Emanuel Restaurante Latino — Restaurant in Nashville-Davidson

Unfortunately I'm going to vary from all the other reviews I have read. (My buddy and I were in fact prompted to visit due to the uniformly very positive reviews here). Upon arriving (5:00pm Sunday), immediate red flag - which should have been attended to - was that we were the only customers 🤯 - however we had confidently arrived in an Uber, so it wasn't as if we could walk around the corner to another spot, this place being the only restaurant in the vicinity. Despite the lack of patrons, decor was authentic, & vibe seemed OK if quiet. Perhaps this was an 'off' day, but I can only relate our experience which was: waterlogged salsa starter, useless for dipping; disgustingly soggy enchiladas and tasteless, poorly cooked fish main dishes, all vegetables lacking flavour & just poor. Barely consumed anything. On top of this, they don't have an alcohol license 🤷🏾‍♀️ This was during a Tennessee heatwave at a restaurant supposedly serving "the most authentic Mexican food in Nashville, if not the entire state"! Cold beers were a requisite. If no alcohol available then advertise as such. Regardless of the lack of beer, this was the equal worst restaurant experience of my life - just awful. The most insipid, miserable & borderline revolting cooking you can imagine. And the fact that we sought out this abortion due to the google reviews made it worse. Side-point: the kid serving us was super nice: friendly & as helpful as he could have been given the embarrassment of everything he was working with. Left a tip purely hoping it would go into his pocket & not the rest of the crew. Perhaps we were unlucky; all I can say is neither of us...

I had already walked out of two popular restaurants because I just couldn't stand the Uber hipster vibe at either place. It was overwhelming and made me feel less than welcome as an older single diner.

Then Google suggested this place and my whole evening changed for the better! The young woman who greeted me spoke only Spanish and mi Español no es muy Bueno so the chef came out sat with me, explained the menu items and recommended everything for a great meal. I had never eaten Guatemalan food so I was looking to try a few things. He hooked me right up. He didn't just praise their most expensive dish either, he put together a selection of modestly priced items at a very reasonable total cost.

And it all ROCKED!

DO support these great people and their excellent restaurant. It was slow when I was there on a Saturday which was perfect for me, but not ideal for the business. Bring...

I love this place so, so much!! Papusas, sopes, tacos, plantains, tamales, dobladas (I didn't know what they were till I ate here), enchiladas, tostadas... They make most of (all?) the tortillas in-house, and you can totally tell. I've eaten here easily 20 times in the last 6-ish months, and they've nailed the quality every.single.time. Every guest I've taken has been blown away. Easily THE BEST Latino food in East Nashville. (Yes, a strong statement, but I will die on this hill.) And the prices are completely reasonable!!! The only sadness is no alcohol, but y'all, the food's so good I don't miss the booze, I just eat more sopes! I can't do gluten (not celiac, though) but I never really worry because their fare has very little flour, mostly corn-based dishes. Lovely family-run restaurant. Please go and enjoy...