Vinoco Wine Bar Tapas - Mineola

Vinoco, a tapas bar in Mineola, is a hidden gem that I was hesitant to share with others. However, every dish we tried was outstanding! The empanadas, arepas, sweet plantains, and fried chicken bao buns were all delicious. The owner was welcoming and attentive, and the atmosphere of the restaurant was cozy and intimate. It's a great spot for a casual and romantic date night.

I must say, wow! What a hidden gem! If you haven't tried Vinoco, you must. The owner is amazing and personally involved in the restaurant, which is reflected in the food and drinks. The dishes were so beautiful and delicious that I couldn't resist digging in and forgot to take pictures after the first bite. That's how good it was! The restaurant offers tapas style dining, so order a little of everything like we did. Whatever you choose, you won't be disappointed!

I had been eager to try this restaurant after reading the great reviews and seeing the Instagram-worthy pictures, but unfortunately, my experience left much to be desired. I ended up feeling disappointed and had an upset stomach from all the greasy food. The roasted potatoes and yucca were basically just overly fried French fries, and the lobster mac and cheese roll with fried chicken turned out to be fried mac and cheese topped with popcorn chicken. The munchkin burgers were extremely dry and did not have the promised glaze or coffee infusion mentioned on the menu. Despite being very hungry, I found the food to be more like bar fare cooked by bartenders or fast food prepared by teenagers. To top it all off, the bill included a credit card surcharge without even asking how I would be paying. It's possible that we visited on a day when the owner or chef was not present, and perhaps the food is better on other days as mentioned in other reviews. Unfortunately, we will not be returning to find out.

Family and I stopped in for dinner mid-week. The entire area was quiet and parking on the street, diagonal from the restaurant, was a breeze. I had called in for reservations the day before but when we arrived, there was only one other diner there, so seating was immediate. First impressions were that it was a quaint place and intimate due the lighting (or lack thereof). Our server quickly came by with menus and took our drink order. Having viewed the menu beforehand, we knew there would be something for everyone. Their online menu touts the cuisine as Global Fusion Tapas and it 's definitely Spanish/Portuguese with an Asian twist on some dishes. There were plenty of apps and small bites as well as sizable entrees. We shared a Mango Chicken Thai Sushidilla and saved our appetite for the entrees. Wife and son shared the Chicken Chorizo Paella and they asked me to share it with them since it was a pretty sizable portion. I took our server 's recommendation for my entrée and ordered the Vinoco Mixed Meat Lover 's Parillada Platter which is advertised as Good for 2 . When he brought it out, I could see why! For dessert, we shared an order of Fried Oreos. Everything we had was tasty, super fresh, and plentiful. Pricing is fair, and the service was on point. I can see us coming back with a larger group next time and sharing/trying out more things. There were several other items on the menu which looked enticing, but we were flat out too full to order anything else. Will surely come back to this little gem again.

Delicious tapas, everything we tried was good. Only complaint is the pork buns could have been better. Yummy sangria also.