Mamma Gina's Colombian Kitchen — Restaurant in Town of Hempstead

I ordered take-out. When I picked up the food, the atmosphere in the place was bright, friendly, cozy and very clean. The owner was there and he is extremely nice but slightly overbearing with expressing concern that everything be great. He literally told me he would drive to my house to give me a refund if I didn't like the food. And i believe him! Although that didn't need to happen because the food was good, some of it was not great. He told me he was a "foodie" so I sincerely hope he listens to my criticism and they improve over time(I'm a foodie & an avid home cook). I will go back at some point. I ordered beef empanadas and the mixed grill plate (the smaller one without skirt steak). The empanadas were the best I've ever had: super crispy and crunchy outside, soft, well seasoned inside. The mixed grill was not so great. The grilled beef was good, but the fried egg on top was totally overcooked. The yolk should be runny and it was more like a hard boiled egg. No seasoning either. The rice and beans were perfect, and the packaging was great because they put the beans in a separate soup container which kept everything else from getting drenched in the juice. The fried plantains were good but nothing special. The same as I've had at every Hispanic or Jamaican restaurant. The chorizo was good, but again, nothing special. It seemed "store bought." My biggest gripe was with the chichharone (excuse the spelling). This is my favorite of all the meats and I was really hoping it would be good. It wasn't. Chichharone should be well spiced, meaty, fatty with very crispy skin. It was none of those: the fat had been completely rendered out, the meat had very little, if any, seasoning and the skin was tough and rubbery. That was a total disappointment. I had asked for hot sauce and was given containers of two red and one green. Unfortunately they weren't hot. I literally drank some of the red to see if I was crazy, but no heat and little flavor. The green had a slight amount of heat and some flavor, but not enough of either. While this sounds like lot of complaining and contradicts my 4 star rating, I making my opinion known to the restaurant and the owner so they can improve, as I think they have a good start and would really like them to succeed in the neighborhood. I'm also a bit nit-picky about food so if you're in the mood for some feel good Columbian comfort food, this is the place. Good luck to Mamma Gina's. I will be...

Welp, guess I found my new spot to get empanadas, because those just blew my mind. Absolutely delicious food. Also had the arepa con chorizo... the arepa is delicious, but the chorizo is to die for. They also have a selection of Columbian sodas; I was suggested the Columbiana & it was very tasty.

The interior is very comfortable & has got a fantastic decor, with a nice mural & videos of Columbia playing. And to top it all off, the staff are great folks, just really nice people, and you can tell everyone's passionate about making delicious food.

Cannot wait to go back for breakfast & a juice. I was told they're taking over, and you know what? I think they will. Give them your money & get yourself...

We dined at this restaurant today: We are not familiar with Colombian food but decided to try it. We were initially planning to get take out, but upon entry to the restaurant the staff were so warm and welcoming and the place very colorful and clean, so we decided to dine in. The staff were very helpful in answering our questions regarding the various dishes. The food was delicious with tasty spices and a variety of meats and vegetables and textures. And the dishes were very generous in size. We look forward to dining...