El Molinito

they have pretty good empanadas. I ordered the chicharron not well done, because I’ve had them before and they’re so crispy you can’t even eat them. Unfortunately this one was not done at all so I had to re-​fry it myself. never eaten inside the actual restaurant so I can’t comment on that. but I do enjoy ordering their empanadas to go, very reasonably priced too.

The hubby and I were here for breakfast they were just opening. We were greeted nicely and our order was taken right away. We ordered (2) Bandeja Paisa and (2) Empanadas (1) Maracuya. Our Empanadas were out first they were hot and crispy and perfect with the green sauce. The Bandeja Paisa is a huge portion it was delicious. It’s a meal that will keep you full all day. My overall experience was great food was out fast and everything was as good as expected. Will definitely be back again. As I type this review I’m craving more Empanadas lol

This restaurant is the best the empanadas and aahee is very good perfect taste and the service is great food is always on time.

Excellent Colombian restaurant great empanadas they are my favorite good green sauce you must try and the lental soup is to die for little hole in the wall but authentic and clean

La comida exquisita… bien cocinada y arreglada. La muchacha que nos atendió muy amable.

Nothing like a culinary journey to Colombia!!! That probably didn’t make any sense at all!!!
That’s the state it puts me in! I happen to be Mexican but love to «go out there» when it comes to the culinary part of my life. So far, this hasn’t been my favorite dish! I love how this restaurant offers this green salsa that tastes really really fresh! I really recommend this place!

Been here lots of times and I have to say by far it’s a hidden tresure in Pico Rivera. The food is so authentic and the prices are very resonable. the Portions are well served (enough for left overs) and your always greated with a smile for the owner (Mario) I can say anything you order is awesome. However you can not leave here without trying the Empanadas. By far the best I have ever had. If you’er ever in the area or just want to try something different give this place a try.

In my experience, Colombian restaurants in Los Angeles tend to be poorly managed and over charge for the food they serve. This place is one of the exceptions. I’ve been there two times and both times I’ve walked out extremely satisfied. Here’s what I can tell you. The portions are large, the food tastes great, the stuff that’s listed on the menu is always available, and the food comes out fast. What else can you ask for? The décor isn’t the greatest, but the food more than makes up for it. If you want good/​great Colombian food at a fair price, go to El Molinito.

Amazingly the best Colombian food in all los angeles. 3 Thumps up. The portions as re huge and the price per plate is better than most in town… I tried just about every plate and I haven’t been disappointed yet…

I will say is OK Good food.
Good costumer service
They closed kinda early at 9pm
And the place is kinds small besides everything else is ok

The best Columbian food I have ever tried, and I just love this place!
My co worker recommeded me this place so I came with my dad. We had a good experience and I am surely planning on coming back. The moment you walk in you are seated immediately. I have been here a few times and I never have to wait to be seated. Brownie points for that! No one likes waiting :) I’ve been helped by two different waitresses and they have both been really nice, welcoming, and helpful. Ask them for food descriptions or just suggestions and they will be sincere. The food here is literally on point, from their drinks to their entrees to their desserts. My parents and I have tried all the juices and we’ve been very satisfied. Natural fruit juice made everyday– not too sweet and not bitter– just perfect. I love their fajitas! It’s a must try! And their pan de bono is delcious, you definitely need to order this. It’s a soft sweet little bun bread, you’ll be craving more later. For prices here I want to say it’s leaning more towards to the expensive side but it is not necessarily expsensive. And the portions are huge. let’s leave it that.
Overall if you are in area, try this legit Columbian cuisine! You will not regret.

Very good colombian food, the bandeja paisa had good size meats and the jugo de maracuya was delicious… The place needs a little tlc. I felt like the appearance was not very colombian and it was a little neglected other than that it was good:)

Damn it. This place is the best authentic colombian flavor. I plenty recommend to every one.

More like 3.5 stars, this place has some good stuff and other ehh not so good. HOWEVER the arepas with cheese were pretty damm good, i dont have too much experience with columbian food so im not the expert. but yes arepas with cheese, beans, yucca frita and carne asada were all good on the appetizer platter. The chorizo was not good :-/

Wow! My family and I are regulars and have never had a bad meal. The empanadas and aji sauce are delicious, the arepas de chocolo delicious, the pan de bono delicious, I could go on and on.
I’ve introduced many co-​workers to this restaurant and their empanadas have become a staple at our potlucks.
So great to have found a good Colombian restaurant!

Great food! Huge portions! Must try the empanadas and cheese arepas.

Riquísimo! La comida esta super sabrosa, y aparte de eso muy amables! Los jugos naturales están SUPER! frutas no comunes por aquí…lo recomiendo!

My first encounter with Colombian food. Oh, what should I expect? What am I getting myself into?
*Begin Sidebar*
I really need to stop trying all these new places because I have like two dozen reviews in draft still!
*End Sidebar*
I came here because I was looking for something new to Unilocal.I should have stuck to my salad regiment because I’m such a fatty now… thanks a lot Unilocal!=/​Anyway, I digress…
El Molinito is located in a shady strip mall that appears to seldom see traffic. You get a sense of Tijuana… but cleaner. Parking is available in abundance.
As I walked in, I noticed there were only two patrons in the dining area. This was right before noon.
I was greeted by a lady who spoke to me in Spanish, but she did address me in limited English. Like prior reviews have stated, she was not Colombian, but Mexican.
I ordered the Molinito Combo because I wanted a broader taste of what Colombian food is all about. It has Chicharrones, Lengua en Salsa, Sobrebarriga Sudada with white rice and salad.
Chicharrones: ⁴⁄₅
As stated earlier, this is my first encounter, so whether Colombian Chicharrones are supposed to be as hard crisp as these were is unbeknown to me. I really liked the flavor as they oddly tasted like Japanese chicken karaage! I delighted in the fact that they are not as greasy as Mexican chicharrones. I did not care for the texture being as hard as it was.
Lengua en Salsa: ⁴⁄₅
Whoa, this tongue was super tender and required very little chewing. The problem with this was it didn’t taste much like the red sauce it was stewed in, however, those potatoes were pretty flavorful. I think this is tomato-​based but I cannot confirm that.
Sobrebarriga Sudada: 2.5÷5
Alright, this mystery meat is forcing my lazy arse to Google what this is. Apparently, it is supposed to be flank steak. I beg to differ. It looked and tasted more like pork, but it had the texture and look of a super big rectangular thin slice of chicken thigh meat. It was extremely stringy and did not taste like the yellow stewed potatoes that it was served with. There were tons of small diced onions in the sauce.
White Rice: ³⁄₅
Soft. Fluffy. Buttery.
Salad: ¹⁄₅
This was more of an afterthought and merely cut up iceberg lettuce drowning in ranch dressing. Some pieces of lettuce were starting to brown as if it were day old.
I also purchased a can of Colombiana Soda, but I still have yet to it. I don’t know what to expect of this soda but I suppose it’s Colombia’s answer to the Peruvian Inca Kola. Its reddish-​orange color differs from the golden color of Inca Kola.
Final thoughts:
Well, this was an experience. Nothing really exotic or strange here but I have to say that I although I was not full from this meal, I didn’t really feel like eating anything the entire day/​evening. I had a blah feeling in my tummy… again, not that the food was bad or anything…
I suppose I should try Bandeja Paisa, Colombia’s «national dish» next time…
El Molinito: 3.5 stars (rounded up to 4)

I’m a Colombian in the exile and yes I miss Colombian food, a lot! sometimes my friends and I get collective nostalgia and start running around trying to get our «fix»
El Molinito is a good «fix»
Not as good as the real deal,
but good enough to tame my demons
;)
We went there to watch the game Colombia — Bolivia, I called to make a reservation to make sure we ha a big table NEXT to the tv
* Note: the tv is not very big!
we got there everything was nice and ready, we order a picada for 4
(yes we were 4 but we end up leaving with boxes)
others ordered bandeja paisa and lentil soup with liver (not my choice!)
the Picada was great!
they have Aguila (YEAH!!!)
and a good selection of juices (jugo de lulo, de mango, but they didn’t have curuba. :’()
Overall it was pretty good,
No Colombian workers, which is pretty weird.
I’ll definitely will go back there :)

Being a Colombiana who is so FAR Away from her «Mother Land», I have to admit that I absolutely Love this restaurant! The food is soo Delicioso! I highly recommend it to anyone Colombian or Non Colombian.
With the small amount of Colombian restaurants available here in Southern Cali that are good and worth the drive to eat at, I don’t mind at all that there are Not Colombian staff working there. The waitress who works there is very nice and attentive that’s all that matters to me, that and that the food is good and authentic.
The flavor is great. I’ve been to other Colombian restaurants in the Los Angeles area and while they have great Ambiance, their food was lacking in flavor, Not this place. It’s delicious.
My mother drives from Corona just to buy their Empanadas! That’s how good it is! She never learned how to cook when growing up in Colombia, before getting married, then leaving to come to America with me, so we both really enjoy getting our Colombian eating/​dining experience here at this place or when we go back home of course.
Their prices are great too! They even sell Arequipe and café and other yummy foods from back home. I will remain forever a fan and customer of El Molinito!

I love this place! As a Colombiana all the food is delicious. I gave only 4 stats because there should be Colombians working at a Colombian restaurant. My opinion & I’m sure most Colombians would agree.
To answer previous question of how can a Colombian restaurant run out of Colombian soda, it’s because Colombian products are imported. So running out is expected especially a very small place like this. The solution: they have lots of choices.
The food is great & always gives great memories of Mi Tierra Querida.

I’ve been to only a few colombian restaurants and this one wasn’t my favorite but I did enjoy their Picada. Their morcilla could be fresher and the service could be ALOT better. Chicharron was overcooked.
Price is affordable but this place could improve on a couple of things.