Caribbean Flavor

I’ve been going here for a while since my company moved to Poway.
I usually get the Arroz con Pollo and it is decent. Big chunks of chicken and the overall dish is bursting of many different flavors and spices. It comes with two sauces (orange and green). I like the orange one, which I think is like a chipolte style sauce. I usually get the lunch portion and it’s on the smaller size. It won’t get you really full, but enough to you by. There’s some inconsistency in the kitchen though. my meal came out a little saltier than usual today.
The Paella Especial is pretty good. It comes out in one of those cast iron plates and keeps the food hot for most of the meal. They don’t skimp you on the seafood either. Only bummer is that they come in lunch portion.
I wouldn’t drive here for it, but I’ll be back since I’m in the area.

I feel so worldly now!
This was my first time having South American food and I have to say, I LOVED it! I had my first dab into Cuban food during my recent trip to Miami and while I’m normally not a big fan of beans or rice separately, the combination of black beans and rice together is soooo yummy and addicting to eat. And now my second time having it, this time at Caribbean Flavor was still just as delish!
We tried their Pabellón Criollo (which apparently is a Venezuelan specialty), seafood paella, and 2 different types of empenadas. The Pabellón Criollo was my favorite. The flavor of the shredded beef was marinated and cooked to perfection! Served along side with some black beans and rice… it was a party in my mouth!
Perhaps, I favor the Spanish version of this dish more… but I thought the seafood paella was good but not as amazing as the Pabellón Criollo. However, it did come with a generous portions of seafood. Between the empenadas, I favored the beef one over the chicken. Both were fried to perfection and were huge! It’s no wonder why t this restaurant is most famous for them.
I’m am probably not the reviewer you want to listen to on the authenticity of this restaurant or Latin cuisine in general, but I do know good food and if my taste buds are anything like the magic 8 ball… well then, all signs for to YES!!!
If all food taste this good in South America… I’m booking myself a one-​way ticket!

Based on food alone this place would get 3 stars. But my reviews and ratings aren’t judged by just the food alone.
I drove here about 2 weeks ago to grab some lunch. It was around 12pm when I got there and the place was closed. They should have been open, its during their ‘open hours’. But looking through the window the tables and chairs were up and pushed to the side. They obviously weren’t open that day. This was a major bummer cause I drove all the way there and they were unexpectedly closed.
So I tried again this week and this time they were open. I already had what I wanted to order in mind, after reading their online menu. I get up to the counter and tell the lady what I’d like. She tells me they don’t have that today. Disappointed I grabbed the menu to look for something else. I ended up asking about the Reina Pepeada arepa, Carne Molida empanada and the Ensalada de pollo. Each time I tried to order one of these I was told they were out. Frustrated I just asked her what they did have available that day. I ended up ordering the Jamon y Queso arepa and the Pollo Mechado empanada.
Both items were super greasy, especially the empanada. The flavor wasn’t bad, pretty much what i figured both would taste like. The thing that really wowed me was the green sauce it comes with. Now I’m to understand this is a cilantro based sauce. I wasn’t even going to give it a try because I HATE cilantro. I mean I really hate it, I won’t eat anything with cilantro in it. But because of all the reviews on how good the green sauce is, I decided to try it. I am so glad I did because that sauce is good, really good. I ended up putting it on both items. Its the kind of sauce you think would be good on just about anything.
They get 1 extra star for their green sauce. But the unexpected closing and the fact that many of items on the menu were unavailable, didn’t leave me a fan.

My friends Thi N. and Jenny C. came here for lunch one day. It was a beautiful sunny afternoon, which was perfect to sit outside and gossip.
As there are a myriad of countries in the Caribbean, the owners of this small mom and pop place decided to put their focus on Venezuelan cuisine. I am glad they did this, as I never had Venezuelan cuisine before, so I was really excited to try something new.
Since my other friends never had Venezuelan food before, the owner helped us out with the ordering. Our stomach was bigger than our eyes, so we ended up ordering the entire front page of the menu!!! What really enticed us was that each dish was a Venezuelan specialty and it was only $ 4 a plate! Folks, it doesn’t get cheaper than that. We ordered the following:
1. Pabellón Criollo (Venezuelan specialty, has rice, shredded beef, black beans, and fried plaintains)
2. Arroz Con Pollo — chicken rice dish mixed with herbs
3. Moros y Cristianos — black beans, special white rice, and chicken
4. Seafood Paella — seafood rice
5. Pollo Mechado Arepas — chicken sandwich, Venezuelan style. The sandwich is made out of corn flour.
The verdict: the food was amazingly delish! It was full of unique, tasty flavor. I especially liked the Pabellón Criollo. The fried plantains was really, really good here! I never liked fried plantains, but somehow the cooks made this really fitting with my taste. My least favorite dish among the five were the moros and paella, as I have had better versions. Also, the meat in the arepas was a bit oily. However, it was still good, nonetheless.
While devouring our perfect meal, we asked for water. The owner apologized and said that the machine is broken and that they were trying to fix it. She said that they only have bottle water and there will be a charge. I didn’t mind, as it is a small mom and pop shop and the dishes were already cheap at $ 4 a plate.
When we were almost finished with our foods, there was a bug that crawled on me. I think my friends feared for my life and expressed so with their actions. However, I had to remain calm, so the bug itself didn’t freak out and bite me. Thi N. and Jenny C. saved the bug from injuring me. Jenny C. ended up returning the bug to Mother Nature, which is where it came from.
Overall, it was a fantastic afternoon!

I wasn’t too impressed with this place although it seems that a lot of people really enjoyed it. I met two of my friends here and upon my arrival they already ordered like 6 different dishes. I tried all of them and well. wasn’t too impress.
A few of the dishes were either too salty or too bland. We asked for water but she said we had to purchase bottle water. I didn’t mind but who does that now-​a-​days? We sat outside because it was a beautiful day but had bugs crawling in/​near our food as well as land on my girl friend.
Also why does it say Caribbean flavor when it’s actually Venezuelan food? I’m soooo confuse.

I need to go back and try some of the other dishes. Carlos was amusing in that he has a large menu on the back wall and the menu online but basically says to ignore that, some things they don’t serve anymore. Like the lasagna. And they were out of some other things.
Which is totally cool. A small place like that, I would rather eat what they can serve freshly made.
A quick review–
Sangria. Nice. Not a huge sangria fan. but it was tasty. In retrospect, I think I would rather though go for the soda or beer to counteract the food better.
Empenadas. Oh my God. Tried the ham and cheese. AMAZING. Tried the steak. Great. The green and chipotle sauces were wonderful.
Arepas. Like a healthier version of the Empenada. Quite good and a lighter taste. I had the chicken and spices. Pollo Machado.
Now at this point, I am getting full and thinking we ordered too much.
Arroz Con Pollo. Nice chicken and rice. Chicken chunks are flavorful and tender. Rice is good. A little rich.
Then we had the Hallaca. 1. Hallaca — An amazing Venezuelan favorite involves a mixture of beef, pork, chicken, capers, raisins, almonds, and olives wrapped in cornmeal dough, bound with string within plantain leaves, and steamed afterwards. It is typically served during the Christmas holiday. Here at Caribbean Flavor it will be available only when all the finest ingredients are available. $ 8.99 each.
YUM. The plantains give the corn meal a nice taste. Like an interesting huge tamale. This seemed a healthier choice too. The taste is more subtle.
Service. The family working here were very friendly and helpful and seemed very interested in making sure we liked the food and were happy. Nicely done. I will be back.

I live in Chula Vista yet I have no problem drive half an hour to have some good Venezuelan food.
The «salsa de ajo» it’s a must have.
The empanadas are huge.
Everything in the menu is inexpensive and taste AWESOME.
I often meet with friends from LA who do not mind drive two hours to enjoy great food and excellent service at very reasonable rates.

2.5 stars.
i’m no caribbean cuisine expert but i’m pretty sure there are better caribbean restaurants out there somewhere.
I do feel bad for giving it 2 stars because I have nothing to compare it to but all i know is that my taste bud isn’t that bad and for me to not enjoy a meal i think it means something.
I would like to say the food is just okay. but i think it’s a little below «just okay»
The Curry Chicken — it sounds good on text but when it was brought out, it had a funny taste. Well the chicken had a funny taste, like a refrigeration taste. me no likey.
The Pabellon Criollo — eh. the pork was so dry i just didn’t bother taking another bite. And to eat it w/​rice? dry on dry? no thanks. The flavor isn’t that great either, in my opinion. As Eric L. have mentioned the fried plantains were still frozen in the middle. But they were nice enough to send us a new place of HOT platains afterward.
Empanadas. eh. i’m not a big fan.
the only good thing about this place that i really like is their green sauce –filled w/​cilantro flavor. truly for cilantro lover like me. I used that sauce to eat it w/​my empanadas and rice.
i’ll admit, the price for their dishes are affordable, i can see people coming here grabbing a quick bite for lunch or dinner.
All you Unilocalers who know what is true caribbean flavors please do check out this place and let me know if this place gets your approval! I’m seeing all these good reviews, i’m hoping i just went on a bad /​slow day.

It almost pains me to do this (as it does with any review) but we went back here and it just wasn’t NEARLY as good. Maybe this is what happens when the owner is not there. The attention to detail just isn’t there.
After hyping this place to Cherie T., we went here after she made the long drive to come visit me. Not only did I hype it up but Eric T. and Jennifer A. did too. The result? A letdown and another true believer in the mystical green sauce.
Pabellón Criollo — Just as we ordered last time but not the same quality. The shredded meat was clumpy and you could tell it was pre-​cooked and microwaved. The rice and beans the same. The only thing «freshly» cooked was the fried plantains. How do I know? I saw him deep frying them. This was after the first batch being frozen in the middle still. Such a let down after the first time ordering this.
Curry Chicken — This dish had so much potential but suffered from the same problem the Pabellón Criollo did. It was all pre-​cooked and microwaved. There is a certain texture curry/​chicken has when you microwave it and this suffered from it.
Now these dishes weren’t assumed to be microwaved, I watched them put the dishes into the microwave. Sad really, that this was what happened but understandable to some extent.
We also ordered empanadas which I liked again but Cherie not so much. She thought it was too doughy. This also had a hiccup. We ordered ham/​cheese. After cutting it in half, we noticed no cheese. They messed up the order but made it right after giving us a new one and telling us to keep that one.
In the end, the flavors are still there but not as great. Either this all went downhill since my first time there or it’s because i was starving after running 11 miles last time.
And in honor of Jennifer A. and Cherie T. I will end this with two words. Green sauce!

Two words. Green Sauce. OMG, I really don’t even need to continue the review because that alone deserves five stars… but I can’t neglect the delicious food, can I?
Empanadas — honestly, I could be satisfied just having a couple cheese empanadas with their wonderful dipping sauces (GREEN SAUCE! and this smokey chilpotle). They are that good.
I really enjoyed the Paella Especial, Arroz con Pollo, and Pabellón Criollo. Flavorful, satisfying, comfort food. I saw on their website the Lasagna is a chef specialty — I want to try that next time.
No, but seriously, the creamy cilantro green salsa brings everything together for me. So much so, I bought a tub of it. The owner/​chef Jacqueline was super friendly and recommended I try it with fish… I can’t wait! AND her husband Carlos Hernandez is a former Padres catcher. Dude. Awesome.
GREEN SAUCE!

After Miami Grill closed down in Poway, we were in need of a new Caribbean food place. Luckily we stumbled across this gem hidden behind a 7 – 11. Wow what a treat! This place is delicious and everything tastes so fresh and homemade. The arepas are a definite must and I plan to try each one at least once. So many tasty flavors. My usual is the arroz con pollo with one of their beers to wash it down. Give it a try, you wont regret it.

The boyfriend and I walked up from his apt and decided to check it out this past Friday.
Order for the both of us: Pabellón Criollo, Chicken Salad Arepa and G round Beef Empanada with a cup of Sangria and for the mister, Alhambra burr.
The Criollo was as good as the one I tried at Miami! The meat was soft and tender. And a bit spicy — just how we like it. This along with the rice, black beans, and the plantains was exactly how I remembered at Miami!
The grounded beef empanada was nice and crispy at the crust. The grounded beef and vegetables was oh so great too! I think it’s about as good as the empanadas from Pampas. Next up, the chicken salad arepa was great! I thought this was my favorite entrée from the entire meal. Just because I was completely caught off guard on how it tasted. It tasted just like one of my favorite dishes — chicken curry! Needless to say, I thoroughly enjoyed this delightful dish.
To wash down our meals, we enjoyed the burr and the home made sangria. If I wasn’t told, I would of thought it was grape juice and gulped that sucker down — never thinking twice about it.
And before I forget, the service was exceptional. The cashier/​waiter always made a sure to pass by our table a couple times to make sure we were happy campers. Asking us if we needed more of that spicy orange sauce (because I seriously used every drop of it!), if we needed another plate so the bf and I can share his criollo, and if we needed another drink.
Place is pretty small. I think I counted about 5 to 7 four seater tables. So I can only imagine it can get packed fast. Come to think about, when we ate dinner at around 7PM. The restaurant was getting pretty busy by the time we left.
TOTAL Cost $ 25 and change.
thumbs up for us.

Well my sister has moved and now we’re trying to find new resturants in here area. Sat. night we deicded on the place. First of all the location is a bit odd. We drove up and was like, this is it? Really, should be go in or leave? Well, we’re glad we stayed. It’s literally a whole in the wall though. Our family table plus 2 more took over the whole restaurant. The guy behind the counter was very friendly.
We looked over the menu and decided on a variety of things. I personally got the paella which I thought was excellent! For the price, it was a good amount of food. Very flavorful and had seafood in it as well. We all shared the yukon fries which were good & the dipping sauces were great. We did read that the sangria was good so we all split a small pitcher. It was good.
We also go the chicken empanda which I’m not usually a fan but it tasted like a friend chicken pot pie. I thought it was very good and flavorful as well. My sister ordered the slow cooked pork? which was very tender and great seasoning. Bro in law got the chicken curry which was also very good. The waiter even brought us some hot sauce to try which could have been spicier but it was good.
Overall, we were very pleased! We did get the friend plantains which I’m just not a fan of bananas regardless if they are fried. They looked & tasted a little over done. So I wouldn’t get that again.
As far as price, I would say it’s just $. Prices were decent for the portion size but it does add up when you get quite a few items for a serve yourself restaurant.
But very good & i would go back!1 Enjoy!

You barely see the «Caribbean Flavor» sign when you’re looking for it. Just to note, it also says «Que Chevere». You may just think this is just another Mexican food joint when you see this place because in all honesty, it looks like one. However, it’s not! The food is way better.
First thing you must do is order a pitcher of Sangria for your whole group of friends. Yum! I ordered the Chorizo and Cheese Arepa and some Sweet Plantains for dessert. My friends and I shared our orders with each other of course and I didn’t eat anything I didn’t like. It was all so delicious. The Chicken and Rice, Yucca Fries, Cachapas, Emapandas were all very flavorful and delicious. They have this cilantro sauce that goes well with everything. I crave! San Diego needs more places like this!
Our server/​cashier was so nice and kept checking up on us. I also saw that they have awesome lunch specials.

Still so so good. Third time’s the charm. This place has a special place in my heart because the food is so good here. Not necessarily the healthiest, but it is delish!
I found a new favorite. Cachapas! Never knew what these delights were until our last visit to this place. Delicious sweet corn cakes with a light sprinkling of cheese. So, so good.
We also had another chicken arepa (just as good as I remembered), the Sangria and the coconut curry chicken. The last was a bit too rich for our tastes, but very good. Because we had a coupon, all of that food was cheap!
For the price, this place has very good eats. I hope it remains a local favorite and sticks around.

I had the Pabellon Criollo with chicken which came with rice, black beans and plantains. My friend tried the Coconut Curry Chicken which came with rice and a salad. Both were really flavorful and the portions were perfect. The curry tasted almost like Thai curry, just a little less sweet.
They’re Venezuelan so I’m guessing those dishes might be the best ones to try, but the Cuban and Puerto Rican dishes also sound good.
I’m definitely going to come back and try more things here.

Their arepas still get me going! I love them!
Today we also got the moros y cristianos. The Cuban version of black beans and rice. We had it with their shredded chicken and it was freaking amazing. Stewed chicken that was tender, juicy, and full of flavor. You can get that chicken with the arepas as well.
If you want an arepa, call ahead because it takes a while for them to bake. At least 15 minutes. Ask for some extra sauce. It’s amazing. They have a creamy cilantro and a spicy chipotle and both are just as tasty as the food itself.

Can someone PLEASE tell what’s in their sauce!!! OMG that sauce is sooooooo good! I bought an Arepa and the Paella. The Paella was okay. Had a good amount of seafood on it. But the flavors weren’t fully there. The arepa was delicious. I let me dad have half of it and he was hooked on the sauce too. We were both trying to figure our the ingredients but I think we are missing something.
The lady at the counter was awesome. She kept telling me to call in my order next time so I didn’t have to wait for my food. I asked her if she closed at 8 and she said she closes whenever the last person comes in. So if that means to stay open till 9… then they will stay. How accommodating! If I’m in the area again, I will come back and check out the other stuff. :)
BUT IF ANYONE KNOWS HOW TO MAKE THEIR SAUCE, PLEEEEASE LET ME KNOW!

Exactly what Poway needs. Great Venezuelan food.
I came across this place while stopping off at the ⁷⁄₁₁ in Poway. I walked into this small joint that had the smells of Caribbean spices waifing through the air. I was quite lost figuring out the menu but a friendly and helpful man went though everything. He took the time to go over the pronunciation of the dishes and offered up suggestions. While waiting for my order, I noticed the walls covered in memorabilia from former Padre and Dodger Carlos Hernandez. I later find out that he’s the owner.
I can’t wait to come back.
— Arepas Pollo Mechado. Though messy, was actually quite nice. They included a few potent sauces. This was a nice introduction to Venezuelan cooking, and leaves me wanting to try different things.
— Chef Jaqueline signature Lasagna — Lunch portion. It had beef and was cheesy. While good, I would rather have tried some more of the traditional plates.

Went here lastnight with my parents and nephew on a recommendation from my cousin. As we walked in, Carlos Hernandez greeted us and chatted about the food and what we should order… being our first time. We tried 3 of their dishes and an empanada… everything was GOOD! The flavors packed a punch and the portion size was just perfect. I had the Picadilla which is similar to a hash with beef, potatos, onion and spices.
When we finished, his wife, Jaqueline came out and talked with us for a while telling us stories of her life and food. I am excited to go back and try her recommendations!