Rolando's Nuevo Latino Restaurante

In Hot Springs fora couple of days to celebrate my daughter’s birthday, and Rolando’s was suggested for dinner by a staff member at the Arlington Hotel across the street. What a culinary gem! The restaurant area downstairs was full of character, but given the choice by the very cordial hostess, we were seated upstairs in Rolando’s SpeakEasy. The Cuban sandwich was excellent, as was my daughter’s more traditional Latin American entree. Guac and cheese dip were amazing as well. Felt like we’d stepped back in time as we dined among Al Capone photos on the wall. Our server “Dustin” was beyond wonderful, as he explained the menu and the place’s history, and ensured we were well taken care of, and having fun. It was a bit chilly and damp for the patio, but after dinner, we had to check it out. Beautiful cozy garden area with lights everywhere, including in the trees. For historic charm and character, delicious cuisine, and a unique experience, you must try Rolando’s.

What a delightful surprise Rolando’s was! It was a lovely evening, so we decided to sit on the patio. As we climbed an interior staircase, we were a bit skeptical that there was a patio, but after the upstairs door opened, we were welcomed into a beautiful “secret garden,” replete with live guitar music and fairy lights. Our adorable waiter, Grayson, was warm and friendly, solicitous and competent; he made us feel like valued guests. He recommended dishes he thought we’d like, so we took his advice and got Pollo Bohemia and Shrimp Enchiladas. Both were excellent and artfully plated. We’d definitely return!

We where told buy our Hotel to come here and enjoy. And we sure did, we went upstairs to the Speekeasy, and had a wonderful waiter. The food is freshly made and has great flavor. Must stop when in town and enjoy the food and atmosphere.

Delicious Food & Great Patio Experience We were quickly seated on their patio, which was super nice and such a great spot to relax. Our server, Paul, was very attentive and helped us navigate the menu — excellent service! The salsa here is absolutely AMAZING, and the food feels very homemade and authentic. We ordered the beef nachos, the Cuban plate, and the Cuban sandwich — everything was flavorful and satisfying. Overall, a wonderful dining experience with great service, great food, and a really cozy patio atmosphere. Definitely recommend!

Excellent first time visit eating here. We sat outside in the back & it was perfect. Drinks & food were a 10/10! Definitely a Hot Springs must try.

The food here was absolutely amazing! Our server Sky was very sweet and helpful. We really enjoyed our lunch here.

We got the appetizer adventure and Rolando's Bananas. Lot of food with the appetizers Very pleased with all, goat cheese quesadilla and taquitos were the standouts. Bananas were very nice. Friendly, quick service.

Hidden in plain sight, this cozy yet accounting establishment charmed us with outdoor whimsy. Copied right up to the solid mountain behind it, this casual dining experience will echo in your mind when looking for a getaway.

Warm and attentive staff Delectable dishes & the Cuban soup was fantastic Very nice ambiance for sure So glad we got to eat here during our visit to Hot Springs !! Highly recommend !

We have been talking about this food since our visit for NYE 2018 and the revisit did not disappoint. The staff was friendly, attentive and communicative saying they were short staffed and so wait times may be up, but as a party of two, we were seated, served and done in under an hour. The flavors and portions are big and not your typical Mexican or Tex-Mex flavors. The vibe was casual and friendly.

We found Rolando's on the street as we were looking for places for dinner and decided to stop. I would not recommend this place if you have young kids. We came to eat here and seemed more of a nuisance than a guest at the restaurant. Our waitress rarely came to our table and we were displeased with the service. (Hoping she was just new to serving). Didn't give us a drink menu til we ordered and then never came back to take our drink order til food came. The food was good tasting, but did not get a good feeling as a welcome place to eat with family.

Service was great here. Very quick and kind. The food was good. The quesadilla had goat cheese that was a great match for all the toppings and pork. The margarita was okay.

I had such a nice meal here! Honestly, I just had a craving for chips and salsa and Rolando's got great reviews. The restaurant is beautiful and colorful, and the staff were nice and efficient. The endless chips and salsa were everything I hoped they would be! I really liked the corn and beans salsa instead of a more typical pico de gallo salsa. I ordered a Cuban sandwich and was shocked to see such a beautiful dish come to my table! It was delicious and I loved the rice and beans. It was a great place for a nice quick dinner!

Every time we eat here we're never disappointed. Food was absolutely delicious. Portions are on the healthy amount. Service was great. We sat in their beautiful patio and our sever was quiet n nice. My family will continue enjoying eating at Rolando's.

Overpriced for cold bland food. Chips were stale at best. The salsa was cold and no seasoning. It was almost can line tasting. I ordered the 3 tamale appetizer as my entree (didn't want the rice and beans); I got the 3 halves tamales. I think they put the other 1/2 on my daughter's plate. The fajitas were lacking in quantity of meat. It was a few strips over black beans and white rice. Would not recommend

Make sure you ask to sit upstairs in the speakeasy part of this Ecuadorean-inspired restaurant. The dining room and bar lent themselves to a feeling of historic charm and privacy. We ordered the queso flamado to start; our waitress topped the cheese with Bacardi 151 and set it aflame at the table for a unique appetizer experience. The drinks were a bit underwhelming--both the mojito and the margarita tasted like they came from a mix--but the food was excellent! We had the tilapia tacos and tortilla soup and both were delicious.

Don't judge a book by its cover. I would not have expected such delicious food and options. The atmosphere is a little run down. We sat upstairs in what they call the speakeasy. Our waitress was super friendly and attentive and didn't miss a beat when I asked for vegan options.

Food was delicious! Flour tortillas filled with shredded chicken sautéed with onions, sweet peppers, green chili, cream cheese, cheddar cheese, and salsa verde. Served with black beans and rice. I didn't get the black beans.

We got to sit outside in the patio and it was beautiful at night. They had someone playing music and the ambience was very relaxing. Our food was delicious.

We always make plan that includes Rolando's. It's the only Cuban restaurant that I care to know about, because it's just that good. Everything we've ever had has been consistently fresh and flavorful. Service was personal and attentive without being overly intrusive. The ambiance of the patio, for Sunday brunch, was again, the perfect plan. We always order something that we've never had, and have yet to be disappointed. Highly recommended.

We had a late lunch and believe we've found a jewel, the food was delicious, well prepared and wonderfully plated. Our host was the best with excellent recommendations that perfectly suited us. Well go to Rolando's the next time we're in Hot Springs

The food was disappointing. It looked good, but pretty flavorless for Mexican. The service was okay and the ambiance was nice. We sat outside on the upstairs patio. The food was great when we moved here 20 years ago. They have had new ownership since then, maybe several times.

I did not get pictures, but this is our favorite Mexican restaurant in Hot Springs. I only really enjoy sitting on the patio because it has such a magical atmosphere and especially enjoy while sipping a mojito and listening to live music. My favorites are the combination platter with the goat cheese quesadillas and the queso flameado. Spectacular! We look forward to eating here everytime we come to Hot Springs!

Best hidden patio in Hot Springs! Not sure why they don't hype that up on their chalkboard at street? Second time here. Good house margaritas. Popeyes burrito was tasty and fresh. Get the waitstaff to get after the doors in their downtime as they could use a good cleaning!

Incredible South American cuisine! A wide variety of choices, each as good as the next, and killer drink menu to boot. The service is outstanding! Our waiter was newer but he did a great job & made good recommendations. The drinks and food arrived promptly. The ambiance is amazing! Their back patio is the place to sit - nestled into a hillside with amazing views all around. They had live music that was also great but not too loud either. Super pet friendly! We were able to bring our lab in and they brought him a water bowl even! Best restaurant in Hot Springs, especially given the very affordable prices. Can't say enough good things about this place !!

If you're looking for a quick and easy fix on your hunger come here! Super tasty food not only that it came out in 10 minutes or less. Very delicious!

We enjoyed dinner on the beautiful patio tonight. Nick Flora provided live music and did a fantastic job, great song choices and comfortable volume. Mikayla was our waitress and did a great job of describing menu items as well as helping one of our party with a Gluten allergy. We had the Queso Blanco as an appetizer. The house margaritas were very good. Our group had the steak fajitas, Cuban sandwiches, and a chicken quesadilla. All delicious!

Food was delicious and looked very pretty. Our waitress Hailey was extremely nice and provided great customer service. Also had very nice outdoor seating. Lots of fabulous vegetarian food options. Best South American food in hot springs!

Stopped in for lunch after the bathhouse and shopping. Staff was amazing, super friendly and very accommodating! Food was on point and very flavorful. Pricing was affordable and for the quality of ingredients, you couldn't ask for more! Will be back on our next Hot Springs visit.

We had a delicious meal here. The quesadillas are fantastic, the restaurant is so cute. In addition every member of the staff we interacted with was great. We'll be back next time we're in Hot Springs! Don't miss it!

Excellent service and ambience. The food was tasty, and the salsa was incredible. Pet friendly patio in the back. A very serene and tranquil place.

Warning: This review is a little graphic. Proceed at your own risk. To put it blatantly, I did not have a pleasurable experience at Rolando's. Even though the entire place is wonderfully decorated and the back patio is beautiful, the establishment is filthy. Cockroaches everywhere! In both bathrooms, in the indoor dining area and outside. I swear I've eaten at cleaner places in NYC. We started our meal with the House Sangria (this was before I noticed the filth) which was widely recommended. It wasn't my favorite. I found it to be overly sweet, and the fruits didn't look or taste fresh. Mom and I both ordered from the House Specials menu - she got Susu's Enchiladas (flour tortillas, shredded chicken, sautéed with onions, sweet peppers, and green chilies along with cream cheese topped with cheddar cheese and salsa verde, served with black beans and rice, $11.95) This was honestly a very delicious dish. It was incredibly rich and creamy and packed with flavor. I would recommend this. Unfortunately, my Cuzco's Fajitas (strips of seasoned chicken, beef* or shrimp grilled with onions and sweet peppers. Served with tortillas, pico, cheese, sour cream, black beans and rice, $13.95) missed the mark. It was presented beautifully however deceiving. It came to me lukewarm, nearly cold. No hot cast iron pan or water. The beef was flavorless and extremely chewy. Furthermore, after eating the few bites I managed to get down, my stomach became enraged and I had to run to the bathroom. Everything came right back up. This is when I noticed the roaches. After hurling up what I thought was all my food I had to double back to a bathroom AGAIN where I did the same thing and noticed more damn roaches. I spent the remainder of the day in bed with a garbage can by my side. One time was enough. I don't live in the area, but if I did I wouldn't return.

This was a great place to meet up with 25 others after event. Restaurant was happy to allow separate checks. Food was amazing. As was service and ambiance. I had The Adkins Plate full of meats. Highly recommend their guacamole and queso that they light on fire. The adventure appetizer plate was hugely popular even as an entrée. Will come again.

This place is amazing, their food is amazing and nothing like the other joints in this area, if you want a nice meal and a few drinks. consider coming to this place. The staff is really nice and they care about their customers. The building is well designed and welcoming.

The food here is quite delicious. I had shrimp quesadilla and my friend a burrito. Most of the prices are reasonable except for the guacamole appetizers, which are very small with a hefty price of $12.50. If not for that, I'd give this restaurant a resounding five stars for food quality and taste. I will go back soon.

I think they're hustling and trying hard but seem disorganized. The complimentary appetizer of chips and salsa was mediocre. Our server was helpful in making a selection for my main, but ultimately i was served the guacamole tostadas rather than the grilled burrito i ordered. Oh, well. The tostadas were heaped high with guacamole (good!) but way too many red onions were tossed on top. It came with black beans and rice, which made for a full plate. We sat on the patio, a nice outdoor space that could be spiffed up a bit. The tables and chairs are worn and many of the outdoor patio lights were burned out.

Did a long hike and literally chose this place because it was down the hill from the trail parking lot, and I'm glad I stopped. Cute interior, the service was friendly and they have some strong food. The house margarita was straightforward, not a show-stopper but good and made with lime juice and not sour mix! The flambé cheese dip with chorizo was good, as well, and the goat cheese quesadilla was also very nice. The pork was a little dry, but when mixed with the veggies and goat cheese it made up for it. One of my favorites touches was the rice and beans- SO good and in my opinion much better than what you find in Mexican restaurants. If you want a Central/South American twist on "normal" Mexican/Tex-Mex dishes, this is an excellent place to try!

We discovered Rolando's on our first visit to Hot Springs several years ago and fell in love with it. We were so happy to see it was still excellent, so good we came twice on our trip! The food is unique and delicious. This is definitely NOT Tex-Mex! On our first visit, we enjoyed the Susus Enchiladas, which featured well-seasoned and juicy chicken, and the Plato Adventura, which also featured the chicken plus tender pork. The Sopapilla Cheesecake was a great way to finish! On our second visit we started with the Adventura Appetizer, which included generous servings of quesadillas, tamales, taquitos and guacamole. We deliberately left some as a take-home for a later dinner. Then we shared the Popeye Burrito with Pork. Just like our previous visit, everything was seasoned perfectly and featured some of the most awesome tastes we have every had. Add in the great service from Dylan and Trevor, and you have a perfect dining experience. We'd come here weekly if we lived anywhere near here!

Went here with friends on a Monday - not much open in Hot Springs that day. Rolando's outside patio is spectacular, sitting under a thick canopy of trees and the rock cliff on the backside. Very peaceful and quiet. If you want out door dining, this patio was nice. Service was adequate. One server for the whole place, but he was quite capable... Read more

Second time to eat at Rolandos and it was excellent. Our server was great and very attentive to our needs. my granddaughters thought it was great. Next time we will sit on the patio. If in Hot Springs, a great place to eat.

First- the time on yelp says it closes at 8 but it actually closes at 9. The ambiance is excellent with artwork on the walls and a relaxed feel but upscale and unique vibe too. I had read a bunch of reviews and knew the portions were big and they were. I had the shrimp which was excellent and the rice was amazing and I don't ever eat the rice. The black beans were also very flavorful and every vegetable on the plate was very fresh. We also had the guacamole which was full of of fresh avocado without a lot of fillers or additives. The salsa was also a great start with corn and black beans added. My friend had the chicken quesadilla which she loved. The most amazing thing was the drink prices. They were 6 and 7 dollars a piece which was half the price of the other restaurants we went to for cocktails. If we hadn't waited for the last night to eat here e oils have eaten here more than once.

Food was not good at all, tortilla soup is actually chicken broth with no flavor with tortillas. Tamales had no chicken

It's fairly rare that we don't agree with the aggregate Yelp reviews about a place. But, when we do, it's typically in very small towns. I have a theory about that, but that's neither here nor there. In Rolando's case, there are over 600 reviews with the reviews averaging 4 stars. As we weren't in town for too long, we wanted to choose well, so to speak, from the many options in Hot Springs. Maybe it's because I'm from Texas and most recently Denver and I know well made Mexican / Cuban food - or at least I've had it many, many times? Who knows. What was good: the folks we interacted with were friendly and kind. Our waitress checked on us often and didn't mind when I asked to be seated on the railing of their roof top deck. Thank you. This was appreciated. What wasn't so good: everything else. We ordered house margaritas and didn't finish them. I'm fairly certain the mixer used is bought in bulk. It was too limey and not balanced. It might be worth considering making their own? We ditched those and ordered other drinks - me a Bloody Mary and him the Caipirinha. The ice was incredibly bruised in his, resulting in a very watered down cocktail. My Bloody Mary was average. The food was sub par. Everything tasted precooked and only reheated. We ordered and our meals were to the table in less than 10 minutes. That's generally not a good sign. My Susu enchiladas were warm at best. The flour tortillas weren't browned and likely cooled everything down. I'm not sure if the cucumbers were pickled or maybe added to the plate when it was reheated. Either way, they were soggy, with the centers missing / melted. The onions were def pickled and tasted odd to me. Not a fan. Another menu item not finished. My guy ordered the LaPlata Cubano with chicken. He shared that the chicken was dry and also likely cooked prior to ordering. He left much of his plate untouched also. It's rare that my ratings are so low, so this entire review feels out of place. But, as a Yelper, it's important to be honest. And this time, unfortunately, we were both disappointed. We sat on the railing and had the view that everyone talks about. I wasn't impressed. Maybe I'm too neat and tidy? I'd still encourage the owners to consider collaborating with the owners of the property next door to clean it up a bit. Same advice for the empty wire hanging flower baskets, situated along Rolando's railing - some with pieces of rebar in the empty baskets - maybe add flowers? Or remove the baskets. It is the little things with me. I notice them all. Most customers will. Just some food for thought.

We had a great lunch here on Memorial Day Holiday 2024! It wasn't crowded - we came in just as the restaurant opened. The service was very friendly, attentive and prompt. Food was fresh, tasty, nice presentation. I had shrimp quesadillas - delightful! Husband enjoyed a Cuban sandwich, equally good. Sitting on the patio in the shade was a lovely bonus - nice authentic Hot Springs ambiance.

Rolando's sits on the northern end of the strip on Central Avenue in downtown Hot Springs. The menu is an interesting selection of Latin dishes with Cuban influence. Inside has an eclectic, almost New Orleans vibe to it with busy, colorful walls that would probably benefit from some cleaning, though doing so would remove some of its character. I tried the Quesadillas De Chivo, a potently flavored chicken quesadilla that was delicious. Sauces drizzled across it caused the flavor to change slightly with each bite. I opted for pork on half and chicken on the other. Both were exceptional. She had the Camarones Bohemios which she enjoyed thoroughly. Our only minor nit was the salsa was corn and black bean based and a bit too sweet for us. The chips seemed a day old. Both would have benefited form having been heated. But, these were complementary. The dishes we ordered were fantastic. Would absolutely repeat if we come back to Hot Springs. Service was perfecto, and the staff was kind enough to let us come in a few minutes before opening as the weather was unfriendly for waiting outside. There is a patio in the back that was closed for the season, which I was sad about as it seemed really cool. High marks in all categories. Recommended!

Super laid back atmosphere. If weather permits, I suggest eating outside. Good service & food. Huge helpings. I enjoy meeting up with family & friends here when we want to go casual & need a large table. Very accommodating staff!

This was interesting. The restaurant itself is very cute. The servers were a little overworked which led to some delay in ordering and getting the food. The food itself was a twist on the regular Mexican fare we usually eat. The sauces they added made it tastier. We started with a plate of mini tamales - chicken, pork and chili cheese. The chicken was dry and I liked the chili cheese the best. The pork was ok. The salsa they had with the nachos was a little like a beans salsa as it had all sorts of beans along with the usual ingredients of onions, tomatoes, cilantro etc. Had a tangy kick and we liked it. For the main course, I got the quesadilla with chicken and my friend got the burrito and a chicken soup. I loved the quesadilla. It was way more filling that expected, looked attractive to eat with all the sauces, the rice accompanying it was fried and delicious (like Indian pulao) and the goat cheese inside elevated the dish. My friend liked her burrito also because of the medley of flavors. The chicken soup was bland and the kind that you want at the end of a cold day to warm yourself up. I liked it but she did not as much. The portions were big so we actually got 2.5 meals out of it. Good experience!

Good food and very good service. The goat cheese quesadilla was delicious and unique! I have never seen it before on a Latin American restaurant menu so I thought I'd try it, and I am glad I did. The ambiance was okay. The design of the space did not really match the music style that was being played and it felt awkward at times because we could hear the staff discussing work related issues. Coming from a service industry background, it was a bit concerning to hear an employee state "if you can't find the scoop just use the cup" - that's a huge problem especially if using glass cups in an ice bin. The "famous" mojito was okay. Had good flavor, not overwhelming sweet, but instead of a bubbly soda water to top it off, it was more of a flat soda or tap water. I did not say anything because our server was new and I didn't want to overwhelm him. Forgot to take photos - but the food presentation was wonderful and looked just like the pictures displayed on their website.

poor quality food shrimp. Attempted to contact. They sent add, not addressing issues. NOT recommended!!

The food was above average., very tasty. It was well presented on the plates, and there was plenty to eat. The rice was very tasty. Ambiance was wonderful upstairs. The server was knowledgeable and helpful.

Service, food, and presentation were superb. Visiting from out of town for the eclipse and couldn't have asked for a better place to end up!

Went here with friends on a Monday - not much open in Hot Springs that day. Rolando's outside patio is spectacular, sitting under a thick canopy of trees and the rock cliff on the backside. Very peaceful and quiet. If you want out door dining, this patio was nice. Service was adequate. One server for the whole place, but he was quite capable. Had we been in a hurry, I might feel differently. The food was lackluster. The black bean and corn salsa was the highlight of the meal. All of the entrees were cool when brought to our table. Nothing was piping hot. There was no discernable spice or was anything very tasty -- quite bland. Inside, the place smells musty and moldy. The bathroom was filthy. The place had not been straightened out in a while. Dirty stuff all around. Glad we chose to be outside. I think the advantage for Rolandos is there is not much competition, so no incentive for them to do anything better than they have been doing for the last 20 years. Very disappointed.

The "hidden gem" and the "flaming queso" caught us! We were in Hot Springs for a Girls Trip for the weekend and had researched all the places we should eat on Yelp as well as Tiktok. Let me say, we wanted to love it. Our party of four sat on the patio upstairs. It was not very busy however took a bit for our waiter to greet us. There were two waitstaff for the area. Once ours came over we ordered our drinks and the flaming queso. Drinks were brought and the queso never arrived. We waited for a while before our waiter took our food order and we then reminded him again of the queso. He came back within minutes with white queso instead. We explained we ordered the other so he took that one back but never brought the other one. Once our food arrived we told them to not worry with the queso! We all ordered different plates, quesadillas, burrito, fajitas and a combo platter. We have nothing positive to say about the food. We are from Texas so maybe that's why we don't get the hype about Rolando's because we have the best Mexican food! Again, we wanted to love it. It looked like a fun TikTok and Instagram worthy experience but we were left super disappointed.

We had a delicious meal on the hidden away patio. We'd met a local earlier that day who recommended Rolando's and told us to ask for patio seating. It did not disappoint. Our waiter (who's name we can remember) was wonderful and has been with Rolando's for nine years! That says something! Hubby had the Pescado de Mesias and I had the Pollo Bohemios. Go! Enjoy!

The food was absolutely delicious. I had Susu's Enchiladas and they were some of the best enchiladas I've ever eaten. The rice and black beans on the side were the perfect complement. The staff were very attentive and friendly and the restaurant itself is very festively decorated with lots of interesting things to look at. I'll definitely visit Rolando's again on my next visit to Hot Springs.

I can't say enough good about this place. We visit Hot Springs frequently and we always visit Rolando's at least once. We love sitting out on the patio which is built into a mountain. Even in the humid heat. This last visit was by far our favorite, solely because of our waiter. I believe his name was Jeff, but I can't remember. He was such a character! Joking around with the patrons, helped me pick a dish between 3 I was stuck on, and even guessed my 2 favorite drinks right off the bat (bloody mary & margarita). The food of course was amazing. I ended up with the adkins plate and oh my gosh! It came with shrimp, chicken, and pork, guac, queso, and pickled onion/cucumber. The flavors were just amazing. And so much food! I can't remember what the hubs ordered but he cleared his plate. Even the onions which is typically doesn't eat. The kiddo ordered cheese enchilada, he wasn't a fan. But he's use to Tex Mex, and this that was not. Try this place out! You won't be disappointed!

We were told to try this restaurant and I wasn't super impressed. The queso was like eating the inside of a mozzarella stick, you legit had to use a fork. Very odd. We didn't like it at all. Their enchiladas were good. But I wouldn't crave them or go back to have them again. They are very pretty though. And, our waiter was very nice.