La Hormiga De Oro

The food in general is pretty tasty. It’s freshly made. Tasty is in the mouth of the one doing the tasting. The owner is super nice. Do make sure to always sample the drinks before buying them. I have heard other customers complain about the freshness of their drinks. Just better to be safe than sorry. The owner would be more than willing to let you try before you buy.

I was in this restaurant about a year ago. After a brief conversation with the pleasant woman at the register, I was given a business card. «Ya nosotros no somos La Hormiga de Oro,» she said. There was someone there changing some of the signage on their windows, hence, the brief conversation.
She gave me a card of what their new name is. Fritanga Castillo it said. Perfect, I said to myself. Next time I’m in the area I will stop-​in so I can add it on Unilocal.
Today was the day that I was in the area. I noticed they still have the large sign outside for La Hormiga de Oro. While paying for my meal; yup, there is the same card I was given last year with the new name.
Nothing has changed. Not the name outside nor the somewhat average Nicaraguan Food being offered. Even the employees are the same as the last time I was here.
I don’t know what happened. All I know is, La Hormiga de Oro is, or was, a local Nicaraguan Restaurant that was gaining popularity fast because of their great authentic Nicaraguan Food. I remember they were popping-​up all across town in different areas of South Florida. I will upload a picture of the business card. This business, despite the name outside, is no longer La Hormiga de Oro.
Things to note and blah, blah, blahs:
* The Food — You know how I know that the food at a restaurant has an enormous amount of unnecessary salt added to it? Because when I wake-​up from my nap, the first thing I want to do, is throw myself into the dirty canal that runs next to my house with my mouth open.
That’s not really the issue, though. I just notice the salt content more because I don’t consume much salt. If you consume salt on a regular basis, though, you probably won’t even notice.
The issue is that the food here just isn’t that «great.» Here is my brief list:
— Authenticity — Yes, very much so.
— Gallo Pinto — Although it attains the appropriate flavor, it’s an utter mess. It’s not even pleasing to look at. I’ll let a real Foodie discuss this but, it is not good.
— Carne Asada — Overcooked by a mile. If you like your meat well done, sitting for a while and hard like a rock, you’ll love it.
— Queso Frito — Over fried by a mile. So over fried that it starts to bend out of shape.
— Platanos Maduros — Not bad but, over fried by a mile. Some people like them like that, though.
— Cacao — Made with real cacao and one of THE BEST I have had out there.
* The restaurant is always kept clean.
* Customer Service — I wish their food was at par with how NICE the ladies that work here are. Today they saw that I was shaking more than usual and, «No te preocupes mijo. Siéntate y yo te llevo la comida a la mesa.» SUPER COOL MAN!
* They have a little market section by the register. Each time I have been here, there has been at least one person that came in to buy something authentic to Nicaragua related to foods. Yes, it’s very authentic here. Problem is, their cooked food just isn’t that great.
* The food here is just a tad pricier than other Fritangas that serve the same food. Not by much, though but, I noticed.
* Ten Dollar minimum total on your bill to pay with a credit card.
* Language here is español. Just FYI: español nicaragüense is the same español for anywhere. Just a different accent and cuss words. Now you know, for people that wonder if we all speak «Mexican.»
* Parking — You «should» have no problem finding a spot to park in this shopping center.
* Please Note: This is not a one star business at all. I’ve just had better.

The carne asada was good but the gallo pinto was hard, don’t think I will be back

This place has really good Nicaraguan dishes. Try their Carne Asada completa which comes with 3 pieces of meat, gallo pinto, maduros and repollo (vinegar Coleslaw) and it’s only $ 7 bucks. Also breakfast is awesome for like less than $ 5 bucks and it’s lots of food. Their queso frito is only $ 1.25, compared to most places who charge $ 4 is really cheap.