While we always try our best to come on time, there are certain inevitable cirumstances which lead us to come late to davening. What should one do if he arrives to mincha:
More specifically, should one say Ashrei before starting Shemonah Esrei? Or first say Shemonah Esrei and then say Ashrei later?
The Aruch Hashulchan 234:1 says he should skip ashrei. He doesn't make a distinction between coming right when they start or in the middle. Obviously, you cannot be mafsik during kaddish to say ashrei. (I would have thought to say a few pesukim kedei laamod bitfilla mitoch divrei Torah, but I guess not.)
There is no takanah of saying ashrei after Shmona Esrei (although it is praiseworthy to say ashrei 3x daily).
If you come in the middle of the tzibbur davening, you should start with them only if you will complete the last bracha and step back in time to answer kedusha, ha-el hakadosh, shomea tefilla and kadish shalem. An alternative is to daven word for word saying these divrei kedusha with the shliach tzibbur. These halachos are in Shulchan Aruch 109.
The Aruch Hashulchan allows you to daven a long tefilla even if you miss the above if you started with the tzibbur. This seems to be the minhag.
shemona esrei to be read along with the minion, it is very critical. so you would try to make sure you get started on shemona esrey with the minion then you would continue with nakdisha then after the kadish you may continue with ashrey after that.
because the whole point of the minion are these -your only obligated to say or answer to kedusha with a minion. (ashrey you may say without minion. (especially if their are no more then ten)
