Restaurante Nicaragüense La Segovia

FIRST TIME VISIT!So a friend and I decided to try this place out for the very first time. I LOVE Latin flavors so I was very excited to try some comida Nicaragüense.THE SPACE: The location is in a very small strip mall. Finding parking right up front wasn't an issue. From the outside, it looks like we are about to experience something very authentic! Iykyk! From the inside, I KNEW I was going to get some genuine Nicaraguan food and drink. This place is very hole-in-the-wall, and may even be family run. A small child ran out from the kitchen area and sat herself at our table for like 20 mins. THE MENU: yielded a selection of foods that I was familiar with and dishes and beverages that I had never heard of. Fun!!! The server did not speak ANY English. Not a big problem for me, I speak Spanish well enough to get me some grub, but my friend struggled some. So heads up to you non-Spanish speakers! Luckily the menu has many pictures, so as long as you don't have questions or concerns about an item, pointing should get food on your table and in your belly. THE FOOD: I opted to order some Papas Rellenas to start us off. I'm very familiar with the Cuban version, so I was curious. They were out. I order a nacatamal for my friend to try. I already know the texture is squishy, as it is much like a salvadorean nacatamal, which isn't my fave, but my friend enjoyed it. She broke it up before I had a chance to photograph it whole, but I love when a tamal is steamed in banana leaves. I asked to order the drink called semillas de jicaro. Sounded a lot like a salvadorean horchata, which I love. They were out. Ugh. The server talks me into ordering the arroz con piña. It is NOT what I was expecting. Tastes nothing like pineapple, in fact it tastes like watered down fresh strawberry water, is even colored pink! and not very sweet, COOKED rice at the bottom and a tiny bit thick, might be from the starch of the rice. Wasn't BAD, just not what I was expecting. I really wanted to try another beverage but our server didn't come back for a while. Which was fine, didn't really want to spend another $7 on a drink... a non-alcoholic one at that. I ordered the cerda frita for my meal. Large strips of pork that tasted like it was marinated in something acidic like vinegar or citrus. Lots of fat but I didn't care, I sliced right into it. Lol! It wasn't very flavorful. The fried cheese was good and I wish I had noticed that I could have ordered bananas cooked a different style. I also wished I'd noticed MUCH earlier that my meal came without the rice and beans it was supposed to. I would've been much happier as my meal would've been much more balanced. Another bummer is that our server brought out one dish every 10 minutes or so which was kind of inconvenient as we weren't able to eat our meal at the same time. OVERALL: I don't regret the experience, but I wish I was a lot more impressed with the service and items I ordered. If you're curious, try it for yourself and hopefully they'll knock it out of the park for you.

3.5/5 Stars Your favorite honest to a fault reviewer here, with another they-were-nice-so-I-wish-I-could-rate-them-higher review. Located in a strip mall next to a had station and Domino's Pizza next door, it is a one room establishment, with a small section near the cashier that has shelves with Nicaraguan groceries you can take home and memorabilia such as raglan shirts with "Nicaragua" branded across the front. A homey feel, with children running around and cooks shouting out in Spanish. Gotta love the hand painted napkin holders though, a different one on most the tables! First thing to know is that none of the employees speak English here. Which is perfectly fine for a large portion of the population here that do indeed speak Spanish. However, my first complaint about the place is that the owner was the one who served us. She was polite, but did not make any effort to understand me better. I am not saying she needs to learn English for customers, but as a good customer service model, they should at least make the effort, not stare at me blankly and continue speaking to me only in Spanish. With some considerable consultation with my best friend, Google, and gesturing, we did get through the meal fine and she even gave us free bracelets after we paid. But that didn't quite make up for the fact that when I translated some questions I had regarding the menu via Google and showed her the written Spanish text, she smiled and made a gesture that made it clear she wasn't interested in engaging. Maybe because she had her hands full with her daughter running around the room. Not that I had any issues with that. Because she came to sit next to me for a little while, attracted by my Ositos Cariñositos (Spanish for Care Bears!). They forgot the rice with my friend's Cerdo Frito (Fried Pork) order and we had to ask for it. Final complaint is that she served my Pescado Ala Tipitapa (Fish from Tipitapa, a city in Nicaragua) a good twenty minutes after everything else. This might be easier for the kitchen, but it puts customers in an awkward position, having to either let good food get cold or eating at different times. Indeed, my friend was practically done by the time the fish came out. Now for the actually meal! Drinks were refreshing and tasted authentic. The Arroz Con Piña does indeed have actual cooked rice added in the drink, sinking to the bottom and sucked through the straw like boba pearls. But, be forewarned, the taste and texture of mushy cooked rice adding starch to a drink is much different than sweet tapioca pearls! The Guanabana drink was great, tastes exactly like the fruit with added sugar. The Nacatamal, their version of the tamale, is quite different, with full sized meat pieces mixed with the annatto seasoned corn meal, and wrapped in banana leaves. Personally, I prefer the more filling and seasoned taste in the Nacatamal versus Tamales. Main dishes we had were the fried pork and fish, as mentioned above. All main dishes are served with fried rice or rice with beans, fried plantains or plantain chips, and coleslaw mix. They also bring a large salsa like condiment mix to the table. Pork was very fatty, and meat was pretty dry. Was quite a disappointment, especially without the rice that we did not get until we realized it was missing. The fish was a winner. Full fish, with bones, but nicely fried; crispy and tender, the meat slid from the bones easily enough. Comes with a very spicy sauce that fortunately comes on the side for those that desire it. All in all, a nice opportunity to get some authentic Nicaraguan fodder, complete with Spanish only communication! Unfortunately, the prices are a little on the high side compared to other authentic hole in the wall places. Would I return? Maybe because this is such a rare cuisine to find in town, but reallywish they would care a little more about the customer service side of things. Something to make the experience worth the prices? But they are friendly and the food is good, so worth a shot for anyone who likes to broaden their international food options!

This place was nice. Small place, not much activity. The food was definitely authentic Nicaraguan food. I like the Nicaraguan vibe and atmosphere of the place as well with the music. I ordered the carne asada. This place was a bit pricey though. For 1 entree and a drink that was $26 for 1 person. Service was good considering I was the only one there. My abuelita commands you to try this place out.

The food tastes good. I think the girl serving and cooking is the only good thing I can say about this place. $20.00 for a "Fritanga Nica" is reasonable when what they offer you is what they give u, but $20.00 for 1 chicken wing and a little leg of fried and a small piece of ribs??? I think that falls into scam. Not carne asada meat, as a real "Fritanga Nica" or grilled chicken? Crazy. So Overpriced for the food... oh I forgot they have a "B".

Food was authentic and tasty, but the place needs up keep very disorganized and needs more sanitation. I would go back just because there is not much nica food to choose from in the area

Good Nicoya Food. Very authentic and extremely nice people. Clean area all around. If you are in the San Antonio area and are looking for some authentic Nicoya food, this is the place.