Los Galapagos

Best Latin restaurant in Columbus area. What a great mix of Caribbean (Puerto Rico, Santo Domingo) and South American (Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela) countries.We all were more than pleased with our options, tasteful, fresh and pretty decent portions.Latinos no pueden pasar por alto este lugar que sabe a Casa (Home).

What a hidden gem! My coworker found this place and we decided to try this place. I hadn't had much Latin American food and I was so pleased to have gone. The restaurant is tucked in a residential neighborhood so we almost missed it so keep your eyes peeled. Parking wasn't an issue since there's a parking lot next to it. Service was great, our waitress had been working there for a very long time. I suspect it was a family owned business so it was great to hear her recommendations and she did not disappoint. All of her recommendations were on point. I got the garlic shrimp in coconut sauce and that was amazing. But the star of the meal was the sweet plantains! Omg those were delicious! It was an appetizer for us but I swear I could have ate just that for my main meal. Portions are very generous too so you'll leave feeling very full. So if you come across this place, don't hesitate and try it out!

I've been wanting to try this restaurant for a long time! Their cuisine is more or less pan South American. It was hard to pick from the multi-page menu (with pictures), but I went with whole steamed tilapia with a coconut sauce. It was flavorful and fresh tasting and the sauce was delicious. Next time I might try the fried version or red snapper. Rice, tostones (fried non-ripe plantains), and a little salad came on a separate plate. Also shared fried ripe plantains (maduros), conch ceviche, and an arepa filled with cheese. The arepa was made with yucca instead of cornmeal and was lighter and delicious. Service was attentive and helpful with explanations and suggestions. Dining room is plain but very clean. They have a little grocery along one wall. Definitely will go back!

I enjoy their white rice and beans. Had the nice latin flavor inside of the rice. I ordered their chicken in sauce. The sauce is super falvorable, and the chicken is nice and tender. Prices are not cheap for the portions, but if you are looking for authentic puerto rican flavors, you will most definitely get it from here. Parking is tight, and indoor seating is tight, but the food does taste fresh and made to order.

A great little mom and pop restaurant. Our exchange student from Ecuador was missing home so we drove him over to get a taste of home. At first, he was skeptical, but they won him over! He loved it and said it was very similar to his food from home. We had the pork, fried plantains, empanadas, and fruit smoothies. They have a very friendly staff to answer questions as well.,

Stopped here for a business lunch with a few people and was surprised to see the menu only had $20 options. We ended up ordering a few empanadas and fries, which were pretty good. Probably a great place for a full meal, but a quick lunch was not appropriate.

"CRAZY GOOD...!"That's what my co-worker said about our lunch at Los Galapagos.Yea, I agree completely.Los Galapagos characterizes itself as Latin American. I asked, and they said it's Ecuadorian.The restaurant is in a little building down a side street past the Home Depot on West Broad, immediately outside 270.The interior is very clean and nicely decorated and updated. The people are friendly. When we were there, all other customers were born in Latin America, not the U.S. - that's always a great sign when you're having authentic ethnic food.The Mofongo with Coco Shrimp was OMG GOOD - to die for - awesome, incredible, fantastic, mouth-watering, wonderful and worth returning for very soon.The Churrasco steak was a little tough but very tasty. Both entrees came with a nice side salad and either rice or very good fries.The Queso Empanadas were crispy and very tasty, and the onion garlic salsa they serve was delicious.I can't wait to go back. We're going to try the Stewed Chicken with Rice and Spicy Beans that Christopher and Gia wrote about, and a meat Empanada, and get the incredible Mofongo with Coco Shrimp all over again.Another table had blended drinks (it may have been the Guanabana Milk drink that Gwen mentioned), and they looked delicious, so we'll try those too...Los Galapagos is a hidden gem, very authentic and fresh, and SO GOOD...!!!

I was told by a good Puerto Rican friend that I had to mofongo because it's a staple of their cuisine. So we search and search and we found this location he explained to me. Let me start with They do not honor the 10% discount coupon that you get from Yelp. This is one of his favorite dishes that he could not find it in Ohio. So while he was talking I looked up and yelped it. Found the location and took him to it. When we arrived you had to wait to be seated which was wasn't a long wait. The menu was very clear with clear pictures in English and in Spanish The prices were rather expensive for what they offer. He even said it was high. Mofongo is like a mashed up plantain which is pretty good. The only issue I had with my dish was they didn't have enough stew sauce for the mofongo. You don't really get a lot of meat for the price you pay. However, the dish was okay for me. I like more bold flavors. I did add some of their special blend of hot sauce. I also understand they don't really do spicy in his culture which is okay for me. It needed just a little bit more bold flavors and it's a little overpriced for what you get. The restaurant sits off by itself so you can't really miss it but it's on a back street. In closing as always, is this a place that I would take a friend from out of town? Yes I would. If they were of Latin descent I would take them so they can experience it and let me know the differences. I will let them know it is pricey. For lunch you are going to spend close to $20 a plate for lunch?

La comida ha subido de precio demasiado. Sin embargo, vale la pena. Todo super rico. Mi única recomendación es tener un mejor sistema de administración. Yo hize una orden por telefono, cuando llego pague y me dice pa muchacha que espere afuera que me lo lleva al carro. Yo entiendo porque estan llenos. Cuando pasan 20 minutos regreso y todavia no habian empacado mi orden. Aun con esa discrepancia, lo recomiendo, el trato es bueno, el servicio es bueno y la comida es esquisita!

The food is great, I've never left hungry once in my life. Plenty of good authentic choices. The bendeja paisa is my go-to.