Mecatos Bakery & Café — Restaurant in Orlando

Affordable Colombian food with empanadas, arepas, Columbian burger, pastries, and more. We came in for a late lunch/early dinner and the restaurant seemed to be fully staffed. We were greeted immediately from the cashier. You order at the counter and they bring out your food. When I asked about the difference of two similar cakes, she said explained it. She was friendly and polite. Our food came out quickly. The empanadas had a thick pastry and were crispy. The chicken pastry was such a delicious entree that just kind of oozed comfort food. The Hawaiian empanada could be good if the taste was consistent all the way through. My first couple of bites were more spiced and didn’t have the pineapple and sweet taste that the rest of the empanada had. The chorizo was a little dry. The chocolate cannoli was ok. It as a lighter chocolate flavor. The coconut cake with caramel was a good balanced flavor. The dulce de leche cake was light. My only ask for improvement is for sturdier plastic utensils. With the dense chorizo and coconut cake, the utensils bent and couldn’t effectively pick up or cut the bites of food. There is a menu with food without gluten on the counter but they do warn that they prepare food without gluten gluten and can’t guarantee that gluten doesn’t get into...

If you enjoy Colombian coffee and full, glorious empanadas, this is the place to go!

While there, I got a couple empanadas, eggs and coffee. The empanadas were my favorite. I generally enjoy Venezuelan empanadas but these empanadas were full of filling (I got one with beef and one with cheese) and they were so good!

Mecatos has a full menu of sandwiches, with cachapa (to describe, it's like a corn pancake folded in half and stuffed with cheese.), Arepas (corn batter bread patty that is usually filled with cheese and meat like a sandwich), and plenty of baked goods to satisfy anyone's sweet tooth.

I personally wouldn't get the iced coffee again, I would be better to try their espresso or cafe con leche (espresso with milk). Also the parking is difficult if you don't live downtown. They do have other locations but I was impressed with this location.

The service was very nice, one employee spoke English and the other was definitely learning so it wasn't a challenge to order for me, someone who doesn't speak much Spanish.

I am very happy with my experience!

(Note: I added descriptions for those who might not be aware of the item. My descriptions are mine and not from a...

I'll be honest, I don't eat here often because the portion sizes are ENORMOUS and I feel guilty about never finishing an entire meal from here.

That being said, the food and pastries are DELICIOUS and the customer service is worth giving a shout-out to. I've never come into this restaurant and not been greated with what felt like a genuine smile. In my experience, the employees here are great, and I feel like that really means a lot, especially during this time of social distancing, because interactions between people are at an all time minimum.

I typically order through a delivery service for pickup, and I haven't had a single incorrect order or issues with following special instructions. The employees also write nice messages on the bags sometimes-- a small gesture that brightened my mornings more than once. If you're a fan of dining in, the atmosphere in this restaurant is very warm and open.

Definitely try this place out if you're looking for a cozy spot with awesome food and friendly employees in...