El Caldero

The first impression on the outside was not the greatest, but the inside is cozy and inviting.
The food though was not that great. Well first honestly, you can’t go wrong with passion fruit smoothies and slushes. You can’t go wrong with cheesy goodnesses (tequenos).
When it comes with steak, it can go wrong, and it did. It’s just everything with our churrasco platter was extremely bland. There was no seasoning whatsoever it seemed. The steak was also stringy, the best way I can describe it! Our fried yucca were dry and our sweet plantains were soft. It seemed as though those two were frozen first not fresh and home made! Not good at all!
We don’t know why it took forever for our food when it looked like it took 5 minutes to flip our steak on both sides. Meh.

Great quality. Great customer service.

To drink I had the mango fruit milkshake. It worked great with beef empanadas.
This is a Venezuelan/​Colombian bakery/​cafeteria.
Great for lunch and dinner, well priced, clean. I only had quick stuff like empanadas, shakes and arepas but they were all oso good. Have to come back and try the heavier lunch stuff.

El Caldero is a Venezuelan restaurant in the plaza on Himes and Waters. When I think of Venezuelan cuisine, I think of arepas so I got one of those with chicken. The chicken was moist and flavorful in itself but the cilantro cream added a twist of flavor that made it more enjoyable. However, I wished the corn cake was fried a little more and hence the reason I knocked off a star. The corn cake seemed undercooked as there was no char on the outside.
I would go back again and try something else. The service was great. The lady who took my order (owner?) was really nice and the main reason I rounded up to 4 instead of an average 3 star rating. The restaurant itself is clean and modern, the TV playing Spanish music videos and plenty of Spanish-​speaking customers coming in. They also have a couple bakery cases but unfortunately, not many baked goods. Just cookies, Venezuelan wrapped candies and empanadas. Hopefully, next time I go, there will be a greater variety of baked desserts.

Me fui de aqui muy desconcertada de este lugar el dia de hoy, siempre vengo sola mientras me lavan el carro al lado pero creo que ya le di varias oportunidades a este lugar pero definitivamente no tienen ni idea de lo que es servicio al cliente. Fui con mi hija de 10 yrs y sus dos primas de la misma edad, mi amiga y yo. 10 dolares por una orden de huevo con chorizo? No hay meseras la unica q atiende una señora que por mas que trato de ser amable y pronta en las cosas, no se le dio. Me quito la sal, la pimienta y la splenda de la mesa porq las ninas estaban jugando haciendoles un comentario a ellas de «no me vayan a mojar la splenda» entiendo q no es para jugar a lo cual de inmediato se los dije a las ninas y dejaron de hacerlo. Pero quitarlo de la mesa? Para despues yo tener que pararme y buscar la sal y la splenda por q las necesitaba … Desde que me dejaron la comida en la mesa en ningun momento volvieron a preguntar si todo habia salido bien o si necesitabamos algo. Fue hasta el final que me preguntaron que si ya habia terminado para levantarme los platos. Como dije antes no tienen ni idea de los que es servicio al cliente. Mi propina fue del 20% pues soy mesera y no pude hacer algo diferente. Pero si les deje un billete de un dolar encima de la mesa. Espero que se pregunten El porque? Y que sepan el significado de que cuando alguien
Dejo monedas de cambio o un billete de un dolar tiene un significado, el lugar es muy limpio y muy bonita la decoracion pero es demasiado familiar y nadie se preocupa por atender o complacer al cliente no es dificil hacer un plato de huevo con chorizo si es lo unico que se pide para un nino y se puede hacer porque son cosas que hay en el menu no debe ser mayor problema con tal de trabajar con el cliente y poder hacer q se vaya con una sonrisa. De verdad me gustaria que de alguna u otra forma se concientizaran un poco mas porque el lugar lo tiene todo para salir adelante pero por muy bonito y limpio que se vea si no hay buena atencion y uno no se siente comodo estando ahi. Nadie vuelve.

El Caldero is quickly becoming a craved lunch spot for me when I’m in the Tampa area. I’ve eaten here twice now and have been impressed both times.
The most recent time I was here I tried the pineapple en leche drink. Being extremely hot outside, the Ron Burgundy line of Milk being a bad choice was rolling through my head after I put in the order. The drink actually turned out to be surprisingly refreshing. It tastes like blended ice, milk and pineapple or pineapple juice, Im not sure which. There’s no pulp in it, that was pleasing since nothing good can come from pulpy drinks.
The food both times has been great. I’ve had the chicken with grilled onions and also the grilled steak. Really good. Their tostones are thinner than I’m used to. This thin style is not my preference.
They also have a small display case with desserts. None have made it to mah bellay as of yet. I intend on changing this the next time I’m in.