When you first walk in the place looks sketchy, but it by far one of the best whole in the wall Spanish food joint i have been too in NYC. Make sure you get extra hot sauce on the side! read more

When I worked in this area I couldn't stay away from this place. Well at first I couldn't find it but you'll get past that once you have the food. The beef stew sticks right to your bones and you get more than enough for $7. The guy at the counter is extremely nice too, muy bien. read more

Wanted to like this place but was disappointed by their tough, hard to chew pork chops. Owner or whoever was taking orders seemed a bit rude too. I'll stick to taking the train uptown for my cheap latin food fix. read more

Great food at a crazy low price! You will walk right in art this place if you don't know what you're looking for.

This is my favorite lunch spot in Midtown. Everything about it is perfect: the owner's friendly, the ambiance is unlike other overcrowded, overpriced places in the area, the food is awesome, and it's cheap! Gotta try the roasted pork. read more

Great place to go. Doesn't look like a restaurant at all but don't let that fool you. I go here regularly and the pork over rice dish is amazing. Don't get the hot sauce though. It's so spicy hot my mouth was BURNING for a long time after. The taste is great. And the price is cheap. and the quality is high. Seriously. Very good lunch for $6. read more

At first I thought the reviews here were exaggerations. I mean, how hole in the wall can a place be? Then I saw for myself. You are literally being served food from a small kitchen in a warehouse. That said, don't be afraid to try it, as the food really isnt too bad. The first time I went, the baked chicken was a bit salty, and the rice was mushy. But since its so cheap, I just had to give it another chance. Do yourself a favor and get the beef stew. While Ive had better, $6 in the middle of Midtown for a plate of food is nothing to sneeze at, especially if youre trying to save money and are sick of the Halal carts. read more

Lunch time can be both satisfying and complex. Therefore the importance of eating right is by eating proper portions at perfect timing and at 12 pm from Monday to Saturday all year round in Midtown, NY lunch is essential and in demand immediately. Prices sometimes doesn't even matter WHEN EATING as long as one is full. But here at El Sabrosos on 37th and 8th ave in the city Antonio Molina represents for his Restaurant. His business is open everyday but Sundays and with a firm cooking hand he has kept people pleased with his cooking. He has made eating real and affordable. The food includes dishes like Bistec, Hornado, Pollo, Pernil, Chuletas, Guatita, Pescado Frito. Its good to know there is a business that dedicates making the clients satisfied especially in a fast paced environment such as Midtown. Antonio Segundo draws an image of the still American dream existing. read more

Interesting location in a freight-elevator hallway. The food is simple latin comfort food - the kind my mother-in-law serves; good, stick-to-your ribs stews, etc. I found it very tasty and inexpensive. Very limited seating, so generally better for take-away then for eating there. read more

The absolute best. Their lechon (pernil) is amazing and the hot sauce is money. Well worth it and not great value for your money. read more

The place is good! If you want to eat much and pay less, this place for you. Very fast, very cheap, in heart of the city. Lunch for $6-7. Chicken, beef or pork with beans and rise, that's typical Latin American and Caribbean meal. read more

went today 03/30/16 ordered a goat and pernil combo and both came with very little rice and salad...I got three pieces of goat and what appears to be left over from pernil. portions are getting stingly small. how much does rice and lettuce cost? I am not coming back ever again. you just lost a long time customer. read more

El Sabroso - The portions are getting stingly small...used to be better in the past - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

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Cash only establishment. Decided to give it a try based on reviews and location to my job. Ordered the steak with onions and rice and beans. For 7.50 you expect a bigger portion which you don't get. I saw a customer in front of me even make mention of the small portion of meat she got, and the lady serving food said that's the size the portion is, and if she wants a bigger portion, she needs to pay about $3 more. So i decided to order a different dish to test things out. It's like they scooped exactly a serving spoon and a half of rice and a spoon of beans with a piece of steak on top. Not a generous portion AT all. Did not fill the take out container at all and 2 hours later i was hungry again. Beans were salty as well, steak was chewy and lacked flavors not coming back. read more

Tried based on yelp reviews. A disappointment. Did not have pernil which is what I wanted. Tried the beef stew. Food was okay but portion was small for the $7.00 cost. Small portion of rice compare to other places in area. Total 4 cubes of beef in the order with no carrots potatoes or any other vegetable in the "stew". Salad consisted of some lettuce. read more

A real hole in the wall. Never seen a restaurant in a loading dock. Lots of character. The food is pretty darn good. They have a bunch of stewed meats, grilled meat, beans and rice. The stewed meats are very tasty, like oxtail. My only complaint is the small portions and white rice. C'mon, this is a hispanic establishment, gotta serve yellow or brown rice. Thats like a Chinese place serving yellow rice. read more

Hubs and I have been wanting to try this place for a while after watching Secret Eats with Adam Richman. This place did not disappoint! We came here on President's Day and were worried that they were either closed or crowded. To our surprise, the place was opened and it wasn't crowded yet. We practically had the place to ourselves! Hubs ordered the Tripe Lunch Special and I ordered the Chicken Stew Special and we ate it there. Everything was DELICIOUS and stayed hot till the last drop! The woman working behind the counter gave us hot sauce but we didn't need it at all. Food tasted great without it. You know the food is great when you don't need to put any condiments on it! Service was very friendly and we were impressed at how clean the place was even though it's a hole in the wall and located in a loading dock! We would never have found this place if it wasn't for Yelpers. Thank you! Will definitely return! read more

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Can't get a cheaper more delicious lunch in the area. Baked chicken falls off the bone and DAT SAUCE DOE

I was fairly disapointed with my experience here. I had seen extremly positive reviews on other websites and when a coworker mentioned he was going El Sabroso for lunch I had to tag along. I got the Pernil which didn't have a ton of meat but enough to keep me happy for $6. I though it tasted good, was nicely cooked, and overall I enjoyed it. The beans were also very tasty and I would have liked to see a larger portion. The salad they threw on was extremely bitter and almost inedible unless mixed with everything else. The one thing that pulled this down from a 3 star review to 2 was the fact that the rice was under-cooked. Rice is ridiculously easy to make, especially the plain white rice the meal was served with. Yet throughout the whole meal I kept getting crunchy hard grains. I really don't see myself every going back. I can get a similar quality lunch from any halal cart for $1 less and if I'm really craving Spanish food I'd rather just wait until I got off work. read more

In short, the pernil was overcooked and too hard, and the empanadas were dry and flavorless. What a shame, because the man running this place was friendly. I came midday on a Saturday so it was empty, but I have seen this place bustling during the lunchtime on weekdays. Aquario Café on 37th between 8th and 9th (also in a freight elevator) is probably El Sabroso's biggest competitor and makes pernil better, in my opinion. read more

This place is is hidden in the shipping dock of the building but there is signage outside. I've only had the stewed chicken on rice and beans and it was good and only $6. The hot sauce is really good. It's an easy lunch and a very good value. read more

First time to visit. Had the baked chicken. It was fabulous. Juicy and flavorful along with the beans and rice. The location in a freight alley is hysterical and I ate at the counter. There's a constant flow of customers with most doing take out. I can't wait to go back and listen to the constant flow of the waitress and chef getting and giving the orders. Next time I think that I'll bring my own utensils as I didn't like the flimsy plastic knife and fork. read more

Maybe the past reviewer had an isolated bad experience, but I've been going there for lunch in the past year and I've had great experiences so far. It's a hidden gem - the food is cheap, hearty and authentic for NYC. I've tried almost everything on the menu and you almost can't go wrong with any of the dishes, but I especially love the chicken stew, pernil, and the bistec encebollado. Where else can you have home style Latin American food paired with friendly service? I've been recommending it to all my friends who work in the area! read more

We had lunch there this week, the chicken and the beef stew were delicious. The price was right. $17.00 for 3 of us with sodas.

Ordered pernil to go, started eating and 1/3 was just plain pig skin and fat. Rice was tasteless and on a mushy side. Tio Pio West makes much better pernil, also meat portions are much bigger. Sad, had high hopes for this place. read more

simply amazing! I have been coming here for 2 years now since I work the area and I can honestly say that it's the best deal and food in the sector. The food is cooked to perfection and cheaply priced. I have been telling all my coworkers to go. It's truly an amazing little place. read more

Saw the restaurant on TV and i happen to work in the area, so went there for lunch today. Have to say i am very disappointed. The food was ok, nothing to complain, but the cashier lady was pretty rude and the portion is SMALL, i ordered roast pork, only got a few tiny pieces, it is so pathetic. I would rather they charge a little more and serve a proper portion. I will never go back again. read more

This is a hidden gem. I went here several times throughout the summer with coworkers and friends for quick, cheap lunches and we were satisfied. My personal favorite is the chicken stew, which is chicken falling off the bone, served with rice and a mini salad. The hot sauce is very good. Cash only, and its hidden, but worth giving a try! read more

the best bargain in the area!! while wandering around searching for food during my lunch break, I discovered menus on the doors to a freight entrance of a building. FOOD?? in a FREIGHT ENTRANCE?? I KNOW. Even though I love me some rice and beans, I was wary of trying food from a dinky back entrance of a building that's only meant for people with packages HAR HAR....so i yelped it of course and I was pleasantly surprised with all the high marks. Went for lunch today and it did not disappoint! Once you go in, the guy will tell you what he has left, no matter, b/c I'm not to adventurous about strange meats (pig's feet soup WUT). I got the stewed chicken so he piles on yellow rice and red beans in one of those big rectangular styrofoam containers and tops it with a thigh and a leg. then he asks hot sauce and i say sure! how many? er..1? wasn't very spicy but added a nice kick. next time i'll get two all over instead of on the side. I've always been partial to black beans but the flavor in these red beans was divine. The chicken was melt in your mouth tender, no need for a knife, try-to-chew-slower-so-you-don't-swallow-bone-by-accident good. the best part was that it's 5 bucks and i really don't see the need to eat at all the rest of the day. food coma hit me 20 mins later....it hit me hard. read more