This is some of the worst Spanish food I've ever eaten. Completely lacked seasoning. I only purchased 3 items: a papa rellena, an alcapurria and a beef empanada. I was given a chicken empanada even though the woman working there highly recommend the beef. The empanada was tiny on top of tasteless. Funny thing is that another woman boasted that everything at this restaurant was good and I could not go wrong with any choice. Thanks, never returning. read more

Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Was away on vacation for several days and when got back home, all I wanted was a home cook meal. Son's friend invited us out to dinner to this Spanish restaurant for his birthday and man he did not let us down. Every single piece of food that came out that kitchen was DELICIOUS! The rice and black beans felt like home. Wife ordered the mofongo with pernil and yes, I had some and it was soft, and seasoned great and juicy. We had the avocado salad and it was fresh - like as if it was just picked from the garden. But the best thing I had was the chicharrón de pollo sin hueso and OMG - the best thing ever: moist, crunchy on the outside, tender on the inside, seasoned to perfection. The cook went to town with that food. My son and girlfriend had the pepper steak and they said it was top tier. The birthday boy let us taste his "French chicken" (I was skeptical at first) and wow that was a real nice taste of flavors, meat and herbs. What also made the evening pleasant was the waitress and host who was very friendly, loving, as if we knew each other forever. She was attentive, treated us with such warmth and made sure we were comfortable. She would interact with us and made it seem like we were regulars. The other waitresses there were also so loving and attentive. While eating I observed the other customers were treated with such affection - from teenagers, families, cops, little kids, etc. If you want some food that feels like home cooking, stop by here asap. Easy commute from Manhattan either via train or by car right off the Brooklyn bridge or Hugh Carey tunnel. I'm going back as soon as I have another free weekend. I recommend you also go asap. Wonderful people, wonderful food and wonderful place. read more

Portal Latino - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Horrible experience. I used to go here until today. Paid for my order and the same woman who took my order and my payment asked me on the way out if i paid. I said yes and asked her if she would ask anyone else that and she responded with an attitude saying that she would. She mentioned that she served me but that doesn't mean I paid. Mind you, I paid with her. I went into my bank statement and showed her the amount I paid and she asked me, "what is the date?" I immediately left. These people are rude and racist to anyone that doesn't look just like them. Do not support this business. read more

Fast food amazing lunch spot. You will be in and out in no time with a wide selection of prepared favorites with different types of rice and beans. Amazing selection of eats. Dropped in for an empanada during breakfast and then came back for lunch. Place was packed during lunch, which tells you the locals love this place because it serves simply good tasty hot food. read more

Portal Latino - Stewed chicken - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Portal is my go to restaurant whenever I'm in Brooklyn. NYC used to be a biweekly road trip for me. This past Thanksgiving weekend was my first time there in nearly 3 years. The quality of the food has not changed one bit. Usually I have breakfast delivered but this time I got lunch. Stewed chicken with an extra order of beans and rice and morir soñando. I wanted to walk back to the restaurant and grab the pitcher. The drink was just a delicious touch. I'll be retuning to Brooklyn next month and I know where I will be stopping or getting delivery from! read more

Portal Latino - Morir soñando - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This restaurant catered our back to work luncheon and they did not disappoint at all. Being that we are social distancing we had to eat at our desks. We had some healthy portions of food because I brought mine home. I had the yellow rice and peas, chicken chunks and plantains. Seasoned and cooked well. I saw my other coworkers plates and knew I will be eating from there again Delivery was on time and they even gave us extra food just in case. And this was our first time using them. Funny part by te end of the day we were stuffed and ready to lol read more

Portal Latino - Rice and peas, plantains and chicken chunks - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

We've been ordering chicken stew for the office for a while. The dish is a braised chicken with carrot and potato dish with gravy. For the past couple deliveries, we noticed the gravy spilt out everywhere and the container crushed. Not to mention long delivery time of around 45 minutes to an hour even though we are about a 10 minute walking distance. It's upsetting since we've been ordering for the office for a long time and we're going to discontinue our business for the future due to the recent change in quality. read more

Portal Latino - Chicken stew was dry with no gravy. All the gravy was spilt into the plastic bag during delivery - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

This restaurant lost its taste, food is no longer good. I usually call an order in and pick up, but lately there really sloppy in taking an order over the phone. Never pay attention to what I want and to ask how much it's like asking a 5 year old what's 5 x 5 is. Never again! read more

Got some chicken with rice and beans to-go. The chicken was good, rice and beans were good as well. The portion size was very large. The reason it just gets 3 stars though is because it was just 'good', it wasn't very good, nor was it bad. I'll get food from here again, but i'm not rushing back. read more

Loooove this place!!! I just started working a block away from El Portal and everyone at work raves about it. I decided to get some lunch and I am so happy I did! The cuban sandwich was stuffed with the most genetous amount of nicely flavored pork. It was pressed nicely too. I wouldnt call it a cuban i would call it an amazing pork sandwich. The pastellitos and alcapurria was nicely fried and also great flavor. Looking forward to trying other items off the menu! read more

See all

It's really easy to walk by this place and miss it as it's one of the more unassuming spots on Smith Street. While the rest of the stores are trying to be ~modern and hip~ this place probably looks much older in terms of decor. The cubano ($7) is good while the pastellito con queso ($2) didn't have the cheese fully melted so meh. As far as dining in, there are a few patrons but it's mainly a grab & go kind of place. There are so many places to try in this area but if you're into dominican/cuban then this is one of the few spots for ya. TIP!!! - They do accept credit card but you get a 4% fee for using one. *shrug* read more

I did not enjoy the food here at all. The cuban sandwich was not a cuban sandwich. It was missing mustard and pickles. The morir soñando was a morir pesadilla. Made with regular milk, not evaporated milk, had no vanilla, and she sprinkled cinnamon on it, I've never had it with cinnamon. The chicharon de pollo was not crispy chicken it was just chunks of fried chicken. 1st and last time going there. read more

Returned here for rice and beans when a craving for that excellent Dominican dish hit and was delighted to discover that the food was as excellent as when I worked in the neighborhood years ago. This is the real thing - family run, excellent authentic food and great value. A stunning cappucino/cafe au lait and bounteous beans and yellow rice - $8.75. Comfort food at its best. read more

LOVE THEIR CUBAN SANDWICH. The first time I ordered here, I only got the Cuban sandwich as a recommendation from a friend. I really wasn't expecting much based on the description I heard. The first bite I took blew my mind. It was one of the best sandwiches I had ever eaten. I usually don't get too impressed with sandwiches, but this one was top notch. The bread was crunchy on the outside and they were very generous with the amount of meat. The pickles also gave a fresh crunch to it. I just wished there were more pickles, as I had only gotten 2 slices lol. The price is also surprisingly cheap, considering the size of the sandwich. After the first time I got the Cuban sandwich, I have continued to order from this restaurant because it really is consistently good. read more

Best Dominican food in brooklyn! Ordering take out is the best, the delivery always gets here under the expected time and the food is always hot when it arrives. Feels like I'm eating back home at my grandmas table read more

Food is really good, authentic and delivery is always fast. The women who work the phone are always polite and helpful if I have a special request. And their white rice is . If you know my reviews on Dominican restaurants, you know I like to judge them on how their white rice tastes and they clearly know what they're doing. read more

Portal Latino - Red Snapper Any Style, Fried - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

A remnant of pre-wine bar Smith Street, El Nuevo Portal offers a dazzling array of meat items. Although I considered going for a bellwether dish of pernil, I was drawn to the Dominican-style pork chops. This turned out be a giant, garlic-laden delight. As someone who gets on hooked on awesomely caloric treats then feels guilty for a few minutes, I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of vegetables including broccoli and peppers on top of the pork chops. read more

See all

Just had breakfast , best breakfast I ever had, it's like a bacon egg cheese and thanksgiving day dinner had sex and this was its baby read more

Portal Latino - Mangu gulpes Breakfast Special 5 with Cheese - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I like the food at this Latin spot, but I hate the vibe and attitude I get when I go to pick up the food, like since I'm not Hispanic I should be ordering elsewhere read more

Beef Embocellado (myself, beef with grilled.onions) 4.0/5, good onion flavor, portion was fine Mofongo con Pollo (her) 4.5/5 Mofongo looked like it was dry but it was definitely not, was actually delicious. Mangu (a side dish, was mashed green plantains cooked into a stew, took some home) 5/5 One of the better versions of this, classic Dominican comfort food done right, great portion as per usual. Morir Sonido (drink, myself) 4.5/5. Portion was a bit small but the flavor was very good, good amount of vanilla/milk. 4.5/5 with giant portions. Rice was good and beans were solid as well. read more

Honestly the food is so bland. It's Spanish food but it doesn't taste like they use any authentic Spanish seasonings.. just salt and pepper. Not something I want to taste when I think of Spanish food, especially being that I'm Hispanic and also a chef. They have decent prices, a dining area that is very small, the workers are even a bit rude and mostly speak Spanish. The portions are nice though, big. Over all I do not recommend if you're looking for that spanish flavored Spanish food, it's non existent. read more

Food is great here. Favorite is the Stewed chicken here. Saucy, tender flavorful chicken with potatoes and comes with rice and beans on the side. Great that they packaged it separately. Good portion at a decent price for the area. Unfortunately, the delivery people probably stacked alot of weight on top because a lot of times, the aluminum container with the plastic top gets crushed spilling all the sauce all over the place. read more

Portal Latino - Food is good but Delivery skills is lacking. Sauce leaking everywhere - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I love everything about this place! Their chicken sandwich is very tasty! The food is prepared fast, it's well priced and authentic. I used to live in the neighborhood and would go here weekly...take out also available. read more

$6.50 for eggs, bacon, home fries, toast, and a big glass of ice water. Nothing special, you might say, but then that makes it something very special indeed. I can't remember the last time I had an American breakfast in a restaurant. The portions are correctly sized and the food is tasty and filling. The waitresses and cooks are nice and helpful. This restaurant isn't trying to give your taste buds a unique culinary experience. It doesn't treat you like a food critic or a judge on CHOPPED. It's just trying to feed you a tasty, filling meal. And that it does! read more

Had to try this place. My lady and her family order here all the time and her pictures looked amazing!! Wanted to try something new this morning so I figure I would try them out. Saw great reviews on the mongu (not sure of spelling) but it was great!! Very hearty breakfast and even more leftovers. Defiantly will be returning. read more

Portal Latino - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

If I'm ever craving for a real deal Dominican food, this is most definitely my it spot!! My best friend and I generally go here and this is how we usually meet up. Dinner on a Friday Night with my Bestfriend: Nga: Hey, wanna hang out tonight? Ralph: Sure, what do you have in mind? Nga: Dinner at ENP Ralph: Okay ______ Nga: Hi, I would like to order the grill chicken with extra onion and I would like rice and beans and salad on the side ($9.50) Ralph: And I would like the pepper steak with yellow plantains and salad on the side. ($10.00) Waitress: Would you like anything to drink? Ralph: Actually yes, I would like a coke please ($1.25) _______ Nga: Mmmmm....dude, the food is GOOOOOD, don't you think? Ralph: Nomnomnomnom Nga: :) _______ 30 minutes later Ralph: Excuse me, check please. Waitress: (hands over the check) thank you Nga: Dang dude, this is why I love eating with you, this place is always so cheap! _______ Total with Tip: $25 Dinner with my best friend: PRICELESS http://www.menupages.com/restaurants/el-nuevo-portal/menu read more

Ordered lunch from here. Got the Chimichurri sandwich which really didnt taste much like Chimichurri at all. Just tasted like a regular steak sandwich. Not terrible but not what I expected. Meat was tasty but the sandwich had too much mayo and mixing with the tomatoes it got pretty sloppy. Bread was nice and crisp on the exterior though. Go a side of Yellow Plantains and they were pretty good. Flan was pretty tasteless, my coworker said it tasted like the cup and yes a piece of Flan in a paper coffee cup is a rather odd sight. Overall took a bit for delivery but being in Red Hook everything takes long, I would give them another shot when the Latin craving hits again. read more

WOO my 100th post. This restaurant was delicious! First off, I would have to say that the staff were very hard-working. Although there were more customers than the staff could seem to handle during the lunch rush, they still pulled it off with a smile. Kudos to you, El Nuevo. Because of that, there were not enough free tables that were clean, but our waitress apologized before we even had any thought of complaining. I looked at the place and I wasn't expecting fancy decor, but expected family-oriented atmosphere and completely received that vibe. The portions were huge and hot off the fire. The bread that the waitress gave us was fresh out of the oven it seemed, with lots of butter flavor. More importantly, it was not soggy, but crisp to the bite. Yummy! My Rice with Chicken arrived and was completely overwhelmed by the mountain I had on my plate. My first thought, "Oh I cannot finish this", and it was a true statement... The chicken was tender and I loved the onions. I realized that it was listed on the menu as "Rice with Chicken" insinuating that there was definitely going to be more rice than chicken. However, I was still not disappointed! Hot and FRESH. I enjoyed the breaded beef steak! It was a nice new texture to explore on sandwiches. At the end of our meal, I took a portion of the rice and a small bite of the sandwich,home, so I could eat it the next day. Even still, the flavor kept and was equally nice to my taste buds. When my boyfriend and I were leaving, I was peering over to our neighbor's meal at the next table. Dang, he ordered some kind of stew. It smelled so good and we could tell that he was a regular there. Next time, we shall try that! Read more: http://pinctoradventures.wordpress.com/2013/10/27/el-nuevo-portal read more

See all

My husband and I were looking for a place to eat and stumbled upon this gem. Decor is pretty standard but the food is amazing. I had the bbq chicken with plantains and my husband had the octopus with rice and beans. It was fantastic. They give you lots of buttered bread before the meal..so GOOD. Waitress was friendly and service was excellent. Will definitely be back! read more

Portal Latino - Heavenly BBQ chicken & octopus! Yumm! - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

The fried pork chops was fantastic. I definitely recommend that everyone should try this. read more

All I have to say.....very good Comida!! You can't go wrong w/ chicken, white rice, black beans, & maduros!! Trust that it is traditional in the way were you aren't rushed, and it may take them sometime to get to you...but its definitely worth it. My long time favorite spot closed years ago, and now I found an adequate replacement. Yay! read more

Options for brunch/breakfast/early lunch on a Friday are a bit limited. I was searching for at least a place that served alcohol before noon on a weekday and that was my challenge. Steph P. and I stood debating between Cafe Luluc and this place. I let her pick. But I definitely want to go try the pancakes across the street some day. This shouted "I am cheap and will provide you with decent enough breakfast foods and some bottles of beer." Your wish is my command. One of the nicer touches and shocking was that the waitress set down an actual bread basket with melted butter. It went amazing with the Parrot hot sauce drenched on top. Steph got a breakfast sandwich with cheese and some kind of meat. Bacon, sausage, ham? I think all of those are available options. I went with the western omelette: slightly over-cooked eggs with green bell pepper and ham. Kind of happy there was no cheese in it because my stomach couldn't handle it. Option of fries or potatoes on the side. Went with the fries so Stephy could eat half of them. The highlight of the experience most def. was getting a wine glass to pour my Corona into. CLASSY. I love drinking Corona from a goblet on a friday afternoon instead of going into work! This is also why they got 4 stars.The failure of the experience was that they ran out of Presidente but it took the waitress about 20 minutes to come back and inform us of this. Overall, I'm moderately pleased with the breakfast and assume that their lunch/dinner food is a million times better. I'd have to come back to actually try that. Super cheap. Super friendly. Also, we took empanadas to go. They are $1.50 each and come in chicken, beef, and yellow or white cheese. Do it. read more

See all

Great spot for Spanish takeout! Big portions at a great price. All the dishes I have tried have great flavor. Spanish food done right! This is my go-to Spanish takeout place. read more

My go to for a taste of mom's cooking. Of course my mom's is better but it's as close as I can get. The staff is attentive and they remember your likes and dislikes. And I even get to order off the menu if it's reasonable. read more

Portal Latino - Fresh octupus salad delicioso. - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Old school spot for the neighborhood. The pernil, which I got one serving of, was unbelievable and got us through 4 meals. Try it out! Smith street has a good variety of restaurants, and this one is probably the oldest. read more

Our go-to Latino cuisine restaurant in downtown Brooklyn. The food is excellent. The Smith St. restaurant is tiny so keep your party small or take-out. Service is excellent , pleasant and welcoming. read more

Absolutely delicious and savory! I had the eggs with dominican salami, home fries, toast and fried cheese, thats right, I said fried cheese!!!! I cant wait to have wherever other dish they make. read more

Portal Latino - Latin American Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Really good value here - you get a lot of food at a reasonable price. I've always ordered the "dinner special", which seems to be pork with a choice of rice, choice of beans, and a side of bread. There may be other meat options for the dinner special, but I can't tell because no one there speaks English all that well. The food is good - nothing to write home about - but definitely good. Oddly enough, the yellow rice may be the best thing I've had there. I'm not sure what the hell they put in it, but it's working, so I'm not asking questions. read more

The food overall is mediocre. Nothing special. There are two other places nearby (Cubana Cafe & Nuevo Cibao) that have way better food. I recently had their chicken soup and was very disappointed. There were huge chunks of potato, random chicken pieces attached to bone and ligaments. I'm not a fan of eating soup that I have to nibble chicken off of a bone and spit out ligaments. Soup should be comforting and easy to eat. I'll never waste my time with this restaurant again. read more

The food was good I've ordered before and it has been better. The timing was good When we ordered we thought it was going to take longer read more