Las Vinas - Mineola

We’re always on a hunt for a good Peruvian restaurant. The service was a little slow at first since the place was full at 8 pm. After serving us our drinks, Willy our host and waiter extraordinaire, gave us banana chips and chanchas. The chips were thin and crispy like nachos and the odd shape of the corn nuts couldn’t belie the fact of its non-GMO origin indigenous from Peru. For appetizers, Willy suggested Papa rellena and Chaufa. The potato croquettes were like cloud pillows on your tongue accompanied by thinly sliced marinaded red onions, which is once again adding aromatic tartness to the dish. Alongside the chaufa were 2 amuse-bouche of mussel ceviche. The serving was so generous that one might consider to skip the entree at this point. The batter of the Chaufa is as light as a tempura and I’m just a little disappointed that the pickled red onions stole a bit of the seafood’s crunchiness. The entree, grilled Pargo (red snapper) was plated simply in a middle-eastern tradition with yucca also reminded me of the Philippine islands. So in just one night, I was transported to at least four countries. The restaurant might not be Michelin star in standards but their food speaks to the heart. Our dinner ended with a shot of pisco sour, (I had been fully converted to E-PISCO-Palian drinker since my Peruvian trip years ago) and a plate of tres leches cake to share. It’s a perfect dinner.

I am disappointed to have to give this restaurant only 1 star for food and value, as we did not receive any food so there was no value. We arrived at a mostly empty restaurant and had to wait 10 minutes to be seated, even though the server passed by us several times. After finally being shown to a table, we got menus and placed our order. However, after waiting for 50 minutes, I had to flag down another server to inquire about our food. Another 10 minutes passed before I flagged him down again, only to be told that the kitchen was backed up. In the hour that we sat there, only takeout orders were being served. When I pressed for an estimate on how much longer it would be for our food, the server unconvincingly told us it would be another 10-15 minutes. Frustrated with the lack of progress, we decided to pay for our drinks and leave. To reiterate, we were there for an hour and saw only takeout orders leaving the kitchen. Save yourself the trouble and don't bother dining here.

My daughter and I had dinner at this restaurant and ended up running late, so we had to change our reservation. Despite it being a late Sunday night, the staff were very accommodating and waited for us. They were friendly and efficient. The food was delicious and there was plenty of it. It was our first time dining there, but both my daughter and I would definitely go back again. The atmosphere wasn't fancy, but the restaurant was clean and well-managed. I recommend giving it a try and forming your own opinion.

Long wait time for food. They admitted they had a large Uber order and were taking there of that instead. Food was good but I wouldn’t go back. Just too long to wait, especially with small children.

This restaurant is fantastic and I highly suggest it to anyone in the area.