Vinoco Wine Bar & Tapas Restaurant

Came in for dinner on a Friday night. They have tables outside both in the back and front of the restaurant. We decided to sit inside since the decoration gave the place a genuine vibe. I was surprised that the place did not get as full as you would expect it to be on a Friday night considering that this place is a gem. Before I start talking about my experience I want to let you know that they have this special where if you are with a party of 2 or more and order 4 tapas then each person pays a flat fee of $ 37 dollars (and some change). They also have Sangria pitchers.
The plates are tapas style so it’s a sharing concept. We ordered the Fiesta Brava and 3 empanadas to start our evening. The Fiesta Brava is basically Patatas Bravas with Yuca sticks. The dish was perfectly made and the sauce was delicious. For the empanadas we had the mix vegetables, buffalo chicken, and four cheese. They were all pretty good. The empanada was crunchy and perfectly made. I think we paid $ 11.75 for 3 empanadas.
After that we decided to order the Lollipop Platter. Here is where the experience got a bit disappointing. There were 8 «lollipops» on the plate, which included 2 of each of their specialties. However, the serving was extremely small considering that the price is $ 20. The platter was NOT worth the price. The dessert made up for it though. We ordered the dessert empanadas, specifically the cheesecake one (has dulce de leche) and the nutella and banana one. Simply delicious.
Overall, the service was great and the food was delicious. At the end of our meal we got a 15% coupon for our next lunch or dinner. A MUST try!

We came here mid June and walked into no a/​c. We were escorted to outside dining. It felt like we were at a BBQ. There was a non service dog at the table across from us. He was drinking out of a glass used for customers. Big turn off and not to sure if Board of Health would approve that. We ordered a pitcher of the house sangria. It was $ 40 and horrible. We ordered paella for 2 and it was disgusting. No plates we offered for our entrée. No water offered. We decided to come here based on reviews written. Next time we will go to the Italian restaurant next door. Would not go back or recommending to anyone. YUK!!!

We came here for dinner to celebrate my best friends birthday, and we were very happy. Our waiter Hugo was so good! He was attentive & friendly & funny
The empanadas were yummy
The meatballs & chorizo were yummy
But the Paella with seafood was the best! We will definitely come back with friends!!!

Lovely romantic place! Food is great, wine is great, can’t complain.

It was quiet when we first walked in (a little after 6pm on a Wednesday night) but it started picking up fairly quickly. Live music only on Wednesdays! Definitely a plus! He had such a soothing voice and played some great jams!
1. Seafood paella– huge portion. Perfect for a group of 3 – 4. Very flavorful!
2. Skip the wines… not the greatest selections
3. The Peruvian beer tasted like a budweiser.
4. Truffle mushroom mac n cheese was so good!!! I recommend this dish!
5. Fish tacos were great!
I’d come back here the next time I’m around the neighborhood!

I enjoyed the food here. The ambience was nice and server was good. We ordered the falafel lollipop, and duo Korean chicken n cordon bleu. Both were tasty. For dessert we had fried Oreos, Nutella snores, n complimentary churros with a chocolate sauce. If you like tapas restaurants you will like this place.

Saturday night we had delicious tapas. We tried quite a few and enjoyed every bite. The Spanish wine was also out of this world. We really enjoyed the evening and the waiter, (Joe?), was very friendly and helpful! Great night

This place is okay. The food was delicious. The empanadas and seafood paella did not disappoint.
What was a major disappointment was the sangria. It tasted as if they had put the ice into the pitcher 20 minutes ago. We basically had water with sangria flavoring.
I wouldn’t categorize this place as a wine bar either. Its simply a little tapas bar with «fusion» food. Not sure what they are fusing though since you go from falafel lolipops to empanadas to japanese chicken franchese to Hawaiian Saganaki.
I feel that this place lacks an identity but I don’t like to discard places that I’m on the edge about without giving it alteast another try. Maybe something will lure me into returning here soon.

3.5÷5 here
We came here on a Friday evening and found this place relatively comfortable. It is located on Mineola Blvd next to a strip of other restaurants and is simple but good and a good change of scenery. It kind of reminded me of an upscale diner.
The menu here was a bit confusing with pictures next to each dish which tends to make me a bit nervous, but we ended up staying here and enjoying the food. For starters, we tried the beef empanadas (simple but good), the fish tacos (made with tilapia that was also flavorful) and the shrimp and mango quesedilla (a bit ‘busy’ and heavy but ok overall) which was good to share. For our main, we tried the chorizo and sausage paella for 2 (massive amount and good for 4 people to get a taste) which was also good. As a nice gesture, they brought out some complimentary fried oreos with a raspberry sauce which were heavy but good.
Overall, we enjoyed ourselves. The wait staff was friendly and helpful throughout our dining experience and after a pitcher of sangria and tax and tip, it came out to about $ 35/​person which I thought was fair.
Buon appetito.

A friend and I haven’t seen each other in a while. Decided to go somewhere. I looked at Unilocal and pulled up wine bars. That’s what my friend wanted. Found this wine and tapas bar. Very nice place. The waiter we had was kinda funny. We had a variety of empanadas sooo good and a pitcher of sangria. Definitely will go again.

Saw a deal on Groupon for this restaurant and decided to give it a try. I went for dinner with a group of friends on a Thursday evening and had a wonderful experience!
The restaurant’s ambiance was great: it was warm and quaint, good background music, just an overall soothing and vibrant atmosphere.
Our server was really kind and attentive! He gave wonderful recommendations and checked in to make sure everything was pleasant.
A pleasant surprise was meeting the chef, Carlos, who came to our table to introduce himself and tell us that his house was our house. You don’t get this kind of service anywhere anymore!
I will definitely be returning and recommending this place to all of my friends. Give it a try if you’re in the area :)

I have been here before and have always enjoyed the meal. I love their empanadas! Very fair price for lunch, 3 empanadas of your choice plus a side salad for less than $ 10.
Can get crowded at dinner; make a reservation.
Nice wine selection. The desert empanadas are also excellent, as well as the fried Oreos.
A unique place at a fair price when you’ve had enough of the generic Long Island restaurants.

Came here last night for dinner! Was really pleased with our meal. We tried so many dishes, the steak rolls, the octopus rolls, the short ribs, the quesadilla, the lollipops and for dessert we had the churros and the caramel cheesecake empanadas.
My favorite dish of the evening was the octopus. It had really delicious flavors and an interesting combination of ingredients making it look like a sushi roll.
We sat in the back area but we spoke to the wonderful chef Carlos and our server Hugo was so helpful.
I’d love to check out the live music on Wednesdays.
Can’t wait to return!

Had a late night at work and was starving. Stopped by this lovely little restaurant hoping for some good food. I was definitely not disappointed! After travelling to Spain I was very use to empanadas, but I loved how this restaurant had all sorts of different types! Tried three types: the cuban style, jerk chicken and spinach and artichoke ones. The spinach and artichoke taste was just right and balanced out the heavier flavors from the jerk chicken. They also have other types I would try! The outside of the empanadas was very crispy and the perfect temperature. I also had the special that day: crispy pork tacos. The sauce mixed with the crispy pork really gave the taco an overall wonderful texture. I actually failed to take a picture of them because we devoured it so quickly!
I definitely plan on returning to try the other delicacies on the menu! Especially the empanadas desserts! Try this restaurant out because its real gem!
And of course dont forget the fried oreos! Love this place!

I don’t want to be a complainer, but sometimes it’s justified.
The good: bus people were attentive and nice. Daily taco and empanada specials. Wine flights and decent sangria pitchers. Located walking distance to the LIRR. The fig, ham, and cheese flat bread was bursting with flavor and loaded with toppings. The fish tacos had good flavors but way too much sauce. The empanada dough was buttery and tender, but again, way too much mayo-​based sauce.
Room for improvement: we were never served water until I asked. I felt rushed the entire time– Our server wouldn’t let us put in apps until we completed the entire order, hurrying us to decide. He came back 3 times after dropping the check asking if we were ready and then finally said, «we need to turn the table for the next rush.» This is very unprofessional. I would have understood if there was a wait, but even so there are less obvious and nicer ways of hurrying a table out. It’s just the little things that totally cloud any positive of the experience– a dirty plate, cold chocolate sauce for the churro, you get the picture.

I ended up at Vinoco unexpectedly last Saturday night. They opened up the space after their regular business hours for some sort of an open bar event. I don’t know all the details but basically it was an open bar (liquor, wine, beer) and FOOD. Did I mention there was FOOD at this open bar? Yes! I already love it. My friend and I arrived later on in the night but I believe it was $ 45 a person.
If their intentions were to promote the restaurant, they certainly did a GREAT job. It’s a cute little spot with a smaller, more intimate crowd. Bobby was running the show that night and was very friendly and pleasant. The bartenders and servers were great as well.
Food — oh my god so good! They passed around empanadas and things for us to sample. Afterward, they had a mini buffet outside with rice, beans, and some sort of cilantro pulled pork to make tacos. SO delicious. I had two servings! The waiters were so friendly and we chatted for a bit about the food and the restaurant.
I wanted to go for lunch the next day but it’s too bad they don’t open until 3pm on Sundays.
Nevertheless, stay tuned — they left a great first impression and I’m definitely going to return during normal business hours to try more of what they have to offer.

I found Vinoco through Groupon (you must make a reservation beforehand to use on a weekday), which didn’t specify that this wasn’t normal tapas but ‘global fusion’ tapas. I am always skeptical when it comes to fusion places.
The pictures on the menu were helpful but not of the best quality. We had the potatas bravas (the best thing we had maybe because it didn’t include a fusion aspect), lobster air pockets, and the fried cheese. Nothing was really that spectacular and the whole fusion didn’t really work well. Fruity flavors like mango didn’t work well with the savory based dishes. Even though it wasn’t a big portion of food, we boxed half of it to go because we just couldn’t eat anymore.
The sangria was a bit watered down, I would recommend sticking with wine.

Ah. Long Island
Listen, There are lots of Unilocal Elites as well as my Unilocal friends posting big stars for Vinoco Wine Bar & Tapas Restaurant.
I don’t want to yuck anyone’s yum! You like this place, then good for you. ROTDs? You go man, rock it!
DO NOT PARK ON MAIN STREET UNTIL AFTER 6PM
Another dopey Nassau County rule, there are signs everywhere.
I stop in, where is «the bar» to have a glass of wine? Lots of tables to sit at, the place is empty at 5:00. There are only 5 wines available by the glass as well as red and white sangria. I’m not in a sangria mood, I want wine so I choose a Spanish wine that’s not a Rioja…
I can smell the cleaning fluids on the menus. Billy Joel music is playing loudly over the speakers, a real home town spot. I dig it.
I order the hanger steak, topped with a fried egg as well a trio of empanadas. The hanger steak was cooked perfectly. The empanadas were «different», I’m gonna leave it at that.
This place, the vibe and the small wine selection. I’m not feeling it. Long Island doesn’t have too many «Wine Bars» so I was excited to come to Vinoco Wine Bar in Long Island.
Except I didn’t see a bar and the wine by the glass choices was limited
Lotsa of Tapas! Tap on Vinoco Tapas Restaurant and Wine by the glass place.
I’m out. 3 stars in my book.

Cute little place, a little cramped. I went in a group of three and 2 of us had our order messed up. They compensated well for it though and we got quite a bit of free food out of it. Food was so-​so. I had the truffle Mac and Cheese which was incredibly oily and considering it was $ 15 for a small bowl, I was expecting more fancy mushrooms than your run of the mill white button mushrooms. Food is also over priced but you should expect that for a tapas place.
Check groupon for a deal before you go! And the «house tapas» mentioned in the deal does NOT mean you get a free one your choice off the menu. What you get are fried potato with sauce.

I went there last year for dinner. I heard this place is packed when you go there on weekends. So we made reservation, and went there. I admire their creativity. They serve something different from any other restaurant. The way they serve food is interesting to see. I will definitely be a fan, if their food is less salty and less greasy. Since they serve tapas, we ordered many plates. Their food entertained my eyes, but as I kept eating, I started to feel sick of strong taste. By the time I was waiting for dessert, which was fried Oreo, I regret that I ordered this greasy dessert.
If you are the person who wants to eat a lot for dinner, I don’t recommend this place, but if you are okay to eat less food and enjoy more drinking, the seasoning won’t be a problem.