Maíz Soul by Tía Yaya — Restaurant in Smyrna

This place is a new and maybe I'm just not a fan of the food type but I just couldn't eat it. The beef had a funny aftertaste to me and I just couldn't eat it. The empanada was chicken and it was pretty good. There weren't really any sauces and I found the food to be dry and was craving some kind of red and or green salsa to put on this Mexican style food but there was none to be had. Instead they offered catsup and tartar sauce. I'm sorry but there is no way I'm putting ketchup on any Mexican style food nor am I going to put Tartar sauce on anything other than my fried Seafood. I'm a sweet tea fan and theirs was great. The guy working the counter was awesome and very attentive and extremely hard working. Honestly I think if they had some sauces to help with the flavors it would have been a much better experience. Also, they really need to work on the menu and make it more English-Friendly as it was all in Spanish and he had to stand there and translate everything for every person ordering. On top of that, his English was not great so I still didn't really know what I was ordering or what else they may have had to offer on the menu. I would have asked more questions about some of the other items but there were other people waiting in line and I could see that he was going to have to explain it all to them as well.

I agree with some of the other reviews that the place is really nice and has a great vibe and very comfortable. I would definitely try them again if they started offering green and red salsa and a better menu. But I don't think I would order the beef again.

BTW, The check was almost $23 for what you...

This was our first visit to a Venezuelan restaurant. We tried a variety of dishes (and ordered too much food). The corn ribs were delicious. They were like the better tasting cousin of street corn. The arepas with peurco and queso frito were perfect. The pork was very tender and juicy. We probably could have stopped there, but we added in the dark glazed beef empanada which was equally delicious (especially with the white sauce that we requested on the side). We also tried the ground beef pastele, which was good, but it wasn’t quite as fantastic as the other things we ordered. We finished off with a pistachio latte which wasn’t too sweet and had a lovely presentation and an order of churros. The churros were really good, although we may try one of the other desserts next time (I believe I saw a flan and a tres leches cake that also looked good). Overall, great experience and we will...

Absolutely loved this new Venezuelan spot in Smyrna! The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, perfect for a casual meal or a family outing. The staff was incredibly friendly and attentive, making us feel right at home. And the food—just amazing! Everything was fresh, flavorful, and authentically Venezuelan. I highly recommend this place if you're looking to try something new or simply enjoy delicious Latin American food. Can’t...