Spanglish Bistro

We tried going there for an early lunch at around 11:15am. The owner was sitting in the restaurant and when we asked if we could get lunch to go, he said he couldn’t because he had a lunch buffet for 70 people coming up. I’ve never been to a restaurant where you couldn’t get food during their normal business hours and thr doors open for business. This was the first time we were going to try this place and with this bad experience, we won’t be going there again.

HEY Brandon/​Valrico — If you know what ‘epicure’ means, you NEED to visit this place!
What a gem. Put plainly, what a gem!
Since moving here to Valrico 9 months ago from the county with the largest number of restaurants per capita in the nation, my wife and I have embarked on many a culinary quest in the Brandon/​Valrico area, often Unilocal-​fueled and generally… disappointing. Many of the highest-​rated local restaurants have turned out to be large chains or one-​offs with nothing to impress anyone older than 23. We nicknamed one «pile-​o-​pasta» and another one «grease-​a-​pizza.» Head west and you find touristy places charging 4 – 5 star prices for 3 star food and service.
We absolutely KNEW we could find some hidden gems in Valrico, and BINGO — Hello Spanglish! As Unilocal only allows us to ‘rate’ based on a 1 – 5, our award has to blend food, ambiance, service, and cost. We award stars based on VALUE, and this one’s a gem!
My wife and I wandered in, literally by chance, for lunch. We returned today for brunch buffet. On both visits we were engaged by staff from moment one, and although casually-​attired, the staff courteously saw to our every request — literally before we made it. Silly service touches like offering to bring another drink BEFORE the one you’re drinking is done. So simple to do but so few restaurant wait staff truly understand how to earn a tip.
As for the food, I’ll start with the lunch: 5 STAR — beginning to end. We started with the empanadas, which were among the best we’ve had. I had the pork jibarito and my wife had the chicken mofongo from the dinner menu. Wow! Just Wow! Even traditionally-​non-​wow-​factor sides like their rice and beans were phenomenally tasty. Extraordinary flavors, textures, and presentation.
The brunch, on the other hand, got 4 stars — but to be fair, it was a buffet. Chafing dishes cook and dry out food over time, so some of the selections were a little tired. Breakfast staples (you do have to put out the usual egg/​bacon/​sausage/​breads/​cereals staples for the younger crowd) were intermingled with a handful of Chef Julio’s masterpieces. The ‘gravy’ for the biscuits was phenomenal, as was a potato medley of some sort and a mixed dish with vegetables and sausage. Chef Julio — you’d probably have gotten 5 stars from me on this brunch if you’d simply taken the time to label the dishes, or… had your extraordinarily-​attentive wait-​staff give diners a quick verbal tour of what each dish was.
In both cases, we ended the meal with Spanglish’s signature smores truffles, which are nothing short of out-​of-​this-​world. Diet-​be-​damned — these things are AMAZING.
So dined there twice and awarded 5 for the lunch and 4 stars for the brunch. Why 5 stars overall? Remember I mentioned ‘value?’ Go to their website and look at their prices. The ‘all-​you-​can-​eat-​brunch’ was $ 7.99 for goodness sake. A chain restaurant would have charged more for a reheated Sysco-​pack of instant oatmeal. If this restaurant were waterfront, food of this quality would be TRIPLE the cost of this little local strip-​mall gem.
Want some exceptional food, (with some possible music/​dancing to boot) for an incredibly-​low cost? Valrico needs you Spanglish. Thank you, Chef Julio, for giving our little hamlet some spice… and truffles. :)

The Cuba was delicious, bread was so yummy. The steak quesadillas were absolutely loaded with delicious tender steak, the shrimp bisque was loaded with 8 or nine shrimp, the cheesburger advertised was wonderful and the flatbread pizza was amazing, let the chef decide!

I’m about to burst! I really enjoyed the food here. It’s a small restaurant in a shopping plaza and my friends wanted to try it out after looking at the menu. Not alot lf ppl were inside but the place qas clean, lighting dimmed and jazz playing on the background. Our waiter was hilarious and very nice. We got steak quesadilla for appetizers and it was big enough for a regular meal and it had big pieces of meat inside. The complementary bread and oil dip was so delicious I asked for a to go box to take home. For dinner I ordered the 8oz iron flat steak and the was really good and the sauce on top was really good and the mash potato was yummy and made with real potatoes. They even gave us free flan for dessert since he found out my friends were getting married. I would definitely go again.

Nothing special. Had the Sunday buffet. Salmon and beef tips were over cooked. Shrimp, pork ribs and desserts were good. Fried shrimp and chicken wings were greasy as expected. Will not be coming back.

Worst Cuban sandwich ever! Stale bread, 4 tiny pickles, I don’t even see cheese, couple meat slices thrown on there. I moved it all to one side just to make it look like there was something in between the bread slices. But it didn’t make it taste any better.

We waited for over an hour to receive our order… which was cold. Nope. Sorry. Not paying top dollar for poor ambience and cold food. Since when is the local baseball team allowed to order beer buckets and turn a once quality restaurant into a bar scene well through the dinner service? We called ahead to reserve a table at 7. The food made it around 8:10. When we last visited there were roses adorning each place setting and the food was amazing. This was supposed to be our date night. We dressed for the occasion and came with expectations of quality food, good service, and proper ambience. Low standard service for high dollar prices. I have never been so disappointed in a restaurant!

Everything we had was delicious, Nice atmosphere. Very courteous.
Prices, good, not high.
Everyone in our party was pleased with their meals

Is it possible to write a review and give ZERO stars? If I could, I would. I had heard the food was very good at this new neighborhood restaurant. When I attempted to go there one evening to get takeout, I called the place in advance to place an order. I specifically wanted something that was on the lunch menu and assumed I could not get it for dinner but thought I would ask. I politely asked the hostess if it was okay, and her response was they sometimes will charge an up-​charge, but they have done it in the past. She then carried the phone into the kitchen to ask the chef if it was okay, and the response completely shocked me. The chef/​owner of this establishment decided it was unacceptable for me to order this particular item and he literally yelled and started cussing at the hostess about it being unacceptable. She was clearly embarrassed at his response, and I told her I was shocked, too. It was no way to treat a customer nor run a business. She apologized for his behavior, but I told her that I would NEVER step foot in that restaurant after hearing how this chef/​owner not only spoke to his staff in this manner, but thought it was okay to basically tell a customer to F#ck off. This chef/​owner seems to have a reputation as a hothead. He should not be in business, or he should stay in the kitchen and keep his mouth shut!

The food was «okay» nothing to write home about… the server was really nice… but upon entering the guy that greeted me by yelling across the dining room from the table he was sitting at. He appeared to be running the place. «owner mabe»? Rude… And just carried him self in a extremely unwelcoming way… Idk just all around lack luster. They made it to the bottom of my list of places to go back too. The ambiance was very Walmart, while the prices were very Macy’s if you want me to pay for the service you kinda got to give me the service.

We just loved this place! Their lobster arepas, shrimp mofongo and empanadas were amazing! Paella and roasted chicken was really good as well! And the guava cream cheese flan was out of this world! So glad we finally tried it out– great ambiance, beautiful interior, comfortable, really nice décor with a traditional updated feel! Doesn’t feel at all like you’re in a shopping center on 60! Service was good too! We will be regulars for sure!

Best food I’ve ever tasted I’m telling you and the waitress was very helpful in explaining everything to me and she kept the drinks coming OMG the chief came out and ask how my meal was and he also said he did me something off the menu I didn’t know what was instore for me was gonna go to appease’s but I wanted to change it up and I definitely made the right choice worth every penny and when u come in tell the waitress you want something off the menu you want something different and new

Oh man! What a great place to eat! I honestly feel sorry for the customers who had a less fortunate experience because ours was amazing! Our server was excellent, the sangria was delicious, the meat empanadas, my goodness the best!!! my pork mofongo simply out of this world. We sent word out to the cheff to express our gratitude, he came out to personally give us a warm welcome. I even took a selfie with him! All in all a wonderful dining experience in a great place with the most delicious Latin Food. looking forward to come back Next Week!

Good food… If you can get it.
The owner is continuing a sad pattern from his previous restaurants. He runs out of staple dishes WELL before a properly run restaurant should.
As a restaurant owner you have one job: to serve food to your patrons. No matter how good your cooking is, If you can’t do that, you should find another business.

We recently had dinner at Spanglish and we were very
impressed. We have traveled extensively here in the USA and abroad thus we enjoy a good meal. Our dinner was delicious. Is not typical Latin or American food; it is a combination of Mediterranean with its own unique eclectic flavor. During dinner there was live music (very good temporary violinist), then the party started with a terrific DJ. We (and d our friends) had a terrific night. One small comment though: beautiful place, pricey but no linen napkins? No big deal but it would add to its decorum.

Total disappointment.
We visited today, and we were the first one’s there (approx 11:10AM). Great! I thought, the food is usually better at most places when they are not super busy and rushed. Nope, wrong.
My mom and I ordered two different pork dishes (mofongo w carne frita and the pulled pork lunch). About 5 – 10 minutes after we ordered, we were told that because they were so busy on Saturday (Seriously, two days ago!!!), they were closed yesterday (ok!!!), and they just opened (Huh?! No restaurant I know of opens their kitchen at the same time they open for customers!!!), the pork was not prepped. Our server asked if we would be willing to wait 30 minutes for the food, we agreed. Well, another 5 – 10 minutes later, she comes back and tells us that the pulled pork dish was going to take longer. So I changed it for the Coco Rico Chicken.
It’s now almost 12PM and we finally get our food! The mofongo was dry, carne frita was lacking in flavor of ANY kind, and the CoCo chicken, which I was told was made with coconut milk, garlic, and spices had no coconut flavor at all.
Our server came back to check on us, and we asked for our check. I was hoping she would say something about us not taking more than a few bites off each of our plates, but nothing. At any other place, you would be questioned as to why your plate is literally still 98% to 99% still there and you are not taking it home.
I rated this place two stars because our server was friendly, the shrimp empanadas we ordered as an app were decent, and they gave us a discount for all the mishaps on our lunch experience.
Will I come back? I don’t see this happening.

Don’t go for the ambiance because there isn’t any. But, the food was worth the visit.
Their current space is open and tiled making for a noisy atmosphere with the restaurant being only half full. They have tapas table that is kind of like a bar area in the middle of the room. We ate there and the space was big and comfortable. Our service was excellent and all of the staff seem genuinely happy and helpful. They have live music on the weekends but I wasn’t overly impressed with the performers that were playing when we went.
The menu is somewhat eclectic with appetizers and dishes ranging from traditional Latin American dishes to more Mainland Spanish fare. We had the BBQ short rib and meatball appetizers with shrimp Mofongo for dinner. The meatballs were excellent and the Mofongo, which I had never had before, was a dish I would definitely get again. The ribs had a great flavor but were a little dry. Our son had the empanadas and they were very nice –they come with an onion hot sauce that is superb.
While this was our first visit, we will definitely try it again.

Spanglish – What happened!!! We brought friends in for dinner, the place was packed-​we were told, up front, there was at least a 45 min wait for food. No problem-​we thought. We ordered drinks, the bar was about 8 feet behind me, the waitress, obviously VERY inexperienced, as we noticed all the wait staff is, brought our drinks, slowlyyyyyyyyyyyyy, one at a time. We ordered the shrimp appetizer and crabcakes. Again, apps came out, one at a time. They were good but it would have been nice to all eat at the same time. Ordered more drinks, waited forever to get them, did I mention the bar was right behind me?! We ordered the paella, (that was good), surf & turf with scallops,(I got a pretty good filet but only 2 tiny scallops and shrimp? shrimp wasn’t even mentioned!) fish & shrimp-«please put the rice & broccoli on the SIDE», and a pasta dish. NO condiments OR silverware were on the bar area where we sat-​ALL the tables were reserved for large parties. We had to ASK for everything from salt & pepper, napkins, to silverware. It took WELL OVER an hour to get our food. All the dishes were delivered-​ONE at a time, with long waits in between. (Very POOR service). Again-​it would have been nice to have our meals as a group! No drinks, again, had to wait forever for those as well. I could have slide my chair back and got my own! One girl behind the bar who could only manage pouring one drink at a time! SLOWWWWWWWWWWW is the word here. It occurred to me that this place is now a Latin Dance Club. Which the band was good and the dancing was fun to watch. This is no longer a dinner place in my opinion. All those large tables, that are «reserved» had 99% of the people just drinking and socializing. No Food there. My husband specifically requested the rice & broccoli be on a separate plate for his fish & shrimp. It all came out-​one plate at a time-​with the shrimp & rice mixed, waitress had NO clue. He ordered a side of mashed potatoes, which we finally received AFTER we boxed up the left overs. Shame on you Spanglish for your extremely poor service. We thought because you were new, your service would have improved by now. The place IS a Goldmine but the crap service really hurts it. In defense of the hostess & manager they did send a free drink. To late for that. Stick to this place for lunch OR dancing & drinks IF you can get one. People WERE having a heck of a good time here. I guess we choose the wrong time to eat here. There is a new place opening soon a few doors down, I just hope it isn’t the same owners. I DO love the food here but will only be visiting here for lunch – One more try!

Definitely a gem hidden in Valrico. Despite the tiny restaurant sign, it is big in flavor. They would benefit from a more prominent sign. We went during opening week and the indoor décor was welcoming, just as much effort into the environs as the food on the plate. Service was very slow, the food was delicious however I hope they can get better timing of the delivery from kitchen to table,.

Had the shrimp trio. Two of the three were under seasoned. My friend had the beef tips and said they were short seasoning as well. The crab cake tapas were exceptional. Service was a bit slow considering we were there before the crowd arrived. The couple next to us saw their wait staff at least 15 times whereas we saw ours about 5. Had to ask for napkins and silverware and waited an excessive amount of time for our food.