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Last Update: May 29th, 2015
Latin American Grill Pembroke Pines

Latin American Grill

12638 Pines Blvd
Pembroke Pines FL, 33027
(954) 435-0504
Overall Rating
2.8
Food
Service
Ambiance
Value
Last Review
05/26/2015

Details

Attire: Casual
Parking: Private Lot
CC: Yes
Alcohol: No
Outside Dining: No
Reservations: No
Delivery: No

Pros

Good Value

Cons

Flies
Can't Cook a Steak
Mediocre Food

Critic's Review

I tried to come here on a Saturday, but it was so crowded I just went somewhere else. I had better luck on a Tuesday afternoon.

I walked in an there's no hostess; just a counter to the left with a lot of people running around.

Latin American Grill Counter

I got someone's attention and they just gave me the "sit anywhere" hand signal and I grabbed a table in the corner.

Latin American Grill Interior

Your typical latin cafe; big rooms with no walls and tables too close together. This place had tables pushed so close to the wall that you couldn't actual sit comfortably. When I first arrived I was the only one in the section. I was kinda pissed when 3 non-english speaking people came in and sat at the table right next to me at a largely empty restaurant.

I ordered an iced tea and the bread came out right away.

Latin American Grill Bread

Not very buttery, but warm and freshly pressed. I asked for extra lemon and they brought me an entire lime; don't they think of mentioning that they don't have lemon when someone asks for it? Nah. Water is provided without asking for it.

Latin American Grill Beverages

They don't have any specific lunch specials, which is different from most places. Their "churrasco" is $14.95 with 2 sides; that can be good or bad depending on how big a steak they give you. I ordered it medium rare. Rather than order it with rice and beans, I order the "Moros" rice with beans. My server questioned my choice, but I assured him that I knew what I was ordering. "More Beans" I explained. He nodded knowingly.

More people were rolling in at 2:45, mostly Spanish and Cuban speaking. I got to listen to an old dude on his phone for just about the entire time as he made one call after another. A great dining experience.

The skirt came out way too quickly.

Latin American Grill Skirt Steak as Delivered

I looked at this and I wonder if they left this on the grill for more than 20 seconds. It really didn't look cooked. I cut it open and not surprisingly, it was raw.

Raw Skirt Steak

Normally in these places once they drop off the food, they're done with you until you cash out. I flagged him down and tried to explain that I wanted them to cook it more. His english wasn't very good. "Cook More". Finally I got it across and he took it away.

A manager or owner came over and apologized, which was a good thing. I wasn't that concerned, I just wanted it cooked a bit more. It came out only cooked slightly more; it seemed like the cook was too worried about overcooking the skinny steak.

Skirt Steak Cooks A Bit More

It was still pretty rare in the thicker part, but I wasn't sending it back again.

The Chimichurri they provide was kind of vinegary; not the Argentinean stuff, but better than some of the junk I've gotten in Latin Places.

Latin American Grill Chimichurri

It wasn't a great steak, and the Moros wasn't very good; white rice and beans would have been a better choice (they don't have yellow rice).

Unfortunately, the experience was partially defined by the flies; there was more than one and it's hard to enjoy yourself when your swatting flies away.

Fly in the Ointment

When they started landing on the bread it was time to stop eating and ask for my check. You pay at the register on the way out.

Conclustion

A typical Latin Restaurant that isn't particularly comfortable. Service was fine and they gave a good portion for the price, but with no lunch menu it's not a good budget option for lunch. They can't cook steak, so order something else.

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luis
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I did not know that Cubans had a different language from Spanish

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