La Tapa del Coco

To me, this is hands down, the best Caribbean restaurant in the City. I've never had a bad meal here over the years. This place has steadily grown and for good reason. Their varieties of patties are delicious, though a bit small; their main dishes are all excellent making it a challenge to decide on what to choose when we visit. With the expanded bar service, you can get any type of unique cocktail you desire. The service is always top notch, providing a comfortable ambiance to enjoy food, family, friends and happy conversations! This place is a gem and should be a must visit if you are interested in Caribbean flavors.

This restaurant has yet to fail me when we dine in and this was yet another great experience. Each week, they appear to be offering special activities/dishes and this time, it was a Pork cook-off contest between the three chefs - they used an entire hog to develop an entree, main course and desert, using, with patrons voting for a winner. Very innovative approach, resulting in a delicious appetizer (a shredded pork ear filled bun) + pork filled cannoli + Pork infused tiramisu. Very intriguing and made for an interesting night for sure! At the end, the appetizer won by one vote I believe, with the very unique desert in second place. Made for a fun and delicious night!

It has been quite awhile since my wife and I went out to sit down at a restaurant with all the craziness going on, but we made the move and chose to do so at La Tapa del Coco. This was a bit of a special dinner as we were meeting with some important people for the first time and wanted to make a good impression. Needless to say, La Tapa did not disappoint! Parking was no problem as thy use the car wash ports in the evening - that plus the very present and armed security personnel made us feel very secure. The ambiance is very casual and Caribbean, making for a relaxed setting. Once our guests joined, we shared an order of Torrejitas de Bacalao (Codfish balls) , which we super fresh and delicious with any of the 3 sauces provided (personally, I am partial to the berry one). We chased it with varieties of Casa Bruja beers, each person choosing their preferred time. I had the house special Tiny Winey, which is a spice beer with Ginger and Sorrel, delivering a Jamaican flavor, a great blend with the food! For the main course, we had the One Pot Colonese and the Curry Shrimp with Fried Plantains. Both can't miss dishes - the One Pot is a perfect combination of coconut rice & beans, curry shrimp and roasted spare ribs with a coleslaw salad. All fresh and well balanced. The Curry Shrimp is fantastic, everything is prepared with a true Caribbean flavor. Coupled with the Casa Bruja beers (particularly the Tiny Winey), the overall meal was tremendous. This visit reaffirmed our view of this restaurant being a top choice in the City. The service is top notch - the people were very attentive and everything was delivered in a timely manner. Coupled with the comfortable temperature inside and moderate music volume made for a great experience. In summary, we highly recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a comfortable, casual Caribbean restaurant that provides high quality food and service in a safe, central environment.

Made another visit to La Tapa after very busy days for both my wife and I. We were both tired, hungry and looking to have a good meal in a pleasant environment, which meant that this restaurant rose straight to the top of our list. Of course, we made our Degusta reservation and we were warmly welcomed when we arrived. and seated right away. Love the vibe at this place - always playing Caribbean style music, the servers wear AfroCariibean headgear, comfortable seating, with great food and service. My wife ordered the One Pot Colonese - can't miss with this selection. Everything was clearly made fresh and served hot and tasty. I ordered the Costillas Afrotaki (Afrotaki Spareribs) - my first time trying this dish and it was a delight. The grilled ribs were done to perfection with an African style rub and served with a sweet Teriyaki sauce. I had it with the coconut rice and peas, which, along with a couple of Tiny Winey beers, made for a perfect pairing. Our son had his usual, chicken fingers and french fries, which he fully enjoyed. To finish it all off, we shared a special chocolate cake desert, called "Close your eyes good". This was our first time trying it and it was a definite hit amongst the 3 of us. A great cap to an enjoyable evening at this fun restaurant. I highly recommend this place for anyone that enjoys food with flavor in a cozy setting with relaxing ambiance. You just can't go wrong at La Tapa!

Went for out for a Friday night family dinner to tryout their BurgerWeek offering. Parking was a challenge because the place was packed, with a line of people waiting for a table outside. The best way to ensure that you can get a table is to make a reservation, which, fortunately, I did thru Degusta. We got seated pretty quickly, ordered our Burgers (chicken fingers for the little guy) and enjoyed the lively ambiance while we waited for our food. Service is timely and friendly - our food was delivered in a reasonable amount of time and was well worth the wait! Their Journey Burger was UNBELIEVABLE!! With a unique blend of Antillean flavors in a burger, this is a special treat and one that should be on the menu regularly going forward. I almost forgot - for an appetizer, we had the plantain tarts and beef pattys (2 of each) - very tasty and the perfect started for our palate to prepare for our burger delight! For us, this is a restaurant that never disappoints. With their cozy ambiance, friendly staff, simple menu and amazing dishes, you cannot go wrong at La Tapa if you feel for some Panamanian - Caribbean flavor.