El Rincón Tropical

I am highly disappointed with today’s visit and it’s purely based on the service. If you are going to automatically charge gratuity you should provide top notch service. The server (Yanid) never got me a refill on my drink until I stopped her to ask for it. And not that it should matter but let me be clear that it was only me and A couple at another table in the restaurant. After removing my finished plate from the she didn’t return with a receipt so I had to go to bar to checkout.

The food was delicious all my guest love how delicious it was. I am very grateful for the staff saving my event at last minute I know it was hard work to feed so many people but they maintained the quality of the food and saved my night. Thank you Rincon tropical you guys are the best in the 757!!!

The food was absolutely amazing. I tried some of everything from my family’s meals and it was all amazing. The only thing I will say is it took over 45 minutes for our food to come for a table of about 8 people. The waitresses took a long time to get the card swiped but they said they were having system issues. Other than that this place was a pleasant surprise. Definitely a hidden gem

I celebrated my birthday at El Rincón Tropical. Jose and his staff were very accommodating and helped to make my celebration very special. The food is delicious!!! The service is great! Thank you so much, Jose and staff!!!

The food is delicious. The service ... Well there was only two servers working and the place was packed. The atmosphere is very bland with cheap furniture... Real dive feel. LOVE the food though!!!

Best Empanadas I have tasted in a long time.Very hot, meaty, cheesy and delicious. I also ordered the lunch Bistec Encebollado which needed a little more seasoning, but the rice and red beans were delicious. Overall I would absolutely eat here again.

Paper menus that are soiled and wrinkled. I ordered chicharon de pollo and what we got was thin slices of chicken that were over salted, dry chewy and lacked flavor. The beans had a creamy color and had little to no sofrito. PR beans are supposed to be red from the tomato sauce, sazon, sofrito, etc.. They threw some lettuce and some dressing and called it a salad. I ordered tostones and they arrived towards the end of the meal (after asking for them twice). The tostones were small and had a sweet taste- which is not how tostones are supposed to taste. Waitresses had a hard time communicating in English and expect you to speak Spanish. You will wait a long time for your food. Tables are so close together the next table will be in your conversation. Music is ridiculously loud, so don’t expect to have a peaceful dinner. They automatically add 18% gratuity then when they give you the receipt there’s an option to give extra tip. Trust I know what PR food is supposed to look and taste like. I can cook better than that… disappointing almost $70 for below par food. I was planning on ordering tres leches and getting some alcappurias to go, but ugh I didnt want anymore of their food. People who don’t know what good Puerto Rican food is will not know any better, but for those who do.. will be disappointed.

First time here and 5 stars hands down. Like my Abuela’s cooking so good , everything along with presentation and portions were on point. Definitely a gem in Virginia Beach.

I just want to make sure it's still operational. Google Maps says it's temporarily closed. It has been well recommended by a Nuyorican acquaitance.

Good Cuban, decent portion for the price. I usually just order online and pick it up, quick and easy.

Nice find - recommended by a friend who ate here the day before. The menu has plenty of options, and I struggled not ordering everything in it. Based on what made to my table, you cannot go wrong. The pernil is great, and the mojo and mofongo are as well. I also tried the carne frita and it was the way you expect it. Someone recommended the tres leches for desert but I went for the churros and they made me happy.

Very good food! Service was good everyone was friendly! Prices are reasonable and very spacious inside!

I've been here before. Didn't take pics or do a review. I did this time. Whenever I patronize a "Dominican," or "Puerto Rican" restaurant, I always do the "Penil" (Roasted Pork), Red beans & White rice; Extra skin is a must. The evening I patronized , they had NO red beans, and NO roasted pork "skin." I honestly wanted to get up, and walk out. Seriously. I didn't, and continued with my order. The Pork was a little dry, which it sometimes is when it's been sitting, unbased with the pan juices for a while, or if it's not added prior to serving. The Black beans were a disappointment, because I don't like Black beans. The side of sweet plantains were good. Ambiance is basic. I'd recommend that if you patronize this restaurant, that you do so early, before they run out of food.

I received the empanadas along with a corona with lime. There was plenty of dancing on the floor which I took apart of as well. Everything was smooth. Mixed drinks give a club vibe and the food was excellent. Service as well.

We came in for empanadas but stayed for the music. The dj was great. The drummer was also. We really enjoyed the shrimp empanadas. You can tell that the dough was handmade. It really felt like I was eating a tasty pastry. This place is great for salsa/meringue.

Oh my God! Amazing... love the service, the owner, the food and music. Going to use them to cater my wedding. Thank you for your great service.

If your looking for a Kareoke night or a night of Latin dancing check this place out on Friday and Saturday's. Place gets full with awesome people. Also try there empanadillas as a starter. Your are treated as family and the food is great. There is plenty of parking so no worries. You should go and really check out the Kareoke if you want to sing some of your favorite Spanish/English songs. I had the grilled chicken with some yummy rice and beans. Check out the lively bartender Bambi. She makes some awesome drinks. We had a big group birthday and we're comfortably accommodated. Check it out

Food was very good, however the unannounced addition of gratuity was disappoining to say the least. I think it is illegal. I equate it as pick-pocketing. Not sure if the IRS is aware of establishments like this. Sounds like its time for an IRS audit. IRS issued Revenue Ruling 2012-18, which said that the mandatory extra fee restaurants often add to large parties is not a "tip" at all. A tip, it ruled, must be voluntary in every sense of the word. Customers must feel free to leave any amount they choose -- or nothing at all. Instead, such mandatory add-ons are a "service charge," IRS issued its 2012 ruling. By classifying mandatory "tips" as a service charge, it is now the employer's duty to monitor and record them. Similarly, it is the employer's obligation to make all withholding and send it to the IRS. As a result, it is now the employer who will feel the heat if the IRS suspects that he or she is being less than honest with reporting those service charges.

Included a bogus charge when making a takeout order. Asked the server if it was included and they said "they didn't know" if it could be. It ended up being taken off when i wasn't budging. Because of the attempted scam it took away from the ambiance. For the owners: Stop trying to scam your customers. Update: the food was not worth the price. $15 for a sandwich is insane.

I am highly disappointed with today's visit and it's purely based on the service. If you are going to automatically charge gratuity you should provide top notch service. The server (Yanid) never got me a refill on my drink until I stopped her to ask for it. After removing my finished plate she didn't return with a receipt so I had to go to bar to checkout.

Food taste amazing. Staff very friendly. Empanadas are my all time fave, but everything else is just as good!

The food was very authentic and very delicious. I had the churasco with chimichuri along with red beans and white rice. This was the best steak I ever had in my life. The wait was long but well worth it since they do everything fresh. Love this place.

I have lived across the street from this restaurant for years and for some reason I never went in ,until today. What a mistake I've been making. The food was delicious and the people working inside were so polite. I am from NYC, so I am no stranger to Puerto Rican/Spanish food and when I tell you, this is the real deal and I mean it. The pork was seasoned perfectly.Way better than a lot of the other Puerto Rican restaurants I have visited in the surrounding Virginia Beach area. Please do not let the bad reviews from years ago scare you. This is definitely a hidden gem.

The bomb dot com period. Come for the food, stay for everything else! The staff, the music, the customers, the ambience, the drinks!!! It's a good time every time! I love El Rincon on a Friday or a Saturday night. Giselle is the best bartender! Don't forget to tip your server! What's good: matured, tostones, pernil, pollo guisado, pasteles, empanadas, rice, red beans, tres leches, flan! Pretty much everything.

My boyfriend brought me here after telling me about it for so long. I absolutely loved our food. We ordered a steak sandwich on green plantains. Oh my gosh it was so flavorful. It was unlike anything I've tried before and I thoroughly enjoyed it. It. Our dish came with a side of ripened fried plantains which were incredible. He also ordered mufunga which is smashed ripened plantains with some kind of dipping sauce and herbs. It was delicious. For soda we enjoyed a Champagne Cola which is a wonderful Puerto Rican soda pop I have no idea how to explain the flavor. The restaurant inside is very casual and nothing to write about however the food is great. I believe they were understaffed as the food took a really long time to come out. Friday and Saturday evenings they've have a live Puerto Rican band from 10pm-2AM. We definitely plan on returning and telling our friends about.

Amazing! Simply put! We LOVED IT here! Went on a Saturday night and we walked in to good vibes, Latin music, everyone simply enjoying themselves & that's the vibes we love. We started off with the beef empanadas which came out freshly made, smoking hot and very delicious. That was exciting that our first taste of the food was delicious and had us craving more. We than realized they sold our favorite tres Leches cake so we had that to top off our taste buds and the tres Leches was made perfectly, moist, & delicious just like we like it. This is a must try! For my entree I ordered the fried pork chops which comes with two and rice and beans and side salad. Everything we ate here was delicious including the yummy side of plantains. If your looking for authentic Puerto Rican food this is the number one spot to go in the 757! You will love it here! Everything they make is fresh, tasty and delicious! Definitely recommend checking out this place.

First time coming here and this place is so amazing Oliver food was delicious. Nothing was left behind certainly recommend going here cause I will definitely be back.

I like to move it move it! I was so impressed with this tropical delight. It felt like being back on an island. The music, the lighting, the smell of good food. Came here on Saturday night and the vibe was really nice. A lot of times you don't always find restaurants being so true to their culture. It's always some commercial version of it. They stayed true! The empanadas were so GOOD! Made fresh to order, my only issue is that there wasn't any small plates passed out. Again I will chalk that up to inexperience from the waitress. Back to the empanadas! They were HOT HOT! It seemed as if everything here was made I was we ordered it. Nothing tasted like it had been sitting out for a while. I ordered the fried chicken de pollo. WOW! It was delicious, very authentic. They must have marinated Those chicken chunks for hours. Good seems to be a recurring thing for the food. The rice and beans were so flavorful! Again fresh, not made hours earlier. If you're a fan of Tres leches cake then try it! It's not going to knock your socks off because of looks but man it's literally mouth watering. The prices are very good and very reasonable. I highly recommend. I strongly encourage you to visit.

Hidden towards the back of a shopping center it took my a while to find because the gps took me towards the front of the building. The second you walk in you are greeted and quickly sat down. Bachata music and boricua vibes. Visited for dinner and the place wasn't packed. Good amount of people and still had outstanding service. The waitress constantly checked in on us. The food is delicious and not pricey at all. If you are in town and looking to try some Puerto Rican food this is the place to go to.

#53/2020 ¡Wepa! I always forget just how delicious latin cuisine is and when my sister invited us for some Puerto Rican lunch, I did not hesitate to accept! It's been a long time since I've been here but it was my first time coming in for lunch. I immediately noticed the spacious dining room due to COVID -19 guidelines HOWEVER!!!!! the hostess/ waitresses/ cashier DID NOT wear her mask correctly. It was just chillen on her chin and that just bothered me but whatever.... She was very nice and efficient so she at least had that going for her. Food we had was tasty, portioned fairly, and matched the price tag. Background music was lively and fun. They have a decent amount of choices for Lunch Specials until 3 pm so take advantage. Plenty of parking since it's in a shopping center. I highly recommend getting the Pinchos for appetizer! Wow. I really didn't care much for the pasteles and it didn't ring a bell as to when I've last eaten it. The mofongo was also just okay; I prefer it with all the fixins - onion, tomatoes, sauce, meat, the whole nine. At El Rincon they serve it with some kind of reddish dipping oil that I thought was a little bland so I added the crushed garlic butter/oil sauce thingy. Again, that's just my opinion and preference. My chuleta Frita (fried pork chop) was deeelishus! My sister ordered the pernil and boy was that yummy. Very tender and tasty. Now that I know about the affordable lunch specials I will definitely keep this place on the short list of recommended eating spots!

This was a great spot. It's small and has the family owned feel. There is also an outside seating area which would be nice on a summer day. Parking is good. There's a lot of parking spaces available. The food was good. I wasn't hungry so we ordered appetizers and they were awesome. We ordered the tostones rellenos, alcapurria, and some empanadas to go. I also have a mojito which was really good. I would definitely recommend this place and I'll be back!

First time we went for appetizers were great my sandwich, and my husband sandwich was good. But unfortunately, there was no true bartender so you could not get anything to drink other than a beer or soda or water. Second time we went. Food was nowhere near as good as the first time. Still no bartender to speak of so I got water in my husband got beer took 45 minutes to get our very first drink when we got our food. We got our food without silverware and plates to share that took an extra 10 minutes, so by the time we got all that everything was ice cold. It was not a pleasant experience the second time around not sure if we're willing to go back.

Beat puertorican food in the area and also very clean place. Staff is amazing and the music is always on point.

El Rincon catered our family reunion this weekend and did a lovely job. Delicious food; the empanadas, beans and rice, fried chicken, and seafood gravy were particularly tasty. I understand as well, they were able to accommodate us on short notice after the original plan fell through, so thank you so much!

I love myself some Puerto Rican food. I have had authentic Puerto Rican food. So when I go to Puerto Rican Restaurants I compare it to that. This place is a hole in the wall restaurant. Places like this don't really need to be advertised...they just need to be tried...which means I really enjoyed the food. The restaurant is very basic. It has barely any decor. The walls are very plain...so it doesn't seem very inviting. There are just tables and chairs, and a bar. Anyways thats not important to me. What is important is the food. I ordered the combo with the pernil which is roasted pork shoulder...it came with rice...I picked yellow rice..it comes with beans, but they have different kinds of rice options...it also came with a salad and plantain tostadas (fried plaintain chips). I also added a side of mofongos with carne fritas...which i feel is like a puerto rican way of making mashed potatos but made with plaintains and fried pork pieces...it comes with a broth to pour over it. I was sad they didnt have their flan. I was really looking forward to it, but they had been closed for a couple days due to the blizzard and didnt give them time to prepare any. I will be coming back in a couple days to try it out. My son had their pizza empanada. The meat was excellent. It was very tasty and tender. All my food was delicious. However, the mofongos could have tasted better. It had an off taste, but the broth they provide with it made it taste a little bit better. This place I feel tasted authentic. I have been to De Rican, and this place is much better. You get a lot of food for what you pay. So it is worth it. It is pricey, but you have to think of the labor, time, and food cost that goes into making this delicious meal. Everything seemed very clean and I saw Puerto Ricans eating here...So my conclusion of this place being authentic must be right.

I came in with a group of friends with a party of 11 we got seated quickly and the server was professional and nice. The food came out in around 10-20 minutes which was pretty quick for a large party. The overall environment was very loud. When friend of the party's ordered drinks the bartender was overall very rude and demanded there ID and threatened to throw us if out in fear of losing her liquor license if someone drank alcohol who was under the age. The bartender could definitely acted in a more professional manner and overall been more polite.Other then that the food and service was good was decent.

This place is pretty decent. Like a lot of the other Hispanic reviewers it was ok. Better than most other boricua restaurants I have been too. However, I should have realized that from the amount of non Hispanics talking about it's authenticity in the comments it probably was mid. My review was mostly for the people in the comments. Just because you vacationed to PR doesn't mean you know the food or the culture. Cut it out.

I went to this place recommended by a friend on Saturday night. I cannot give a review for the food because we did not go there to eat. We had drinks which this is the reason I will give them 2 stars. The drinks are between $8 and $9 dollars but for the price the drinks were all water or soda, not alcohol; on top of that the bartender was extremely rude. If you are looking to have a great time dancing, this is a good place to visit; however, drinks are a 1 star.

I came for lunch here with a friend for lunch in early July, This was my first visit, but she has been here previously. She recommended that I try the Chicharron De Pollo...while it was seasoned well, it was dry!! Fried a little too hard. The Maduros I had on the side were delicious but my favorite were the rice and beans. Next time I come, I'll be trying a different entree. Service was pretty good and the restaurant was very neat and clean.

Greasy empanadas :( the ones from Mojito by the waterfront is so much better. I had the steak and mofongo that were just ok, hubby had the chicken and rice with red beans. That was very tasty. The service could be better and the kitchen is slow in my opinion.

Man, I had really high hopes for this place. I'm Puerto Rican and I visit at least twice a year since my parents live there along with all my family. The food on the menu is pretty authentic. I got excited when I saw alcapurrias on the menu, because honestly where can you find an alcapurria here in the US? Well I ordered it, and my heart was full of joy while I was waiting. The food took a while, and maybe that's because of a shortage on staff? There was one girl seating guests, waiting tables and even making drinks. She was so nice and she really deserves a raise because the dining room got full quickly and she handled it very well. I cant imagine having to serve 6+ tables with big parties by myself. Luckily I wasnt that bored waiting for my food, because they were blasting reggaetón music videos off of YouTube. Not very classy, but hey, as long as the food is good Im not that picky. Well after waiting like 20 mins for the alcapurria I was served a long, burnt, flavorless object of sadness. If you try this alcapurria, please know that it in no way represents what an alcapurria is. Alcapurrias are crunchy, flavorful, tender and mouth watering. All I could taste was the old oil they used to fry it and the bland ground beef they used to stuff it. Nasty and disgraceful. It was also chewy so I'm guessing it was frozen. Go to Isla Verde in PR and learn how to do it the right way! After that we received a platter of fried foods. It had tostones, queso frito, carne frita, some fried hot dog thing and yuca. Tostones were sub par, the carne frita was gristly and gross, the queso frito was nice but where's the guava dip, the hot dog stuff was good but is that even authentic? No. And the yuca was great, but why serve it in tiny little Chunks? Where do you ever see that? Skimping out on me much? Lol The main course was a Cubano. It's a pretty huge staple in Puerto Rican bakeries. It was decent, I mean how can you mess it up? The pork was good but lacking in flavor. Almost like it was kind of missing salt, But it was he best part of the meal. Now on the plus side they did me right by giving me the entire bottle of mayo ketchup and garlic oil! Some places will skimp on you with that, but I definitely like to slather my food in it, so I appreciate the generosity. The prices however aren't worth the food at all but to each it's own. You can get in alcapurria that'll change your life for $2 in PR. This one is about $5 and it'll ruin your life (jk) but forreal, it's bad. Will I ever return? No.

Crap food, frozen reheated garbage, crap service. Definitely look elsewhere. New owner's are trash.

Hidden at the corner of Holland and South Plaza is this delicious place! We started with empanadas (beef and cheese). The empanadas were pretty big and flavorful. The Cuban was very flavorful and came with a large serving of plantains. We tried several other appetizers and had no complaints. The spicy sauce is definitely spicy! Do not leave without trying the flan!

What a complete disappointment! We went in for lunch. Immediately noticed the menu prices where much higher than ever before. We ordered an appetizer only got one papa for double the price (used to get 2). Husband ordered lunch pork chops, said on menu you could order an extra chop for $4. Manager wouldn't let us, said we would have to order dinner portion, which was more expensive. Said menu is a mistake. I ordered flan, they said they did have any desserts. Corona info! Masks weren't mandatory when customers walked in. Waitress only wiped top of table when customers left. The sauce bottles and salt and pepper weren't wiped down between customers. Super bad experience. Food was bland at best. Sad, i used to love this place.

Thanks so much to Chef Jose and El Rincon Tropical for serving up a delicious feast for our family reunion this past weekend! I think I could eat the seafood gravy for the rest of my life accompanied by the yellow rice and peas and die a happy woman. He was professional, timely, and especially gracious when our original caterer wasn't able to follow through. He worked with my sisters and me to create a menu that pleased us all, from ages 3 to 97. Of course the family stories and seeing each other for the first time after the pandemic was the reason for our gathering. Chef Jose's cooking made the evening truly a special occasion.

I've driven by this place a million times and finally decided to drop in. Pleasantly surprised. Takes a little time to get your food but it's worth it. The pork chop I had totally took me by surprise. Wife had the pork shoulder. We both were stuffed!

My favorite spot, food, drinks, music , service. Very close to home, waitress are amazing. I always get the Pernil w/cuerito mmmmmmmm a piece of Home (Luquillo) PR.

I haven't been here in a few years , but I must say it is not the same at all, one waiter and he tried his best , very soft spoken , my food was not flavorful, the alcapurrias had something weird in it which it was replaced , my camarones al ajillo smelled really fishy not garlicky , the homemade sauce they have is in a plastic jar and does not look fresh at all , the place can use a facelift . I am sorry but never again

OMG... where do I start? If you've never had mofongo, try it somewhere else 1st. Then come here! You'll notice the difference immediately! But this 3 mofongo... just sooooo darn good! So if you like mofongo, you definitely need to try the 3 mofongo! Awesome awesome awesome! When visiting a city, I don't go back to the same restaurants. But this one I most definitely to come back to!

My wife and I found this place the other day while looking for authentic latino food not being Mexican. Coming from Southern California our expectations of Mexican food is high. My wife being Mexican also knows the wonderful foods that Central, South and Caribbean brings. I'm Panamanian so we love those foods. The atmosphere was nice, with colorful paintings. It is small and quaint, giving it a family feel. The food was amazing. We started off with plantains, and several fried foods that brings me back to my childhood. The main dishes excellent. I had yucca with sautéed shrimps in garlic, my wife had fried pork and rice. The flavors were popping and the amazing. The food in the end is what makes this place worth going to. I highly recommended this place and I will return again for the night life that was mentioned.

Great service, good food but bland and yummy options. Drinks were good too! But it's def quite pricey being in VA beach spent a lot more than expected on simple plates. But would recommend. Would go back once in a blue moon!

Lizz was an amazing server (it's her bday today..so HAPPY BIRTHDAY) The food was well cooked and seasoned and it came out HOT and ready.

Always come here when craving authentic Puerto Rican food . Service was great and they play amazing Latino music

Service is still spotty and slooooow. We've learned to make sure that we've carved out a good chunk of time and to not have anything pressing if we want to eat here. Lunch time is a bit faster. We've gone when one of the owners was working and she literally sat down with us...she was so great and made the experience fantastic. The food is still awesome. The Kids' favorite is carne de cerdo frita (fried pork pieces). I still love anything "al ajillo" which is their garlic sauce (which I normally order the camerones (shrimp) and yuca). I think my UGG would taste good in that sauce. We still don't order any of the cow stuff since it's predecessors made a mean churrasco and the bistec we got once was only ok. Pig and shrimp are the meats to order here.

This establishment is pretty awesome, the service and the food was awesome. I ordered the bistec encebollado with arroz blanco, habichuelas rojas y unos tostones. Everything eas delicious. To wash it down passion fruit juice since I'm driving and to fix my sweet tooth flan de coco. Wow, it brought good memories from my Puerto Rico cuisine (the main island). I will be back and most likely with more people.

El Rincon Tropical I want to start off by saying this place is TRUE Authentic Spanish Food!! I have lived my life eating Spanish foods. My background is Puerto Rican and Dominican. So it's safe to say I know my flavors when it comes to Spanish cooking. And it's either you have it or you don't. And this place has it!! For my appetizer, Beef and Cheese Empanadas. Fried Yuca with a side of hot sauce. Great first appetizer. The empanadas were crispy and was packed with flavor. Let them cool off for a minute. Because if not you will burn your mouth. I learned the hard way lol. The fried yuca matched the same flavor profile. Overall great first dish, tasted like my grandma made it. The main course, Churrasco with mofongo, this is a skirt steak top with chimichurri sauce, served on a bed of lettuce and tomatoes. Tons of flavor in this steak, I got my steak done medium. it has a fresh off the grill quality taste, with an after taste of freshness from the chimichurri sauce ,this sauce is a green color sauce. With fresh homemade ingredients. And with a side of mofongo and a cup of mofongo sauce. Wow! I could eat that mofongo by itself. Desert, And for the Grand finale. Flan De Coco. It has coconut in every bite. I was blown away by the amazing taste of this dessert. The only regret that I have, is the fact that I buy the whole pie. If you love coconut that is the desert for you. Service, Matched the food. Great service. The waitress was laughing and sming the whole time. I believe her name was Bambi. This lady knew her stuff, she knew everything about the menu. And there wasn't one time that my drink got low. She is awesome. If I was you, ask for Bambi when you go here. She is awesome. Quality of the place The tables were clean, the bathroom was very clean as well. They have tv screens all over, a great place to watch sports. With a bar to go along with it. The the owners of El Rincon Great job. I love this place and I will be back as soon as possible, to try more food. And I will bring my family as well. Thanks for putting an amazing restaurant in the city of Virginia Beach.

Picked up food to go last night. Pernil and tostones were delicious! Mofongo!!!! Yay Ordered carne frito....was kind of dry and seemed like the oil wasn't very clean...... I will go back.