Take-out: Yes Bike Parking: Yes Good for Kids: Yes Has TV: Yes
Price range.
$ Price range Under $10
4 reviews
Carmina Officer
This was my favorite stop on my way to see grandma. But it has been a year since my last visit and it is not the same.
Tonight I got the mofongo, broiled chicken, rice, beans, tostones and chicharon.
The chicken and sides were good. The tostones needed improvement. Tey were really thick and dark, like old platain dark. The mofongo was a HUGE disapointment. Like question your existence sorta disappointing. I couldn't believe how bad it was and took more bites… big mistake. Then I forced my grandmother to taste it. She almost hit me. But was too busy spitting it out. She claims the pork was old and the oil too. The aftertaste was horribly indescribeable. Don't know that our relationship will ever recover. I also don't know if it gave me what could only be described as cold sweats accompanied by a mean migraine!
Not sure what happened but I hope today was a glitch. I'm just not sure that I want to try them again.
My husband and I were trying to go back to La Morada for Sunday lunch, but sadly, they were closed. As we walked up 3rd Ave., my husband, armed with his yelp app, looked for a Plan B. He asked what I was in the mood for, and my only criteria was "something legit." He stumbled upon La Isla Cuchifrito, with its photos of stews, beans, and rice, and we were off.
La Isla Cuchifrito is a semi-hole in the wall Puerto Rican restaurant on the main drag of East 149th St., and a quick walk from the 2/4/5 subway stop. When we walked in, there was a small bunch of locals ordering plates to go, but we chose to eat at the diner counter. The 2 servers were busy, brusque, and I spoke only Spanish. They have a menu of stewed meats with sides, rotisserie chickens glistening in the window, savory pastries, and sandwiches.
I, being an unapologetic bread hound, asked for a pernil (pork shoulder) sandwich. Our server asked what else I'd like on it, and after fumbling around in bad Spanish, she loaded me up with a Cuban-type sandwich composed of pernil, ham, tomato, lettuce, provolone, and BUTTER… hold the mustard.
My sandwich came out, and I was so excited. This was a SANDWICH. A gut bomb. A meaty two meal's worth extravaganza. As I tasted the juicy stewed pernil, the powerful flavor of garlic hit my tongue. I love garlic, and the pernil was just so garlicky! I wolfed down half of the sandwich, and somehow good judgment kicked in, and I wrapped the other half up to go.
My husband ordered a straight pernil plate with beans and rice. This was great too, as the beans had a great depth of flavor, and the server gave him a big hunk of crispy pork skin. My generous husband let me have a bite of the pork skin, and it was awesome.
I was pretty satisfied with our lunch here. It's not the most user-friendly spot for a gringuita such as myself, but the food was really great.
If you dont speak spanish, this may not be the place for you. I dont; It wasnt.
The entire "menu" is in spanish, and it consists of some serious, traditional Latin-American cuisine. Im not sure if it was the fact that Im gringo, or just a coincidence, but I stood there for 5 minutes, ready to order, before anyone gave a shit. I ordered the one thing that I thought I recognized, and could call by its name. "One empanada, please."
confused look. so I point-
"One empanada please."
"You mean meat patty?"
"Yes."
It was $1.50, and fairly decently-sized (although the majority was the fried "crust"). The hot sauce was the main saving grace.
It was A-OK, I guess, but I dont think I'll be back, at least not with out my interpreter.
Been here a few times in the past few years and it's always a comforting food experience. Nothing fancy at all, just a place to get reliable food. They have everything from empanadas to steak and every flavor juice u can imagine. The food is also cheap as hell and the portions are enough for 2 people. Service is good too and they speak English.
This was my favorite stop on my way to see grandma. But it has been a year since my last visit and it is not the same.
Tonight I got the mofongo, broiled chicken, rice, beans, tostones and chicharon.
The chicken and sides were good. The tostones needed improvement. Tey were really thick and dark, like old platain dark. The mofongo was a HUGE disapointment. Like question your existence sorta disappointing. I couldn't believe how bad it was and took more bites… big mistake. Then I forced my grandmother to taste it. She almost hit me. But was too busy spitting it out. She claims the pork was old and the oil too. The aftertaste was horribly indescribeable. Don't know that our relationship will ever recover. I also don't know if it gave me what could only be described as cold sweats accompanied by a mean migraine!
Not sure what happened but I hope today was a glitch. I'm just not sure that I want to try them again.
My husband and I were trying to go back to La Morada for Sunday lunch, but sadly, they were closed. As we walked up 3rd Ave., my husband, armed with his yelp app, looked for a Plan B. He asked what I was in the mood for, and my only criteria was "something legit." He stumbled upon La Isla Cuchifrito, with its photos of stews, beans, and rice, and we were off.
La Isla Cuchifrito is a semi-hole in the wall Puerto Rican restaurant on the main drag of East 149th St., and a quick walk from the 2/4/5 subway stop. When we walked in, there was a small bunch of locals ordering plates to go, but we chose to eat at the diner counter. The 2 servers were busy, brusque, and I spoke only Spanish. They have a menu of stewed meats with sides, rotisserie chickens glistening in the window, savory pastries, and sandwiches.
I, being an unapologetic bread hound, asked for a pernil (pork shoulder) sandwich. Our server asked what else I'd like on it, and after fumbling around in bad Spanish, she loaded me up with a Cuban-type sandwich composed of pernil, ham, tomato, lettuce, provolone, and BUTTER… hold the mustard.
My sandwich came out, and I was so excited. This was a SANDWICH. A gut bomb. A meaty two meal's worth extravaganza. As I tasted the juicy stewed pernil, the powerful flavor of garlic hit my tongue. I love garlic, and the pernil was just so garlicky! I wolfed down half of the sandwich, and somehow good judgment kicked in, and I wrapped the other half up to go.
My husband ordered a straight pernil plate with beans and rice. This was great too, as the beans had a great depth of flavor, and the server gave him a big hunk of crispy pork skin. My generous husband let me have a bite of the pork skin, and it was awesome.
I was pretty satisfied with our lunch here. It's not the most user-friendly spot for a gringuita such as myself, but the food was really great.
If you dont speak spanish, this may not be the place for you. I dont; It wasnt.
The entire "menu" is in spanish, and it consists of some serious, traditional Latin-American cuisine. Im not sure if it was the fact that Im gringo, or just a coincidence, but I stood there for 5 minutes, ready to order, before anyone gave a shit. I ordered the one thing that I thought I recognized, and could call by its name.
"One empanada, please."
confused look. so I point-
"One empanada please."
"You mean meat patty?"
"Yes."
It was $1.50, and fairly decently-sized (although the majority was the fried "crust"). The hot sauce was the main saving grace.
It was A-OK, I guess, but I dont think I'll be back, at least not with out my interpreter.
Been here a few times in the past few years and it's always a comforting food experience. Nothing fancy at all, just a place to get reliable food. They have everything from empanadas to steak and every flavor juice u can imagine. The food is also cheap as hell and the portions are enough for 2 people. Service is good too and they speak English.