El Rincón Criollo - Cuba Restaurant Los Angeles

I went there with my mother just to chat, and I must say that both the ambiance and the cuisine were excellent. Really liked their fish soups and their fried cassava (Yuka). I would additionally suggest attempting their juices. The lack of a variety of sauces is my only complaint, but other than that, 8/10.

Awesome spot! Really kind service and tasty food. I sat out on the patio. We had the Cuban style roast pork, garlic roasted chicken, fresh coconut water, and an espresso at the end of the meal. Everything was delicious. The seats on the outside patio are very relaxing as well. Will definitely be back!

Yeeeeeaaaaassss, 🇨🇺 THIS CUBAN PLACE IS MOST DEF THE SPOT.... finally i found a spot that put me to sleep after i ate WOW. THAT, WAS, AMAZING. worth every dallor, am a truck driver therez nothing but junk process food on da road so finding this place made me feel like home🇩🇴🇵🇷 ese salmon y esos camarones 🥰🥰🥰 TODO ESTAVA SUPER RICO✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

Ordered a cuban sandwich and it was not great because the meat was slimy and off putting. Also not greatly satisfied with the empanadas, they smelled delicious but were very oily and could not eat the rest. Tried to give it a shot but I did not like it much. $17 for a decent sized sandwich but the choice of meat makes it not worth it. $8 for two empanadas which were very greasy.

Best cuban sandwiches in LA!! super cute place, both indoor and outdoor area with a large selection. from smoothies to beer and sandwiches to red snapper. must try place!

Cubano Sandwich Review. First, this sandwich is seriously massive. Over all it's a great sandwich. The meat cheese and pickles were all super tasty. Meat portion is ample. The bread wasn't as crispy as I would expect as the sandwich is pressed but still over all good. I had a side of plantains and those were super tasty.

Wow just wow. This is exactly why people won’t support small businesses during these times. I was so looking forward to this food!! It’s old reheated microwaved chicken. The Pork was cover on Garlic sauce to cover the taste. I won’t go here again. Maybe I order the wrong day or something

Some of the best Cuban food I've had in a long time. The quality ingredients definitely come through on the taste. Great location as well with outdoor seating.

C'mon, open up already!! I miss el Pollo al Chef, and the Sandwich cubano, and the combinacion, and....

Food 4 stars Service 5 stars Vampires beware! Garlic heavy menu and lots of grilled onion, too. Up until now I've only had Cuban food at Versailles. This is a cozy restaurant with excellent, warm, attentive service. Need to come back because I wanted to try so many things. The rolls were warm but pretty dense. My friend didn't like how the butter was firm. **Yuca Frita - so crispy, interesting garlic/vinegar sauce that was not overwhelming. Very starchy **Camarones al Piña Colada - shrimp in a coconut rum sauce with onions and garlic. Just realized I didn't get any onions. :/ Still, solid comforting dish. Sauce was sweeter than expected, got the yellow rice which was amazing, subtly flavored. **Masas de Puerco - OMG, this looked delish. Pulled pork, need I say more? Generous pile of grilled onions. My other friend got a fried chicken dish. These are filling entrees as we all took home leftovers. The menu also has soups, hot pressed sandwiches, salads and some kids' meals. Few options for vegetarians. Street parking or since it was dinner time, a good sized parking lot one block south on the same side. Next time gotta encourage family style dining!

Came in on a rainy day looking for a warm home made meal and we were not disappointed. The sopa de res was packed with flavor and chucks of tender beef that melted in your mouth. Nice vegetables a little cilantro on top for freshness. Dang good. We ordered the ropa vieja and that also was super delicious and tender shredded beef. idk what the other reviews are talking about but this was super tasty. The camarones al mojo de ajo were nice and garlicky a d the onions were very good. The platanos were nice as well a good compliment to the dish and the beans were also well cooked and had deep flavor. The flan de coco was also fantastic very decadent and creamy. The coco flakes were a great compliment. A small space with big flavors and good service.

It pains me to write these reviews when the food is good (room for improvement), but the cost is absolutely ridiculous. This place has been around since 1969 and has changed ownerships once. I wish ii could have sampled it under the previous owner who probably was more attentive to the food, the presentation, and offered a good value for the dining experience. We ordered two simple sandwiches and have Little Havana in Miami as the benchmark. It then again, this should be a Cuban place. Unfortunately, it didn't hit its mark and the sandwich was bland, overloaded with onions (more than the meat). Now for the cost. The menu said $17 per sandwich which is up there but then again so are many of the food prices. What was shocking was to get the bill with a surcharge and NO explanation. Each sandwich is now $17.51 and the sodas, hold your seat, $3.09 each. Really? I would have expected to pay more like $1.50 but this is insane. When I asked the waitress to explain the extra cost of $0.51 per sandwich, she said the computer decided the prices but she would check. Upon her return, she said the extra cost was if I were to use a credit card, however it says NOWHERE that there is an extra charge for using a credit card. There are other good Cuban places to try like Versailles so don't waste your time or money going here until they change their pricing model.

A little gem of a Cuban restaurant off Supelveda on the southern side of Culver City. Arguably better than the Cuban food I've had in Miami, California. One of the most homemadey home-made soups I've ever had -- and I thoroughly enjoyed every drop of it! From the homemade chicken stock broth, to the potatoes, carrots, and the juicy chicken breast. A very good dish (and of course inexpensive) for the seasonal occasion on the non-cold cold winter days of SOCAL.

For starters , sorry that I didn't take pictures before my friend and I started eating , but everything smelled so good and we were starving since we skipped lunch . So dinner time couldn't come soon enough lol . I've been to this spot several times during the week and it never disappoints. The food has so much flavor and the chicken is never dry . I've been to another Cuban spot and I wasn't impressed and the chicken was dry, even with all the juices on the plate. The ambiance of this lil hole in the wall is super chill, it's not over crowed or loud, it's just right . Their waitresses are very attentive and sweet . They definitely have a customer for life . Next on my list to try are their empanadas.

This was my first visit to this long-standing Culver City Cuban restaurant, and I'm not sure I would go back. The food was not bad, not great...just meh. When Boyfriend and I walked in early on a Friday eve, there were only three other people in the place. It's clean but definitely nothing fancy on the inside. We were invited to sit anywhere by the young woman behind the counter, who was very pleasant and polite - definitely one of the restaurant's most redeeming qualities. After choosing a table (with plastic flowers in a vase - kinda tacky), we perused the menu. We decided to order empanadas (2) for an appetizer, the camarones Al mojo de ajo for me, and the lechon asado for Boyfriend. We also ordered a glass of white wine and a Cuba Libre. Our entrees did arrive quickly, as we were still eating our empanadas. The avocado-based sauce served with the empanadas was good and actually pretty necessary, as the empanadas themselves seemed to lack flavor. The same lack of seasoning/flavor unfortunately also seemed to plague our entrees. Both Boyfriend and I agreed that our dishes were rather one-note; relying heavily on an incredibly powerful garlic sauce to flavor our pork and shrimp. However, the accompanying rice and cup of black beans by comparison were completely flavorless and under-seasoned. I left more than half of the rice on my plate because it just wasn't worth eating. Boyfriend felt his Cuba Libre was pretty weak and way more Coke than booze. Honestly, the best thing about our meal was the sweet and attentive young waitress and the other young man who was working there as well. They are a definite asset to this establishment.

The Bistec Palomilla is a must buy. Also get the habanero salsa and the green salsa! Service was phenomenal and the restaurant has great vibes

The place is a hidden jewel. Great Cuban food! Great prices and they entrees are plentiful. The restaurant is nice and clean inside. Nelson and Ana made sure my food was hot like I like it. Isabel was very friendly and accommodating.

this cuban place is a great stop in culver city! the menu provides a lot of options of authentic cuban food. i originally thought it may be overpriced, but the portions were huge so i believe it was reasonably priced. the cubano sandwich and seafood soup were both delicious. really love the banana chips. service was attentive and fast.

This is the best STEAK Cuban in Los Angeles in my opinion. I was really disappointed with the steak Cuban at Havana Mania which was made with steak-um slices and is tiny. Rincon uses real steak and the portion is huge. I love this sandwich. I also love that they put tomatoes and lettuce in the sandwich before they grill it. The result is a nice, piping hot sandwich. I do not know anything about "ham n mustard Cubans" in LA, because I do not care for the overpowering taste of the American mustard. So I cannot speak to that particular sandwich.

I've driven by this place a hundred times in the past few years and never saw it. Wasn't til wifey said, "Let's try that little place by MetaTouch near Braddock on Sepulveda." I'm like; "What place?" And, there it appeared, sitting right there, like some large-scale magic trick. We ordered the staple of The Portuguese Empire; the HALF CHICKEN w/ PLANTAINS, RICE & BEANS. And it was fine. The plantains were the highlight. The rice, beans and chicken were the lowlights. The chicken was on the dry side and the beans didn't quite meet our flavor expectations. Ditto on the presence of garlic...just wasn't quite there. Generous portions - that was on point - but I'd rather have less food with more flavor, if we're balancing things here in the vast food universe.

I first ate here about 6 months ago. I left a good review. I'm here to take it back. I had the same order as last time cuban sandwich and fries. Also added some empanadas the fries were few small ends very old grease. The sandwich has less pork and cost more. The empanadas were average but I really didn't want them I was talked into it when I ask for potato balls . See you in another 6 months for the tie braker.

Entering the establishment, lady waiter look at me up and down and barked at me to sit wherever since was only me, I ordered tostones, arroz con pollo and limonada. She dropped some bread in a basket with my lemonade like she don't like to waiter. Tostones are an entry; which supposed to be served and wait for the customer to finish it to bring the main dish. They were brought at almost the same time which didn't give me space to savor my entrée. Arroz con pollo was not nicely prepared, rice with no flavor at all, once I tasted the chicken an "old fridge chicken" taste came out. Y smothered with the garlic aioli from the tostones but there was a piece form the chicken that almost makes me because was pink in the inside. Instead of offering a coffee o dessert she brought me the bill so it wasn't a pleasant experience on service or food. Nicely decorations and awesome music tho.

Sad that they moved but I know it's gonna be a bigger and more exciting business experience. I'm going to them for 35 years in Culver City and look forward to seeing them again in Playa Del Rey.

Always looking for my Caribbean fix and found this place - late lunch and a meeting , nothing spectacular about the place or the food , service was ok - I will say the empanadas were 5 , being that I'm from out of town my mindset always goes to "would I make a special trip back to this place ?" And unfortunately, my answer is no . If I was in the area, I'd definitely go back for an empanada .

This is my favorite Authentic Cuban Resturant. The foid is fabulous. I love the deep fried Talapia, rice, beans and plantains. Customer service is good. Atmosphere is really, there are a lot of original Cuban life paintings on the wall, and they are for sale. P.S. don't go there and purchase my favorite paintings. I highly recommend this business.

Disclaimer: We wound up here because Pho Sho was too busy and understaffed and we needed to be at Boulevard Music for an 8 o'clock concert, and El Rincon Criollo was empty and we thought we'd give it a try in spite of the obvious question of why it would be empty at 7 on a Saturday night. So here are my impressions: The place is very clean. We sat near the window despite the bullet hole in the glass. The waiter was pleasant and had a friendly demeanor. We asked about the black bean soup--two of us are vegetarian, one vegan--and were assured it was meatless. A woman seated at the back--I think she was the chef--recommended it. There were two sizes; we asked the waiter how big the large was and he brought a medium-sized bowl, so we ordered two of those. The others liked the look of the salad with shrimp, which looked light and yummy, and included pineapple, which attracted them. We ordered yucca fries and fried plantains, too. And one of us also ordered black beans and rice. The waiter brought the soup in ENORMOUS bowls, not the medium-sized ones he had shown us. (When we expressed surprise, he said he'd only charge us for the small size, and that's what he did.) It was indeed delicious. The yucca fries were good, too. The beans and rice were tasty. The two salads were just meh. Then we realized they were missing the selling ingredient: pineapple! When we mentioned it to the waiter he just smiled and shrugged, no explanation or apology, and no offer to charge less. (I remarked to the others that he's like the guy who says "Sure I'll use a condom!" and then doesn't but he's so cute and it's too late anyway...) We had a lot of food in front of us, so it took a while to notice that the plantains never came. When the waiter came to ask if we needed anything, we mentioned this, and told him we wanted to cancel that order. It was time to go, so we paid the bill and left a smaller tip than we would have had the aforementioned not happened. We should have taken the time to look over the bill more thoroughly: when we arrived at the music venue, we saw that he had charged us for the plantains he never brought! Bottom line: great black bean soup. That's it.

Raw chicken, pink and feels raw when you touch it. So disappointing, definitely not eating this.

Empanadas, salmon and lomo Saltado are delicious! Good wine selection and service is excellent. Very relaxing environment!

The reviews for El Rincon Criollo are so confusing. They are all over the place in terms of the service and food, all extremely subjective. The dishes are not flavorful they say, the service is terrible, the chicken was raw (or dry), blah, blah, blah. So what can you do except just go see for yourself. So that's exactly what we did. It doesn't seem like a very big place from the outside but upon entering it is more than roomy enough and very well lit. In fact, it has a nice open, airy feel to it (especially when they open the back door). The walls are hung with paintings in bright colors of scenes of life in Cuba. We were greeted by a pleasant young woman who encouraged us to sit wherever we liked and soon we had menus and water. The number of menu items is actually a little overwhelming but in a good way. It took us awhile but in the end we finally decided on a Cubano sandwich, Empanadas and the Garlic Roasted chicken. We were served dinner rolls and butter that looked a little like Kings Hawaiian style until I picked one up and noticed that it had a very pleasing heft to it. When our server returned I asked if the rolls were made in house and was extremely pleased to find out that they were. I did not ask but I would assume that the roll for my Cubano was made there also. They are very very good, nice and fluffy with just a hint of yeast. The empanadas came next and were quite visually appealing. Not the very heavy crusted kind, the shell was tender and flaky with a delicious filling. They were accompanied by a flavorful avocado and tomatillo salsa that was simply perfect. The Cubano is as advertised and enormous! The pork and ham were both plentiful and had a very rich flavor. Personally I would have liked a little more mustard and pickles but that's just me. I will ask for it next time. I asked if I could have rice and beans instead of the other options (fries, plantains, fried bananas) and was so glad I did. They were the most sublime pleasure #heaven. The Garlic Roasted chicken was well cooked (definitely not raw or dry. Why do people write these things?) with a nice crunch to the skin. Not as garlicky as we had hoped for but still very good. We later learned that we could have asked for their garlic sauce and we will be sure to do that next time. I had one of the Cuban sodas called Jupiña that had a very sweet pineapple flavor which I enjoyed. And to top things off we finished with their flan. This was very sweet and dense, perhaps from the addition of condensed milk. It was very yummy and I would highly recommend that it be consumed with coffee. To sum things up: The service was extremely good. It seemed very personal and greatly added to the enjoyment of our meal. The food was good, maybe not as flavorful as we might have wanted but I strongly suggest asking for a sauce or some other option. They were most accommodating and I am sure things can be tailored to your personal taste. I am already looking forward to the next time and trying something new. We so often rely much too heavily on reviews. Let's not forget that personal experience is the only thing that really counts;)

I've seen El Rincon Criollo on the 3rd party delivery apps. I was finally in the neighborhood and decided to get something for lunch. Opted for the grilled pork chops - 2 fairly large pieces of pork, rice & beans with 2 pieces of plantains. This was delicious, I just wish there were more plantains. I also got the ham croquettes because why not. The croquettes were hot, breaded & crunchy. The ham and cheese filling was warm but not burning and the banana chips that came with it were crunchy, lightly salted. I came close to when they opened so no one was dining at the restaurant yet. There's a few tables outside on their patio and it looked like a couple of tables inside as well. The woman who helped me was friendly, restaurant was clean. I'd order from here again if I was craving Cuban food.

Online says they are open until 9:30, it was 8 pm when I placed an order through postmates, I called the store because I wanted to ask about something in my order and they told me they were closed. I asked how could that be when their website and google both say 9:30 and postmates let me place an order. I then asked if she could cancel the order on her end because otherwise I will be charged the full amount on postmates to cancel it. She was unable to do to and when I asked to speak to a manager she was also unable to do connect me with one. This is extremely annoying and upsetting, as a business you should have the correct hours listed.

Super good, Lechon with habenero sauce and a Jupina pineapple soda. Service was quick even with a lot of customers, waitresses super nice and responsive. Definitely coming back here for other tasty dishes.

I've been here over 10x and the flavor and quality of the food never disappoints. The ladies are always nice and welcoming to all customers and you can see that most are families from the neighborhood that visit or order take out often. I prefer here over versailles any day because of the flavor of the food and the intimate casual atmosphere, it feels like your getting a home cooked meal from your grandma kitchen. Garlic Salmon: 4.5/5 Shredded Beef in tomato sauce : 5/5 Garlic Chicken:4.5/5 Tamales: 2.5/5 Yuca: 3/5 Service: great, ladies are so attentive Will return to support the little gem of a restaurant

This place is fire. I stumbled upon it by accident and am so happy I did! This is officially my new Cuban spot. The cuban sandwich and chicken sandwich are perfectly garlicky, gooey cheese, and fantasticly marinated. Their fries are shredded in house and the right amount of crisp. This is not a fancy place, but it is delicious!Definitely check it out!

Love this place! We order our yearly Thanksgiving turkey with them and it never disappoints. I also love the fact that they have variety of dishes to choose from. (Vegetarian friendly -personally a BIG PLUS!) Simply perfect for weekend outings with the family. (Picture is the Vegetarian dish -forgot what it's called but don't be afraid to ask for vegetarian menu. Staff is super friendly!)

Had some free time today to revisit one of my favorite Cuban restaurants. ERC did not disappoint. The chicken was extremely flavorful and moist. The plantains, rice and beans were also very delicious. Came here on a Saturday so parking was a little tough to find. Other then that, it was a very memorable meal.

Delicious Cuban food and the fried yucca with the garlic sauce is so yummy. This place does not disappoint. The decor is nice and clean.

I have been coming to this restaurant since a child! I don't live near anymore so it was a treat to be able to eat there food!!!! I ordered to go and picked up. I ordered ropa vieja. When I got home and started to eat all I could find was FAT from the meat!!!! Hardly any meat at all!!!!!!!! So EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED!!! Prices went up and food quality and portion went down! I was so disgusted w all the fat I couldn't eat my food at all! Waste of money!!!! Like I said I was extremely disappointed and sad that the restaurant i so loved has come to this...

Tonight I was invited by my aunt who highly recommended this amazing restaurant. I ordered the garlic chicken, rice, and beans. The food was super delicious and bursting with that unique Cuban flavor. The food was right on point! We also had the wonderful opportunity to meet Jason ( owner). His service and hospitality made us feel like family. His undivided attention to his customers really stood out, for those who require superb customer service. The last highlight of our evening was a live band that created such a pleasant atmosphere. I would like to personally thank Jason for treating us like royalty. The food and service here is second to none. I highly recommend this gem to anyone who requires nothing but the best!

Good authentic Cuban food, good atmosphere, good people. What more can you want? We decided to have dinner here this evening and it did not disappoint! The place is clean and the employees are sweet! I got the Cubano sandwich and it was scrumptious! It was big enough that I took half home to finish tomorrow.. it came with a side of sweet delicious plantains I really enjoyed and my husband got the garlic chicken dinner with rice beans and plantains which he really enjoyed. We recommend this place to anyone looking for good food and good service!

There should be a category for "a little 'lil' whole in the wall." That's define as a restaurant or place that doesn't have great esthetics or the outside and sometimes the inside, but their food is spectacular. I almost hate to review this place because it's that good and never a lot of people inside. The prices are on the mid to high side, but the food is well worth it. Try the chicken sandwich with the fries. I also can eat the beans and rice as a full meal. This place gets Tray's Urban Chef Award!!!

I'm all for supporting small business, but tonight was not a good experience. Service: There were two people inside standing talking to one of the servers. We waited for about 10 minutes until the server finally saw us standing outside...at least she brought us menus. The two people continued to stand inside just talking with the other server...finally after about 15min they left...never ordered anything. Another 10min later...we got our food, but she forgot that we ordered drinks.

Years later and this place has come back around. Happy to be back in the neighbor and have this in the regular rotation.

I had the pleasure of dining at El Rincon Saturday evening. It's a cute little Cuban restaurant on Sepulveda. The wait staff was so friendly and kept refilling our tea and the amazing fresh mango juice I loved. We had the empanadas to start. Jason, the owner, found out I don't eat beef and he made me a rice and bean one that was out of this world. Our table ordered the shrimp cocktail which was huge and had largest shrimp I had ever seen. The cocktail sauce was some of the tastiest I have ever had. Order this for sure! My entree was the Pina Colada Shrimp. The sauce was light and delicious and the shrimp, cooked to perfection. I can't wait to go back. It wasn't just dinner, it was a Cuban experience. Add this to your dining to do list in LA you will be happy you did.

The food is great, the prices are great and it is always easy to get to. The only reason I did not give it a 5 star was because I went last week and the bread was stale and hard. Not usually!

I have been going for over 15 years and yesterday the food was horrible, the only thing that was good was the plantains, in response to the owner, we are regular customers and everything was on the menu we ordered, it was not good, please read my review correctly, thank you

My husband and I were looking for a local place for authentic Cuban food. We've found it!! The lechón asado is awesome, garlicky and moist. The tostones crispy and top them off with the ceviche The arroz con pollo delicious! The camarones al mojo de ajo amazing. We're here weekly now. Thank you Jason, Isabel and Corina for your friendly service and occasional wine dinners.

excellent food and service. Love the shrimp dishes and the Ceviche. Putting it in my regular rotation.

The good is the taste and quality of the food. The chicken and garlic sauce was good, although the white meat is dry and they do not add enough garlic sauce in my opinion. The rice, beans and plantains tasted good. However, the portions are small for the price. Also the service is goid and workers are nice. I paid $17 for the half chicken combo plate and only got 3 plantains on the side. The beans were a small portion. This could be because it was takeout. They did not put enough garlic sauce on the chicken. I would only come here rarely because of the price.

It is a small cute restaurant ,that has been in Culver City for maybe 40 years or more , they serve authentic Cuban food ,tropical fruit smoothies.friendly staff,fast service ,outdoor & indoors eating areas , start meter parking .opens 7 days a week.I recommend this restaurant

This spot is such a gem. I should have written this review a long time ago because I have been going for years and always tell my friends about it. My husband and I always get the Cuban sandwich and it is incredible every time. I highly recommend! The homemade habanero hot sauce is also top notch (we usually purchase a large side of it to bring home). The ambiance is warm, colorful, and the staff is always sweet. This place is definitely in my top 5 places to eat in LA.

Terrible service. Definitely don't order by phone, they won't take your order this way. And the chicken is so dry you'll choke.

Overall very solid food. The Cubano sandwich was what I expected and was about as good as you can probably find in LA :). I did also enjoy the fried yuca quite a bit and it even travelled well for delivery. The hot sauce is really quite hot. I love hot sauce and I was excited to try theirs and I was not disappointed. Just be warned that it is insanely hot, but it was hard to stop eating it because it tasted so good!

Some people don't appreciate small businesses... which is why this spot deserves a review. If you're the type of person who appreciates a delicious sandwich, this is the spot. I walked in and noticed how intimate the set up can be if you were on a lunch date, the food was made great. The plantain chips were amazing and authentic along with my sandwich. Every business encounters customers that hold high expectations which is why the reviews don't do it justice. This is not a Michelin star restaurant but it's certainly one I can take a date to and even friends and family. No wait time, just come, chill, read maybe, and eat. This is the way eating is intended to be. Owner does a great job with trying to satisfy the customer because he cares. Isn't that what you want in a restaurant?

Pretty dissatisfied with the food portions. I ordered 2 ox tail plates and it was mostly bone not enough meat and tons of onion, 2 garlic shrimp plates which only had 5 shrimps each and a ton of onions, Seafood Paella(this was good and a big portion) yucca frita (that was good) Tostones (good too) the shredded pork was a decent portion too but flavor was off. White rice and black beans were bland, I love Cuban food and was very disappointed. I will not purchase from here again.

Bought the paella that comes with a side of like 10 fries and a small container of black beans. The $23.99 portion is enough for two people! Overall, I thought it was kinda bland for a paella. I added siracha after I ate some. A spicy kick always helps :) The black beans, on the other hand..., really well seasoned! Delicious by itself and also helped give the paella more flavor.

Had take out, Saltados beef and Cuban style roast pork. Maybe we stick to all Cuban because Saltados beef was not that great like from Peruvian places. Dull taste with wimpy fried potatoes and uninspiring marinated bits of beef. Rice was okay. Pork again needs bit more spiced up cooking and it was small pieces of port with boring onions etc. Prices are reasonable in todays inflation. Should eat more dishes to evaluate, I know, but bit disappointing food for us.