La Cocina
“Their pernil (pulled pork) is juicy and tender with the type of crispy/crunchy skin that makes you want to forget your diet.”
“You can't go wrong with the yellow rice (arroz con gandules) and the grilled chicken.”
“I was pleasantly surprised by this college eatery.”
La Cocina
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Kids: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
8 reviews
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When this place first opened, I wasn't terribly impressed. But as time passed things changed. The name changed. The people who worked there changed. The food also changed. It changed for the better.
What was once bland now has flavor. Even the chicken, which is not fresh off the rotisserie and slightly mushy. But the flavors are intense and spot on. But chicken aside, the food generally much better.
So since this place got better, I'm adding one star.
Atmosphere: Small, busy during lunch
Food: I haven't ventured much on the menu here, but I usually get the 1/4 chicken plate. The chicken is moist so that's a plus. I usually get vegetables and rice, although the vegetables resemble microwaveable type of veggies. Price is about $6 for this plate.
Service: Usually friendly.
Overall, average.
Had a craving for some rice and beans and ended up here. Ordered the pernil with rice and kidney beans. Pork was juicy and flavorful as well as the beans. The rice was good but could have been a little less dry. The best was their hot sauce! Out of this world. Place and food stations was super clean and everything looked awesome, only flaw is the parking here sucks… Def will be back and soon great find
Fantastic Latin American food from an unassuming basement eatery. The food here is really amazing and very well priced. I love the Pernil pork shoulder, but even the baked chicken and rice and beans are great here. The new location is also much nicer. Be ready for a bit of a line though as people have discovered the great food here. Grab the $7 lunch special and be full all day.
I was excited to learn that a new Latin Restaurant had opened around my school (Rutgers University) so I decided to give it a try.
The Pros:
It's one of the few Spanish food, homemadeish restaurants around, most food you find in the area is pretty plain, as in, sandwiches, burgers, wraps, pizza & whatnot.
I have no complaints about the meat they serve, as it is always well-seasoned. Also, their deserts, particularly the flan, is pretty good.
No, the food is not gourmet, nor the best food you will ever try but it's pretty good.
The Cons:
They could use some improvement on the rice, since sometimes it seems to be a little bland and on the cold side.
Overall, La Cocina does justice to the prices they ask for, the are pretty tasty and let's not forget, it is a brand new restaurant, still experimenting with what works and what doesn't. As with everything, there is always room for improvement, but for now it's just fine.
I was in the Newark area, around lunchtime, and I used my trusty Yelp app, to find some good lunch eats. Luckily for me this place popped up as nearby the area I was in.
The lunch specials here were very reasonably priced and the food was really good. Its too bad this place isn't closer to home.
The setup is cafeteria style during lunch. You order your meal and someone serves you from the already prepared dishes in the trays.
I tried the pepper steak with black beans and yellow rice. The pepper steak had a stew like texture and the rice was flavorful. I also got to try a Postobon soda. I'm a fan of Mexican soda, and when I heard that Postobon soda was Columbian, I had to give it a try. It was very tasty. I liked the apple flavor.
The location is very close to the Rutger's campus.
They changed the head chef. Thank goodness! Food is now edible and actually tastes like home cook meal. Meal w/drink is about $10.
Wow! Delicious and super affordable! Customer service was top notch. Empanadas were so tasty!
Check it out!