La Pequena Colombia — Restaurant in Tampa

Most of my visits were in the distant past when they were open for breakfast and closed later than they do now. A very busy place that was always packed and they opened a location nearby selling a different menu of items.

In the past, service and management was arrogant and some of the servers bordered on moronic. My son who is grown now, had his most horrible and distasteful birthday meal at this location. I will not go into detail but service and food was atrocious that day. They were so busy that they did not have to care about the customer. Oh, how the mighty have fallen!

I finally returned after that fateful day at the insistance of a friend who was homesick for Tamales which they make. The place was empty at noon on Thursday to my surprise. Workers waiting by the door with effusive greetings as we entered. A completely different vibe from years ago. The service and management had changed drastically, very friendly, very attentive and helpful. I guess you become nicer when customers stop coming.

My friend ordered Tamales and I had the Arroz con Camarones, an old favorite of mine. The food has always been mostly good and it was very good on this visit. My rice was very flavorful and chock full of succulent shrimp. I felt like it was an entirely different experience. I did not try any this visit but they do have some wonderful pastries and desserts that are a must.

Hopefully the new trend of being humble and nice will bring the customers back eventually. There are many wonderful dishes to choose from, a nice location and a small bar. I feel like I can approve of this...

I love to eat, especially when it's a good colombian place (well I thought it was good). My party of 9 wanted to give it a chance but took 15 minutes to get a server to come say hello which I can semi understand especially if they are busy. Dayra G was our sever, probably having a bad day but worst attitude and server I've had in a while. Driving about an hr and half to have bad service is the worst. She took our drink order and appetizers, 20 minutes passed and let me say I got one of my appetizers first before my water. I semi thought oh fast food service but than never got my other appetizers. Maybe at this point it was a sign to leave but my family was excited to eat so we decided to give it a chance. Server never came back for drinks, my food came out but 2 steaks were rare after 15 minutes, I had to look for our server in which she took 2 of the steaks back but took 25 minutes to bring it back after asking where is our steaks. At this point, the majority of my family ate their food already. No apologies or anything from the server. Mind you, I'm Spanish so a sorry would have gone a long way. Needless to say worst service and avoid it if you can! Three other guests told me the same and its sad to work hard for your money and pay for shitty service. I will say after I paid for a bill over $200 I asked for a manager, Monica and nothing different. How can you expect good service when they don't have a good manager. Thank you for reading my rant save your money and time &...

I can confidently say this is the best Colombian food I’ve ever had—even after spending a month in Colombia! There were delightful aromas of freshly brewed coffee and warm baked goods filling the air.

Speaking of coffee, it was so delicious that, despite being a “one-cup kinda girl,” I couldn’t resist having another after my meal. It was rich, smooth, and perfectly balanced.

The service was just as exceptional as the food. Dara took amazing care of our table, ensuring we had everything we needed while making the experience even more special. She was incredibly patient as we asked about different menu options, and she even let me practice my Spanish with her, which added a personal and cultural touch to the meal.

As for the food itself—simply outstanding. I started with freshly baked pan de bonos from the bakery, and they were warm, cheesy, and wonderfully soft inside. For my main course, I enjoyed a classic Colombian-style steak with rice and beans, which was perfectly seasoned and cooked to perfection. Of course, I couldn’t leave without dessert, flan !

The ambiance also added to the experience. With large TVs, this is the perfect spot to catch your favorite game or match. The impressive bar makes it an ideal place to unwind.

If you’re looking for truly incredible Colombian food, warm hospitality, and a lively atmosphere, this...