El Cilantro Restaurant

Ok, straight to the point: the food was amazing!I've been fortunate to have traveled a lot growing up with my parents work, and as an adult I followed that same trend, although in an entirely different industry. However, I was born and raised in Puerto Rico and nothing hits the spot like some great Boricua food!This place is great, the people are friendly, the tables are clean, there is plenty of parking, and if you are feeling like mixing a little bit of Puerto Rico with a little Brazilian "picaña", this is the spot!I've been here numerous times and will continue to do so!

We came to try out some Puerto Rican cuisine, and it was a relatively good experience.El Cilantro offers a traditional menu with a good number of dish and drink options. This is not a high-end restaurant and more of a casual experience.We ordered the octopus mofongo, the empanadas and the alcapurrias. For drinks, we had the pineapple juice. Out of those, the empanadas and the juice were really good. Other than that, the rest was OK.The service was excellent, and our two waitresses were helpful and professional. The vive felt traditional and colorful.The restaurant is located in a centrally located small shopping plaza with plenty of free parking. If you are not familiar with the area, the GPS will take you straight to it.

The food is over salted, the rice was very greasy and sticky the alcapurria was salty and raw I side. I am Puerto Rican and saying this is not good, there are other places.

El Cilantro is a pleasant restaurant with a wide variety of Puerto Rican dishes. I have had a pleasant experience when I have visited this place. I recommend it.

Since our "go to" Puerto Rican in Monroe closed we've been hurting for our Mofongo fix and alcapurrias. We've eaten here when it was a Brazilian restaurant and it was meh ok, and now that it's a "Puerto Rican" restaurant it's meh ok. The prices are definitely reasonable and the menu has a lot of traditional Puerto Rican dishes and appetizers. They also have Mofongo and Trifongo. The Mofongo could be wetter or perhaps served with a side of garlic sauce to wet it up. The pernil was good as was the Chicharron. We enjoyed the Alcapurrias and the bacalaitos. The service was ok, I didn't get any Boricua vibes from any of the servers which was noticeable. Puerto Ricans have a magnificent charm about them and it was not present in any of the staff. Perhaps the Rican is in the kitchen, but their are no Boricuas in the front of the house. They didn't have any good desserts, but the Parcha was good.

Two people go in for the "shrimp in garlic touch". Staff said we could mix the shrimp with the steak (which was the worst cut of meat. 50% of out was a slab of fat). Went to pay and they charged me for two plates of shrimp in garlic and two steak in garlic, not a one mix plate. $15 for each plate and $2.25 for a CAN of soda. For total of $68. Will step foot in this restaurant again and do not recommend!

Food is amazing, it was my 3rd time visiting and finally it was a new face who greeted me. Much better then the person before who was sort of rude and made me feel like I was a nuisance. This third time was gonna dictate my final review and thankfully for them the young lady who served me was very kind. Food has always been top tier so if you're looking for delicious Puerto Rican food, definitely the spot to try.

Everything is fresh and delicious! Staff let us sample one of the coconut desserts when it had been made fresh. We also purchased a passion fruit and mango mousse, both decadent.

My wife and I discovered this place while we were out shopping in Minh Hill. Wasn't sure what to expect, but was pleasantly surprised. I had the Pernil Mofongo and she had the Chicharrones Mofongo. Both were very authentic. Nice portion sizes and very tasty. We had Tres Leches for dessert, which was also wonderful. We'll definitely be returning.Wait staff was attentive and friendly. Made sure we had the best experience.

Yuck yuck yuck yuck!!! I can honestly say this wasThe absolute worst food I have ever had in my life!! I'm 100% Puerto Rican and grew up eating food from authentic bodegas and cuchifrito stands in nyc along with literally every single family member cooking the same foods found in the this restaurant. The food was terrible!!!! I ordered the pernil... I took one bite and threw it out. It literally smelled like dirty feet. The rice and beans was mushy and had a weird taste and the steak that my husband ordered tasted like it was marinated in pure vinegar. The tostones were so greasy and chewy and tasted like they were reheated. I wouldn't eat here again if it was free. The service /waitress was very nice and sweet so I hope she finds something elsewhere. There was another couple there having lunch and the gentleman (also hispanic) was eating the same dish as me. He didn't eat and said it was terrible. His Wife took a bite and spit it in her napkin. Save your money and go to McDonalds instead.