Gran Colombian

This restaurant is in the location where Saizon Latino and other Cuban places have given it a try.  I stopped in to check out the new tenant and see what Colombian cuisine has to offer.  I got the Salteado Mixto from the Specialties menu, and chased it with one of their Natural Juices--blackberry for me.

Salteado Mixto is a saute of round steak, popcorn shrimp and chicken.  The proteins are cooked in a hearty, savory, mildly tomato-based sauce with lots of onions and peppers.  It is served with a sticky white rice that has some flavor on its own but is of course best in the dish--I just shoveled it all in there, it could be served that way.  The proteins were definitely fully done but ate just fine in that sauce.  It's a very generous portion, plenty for a lunch the next day and it tasted even better.  The dish comes with a mashed fried plantain cake on the side.  I'm generally not excited by fried plantain and no change this time.  But the entree was very good overall.

The natural juices are a kind of fruit smoothie.  They offered water or milk as a base and I chose water, but I think I'd do milk next time.  A nice refreshing complement to the meal.  They have lots of other tempting traditional drinks that I would try in the future.

The menu is extensive.  There are lots of choices in the appetizer section that could be meals on their own or assembled into one for a lot of variety.  They have breakfast all day (open at 8) and it looks great.  Also Monday-Friday lunch specials that are under $10 on the menu.  And a full bar!

I regret not being able to sample the bakery or desserts--just ran out of time.  The desserts are not on the in-restaurant menu but they have items on display on the bar so there are choices.

The restaurant is definitely geared toward Spanish speakers--my server didn't speak English.  I know a few words and with pantomime and some help from the bartender we did just fine.  The bathrooms were clean and ready.  Like other iterations in this location, the restaurant has kept most of the decor from the previous places. They did get rid of the thatch over the bar.  They take advantage of the stage for live music on the weekends. Service is paced for a relaxing dinner, so don't hurry like I ended up doing.

I can't quite round it up to a 5 but I'm happy to recommend it, and my understanding from Colombian acquaintances is that it's the real deal.

My Yelp Review