El Chante Comedor Y Fritanga Nica — Restaurant in Maryland

I’m East Asian but I’ve lived in Nicaragua during my childhood in late 90s to early 2000s so I know exactly what Nicaraguan food should look and taste like. And yes I’ve eaten anywhere from those street side fritangas where food is served in banana leaves and where the frituras are in open air to upscale eateries like Los Ranchos, Doña Haydee, Guapinol, La Paz Centro, and El Churrasco so I know Nica food.

BEWARE: Food here takes forever to come out. Ordered the Carne Asada bandeja and I was disappointed to receive such mediocre and laughable portion of meat, gallo pinto, fried cheese, and a small Repollo salad. That alone was $20 which is grossly overpriced. I also ordered a side of salpicón due to nostalgia since our housemaid made it often for us back in Tierra de Lagos y volcanes. The side alone was $8 which was served in a white bowl COLD and not even at room temperature. It was alright but I’ve had better.

I also ordered the Quesillo, which is Nicaraguan corn tortilla with Nica cheese, pickled onions, and cream which at $11, is absolutely grossly overpriced because this is considered a snack in Nicaland and not expensive food.

I ordered Milca and Chicha de Maíz which were $4/each. When I was checking out I got myself a bag of Rosquillas which I believe was $5. The total for the entire meal and rosquilla came out to about $50 and $60 with tip alone. I have a feeling that may have been overcharged but didn’t question it since I was tired and ready to leave back to DC.

Service sucks. They don’t even serve you a glass of water but I did tip them since I’m nice and like supporting small businesses but this place is not worth the trip from DC and I don’t plan on returning anytime soon or recommending it to anyone not to mention EXPENSIVE AF. They are charging NYC prices for something that’s so basic and not good at all.

I think other patrons whether they be Nica or not were also kind of disappointed (I speak Spanish fluently) and I have not heard anyone say or give praises of approval like “Yum” or “Delicious” to their meals. Also the server wasn’t unfriendly but she wasn’t friendly either and that’s not how I remember Nicaraguan people to be.

Save your money and time, and just go to a Colombian or Mexican restaurant next time. They are much more attentive and welcoming and their prices are much more affordable and the portions are right unlike this overpriced restaurant that seems monopolize that they’re the only Nica restaurant in town if not in...

The food was delicious delicious and the spirit of my home country embraced me, not just through the food through the music through the Other people in the restaurant. As someone that was born in Nicaragua, I felt at home

I have brought dozens of people here as a way to introduce them to my culture, which is not always present outside of Miami in the United States But it is in Wheaton, where I also used to live

Unfortunately, the same server seems to be the only server who is just not friendly. Worse than friendly she is dismissive and does not make you feel comfortable. I literally come in here hoping there’s a different server, but it’s the same one every time. I try to be friendly and engage her asking her she’s from nickrod she says yes and then walks away. Maybe my Spanish isn’t good enough. I think she might’ve had a bad day but at this point I’ve been here dozens of times and every day seems to be a bad day. Not only does she take forever to even take your Order, she looks annoyed that she’s taking your order.

Then I see her greet someone else that she knows and she’s super friendly. It’s a shame because it really hampers the experience and I wish I could give it five stars because I support this restaurant. I’m here with my daughter who doesn’t speak English, but understands her heritage is Nicaraguan. I will continue to join because of the great food and great atmosphere despite the...

Extremely disappointed. I was so excited to hear about this place. I thought “finally, true Nicaraguan cuisine”. First and foremost we walked around the place for about 20 minutes only to find out that they haven’t updated the name of the place on it’s storefront. Secondly, the food is way overpriced for what it should be. Thirdly, once we got home we noticed that a good portion of the meal was missing. We returned and they replaced the missing food. Once home again, we noticed the the food lacked flavor. Worst of all the carne asada was not cooked all the way. This was definitely the last straw. Also, the takeout containers are polyurethane which, if I’m not mistaken goes against Montgomery County’s mandate. The only reason I’m giving it 2 stars is because the customer service was impecable. I cannot deny that they offered great service. To be frank, I don’t see myself returning here. It pains me that I cannot offer a...