Esmeralda’s Restaurant

Friendly welcoming staff, and a fantastic seafood soup! Boyfriend and I have come here all the way from Westchester! The portion is big enough to share, and I suggest adding the delicious sauce that they serve on the table to spice up the rice and soup. On a cold day it’s perfect with a plate of sweet plantains and an Inca cola!

Decide to use Unilocal to choose an Ecuadorian restaurant while visiting this neighborhood in Queens. This was my 2^nd time eating Ecuadorian food, but one of my future in-​laws is Ecuadorian so they are very familiar and were not impressed with the food.
They ordered the lunch special and I ordered the Guatita, which I had before and really liked enough to want it again. No no no, it lacked flavor big time!
The portions are great for the price. Especially if you get the lunch special for $ 7.50 but beware, the menus are «old» as we were told when our check came and the prices didn’t match.
But I guess this isn’t bad if you live in the neighborhood. Overall, next time we’re in Queens we will Unilocal a different Ecuadorian restaurant.

Especialidad en Mariscos Comida Tipica Ecuatoriana!
(Specializing in typical Ecuadorian Seafood)
But this evening I was not interested in seafood and ordered the steak:
Churrasco Con Arroz, Papas Fritas & Huevo Rito (beef steak w/​rice, french fries and fried eggs) $ 12– a good homemade meal and filling. Rate: ⁴⁄₅.
This place is a small mom & pop restaurant located in a culturally diverse area of Elmhurst/​Corona. The area is worth visiting!
My friend who recommended this place to me said their lunch specials are the rave! I’ll have to give their lunch a try.

I really liked this place. I went there unaware it was Ecuadorean… I read very fast it said seafood… and as I saw it was packed I said cool. I am always in for seafood. They gave us a quick table, nice service and easy menu. I ordered the specialty of the house which was based of coconut and seafood, delicious!!! I also ordered meat with salad and it was very good too! Nice portions, looks clean, good ambiance, relaxed, what else could I ask for! I would go back again. I don’t care if there is something else in Brooklyn, I just care its here and I enjoyed an easy great meal. Maracuya juice is awesome too!

I have to second the previous reviewer on this one… this place is a gem. Mostly Ecuadorian families hanging out, dudes drinking coronas, and people chilling by the cash register /​bar having a good time. I have to say, the music was grooving and it’s fueled by what seemed to be an awesome jukebox filled with the Ecuadorian hits.
The Ceviche (Ceviche Mixto) was amazing. Red Snapper, shrimp, and mussels — I believe. Hen Stew was also great, which was kind of like hen in a red sauce surrounded by rice, fried plantain and some avocado. All was delicious. And the corona’s are 3 bucks, so I can support that.
Great Ecuadorian spot from people who are friendly and who seem to really care about their establishment.