Cafe Americana

Before ordering food, I feel in love with Cafe Americana's interior design. The paintings, green decor and paint on the walls, the pops of color all around, the shelving on the walls with wine bottles... everything about the inside of this tapas bar was a vibe.The customer service was great. Our waiter was attentive and funny. The music was amazing! I appreciated there mix of reggaeton, salsa, Afro beats, etc. I could not stop dancing while I was there.Now onto the food and drinks:First, the drinks are strong (which I appreciate but warning everyone). The tapas 9/10. The coconut cake without the sauce on the side is an absolute MUST TRY -- 1000/10!-- yucca bravas: 10/10. I love yucca frita, and it's different than the traditional patatas bravas. I just wish they had more of the sauce on the side or drizzled on top-- sticky wings: 7/10. Could be stickier. The wings were spicy but took away from the flavor. More spicy than flavorful.-- garlic broccolini: 10/10. So good we ordered a second side of the broccolini. -- crispy pork: 10/10. Good portion, was crispy without being too dry or hard to chew. Overall great food and drinks, vibes and ambiance, and relatively quick service. I will be going back to try other menu items soon!

I think Cafe American could do really well here and I hope it sticks around. We don't have many restaurants in this area that feel like this; a little bit upscale, a little romantic, European vibes, craft cocktails and tapas... it's right up my alley but the few times I've been it, it's pretty quiet. The atmosphere is still overall casual, though, so don't write it off! And the prices are really great for this kind of food.I haven't had their speciality, paella, but I've had a few other items I really liked. Their burrata appetizer, chicken skewers, shishito peppers-- all were really delicious and so colorful. I like how you can see the chef cooking over behind the bar. Everything is kinda open and intimate at the same time.

Went here for lunch today. We were instantly greeted and seated by a very polite gentleman who was standing at the host stand. I had a Bloody Mary, which was decent, not too bland and not too spicy. They only offered us the brunch menu (it was after 1pm) and we all found that a bit disappointing since it was quite limited. I opted for the shrimp & grits and it was delicious. Our waiter was attentive in a weird way but the guy who sat us made up for it. The place is decorated so lovely. The walls are a nice welcoming green, nice art, and they've got potted plants hanging from the ceiling.We will go back, just not during lunchtime.

Cute ambiance as you walk in, service was great and the food satisfied!We ordered more than pictured and everything was tasty but I ordered a second round of Jerk empanadas so I was able to snap this photo before we devoured them!

What a great addition to Arlington. Everyone on staff was very personable and attentive. Food was amazing.

Hands down, no contest: My favorite restaurant in Arlington! Also, the chef and owners are the most wonderful couple! Chef Moose makes the most elevated and delicious food, with good quality ingredients, and love in every detail! I recommend you come hungry and TRY EVERYTHING! (We did order other appetizers other than what's shown in this post, but my family devoured them before we had a chance to take all the pictures!) I was literally dancing in my chair at one point, I was so happy! The food is so nostalgic, yet with a fresh take! I can't pick a favorite dish, because everything was divine! The restaurant is full of friendly staff, and has a unique industrial-meets-island-paradise vibe! Drinks and the Mock-tail were refreshing and perfectly executed. Portions are large, so definitely plan on sharing with loved ones in order to try multiple things! Arlington Foodies: this is your place!

My wife and I have been here several times now and we have not been disappointed. They get a lot of recognition for the atmosphere of the place and it is well earned. You walk in and it just feels inviting. Add to that the friendly staff and this is the kind of place you just want to take your time and enjoy. Thankfully, the food and drinks help in that matter as well. They have a well stocked bar and a pretty good happy hour. As for food, they have tapas-style small plates as well as a few large plates. As I said at the top of the review, we haven't been disappointed. In fact, this place is kind of our ace-in-the-hole when we have another couple wanting to go out for dinner. We just say "we have a place." It hasn't failed us yet. This is the kind of place that Arlington needs to mix things up a bit.

This restaurant has a cute vibe--it feels a little like an auto body shop that was remodeled and modernized. The presentation of the food was nice, but some of the flavors and combos were a little off. There were lots of things that were upcharged that weren't in the menu or disclosed by the waiter like soda refills, a huge charge for adding chicken to a salad and even a $60 well cocktail. The service was kind of slow and we had a few minor requests for the server that they totally ignored--one member of our group asked five times for a coffee refill. This won't be a place we go back to.

We went for lunch and it was not busy, space was very cute, and atmosphere was welcoming. The customer service was excellent and the food was appetizing. My only complaint is when they realized they had forgot to leave off the sauce (I'm allergic to tomato and it had tomato paste or ketchup in the sauce) the fried chicken sandwich had to be remade, but when it was remade, the batter was burnt as if they just refried the chicken from the sandwich prior and put it on a new bun.My friend and I split shared our plates and she said it was definitely recooked because the chicken was dried out and chewy with burnt batter. (Not pictured, server took the plate back) and we still had to pay for it.We also ordered the yuca and a steak sandwich.I would come back to try other items on the menu and to be more careful with what I order and I hope the kitchen staff pays more attention to customized orders. Especially for those with food intolerance/allergies.

Last night, we celebrated a milestone 40th birthday at Café Americana with a party of 14 at 7pm, and unfortunately, it was one of the worst dining experiences we've ever had. After waiting for over 2.5 hours, the majority of the table was finally served their meals -- but the birthday girl, her mom, and two others were left sitting there, watching everyone else eat with no food in sight.What made it even more frustrating was watching other tables get their meals without issue. At first, we thought maybe one dish was holding things up, but no -- the exact same dish (paella) was served to someone else at our table, while the others were left waiting. It wasn't until the restaurant started to clear out that the rest of the food finally arrived.To be clear, the waitress wasn't at fault, but the apology we received was minimal at best -- and the only "compensation" offered was 10% off a drink. In the end, I paid for my check for 2, over $200.We wish we had known ahead of time that this restaurant simply isn't equipped to handle large parties. It was an incredibly disappointing way to celebrate such a special occasion.