Guatelinda Restaurant

My boyfriend and I were super hungry and we craved some tacos. We ventured into Trenton for our lunch and we were glad we did!
We found street parking easily and when we entered the restaurant, we were greeting warmly with a smile. Instantly, the atmosphere seemed very comforting and welcoming.
We perused the menu and decided on two orders of the tacos al pastor and one order of the tacos mixto to go. While we waited, we sat down at a table near the front and watched other satisfied looking customers eat and engage in happy conversation. It was a great sight to see.
The delicious smell of our food being made got us excited and even hungrier for our meal. In about 10 – 15 minutes, our large order was packaged and ready to go. The price was very fair for the amount of food we received. There was an ample amount of salsa included with the meal and napkins were provided in the bag as well.
When we got home to taste the food, we were blown away. The meats were flavorful and succulent and the salsa they provided were so delicious. My favorite was the spicy green one.
Needless to say, we couldn’t even finish half of what we ordered, but we are excited to have the leftovers for dinner!
Will definitely go back and we recommend this restaurant to everyone!

Accommodating towards those of us who don’t eat meat or dairy products. The food was deliciously authentic Latin American fare, and the staff was very kind, though there was a bit of a language barrier between us and the waitress which was difficult to maneuver, but attested to the authenticity of the place. Fortunately, there are also fluent English speakers on staff. BYOB here. If you’re from out of town, the staff at Guatelinda, a.k.a. Linda Guate Deli, will point you in the direction of a very nearby cold beer purveyor. All in all, a recommended stopping point if you find yourself wending your way through Trenton, NJ.

Trenton has become a haven for excellent Latin American cuisine. Guatelinda on Clinton Avenue is one such locale where you can find totally authentic dishes that help you forget for a few moments that you are in the heart of Jersey, and feel that you are on the avenidas de Antigua Guatemala while you dine on delicious plates of nearly homemade fare.
When I walked in around 2 in the afternoon last week, I was not only the only Gringo in the house; I was the only customer. I asked the guys behind the counter if lunch was still being served. They spoke not a word of Ingles, so I tried again in my mostly forgotten Espanol. I was good enough to be understood, and after a few smiles and nods I picked a table and sat facing the front window with a view of the house around me. The large menu offered Spanish and English descriptions, and even a few photos of the offerings. The server was very friendly (and cute) and worked with me in her broken English to put together my lunch.
The platter of Tacos Guatemaltecos arrived loaded with three double tortilla soft folded wheat ’tillas full of well spiced grilled pork, onion, pepper, cilantro, and a few things I could not identify. On top of the tacos were a half avocado, sliced radish, and a hot ghost pepper. I doctored each with the accompaniments and went to work. The combination was wonderful, with each part of the combo playing olfactory harmonics. Hot, soft, crunchy, chewy, textured, smooth and cool — all in each bite. It was great and fun to eat.
The JarritosTamarindo soda helped tamp down the overly hot spots. Mexican pop is so much more flavorful than its northern counterparts. It worked so well with its Guatemalan cousins.
There is a lot more on the menu I want to taste. I will go back to this, as well as the two or three other very good shops in the area, to satisfy my lust for Central American food. Don’t let the streetscape outside deter you. Guatelinda is the real deal.

I renovated a house right across the street from there. I would mostly go over to get a can of coke but I did order some food once. I’m not sure what it was but it was very good and the waitresses are pretty.

Being from So Cal I know my way around a taco and I have to say i love this place. The tacos Al Pastor are particularly tasty and the prices are very low. Be prepared to bust out that high school Spanish though or you will be pointing at the menu like the monolingual ape you are.

This place is amazing… good taste awesome Horchata. my favorite plate Is Mar y Tierra. The chicken and meat are always juicy and full of flavor the shrimp are amazing. The portions are huge and cheap… I have taken a few friends and they love it as well. they do need an English speaking person to work there just because I know a few english speaking friends that would love the food there.

First off the name of the restaurant is now «Mystic Xela». Awesome place serving a large variety of Guatemalan, Mexican, and Costa Rican Dishes. The ceviche is awesome, off the charts. Served with clamato for you to pour on it. There are several ceviche options, if you want to splurge there is a ceviche plate with 12 huge shrimps and the ceviche mixto underneath for $ 20, great!!! and you will be full after that for sure. Most of the staff and customers seemed to be Guatemalan, not surprising given the large Guatemalan population in Trenton, one waitress is Costa Rican the rest seemed to be Guatemalans. The owner is Guatemalan. I sat at the bar, a friendly environment, nice waitresses. Good selection of Mexican beers (I guess they are a bar now so no longer BYOB things have changed since previous reviews). Lots of TVs, a good place to come watch soccer games. Nice bar area and nice dining room, all basically together in one big room. Casual, friendly, clean environment. They have a pretty large parking lot.

This place has amazing food and cheap prices. The steak Mexican style and Guatemalan style is delicious. It is a best kept secret, bring cash and it is byob. So if you are in the area stop by and enjoy. FYI parking is a bit tricky and mostly on-​street. Service is very friendly ;)

Guatelinda is a true hidden gem in Trenton! We’d like to keep it a secret but it’s too good and it’s high time that more people know about this wonderful local eatery.
Casual dining. BYOB. EXCELLENT authentic Guatemalan dining. Please be prepared to speak at least a little Spanish, or just point to the menu. Their hours are very extended — they are open pretty much every day of the week, like 8am — 10pm. Guatelinda is a nice little casual spot — it is NOT a dive. The owner is super nice — all his recipes are from his mother and family — truly authentic — and it really shows. Everything is very fresh.
Everything that we’ve had is just terrific. My favorites so far are the pork (cerdo), chicken (pollo), and seafood (mariscos). The Cerdo Carne Adobada is a real stand-​out. Most entrees are a mere $ 7, and well worth it. I’m sure that their beef is good too — I just haven’t gotten around to ordering it yet. To be honest, half the time I keep ordering one of their pork dishes — they are just soooo good.
I must say that you won’t do much better than this for really good food and the prices are simply a true bargain. We had dinner there (again) the other night, and it ran $ 13 for the two of us, plus tip. Service will also be prompt, polite and with a smile. Don’t be surprised if other diners also thank you for coming — it’s a tight-​knit neighborhood and they are happy to have new people there, with new business.
Please be aware that portions are large. So, there’s no need to order appetizers. However, a side of their excellent (and made to order) guacamole is recommended. The green chili sauce that they serve with dishes has got a zing to it — it’s awesome — but don’t say that I didn’t warn you.
If you have any room afterward, head over to nearby Amici for great italian desserts.
Some people swear by nearby Franke’s as «the Trenton Guatamalan spot». Franke’s has been around a lot longer. But we’ve been there, and the food is clearly better at Guatelinda — hands-​down. Guatelinda’s prices are also at least $ 3 – 4 less per entrée.