El Maizal

3 Reviews on “El Maizal”

• Connie Wolkowicz

  We love it here. The food is delicious and the staff great. I love their fresh juices and empanadas!! Never had a bad meal yet!! Only down point was parking isn’t always easy

  June 27, 2013, 11:29 pm

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• Ikur

  Unforutnate!. When I heard there was a Columbian restaurant in Lancaster City, I was excited to try it as that is one type of food I had never eaten before. So, I stopped in for lunch one afternoon. The front dining area was quite small but the staff cleared a small table for me in the corner. (There was an empty back dining room and I’m not sure why they didn’t utilize it given the amount of people packed into the front.) The owner (I think) had a guitar and microphone set up in the corner which was a charming touch. Unfortunately when he plugged in to play a song, the microphone picked up some feedback and unleashed a painfully loud squeal for about 15 seconds while he scrambled to turn it off. An honest mistake, but one that left my ears ringing for sure. I looked over the menu in which there didn’t seem to be too much of a variety. I decided to go with the dish I had heard of before, Arepa Montaera, which is a grilled beef steak served over a cornmeal patty, topped with an egg and a tomato based sauce. I also ordered two meat Empenadas as an appetizer, and a house-made fresh lemonade as a beverage. The lemonade came first in a glass with crushed ice — It tasted delicious and refreshing, but unfortunately this would end up being the only upside to the meal. The waitress was dabbing my Empenadas with a paper towel as she was leaving the kitchen to bring them to my table, which worried me. Sure enough, both Empenadas were literally soaked in grease, so much so that the pastry had almost become a transparent hard shell. Other reviews describe them as having been flaky and well prepared, but this was a far cry from those descriptions. I decided to try them anyway, and not only was the filling not that great, but there were also two long hairs stuck right in the middle. I notified the waitress and wasn’t offered something else; she simply scratched them off the bill. Then the Arepa came. It certainly looked delicious, and I cannot say that it tasted awful, but it was just bland. Perhaps I am accustomed to Latin cuisines that utilize more spices and seasonings, but this dish was disappointingly dull. Unfortunately this visit to El Maizal left a lot to be desired, and I am doubtful I will be making another trip.

  August 17, 2011, 12:06 am

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• Jose Urdaneta

  Fabulous family atmosphere. Great menu. Small and cozy. We love it!

  April 10, 2011, 3:45 pm

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