Mango

service was good, dinner was pretty good, i just need some good dessert and mango failed me! the drinks were good and we got a free one by checking in on Unilocal,can’t go wrong with free! i’m not sure what could have made it better, but if they get the dessert up to par, it’s going to be a 5 star!

There was a twenty-​minute wait when we arrived, so my girlfriend and I went to the bar to get a glass of Mango’s famous sangria. The bartender said it was her own recipe, which is really neat in an era of chain restaurants and food scientists. There were actual pieces of fruit floating in the sangria, so I was excited, but in the end it failed to meet my expectations.
The biggest problem with the sangria is that there is a heavy dose of cinnamon in it. I’m not a fan of cinnamon in alcoholic drinks — it’s just too overpowering — but I also didn’t like the fact that the sangria just wasn’t very sweet. It’s $ 7.50 a glass, so I expected something tropical that satisfied my sweet tooth.
I did like the atmosphere at Mango’s. It’s a romantic, dimly lit type place, an unusual (but welcoming) ambiance for a restaurant that is in a strip mall.
The best thing we had by far is the free appetizer before the meal, plantain banana chips served with chutney. The chutney was fresh and delicious, and we both wanted more as we got down to the last few chips.
My girlfriend and I both ordered the seco de carne, the flank steak entrée, which comes with beans and rice on the side. I was hoping to be impressed by the food after the ho hum sangria, but I simply was not happy with the flank steak, as it had a signature pot roast taste to it. Not that pot roast is bad, but for $ 15.00 an entrée, I expected something of higher quality. The beans and rice, on the other hand, were delicious and made good complements to the main dish.
The service was excellent, and most of the staff looked genuinely happy to be working there.
I’ve only been here once, but I think this place has raw potential. I’m going to give them three stars for now, but I think they easily have the potential for four or five stars. I will post an updated review after my next experience at Mango’s.

Excellent wait staff, very kind and helpful. The food was so good that I had to say a line from the movie «Terminator»…“I’ll be back!!” Nothing is better than having a meal that is full of flavor! Did I mention that Thurs nights are ½ price bottles of wine! Doesn’t get any better!

Pure delishness! I got some meat empanadas to go to take with me to eat on my next day flight. They were soooo good! Just like when I had them at the International Festival! The cilantro dipping sauce had a tiny kick to it. The empanadas had the right mixture of flavors (olives, raisins & ground meat). My fave part of them is that they are baked & not fried. My only complaint is that they were tiny! I wish they were bigger. I am sooo coming back here to try some of their other dishes.

Went to Mango again… Food was delicious. The ambience is growing on me (It’s actually decorated quite well, and this time it was dark out, so it felt less… shopping center-​ish.) I think if they dimmed the lights a bit it would be even better (what is it with me and my wish for dimmer restaurants?) Just felt the need to update, as Mango’s well deserving of the 4^th star.

This was our first visit here and we were impressed.
The décor was very nice, unexpected for a strip mall restaurant.
The plantain chips were perfect. I’ve tried cooking plantain at home and find it very had to work with because of its sugar content.
Our food was quite nice. One of us is not an adventurous eater, but he raved about the shredded chicken dish. My fish was tasty. The house salad was colorful. Thumbs up for the food.
We all ordered dessert. The person who ordered the sponge cake in caramel sauce kept on taunting us by telling us how excellent it was.
One small glitch. The waitress forgot to put in an order for one of our appetizers. She apologized and got the appetizer to our table pretty quickly.

Six of us came here for dinner last night. Everyone ordered an entrée. I had the grilled beef loin (medium rare) with shrimp. The shrimp was very overcooked and the beef turned out to be medium at best (mostly medium well). The other entrees were also just ok. In the words of a friend «nothing to write home about».
Service on the other hand was great. Our server was attentive and brought out a free dessert at end of the night with a candle on it. Very nice touch. The restaurant was fairly busy on a Saturday night.
I plan to return for lunch on some other day and hopefully this night was more of a fluke than the norm.

I’ve been to about three Peruvian restaurants and I never know what to expect because they all serve different dishes all the time. When I visited Mango, I had the ceviche (the only truly consistent thing for every Peruvian restaurant). It was good. I also had the pasta dish which was just like eating a spicy pasta with pesto. I’ve eaten here twice. Mostly the food there is just «meh.» Nothing really to write home about. The servers are really nice.

I’ve had one great experience at Mango and one not so great. Let’s put one thing out there: the food is delicious! I always like to try different types of food and Peruvian food at Mango delivers (not to your house, to your stomach. YUM!)
The first time, I went to Mango with my parents because there was a coupon in the Entertainment Book for $ 6 off. Keep this in mind for later. Anyway, we went, we saw, we ate. It was amazing. There are plenty of different vegetarian options (thumbs up). Our waitress was really helpful in giving us suggestions. If I were writing about this experience alone, I would give it 5 stars.
New Years Eve rolls around and my bf is in town. I have a $ 6 off coupon again and decide I’d like to take him to experience the wonderful food. There was no wait and a man was playing what I assume to be Peruvian tunes on his acoustic guitar. The problem this time around was our waitress (different from the first time). We saw her one time, when she took our order. Our dinner was brought by someone else. Once again, the food was amazing. However, the entire night was dampened by the very odd behavior of our «waitress,» if you could even call her that. We didn’t need much service, but once we finished our dinner, it took a whopping 30 minutes to track down anyone to take our plates away, give us our check, or even acknowledge we were there as customers. My bf even looked our waitress in the eye as if to say «check please!» from across the room and she completely ignored us. The whole situation was bizarre. I asked him if she was his ex girlfriend or something because I just don’t understand why we were ignored. We almost walked out without paying. When we did get someone to bring us the check, we were informed the coupon was not good on holidays, even though there were no restrictions written on the coupon. Looking back, I should have called them to advise them of the situation because it was unacceptable. Needless to say, the guitar player got the tip, not our waitress. I’m hesitant about going back there, but I probably will at some point.

Like many, I was a bit turned off that this restaurant was in a strip mall so I avoided it for a long time. But when a friend suggested it the other night, I tried it for the first time. It is much more aesthetically pleasing once you get in the door. The small bar area is sectioned off from the main restaurant, which is also pretty small. I got there around 6:30 on a Saturday night and was seated right away.
Again, like everyone else, I loved the plantain chips and green sauce that they set out. Very good. We tried the fried yuca for an appetizer. It had the consistency (and kind of the taste) of a potato and came with a cheesy dipping sauce. For dinner I had the Aji de Gallina, shredded chicken in a sauce with white rice and potato. It was pretty good, not amazing.
My only real complaint is the service. We were seated for a good 15 minutes before our waitress came over. She was very apologetic about it, so I didn’t really mind that much. I think she may have been a bit frazzled and later spilled an entire Sangria all over the table next to us. Oops.

It was great. A well needed alternative to eating Pizza/​Butter Burgers/​Bar Food that you can find all over. With so many places around here with the same gut buster menus that are all the same, this was a great treat. Its nice to eat a light filling dinner that focuses on being just good food. If you are looking into being totally stuffed after” troughing” food into your mouth there is an Old Country Buffet next door., If you are into sampling smaller plates of food that has intense flavor and share with others you are eating with, this place is great.

No guinea pig on the menu? What kind of «Peruvian» restaurant is this? Bah!
As others have said, their plantain chips (served warm with a cilantro salsa) are delicious. We also got an appetizer of fried yuca. I had no idea what to expect, and I was somewhat disappointed… they were kind of weird. However, that’s probably no fault of Mango. They were fried to what seemed like perfection; I think they’re just a bland and strangely-​textured vegetable to begin with.
I also made a mistake of ordering ceviche. (Raw fish, in this case tilapia, marinated in a spiced citrus marinade and tossed with sliced onions.) This, again, was no fault of Mango. I’m not a huge fish person. I knew ahead of time what ceviche was, and I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to like it, but I was curious to try it. I think it was done about as well as it could have been done — it was tangy, a little spicy, very cilantro-​y … I just couldn’t get past the slimy, chilled raw fish bit.
I also got the anticuchos de pollo (chicken kebabs) which were great, and served with a fantastic dipping sauce. Both the chicken and the ceviche were served with the most gigantic kernels of corn I’ve ever seen. Must have not been sweet corn, because it was very starchy.
My wife got the aji de gallina, which was a chicken dish covered in a creamy sauce. It seemed bland at first, but it really grew on you.
The only bad part of the meal (that I fault Mango for) was what my wife’s aunt got — pollo a la parilla. It was a very bland, grilled chicken breast served alongside potatoes.
Overall, though, Mango seems like a solid restaurant… with a few semi-​exotic items that you may want to think twice about before trying.

Fantastic food! Definitely worth a visit. Local family and not a chain restaurant – even better!
Tamal and Empandada were very tasty. I’d ask for the chef’s speciality, or the server’s recommendations – never fails to be good.

Mango is a mixed bag. On the one hand, I can’t complain about the food being ‘bad’ on any of my visits, but on the other I’ve never left feeling completely satisfied about the experience.
For the most part I agree with the other reviewers in regards to the dishes, although in my experience the small plate offerings have consistently outshone the entrée’s. Which effectively has meant that the most authentic dishes (alas, no cuy to be had) were the ones that fell short most often.
I also have to agree that those ridiculously good plaintain chips they bring to the table are completely addictive. I’m of the strong belief they are injecting these things with some nature of illegal drug. They are also protective of them as they wouldn’t provide more of them even after we offered to pay a significant sum, withdrawal set in immediately. But I digress.
The ceviche ($ 10) was fine, although marinated far too long, the tamal ($ 5)and tamalito verde ($ 5) were both excellent and one of the only values. All were starters. For entrée’s I hesitate to make a solid recommendation. Depending upon what the fish happens to be that day the Pescado A Lo Macho is good, not $ 24 worth of good, but still good. What I will say is I’d recommend peeking at your neighbors dishes to get an idea for what you might like as their menu could use a lot of help in making descriptions that are appetizing and truly represent the dish.
So why only 3 stars you say? In the end a restaurant must strike a balance between it’s food, it’s ambience, it’s service… and it’s cost. You always leave here with the thought «Well, it was good… but it wasn’t nearly *that* good». Regretfully a restaurant that could easily be that go-​to neighborhood place for a good meal has unjustifiably priced itself into a «special meal» category.
For those with children: The restaurant itself is fine for children (well, those that are behaved as the noise level is very quiet) but no special kids dishes or prices that I saw.
Small Plates: I do not know if this still occurs but on Wednesday evenings until around 9pm they typically offer small plate versions, so I’d recommend that night as your first visit to get a broad selection of their offerings.
The bottom line is if you want peruvian food in St. Louis you don’t have a lot of choice in the matter at the moment. Just prepare to pony up for the experience more than you should.

I would have never EVER expected to find such an awesome restaurant in Shrewsbury in the middle of a strip mall, next to a Hallmark store and a Dierberg’s. But guess what, here it is, and it’s simply amazing.
Before every meal, they give you a bowl full of plantain chips, so crispy and often warm that you can’t stop eating them. I have spoiled more than one dinner by cramming my mouth full of these things before my meal ever appears.
And as for the meals… I have been here for dinner, lunch and just tapas, and every experience has been perfection. Between sandwiches, pastas, salads, and more interesting dishes like fried yucca, you will be at no loss of delicious things to order. (and seriously, fried yucca, not nearly as frightening as it sounds… even my non-​adventurous friends agree with me on this account).
The drink menu is solid as well, and depending on how adventurous you are, you can find anything from Peruvian beers to authentic Peruvian mixed beverages including eggs and tequila in combinations you may not have ever dared at home. Not being an egg eater, I usually avoid things of this sort, but my friends all agree they are quite delectable.

You would never know this was as awesome as it is from the outside of it.
It’s in a strip mall, and once you’re in, you forget that you are fine dining next to a dance studio or take out Chinese place. I’m sort of a ambiance junkie and this place totally satisfies that.
The food and drinks at Mango are killer. If the plantain chips and salsa don’t get you, the Ensalada de Plata will. It’s crazy. I crave this salad. It’s a almost dry mix of greens, mango and peppers tossed with a peppery-​limey-​olive oil. I need one right now.
There is also a drink there called a Pisco Sour. It’s made from egg, cane sugar, and Pisco, which tastes, to me, like a mild tequila. Don’t let the egg scare you, it’s a frothy, decadent addition to the drink. They are a little pricey, but i think they are totally worth it.
The entrees are great and they have a separate section for vegetarian options. It is a super unique dining experience.

Unbelievable Peruvian food! Rustic atmosphere, friendly and gracious family owned establishment located in a strip near Kenrick in Shrewsbury.
I have never been disappointed. You start out with fresh plantain chips with mango and cilantro salsas. I always order small plates to build a meal… yum!
The tamailito verde (a green tamale) is unique and delish. They have a simple de palta salad that is amazingly flavorful and healthy. Their mussels ROCK! Their Pasquale is great too (like a spanikopita pie with a different cheese). You can order a side of sweet potato that will knock your socks off and a variety of stews, seafood, kabobs, etc.
Most of their items are great, including desserts. Give this one a try!

It’s really good but you’re paying a lot for what you’re getting.
The service is decent and the food is great. I’ll be yet another person to express surprise at this place’s unassuming location in a strip mall. However, I don’t see how this place is so amazingly unique for St. Louis as other people seem to see it. If you like lime (which I do) come here. The problem is I left with that annoying feeling of «man it cost that much?!»
Stuff:
The Fiancé, with her obsession with all things organically internal, had to get the beef heart skewers, which were delicious, but hardly worth their 7 bucks.
The Tamal was one of the best tamals I’ve ever had. A lot of times, tamals can get kind of dried out but this was excellent.
The Pescado A Lo Macho was the best dish I had there, but seriously? 24 bucks? I don’t know where you’re getting your seafood, buddy, but you’re getting ripped off. If I just want fish with a yummy sauce, I’ll go to Phở Grand and pay less than 8 bucks for that.

They had me at «Mango.»
It’s hard to go wrong with anything Mango-​related and this Mango doesn’t disappoint. They manage an outstanding combination of unique cuisine, fresh ingredients, lots of veggie-​friendly options and fast and attentive service.
I visited for the first time this evening in a group of about 30 people. We each ordered individually off the standard menu and unlike many other places in a situation like that, they managed to get everything out quickly, hot and at roughly the same time.
I had the «Pescado a la Chorrillana,» which is tilapia sauteed with onions, tomatoes and Peruvian black olives. I enjoyed the flavor of the dish; the olives made it really pop. The fish preparation was perfect for tilapia – tender with just a hint of firmness. And the «Platanito Frito,» or fried plantain, was nice as well. Sweet, perhaps just a tad overripe, but otherwise nicely done.
That said, I’m planning to approach Mango a bit differently next time. I think Mango the restaurant would be best experienced like Mango the fruit… Shared! Next time I’m gonna go family style, with an emphasis on the many starters, small plates and sides. Oh, and remind me to save room for dessert!

I’d say 4.5 stars, really.
This restaurant single handedly gave me faith in St. Louis dining. It was authentic and excellent. The service was pretty good, considering that I was in a group of 11. The food still came out in a normal amount of time and everyone was happy.
We started with the tamale and the yuca fries. The fries were spot on, with a parmesan aioli. However, I highly recommend using the free chimichurri sauce as a dipping sauce. The complementary plaintain chips and chimichurri and ceviche-​style salsa are out of this world. One friend wanted to cancel his order and just eat that the whole night. He is glad he didn’t in the end.
The steak recommended by the waiter was a stir fry of sorts that was in a delicious sauce. The tilapia entrée surprised me by being fried, but was tender and delicious nonetheless.
I think to top it off, we ordered every dessert on the menu and passed it around. The flan was creamier than most and the rice pudding was outstanding.
Really, you can’t go wrong here.
Don’t forget to try the pisco sour! Tasty, but strong.