Maize & Wheat Colombian Cafe — Restaurant in Brentwood

Let me grab your attention real quick. I walked into this little gem without knowing how much we'd be spending. I was confused because I didn't know what to try. I have never in my 20 something years, tried Colombian cuisine. I'm always the person who is asking for spicy stuff like serranos, jalapeños because I was raised in a Mexican household. Once I saw nothing had anything spicy, I went with a plate for $19. I even forgot the name. But, once we ordered, we spent about $45 for 3 people. We sat down and waited. Mind you this, there's plenty of seating and the staff is super friendly and helpful. I tried the lemonade. Took a sip and it sent me to a resort in the islands. I'm joking. It didn't really send me there. But the taste was refreshing. It's like a hot pool day and this is your magic tonic to drink to refresh. Anyways, our food arrived and I was confused but also intrigued. So I took a first bite of the pork. I said between my noggin and i, "okay, let's try more" I loved it. It was a mix of meat like ground beef, pork, sausage, fried plantains, rice,avocado, beans. It sounds crazy, I know. But the taste was something enriching. I did ask for salsa but I realized this food didn't need it. We were about to leave and i forgot my manners to put away an extra chair that we left at the table and the gentleman cleaning our table said they don't really mind the mess (I was in food service once and I like to stack plates that don't have food and make it easier for them to pick up and clean) he was very attentive to our comments and being there to us felt comfortable. I'd say if you're adventurous and love exploring other cuisines, try this. I urge you to. It's quiet and the staff is very friendly and not to mention the...

Take out order

Had the picada which is an assortment of the most popular Colombian meats. Chorizo, steak, chicken, chicharron (crunchy pork belly/rind). The portions for the price, is not worth it. I counted 7 small chunks of chicken, there was a full chorizo in there so that was good. The pork belly was a total of maybe 8 very very thin slices. Steak was overcooked. The small potatoes were bland and dry. The salad was more of a garnish then a salad. The yucca was pretty good, but a bit greasy. The maduros (sweet plantains) were hard and to be honest, tasted and looked like the ones you get in your freezer section. Def will not order this again. Also flavor overall was a bit bland. Did not see any Colombian flavors shine here, and I've had my fair share of Colombian cuisine from many different parts.

The beef soup or caldo de costilla. Very very bland, if you get hot sauce this will give it flavor. Good piece of meat though. I am used to seeing this with rice or a salad,but the two arepas (corn cake) would've been good if they weren't too overcooked.

Finally the star of my order. The coconut lemonade. This was refreshing and good.

Overall I was looking forward to having some Latin cuisine, specifically the colombian flavor, but this was a major...

One of my best friends is half Colombian, and so we visited Maize and Wheat after she was telling me how delicious it is!

The staff are so sweet and friendly, and the decor is vibrant and inviting. My friend and the woman at the register got to talk about what parts of Colombia their families were from and reminisce about the areas and foods they had growing up. She let us try a sampling of one of the juices too, which were delicious!

We ended up ordering the Tuna Arepa, Veggie #1 and Veggie #2 Empanadas, the Cauliflower Soup (vegetarian with no bacon added), and a Coconut Lemonade. Everything was really reasonably priced.

The food came out quickly and piping hot! The arepas and empanadas were so good! Both were tasty with wonderful texture, and they were a great comfort food on a cold day. The cauliflower soup was really tasty as well, and the coconut lemonade was so sweet and refreshing! Definitely give them all a try!

Overall, we left with full bellies, and my friend was so happy to have a little taste of her childhood. We'll be back again tomorrow to try the Buñuelos!

Thanks so much,...