Sandwich 95: "Llanero Completo" at Patacon Pisao #2

Patacon Pisao #2 is a tiny restaurant in Elmhurst, Queens.  When I walked in with my friend Lucian, there was no one in the store, and the guy eyed us a bit suspiciously, I would imagine assuming like the cashier at Roll N Roaster last night that we were not from around these parts.  He even asked us how we had heard of the place.  When I told him about the list, he nodded and said that the guy who wrote the blurb about the sandwich was actually describing a different sandwich than the one he named on the list!!!  It was a subtle difference, but the sandwich he was describing was a "Full" and the sandwich he named was a "Llanero," which actually has less stuff in it than what was described in the writeup.  We trusted the guy behind the counter and ordered the Full, and were told it would take a little bit to prepare.  In the meantime, we tried some decent but not that great empanadas, and I tried out a brand new Venezuelan soft drink called Freskolita:

You can also see the empanadas and the sauces for the empanadas behind the drink.  There was so much sugar in the drink that the can was remarkably heavy, and almost unbearably sweet.  Still, I couldn't complain; it was a new experience, and that's really what this adventure is all about.  Speaking of new experiences:

There's the sandwich.  Yes, the giant thing on top is a plantain; there was one on the bottom as well.  Verdict: not the greatest sandwich of all time; in fact, I was pretty disappointed.  The carne asada was tasty, but there was way too much other stuff masking the meat to be able to really taste it.  Honestly, I wished I'd had the sandwich the reviewer mistakenly put down on the list, as it apparently doesn't have all the other fillings.  This was the exact opposite from Roll N Roaster last night, where the cashier told us that they didn't have lettuce and tomato in their sandwiches.  That's what this needed; to only be the meat and sauce.  But even beyond that, the plantain was not to my taste; it was way too dry and distracted from the rest of the sandwich.  This though I can chalk up to a personal taste preference; I could see how someone could love it, as it has a very distinctive taste, but it just wasn't my thing.

I know I just railed against the sandwich, but I was actually quite satisfied by it.  It was very big, tasty despite all the unnecessary fillings, and again, the carne asada was good, though not great.  It wasn't bad by any means, but it wasn't memorable either; I can barely remember how it tasted beyond the plantain even writing this only a couple of hours later.  If you want to try a new cuisine or type of sandwich, then this might be worth it if you live nearby, but I wouldn't make a special trip.  3 out of 5.