I came here with a colleague for lunch. She said it was a hole in the wall, and she was not lying about that. There's room for maybe two people at a time. The line was out the door but that's to be expected when the restaurant is so small. For my order, I got the fried fish with yellow rice, sweet potatoes and kale salad. I enjoyed my meal. I will say that they handed me my colleague's meal so I would double check before leaving just to make sure that you have the correct order. read more

Carmen’s Kitchen - Fried Fish Combo (yellow rice, sweet potato and kale salad) - American Near Me - New York, New York

I do agree with some of the reviews that this is a tiny hole in the wall that is a must find when you need a warm bowl to fill your stomach. They got rice bowls of different types of meat and sides you can add to your bowl. I love rice so I was happy that this place is opened up. It's a Latin fusion restaurant where they serve baked chicken, fried fish, jerk chicken, beef, and salmon. I got a baked chicken combo with white rice, mac n cheese, and red beans for $11.99 pre tax. It was a pretty decent price for a bowl. They gave a lot of rice. The baked chicken was very juicy and moist. Very tasty and not dry at all! The Mac n cheese was different than other Mac n cheese I tried in my life. It had a burnt piece of skin over the Mac. The cheese was somewhat solid and dry over the Mac. I was tasting the Mac and cheese separately. Besides that I still love the bowl. Generous portions. The thing about the place is it has a long line all the way outside of the place but the staff is really fast with the bowls. read more

See all

Absolutely yes yes YES!! Coworkers raved about this place. A teeny tiny "hole in the wall" with a line outside. I went a Thursday I think. I remember long ago there was a lady who had a food truck I wondered if it was the same woman. They have THEE best home style cooked lunch under $20 in the area. With one main and three sides and cannot go wrong they know how to make Spanish good here. It is very hot in the small kitchen and the line is usually long if you pull up after 1pm which is peak lunchtime for the area. There is no parking, no seating and no beverages. Tipping is optional and all the food is on display for you to make a choice. They get folks in and out and I have no ideas how the 3 ladies and one young man can fit inside the mini vestibule especially during the summer months but I am grateful that they are back there pumping out the goods from the small kitchen. Some days I'm just do grateful to smell the garlicky aroma coming from there homemade salad dressing while a colleague is indulging in the lunch area- and some days it's an absolute must have. I have only ever tried the seafood options, yellow rice, green beans, potatoes salad, garden salad and I go crazy for their yuca. You cannot park here, restaurant is standing room only, I don't know if they have options to order in advance to skip the line I realize as writing this- but it's WORTH it. They have an A rating, a positive relaxed but motivated attitude while taking orders and do not dawdle they literally get you in and out you being indecisive is they only thing that could hold you up. 5/5 I highly recommend Wednesday is probably their busiest day of the week just FYI enjoy. read more

See all

A typical hole-in-the-wall in the neighborhood. I went there early but already had to wait a couple of minutes. I didn't mind that, as I wanted freshly made food. The service was good, so was the food and the portion size. Don't be scared off by the Yelp rating. read more

There's always a long line during weekday lunch hours, finally decided to hop in the line. People around me recommended Jerk Chicken as the main so that's what I got. The chicken was very tender at center but around the skin gets a bit dry. Flavor was good and well seasoned, on the mild side for jerk. For the sides: rice and bean was good, rice was well cooked texture, tasty with the gravy; Mac n cheese was okay, slightly overcooked wish there's more texture; potato salad has onion, bell pepper, and carrots which were nice. read more

Carmen’s Kitchen - Jerk Chicken - American Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Good food for a good price! Right in the financial district the lines outside are down the block at lunch time .. Service is fast and the employees seem to be related. The space is bit small , cramped and could use a larger space. The sign outside needs to be cleaned.. read more

Carmen’s Kitchen - American Near Me - New York, New York

Good food, come early because there will be line (: Carmen is very sweet . My #1 lunch spot read more

This place is incredible and ran by a grandma and grandson. Their food is about as authentic as it gets. If you actually spend time to read the negative reviews, they arent even for this restaurant. This is a take-out only place, and $12 for lunch, try to find that anywhere. Come try this place. read more

This spot gets the fundamentals perfectly right. This restaurant serves tasty dishes. Employees showed training and proper service standards. You'll admire the setting and the selection of dishes. I expect to return. read more

This place is amazing. 99% of the bad reviews are people mixing this up with Carmines the italian restaurant. This is Carmens, a local hole in the wall ran by a grandma and grandson who make incredible food for a good price. Check this place out read more

I had read reviews online that said this place was Dominican, so I was super excited given that I am Dominican. And in this part of Manhattan the closest you get to Latin food is Mexican cuisine. So from a proud Dominican customer- this place is absolutely 100% NOT Dominican food. I wouldn't want non Dominican people to come here and think this is what our food taste like or looks like, I took one look at the potato salad, and if anyone would have shown up with that dish to our family event, my aunts would have had a heart attack- that potato salad is nothing like what Dominicans make, this would be a disgrace. Anyways, on to the review- I had the bbq chicken, Mac and cheese, Moro (rice with red beans), and yuca. The Mac and cheese was not fresh- it tasted like it's been reheated a few times this week. The Moro was okay but lacked flavor. The bbq chicken was good, and the yuca was good as well. The place is very small, no more than two ppl fit in there at a time, which is fine. The place did not look clean, which was a concern given that this is a food establishment. Nonetheless this is NYC, every restaurant has its mishaps when it comes to sanitation. read more

See all

One of my go-to spots for a lunch. Carmen's is a popular spot in FiDi for lunch with long lines often out the door. The lines may seem intimidating, but it does move at a reasonable pace. The best times to avoid waiting in line are before 1130am or after 2pm. My favorite main dishes are the jerk chicken, fried fish and fried chicken. They do also have baked chicken, baked salmon and other daily specials. As for sides, I enjoy their broccoli - cooked just perfectly and nicely seasoned. Other favorites include baked sweet potato, sautéed string beans, potato salad, and baked mac and cheese. I dont normally like salad, but the dressing they use for their salad is so light, vinegary and delicious. The food turns around super quickly so you know it's fresh and hasn't been sitting around. Sometimes they run out of fish and you'll have to wait 15-20 mins for them to fry up a new batch. Portions are also pretty generous! Affordable lunch with friendly service, can't go wrong there! read more

Carmen’s Kitchen - Jerk chicken, white rice, broccoli and string beans - American Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Love Carmen's kitchen! They offer a huge portion for the price! It's a quick choose 3 sides and a main plate, grab, and go place. It's super small so there is no seating and only enough space for 3-4 guests to be inside considering social distancing, and only enough space for 2 or the 4 guests to be ordering at a time. None the less, the line goes super quickly and the food is delicious. I always get the yellow rice, sweet potato, collard greens with the fish. The fish is absolutely amazing. And the collard greens gives it the extra flavor needed. I usually eat their plate as two meals (lunch and dinner) since I'm never able to finish it. I totally recommend this place for lunch if you're in the area. Visit at around the 30 or 45 minute marks if you don't want to wait in a long line outside. There will probably be a line, but not the 15 or 20 people lines that you see at 12:00pm. read more

See all

There's always a line here, but I never went in even after passing it hundreds of times and wondering what the big line at lunchtime was all about. Today, for some reason, I waited on line for about 10 minutes and ordered "Today's Special", which was garlic shrimp. I asked for the shrimp in English. The girl who was serving looked at me confused, and started to look for someone else to speak to me. I said "Momentito, por favor, quiero gambas" in perfectly understandable Spanish, and pointed at the shrimp, but she stared at me blankly as if I was a Martian. Then someone else came and took my order in English. (I was perfectly prepared to order in Spanish, and tried again using the word "camerones" but I was ignored) Unfortunately, they gave me the shrimp, with okra, fried plantains and beans. In a word, everything was really disgusting. I mean BAD. The shrimp were mushy, overcooked and tasted old. Everything else was cooked to death, tasteless, and devoid of any seasoning whatsoever. I cannot for the life of me figure out what everyone is standing on line for. This food is horrible, and they charged me $13.95 for it. Good Lord, I have not tasted anything that purports to be Dominican food that was so horrible in my entire life. Avoid this at all cost. Let me reiterate, this was awful. Totally bad, inedible, old, mushy, disgusting and overpriced. Did I make my point? Who in God's name is eating this stuff and claiming to enjoy it? Trust me, this is terrible tasteless slop. read more

The food is very affordable for the area and delicious! There is no place to eat inside and since it's a small place, a line develops quickly but that is ok. The service was quick and I have no complaints! read more

Carmen’s Kitchen - American Near Me - New York, New York

Pretty great tasting Spanish food for a great price in downtown Manhattan. This is a to go place as there is nowhere to sit. They offer a vast array of Spanish dishes. I especially like their fried fish and highly recommend this place for lunch. read more

Carmen’s Kitchen - This is after I'd already eaten a large piece of the fish. - American Near Me - New York, New York

I love Carmen's kitchen! I didn't realize that they have multiple locations. This location down on John street is always always has a line down the street during lunch time. This storefront can only 3 or so people inside while they are ordering. Where else can you get 3sides and a protein at such a great price that tastes deliscious! I'm partial and always get their kale salad which I love to mix with rice/beans and okra with baked chicken all that for just $10! It was really difficult to wait outside during the winter but now that the weather is nice I'm sure the line will get longer. Don't be tricked by what's just at the window, they have more in the back kitchen area such as sweet potatoes or beef stew, Mac and cheese! All yummy yumm delicious food that will give you your lunch time food coma for sure! read more

The employees are rude and the chicken is salty. Also, a very cramped and uncomfortable environment. Not worth waiting on the line.

The food is incredible and the best Dominican food spot in this area!!! And The prices are very good. The only bad thing about place is that it closes super early ( sometimes because they run out of food) . But the service and staff are great! I wish they would move closer to water street and stay open later and have some seating areas available! This place is pick up spot only . read more

Maybe I missed something along the way?  As I walked on John Street in Manhattan, there was a line of people patiently waiting to enter Carmen's Kitchen to make their lunch purchases.  When I returned in less than forty-five minutes by Carmen's Kitchen, two people were waiting to enter the "kitchen" connected to a pizzeria.  On Monday, March 28, 2022, a cardinal rule was broken to sample an entree with three ( 3 ) sides from Carmen's Kitchen on Monday(s) because of the stream of customers observed waiting to enter. For $12, the selected lunch consisted of fried fish, macaroni & cheese, rice & beans, and cassava (yucca) with sauteed red onions.  The overall portion size received was "okay" served in a biodegradable bowl (earth conscious indeed). Receiving one ( 1 ) small fried filet fish was somewhat shocking and disappointing for the $12 price point.  The rice and beans was tasteless missing basic seasonings customarily associated / used with this particular side dish.  I am a macaroni and cheese foodie who totally enjoys eating mac & cheese ALL BY ITSELF!  Something went awry with Carmen's Kitchen macaroni and cheese because it tasted nothing like mac & cheese.  It tasted bland devoid of any seasonings incorporated in the basic macaroni and cheese mixture before baking. Saving the BEST for last was the cassava (yucca) sauteed with red onions, which melted in my mouth.  The red onions were perfectly sauteed to compliment the cassava (yucca), which required minimum seasoning(s).  This was the ONLY side completely eaten and enjoyed. read more

See all

I have not had a good experience with this place in tow occasions. The first time I went there in early June. The line was around the block. I waited for almost 45 min and the line was not moving so I finally gave up. The second time, I went there (around 11:30), the line was better but the lady behind the counter was lethargic and gave me bad attitude. I asked for pork and was given a eye roll told in a very unfriendly way that I needed to order the sides first. Then she gave me very small amount of pork with most of it being pork belly fat. I don't know how anyone could eat the pork belly fat. The rice and potato salad were tasty but not sure if it is with $12 and the 30 min wait. read more

Carmen’s Kitchen - Small amount of pork. 90% belly fat which is not edible to me. - American Near Me - New York, New York

See all

Five starts for delicious food, with generous portions for a very reasonable price. The service is efficient and friendly too! Highly recommended for takeout in the Financial District. read more

Great home-cooked style soul food. A favorite of people I work with to pick up lunch at. I'm from the south, and like that I can get something that reminds me of it. read more

DO NOT GO HERE. RACIST SERVICE WORKERS. My boyfriend (29/asian/male) and I (26/white/female) used to be regulars here. We put up with the long lines, the bad attitudes, and even the sometimes unsanitary conditions (they once haphazardly placed a platter of raw chicken right next to a dirty mop and dirty water bucket, I guess due to the limited space) because we enjoyed the food and it's in our neighborhood. One of the ladies has made passive aggressive comments before and there's always a lot of eye rolling. Whatever. We put up with it. Last time we went, the lady serving food was on her phone and constantly distracted while taking our order. We had to repeat it several times. Finally she looks at my boyfriend and says "Just speak English" . He had been speaking English the entire time. Not that it matters but he is a native speaker without any accent. He asked her to repeat what she said and she refused, standing there with a horrible smile on her face, knowing what she had said. We left immediately. And we will never be back and will warn everyone we know about this horrible place. read more

Delicious food. Plentiful. Fast service. And price is right !! No seating. Always a mine but it goes quickly. Staff is nice. read more

Carmen’s Kitchen - Jerk chicken, rice ,kale, potato salad - American Near Me - New York, New York

My new favorite place for lunch and I love that it's right around the corner for me. You get a lot of food (3 sides + 1 protein entree) for a decent price. The food is delicious and they have many options to choose from so there's something for everyone. The lines are always long from noon to 1 so clearly many others agree with me. read more

Good food, price and portion and there is always a line. Potato salad is really flavorful.

My favorite takeout lunch in the neighborhood. The price is reasonable for what you get, both the proteins and sides are flavorful and delicious, and the portions are ample. I love getting a side of avocado with my meal. read more

This is really cool. Get there before 5. B/c thats when she closes. She shares a space with the 1$ pizza ppl so expect to okay human Tetris while ordering. And have cash. Also read the full me u. They have more food that isn't on display. And thats b/c they are a very, very small space. read more

Really really wanted to love this place. A new tiny cute little place in fidi. The line was almost a block long. The food was so so. Pernil was very salty. Veggies were boiled. No seasoning. Maduros was burned. Fried fish was flat. The presentation looked nice and the price is great. Wish food tasted better. read more

I'm not here to hurt business in anyway but there is a minimal standard when serving comfort food and im sorry the mark was missed. The ribs lacked flavor and were mostly bones. Insult to injury I received more sweet potatoes than rice and meat combined. It wouldn't have been so bad.except the sweet potato wasn't sweet and very dry. Not sure what type of rice was used in the beans and rice but im not a fan. ​ read more

Food is nicely seasoned. I like the baked chicken, broccoli, string beans, and potato salad. All yummy. Just be prepared to wait on line.