A hidden gem what you would call a hole in the wall. Visiting from out of town and this place did…read morenot disappoint. I had white rice, black bean and the pollo guisado it was very flavorful. My husband had some sancocho and that was delicious as well. Service was done with a smile and we paid after we ate. If you're in the area check them out. Very good food and great customer service.

First time here & wont be the last! Chris is very friendly & helpful as I'm not familiar with…read moreDominican food. My husband & I had chicken over rice with black beans & tostones too! The chicken was so flavorful & perfect with rice & beans. Tostones are made to order & just delicious! We both brought some home because the portions are huge! Very pleasant & comfortable atmosphere.

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.

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 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!

Translated from Spanish as my dream, Mi Sueño Cafe is a small eatery with a couple of seats but…read moremostly takeout located off a busy Market Street in Saddle Brook. Parking can be an issue, depending on the time of day. Luckily, not today, as I found parking right in front. The menu specializes in Dominican cuisine but has other Spanish dishes ranging from empanadas to rabo guisado, tostones, and cakes. I decided on their lunch special consisting of chivo guisado (Dominican braised goat) with white rice, red beans, and a small salad for takeout. The food was still hot, and the goat flavor was amazing--earthy and intense with a kick and just plain old lip-smacking delicious. However, the rice and beans didn't have any taste. If you are in the area, give this place a try.

Went here today as I was in the area had the pork chops with white rice, pink beans and yuca…read more The staff two of them were very pleasant and welcoming parking was difficult in the front as my vehicle stuck out partially in the roadway. The pork chops were very good well seasoned however the rice and the bean had no flavor as well as the yuca. I did ask for some sauce from the pork chops on the rice but was not given enough to make a difference. Not a bad place but I'll try a different place next time

Sad day in the Montclair culinary world. Paris's Cocina…read moreDominicans has closed their doors. Stopped by and like many other days I couldn't tell if they were open. Most the time he would be up the street or closed but this time it was completely empty. All the kitchen stuff is already moved out. Luckily we had a big catered event by him a few months ago so I got my fix but this is going to hurt. I will remember my many delicious meals I had here.

This lunch restaurant is absolutely delicious, truly one of the hidden gems of Montclair. Johan,…read morethe owner, is also such a doll. I went there once with my father, who due to his Parkinson's had trouble swallowing certain kinds of food, and Johan made sure he chose exactly the right food for him. The amount of love he puts into his food shines through.

After a long hike and starving I went to this restaurant randomly to try the food. Its ride on the…read moreside of the road and sort of like a trucker stop kinda place. The restaurant itself is not much to write home about but the food... omg I was mind blown. The best pasdionfrit morisoñando we've ever. If you're dominican, you know. The food was DELICIOUS and very fresh. The chicharon, on point! The owner was there and makes you feel at home and welcomed Would definitely recommend.

Very cute. Delicious authentic food. Service is excellent. I had ordered a few trays of food for…read moreparty and everyone raved over the carnitas.

Hole in a wall alert!!! What a great find. We were in search for some sancocho and found a great…read moreDominican version of the famous soup. Great flavor... filling... fresh! Yum! The people working there are super nice (but be prepared to speak Spanish or be patient). Totally worth the visit, just don't expect a five star dining experience. You'll get a huge bang for your buck. Enjoy/disfruten!

So my wife and I stopped by Ridgefield Park to see a house decked in Halloween decorations at 335…read moreMain Street, it was fun. After taking pictures we google places to eat nearby, and this is how we found this Dominican restaurant. As soon as we stepped in we got a whiff of tasty Dominican cuisine. We were greeted by Beatriz, a charming & friendly young lady. It so happens that the chef and owner are two gentlemen that we knew from another Dominican restaurant in Teaneck years ago. The owner Dario & chef Ismael. We recognized each other, what a small world. We ordered Chicken soup, Sancocho (a hearty Dominican soup) & Fried Chicken Crackling with Red bean Moro (mixed red beans and rice) to go. The Chicken is crispy but yet tender inside, full of flavor, the Moro is soft and tasty. We placed both soups in the fridge to eat tomorrow. Ismael did a superb job cooking and the owner Dario is very amiable! They do deliveries.

Cocina criolla is the cuisine created by the European (mostly Spanish) colonists using their…read moretraditional recipes made with native Caribbean foods and cooking styles. Sofrito is a versatile, aromatic purée of tomatoes, peppers, cilantro, onions, and garlic, which is the foundation of just about every Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Dominican soup, stew, or sauce. Located on busy Teaneck Road in Teaneck, this husband/wife duo, with the husband being Cuban and the wife Puerto Rican, operates the hidden gem that translates from the Spanish meaning "my roots." The reservation was easily made by Google Assistant for Saturday dinner. Upon arrival at Mis Raices, a bigger location after 3 years for some of us, my partner, our friends, and I got a table by the window immediately inside a cozy island vibe filled with the wonderful smell of the home-style food, the beautiful souvenirs of Puerto Rico and Cuba, and the vibrant salsa music. The menu has been expanded since our last visit, so come hungry! For appetizers, we decided on the Croqueta De Jamón, Croqueta De Pollo, and Guava Empanada. As a main meal, we opted for Arroz Con Pollo (Chicken with Rice), Pechuga De Pollo (Chicken Breast) A La Plancha with Salad, Ropa Vieja (Shredded Beef) with Arroz Amarillo y Frijoles Negroes, and Oxtail/Rabo Encendido with Arroz con Gandules. Complimentary toasted garlic bread started our meal. The meal was beautifully presented. The flavors were tastefully delicious and pretty consistent, being rich and authentic. The portion was just right with the price very reasonable, and it's a BYOB. The owners, Ana and Eddie, and their staff make us feel welcome and are accommodating. We can continue to recommend this place.

As always I got a great meal from this places. Most Puerto Ricans say it's not as good as…read morehomemade, but this place comes as close as you can get to homemade food. And they give you a plentiful amount of food for the price. Call them directly for delivery in the area, you won't be disappointed, especially the Alcapuria de yuca, it was so good!