THIS PLACE RIGHT HERE!!!!! Best Puerto Rican food ever!!! When you go in there, there may be a long line, but it's worth the wait! The food is fresh and delicious. I've been coming here for years and I always brag about this place. I don't care how long is the drive but I'm always there! The place is so clean inside the staff is Amazing the owner she's great and respectful! If I could give this review more than five stars I would, literally top three restaurants in Connecticut read more

OMG if you see this place run inside and grab a plate because it's so worth it not everybody that you take first time here today great people playing please great stuff it's going to be my new favorite place read more

The portions here are huge! I mean you have lunch and dinner in one plate. Maybe even lunch again. The pork and rice is amazing and perfectly cooked. The fried pork chunks were a bit dry but they usually are anyway. The onion and peppers it comes with is a good addition. Highly recommend this place read more

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ORIGIN: Brenda Torres opened the restaurant. The name refers to a Caribbean literary movement. LOCATION: The restaurant is located in a neighborhood that has been officially recognized as Latin. Ample street and lot parking make it easy to visit. CONCEPT: The restaurant serves Puerto Rican dishes. SERVICE: Customers wait on line or call orders in advance for pick up. Dishes are kept warm and served from large heated trays along a counter. Service is swift and efficient. FOOD: The restaurant is said to have best Puerto Rican Food in Connecticut -- and it shows! When I arrive in the mid-afternoon there is already a line to order. I've enjoyed Pernil (roast pork) with yellow rice and side of beans or plantains. The proportion is so generous I have shared or saved half the container. The food is so good that I make sure to visit any time I'm in the area (I live an hour away). AMBIANCE: The restaurant has two narrow rooms that are connected in the middle through a short hallway. Walls are decorated with Puerto Rican-themed art. The food is prepared as take out, but one room has dining tables along the wall. Not a comfortable spot to dine when there is a long line of customers waiting to order, but a welcomed option when you just can't wait to dig in! TIPS: Customers can call in their orders for pick up at the check out counter. Best to call ahead for Mofongo as it takes 20 minutes to prepare. Prefer a sandwich, but want the taste? A sister sandwich shop across the street serves many items in sandwich form. Chilled seafood dishes are available as well -- great choice during hot weather. read more

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Criolissimo Sandwich Shop and Cafe in New Britain is a place you need to visit. Criolissimo is one of the best names in Puerto Rican food in CT. When my friend Alicia told me that Criolissimo had opened a Sandwich Shop across the street from its traditional Puerto Rican restaurant, I was literally there within the hour. My first impression was, the space is very cool. They invested some money. Lots of red brick, nice woods and cool seats. And the super long natural wood table is a showstopper. Perfect for communal dining. My go to sandwich at Puerto Rican restaurants is the Tripleta. Three meats. Criolissimo's is the best I can remember having. The cubed steak and pernil were both a top notch. I couldn't tell if the third meat was a mild thin sliced ham, which is the third traditional meat, or turkey or roast pork. But it was all good. The bread and toppings were great. Very good coffee and flan too. 4.5 Stars read more

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Definitely the best Puerto Rican food I've had in CT. I've never dined in, always get takeout but there are tables to sit. Service is fast and friendly. My go to is the arroz con gandules, usually with Pernil or baked chicken. I usually throw in beans and sweet plantains. This is my usual order although I have had other things like ribs and beef stew which have been tasty. read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Takeout goodies - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

First time there. Found them off of Yelp. Was visiting a place in West Hartford & researched Puerto Rican food not to to far so we went here around 3:45 pm or so. Not to to busy but soon after it was getting REAL busy. Hubby & I both got yellow rice and Pernil. Very very good!!! The woman behind the counter was pleasant. We will be back again some time. read more

We ordered food to go but the service was great! We ordered chicken, rice and beans. It was the best I've had in the area! Will def be back to try some other dishes as well. read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Chicken with rice and beans. - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

Food is good but prices are a bit inconsistent. Personally have never dealt with bad service but have witnessed rude behavior towards many others. read more

Amazing Spanish food here! My go to is the pernil and yellow rice and beans. The Food is always fresh and tastes amazing. Staff is friendly too. If you are in the new Britian area and want good Spanish food this is the place to go to. read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

Place has been in business over 30 years for a reason. The owner revitalized the area with her business and murals on the side of the building dedicated to Puerto Rico and its cultural icons. All done unassumingly. Food is top quality. Wide variety of authentic Puerto Rican food, desserts and non alcoholic drinks. Roasted pork, stewed beef, marinated steak in sauce, rice and pigeon peas, white rice, cod fish salad, shrimp salad, seafood salad, Jamaica beef patties, alcapurrias, rellenos de papa, empanadillas, etc they got it all. Friendly staff. Good prices. Get there before noon because they get a cross section of the community. White collar city workers, blue collar workers and basically anybody in the know coming there for lunch. Owner has various Puerto Rican art and memorabilia scattered throughout the restaurant. It's like eating in a cool museum. They play Spanish music and videos. Ambiance is perfect if you want to sit down and enjoy a classic Puerto Rican meal. Might be the #1 overall Puerto Rican restaurant in Connecticut. They got it all covered. read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

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By far, the best service and PR food in New Britain! If you haven't tried Criollisimo yet, you are way overdue! Try their new sandwich shop across the street for some huge Cubanos and Tripletas! read more

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If you're in the New Britain area and craving some great Puerto Rican food, this is definitely the spot to check out. The food is fresh, delicious, and full of flavor, and the service is genuinely awesome. Highly recommend giving it a try! read more

Probably my favorite Latin Caribbean restaurant in New Britain. The food is classic Puerto Rican cuisine done very well. The salsa music sets the tone as you enter this establishment. Brenda the owner is very welcoming and gets everyone with a Smile. The staple foods pernil, roast chicken, sautéed steak, ribs, pork chops with sides of white or yellow rice are displayed behind glass counter. You can order mofongo and other items not in counter. Salads are available as well. They also offer daily special meats as well. Street parking offered and usually available in park across the street. Go early for lunch to avoid long lines. Best PR food in New Britain. Buen provecho read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

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First time trying this place and it surpassed my expectations! I loved how authentic and real the prices and food was. Brenda greeted us and asked us what we wanted and she was so funny and kind. She answered all our questions and honestly was a true gem to our whole experience. We order a bit of everything but what you do have to try is their pernil, empanadas, and plantains. The plates filled me up and packed so much flavor. Everything is cooked fresh and day of in the morning. The restaurant itself is laid back and very casual to have lunch or dinner with coworkers or family. Highly recommend for anyone who wants a filling plate with quality and at a great price. read more

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I highly recommend this place. Really good food and atmosphere and friendly staff here.

Me and my daughter love this place the food is really good the place is clean and the staff is nice

I will come here again and again. The food is always hot, fresh and delicious. Prices are amazing for the quantity of food. The staff are amazingly friendly and super sweet! read more

Great food! True Puerto Rican flavor! Wish I could find the bbq chicken skewers again. They were delicious but haven't seen them again :(

Really good lunch with yellow rice, chicken and sweet fried plantains. The chicken , carrots and potatoes were cooked to perfection, the yellow rice wasn't oily and the fried plantains were just sweet enough! read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

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yes... yes.. & another yes ! Friendly service Delicious Authentic PR Food Affordable grab & go with seating option read more

Food is always good , SERVICE SLOW !!!! You can legit wait in the line for 30mins with only 3 ppl ahead of you slow slow service good food. Win / loose lol read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Pork - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

Came here just in time for lunch! All the fresh rice was being replenished as I was next in line for my to go order! This place was packed and rightfully so. The line moved quick as did the food. But there was plenty displayed in a buffet covered case with trays of amazing Spanish cuisine to choose from. I got a little bit of everything as I planned it to be for my lunch and dinner but with the portion size I might have it for 3 meals tomorrow too! Great prices and so much flavor in the food! Rice was fluffy. My favorite was the pork with yellow rice. So delicious! Very friendly service and I will definitely be back! read more

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Delicious food! They are generous with portions and always busy. The owner is warm and inviting. A must try.

The mofongo was awesome & the flan really hit there spot. Definitely want to go back & explore more of the menu. read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Didn't think to take a picture until dessert. Tres leches. Flan. - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

This is the best Puerto Rican food I've ever had. I came here during my lunch break and ordered the pork with skin, yellow rice and pigeon peas ($9). I also had a beef empanada on the side ($3). The portions are huge!! The food is so delicious and perfectly cooked. The pork skin was so crispy, and the rice was so flavorful. It had little pieces of green olives that was a really tasty addition. There's street parking available out front and I recommend getting there early for lunch during the week. I arrived around 11:45 and while I was waiting a long line was forming behind me. They're currently doing take-out only. I highly recommend checking this place out it is now one of my favorite spots!! read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Pork, yellow rice & pigeon peas - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

The food was great Customer service was good and the food tasted excellent I would recommend this place.

Love this place. AMAZING FOOD! Best place in New Britain for Puerto Rican food. And Brenda hospitality is phenomenal! The restaurant is always clean , welcoming. read more

Great cheap Spanish food. The shrimp salad is also very good. It gets busy during lunch, so order ahead

Delicious food, big portions, clean restaurant, friendly service. Ordered rice, pork chop, and an empanada on first visit - now looking forward to going back to try other dishes. Highly recommend for takeout lunch. read more

Criollisimo Restaurant - Carne y queso empanada, pork chop and onions, yellow rice. - Spanish Near Me - New Britain, Connecticut

Heard about this place on social media and was mesmerized by the artwork painted on the side of the building. Brushed it off as a typical "cuchifrito" restaurant. Decided to take a trip, from NYC, because, why not?!! After almost 3 hours, because of traffic, I was starving and had to pee. Bathroom was very clean and smelled great, one of my biggest pet peeves is a dirty smelly bathroom so this was a PLUS for me. Went on a Thursday evening and it didn't seem busy at all. Probably 5 people ahead of me on line and it went fast. The trays and serving area was clean and the food looked fresh. I had already checked the menu ahead of time and practically ordered half the menu. A plate of arroz con gandules with peril and sides of batata, potato salad, ensalada de pulpo, pastelon, mofongo con chicharron de cerdo, alcapurrias and a Malta to wash it down.... Oh. Em. Gee! Not what I expected at all but so much more. The quality of the food was so fresh and flavorful! It reminded me of the Kioskos in Luquillo and El Verde in Rio Grande, Puerto Rico. I appreciated the rice being short grain, exactly how my grandmother used to make it. D.E.P Dona Meche! There are plenty of cuchifritos in NYC but the majority are ran by Dominicans. Don't get me wrong! I love my island cousins #queloque and their food is delicious. It's just different. This restaurant brought those authentic flavors that I've been missing and made this whole trip worth of it. read more

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I wouldn't even give it one star. Today I stopped in to get coconut water and that's it. I didn't stand in the line because I was only buying a drink. The lady was speaking in Spanish under her breath to a another customer...she's gonna sit there and wait! She rolled her eyes and deliberately and intentionally ignored me. I go here ALL the time and it's the egotistical ignorance that I hate here! The owner is a sweetheart and her staff not so much a reflection of her. I'm disgusted with the petty little things they do to customers. I've seen them talk down to people and everything. I will never spend a dime here ever again!!! read more

Had takeout for lunch. I had a hard time with the lady on my phone just because the menu had English names for everything and she repeated them back with the Spanish names, but my order was 100% correct. The food was still nice and hot when I got home (tied the plastic takeout bag tightly), and I very very much enjoyed my barbecued pork ribs. (Holy-moly; so good!) The corn fritter with cheese was a tasty thing to try, kind of like a corn dog if it was melted cheese not 'dog. The fried plantains weren't what I was expecting and were a bit dry. I saved my beef and cheese empanada for dinner because the rest had filled me up for lunch. Reheated at 350° for 5 minutes (probably could have used 10, but I was impatient)--perfection! Overall really happy with my experience. read more

Food is authentic and delicious. people that work there a very nice. It is not a fancy place you order your food and then you sit at a table or take it to go. This works out because they serve so much food that you're not gonna eat in one sitting anyway. read more

The owner is not a pleasant person, use to go there a few times a week, but the owner started to be disrespectful because I asked her for mayokeptchup after I payed for everything. I am the person that I will give a 2nd chance, however the 2nd time I ask for a pound pork and the scale was not showing a pound yet and the owner got really mad and was really disrespectful, that is the reason I stop going into that restaurant. She knew she was wrong but she never apologized. Horrible customer service from the owner read more

What can I say, Criollisimo is the best in the area. Service is excellent and food is delicious. Thank you, thank you! Will be returning soon. read more

I would never have known about this mostly-takeout restaurant if not for my friend and her Puerto Rican boyfriend. They swear by this place, so I knew I had to try it. Our first trip was a little disappointing. We went at 6:30PM, and they had run out of most of the entrees, while the food that they did have was cold from having sat out all day. My fried pork chop was overfried to the point where the meat was chewy and tough. Still, what I tasted had a lot of potential flavor-wise, and my friend said that they were much better for lunch, so I knew I had to give them another chance. I went back last Thursday around 11:30AM, and what a difference it made! This time they were fully stocked, and I had no trouble ordering my pernil y arroz con gandules. The pernil was wonderful. It's tender, flavorful, and has just the right amount of heavenly crispy skin mixed in. The arroz con gandules was also delicious. I go nuts for arroz con gandules, and this did not disappoint. For $8, I got a takeout box packed with pork and rice. It didn't look like a lot at first, but I was full after eating half a box, and it easily made 2 meals. Just a few complaints: The food is really greasy. Yes, no one expects Puerto Rican food to be diet food, but both times I ate here, my food was sitting in a pool of oil and my lips were coated with grease. Second, I wish they did a real dinner service instead of just selling leftover food from lunch. The food I had the first time wasn't awful; it just needed to be fresher or at least warm. Third, make more pernil! It was my favorite item there, and they sold out so quickly. All that aside, the next time I have a craving for Puerto Rican food, I will definitely be back. read more

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So upset with service I received today we ordered ahead some lechon for my 90 yr old mother in law lady said pick up at 1230 we call n she says now pick up at 230 so since we r gonna be out of town we arranged pick up n we paid for order it's now 238 she said they were sold out like what are you talking about I'm so upset the worst ever read more

We went about an hour out of our way while traveling to New Jersey to make a pit stop at this beautiful place! I had seen the restaurant featured on Facebook and wanted to visit their beautiful umbrella display and art alley. My bf was more interested in the food! We were both very pleased. The restaurant was easy to find with Google Maps and we were delighted that the owner, who happened to be outside, helped us park the car in a spot right outside the restaurant. She was very friendly and kind. Once inside, we were a little confused as to whether it was takeout only but saw some people dining in. They do not offer table service but you can certainly take a plate to dine in a small dining room area of about 10 tables where you are surrounded by beautiful reminders of Puerto Rico. I especially enjoyed their collection of vejigantes masks that reminded me a great deal of some masks I've seen in the Museo de Arte de Ponce. They also had some Puerto Rican flag themed art and some art featuring the three kings. See photos. I am obsessed with alcapurrias so ordered two as well as some plantains and arroz con gandules. Everything was great and the line was not long when we ordered but as we were leaving the line was practically out the door. I found the prices to be very reasonable especially for the amount of food you get. Make sure to visit the alley for a little bit of PR in CT. Overall, a great detour! one random but important thing to note is that the alley is actually used by cars so watch out for vehicles when taking photos. Only detracting a star because of the lack of table service. read more

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The umbrella alley was spectacular, and the owner herself, Brenda Torres, helped us park by the front of the restaurant. My girlfriend and I had an assortment of Puerto Rican buffet specialties, which you order first cafeteria style, and then you can sit to enjoy it or order takeout. We sampled pernil (roasted pork shoulder), rice with red kidney beans, rice with pigeon peas(gandules), alcapurrias, and fried ripe plantain. It could appeal to more clients if they offered table service. It was delicious food and made for a great lunch stop while traveling south on I-95. read more

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