Cafe con leche is the one place I know I can go to on the upper west side for affordable and consistent food. Most importantly though, they serve up a mean pina colada in an actual pineapple, during happy hour you can get 2 drinks for the price of one ($9). They serve other drinks as well, including sangria and mixed drinks in coconuts. Its not a huge amount of drink or as boozy as what I usually like and I am not one who often orders something like a pina coloda, but I can't resist them when I dine here. Double check with the happy hour, because sometimes they are weird about it. With my cold, frothy pina colada in my hand, a paper drink umbrella behind my ear, sitting outside under a raffia umbrella, I could almost pretend I was in the Caribbean... almost. I usually order the same things when I come here. The mofongo appetizer could easily pass as a main dish, there is nothing like mushed plaintains and pork skin to fill up your belly. Their version of ropa vieja is perfectly acceptable; its hard to screw up beef that has been braised, shredded, and sauced up.
A special of ceviche was also enjoyable. Though it wouldn't have hurt them to add some shrimp. On this occasion, the service started out a bit brusque, but that could not kill our pina colada and pork induced good moods.
