Had the worst time trying to get this to this place no parking…read moreJust to go around like an idiot and see that they're closed If you're closed, update your yelp page so people don't waste their time It says you're open till seven. We arrived at 5:15.

La Cocina is the classic Newark spot for Cuban eats! For lunch, you pick your choice of rice,…read morevegetables, and protein -- and on a recent visit, I had arroz con gandules, steamed broccoli, and beef stew. All delicious, albeit a little salty to my taste. La Cocina is a popular catering spot for Rutgers events, so I have been fortunate to try a wide variety of offerings such as pastelon, pernil, and chicken stew -- and you can't really go wrong with any of them. The empanadas are also a must (make sure to ask for hot sauce), and while difficult, try to save room for dessert! Flan and tres leches are soooo good. Lunch time gets really busy, so you can avoid the rush by coming a little later. However, the staff is good about moving everyone along, so you won't be waiting forever. Definitely give La Cocina a try!

Sometimes, being spoiled really sets the bar too high for places to match. For Peruvian style…read morerestaurants with roasted chickens, ceviche etc. Pio Pio remains my gold standard a decade after my first visit to the esteemed chain. That said, I do my best to temper my expectations whenever I go to a place like Sofia's, which strikes me as more of a mom and pop standalone than part of a chain of restaurants in New York City. I was nearby and I needed lunch so I stopped by Sofia's to get some food to take home. The exterior is a tad off-putting to be honest. The awning is black and the "Sofia's Restaurant" lettering is very worn, to the point where at first I was unclear if the restaurant was even open. I peeked inside and saw activity so in I went. The interior features rest rooms near the entrance, a counter to the left and seating to the right. It looked good inside, and quite a contrast from what I expected from the exterior's appearance. The staff was nice (not overly effusive, but not rude either) and took my order quickly. So here's what I tried: CHICKEN Like so many places with this style of menu, you can order a roast chicken. You can get a quarter, half or an entire chicken. I wound up ordering a whole chicken so I'd have left overs for a couple days. This also let me try both the white and dark meat sections. Overall, the chicken is good. If I were to place Pio Pio's chicken as an "A+", this chicken is basically a "B-". The chicken was moist and well cooked, but it was not marinated as well as I would have liked. Even the heavily seasoned skin did not have the flavor punch I am used to from Pio, but would I get it again? Sure. It does the trick in a pinch. With the chicken you get their version of "green sauce" which is...okay. Again, if we are to hold Pio's as an "A+", this would be a "B-". There is good flavor, but it does not have the flavor hit I had hoped for. SALAD The side salad order features iceberg lettuce, tomatoes and a couple chopped vegetables. A creamy dressing is drizzled on top. This was fine as a side to the chicken. It wasn't anything to write home about, but I didn't dislike it either. MADUROS Perhaps the most disappointing of the dishes I purchased. My favorite maduros come from either Pio Pio or Sophie's Cuban Cuisine. They should be well cooked, not dried out and of course, sweet. These were sweet, but the texture was bad. These had clearly been deep (deep) fried in oil far too much, so they were overly oily and falling apart. Worse, the order was *swimming* in a thick layer of oil in a plastic container that had a nice opening, causing this to leak all over the rest of my order. Never again. Overall, Sofia's is okay, but it's not great. If I'm in the area again I may get the chicken again and perhaps try some other dishes but I won't be going out of my way to visit.

Por favor no le echen la cáscara de huevo dentro del chaufa. Es muy desagradable tener que masticar…read moreeso crujiente dentro del arroz.

BEWARE!! SURPRISE 15% GRATUITY ADDED TO BILL!! The food…read morehere is excellent. I came here to eat many times and was always satisfied. Tonight, we came to eat. The steak and chicken was delicious. However, when I went to pay, I noticed there was a 15% gratuity automatically added to my bill. I speak little Spanish. When I asked about where the sign was displayed saying an automatic gratuity is charged, I couldn't get an answer. I typed it into the translator, and still did not get an answer. What is even worse is the restaurant did me wrong. and then acted like I'm the bad guy. I always gave a good tip when I came here. In the state of NJ, it is against the law to surprise people with gratuity charges on their bill. I am reporting this tomorrow. I hope their greed catches up with them. I can't come here anymore. It is hard to return to an establishment that has deceived you.

Very hard to find parking so I recommend doing valet -- there's no set price so just tip what you…read morefeel is appropriate. First walked into this huge, upbeat, bright, airy space. The place is massive, so I can't imagine there's usually much of a wait to be seated. Huge screen was playing soccer games and this place is definitely going to be packed during the World Cup. We ordered a couple of drinks and honestly they felt more watered down than anything else -- not really worth the price. The appetizers were good, but the service was lacking. We couldn't find anyone to bring us plates and it took so long that our entrees arrived before we even started the apps. The entrees themselves were good though -- generous portions and solid flavor. When the check came, I was disappointed to see a mandatory 20% gratuity included, especially since the service definitely didn't feel worth 20%, and we were only a party of four. Overall, it's pretty pricey as well. I might come back for the ambience and the food, but I won't exactly be running back.

So glad I discovered Taino's! I was passing through Newark and enjoyed a delicious meal here…read more Clean, casual dining spot. I had a shrimp and chicken Mofongo with avocado and a virgin piña colada. I overheard another guest raving about her chicken empanada. Happy staff singing from the kitchen. Wish I had a place like this close to home. SO many things I would have loved to try!

This spot seriously hit the spot. We were just wandering…read morearound and ended up here...funny enough, because ChoongMan Chicken didn't have any chicken (go figure). As a Puerto Rican, I was pleasantly surprised at how good everything was. The pernil was juicy and full of flavor, and the arroz con gandules? Perfect. I've had plenty of rice in my life, and it's usually either way too dry or oily with no taste. This one was spot on. I even got a side of red beans and they tied it all together. Flavor? On point. Service? Super friendly. Not sure when I'll be back since I was just visiting, but if I am ill definitely coming here again.

Final Review -…read more (English + Español) English: The owner personally called to apologize for his employee's behavior, and I truly appreciate that. He handled it professionally and showed that he genuinely cares about his customers. The food is good, and almost everyone else who works here has always been kind to me. However, I'm keeping this review up because once I go back to the restaurant, I do expect a personal apology from Sophia. The way she treated me was terrible, and normally I don't post a negative review after one bad visit -- but the fact that my sister also had an issue with her before is concerning. On October 19th around 10 PM, I ordered takeout and paid at the counter. After I paid, Sophia saw that I didn't tip on the card (I usually leave cash when I leave), and her attitude completely changed. She claimed she gave me six hot sauces when there were only two, rolled her eyes when I asked politely for more, and said, "Empanadas don't come with hot sauce." When I explained I've been coming here for years, she said, "I don't speak English." I also noticed an old receipt showing an 18% gratuity, so I asked if it was added again that night. They double-checked and confirmed it had been removed -- so I suggest customers always review their ticket just in case. After I shared my experience, Sophia called me around midnight and even threatened to sue me instead of apologizing. I later saw several new reviews within a few hours all mentioning how "nice Sophia" is, which feels suspicious. I don't want to assume, but it really seems like a cover-up. I removed her photo out of respect, but I'm leaving this up because she still hasn't apologized -- the owner had to. The food and most of the staff are great, but I hope this situation reminds management that every customer deserves respect. Español: El dueño me llamó personalmente para disculparse por el comportamiento de su empleada, y de verdad lo aprecio. Él fue muy profesional y se nota que realmente le importan sus clientes. La comida es buena, y casi todos los empleados siempre han sido amables conmigo. Sin embargo, mantengo esta reseña porque cuando regrese al restaurante, espero una disculpa personal de Sophia. La forma en que me trató fue terrible, y normalmente no dejo una reseña negativa por una sola visita mala, pero el hecho de que mi hermana también haya tenido un problema con ella es preocupante. El 19 de octubre alrededor de las 10 PM, pedí comida para llevar y pagué en el mostrador. Después de pagar, Sophia vio que no dejé propina en la tarjeta (normalmente dejo efectivo al salir) y su actitud cambió por completo. Dijo que me había puesto seis salsas picantes cuando solo había dos, puso los ojos en blanco cuando le pedí más de manera educada y me dijo: "Las empanadas no vienen con salsa." Cuando le expliqué que llevo años viniendo aquí, me respondió: "No hablo inglés." También noté un recibo viejo que mostraba un 18 % de propina incluida, así que pregunté si me la habían cobrado esa noche. Revisaron y confirmaron que la habían quitado -- por eso recomiendo siempre revisar su recibo. Después de publicar mi experiencia, Sophia me llamó cerca de la medianoche y hasta me amenazó con demandarme, en lugar de disculparse. Luego vi varias reseñas nuevas, todas publicadas en pocas horas y mencionando lo "amable" que es Sophia, lo cual me parece sospechoso. No quiero asumir nada, pero parece un intento de encubrir lo sucedido. Quité su foto por respeto, pero dejo esta reseña porque ella aún no se ha disculpado -- el dueño fue quien tuvo que hacerlo. La comida y la mayoría del personal son excelentes, pero ojalá esta situación sirva de recordatorio de que todos los clientes merecen respeto.

Came here on a friday evening around 6pm for dinner. We had an event in the area and figured to…read morestop by. I saw this place on ig. Our server was very nice but the food took 52 min to arrive. I ordered salmon with rice and beans, guacamole, tostones, and yuca. The guacamole took 40 min alone to come out. We just had to wrap up our food to go and couldnt even sit and enjoy or we would of missed our event. I would not drive 40 min to come here again.

It is so hard for me to pass up the Spanish rice and beans, whenever I'm on my carnivore diet, when…read moreI go to a Spanish restaurant, since rice and beans, Spanish rice and beans in particular, is my second favorite food in this whole wide world. But I am proud of myself for resisting temptation, plus it gives me the opportunity to try a variety of meat. So today I had chicken, sausage, fried bologna, and shredded pork, and I've got to say all this meat was cooked to perfection and flavored to almost perfection. I really enjoyed all the meat I had here. When I'm off my carnivore diet, I can't wait to come back and try the rice and beans and other options they have here. So my recommendation is yes, definitely give this spot a chance if you're debating on whether to go here or not.

This place is next to a truck stop but do not let that keep you away. The food is crazy!!!!read more

I have been here 4 times and it has been really good. This place has a great buffet on the…read moreweekends. It has all the platos tipicos. The typical dishes that make Peru a wonderful country of gastronomy. The service is stellar. The ladies are attentive and friendly. The place is rather small but cozy. The parking is off street. I also enjoy that during the week they have daily dishes that they make, I would advise to take advantage of it. For less than 15 dollars you are an entree and an appetizer, plus a beverage. Love this spot.

We came to this restaurant hoping to enjoy tasty, delicious, and authentic Peruvian food--and I…read morewasn't disappointed at all. The buffet had a great variety of dishes. I tried a little bit of everything, and each dish was better than the last. The service was excellent. The girls were very friendly, welcoming, and attentive. Even though I don't live nearby, I would definitely keep coming back.

Tried this place with my sibling on a early Friday lunch. We tried the Lomo Saltado and the Chaufa…read moreMixto both were amazing dishes, but I do want to mention a few notes. 1. Bonus: there's plenty of rice and potatoes. Cons: theres too much potatoes and less protein. I need to ensure I get a bit more steak, I felt skimped out. 2. The green salsa we wanted to inject in our veins it was so delicious. The flavors are bold bright and herbaceous! 3. It was so much rice and potatoes, check out how I revamped my leftovers on my IG & Tiktok : ajus_chad & ajus.chad The place was clean and the staff was very friendly. We even tried a snack while we waited for our food. Definitely will be coming back for more though! Follow me for more critiques, art, food and fun!! IG: Ajus_chad Tiktok: ajus.chad

$$$My first time eating food here. Way to expensive for the portion that's given. Very…read moredisappointing that the portion was so small. The side order container barely had any food in it. On the bright side the food was ok.