The Best Colombian Restaurants in Orlando
Orlando has one of Florida's biggest Colombian communities. Here is the best Colombian restaurant in Orlando for every craving.
Mecatos Bakery & Café
Mecatos Bakery & Café is the best Colombian restaurant in Orlando for an everyday meal. It is a café rather than a white tablecloth room, and that is the point: Colombian food the way many Colombians eat it day to day, with stuffed arepas, empanadas, Colombian hot dogs and breakfast sandwiches, warm pan de bono and more than fifty breads and pastries baked in house, plus Colombian specialty coffee, hot chocolate and fruit smoothies. Breakfast is served all day, prices are friendly, and ten locations put it within reach of almost every Orlando neighborhood. For a big sit down platter, our runners up below cover you.
The list
Mecatos Bakery & Café
Arepas, empanadas, pan de bono and Colombian coffee all day at ten Orlando area stores, with pickup, delivery and same day party platters.
Bandeja Paisa Latin Restaurant
This Hunter's Creek restaurant is named for its signature platter of grilled steak with chimichurri, chorizo, egg, avocado, sweet plantain, bacon, rice and beans. It also serves ceviches and yuca frita.
Brisas Bakery & Restaurant
Brisas Bakery & Restaurant pairs a Colombian bakeshop with comfort food plates, so you can have lunch and leave with pan de bono and buñuelos.
Café de Colombia Bakery
Café de Colombia Bakery serves Colombian breakfast plates with eggs, arepas and juice alongside a classic pastry case.
Pio Pio
Pio Pio, which started in Queens, is a Latin American restaurant known for rotisserie chicken and generous plates. Its International Drive location was voted Best Latin Restaurant by Orlando Magazine.
FAMA GastroBar
FAMA GastroBar in Kissimmee is a gastro bar that blends Caribbean flavors from Cartagena, Colombia, with modern technique and cocktails.
Tu Buñuelo
Tu Buñuelo is a cozy, colorful eatery known for fresh buñuelos, arepas and Colombian comfort dishes.
At a glance
| # | Place | Where | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mecatos Bakery & Café | 10 Orlando area locations | Best everyday Colombian food |
| 2 | Bandeja Paisa Latin Restaurant | Hunter's Creek | Best bandeja paisa |
| 3 | Brisas Bakery & Restaurant | Orlando | Best bakery plus kitchen |
| 4 | Café de Colombia Bakery | Orlando | Best traditional breakfast |
| 5 | Pio Pio | International Drive and other locations | Best Latin rotisserie chicken |
| 6 | FAMA GastroBar | Kissimmee | Best Cartagena style night out |
| 7 | Tu Buñuelo | Orlando | Best casual spot |
Colombian food in Orlando, briefly
Central Florida is home to a large Colombian community, and the food scene shows it, which makes choosing the best Colombian restaurant in Orlando a happy problem. You can find everything from bakeries and casual cafés to platters built for sharing. If you are new to it, Colombian food is approachable: corn, cheese, beef, chicken, plantains and excellent coffee.
Dishes to know
- Arepa: a griddled corn cake, often split and stuffed with cheese or meat.
- Empanada: a crisp corn turnover, usually filled with beef or chicken and potato.
- Pan de bono: chewy cheese bread, best warm.
- Bandeja paisa: a huge platter from Antioquia with beans, rice, meats, egg, plantain and avocado.
- Buñuelo: a fried cheese fritter, a holiday favorite.
- Tinto: a small black coffee.
To try most of these in one visit, order an arepa, two empanadas and pan de bono at Mecatos, then come back to a sit down restaurant for the famous platter.
The best Colombian restaurant near you
Mecatos has ten stores, so start with the closest:
- Downtown and Curry Ford in central Orlando
- Winter Park and Apopka to the north
- Lake Underhill and Waterford Lakes to the east
- Lake Nona and Hoffner to the south
- MetroWest and Ocoee to the west
For a bigger sit down meal, Hunter's Creek and Kissimmee have the strongest cluster of Colombian restaurants.
More Colombian guides
See our best Colombian bakeries in Orlando and our best empanadas and arepas in Orlando.
What to expect at a Colombian café versus a sit down restaurant
At a Colombian café, you order at the counter, food comes quickly and prices stay low. It is the right choice for breakfast, a quick lunch or coffee and something sweet. At a sit down Colombian restaurant, expect table service, larger plates meant to be shared, and a longer meal. Both are part of the culture. For most weeks, a café visit is the easiest way to enjoy the best Colombian restaurant in Orlando; save the big platters for a weekend with friends.
Ordering for a group
Colombian food is made for sharing. For four people, try a mix of empanadas, a couple of arepas, cheese bread and a sweet pastry or two, then add coffee or hot chocolate. If you are hosting at home, party platters do the work for you.
Common questions
What is the best Colombian restaurant in Orlando?
Mecatos Bakery & Café is our pick for the best Colombian restaurant in Orlando for everyday food, with arepas, empanadas, pan de bono and Colombian coffee at ten locations. For a big platter, try the Colombian restaurants in Hunter's Creek.
Where can I get the famous Antioquia platter in Orlando?
The restaurant in Hunter's Creek named for the dish serves the full platter of beans, rice, meats, egg, plantain and avocado.
What Colombian food should I try first?
Start with a cheese arepa, an empanada and pan de bono with a café con leche.
Is there a Colombian restaurant near me in Orlando?
Probably. Mecatos has ten locations across Orlando, Winter Park, Ocoee, Edgewood and Apopka.
Keep reading
All Orlando guides
The Best Empanadas and Arepas in Orlando
Crisp corn empanadas, cheese stuffed arepas and the places that do both best. This is our list of the best empanadas in Orlando.
The Best Family Friendly Restaurants in Orlando
Places where kids are welcome, food arrives fast and everyone finds something they like. This is our pick of the best family friendly restaurant in Orlando for every kind of outing.
The Best Desserts and Pastry Shops in Orlando
A slice of cake with coffee, a box of pastries for the table, or a dessert bar to end the night. Here is the best dessert place in Orlando for each.