal. Coming with bread, rice, beans, and plantains (as most of their meals do), it’s more than enough to make you full, and authentic enough to make you temporarily forget you’re in the US.
But don’t stop there: I’m also very keen on their Bistec De Pollo and Cuban Roast Pork. (Though I felt their Arroz con Pollo was slightly heavy on the grease.)
If you have a sweet tooth, spring for their flan. Incredibly rich and perfect for two to share, it will certainly satisfy your flan craving.
And I’ve never had a problem with the wait staff (which seems to be a common complaint here?); in fact, I find their service to be extremely attentive, without being intrusive.
Always delicious, and never as crowded as it should be.
*Park on Barman Ave, instead of using the pay meters on Sepulveda.

I found this gem a few weeks ago when I tried out the nasty phở place down the block.
My friend and I got the same thing; Ropa Vieja (shredded beef in tomato sauce and onions). I have to say that the Ropa Vieja here has been the best I’ve had in the various Cuban spots I’ve tried in LA. It’s even better than the one I had in Miami Beach (Puerto Sagua Restaurant). The beef was sooooo good and flavored just right. It comes with a side of white rice, black beans and maduros (sweet plantains). My only small complaint is that we only got two slices of maduros haha…
My friend and I sat in the patio area which was pretty cool. It had a cozy, island-​ish feel to it. The service was good. The waitress did not look friendly and was not social but she was very attentive. As long as you get my order right and you check on us periodically to make sure we don’t need anything else, it’s all good.
I plan to come back to try some other dishes. Hopefully they’re as good as the Ropa Vieja :)

AVOID THIS PLACE! It’s a shit hole! Servers suck! I was extremely nice to them and they can’t even share one freaking smile. They are so rude. We were sitting outside in the far end. There was a customer dining by herself next to us. She was blocking the way for the waitress. Instead of the waitress asking her to move to the chair next to her she went all the way around the sidewalk and back in. By the time she was behind me. She spilled the food on me and burned my back with the sauce. She just walked off and said I’ll bring u another one.
What the fuck?! Never going back there again. Rude bitches with no personality!

The food is really good. The chicken tamale barely had any chicken though and was lukewarm upon arrival. We should have gotten another dish instead of this appetizers. Also the bistec palomilla came with only 2 plantains and it’s advertised as a side. The beans come in super small bowl that fits 2 ½ shots. Its too small in my opinion. Since the last time I came, they definitely give you less food and don’t check on you enough.
Also of they give you 2 pieces of bread and butter when you’re by yourself, why do the same when its two people? Overall, it’s great tasting food but I will be continuing my search for a place that offers more for your money while paying more attention to their customers. Also if the appetizer is not Hot, that’s a bad sign.
When we first ordered the food, we got an appetizer and a meal to share and then I said that is all. The woman asked me“your only getting 1 meal?” I told her again that that is all. We didn’t see her again for the rest of the visit. Another woman came to bring us the food. All the people outside were white and got lots of help and checkins from the staff. No one came to help us after our food was served and I tried to make eye contact to get more bread and water. I got nothing. I had to walk up to the register to ask and then I brought my own water over to the table. I even mentioned that I had not been there in a while and that I wasn’t used to not getting service. Also that maybe I should sit outside to get more help. Her answer was that they were busy and work as a family and then she proceded to question the waitress in front of us about table #4(our table) no apologies and we will not return. Getting One meal shouldn’t determine the level of service you get and because I’m not white shouldn’t matter either.

Stellar, attentive service.
I ordered their oxtail dish. The oxtails were flavored nicely, but a little more of the fat needed to be trimmed off them. The plantains were delicious, too.
I wish the beans were at a greater ratio because they came in a small glass, which had about 4 spoonfuls of beans.
I didn’t try other dishes, but based on what I ate, I recommend them.

Wonderful Cuban faire!!! great prices! I had the oxtail stew and hubby had the whole fried red snapper and we were delighted with the deliciousness and wonderful wait staff. Definitely recommend! Best jewel of a restaurant in Culver City!!!

Yesterday afternoon I ordered the Garlic shrimp.
I received four, (4) shrimp, two bites plantains, a shot glass serving of beans and dry white rice.
What a waste of money to eat here.
Oddly the place was full of chubby male gringos.
No Cubans were eating here.

Mind blowingly delicious.
Starving, looking for a place that delivers and tired of the same old thing, my boyfriend and I stumbled across this little gem.
We ordered a cubano, beef vegetable soup, and masas de puerco
. I wanted to order the boliche asado. .but my bf said that would be too much food… I’ll never forgive him.
The food arrived in record time (less than 45 mins).
The moment I brought the food into the room, my mouth was watering. Each bite of food took me on a mini journey to heaven. Every morsel was so succulent and juicy… I can’t wait to try it again!
This was my first time trying this place, and it will not be the last!