This Restaurant is a great place for lunch and dinner they cook with love and passion for customers…read moreand their family and friends to enjoy the area as well as you come patience !

food is great when you get it. i made an order today - richard beans with pernil. the beans never…read morearrived. i called back 2x, he told me the beans were on their way. the beans never arrived. will not order from here again, you do not get what youu ordered. not first time . 1 time sent me totally wrong order. shouldn't have forgotten about it , first red flag !!!! Really fucking mad !! I spoke to the same guy 5x when I called. He kept SAYING YOUR BEANS ARE ON THE WAY, I WILL EVEN MAKE IT A LARGE BEANS". STILL FUCKING WAITING 95 MINUTES LATER. I AM ON DISABILITY THIS IS WHY I USE DELIVERY SERVICE.

I've been going to La Isla since I was a child, and it honestly warms my heart to see this place…read morestill standing strong. To survive the sands of time and continue feeding the community the way they do says everything. La Isla is more than a restaurant--it's family. It's home. It's el barrio. I have my all-time favorites that I've been ordering since childhood, and this visit was no different. I wanted pasteles with rice and a coco drink, and that's exactly what I got. No disappointments, just comfort food done right. The food is always good, the atmosphere feels familiar and welcoming, and the service is fast and solid. Walking into La Isla feels like being back home, like being surrounded by family, even if you're just stopping in for a quick meal. If you know, you know. And if you don't--this is your sign to go experience it.

Their cuchifritos are good. Alcapurria, bacalitos, relleno de papa. Food? Nope. It tastes like…read morethere wasn't no love put into it. El Nuevo Caribeno over on 105th & Lex is the better bet. just order or get there at noon. Go to these places at NOON. Throughout the day the food ain't as good at most of these places.

Alright. So this is my official review for La Fonda -- the restaurant I told y'all is connected to…read moreAbuelita's Desserts. Same location, same love, same culture. First of all, sometimes I don't even realize how Puerto Rican I am until it's time to eat. And then it hits me. Heavy. If you know, you know. My mom and I had been low-key grieving this old Chinito Spanish spot on 116th that we grew up on. That place was a staple. Birthdays, celebrations, random Sundays -- we were there. And the chuletas? Elite. The Spanish food was honestly better than the Chinese food, and it was that beautiful cultural fusion that only East Harlem really understands. Asian families who lived in Puerto Rico, speaking Spanish, cooking with that blend of spices -- it was magic. When it closed, it felt like we lost a piece of home. So ever since, we've been like... where are we getting our chuletas now? And let me explain something very clearly: when it comes to a Rican and her chuletas, we do not play games. Don't tell me you make a good pork chop and then serve me something dry or bland. No ma'am. I'm looking for: * That crisp but tender edge. * The smell that hits you before the plate even lands. * The cebolla on top. * The juices already doing what they need to do so I don't have to add a single thing. * That perfect bite when the rice and chuleta meet on the fork. So when we saw La Fonda attached to Abuelita's, we were curious. A guy inside was recommending dishes, saying he comes all the time for lunch. My mom spots "chuletas" on the menu and immediately says, "Let's try it." And I'm nervous. Because what if it's not right? What if it's breaded? I didn't want breaded. I just wanted it fried. Simple. Classic. Done correctly. Baby. When I tell you I was NOT disappointed? I have found my new chuleta spot. Perfectly fried. Flavorful. Juicy. That bite with the rice? Exactly what I've been missing. You can choose your rice. My mom got yellow rice with red beans. I asked for the rice of the day -- and listen, that rice of the day was a moment. Yellow rice mixed with little pieces of chicharrón, some plátano in there, beans -- just layered with flavor. That's the kind of rice you don't leave behind. My mom also ordered the corn fritters. Did I taste them? No. Because she tore them down before I could blink. And when my mom goes quiet and just wolfs her plate? I already know it's good. The ambiance? Beautiful. The bar area feels very Puerto Rican -- colorful, warm, nostalgic. On the other side, there's spacious seating if you want to dine in properly. It's quaint but roomy. Comfortable. It feels like somewhere you can celebrate something or just come in on a random Tuesday because you need good food. And the food? Delicious. Period. If you're looking for authentic Puerto Rican food in East Harlem that actually hits the way it's supposed to hit, go to La Fonda. Try it. Get the chuletas (trust me). And then come back and tell me what you think. Because these spots? They have my heart.

Service was not good, three people attended our table and they were all over the place, forgetting…read morewe we there, forgetting items it was a mess. We ordered two different kinds of monfongo shrimp and chicken the shrimp was good the chicken came with a drumstick (stewed chicken) not good, we also ordered stewed chicken and white rice it lacked flavor. We ordered bacalaitos which were very salty they took them back which was nice, they brought beef empanadas and the beef tasted as if it was soaked in vinegar not good at all. We ordered chicken empanadas and finally something other than the shrimp monfongo was good.

Good location, staff speaks Spanish, Food is very good. Nice, low lights, wooden tables. Has a bar…read moreand the service is fast. It's now one of my regular spot. Just a few blocks from the 6 train at 103 station. Food portions are a bit small but it does fill you up.

The food is always really good here and if you order through yelp, the delivery is exceptionally…read morepunctual

Never go here. If you do end up visiting this less‑than‑stellar establishment, avoid the bistec…read moreencebollado at all costs. I'm not even sure what kind of meat they used, but it definitely wasn't cubed steak. The pork chops were fried far too hard, the rice started off promising but quickly fell flat, and the beans were just okay--they serve white beans, and I'm used to pink. The alcapurria was passable, but the masa was mediocre and the filling wasn't beef; it tasted more like chicken or turkey. Honestly, disregard this entire review and save yourself the trouble--don't even bother coming to the 116th St. cuchifritos.

Cuchifritos 168 E. 116th. St…read more New York, NY 10029 Coca Drink Alcapurria Pasteles En Hoja Blood Sausage My curiosity has led me to East Harlem to explore traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. The prices are very reasonable and the taste of the food was pretty decent. However, the attraction was lacking. Coca drink: The coconut beverage was cool and refreshing. It was definitely the next best thing to slurping from an actual coconut. Alcapurria: The Alcapurria had equal ratio of meat and fritter filling. Pasteles En Hoja: I have to admit that the artistic look of this meal was not eye catching. The pasteles reminded me of vomit, but tasted like a tamale. Blood Sausage: The blood sausage has a physical resemblance of feces. Identifying one of the meats as "blood" is not the best idea. In the end, it was a sausage link. Surprisingly, all the dishes still tasted decent. Whenever I come across plates that don't look attractive I'll always keep an open mind and will definitely try everything. #alcapurria #pasteles #bloodsausage #cuchifritos #cocodrink

Thank you to Chef Francis and her staff for making our mother's 93rd birthday so special. We first…read morereached out by text to see if we could get in, and they were wonderful in accommodating us on Saturday, April 25, 2026. Not only did they accommodate us, but they also sang "Happy Birthday" to her and gave us delicious pastries. Chef Francis then quieted the restaurant to give a special shout-out to our mother for turning 93. The amazing food and warm atmosphere made us feel like family. Thank you all for a truly memorable evening.

cocotazo is a small restaurant located in Manhattan East Harlem.cocotazo food ok if you're willing…read moreto spend $40 a plate. the owner was not friendly at all this person felt kind of entitled some staff members were nice others not so much. What I could say is try it for yourself and come to your own conclusion. once is enough for me being a small business owner myself I believe that being personable, humble and friendly overtakes all of the things.

OK for a quick bite but lacking flavor. Was in the area so…read moreit was quick and easy, but wouldn't recommend coming here

Don't eat here, I ask for an order of chicken stew and rice , in separate containers and she has…read morethe nerve to ask me only put 2 pieces of chicken and I'm like what I want an order a plate so proceeded to give me with no carrots , potatoes sauce like bro I'm not new here do you know what chicken stew omg lol been eating in this neighbor for over 30 years never I get charge $15 for 2 pieces of chicken and rice like lady was buggin looking at me saying the sign says bro no where sign says 2 pieces of chicken this ain't. KFC I had to walk out what a disgrace to Spanish Harlem the old owners were way down to earth lol sorry guys the only cuchifritos left is 104 th and 3rd la isla and 116 between 3 rd and lex the originals spot .

So sorry to hear that you're closed. Tried to support you during and after Covid. Good music and…read moredelicious food in the neighborhood. This place was an oasis in a sea of fast food spots.

It was a long, eventful rollercoaster of day... desperately in need of some sustenance, we looked…read morefor a spot in route to our final destination. With one of my favs, we decided to visit Amor Cubano, based on a found memory of their champagne mojitos. It was a cold Saturday night in January and all the stars aligned. We pulled and found parking right outside the door. We entered and was seated immediately without reservation even though it was crowded and the first week of NY restaurant week. We perused both the regular and restaurant week menu. In an attempt to keep it simple we went the regular menu and ordered everything at once. Of course two champagne mojitos and empanadas to start. For entrées, we went with Arroz Con Pollo (for me) and Churrasco- grilled skirt steak (for my partner in crime). Customer service was good, food came quick and hit the spot. We enjoyed it all while listing to the live band. This was a nice ending to an eventful day. Just A Note: A tag on IG... gets you a spin of the bonus wheel. I snagged a gift card for my next visit.

The food was amazing & great customer service. The food didn't take long either for the wait .read more

Highly disappointed, I had high hopes for this restaurant, my family and I drove in from Brooklyn…read moreto try it. There was a bug in my food, alive! Enough said. I, almost 5 months pregnant, was disgusted and emotional because I just wanted to enjoy a meal with my family. Had it been my husband and I, we would have walked out but I didn't want to disrupt the rest of my family's meal. You make your own judgment.

This place is a hole in the wall. I was in the area and hoping this would be a hidden gem but it…read morewas definitely not. The "empanadas" on their menu are nowhere near an actual empanada. The dough was raw and gummy. When you open it up it had zero filling in it. I had hope for the flatbread and it looked pretty decent when it came out but I was quickly disappointed. The dough was again gummy, the cheese was not fully melted and the sun-dried tomatoes were very chewy. The hamburger was overcooked, dry, and the patty was all falling apart like a chop steak instead of a burger. The roasted potatoes on the side actually tasted good but tasted more fried than roasted. The service was not great at all and after seeing we were not happy with the food, they didn't even bother to ask how it was. They were then uncomfortable and afraid to come over to the table. I will never return to this place again and I recommend you find a place much better next time!

This review is for a Monday happy hour. I arrived and it was pretty empty. I sat at the bar. I…read moreordered a sangria, it was good. I ordered The Lexington Burger. The restaurant had an open kitchen. I requested my burger to be medium well. Watching them cook the burger I was hesitant, but it came out perfect. As time passed the restaurant did get busier. Overall, the service was great, and they do have a good happy hour. I will return.