maizal

The food is fresh and delicious, especially their bowls and empanadas. I highly recommend the chipotle sauce. This is the best restaurant in Dairy Market

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Paid extra for the steak burrito, yet there were maybe 5 bites of steak. Despite getting a variety of fixings in the burrito, it was probably 95% rice. Pathetic. Place would be worth it if you got what you paid for.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Man this bowl is everything all the toppings and fresh

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Our first order from this restaurant was a delicious discovery! We tried the Chicken Bowl, Spicy Chicken Bowl, and Brisket Bowl, requesting most sauces on the side to accommodate our children's taste preferences.

The food was exceptional - truly wholesome and flavorful. Each bowl was beautifully presented with vibrant colors, interesting textures, and a wonderful variety of flavors that made the meal feel special. The quality far surpasses similar fast-casual concepts like Chipotle, offering more unique and thoughtful ingredient combinations.

My only suggestion would be to incorporate more non-starchy vegetables. While the corn and plantains were delicious, adding more green vegetables would elevate the nutritional balance. Even so, we found the meal absolutely scrumptious.

The portions were generous, providing plenty of leftovers. Though we opted for takeout this time, we're eager to return and possibly dine in for our next visit.

However, we did have less positive experiences on our second and third visits. We encountered lengthy wait times, communication difficulties with staff who didn't understand our requests for no spice (resulting in six nearly inedible bowls), and ordering confusion. These inconsistencies were disappointing after such a promising first impression.

Despite these challenges, that initial meal was impressive enough that we're willing to give them another chance, hoping our first wonderful experience becomes the norm rather than the exception.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 4

Ordered Pollo loco taco and 2 chefs bowl. Tacos have zero spice, contrary to the description. I had to use Sriracha to add spice and flavor to it. Minimal almost absent flavor for a Latin spot. Was about to dive into the bowl next, scooping it into a smaller bowl to eat the rest later. Only to find not 1 single plantain, 1 half piece of potato, and oh, where's the protein? Maybe it's hiding under the bowl? No. 3 strings of 'brisket'. Same with the second bowl. I have attached pictures to show both. Just disappointing. Will be contacting Uber eats.

Food: 1

Used to really enjoy - quality has dipped alot - and have now gotten sick from the food twice in the last year. Would not recommend it.

Food: 1

Food is greatly portioned and the price is a steal. The food was great and the staff are nice too

Recommended dishes: Black Beans

Great food. I always come here and leave satisfied

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Food was really good. Pleasantly surprised. Much better than Chipotle and more choices.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Wow, this place is truly incredible. The arepas are to die for and I need to try all of them ASAP. The empanada was also delicious and so flavorful. The bowl is a steal for the price it is so much food and the combination of ingredients is true artistry. Whoever put together the ingredients has an incredible mind and I would like to shake their hand. The tacos are pretty good and I have yet to try the burrito but you can be sure I will in due time. This restaurant is truly a gem in Charlottesville and the fact that the average star rating on here is so low is disgraceful. Beautiful establishment, beautiful food, beautiful people. I love Maizal.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

The food is good, but lacks the spice and vibrancy that traditional Latin American cuisine offers. We got the arepas and they were good being the best thing we ordered. The bowl was mediocre for the price. The yucca and plantains were decent, but again missing the deep, colorful flavors of Latin cooking. Would eat there again, but probably just get the arepas.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 2

We ordered churros and they obviously cooked them in the same oil they use for onions. Churros were disgusting! If they’re too lazy to use fresh oil, I don’t want to try anything else!

Food: 1

This is no where near the level of street food quality as the sign boasts. I got the chief burrito bowl and it was a disappointment. It’s an over bloated mess that has no style, and no blend of flavor. Everything tastes store bought and as if it was defrosted. The chicken curry empanada was just sad, and the same could be same of the Yuca fries. I don’t know what part of Latin American this restaurant claims to be from, but I can assure you it’s not the best representation of that country. You’re better off going to chipotle, especially since you’ll get less eye rolls from the cashier as you decide what you want.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

Terrible service

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 2

Service: 1

Awesome empanadas and service

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5