Review El Tamarindo Cafe - Fort Lauderdale

I read the reviews and lots are bad. I have to say my experience with this first visit was pleasant and the food tasted great if I'm ever back in the area I would definitely be going back. As for the different menus and menu prices I didn't see that but will keep a lookout. The one thing I have to say is $10. For flan is ridiculous even though it was good.

This restaurant is really really good. Do not be fooled by outward appearances. Inside is immaculate and blew me away. Theirs is a high level of customer service. The dining and the drinks are quite fine and super fancy. Their happy hour is dope as hell with a 2 for one feature. The roast chicken is falling off the bone. The spices are on point. The staff is so pleasant and the environment is very welcoming. Me being a New Yorker I’m super hard on my critique of restaurants. This is my new home away from home when i do not feel like cooking and want to be pampered a little bit. And the ambiance music just gives it a really nice touch. As a spiritualist this place is uplifting and relaxing. It definitely feels like a safe space and a place where I can trust the team. I love it here. Me and my fiancé will most certainly be coming back again and again.

My buddy got the fried chicken. It was awesome. I got the pork belly with the sauces. Thebpickped onion sauce was my favorite but the chimichurri sauce was just as good. I will be coming back here.

The service was friendly. The soup was delicious and the lechón was alright very quick service

Great Cafe, I ordered coconut flan with espresso and they were both delicious. Highly recommend.

Authentic Latin Flavors Await at El Tamarindo Café: A Culinary Delight in Fort Lauderdale Tamarindo Café holds a special place in my heart as it was the first restaurant I visited upon arriving in Florida. Having spent years in Northern Virginia, finding Latin cuisine that truly satisfied my taste buds was a challenge until I discovered Tamarindo Café. This cozy café-style restaurant offers a relaxed atmosphere where locals gather to savor their favorite dishes. Speaking of favorites, the Chicken Parmesan is an absolute delight. It has become my go-to dish, and I have yet to find a more delicious version anywhere else in the Fort Lauderdale area. One of the highlights of Tamarindo Café is its convenient parking, ensuring hassle-free visits. I have never had to make a reservation, which adds to the overall ease of dining here. While the food is unquestionably exquisite, I must mention that the cocktails are average, and in some cases, a bit pricey. During my recent visit, I ordered a Ron DonQ with Coca Cola, and to my surprise, it was priced at $15. This felt exceedingly high and didn't quite justify the cost. Therefore, I have learned that when I visit this restaurant, I choose to focus solely on the outstanding food and refrain from ordering alcoholic beverages. In summary, Tamarindo Café is a hidden gem that truly delivers authentic Latin flavors. From their mouthwatering Chicken Parmesan to the inviting ambiance, this restaurant offers an experience that stands out. While the cocktails may be average and slightly expensive, I find solace in knowing that a remarkable culinary adventure awaits me every time I dine here.

The Cuban food -- especially the Cuban Sandwich & the "Tamaranido Special" -- is authentic and delicious!! I'm SO GLAD to have tried this restaurant. The servers are VERY FRIENDLY and professional. Great management. 5 STARS!

I went right before closing and they still provided excellent friendly service. Very clean and well run. I got tostones con lechon, pork tostones. The portion for an appetizer was really big, the huge tostones were loaded with pulled pork, and delicious as well. I also ordered a cortado, very good coffee and nice presentation. The friendly attentive service reañly made me feel welcome, great place!

Best restaurant I’ve ever been to hands down! Staff was amazing! Alex you are the man keep up the great work

Nicer than expected interior with some outdoor seating, too. Seafood soup was delicious—full of fish, shrimp, clams, mussels, and calamari. Attentive and fast service. Unisex restrooms. Not cheap but good value for the quality.

First time at this place; the restaurant was clean, the food was outstanding, and the waiter (Brandon) was very attentive. Then again, there were only two or three other tables seated. Awkward ambiance for the first five+/- minutes because there was no music playing and the TVs were off. Finally, the music came on and the dining experience improved ten-fold. Meanwhile, the TVs were never turned on. Not a big deal, in fact... might even be cool to have a place with no TVs, where people are forced to interact with one another. But I digress, if you choose to have televisions in your establishment, keep them on; there's a lot you can do with them, not just have it on TV programming. Anyways, this place is absolutely fantastic and has the potential to be one of the area's best restaurants. I'll definitely be back!

El Tamarindo Cafe 2 in Lighthouse Point is fantastic. Relaxing atmosphere, very polite staff and the food is superb.

excellent exquisite food highly recommend this restaurant.

Fine dining, service quality was excellent. Whole seared red snapper with capers, olives, and tomato was wonderful. Lemoncello cake was better.

This is a great place for a girl's night out, especially a birthday. Food is fabulous, service is perfect, wine is great!! Reasonable prices. We had a great time!

Good service , good food and know live music !!my favorite place.

Excellent food,excellent service, u have to try it,,,100 % recommended,,,,

The service and the food is amazing

Es de los restaurantes que más disfruto, por la buena acogida y la comida es de lo mejor

Great food, good prices.

Excellent food

Don’t be put off by the bare bones appearance outside. We are SO glad we came inside! The wait staff was friendly, polite and very helpful with recommendations. We loved our food and drinks. I recommend the mojito! You won’t be sad you came in for a meal. We will definitely return next time we are in town.

Fantasic food!! <br/>Calamari was so tender, and the marinara sauce that came with it was homemade and delish! <br/>Paella was unbelievable!! <br/>Portions were huge!<br/>Go here, now!!

Gauged by restaurant. Six couples had dinner here year after year only to have a problem this New Year's Eve 2014. All six of us were told the specials were all $24.00. Four of us asked for 1 grilled shrimp on top of our filets. The chef came out and we told him how much we loved his restaurant and our waiter poured us a "free drink" of wine. The individual in charge of the bill took our charges. It filtered down to us that the bill was was $150 per couple. I said something must be wrong. Aha, as the bill was reviewed we were each charged $45 for each entree. We were told that the ONE SHRIMP we each had was an additional $20 per entree totaling $80 for the four of us. We were given back in cash the extra $40 charged for the other two people. Were we gauged? What do you think????

Gauged by restaurant. Six couples had dinner here year after year only to have a problem this New Year's Eve 2014. All six of us were told the specials were all $24.00. Four of us asked for 1 grilled shrimp on top of our filets. The chef came out and we told him how much we loved his restaurant and our waiter poured us a "free drink" of wine. The individual in charge of the bill took our charges. It filtered down to us that the bill was was $150 per couple. I said something must be wrong. Aha, as the bill was reviewed we were each charged $45 for each entree. We were told that the ONE SHRIMP we each had was an additional $20 per entree totaling $80 for the four of us. We were given back in cash the extra $40 charged for the other two people. Were we gauged? What do you think????

Awful place. Not a good place. Awful service. We had to be waiting in the door until somebody decided to point our table. They didn't bother to give us a menu so after 15 minutes we had to grab it ourselves. A single coffee took another 20 minutes, the food came out cold and when we informed the manager her response was: "oh really?" That's it she didin't even offered to warm it up. They are not ready to manage customers. Bad looking place from outside and awful service inside.

AMAZING!!!

A+ service and food. Had the breaded Palomilla Steak with a side of boiled yuca and sweet plantains. The steak was cooked perfectly and the yuca (which can easily be a tasteless dish) was great! Definitely recommending this spot to my Ft. Lauderdale friends.

Out Standing Service. On behave of my fiance Javier Piriz I want to thank Paticia, Roxana, and Juan Carlos for an amzing time and service that you gave us at your restaurant!!! It was our last night in Fort Lauderdale and unfortunately it was our first time...but it won't be the last!!! The food was OUT OF THIS WORLD!! my Mojito!! AMAZING!! & the service was PHENOMENAL!! I highly recomend El Tamarindo Bistro & Bar Latin Cafe......CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK!<br/><br/>Rosie & Javier Piriz :-)

The waitress should tell her guests that the Snapper is whole and fried in addition to telling guests that they charge $6.00 for a cup of sauce to make the fish palatable!

Delicious churrascuro sauce and fried yucca & huge portions.

I used to like the place but i've ate my last meal there quality seems to be slipping. Ordered a steak that ended up like rubber...<br/>the dressing they give you with the bread was drowning in olive oil and had an after taste like it was sitting around all day... plantains where too ripe and top it all off ... i had to wait 20 plus minutes after my table was cleaned to get my check, after a server asked for it finally the manager takes the check from her and when he finally returned with my change he drops it on the table and says nothing and turned and walked away....won't be going back to that place

The short: It's pretty good. The longer: This is a great place to bring friends. It looks like a dive on the outside, but is surprisingly nice on the inside. The bread they give you was great to the point that I had to mention it in this review. The meal itself was above average, but not astounding. I had the pollo a la plancha and compared to the Cuban/spanish restaurants I normally frequent, it didn't really compare - chicken was rather plain and not really seasoned at all. The sides were ok. The steak people around me were ordering looked great. I'll definitely go back to give that a whirl.

El tamarindo. The building is nice, the table settings are nice. the waitress spoke to me in spanish from the get-go, which i thought was a little strange.<br/><br/>the food was simple, and not that large of a plate, with not a lot of flavor. i was not impressed at all.

Wasn't bad, but wasn't amazed either. The shrimp were amazing, but wish the sides had a little more 'pizazz'

Wow!!! So good we came 2 nights in a row. The bread w/ garlic and olive oil came out first. Then the cievieche' was awesome. The quesadilla was good and the pico had a bite that put the quesadilla over the top. The skirt steak was so tender. The New York strip had tons of flavor and shrimp was to die for. Then there was the service. Double wow!!! No empty glasses. They tag team every table and leave nothing to want for.

Latin Food and Good!. Although this is place is listed as a Cuban restaurant, I believe that it should categorized as only a Latin restaurant. The Mojitos are PERFECT. The service is outstanding. The salsa is good, no excellent, and hot! The beans are pinto beans (I really think that to be called Cuban, black beans are required). The House special I had was nicely cooked and the portions we excellent..

Canuck in South Florida. This restuarant is one of those special finds that you discover when traveling. I happen to live here and Latino friends introduced it to me. The meat dishes are exceptional and the seafood soup is one of their specialties. The atmosphere is casual yet elegant and the appearance of the restaurant from the street does not give any clue that this is an extraordinary place to dine for the price. You live the restaurant wondering why the owners do not charge more but hoping they just keep it that way. I cannot think of one place in South Florida where you get more value for your dollar and that is coming from a Canadian who watches his $$$ carefully.

The restaurant wasn't exactly what we were looking for, but it turned out to be just what we needed! The food was excellently cooked and presented. The fried zucchini was crisp and lightly dusted with salt and herbs, and the dipping sauce was great! The fajitas were juicy and packed with flavor. I would recommend this place to anyone traveling to Fort Lauderdale

Love this place! The Carne Asada and beef soup r excellent, the prices r good and the staff is extremely friendly!

One of my favorites. I work nearby so I go for lunch fairly often. Every Friday they have a Crab & Shrimp soup that is wonderful - it omes in 2 sizes, large & small. But today is Thursday so I ordered off the menu - Mariscada - soup - a tomato-based broth with everything from sea - 1/2 a crab, a huge prawn, 1/2 a filet of tilapia, shrimp, calamari, scallops. Served with a scoop of rice which i put into the soup,. It was amazing. I didn't think I'd be able to finish it but I couldn't stop and I cleaned out the bowl. My friend had the skirt steak with shrimp and said it was wonderful. The ambiance is lovely and the service is great. Definitely one of the best restaurants in Ft. Lauderdale.

Good food, good portions. A very quality place to eat. I recommend.

Had lunch and found both food & service to be good. Large portions.

Average. The restaurant looked like a good place to possibly enjoy a glass of wine due to wine decor and wine list. but was lacking on quality with the wine. I ordered a glass of the house Merlot while my Wife ordered a glass of their Pinot Grigio. The merlot tasted like some cheap gunky wine from argentina had no fruit flavor and tasted outright old and acidic. My wife could not stand the Pinot Grigio because it tasted nothing like one! Shortly we find out that this pinot grigio wasnt even Italian it was south american. I had no idea Argentina made pinot grigio!? Service was a little slow, food quality was decent for the price but the gunky wine just killed the mood

Thank You My Friends:). I want to thank my friends Talani and Birdman for recommending this cafe. What a place! <br/><br/>This restaurant is very good with EXCELLENT service. Everytime I put my water glass down someone was filling it up. They brought that dipping sauce (see pic) out with some bread and I went crazy. It's very heavy on the garlic and has a spicy kick to it. Man this stuff is good.<br/><br/>My buddy Birdman suggested that I then try the Tamarilo Juice. Never hear of this stuff, but it was way to sweet fo me. It was a brown colored fruit drink that I guess is popular. I didn't like it...sorry Birdman.<br/><br/>My meal came with two sides and for one side I picked a salad (see pic). The dressing was a housemade vingerette. It had a sweet flavor to it which made it taste unique. It was pretty good.<br/><br/>For my main meal I had the Chicken Breast Platter (see pic) . It was smothered in grill onions and I got a side of tostones. I squeezed a little lime on it and dug in for the kill. I think the favors were awesome and every other word out of my mouth was mmmmm lol. <br/><br/>Overall, this is a "Must See TV" type of place, if you catch my drift. Remember to tell them Dan sent you and Stay Hungry!

Good Latin Food. Great food with big portions. They have a great "chimichuri" sauce for the bread before your meal. Their pollo enceballado is awesome and huge.

Best Kept Secret. Great Experience from the moment you walk in, from the courteous and professional staff to the VIP treatment they give you along with a beautifuly decorated ambiance, Tamarindo does al the right things even before you order. The menu has great variety and all the dishes have healthy portions with delicious tatse. My favorite is the Tamarindo Special & the Whole Snapper. A local in the area and we frequent the place 1-2x per week at all hours of operation, up to midnight on Saturday and they are always warm, welcoming and food is delicious. A gem of a place and dinning experience.

Love the place!!! Great food, excelent service and prices really match the quality of their plates. My favorite dish is the Fish Filet "a la livornesa" the best fish dish you will find the FLL area!!

Incredible portions great staff. Showed up at 10pm on a Saturday and the staff was attentive as could be. They even held an umbrella for us as we walked to the car. The fajitas are great and palomilla steak was huge. Perfect little date restaurant. Will defenitely be back

Gret Food/Hallandale Location. We live in the neighborhhod so its very convenient to eat there at least once a week. We have brought so many friends and everyone loves the food and service. Great Prices. Fish livernese is my favorite as well as the , pizzia and chicken wings so much food,, its great for price and taste and service..

This place is great. You can't go wrong with whatever you order but the carne asada is pretty awesome. Garlic fish looked out of this world as well. Don't miss the house made hot sauce!

You won't go wrong here!!. The best food in town, Always consistant and good. The first place I go when I get to Fort Lauderdale.

When you're in the mood for a skirt steak, there are only 2 choices. Angus Steakhouse and El Tamarindo.