Tinajas Restaurant

Oxtail for lunch? Hell yes. Plantains? More please.
Lunch specials for six dollars buys you option of protein with carbohydrates (oxtail, goat stew, pernil with rice and beans or plantains).
The oxtail came in large portions, the meat and the collagen fell off the bone. The plantains were sweet, but the rice and beans were better: moist and slightly salty.
I also ordered tres leche, which I had to cram down after consuming my friends rice and beans and my plantains and the oxtail. Traditionally tres leche is cake bathed in condensed milk, evaporated milk, and heavy cream, topped with whipped cream and then chilled. The yellow cake was fluffy and moist, condensed milk poured on the plate’s bottom. It was sweet and refreshing contrast to the fried plantains. So the version I had wasn’t the most authentic version but delicious nonetheless.
So why didn’t the restaurant get four stars?
Well I’m glad you asked.
The service.
The waitress was ill timed: bringing out the tres leche while I was still eating the oxtail despite being asked to hold the dessert.
Also– when my friends paid 12.15 for 6.15 meal, she kept the change assuming it was the tip. When my friend asked for the change– she looked at my friend like she was insane. We were all slightly surprised. Usually doesn’t the waitress bring the change back and let you leave the tip on the table? Also we already had paid 10% tip. My friend said– «Six dollars? That would be almost the same cost as the meal.»
Note– a 10% gratuity is automatically added to the bill, so check your bill before you pay.

Order a round fish in coconut sauce and I can tell you that the fish was hard as a carpet. You can’t tell if the fish died of a cold or a hearth attack after seeing something freighting. It was dead pale and the taste was horrible.

Regarding Mar F.‘s service experience (that review is now «filtered»), pretty much my experience as well. I’ve reviewed this place under its previous name (El Nuevo Caridad). Most of the ladies behind the counter are at best indifferent, at worst surly. Pray you get one of the ladies on her good (merely indifferent) days.
I’ve never eaten inside the restaurant (always take-​ou, t since I live literally across the street) but honestly the chicken is still damn tasty, and the prices are dead cheap. The beans are merely OK, and I usually bring them home and reduce them, and then spice them up with hot sauce, spices and herbs when I get home.