Good clean excellent tasty food, never had a problem with my order s and delivery is always fastread more

If you're looking for Latin/Dominican cuisine Lula's is your spot in NJ…read more After experiencing some of the best Latin cuisine in NYC for the better part of 20+ years, I was afraid I wasn't going to find a restaurant that would fulfill those Latin cravings, but THANK GOODNESS that Lula's exist in Lodi. I found Lodi's through some random research on Yelp and Google and they are as freaking delicious as advertised. I've been to Lula's a few times for takeout/pickup and the folks here are very cordial and friendly. The restaurant is very small and only has a few barstools at a counter looking out onto Essex Street. If you're driving here, which just about everyone does, the parking lot only consist of a few spots directly in front of it, but the spots typically open up quick since 99.99999% of customers are here to grab and go. As for the menu, I've only come here for the daily lunch specials because they are an awesome, awesome deal. On Monday to Saturday (closed on Sundays) from 11AM-3PM they serve rice and beans or moro rice with a protein from the daily specials menu. AND, mostly importantly, the specials range from $8.50-$14.95 (the Ox Tail Stew being the main outlier at $14.95), with the average around $10, which is a steal! Proteins that you can choose include Chicken Stew, Roasted Pork (aka Pernil), Baked Chicken, Ox Tail Stew, Rib Stew, Pork Chop Stew, Beef Stew, Goat Stew, BBQ Ribs and many, many more. Depending on the day, the specials will be different, so do check the menu online (https://lulaslodi.com/daily-specials/). In addition, if you're just strolling in off of the street and haven't looked at the menu, don't expect a menu to be hanging above the ordering counter because there is none! (Although they do have their paper menus sitting by the cashier) But do your homework before hand or be ready to ask "what is that?" when looking through the glass windows where the food is kept warm. Since I have the utmost faith in them scooping the food for my entree, I typically just call in my food now and it's ready to go. So you're thinking, OK, that's a pretty good deal for these lunch specials, but what about portioning? Did I not just say it's an awesome, awesome deal???? It wouldn't be an AWESOME, AWESOME deal without a huge portion! The portions are ridiculous! I consider myself someone who has a big appetite and can eat a lot and I even have to split the lunch special into 2 meals because it's A LOT of food. For someone with a massive appetite, this will probably hit the spot. For someone with an small, average or decent appetite, this is undoubtedly a 2 meal entree because they jam the round tin foil tray to the top. And it goes without saying that the food is delicious. I've tried the Chicken Stew, Beef Stew, Baked Chicken and Roasted Pork and, so far, it all is exceptional. The rice is perfectly cooked and the meats are tasty. The only slight I have is I did wish they included a littttle bit more meat for some of the dishes because there is a heck of a lot of rice, but most of the time they give the right amount of protein. I think you pretty much know where I stand about Lula's. I'm super grateful that they aren't too far away and I know where I will ABSOLUTELY be going when in need of good takeout Latin food.

Where fast food meets dine in. Located in Hackensack, NJ, this Dominican restaurant offers some of…read morethe more popular dishes like pork chunks, rice and beans, yucca, etc. Although the food was okay, it was really just mediocre compared to most other authentic Dominican restaurants I've eaten at throughout the years. Fast service because the food is already made and you can see what is being offered under the glass. So it's not a made to order kind of place. There are a few tables indoors, probably seating for about 20 people total. So, not big but big enough for us wanting to get a quick bite. Seemed pretty clean and quiet when I was there. The one thing that will annoy me no matter if the food is good or not, is the personality of the person taking care of you. In this case, I was annoyed. The woman had a resting bitch face, and seemed that she was annoyed the entire time she was helping us. Big turn off for me. This restaurant seemed to be a spot for locals/neighbors but not something anyone would take a drive to get to. I gave it three stars because the food wasn't bad, but only three stars because I would never go here again.

Ordered the sancocho which comes with white rice. I also ordered a large order of avocado salad (in…read morethe notes I wrote "only avocado" and received only avocado in a container as I hoped). If you eat sancocho you know the avocado is a must! The delivery arrived within 30 minutes. The driver texted me right before he came to the door which is great. The food was still warm and flavorful. I have ordered the sancocho about three or four times from Mi Cocina and it doesn't disappoint. I ate half and am saving the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. I think it's time for a nap!

Pleasantly designed interior that teaches you subtly about the Dominican Republic where this…read moreexcellent cuisine hails from. The people behind the counter could not be more gracious and friendly. I've been with a group (and today by myself to get another taste) and we all enjoyed our plates - and each others'. The goat is perfectly moist and seasoned; everything else I've tried so far is, if I may quote Goldilocks enthusiastically, '' JUUUUST RIGHT!!'' and worthy of repeat visits. Very reasonable pricing. Anticipating many more satisfying experiences here! PS I ate an arepita de yuca here today and found it memorable! Looks like a potato latke, but its taste is distinct and it was perfectly prepared. Thanks, ladies!

El sazón de Doña Ramona es especial, great Dominican Food and the service is great. Welcoming…read moreambiance and delicious food.

I went to El Rio Nilo after seeing it on a foodie Instagram. The idea of Dominican sushi was…read moresomething I could not miss out on! My friend and I visited on Tuesday evening. The restaurant was super empty, but it was just as well because then we were able to enjoy some quiet. I ordered El Taino Frito roll which I was a fried sushi roll filled with mozzarella, Maduros, and bacon. My friend got El Pharaoh which was a regular sushi roll filled with ham and maduros and shrimp tempura. Both were immensely delicious. We also each ordered a side of maduros and thoroughly enjoyed them. My friend got a chicken empanada. She enjoyed it! The waitress was very nice. Loved the feel of restaurant. Would definitely go back!

8/9/24 Chinola and…read moreMorir Sonando - Chinola is a bit on the sweet side but the Morir Sonando was perfect Asian Chicharron - this is a must order. Tender, juicy and flavorful. Arroz con Camarones - very good but wish there was more shrimp. I would actually prefer small shrimps cooked into the rice then the large shrimp placed on top. Mofongo de Longaniza - mofongo was good and hubby liked the longaniza. But I didn't care for the longaniza, it was not as flavorful as others I've had.

I am glad we found this humble restaurant!…read more I am a true believer that a restaurant doesn't have to over sell to attract customers because people will be back for authentic food, top notch customer service, and unbeatable/reasonable prices. We ordered take out today, but will be back again to dine in next time. The Mofongo ( mashed plantains) is well seasoned and is served with a generous portion of cheese. I also ordered the sweet plantains, could maybe be cooked a little longer so it's softer. Tip: plenty of metered street parking and limit free restaurant parking at the back entrance.

Went in after jury duty since it was near by on Wednesday. I ordered 2 medium meals - oxtail and…read morebaked chicken. While my food was being prepped I used the restroom. The floor was sticky and there were napkins for toilet paper. It smelled because you can't flush the napkins. The server reviewed my order and the total was 29.86 with tax. I was in shock but also in a rush and just paid the bill. The menu I ordered from was on the counter next to the register. As for the food the rice was a bit mushy and the oxtail was more fat than meat with very little meat. Also it lacked some flavor. I ordered the chicken for my husband who will eat it today. I mentioned the menu because it does not show a medium oxtail meal as 18.00 or a large meal for that price yet I was charged 18.00, the chicken meal was 10.00 which is listed. I was never informed about any up charge for the oxtail. I also tipped 2.00. I gave it a 2 due to the dirty bathroom, tasteless food and overcharge. Upside, the listed prices if they are real, are a good value for the area.

I stumbled upon this establishment when I was searching for a Latin restaurant in Grubhub. Last…read morenight we decided against delivery and opted to drive out and dine in. This place has a parking lot next door but it seems that this lot belongs to an auto repair shop not the restaurant, it has tow-away signs but we parked in the lot because it was after hours. The restaurant is spacious, with plenty of tables, the music is low, the decor is low-key with some Winter motiffs. I told my wife that I was expecting more of an Island/Caribbean decoration. My wife ordered the Asopaó de Camarones (Shrimp Soupy Rice) & got Spaghetti with Dominican Salami, Tostones & Avocado. Hot tea to drink. I expected the Spaghetti to come with Dominican Salami as an option (this is how Dominican Spaghetti is prepared and served) but unfortunately it does not, the Spaghetti is plain & adding the Dominican Salami is extra. My wife's Asopaó was full of shrimps, very tasty she loved it as did i. My Spaghetti with Dominican Salami was pretty good. The Spaghetti were al dente enough (not too soft nor too hard), flavorful, Dominican Salami chunks were hearty (I was hoping that the Salami would be stewed but it was fried instead), the avocado was fresh & unblemished, & the tostones were perfectly golden fried & crispy. Ashley & Stacey were our servers and they were very friendly, full of smiles, on-point & honest. I said honest, because after paying the bill we asked for a pen to add a tip and she explained to us thar the tip (which is an automatic 15%) is already included. Which surprised us, usually tip is included with a party of 6 or more, we are only a couple. My wife and I always tip between 10% & 20% depending on the service of course. But no matter how bad, horrible was the service we tip at least the 10%. We detest restaurants that force us to tip. We believe we have the right to give a certain amount of our hard earned money ourselves, without forcing our hand. Because of this practice of including the automatic 15% tip, no matter the size of the dining party, I give a rating of 3 stars. If it wasn't for this forceful tipping, I would have given this place an easy 5 stars. So beware when dining in at La Cocina de Cristina, while the food is amazing, their tipping policy will force you to shell out 15% of your bill, whether the service was good or not. We will NOT dine in at this place ever again. If anything, I will order via Grubhub (which allows me to tip accordingly) or order take-out.

I happened to be in hackensack this past weekend and had a hankering for chicharron and tostones…read more I wound up getting their picadera (sampler) plate and it was off the chain. The chicharron, longaniza, and chicken were fried to perfection and the tostones were good too. I prefer my tostones a little crisper which is the only reason for the 4 stars and not 5 but that's just my preference. The place is beautifully decorated with dominican and it is very clean and well put together. Very nice vibe inside.

They consistency change prices at will. I paid 14 dollars for 3 pieces of oxtail?? And it was a…read moresmall? For lunch? It wouldve been easier to punch myself in the face for 14 dollars. There's several dozen other restaurants in the area like La costeña that's a block away. This place isnt worth it in anyway.

My absolute favorite spanish food spot!! I love the chicken stew. It gets very busy around lunch…read moretime so plan accordingly it's worth it!!

Came here on a Friday afternoon with a friend. I had been here once before, but I honestly don't…read moreremember what I ordered. One thing I do know is that I definitely didn't get the chicharrón or the pernil. Once we walked in, the host seated us at an open table. The restaurant is pretty spacious, with music playing in the background. I also noticed a DJ booth, so I'm guessing it gets pretty lively at night. I ended up ordering the daily special, the Pernil al Horno ($15), which came with white rice and beans. The pernil was topped with crispy pork skin, which I really appreciated. It was juicy, flavorful, and the crispy skin added the perfect crunch to every bite. My friend ordered the chicharrón, and it was awesome. It wasn't overly fatty, just the right balance of meat, fat, and crispy skin. Every bite had the perfect combination of crunch and flavor. I'll definitely be back for the chicharrón, as a snack or a full meal. If you're a fan of chicharrón, I highly recommend giving this place a try. * Parking on premise * Outdoor dining available

This place gets some bad reviews, and I can see why some people may say they didn't like their…read moreexperience there. However, every time I visit this place I can clearly say I truly enjoy my meal. You also can get a cold beer for about 6 dollars which is reasonable compared to other places. The issue is they make some things really well and maybe others not so great. I always eat a few things I know they make well. After all you don't order a filet at a fried chicken joint. Today I visited after being disappointed at the Freakin Rican spot on Cedar lane. See that review for details. I went by Elsa's and ordered some Mofongo with their famous Chicharones and it was delicious. Perfectly seasoned and paired with some delicious sauce that was perfect. My wife had oxtails with rice and beans and they were delicious too! We enjoyed a couple of really cold beers each and our bill was only around 60 dollars. The place has a really relaxing atmosphere and the service was good. I had to battle with a couple of knats but it just added to the entertainment, lol! The place could use some remodeling and cleaning but at least they consistently serve me good food at a great price. If you go there just temper your expectations. It reminds me of a roadside eatery in the islands which always serves good food but you have to battle with some bugs. Lmao!