As the other reviewers mentioned, this place is all about the novelty of the location. It's located inside a building loading dock. It is a literal hole in the wall. You'll see the lunch special food menu from the sidewalk so you know where to find it, but it's easy to miss. There seems to be no A/C and it's quite stuffy on hot days. There are a few tables to dine-in, in case conditions are comfortable. Very pleasant team of mother and son helping serve at the counter. Bring cash. Take-out orders are served in aluminum bowls and size is generous. They come with rice, plantain, salad. *Beef stew: Chunks of beef nicely simmered in a mildly flavored sauce. *Baked ribs: These are large pieces of what look like pork ribs, bone-in. Be prepared to be gnawing on the bone for those juicy pieces of meat. It appears that this place may be past its heyday based on other reviews, but the family members remaining there are doing their best holding down the fort. Come and support! read more

Tasty In Any Language... Hidden in the back corner of what appears to be a garage you will find the latin restaurant El Sabrosa. The dining room has 2 family style tables that is reminiscent of a backyard family party. The oxtail stew at this Spanish restaurant feels like it was crafted with love by a team of abuelitas in the kitchen. The tender meat, slow-cooked to perfection, melts in your mouth with every bite. The rich, comforting flavors transport you straight to a traditional Spanish home, where the wisdom of generations is infused into every dish. It's the kind of hearty, soulful meal that could only be made by those who have mastered the art of cooking through years of experience. Paired with fluffy white rice, it's the ultimate comfort food, reminiscent of family dinners at grandma's house. The ladies behind the counter greeted with big welcoming smiles that that almost required a hug. A perfect lunch with a rereasonable price in NYC. I will definitely return to try some of their other menu items. read more

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Super humble spot that's hard to miss walking down the street. Some good, home-cooked-tasting food. Have come here several times for chicken and rice dishes. A bit pricier than options like Chirp a few blocks away, but the team running the kitchen makes you feel good about giving them your money over a chain restaurant. Definitely somewhere to order and take away. read more

Excellent!!!! Great service, good flavor and perfect location. Recommended. Can't wait to be back. read more

El Sabroso - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

Literally a hidden gem! Gives you classic Hispanic vibes the women are fabulous. I adore them!! Food is delicious and made fresh every day. They keep a small menu but every single dish is delicious. Quick service and super sweet transactions! read more

not good at all, asked for a chicken seco and was given a chicken stew. Owner tried to convince me a stew was considered a seco in NY. Been in NY several years and had never heard that statement. read more

Very (very) humble counter-serviced lunch spot inside an industrial space. Small menu of bland Mexican / central American food. Very (very) humble dine-in setup with folding chairs and disposable knives that are too flimsy to cut with. For the price, it's gotta be Margon over El Sabroso ten times out of ten. However, for the novelty, or out of sheer necessity, this is a serviceable lunch spot. It's unfortunate for everyone that a chicken leg with rice and beans costs as much as four pieces of decent pizza. read more

If you're in a rush a need something quick go for it not a place of my choice for a sit down I call this a hit and run place quick lunch and get out good luck guys cheers read more

Those hole-in-the-wall places know what they're doing. Ordered the chicken stew and the pernil. Both very good. My child devoured the chicken stew and left me next to nothing (sniffles). The pernil was flavorful and moist. The service is great as well. Would come back. read more

I have been waiting for years to go to this place but because they close at 5 PM and are about a 30-minute walk from the job I never had the chance until recently. This is not a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, but more like a cafe on the loading dock. in the back of the building. But sad to say time and cuvid19 may have pushed this place past its heyday. One nice lady was trying to hold the fort, cooking, serving, and running the register. The selection was limited they had 2 items from a menu that bosted two dozen, and I wanted Bistec, steak with onions, and yellow rice, but they only had Pollo Frito, fried chicken, and Cane Guisado, beef stew. What was unusual was that the cut of beef for the stew was the same you would use for the steak and onions. The Cane Guisado and rice were so so I had better, but it did have the distinct Spanish flavor. read more

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Visiting El Sabroso is like visiting a throwback from another era, when blue collar industry was more prevalent in New York. El Sabroso has that authentic rough, industrial feel. The small restaurant is set up in a loading dock. There are maybe four seats at the counter, and one separate table that probably seats up to 6 people. I had the Carne Guisada (beef stew) for $8.00, total. Perhaps the restaurant was having an off day, but the beef could have been more tender and stewed longer. The yellow rice and beans were slightly too salty for my tastes, but the hot sauce was amazing. The included "salad" was a few pieces of iceberg lettuce. If you eat in, there is a small bowl of that awesome hot sauce on the restaurant's one table. While I wouldn't return for the beef stew, I would give El Sabroso another chance and try something else. read more

El Sabroso - Carne Guisada (Beef Stew); take-out - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

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Overall a great meal and a very generous portion but it seemed underseasoned. They do have a great hot sauce which is ACTUALLY hot but it wasnt super flavorful. It was a great filling meal that really fulfilled my craving, but not sure if i will be back read more

El Sabroso - Pernil - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

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Ryan has stepped in to take in the family business and it is so beautiful to see the next generation keep those traditions alive. Great job to him and his dad Tony for the great food! read more

Find it, and you win. Have the goat. Or the anything else. This place is a Garment District hidden gem! read more

El Sabroso - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

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Nice spot on 37th St, near 8th avenue, in Manhattan. I spotted this place on Yelp and since it was closeby Penn station, I figured I'd give it a try. I don't think I read the reviews thoroughly, because I had difficulty finding the place. I had to search for this place by address number and even when I found it, I was still a bit confused. This place is inside of a loading dock. You enter through two push doors and you see a counter. You order your food at the counter and either take it to go or eat it at the counter or at a makeshift table, that's off to the side. I tried the beef stew here. The stew comes with yellow rice and some salad. The stew is pretty good, but the portion sizes are pretty small. At $8 it's not a bad deal, but it would be a better deal with a larger portion. read more

El Sabroso - Beef stew - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

Had El Sabroso bookmarked since my eyes were fixated on one of my colleagues Pablo B.'s lunch. I finally came here today with one of my colleagues. Indeed definitely a hole-in-the-wall with a lot space for the seating area. Small kitchen with a counter top for extra seating. Me and my colleague both ordered the Steak with Fried Onions (Bistec Encebollado) but I had her splash some of special made hot sauce. We quickly walked back as it was super windy today. Plastic knives sucks at cutting through the steak so I ripped it up with my hands to enjoy the yummy steak better. Next time I need to ask for more sauce from those delicious beans over the yellow rice. Mama like cheap lunch spots! read more

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Got the pernil and it was flavored to perfection. It even had the crunchy bits from the skin that are very important with a roast pork. The hot sauce is different but really good! The atmosphere is very cool and old school NYC Latin. No frills, Spanish radio in the background all within a working freight entrance in the garment district. Literally hand trucks of merchandise being pushed in as your ordering. read more

This is a very special place located in Midtown! It's a little hard to find as it inside of a loading dock. It's almost completely tucked away in plain sight which is my favorite type of restaurant. Every meal is under $8 which is incredibly hard to find in New York. Seating is limited but very Mom and Pop type vibe. I came with my partner and as the menu is limited we were ready to order in less than 5 minutes. I ordered the steak and onion plate and he ordered the baked chicken plate. The food is preprepared so our food was hot and ready within 5 minutes as well. Each plate comes with rice, beans, lettuce, and your choice of meat. They also have a home made hot sauce that is tasty but beware it is truly SPICY! As far as flavor, my meal was full of it. Despite a few salty bites my rice and beans were packed with flavor. My steak was tasty as well! The lettuce adds a nice crisp texture too the meal which I appreciated. My boyfriend said that he enjoyed his food as well but his chicken was a little dry. Overall I am happy I checked out this little hole in the wall. I'd definitely come back read more

The pernil was good and filling. At first I thought it wasn't enough, but I was satisfied by the end of my cheap eat. Worth a stop if you want a tasty cheap meal. Oh, that hot sauce is FIRE, but tasty. Tread lightly. I appreciate the loading dock no frills vibe. read more

This place is cash only!! Amazing rice with delicious meat, some beans and a tiny bit of lettuce. It's $6 for roast pork, which I've split into two meals with the rice given, so it's an amazing deal. There's also the cheapest and most delicious oxtail I've had in NYC. $7.5, which includes tax too. Seriously I'm not sure how they make money here, no frills but delicious food. Go and you won't regret it! read more

El Sabroso - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

I've had El Sabroso so many times before and I have loved it every time. Unfortunately, our last visit was not the best. The escabeche was good, the chuleta frita was dry and over cooked, the gaspacho was not fresh like every other time. I love El Sabroso, but was disappointed last visit on 12/30/19.... read more

El Sabroso - Escabeche. Delicioso. - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

This is my favorite lunch spot! Very filling portion size and pernil is perfectly seasoned. Service is fast and friendly. Located in a busy but spacious loading dock. read more

They only take cash . I just arrived in town and as soon as I checked in, i headed out for a quick bite. I google Spanish places to eat near me. El sabroso called my attention because it was within walking distance from my hotel . I walked there , you can miss the place really easy . The entrance to the this eatery is a loading dock kind of place . Just open the door and bumm!you are there . As soon as I saw city workers eating there , I knew the place would be good. It's a two person operation , there is a small booth and one or two table on the left side. This place is unique. I liked it immediately ! The owner Tony was very nice . We chatted a bit . He has been at that locAtion for 16 years . It is very small. You will get really Good home cooked Ecuadorian food. They have a menu ,but sometimes they don't serve what's in the menu (remember it's two person operation ) . You have to go there willing to be flexible with your meals. I opted for rice , stew and bean with a bit of salad , and it was great. They only take cash , so come in with cash in hand no bills larger than 20 please . They are open five days a week . And the owner Tony told me that perhaps they will open on Saturday starting in April ( call ahead to double check on this ) as of now they open Saturday and Sunday . Here are some pictures of the entrance , the place itself , my meal and the owners Tony . If you go here and enjoy leave a nice review for them . God bless read more

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I can't believe that I only noticed this eatery the other day, even though I've passed by it so many times over the years. El Sabroso is located inside the freight elevator entrance of a building, right between Ramini's Espresso Bar and a mini lottery hole in the wall kiosk. There's seating at the bar and a large table off to the side. I went after a morning meeting to pick up lunch. I originally wanted to order the steak and onions, but only the chicken was ready at that time. The baked chicken $6 was so good. The meat was super juicy and falling off the bones tender. It was such a larger drumstick and thigh. I had coworkers asking me where I brought my lunch because they could smell the chicken in the hallway. The rice was a bit mushy; I've never had Spanish rice before, so I'm not sure if it was overcooked or not. The beans was ok; it reminded me of the canned beans, but firmer in texture. I would stop by to try the other items on the menu. read more

El Sabroso - baked chicken (large drumstick/thigh w/ yellow rice, salad, beans) $6 - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

I would just like to say this is the only place I've found that's consistently good and very affordable within walking distance to Penn Station. It is a very small place but it doesn't take long for you to get your food as the line moves very quickly. It's just a woman and a man behind the counter. Very no-frills. They sell bananas and rolls as well as a small selection of drinks as well. I've been here for lunch take-out several times. I've gotten the $6 pernil (roast pork), $7.50 bistec encebollado (steak and onions) and $6 baked chicken (pollo al horno). I liked each dish. My favorite is the steak and onions. Each dish comes with a little iceburg lettuce, some pink beans, white or yellow rice (depending on what they have - it's always been yellow for me) and your meat of choice. I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for an inexpensive, good, tasty lunch. I'm also pretty sure it's cash only. read more

El Sabroso - Roast Pork with rice, beans, some lettuce and hot sauce (if you wish). I asked for extra hot sauce. Consistently good and only $6! - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

Delicious food in an extremely strange location! This is a service elevator entrance with a menu and an "A" health grade. Small bar, few seats at the bar, and one table for lager group. The chicken stew was delicious and the saw was extremely spicy. I want more of that sauce! Get the cheese empanadas as it's amazing! Cheap prices, fast, and delicious... What else can you ask for? Oh, I guess a real restaurant setting. read more

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Delicious. Packed with flavor. I got the pernil this time. Flavorful and moist. Fast and friendly service. Not many places to sit, but it's called a "lunch counter" for a reason. Portion sizes have been inconsistent, but everything is always cooked perfectly. THE HOT SAUCE IS ACTUALLY VERY HOT! Affordable too! read more

El Sabrosa is an Ecuadorian lunch counter behind two sets of freight doors. On a warm day, the doors are open and you'll be able to look down the long, dark hallway to your destination. On a cold day you'll have to open the second set of doors yourself, but listen first to make sure an exiting delivery cart won't slam it open into you. Your destination is a small kitchen with a lunch counter and five or six rickety stools, with bright flourescent lamps revealing pots of stews and trays of chicken, pork, and steak. Spanish music plays softly out of a portable stereo, and the menu is posted in Spanish and English. Sometimes it's easier to order by pointing at a pot and asking what's in it. Some dishes you have to look for, like the cheese empanadas as kept on a shelf above the stove. The woman behind the counter is friendly and quick with a smile, but if you're not listening carefully you might have to ask her to repeat herself. Entrees are $5 and come with rice and a choice of beans or lentils. You're asked if you want hot sauce. You should always answer yes. It's not too hot, so get at least two spoons. Ask her to put the hot sauce put directly on your entree or she'll put it in a lonely corner of your take-out container. Tostones, twice-fried green plantains, are free. Just ask for some. El Sabrosa serves Ecuadorian food but does not seem to be restricted to it. The guatita is a popular Ecuadorian dish, a yellow stew of potatoes, mondongo (cow tripe), and ground peanuts. I'm not a huge fan of tripe but I've been learning to appreciate it. Biting into large chunks of it is sometimes a bit adventurous for my liking. I was surprised at how small these pieces were, almost undetectable but for their aroma. The cow foot soup had a deep flavor. A small cross section of bone was at the bottom of the cup, accompanied by soft cartilage and enormous cacahuacintle corn kernels. It would have been good with the side of rice I thought I asked for. You'll also find favorites like carne guisado and seco de chivo, which I did not have. I did have the lomo saltado, a Peruvian dish of beef, onions, and potatoes cut like french fries. The onions are full of rich beef flavor, nicely accented by the house hot sauce. The pernil is cut off the bone and gravy is served separately - don't skip it. El Sabrosa also has an interesting selection of drinks. Start with the avena y morocho, which is homemade. I had to google this - I believe it's a drink made from oats, sugar, cinnamon, and citrus zest. It is served cold in a soup cup and has the consistency of very thin oatmeal. I imagine this is a bit unconventional for many folks, but I think if you like the arroz con leche at Super Tacos you will enjoy this, too. It's a good balance to the strong flavors you'll find here. There is also a selection of imported sodas. I only tried one - Tome Tropical, which tasted like fruit punch bubble gum and was extremely sweet. Other options are Postobon and Colombiana. Oh, and you can get bottled water, and perhaps regular American soda. Unfortunately, consistency is a problem. One day the empanadas were overcooked and heavy with grease. On another day they were done just right. The rice is dry, clumpy in the wrong way, and generally lacks the flavor found in other local shops. The lentils were full of spice and flavor, were better than the red beans, but a bit mushy at 2 PM.. The cow foot soup would have been better if defatted. And finally, sometimes the portions are markedly smaller than at other similar restaurants. El Sabrosa is open from 7A-4PM weekdays. I usually arrived after the lunch peak, so it's possible that showing up earlier will yield better results. It really put into perspective my previous meal at Vasconellos, which was delicious despite being after the lunch rush. I might come back to try the occasional daily special or one of those funky sodas, but I will look elsewhere to spend my lunch money. read more

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This place gets my "biggest surprise of the year" award. A coworker mentioned this place and said the food was fantastic (she gets the chicken soup here every Tuesday), so another coworker and I ventured out today to try it. I wasn't expecting it to look like a loading dock and I was sure we were walking into the wrong place, but sure enough, there was a menu posted on the door, so we walked back into the hallway to find Tony busying himself at the stove and another gentleman eating at the small counter, which was right beside a huge freight elevator. It's like a street cart, but inside. A very strange experience indeed! We were greeted by Tony and we each ordered the baked chicken. He served up HUGE portions and packed everything up for us. $5 each. What a deal! We headed back to the office and ate. The chicken was incredibly delicious - literally falling off the bone - tender and juicy - and seasoned perfectly. The beans were very good as well (and usually, beans aren't really anything worth mentioning, but these were really good). The hot sauce was quite hot, and thankfully, he just put a little bit of it off to the side of my food, instead of putting it all over. I will definitely be back the next tim I'm in the mood for Ecuadorian food. You can't beat a $5 meal that fills you up to your ears. I'm curious about the breakfast here - egg on a roll for $1. It's worth another AM trip to investigate. read more

El Sabroso - Pollo al horno (baked chicken) at El Sabroso - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

The food here is good and it's definitely a "hidden" gem in midtown but things have changed in the last few months or so. The portions are smaller and some of the prices went up slightly. I loved coming to this place because it used to be filling and authentic but today it was just authentic. Sadness. read more

El Sabroso - Stew Chicken Lunch Special - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

It's in a service entrance to a building. A bit odd for sure. However, I do not know of any other nearby Spanish food of this quality near my job. Service was a little slow around 2 in the afternoon, but the pernil was delicious. Compared to places in Corona or Jackson Heights, they are a big stingy with serving size for the price, but, for the location, I do not knock them a star for that. If you work within 5 blocks and you have the time to get here, definitely worth the jog for the food. read more

El Sabroso - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

This place is a hole-in-the-wall. You have to keep your eyes peeled, because it is easy to walk past it. It is located in the service entrance of a building, and is by the freight elevator. There are a few small tables, and then some stools by the counter. Most people get take-out. The food is very basic: meat, rice, beans, & some lettuce. While the food is simple, they do it very well. I'd recommend the roast chicken or pernil (roasted pork). At $6 for a lunch special, it's a pretty good deal. They also have a homemade hot sauce that gives the meat and rice a great kick. Their empanadas are also pretty good. One day I may get some courage and try the ox-tail stew. The service is efficient and friendly. While eating there, I noticed that the woman at the counter had a great rapport with the regulars who came in. I liked that. No, it's not fancy, and I'd never go here on a first date or to impress a client. However, if you want some great Latino food that tastes like your abuelita made it, this is the place to go! read more

El Sabroso - Roast pork with rice & beans - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

El Sabroso is a great alternative from the usual (mostly non-exciting) lunch choices in Midtown west, which normally consist of soups, salads or sandwiches. El Sabroso is located in a loading dock on West 37th (near 8th ave) and can very easily be missed; however, they do have a sign hanging above the door that made finding it much easier than I expected. When you first walk in, you feel a little unsure, but are then greeted by the friendly staff; we talked to both the chef and the lady working the counter. Don't bother looking at the menus hanging on the wall, as the chef only prepares a few options for the day. When I went, they had fried fish, chicken stew, grilled chicken, and pork chops available. I ended up getting the baked chicken, which came with yellow rice, beans, a small salad and was topped with delicious orange hot sauce (I wish I would have asked for more). The quantity and quality of the food were great and only cost $6! While it reminded me of the usual halal food sold by the street vendors, I thought the quality was much better and much healthier. They have very little seating inside, including a few tables and some seats at the counter. We would have stayed to eat but had to get back to the office for a meeting. I will definitely be back for lunch again; this is a great hole in the wall in midtown west. Tip: Cash only! read more

El Sabroso - Baked chicken - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

3.5 stars... I love hidden spots like this in the city, it's one of those things that makes NYC really stand out. This lunch counter is tucked away in a freight elevator entrance on 37th street. I was even looking for the place and I still got turned around trying to find it. The little counter has a few stools but I think the place was more of a take out spot than anything. When I went it was there were two people working there. the owner (Tom) who seemed very nice and spoke English well (with an accent of course), and a woman who helped me but didn't seem to speak much English so that was a bit of challenge. From what I've read in other reviews not everything on the menu is available all the time but I was debating on $5 stewed chicken (not to be confused with chicken stew) or beef stew ($6), they had both. I went with the chicken. You get two pieces of stewed chicken that couldn't be any more tender. It's on the bone (which is always the norm in latin cooking), and the chicken was so fall-off-the-bone tender that many of the smaller bones were brittle and were easily lost in the pile of rice and beans. The portion and flavor was great, and it's really a decent spot for really basic stick to your ribs spanish food. UPDATE: I went back for the pork chops ($6) and was pretty disappointed at the super thin and dry pork chops (2) but still impressed with the rice, beans, and portion for the money. I also tried the cheese empanada ($1) which was cold but otherwise decent. Next time I should just stick with the chicken read more

Such a hidden gem in the Fashion District! I always walked by the sign that reads "Ecuador / Spanish comida" and was always curious to try this place, and finally did!! Before entering to this completely commercial/factory-like building, I looked at the menu on the front door and decide to try the Baked Chicken. But! You enter to this space which is a hallway used by those people handling whole sale clothes and materials, you do not have much choice on food nor seating. There is one counter with 6-7 chairs and one meeting table with some chairs. The owner/chef does not carry everything on the menu but just 3-4 kinds of dishes for a day. So, I went with the pork chop. The chef, Tony, said he cooked everything and has been serving for about 15 yrs!!! Wow. The food was good. It did meet my expectation. I will def. come back here for another lunch. One more thing - He serves Peruvian plates on Fridays which I should try, oh and also eggs on a roll for $1 in the morning! read more

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Pretty mediocre at best. To be fair, my hubby was born and raised in Miami, and I myself am a Caribbean mix so our standard for good Latin/Caribbean food is pretty high. So when we saw this as a recommendation in a YouTube video of good local finds when going to NYC, we thought it sounded like a great idea. I ordered what I thought was oxtail and hubs ordered the goat, but they were indistinguishable. I'm honestly wondering if we were even served the right dishes! Each plate came with yellow rice, pinto beans and some fresh iceberg lettuce. They had an optional pepper sauce on the side which was actually pretty tasty but all in all, the overall meal was just okay. Bummed, but it was still a sweet experience since the service was really nice and the feel was very much ma and pops in the middle of the city. read more

El Sabroso - Oxtail or goat plate - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

The pernil and carne guisada are excellent (all I have had so far haha). The rice and beans fill you up - all for $8-$9. These jóvenes saben que pasa (these young people know what's up) .... highly recommended. read more

First time trying this place today. Totally a fan! (An Ecuadorian fan at that) The pollo guisado was delicious- chicken came right off the bone and seasoned perfectly. The place is a perfect hole in the wall but you won't miss it. There's a big sign outside. Cook and cashier were super nice and we chatted a bit about our Ecuadorian roots. Plus, they have Tropical, one of my favorite Ecuadorian sodas. Lady said they also have empanadas for breakfast. Will be trying them too. read more

El Sabroso - Pollo guisado over yellow rice and beans. Side of lettuce and a Tropical. - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

WTH is this place? We read about it in Time Out NY and decided to explore. Only thing was, I think we were too late 7PM and they closed. I thought the entrance to this restaurant was the freight elevators. And it is! Didn't get to try the food here this time, but will definitely give it try next time. Just wanted to write about it so I remember to come back. read more

Seriously...this place defines hole in the wall. Located in, what seems like the hallway of a commercial loading dock. There's a counter, and one table on the side, but you come here to grab and go. And go early, b/c while the menu is pretty good with all kinds of spanish food, including empanadas - but b/c it has become popular with local workers, and food goes very very fast, By virtually 12:30, he only has stewed or baked chicken. This is the only cheap spanish food place in my area so it's a go for me! read more