Exotic Latin Grill

*Cash onlyFrom the name and location, I was super skeptical of this place. But it has actually turned into one of my favorite food places in Columbus!They have delicious, authentic food and fast service. I've tried so many new things there and loved all of them. My recommendations are the Colombian hotdog, arepa with cheese, and stuffed plantain.

Oh man...Authentic but very accessible latin fare To the lay Mexican food fan. Food was super fresh & such a fun & diverse menu.If I lived in Columbus I would have to be a weekly visitor.

I have been eating from this truck for a decade! And it's always in this location, right outside of 14-0, which has one of the best carry-out beer selections in the campus area. It should be noted that the place got a major facelift and paint job and it looks much different than it did 10 years ago, but they still only accept CASH so come prepared so you don't have to pay UDF or 14-0's wack atm fees.I've never known the exact hours of operation, but I think I've only stopped in on a few random days over the years and been disappointed to see it closed. Otherwise they are typically open, and usually until pretty late to cater to the boozie midnight snackers who are leaving local bars at that time.My go-to order is a chicken baleada. I usually ask for it to be cooked 'extra crispy', and it comes out perfect. It's like a quesadilla but with a thicker dough instead (I know, sinful) I hadn't been there in awhile, so last time I ordered the house baleada because I saw it had avocado in the photo, low and behold I got a behemoth of 2 eggs, meat, beans, avocado, etc. lol. It was still good even though I am super picky about eggs and I rarely order them when I'm out... let alone from a food truck at 9pm. I also love their tamales, and I order those whenever they are available. They used to not have them most days, but last time they did, so maybe they have them more often now! The best empanada IMO is the Hawaiian empanada which contains cheese and pineapple! Yum.Another favorite item is the arepas. Always amazingly delicious-- like a cheesy cornbread pancake.Last time I ordered both of their beverage options (never had tried them before) and I liked them both. Horchata is always amazing, I would compare it to drinking an iced chai, but less spicy and complex made mostly with cinnamon. The Tamarindo is basically a tamarind-flavored juice. If you've never had Tamarind I'm not quite sure how to describe that, sorta fruity? It's common in Mexico. It's like a super sweet/tart snapple tea flavor that you can't quite place.I would definitely recommend El Manantial Latino :)I'll always go back after those late-night campus shows at Rumba Cafe!

Best empanadas my favorite Always kind and worth the wait. Usually parking available too. I wish there was a way to order online for pick up

The food was mediocre at best, kinda cold when I got it and everything was overcooked. Not the best for Caribbean food, you can do better.

This food truck has existed in the parking lot of 14-0 for yeeeeears. They offer a decent variety of Latin American food for a food truck. Unfortunately, it took way too long for our food order to be prepared. The burger & carne asada tacos we ordered were good, but over 30 mins is just too long of a wait for food truck food, especially in the campus area.

Amazing food! Cash only, so bring some cash with you. You will not be disappointed!! The red sauce is super spicy but delicious. 10/10 recommend this place.

This food truck is pretty popular. The quality & quantity of food is the reason. Always a wait to get your order, so call ahead. The Cubano is huge, full of meat & cheese. Very filling. Personally, I would like more pickles, but delicious anyway. #3 Bandeja palsa is for the HUNGARY person. Beans, potatoes, rice, sausage, beef, half avocado & plantains. Speaking of plantains, the last few times, fried bananas replaced the plantains. Not sure why as they aren't as good. The woman working at the window is hard to understand, and I am good with accents. If you like very good value price food, this spot is for you. CASH ONLY. MASK REQUIRED to order. Oh and BTW, they have plenty of vegetarian options too if that is your thing :,-)

For anyone considering going here because of the 4.5 rating, don't go. The food is terrible. For background information, I am Cuban and from Florida. On a trip I was craving tostones and looked into nearby places that had Hispanic food. Everything I tried at this truck I've either made myself or eaten before at a different location. For everyone in the reviews saying this is "amazing Mexican food" it's not Mexican, this is all Columbian, arepas are not Mexican. My favorite food is any branch of Latin food, so I got a lot to try, excited about good food. I got the papa relleno, cheese arepa, arepa relleno, and tostones. All of these were terrible. None of the food is fresh, I make tostones myself at home and it's clear that the ones they serve are frozen before hand or left out for a long period of time then re-fried. Every thing I got was extremely bland with no flavor, other than the flavor from the old grease it was cooked in. The worst dish was the papa relleno or "stuffed potato", none of the ingredients went well together. Cheddar cheese and mayo-ketchup is a disgusting combo. Even without all these toppings the ground beef inside and potato itself could only be called mediocre. Aside from it being disgusting, none of it was "traditional". The ingredients and non-existent seasonings used are not the way you would normally make these dishes. Again, I've never had papa relleno with cheddar cheese or mayo-ketchup on it. So overall, don't go here unless you enjoy eating bland terrible and overpriced food. (Compared to the prices for these same dishes in Florida)

The food is all very bland, dry, and flavorless. Disappointing after reading all the raving reviews. Wouldn't go again or recommend.