Ave Maria Latin Café

Feels like if I had a latino mom and I was sitting in her kitchen being served dinner.
The location is a little questionable when you first walk in. It’s like a cross between a bodega, a grocery store, and a restaurant. But trust — sit down at the booths and let your adopted latin mom feed you. She’s got the cutest placards on each of the booths that have translations of common English words into Spanish so you can entertain yourself while you wait.
We tried the Argentinian and Columbian beef patties but preferred the former. The areppas, pulled pork, and tres leche «blew [his] mind», says the boyfriend. And her homemade hot sauce is to die for — we had to ask her to refill it.
Best part is, to fill two hungry kids after rock-​climbing, we spent under $ 40 (including tip).

That columbian coffee! If this place opens at U of T campus Starbucks coffee would be out of business. Be warned: the hot sauce is HOT

Great place to get some work done with a side of legit Columbian coffee! Smaller place, but I like the atmosphere much better than crowded Starbucks. Will be back!

Small mom n pop shop who I would like to give 4 stars in order to support their business which serves homemade Colombian and Argentinian food. I tried their Argentenian beef empanadas and chicken empanadas as well as their Colombian tamale. I stumbled upon this place as I was walking to my car. The stores and restaurants in this area are primarily Korean, so I was surprise to see a Latin spot in between them. The woman behind the counter, I assume was the owner, Maria. I did not ask. Even though she spoke primarily Spanish, she was able to communicate in English. It just took her longer to get her point across, the food is outstanding, I am particularly fond of the Argentinian beef empanadas vs the chicken. At 3 bucks each, I would say, that’s a good deal! The chicken empanadas was a bit drier, hitch is why I prefer the beef. the tamales are excellent in which, for 8 bucks, wasn’t bad, since they’re a huge portion! I would like to try their other food if I get a chance to visit them again. Nice customer service and explanation of the dishes that I had questions about. Very friendly owners. Gracias!

Love love love this place! Only place in the city that actually has ice cubes made of coffee for iced coffee and the coffee is astounding here. I get grounded fresh Colombian beans that are roasted in Canada here and they are astounding. Also try the variety of yummy Latin inspired treats (veggie arepa is great!) and stuff for the house like tostadas caseras!

Cute ma and pa shop with yummy empanadas and even yummier hot sauce. Great hospitality and a good place to catch up with a friend or a good study space alternative to Starbucks.
Caution: do not expect a quiet space, medium background noise and awesome Latin music.

The empanadas are wonderful and are served by a kind and courteous owner. Great coffee too — small, medium or large, all the same price!

Beautiful café, I am Latin and is the first time I feel so welcome in a place like this, so clean and nice, perfect place to have a nice coffee or a snack. The owners are amazing people, really friendly and kind and they go above and beyond to help. It was my first time there and they were so nice explaining everything. I love it. Definitely will go back

A great local business to stop by for excellent coffee, food, and Colombian specialties (pulpa de fruta, chorizo, arepas, tamales, coffee beans, chocolate, snacks, etc.) Chatting with the charming owners was a real pleasure, and we’ll definitely be back. Try the choclo arepas !

I’m obsessed with this place. The people working there are so nice! They recognized me even though I’d only been there once before. I had Columbian Tamale which was super good and got the rice pudding to go. I don’t even like raisins and I loved it. Today I got the veggie ceviche which is this slices of mango with red onion and a sweet chili sauce. Then I had the chicken empenada and it was amazing. The grocery section is pretty extensive and the man working there saw me looking at the items and gave me advice on how to cook with them.
Sometimes café/​grocery stores can not have a great sit-​down vibe but this place was awesome!

I read about this place in a blog and I am so happy that I did. I was even more happy that I visited this place!
Service: The owners are very friendly. They welcome you as soon as you enter. Just what you would expect when you visit a cool place like this one.
Food: During this visit, I ordered a juice (that is sour, but also naturally a bit sweet) for $ 4.50. It was delicious!
I also purchased two packets of Colombian wafers with coconut ($ 1 each). Once you open the package, you can’t stop eating it!
One of the owners, Maria, explained to me all types of juices since some of the names were not familiar to me. I just can’t recall the name of the juice that I ordered!!!
If you are near Christie station, I highly recommend you to check it out.

A really really nice place.
The couple owners are friendly and welcoming. They are always smiling and try to serve you in the best way.
Free wifi.
Clean bright environment. Seems like a popular local spot for Columbia people.
Cozy chairs, really comfortable.
Big, clean washrooms.
I ordered ham&cheese sandwich. Way better than I expected. It is crispy outside, but not overcooked.
Still hot when I got it.
The only problem is it is kind of cold in winter.
And a little noisy for people like me who want to work.

Been there a couple of times and empanadas are very good, Colombian tamales good as well. They have special food on weekends I did try the ajiaco soup and omg !!! Small and cozy. Ohh the Colombian coffee is superb !!!

This place just opened right in my neighbourhood a couple of months ago but I didn’t go there until this week. My boyfriend and I stopped by yesterday and he got a fantastic sandwich. Then today we returned for Colombian coffee (strong, delicious, and great price) and alfajore cookies (very yummy). Now I definitely want to try their other food, like the Cuban sandwich. Also, it’s really clean and has a beautiful ambiance, with tables to sit down and have your coffee.

Check out this new Latin American café and grocery store in Koreatown, one of my favourite evolving strips in our city. Apparently the owner is behind Ceviche 707 (of the Market 707) at the terrific community hub, Scadding Court.
His new venture is bright and pretty and there are tons of offerings either to take away or to sit and enjoy. I just stopped in for a quick veggie tamale, but I’ll be back sometime soon to sample some more substantial savory treats (e.g. arepa, cuban sandwich, ceviche) or sweets (e.g. some fresh Colombian coffee with Argentine style alfajores).
The juices also sound tempting and include: sour sop, passion fruit, pink guava, bloody blackberry or lull (Guanabana, maracuya, guayaba, mora o lull). Can’t wait to sip some sunshine at Ave Maria!

I love this quaint little café in the middle of Korea town. Previously knowing very little about Latino flavours, the friendly owner of this place, Aland and Maria, introduced me to the snacks and food that I would otherwise never know existed. There is regularly a rotation of some photos and paintings on the wall depicting the life and scenery of Columbia. Never been to Columbia, this place is the proxy that helps me imagine being there.
There is an awesomely exotic collection of grocery items like queso fresca (cheese), traditional fruit paste made of guava, Columbian cacao beverage (Corona). They seem to update their selection frequently. I discover new things to try every time I visit this place.
This is becoming my favorite place for a casual lunch whenever I come to Koreatown for grocery or errand run on the weekend. I love the a la carte way of ordering because each menu item comes in smaller portion and lower unit price so I can order as my appetite sees fit. In other word, this is very similar to the dim sum experience — perfect for me who is a bit ADD when it comes to eating.
The beef empanadas is a must-​have on my every visit. If I am very hungry, the tamales, being filling and very delicious in its exotic way, would be my top choice.

I’ve been enjoying Chef Aland and Maria’s Latin cooking ever since they were at Market 707. Their cooking is simple and delicious, just like a home cooked meal. Being in their own café has let them really expand their Latin fare, including empanadas (which I always have), ceviche and tamales. The arepas with choice filling of queso fresco (fresh cheese), chorizo, and pulled pork (which I had today) are lovingly prepared. Nothing on the menu is more than $ 10.
The best kept secret might be the Colombian coffee (sourced from a local roaster) and a beef empanada as an afternoon snack, or the homemade alfajores if you want something sweet. You can also buy Colombian groceries there as well.
Be sure to stay and have a nice chat with Aland and Maria — they are both very friendly!