La Hacienda — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

This place really deserves like a 3.5 star.... There are many pros and cons to La Hacienda, but one thing I can definitely say is GET YOUR FOOD TO GO! I wouldn't recommend eating here not unless you don't mind LOUD talking, an overcrowding environment and the occasional weirdos (ex: drunks/drug addicts/bums) coming up to you (I say that from personal experience and sadly the restaurant owners/workers don't do anything or care enough to solve this problem). And it's annoying how the staff is sometimes that ignorant on this issue but going back to the food... The food is fresh because its cooked on the daily/all day, they display their food so you can see your options through the glass, you have a wide array of options like pupusas, chicken/steak/fish, rice, beans, vegetables, salads, etc... They're system is to charge according to what you order and how big of a plate (small/large). Sometimes I do feel like they try to over charge and make up different prices. And when you ask them to explain the fees, they don't even know how much things are... Or sometimes they fail to do basic math addition, I've noticed... Food is good on the most part but I'd only go once in a while because another horrible thing is the parking, which is often nearly impossible to find... Location is always busy and full with...

This is a nice little spot to go to for a good meal. I came here with a couple of friends for lunch, and it's definitely a place I'd like to go back to. If you plan on eating in, be prepared to wait for a table as the place tends to get very crowded during lunch hours. I haven't been there for dinner, so I'm not sure what the crowd is like in the evening, but it was packed around 1:00 p.m.

The parking can be a bit annoying as you have to park on the street. Crossing the busy Clinton Street can be dangerous at times, so it's a good idea to park on the same side as the restaurant if possible, or on any nearby side streets.

I ordered a plate with rice, refried beans, salad, and pork balls. Everything was good, but the pork balls were a bit on the solid side. The plastic utensils provided at the restaurant were incapable of penetrating their rocky exterior. I'm looking forward to trying the shredded beef next time as that looked amazing behind the glass.

I definitely recommend this place if you're in the area and in need of good Central American food. It might be best to take your food to go if you're not a fan of crowds or moderately loud...

If you want to try authentic Central American favorites you must come here. It's not ritzy and glam, but comforting and homie. If I had the option to eat only one thing I'll take a tamale crema and queso fresco on the side from La Hacienda .

The central American tamale is my favorite because it has a delicate sweetness to it pair it with the tangy crema and a piece of their homemade cheese and you've just died and went to heaven, I'm telling you this 8 the real deal.

If your a cheese fanatic they make their own cheese here, soft, hard maybe kick it up and get the.Jalapeno queso fresco.

I always order a baleada or two, which is a delicious wrap with beans and a really yummy cheese inside, another item I can live off of.

Staff is very nice here, my Spanish sucks and they work with me without making me feel uncomfortable. Overall I...