El Olivo

  Located on 31st street between Ditmars and 21st avenue in Astoria, Queens there is a restaurant named El Olivo.    It is a Spanish restaurant, with origins from Spain.  When you walk through the door you immediately come face to face with the bar and the sounds of fruit being pounded into the bottom of a pitcher to make their delicious red Sangria, which of course is what I am going to get.   The hostess asks you how many in your party and they seat you as soon as there is an availability.  When you are seated they immediately take your drink order and place, on the candle lit table, a basket of tortilla chips with a thick mildly delicious salsa, for your dipping pleasure.  We ordered a pitcher of the red sangria.  The waiter promptly returns with our drinks and asks what you would like to order for dinner.  I ordered rice with Spanish sausage and my friend ordered stuffed shrimp.  As we are waiting for a food to arrive I am noticing that along the walls are murals of famous places in Spain and family crests along with Knights shining armor and swords used for bull fighting.  I though that this was very interesting because not only are you enjoying delicious food but you are also being given a piece of their family history and heritage making the restaurant feel very homey and comfortable.  The waiter brings out a complimentary salad that comes along with your meal, with a delicious house dressing that is compatible to a thousand island.  After the salad course is taken away the waiter wheels out our dinner.  My friends dinner arrives on a steaming hot plate.  Her shrimp was cut in half and the stuffing layed on top of it.  The stuffing tasted of a fluffed breaded pure and it was delicious.  My Spanish sausage and rice came out in an huge pot, the waiter put a scoop on my plate and left the pot on the table for when i wanted seconds.  Four people could have split the meal that I ordered.  After dinner the owner offered us a complimentary after dinner drink, as is tradition in this culture I learned, we got the sambuca.  We then paid our check and left fully satisfied.
   El Olivo is a great place to bring your family for a nice dinner.  All meals are under twenty dollars (not including drinks) and you are offered huge portions that could be served family style.  It is nice to go to a restaurant and be completely taken care of and cared about.  They take value in their restaurant and their customers and treat everyone like family.  I would recommend this restaurant to anybody and everybody.