El Palacio Del Sazón

"This place has a huge variety of some of the most delicious food I've ever had. They have a smoker right out front, where they begin first thing in the morning. Down here for vacation, and will definitely come back in the future, and probably a few more times before I leave in a week. Bonus: A very friendly staff!"

"Delicious food!! So much variety and the prices here are great!! Love the atmosphere and all the different variations of mini stores within the building!! Love it!!"

"El Palacio del Sazón is the perfect name for this new fast casual Latin/Caribbean spot that somewhat looks like a mini food hall in the layout. Everything we had was full of flavor. There was such a large variety of delicious Latin and Dominican specialties. When you first enter, you'll see an ice cream counter and lots of seating. There's a coffee counter and sandwich area just past the tables. They sell loaves of bread, desserts, and specialty items as you get closer to the check out counter. But the main attraction is when you get to the steam tables at the back of the hall. The menu boards display all the different combination platters. I must say that I was a little overwhelmed because there are so many choices. I ended up getting the classic pernil with arroz con gandules and platanos maduros. Mainly because it looked so good with the crispy skin and all. The rice dishes were made with bomba (short grain) rice which absorbs all those wonderful seasonings. They had quite a big selection of rice. My husband selected the rice with pork along with the beef and onions. They served it all on a plate for us, and carried it to our table. I think that's what sets them apart from other cafeteria style restaurants. The service here is fantastic! They even checked on us a couple of times to make sure everything was good. It feels like a family owned restaurant. Everything was clean, and it just felt comfortable. They have hot sauces, so don't be afraid to ask for it if you don't already see it on the table. As we were leaving, we both noticed that La Fonda was coming soon. It looks like they will have grilled meats in the near future. Yay! It's located in the 60 Plaza on State Road 60 near Mount Carmel Rd. in Valrico. It's very close to the neighboring Home Depot, Lowes, and Latino's Supermarket. We will definitely go back to try other menu items. The oxtail stew looked very good. I'm also interested in a sandwich along with a café con leche, or a fruit smoothie/shake. The platter prices are very reasonable for such great quality. We ended up taking our leftovers home. One plate was enough for 2 meals. The flavors that I know and love were all there. I can't wait to try more menu items."

"The food was outstanding , the service was top notch. The coffee and deserts were delish too and they’ll have ice cream there soon too!! We’ve been waiting for a good and reasonably priced local Hispanic food spot for a while and finally have one!"