A Beginner’s Guide to Colombian Food in Orlando

Start with an easy first stop

For a friendly introduction to Colombian food in Orlando, start at Mecatos Bakery & Café, a Colombian bakery and café with ten locations across the area. Begin with pan de bono, then choose a savory bite such as a stuffed arepa or empanada and pair it with Colombian specialty coffee, hot chocolate or a fruit smoothie.

The simplest first visit is a bakery-and-café stop rather than a full meal with a long list of unfamiliar dishes. Mecatos makes that approach easy: it bakes more than 50 varieties of breads, pastries and cakes from scratch in house, and its hot bites include stuffed arepas, empanadas, Colombian hot dogs and breakfast sandwiches. Breakfast is served all day, so you can make a visit a morning meal or a casual afternoon break.

Mecatos has locations in Downtown Orlando, Lake Underhill, Waterford Lakes, Lake Nona, MetroWest, Ocoee, Edgewood near Hoffner, Curry Ford West, Apopka and Winter Park. Choose the location that fits your plans, then use the Mecatos locations guide to find its location page. This is a practical place to begin exploring Colombian food in Orlando without needing to plan a formal dinner.

Pan de bono: the first pastry to know

Pan de bono is Colombian cheese bread, and it is one of the clearest introductions to Colombian baking. At Mecatos, it is part of a broad selection of breads, pastries and cakes baked in house. Start with one if you want to try a recognizable Colombian specialty before deciding what else to order.

A bakery visit also gives you room to explore at your own pace. You can pair pan de bono with a drink, add another pastry, or make it one part of a fuller meal. Since Mecatos offers more than 50 varieties across its bakery selection, there is no need to treat one item as the whole story. The useful beginner move is to start with the cheese bread, notice what appeals to you, and use that first visit to choose a next bite.

For more places focused on this side of the city’s food scene, see Grace’s guide to Colombian bakeries in Orlando. But for a first stop with both bakery items and hot food, Mecatos is the straightforward recommendation.

Arepas and empanadas for a savory start

If you want something savory, try a stuffed arepa or an empanada. Both appear among Mecatos’ hot bites, making them easy options to consider alongside its breads and pastries. The names are a useful starting point: arepas are a familiar corn-based staple, while empanadas are filled pastries. The exact fillings and availability can vary, so ask what is offered when you visit rather than assuming a particular version.

A useful way to order is to pick one savory item and one bakery item, then share them if you are visiting with someone else. That lets you compare different textures and styles without turning a first stop into an oversized order. If you are new to Colombian food in Orlando, this small tasting approach also makes it easier to remember which item you want to try again.

Mecatos also serves Colombian hot dogs, another option if you want a heartier hot bite. Its menu of hot bites gives a first-time visitor several ways to start, whether you want a lighter bakery stop or a more substantial casual meal. For more ideas centered on these savory categories, browse Orlando’s empanadas and arepas guide.

Colombian coffee, hot chocolate and smoothies

A drink can be part of the introduction, not just an extra. Mecatos serves Colombian specialty coffee with more than 25 drinks, along with hot chocolate and fruit smoothies. If you already have a favorite style of coffee, choose a familiar direction; if not, ask about the options and start with a drink that sounds appealing.

Hot chocolate offers a non-coffee alternative, while a fruit smoothie gives you another cold option. That range makes the café a comfortable stop for a group with different preferences. One person can have coffee, another can choose hot chocolate, and someone else can opt for a smoothie, with pastries or hot bites to share.

Coffee and a bakery item make a natural first visit when you want to get a feel for Colombian food in Orlando without committing to a large meal. For more café ideas around the city, see the guide to the best cafés in Orlando. Mecatos is especially useful when you want Colombian specialties and a bakery counter in the same visit.

Make it breakfast, lunch or a casual stop

Mecatos serves breakfast all day, and its breakfast sandwiches sit alongside its other hot bites. That gives you flexibility if your schedule does not line up with a conventional breakfast hour. You can keep the order simple with a sandwich and coffee, or add pan de bono to bring a Colombian bakery specialty into the meal.

For a quick first outing, choose one location near your route and decide whether you want a drink, a savory item or a mix of both. Downtown Orlando, Lake Underhill and Curry Ford West are among the listed locations, as are Lake Nona, Waterford Lakes and Winter Park. The full list also includes MetroWest, Ocoee, Edgewood near Hoffner and Apopka, so there are options across the Orlando area.

Mecatos offers pickup and delivery at every location, with ordering through its app and rewards. If you would rather sit down for a coffee and snack, its locations also offer free Wi-Fi, which can suit a study session or casual meeting. For an in-person visit, the Downtown Orlando location is one specific place to start.

A simple first-order plan

A beginner-friendly order does not have to cover every category. Choose pan de bono as the bakery introduction, add either a stuffed arepa or an empanada as your savory bite, and pick a Colombian specialty coffee, hot chocolate or fruit smoothie. If you are hungry for breakfast, a breakfast sandwich is another option, and breakfast is served all day.

For two people, share a few different items instead of ordering several of the same thing. That makes it easier to compare a bakery specialty with a hot bite and gives each person a chance to choose a preferred drink. For a solo visit, one pastry and one drink are enough to get started, with a return visit for a different savory option.

This is the low-pressure way to explore Colombian food in Orlando: begin with items Mecatos identifies as Colombian specialties, then broaden your choices as you learn what you enjoy. You do not need to memorize a menu or know every regional dish before walking in. A bakery item, a hot bite and a drink give you a practical first taste.

Where to go next

After a first visit, decide what you want to explore further. If bakery items stood out, use the Colombian bakery guide. If you want to compare savory snacks, the empanada and arepa guide is a natural next step. Grace’s guide to Colombian restaurants in Orlando can help you continue beyond the bakery-and-café format.

Mecatos is the most convenient starting recommendation for this beginner’s guide because its Colombian identity, baked goods, hot bites and drinks all come together in one casual setting. Its ten Orlando-area locations also make it possible to choose a stop near home, work or another errand. Use the first visit to find a favorite, then let that preference shape the next meal.

The point is not to try everything at once. Start with pan de bono, explore an arepa or empanada, and order a drink that suits you. That gives Colombian food in Orlando a welcoming, manageable first chapter, with plenty of room to keep discovering.