Review La Fiesta Cafecito - Winnipeg

Insanely good. Just at the restaurant with a full tummy but want to eat more because it is just simply too good. Ordered combination and a cerveza! Now I want to try all of their menu. Even in weekdays, it seems quite busy. Wouldn't hurt to make a reservation.

Delicious pupusas just like you'd get back home! Only downside is that they're often very busy and it may take some time to get your order as everything is being made in the back from scratch. I'd recommend getting a reservation and ordering appetizers. So you're not dissapointed.

These are the best pupusas in the city without a doubt! My wife and I make it a thing to come frequently. You will not be disappointed

Always enjoyed their papusas and tamales. One of best! This place never disappoints. Orchatas drink is a must try.

This is a lovely place with good food and good prices. It gets a little busy at times, so reservations are recommended.

Beautiful food at this El Salvadoran restaurant. We have eaten there many times in the last few years. The food is authentic - my travels have taken me to El Salvador twice in the past - the food at this restaurant takes me back to those times. Really love the burritos. The refried beans have a nice flavour. Some nice hot and spicy dishes as well. Would definitely recommend this restaurant.

The food and service is always fabulous. They are so appreciative that you have came.

This gem in the South End is a must try! I can eat their Pupusas every day! Reasonable prices and the portions are huge.

Not worth the terrible service, high prices and lengthy wait times. Much better Latin American food in the city. Avoid

La Fiesta is a family owed restaurant that serves El Salvadorian food. I was here on a Sunday a few weeks ago. I was rather disappointed with how slow the service was and how limited the selection of items was on the Sunday menu. The only items that were available to choose from were pupusa, quesadilla, yuca frita (deep fried cassava), tamales and maybe one or two more items. The regular dishes including burritos, enchiladas and others were unavailable. <br/><br/>In contrary, due to the limited dish selection that were available on the Sunday, the restaurant offered a number of specials/discounts, which was something I appreciated very mcuh and it definitley was an incentive for costumers to come back. <br/><br/>At my visit, I'm not sure what the occasion was but during our meal, a man in full El Savaroean costume came by and put on a lovely traditional performance. He came by our table and sang a few folk songs. He even explained the story behind the tune. What an experience! This might be something you can request if you'd like a special performance on a special occasion. <br/><br/>In terms of food, they are good but they're definitely not nearly as good as Mercadito Latino. I would come back again only if there's a reason to.

I am not one to write a review because everyone's experiences are so different. That being said I HAD TO SAY SOMETHING ...... food was AMAZING. Best Papusas I have ever had, chicken burrito full of rich flavor. I could go on and on but I don't want to bore anyone that is reading this. Trust me, you must go!!! <br/><br/>Sorry for the lack of pictures ... I already ate it. 😊

We got the signature dinner for 2 and it was fantastic! The variety given to us was perfect. If you want to try a whole bunch of things and can't decide just pick one of the dinners for 2's. The tortilla soup was tasty, just the right amount of spice. I could eat a huge bowl of it! The fresh juices were both delicious and unique. Everything from our dinner had a unique and different flavour and the flavours were beautiful. The variety was perfect. I cannot wait to go back again! I took off a .5 in the rating because I found the service to be a bit spotty. Very friendly and warm but a little slow.

We have attended this restaurant in the past and have become accustomed to its quirkiness. You cant be in a rush for anything, seating, water, menus, drinks, or anything, it will all be presented and available, eventually. But today seemed too much even for the good food we finally got to experience. We made reservations but were not seated at our requested table even though it was vacant. The waiter after seating us promptly disappeared and was not seen from again until we went to pay.<br/><br/>After waiting 10 minutes or so I wandered into the kitchen as I did on the last visit and asked if we might be able to get some drinks and place our order. The cook came out after a fashion and took our orders and much later brought us drinks. After the first course we asked for more napkins and were told by the cook that there were none. We were also instructed to keep our cutlery for the additional courses. We never saw the waiter until we were paying when he asked how our meal was. The cook I believe is the owner and she is in serious need of helpful staff to answer the phones, take walk in take out orders, seat people and provide service to the patrons rather than doing these thing herself.<br/><br/>Good food but not worth the cost due to the frustration.

What an overpriced disappointment.<br/>After reading favourable reviews we were looking forward to our visit.<br/>My partner ordered a shrimp dinner (approx. $20). He received 6 medium size shrimp , a scoop of rice, a tortilla, and a small salad.<br/>I ordered a combo (again about $20) and received a chicken burrito, (which was stuffed with just as much rice as chicken), a "beef enchilada" (which was about a 4" tostada that had a thin layer of ground beef), and 2 papposas which were filled with a bean and cheese mixture). <br/>The food was mediocre at best.<br/>After having been in the restaurant business for over 20 yrs., all I can say is that this place must be making a fortune keeping their food cost so low.<br/>We'll not return, but if you want to pay a lot for substandard carbs, be my guest.<br/>Oh yes, the people were friendly enough.<br/>

Pros: great food, the service is super friendly, and I love that they cater to vegans. They offer two different vegan combo platters and they're pretty filling for what you get. The tamales are the best part: so sweet and soft. Their drinks all taste so fresh and fruity, especially the sangria and lemonade.<br/><br/>Cons: the service is SLOW. It took us an hour to get salad and another hour after that for our entrees. The place wasn't even that busy! Plus we came on a night there was a mariachi singer. I don't know who installed their sound system, but the mic quality was fuzzy and way too loud for such a small space. The guy kept wandering from table to table, serenading people while they awkwardly smiled and looked uncomfortable.<br/><br/>Bottom line: if you have somewhere else to be, are on a first date, or just don't like waiting two hours for food, eat somewhere else. I'd like to say the food is worth the wait, but not quite.

Amazing food, service and people! Great menu choices! To put it simply.....you are missing out if you haven't been here! You will forever crave it! ❤️

food was good and authentic, service friendly and accomodating, they made a great subsititute to accomodate my allergies during dessert,have been impressed every time I have gone there, its a great local place,if it gets really discovered you will never get a seat so try it now

Earlier this week we had the latest installment of our Why Cook Wednesday supper club.  Our last gathering was at the Noodle Express for Dim Sum. This month the theme was South American. Two of the regular attendees suggested La Fiesta Cafecito. I looked it up and knew that it would be close to the south end of the St. Anne’s bus route. Fortunately, the bus stops just by the side of the strip mall where the restaurant is located.

The ambience and service were solid. Very friendly, clearly a family/community run business with plenty of love and passion to go around. The pupusas are unreal. Clearly the highlight of our experience. Obviously handmade and very flavourful. The tamales rival the ones I ate at Mercadito Latino, which I had personally crowned as the Best Tamales In Winnipeg until eating here. Now I'm on the fence. Very good, Fresh, moist, and savoury. The spicy chicken soup we had to start was a surprise highlight. SO spicy, but incredibly delicious. I was thankful when I ate the last spoonful because if there had been more, I would have continued eating it until my mouth caught fire. We had decided to each get a little sampler platter to try the most amount of dishes possible, but it was about twice as much food as we could eat. Next time I think we'll order a tamale to start and share a platter, and still probably leave feeling a bit over-full.

Fantastic Latin American food! <br/>A mix of Mexican and Salvadorian cuisine, very cozy quarters and authentic entertainment made for a very special dinning experience! <br/>Reservations are a must! And don't expect "chain restaurant" style service! A nice slow ma and pop type business where it appeared that mom, dad and the children were all taking part in creating a real special dinning experience! Make sure you give yourself lots of time! (2+ hours) <br/>The chipotle soup and the jalapeño salad were amazing! The combination plates were our best chance at trying a little of everything! Nothing disappointed and I'm glad I read the reviews ahead of time!

Good is great, very slow service. Don't even think of going without a reservation. With a reservation the other night it was over 15 minutes before anyone approached our table. From the time we sat to getting our for, it was just barely under an hour. Yes, the food is great, but not great enough.

Need to hire more help.. Me and my boyfriend went here for my birthday on wednesday, we walked in and the man seated us, we got menus but he went back and was greeting more customers and didnt come take our drink order for atleast 10 mins? we gave our food order also, we wanted the spicy meat tacos but apparently the meat wasnt ready to use? so we both got enchilidas, it took a good 30-40 mins to get our food. our drinks which were Caesars took atleast another 5-10 minutes to receive and i watched as other people who came in before us got their drinks. also they got their soups and salads before us even though they came in after us. once we got our food, it was good, just expected more for 18$, plus i had finished my drink and was waiting for them to come ask for another but by the time he came around it had been too long so i wasnt interested anymore. they only had 2 people working and the restaurant was packed, the cook also brought out the food.

My New Favorite Place to Eat in Winnipeg. Holy sh_t! this place is awesome! I haven't had good Latin food in a couple of years since I move to Calgary. I got the combination platter #3 it comes with soup or salad, 1 corn tamale, 1 chicken tamale, 1 pupusa & a chicken enchilada. I had the soup of the day which was chipotle chicken soup it has a nice smokey flavor with a little heat from the chipolte pepper & was perfect for this cold spell going on. The tamales where very good as well but are an acquired taste the enchilada was one of the best I have had. I never had pupusa's so I have nothing to compare it too but I am now a pupusa fanatic. I will be back hear again soon.

Amazing. The best South American Cuisine in the peg hands down!! Great atmosphere and staff<br/><br/><br/>-----04 Jan, 2015-----<br/><br/>Blueberry Meringue. Amazing

Decent food... just don't show up hungry. The food here is good, but a tad overpriced for what you're getting. Quarters are very cramped. Reservations are required as the restaurant is small and popular... though despite the above-average food quality I didn't see anybody leave happily, most likely because the timeframe you'll need to set aside to attend this place for a simple meal will be about 3 hours. This wasn't simply our experience; almost everyone in the place seemed to have the same issue. It's cool to support small, family-owned places, but just maybe the family could hire one or two people to help and keep a steadier flow of customers.<br/><br/>To their credit, the food was good, and the server was funny and nice, but there are only so many jokes one wants to listen to when you've waited 25 minutes just to receive your menu followed by another 20 for a glass of WATER, let alone the time for the food to cook. (Oddly enough the nacho starter came out about 2 minutes after it was ordered.) <br/><br/>Long and short of it is the food works, but I've never waited so long to eat anywhere... and it's not good enough to put myself through that kind of a wait again. Had we planned on a movie or something that night we'd have walked out eventually like some customers (two of them who had arrived before us asked for their entree to be packed up right as it arrived - at least 90 minutes after it was ordered) or missed out on our plans. Don't do it unless you're dying for pupusas (which were the best part by far).

A mini vacation. With the music and atmosphere along with the food it felt like we were away for the night. Highly recommend for a chill night out.

In this world of instant food that comes from a 5 gallon pail it's nice to wait a few extra minutes for something made from scratch. Fresh, filling, large portions. Good personal service and very clean room. Will rerturn for more!

Good food. My sister and brother in law took me to Laugh Fiesta for dinner. it was quite good. takes a bit longer to get your order but it was worth the wait. the Margarita was excellent. highly recommend the Margarita. would definitely go back.

Great Food and Amazing Service. I've always liked La Fiesta, from way back when it was at its former location.<br/><br/>Thank goodness we went early today, because the place was filled with reserved tables for their Saturday dinner service,<br/><br/>This family run Salvadorian eatery is stellar when it comes to friendliness, food and service. As always, we were greeted at the door, and met with a smile. The owners take great pride in their restaurant, and the quality of their food. They aim to please their customers and do so very naturally,<br/><br/>We had the corn tamal--delicious and light, served piping hot--the vegetarian burrito--the "small" one which was generous enough with the tamal. It was very yummy, (The regular size burrito always has enough left over to bring home.) Also sampled was a La Fiesta specialty, the Three Cheese and Beef Soft Enchilada Tortilla which was a large and filling tortilla topped with a delicious and bountiful combination of beef, beans, salsa and cheese.<br/><br/>The soup of the day was a tasty spicy chicken.<br/><br/>We also tried a Mexican beer which was very nice.<br/><br/>La Fiesta Cafecito is a favourite, and we will continue to return there for more of their great food and friendly ambiance.

Good Food, Slightly Lacking in Flavor. Happened to be in the area a couple weeks ago and decided to try La Fiesta out, especially since I heard they offer vegan dishes. I was pleasantly surprised to see that they had a few options including combo plates that were vegan! This is great for anyone who is vegan because the entire combo is labeled vegan so there is no having to say "skip the cheese" or asking a zillion questions about whether anything contains eggs etc. <br/>I went with Vegan Combo #2, which came with a huge burrito loaded with rice and beans, a crisp tortilla topped with mashed avocado, a corn tamale, and a type of coleslaw. By far the best part of the meal was the tamale. The inside was soft and sweet and I probably could have eaten 5 of them. The coleslaw was probably the worst dish; it had an off flavor (like it was rancid) and after a couple of bites I could not have anymore. The tortilla with avocado and burrito were both good, but not great. There was definitely some flavor lacking. I never asked for it spicy, but I didn't know I had to. I think a little fresh jalapeno, some salt, and cilantro could have done wonders. (**a fellow reviewer has informed me that El Salvadorian cuisine does not typically contain spice, which explains why my food came out the way it did. So, not their fault. Although plain avocado with salt on a tortilla is still a tad boring for me personally). <br/>My bf had a Vegetarian Combo, which included a jalapeno salad, a crisp tortilla topped with refried beans sprinkled with cheese, a smaller sized burrito and a bean pupusa. His meal came with salsa, which added more flavor. He enjoyed his entire meal. <br/>You definitely get a lot of food and for the 2 of us our bill was under $40. I found everything was of good quality. We came in 15 minutes before closing and they had our food ready for take out 20 minutes later. I would try this place again in the future if I am near by. Just remember, if you like it spicy, tell them!

I really wanted to like this place. I love this type is cuisine and there is a place in my neck of the woods named Cafe Medcadito Latino which is amazing. I would naturally compare this place to Mercadito but unfortunately the comparison was not close. The staff is very very friendly which is a bonus. My girlfriend and I shared the combo platter #3 as well as an extra Papusa and the small nachos. It was pretty good food but definitely not great. A little bland in my opinion. The Papusas didn't come with anything on the side except a salsa which was sub par. I am used to Papusas having sour cream, coleslaw, and great hot sauce to slather on them. The enchilada was very bland as well. The nachos were really good. I also enjoyed the tamal. The restaurant was very nice inside but the food just didn't wow me with flavour as I am used too and the prices are a lot higher than other El Salvadorian restaurants I have visited.

How can't you love this place!. I keep coming back to this place! They treat everyone like a friend, and once they get to know you, you are family! I can not express how genuine and caring the people who own and work here are. <br/><br/>The food is always delicious, and full of flavor! The menu is true El Salvadorian cuisine and they stay true to that, this has made me a fan. Try some of the the fresh juices they offer, my favorite is the Tarmarindo. The desserts vary as they do a special one each night, I have never been disappointed in one yet! <br/><br/>The atmosphere is amazing, it's a small quaint restaurant, about a dozen or so tables, plus the small patio in the summer time. They can have live entertainment sometimes on the weekend, as one of the owners sings some traditional music of El Salvador. This all being said, it is wise to make a reservation on the weekends or at prime dinner hour. <br/><br/>Try it, just once, come in a stranger and leave a friend... then just try not to come back for more! So good!

Excellent!. LOVE the food here and the atmosphere. It's always full so reservations are highly recommended. And when I say full I don't mean busy and chaotic. It's a small relaxing place and the owner always makes people feel welcome and NEVER rushes people out the door. It's just you most likely won't get a table without a reservation. Tons of food combination options to choose from and their drinks are de-lish!! Also, it appears there is live music although I haven't gone when they are playing yet. One of my favourites in Winnipeg.

Amazing Food, Amazing Time. This restaurant is tiny and when you first walk in it feels a little squished but if you get in early you can get a good spot. Our waiter was SO nice, honest and hilarious. It's rare to find a server who actually loves their job anymore and you could totally see that this guy did! He made great conversation and if something would take awhile to order he told us it would, if something was extremely spicy he warned us about it. The food was so excellent that we ordered more to take home because we wanted to eat it again tomorrow and so did the other people we were with. Everyone at the table wanted more even after we were full. At the end of our meal a man came out totally dressed up in El Salvadorian costume wear and began singing and playing guitar. Suddenly you felt like you were in El Salvador! I will for sure go back and promote this place to all my friends, such a great experience!

Excellente!. I have had the pleasure of eating here twice. Each time is a sensory extravaganza. The food is impeccably prepared in true, real life Latino flair. Their papusas and enchiladas could make a grown amigo cry, but really, the star of the show at La Fiesta in my opinion is the incredible Camarones al Ajillo (garlic sauce shrimp) or equally superb, the shrimp burrito. Not sure what they do with their shrimp, but they are just out of this world. Also serve a dandy margarita with Hornitos real tequila.<br/><br/>There really is no equal in Winnipeg for Latino/ Salvadoran food. And the service couldn't be friendlier. About the wait....... order a marg and relax. The food is TOTALLY worth the wait. <br/><br/>Guys take your girls. 4.5 camarones out of 5.

Absolutely fabulous!. Finally got there and was so pleased. The food is spectacularly delicious but the first impression comes from the friendliest and happiest wait staff I have experienced in a very long time. Some of the revues mentioned very long waits for the food to be served; perhaps it's that I was in no hurry but I never felt as though I waited at all. In fact, the leisure without excessive waiting was exactly what added to a really very delightful experience with some wonderful food. One great treat was a dairy drink called a Horchata. It's a must try ... milky deliciousness that is both sweet and savoury. Try it while you wait for the soup to arrive.

This is a cozy little restaurant that makes authentic El Salvadorean food. The wait staff are very friendly and accommodating. I had ordered the Signature Dinner for Two for my daughter (14) and I. We loved every bite, in fact even ordered extra corn and chicken tamales to take home! The only downside is the amount of time to get your food, be prepared to wait almost an hour. Two thumbs up:)

Not bad..... So, my only point of comparison so far are Mexican restaurants - mainly outside of Winnipeg, mainly in the US. Yes, I know that this restaurant is not Mexican but it's pretty similar fare. We went here because of all the great reviews and were somewhat disappointed. I had the number 3 combo which was pretty good except for the fact that it was very spare on meat and heavy on cheese. Maybe that's the way the food is supposed to be traditionally but my expectation was that there would be more than a couple of teaspoons of meat in the entire plate. My wife and I also left without being full. Again, other reviews pointed to copious quantities of food. We didn't think so. Our bill came to about 45 all in for 2 people and no drinks which, for what we got, I thought was on the high side. The service was good but of course you wait (as was mentioned numerous times). The family atmosphere was also very nice so it with some guilt that I write this other than glowing review.. It was nice to try for a different Winnipeg food experience but we won't likely be returning. Oh, for those who are thinking of that we must be massive overflowing slobs because we weren't full, we're both quite fit but like to eat :-)

Very Authentic. This place is adorable! As soon as you walk in your mouth waters.<br/><br/>I had heard very little about it but my husband had wanted to go for some time, we had actually thought it was Mexican food. Walking in, it smelled SO good. We found out when seated that the food was actually El Salvadorian.<br/><br/>The servers are clearly family and our server was a middle aged gentleman who was absolutely adorable, making quips and jokes and making everyone smile.<br/><br/>Everything there is made fresh to order so don't go starving, you won't get your food very quickly. I assure you, it's worth it though.<br/><br/>I have been told to try papusas and the ones here are amazing. My friend is native from Chile and El Salvador and he says this is as close as it gets to home.<br/><br/>Prices were actually very fair! You get a lot of food for what you pay for.<br/><br/>But no matter what, get the dessert. The meringue is phenomenal. Piled high with berries and whipped cream you won't regret it!!<br/><br/>Enjoy!

What a fantastic meal! Two pork papusas and two burritos, one chicken one beef, both HUGE! <br/>Slightly different flavors from Mexican versions. These folks are from El Salvador. Very nice people making incredible homemade food. <br/>Certainly not fast food. Took almost an hour to get it. But well worth the wait.

The food is amazing. The best service I have had in a really long time.

Just ate at this tiny establishment. Never thought to make reservations, obviously a miss step on my part. We showed up as a party of 4 at 6:30 and were told half hour wait; one hour layer we'd sunk so much time in we weren't willing to give up. We were seated and ordered right away because we didn't want to wait any longer to eat. Didn't take too long to get our yummy soup but an hour after ordering we got our meal. We were not expecting this long a dining experience. Yes the food is homemade and tasty but I don't know how quick we'd be running back. Also I'm guessing the owner of the tiny restaurant tossed on an authentic mexican suit and sang, he is a good singer but in such a small space it was just too much. The chicken adobo soup comes in two sizes, small and medium and its tasty but we found it strange they referred to the second option as medium and not large. Doesn't medium designate its an in between? Oh well, the pupusas are fantastic. Several combo two platters were enjoyed along with some beef burritos. All the food was hot except the one beef burrito poderoso. Would we recommend the place, yes but don't be in a hurry and reservations would be a smart idea

Had an amazing first meal here tonight. Never had El Salvadorian food before so we ordered a combination platter. The Papusas were our favorite. We did wait about an hour for our food but we were aware of that posaibility before we went and it was well worth it.

Service was slow but very friendly. The chipotle spice had a strange taste that I didn't enjoy and that strange taste appeared in everything. Did not have El Salvadorian Beer or most desserts avalable. 4/10

Everything fantastic!. Heard about La Fiesta Cafecito from a friend, so I decided to take a friend out for a birthday dinner. We made reservations and when we walked in were instantly greeted by our friendly waiter. He explained menu items and encouraged us to try to soup! Glad it did, it was delightful. Menu items were huge, enough to fill you up and take some home as well. Very friendly staff, who came by to check on us often with a huge smile. It was my friends birthday and they must have noticed, because they came by and asked us if were were celebrating something special, when we told them yes, they prepared a wonderful pineapple jam and molasses cake and sang "Happy Birthday" in English and Spanish. It was a highlight of our night! I would recommend this quaint little restaurant, and will definitely be visiting again! Portions were generous at a great price.

Decent, Slightly Above Average El Savador Food. I had the Tortilla soup and it was really good. The corn tamale here is also really tasty (with some hot sauce). I didnt like the chicken tamale as much. Just something about the simplicity of the corn tamale caught my taste buds. I also had the pupusas these were ok. A little heavy and greasy in my opinion but hey, they are homade style. Everything here is homade and made fresh, you can tell by the wait time and the homade presentation. A decent little dive.

Very good food. The server was very friendly. Just be prepared to wait and wait and wait and wait for your food. I would go again it was worth it however, I would make sure I wasn't starving when I go there, or try a week day instead.

Holy this food is amazing!! .... Holy this food is amazing!!<br/>Sometimes there is a bit of a wait, but I just avoid weekends now. If anyone has had authentic pulidas, then you will know this restaurant kicks butt! Most pupusas are skinny and barely full, these are 3 times the size thick. Also, to those who said blan... Um, stop eating like an American with desensitized taste buds full of salt. This actually has flavour, not 3lbs of salt. Anywhooo. I am regular for 15yrs. Love them Sooo much. Promise to be back soon.

Worth the wait. Best restaurant in the city!

SLOW service, good food. The food is very good . . . Service is consistently slow and sometimes they almost seem to busy for you even though you are sitting there. If you are hungry when you head out for the evening, go somewhere else. If you are looking for an evening of visiting and then getting some quality food - then a decent choice.

I've been there twice now and it's been a good experience. The dining area is small, but warm, clean and bright. We had the same server both times and he's so friendly and happy. The service can be a little slow at times, but I expect that from family restaurants. I like to get the combo platter #3 because it comes with a good variety of items and is just filling enough for 2 people. The juices are good too.

Great customer service!. My fiancee and I visited this restaurant on a recent stop in Winnipeg. The customer service was fantastic! The staff was very friendly and attended to our comfort and enjoyment throughout the entire dining experience. I had the extra large beef burrito - it was huge and they did not skimp on the filling. My fiancee had a combo platter that showcased a sampling of traditional El Salvadorian foods - he was full and very satisfied with the taste and variety. His meal also came with soup or salad to start; he chose soup (Tortilla Chicken Chipotle) and it was delicious - a great broth and large pieces of chicken. The restaurant atmosphere was nice in addition to being very clean. For those who like things on the milder side the dishes we ordered were great. However, if you prefer some heat, be sure to enquire about heat options.<br/>We would absolutely go back based on value, portion size/taste and staff attentiveness to our dining needs.

Great restaurant! Authentic Latin American food. Service was fantastic. Food is absolutely fantastic! To top it off they had a gentleman singing Mexican style mariachi style music. Made for a great dining experience.

Excellent Food!!. My friend & I were out for her birthday-2 Saturdays ago-- we had reservations-this place has awesome food!!! Papusas , buritos soooooo yummy!!! U must have a reservation though--very busy & food takes a while...but soooo worth the wait!!! We areplanning our Xmas event here & the entertainment was a neat finishing touch for a lovely dining experience!!!!

Awesome people and food!. The owners are very accomodating and friendly. Had reservations for a large group and they were able to accomodate us with no problems or hesitations although the restaurants has limited space. Love the atmosphere. On the Saturday we were there they had live music (from the owner). Very fun and entertaining.<br/>And the food... delicious. The pupusas and burritos were my favorite. Everything tasted fresh and flavorful and authentic. Prices are on par with other South/Central american restaurants around town, but what is top notch here is the friendly family-run service and delicious food.

Delicious papusas!. Best papusas! i tried jc's tacos but theirs aren't even close to my favourite latin restaurant ... LA FIESTA!<br/>prices are a bit high but their quality is too!<br/><br/>btw a papusa is tortilla with beans, cheese and pork inside. served with watery salsa and vinegar coleslaw!<br/> but I felt i had to write this review because it's the only TRUE latin american restaurant around. I still have to try other "latin " restaurants, but this one is the best so far. <br/><br/>Give it a try!

The food was awesome. Everything was prepared fresh. Staff was wonderful. Surroundings quaint. We will definitely be going back. Seating is limited so you should make a reservation.

If you seek a well rounded restaurant, you must try la fiesta. Amazing staff make you feel at home, enjoying the quaint and cozy atmosphere. Their corn tamales are insane, a desert in themselves. I've also had a taco soup which is absolutely perfect. Definitely a must try!

Fabulous. By far my favorite place for this type of food. Fresh, original food that tastes amazing. The owners/employees are extremely friendly. You feel welcome and they show an interest in serving you your meal. Corn tamales are absolutely incredible!! Favorite item on the menu so far. I have had their soup, I believe it was some for spicy taco soup of the day. It was also tasty. Have not had anything here that I did not like. Great food, great service!!

NOMNOMNOM. The food is great. The owners are the sweetest. You wait a bit for your food, but dudes, everything is made fresh. So come on now. The only complaint I have is that they had to move so far away. They were awesome on Ellice.

Poor service. We had reservations, but they made us wait 40 minutes. We weren't the only ones. There was a lineup of other customers who called ahead and they were all made to wait as well. Even worse, when we looked around, the majority of the tables had not received their entrees. They are way understaffed. Their servers seemed to be working really hard. I'd rather they just tell me when I call that they wouldn't take my reservation rather than make me wait like that. We left. Hopefully it was an off night, but Winnipeg's restaurant market is way too competitive to be this off. Nobody puts baby in the corner and nobody makes baby wait that long when he has reservations. Maybe I'll give them another try next year. As an aside, we had a great meal at the sushi place across the lot.

Wow! Amazing!!! Everything is fresh and delicious! Friendly service too!

Excellent! Love the owners and the food is amazing. I'm not sure what people are thinking when they say the portions are small. They have more than ample servings and it's not a buffet people! I've never left hungry.

Won't go back, sorry. We were basically ignored from the time we arrived. Maybe it's the table placement, the one immediately beside the door, in the corner, but while the servers (there were 3 plus the host) were busy with the other tables, they couldn't be bothered to look our way. We waited 20-25 mins for someone to come and take our order. No water to start, either. I spent those twenty or so minutes trying to get the servers' attention, by waving my menu. It was ridiculous. I finally caught the host's eye, and he told our server whom I heard make some excuse that he was busy. This is inexcusable. Not many restaurants in Winnipeg let this happen but this place did so on more than one occasion while we were there. I appreciate that 'authentic' food can take a while to prepare and we ordered the Signature platter, but we waited a full hour from the time we arrived till we got our food. We were so hungry we ate it all in about 15 mins. And I thought the platter was skimpy too. 2 soups, two tamals, two pupusas, two burritos and two tiny round things. It didn't seem enough. To top it off, we waited and waited for the server to clear our table, and the entertainment was about to start, and we realized where the performer was going to sing was right in front of our table, so we figured, no way the server would ever come by, so we went up and asked the host for our bill. Couldn't wait to leave. I tink more than anything else, it was their disregard for their customers that got to me. More than one table, I noticed, had to wait over 15 mins for the servers to pay them any attention after they sat down. This is rude and bad restaurant policy.

This family is adorable. The food is always delicious. My favourites include vegan burrito, their soup and of course bean & cheese papusas. For those who complained that it's not spicy enough, just ask for their hot sauce!

This place is killer....periode !!. I am sorry who ever does not like this place is crazy, the food is super authentic, tasty, large portions and super reasonably cheap. Bin eating hear since it used to be on ellice back in the day. I always get a tamale to start and of course a big ass burrito. Yum this place is a must for good food.

Muy Rico. I've read previous reviews saying this food lacked flavour and heat....also as previously mentioned... this is NOT Mexican ! If you have travelled to Central or South America before you will find this food to be excellent for it's region.<br/><br/>I had the COMBINATION PLATTER #3 (assorted or vegetarian)<br/>"An assorted platter consisting of a side salad or soup to start, one chicken burrito, one pupusa, one corn tamal,one chicken tamal, & one beef enchilada. Served with salsa."<br/><br/>I chose the side salad with jalapeno dressing and it definitely had spice to it, very nice ! Everything on my combination plate was superb. The corn tamal was wrapped in a dried yellow corn husk, tasty and sweet. The chicken tamal wrapped in a plantain leaf had a totally different flavour, sweet yet savoury. The beef enchilada was more like a tostada, open face, not wrapped. Chicken burrito with onions, rice and cheese was subtle and delicious. Finally the El Salvadorian pupusa, which is a corn flour shell filled with refried beans and a soft Salvadoran cheese called Quesillo, much more flavourful than mozerella. It was divine and is also available with different ingredients stuffed inside. I asked for a bottle of hot sauce at my table but never used it so as not to overpower the simple yet rich flavours of the foods.<br/><br/>Service was very friendly, prices are reasonable and all food is laboriously handmade.

What a gem!. This has singlehandedly in two hours become our favourite restaurant! The charm and the quaintness of the restaurant itself was undeniably a mini get-away. The people who run the restaurant are super sweet (we had made a reservation and he remembered our names all evening!). Definitely make a reservation, and go on an evening where you're not doing anything after dinner, because it's very busy at dinner time, and all the food is made to order, so it takes a while to have the whole meal. We had the Divine Dinner for Two, which is one of everything (almost) on the menu, plus wine, plus coffee, dessert and an appetizer. Which actually turns out to be just the right amount of food for two. We're not usually big dessert fans, and this dessert was not overly sweet chocolate cake (but it was insanely moist) served with a semi-sweet custard and fruit. It was amazing. Just a note though, that if you are going expecting Mexican food, don't. It's El Salvadorian which is extremely flavourful, but their nachos are not the usual cheesy kind served with sour cream and salsa, they are homemade nacho chips served with a kind of salsa I've never seen before (not chunky, and very mild, but super tasty), and refried beans (but not the grey/brown kind I'm used to seeing - they were deep brown and tasted almost roasted), just as an example. All in all, I would definitely recommend this to anyone! We're definitely going back! I'm still in awe over it 12 hours later!!

Fantastic!. Love this place. hands down awesome service, GREAT tamales, pupusas, and drinks. Even though it can be a bit slow for service, everything is made fresh and you can taste the yumminess. Some might make mention that the food is bland - have you ever travelled to central america? (NOT MEXICO!) this is El Salvadorian food -there is no Tex-Mex chipotle jalapeno insanity there, but lots of rice, beans and corn! (There are salsa sauces you can ask for on the side and jalapeno pupusas if you want 'zing'...it's a wonderful place to get real central american food.)<br/>Owners are awesome..the only improvement would be more desserts to choose, but usually we are too stuffed to eat sweets anyways!

Loved the whole experience!. I loved it. The service was friendly (the place was hoppin' on a Friday night, so it wasn't super fast though), the drinks were delightful (the fresh juices that is), and we shared a "Divine Dinner" for two. It was very enjoyable. The tortilla nachos were hot and fresh. The enchilladas, pupusas, and burritos were lovely. I didn't find anything incredibly spicy (which is good), since I prefer to taste the SEASONINGS to tasting straight "tabasco" heat. I thought it was fantastic. Anyone who didn't like La Fiesta probably also spends WAY too much time at Taco Bell- and thinks that's "real" Mexican.

Soooo bland. We've ate here twice, hoping we were wrong the first time, but it's terribly bland. cheap i suppose, if that's all you're looking for, but the food is lacking flavour

Yum!!!. I've enjoyed every meal I've had at La Fiesta. The service has always been top notch, very friendly servers. You WILL wait a while for your meal, as it is made from scratch. There is a small note on each table explaining this. But it was worth the wait and to be honest, we really didn't wait very long at all.

Lacks Flavour. Oh, how I really wanted to like this place! I'm not an expert in El Salavadoran food but I was expecting strong Latin flavours in its dishes. Unfortunately, many of the dishes tasted like they required more seasoning. I had combination platter #2 - chicken soup to start, 2 pupusas (queso cheese/pork and queso cheese/bean), chicken burrito and beef enchilada. The chicken soup was warm and full of flavour. The pupusas are similar to a flat bread like shell with fillings inside - the overriding taste was the cheese which tastes similar to mozzarella. The chicken burrito was filled with rice, chicken and mozzarella; it tasted like white rice and unseasoned chicken was used. The beef enchilada was my fav on the whole platter - a small deep fried tortilla disc topped with ground beef, slice boiled egg, green onions and parmesan cheese. <br/><br/>I tried the corn tamal that came with my dining partner's dish and really enjoyed that.<br/><br/>I thought the service was super friendly and warm and the food service was quite prompt. But I wish the food had more flavour and heat to it.

Awesome!. Very awesome. Very friendly owners, pretty fast service and the divine dinner for two was a good way to check out the menu. The beef burrito was really flavorful and the pupusa's were incredible!! Definitely check it out!

Great family-run restaurant. Authentic Salvadorian food. Must-haves include papusas and the corn tomales. Friendly and helpful staff.

All in all it was a wonderful time, the food was a good price, and I would recommend the place to anyone. However, I would also tell them that they need to make a reservation or they will spend the whole evening waiting for food.