La Pequeña Colombia — Restaurant in New York

A once cozy and charming family restaurant with a wait staff who would greet you at the door and seat you within seconds, since they have memorized the occupancy and what table was available for the next party. This Colombian restaurant in the heart of Jackson Heights was my family’s favorite. We would travel from the deep end of Brooklyn to enjoy a meal at Pequeña Colombia back in 2001.

Today, the charming greeting was nonexistent, the establishment seemed dark and gloomy and didn’t have that welcoming feeling as in the past. The Colombian music and joyful smiles seem to have vanished. The often times live bands and their zoetic presence was all gone. The background music was a playlist of salsa and random Latin music that didn’t enhance the dining experience.

At the table the wait staff never brought us water. We ordered one drink each which was switched up. I ordered a mango margarita which quite frankly tasted nothing more than food coloring mixed with a water down version of a margarita.

The actual meal. The Churrasco which is usually a decent sized piece- wasn’t; served with habichuelas y arroz con papa fritas. The French fries were refried giving them a extremely crunchy texture. The meat was not tasty and a bit dry for my taste. My good friend who had dinner with me stated his dish also wasn’t as good particularly the meat since it tasted a bit burnt. It appears the grill utilized for cooking wasn’t cleaned properly since the meat did have a burnt taste and smell to it.

The decor lacks culture and creativity. The bathroom is a health hazard, should be frequently cleaned. Lastly, a once joyful and cozy establishment has lost its grip on what once was a family style restaurant with the traditions and styles...

Still operating during NY Pause ban! Purchased takeout week of May 18-22nd! The owner, Carlos, took my order for a Picada and empanadas over the phone. When I arrived he was friendly and following best practices such as wearing a mask and keeping a safe distance when passing the food over the counter. I got home and noticed not only did he give the usual pink sauce and green salsa for the picada but also some sliced tomato and onions to complement the meats in the picada which was a hit with the family. All the casava and potatoes were crispy and the steak and chicharron were cooked well and rich in flavor. I ordered four empanadas as well that were generously stuffed and just as delicious as everything else. I got two chicken and two potato empanadas and got very filling and happy reactions from all my family. It felt great to switch it up at home and order out and especially rewarding to help out Carlos’s Pequeña Colombia during these uncertain times. I highly recommend...

Nice looking restaurant from the outside and looks good on the inside, decoration, bathrooms, cleanliness is good however the food. . Its okay, I was raised in Colombia and this restaurant LACKS alot of colombian sazon. We went there once and thought the food was awful but gave them the benefit of the doubt and decided to give them another shot. .. mmm to bad cause I Iost another 60 bucks I'm not getting back. Order bandeja paisa, the steak was decent but the BEANS.... they tasted like the opened the can and threw them in the plate, no sazon whatsoever, and the chicharron... was soo small i felt like crying plus no chorizo and a tiny little arepa...-_- i think the best was the coca cola, the service was ok. Too bad they dont try harder, they have a wonderful location and a nice looking place, they should invest in a top quality chef or just hire a colombian grandma for god's sake. I am not going back i rather spent my money at...