The ambiance is great, friendly and after a few visits you'll feel like family. Food is top tier, we have never had a bad dish, Yala puts her heart into her food. And the service is great also read more

I was extremely craving empanadas; after a NICE STROLL FROM LONGWOOD to Bruckner and then Old Navy my cravings erupted my soul......... after a terrible day. Countless Yelp searches, scrolling through list after list of nearby places... I follow my hunger and my guts. This is my hometown THE BRONX! Born and raised and I'm pretty sure they're hidden gems I have yet to visit. So as I ride the 6 train leaving to head back to my place of residence.... I must say the service, the cuisine, the entire atmosphere (even though it was slightly empty with a few customers but clean!).. Looks can be deceiving because these 6 BEEF EMPANADAS TASTED FRESH. Homemade and fried. The ground beef definitely tasted seasoned. THESE ARE EMPANADAS!!!!!! Friendly and professional customer service. I came in for a quick bite (aka brunch) and they delivered 5 stars! The sauce on the side (sweet and flavorful). This is empanadas. Thank you La Cocina.... Even though my day ended like crap. This quick bite appetizer was good! Please support the locals!!! read more

Not far from the Parkchester section of The Bronx on 174th St, is this Dominican and edgy spot. La Cocina scores high in their rustic-meet-funky design in my opinion- especially for this area. Along with all the local art decorating their walls. While the physical menu lists a few typical Dominican foods such as Longaniza, Tostones, Maduros, etc. it also has a large amount of not-so-traditional Dominican foods like Grilled Chicken Breast, Shrimp Skewers, Quesadillas and Churrascos ¯\_(ツ)_/¯. Yala doesn't list 'rice' or 'beans' on their menu then wondered why a Dominican restaurant NOT serve them and not list it (rest assure they do). Maybe because I had my mind on other things, I never asked if they offer those main Dominican staples when I initially ordered and was too late when I actually picked up my lunch to include it. I was told they're listed on the menu. They're not. But on the plus side, no Dominican restaurant would be complete without including Passion Fruit or Tamarind Juice. Applause! Shrimp in Garlic sauce I ordered were tasty so were the (dusted?) Yuca Fries. The freshly-made Tostones were great- but didn't come with Mojo. I'm not playing devil's advocate but- do folks have to ask for Mojo or you guys don't serve it at all? Every Dominican knows that's like a Peanut Butter & Jelly and can't have one without the other! My Grilled Salmon however, was tasty but a snip overdone. Again Yala...how about you ask patrons for temp preferences? A 4 being a bit grand? Maybe. But I appreciated the friendly service and honestly, the fusion between the traditional and not- is a bit interesting. read more

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On our way through New York, we found ourselves in a major traffic jam. We sat on the freeway for a good hour before we decided it was time to get off at the next exit and have some lunch. We hoped that by the time we were done with lunch, whatever the traffic jam was would have abated, and we happened to find Cocina de yalla just off the freeway from where we were stuck. There was convenient parking on the street just a few doors down from the restaurant, so we parked and made our way in. The restaurant was well decorated, with interesting artwork and despite being peak lunch hour, there were only two other diners in the restaurant. We were happy to see that the menu was in Spanish on one side in English on the other, despite the fact that both of us speak some Spanish. The waitress came over to take our order and between her introductory English and our introductory to mediocre Spanish, they ended up bringing someone from the back who was more fluent to take our order. Hubby ordered the mofongo de pollo ($15) and I ordered the canoa de platanos maduros ($12) with a side of yucca fries ($5). I ordered the passion fruit juice ($4) and he ordered a glass of water ($1). As we sat, we looked around to try to entertain ourselves and saw many interesting pieces of artwork and eclectic decor lending to the ambiance of the restaurant. It took us about 15 minutes to set our order and then we waited another hour before the food came out. This is pretty shocking to us, given that there were only two other tables occupied and they were both tables of two so it wasn't like the place was hopping. For our food, the mofongo was dry and oily, with very little seasoning other than the garlic. The chicken alongside the mofongo was very bland although it was cooked well with nice char. The canoa is a dish that I love, however this one was a ripe sweet plantain filled with an extremely greasy ground meat and cheese and was weirdly topped with ketchup which I found to be truly unappetizing. The only thing that was notable about this meal were the yucca fries, which were served very hot with a good smooth texture. The restaurant only takes cash which is a little behind the times in my opinion, and has an ATM in the restaurant but there's a large sign that says " We take no responsibility for this ATM" whatever that means. Prices are extremely reasonable given the quantity of the food, however the quality of the food and the accurate seasoning of the food was extremely low in my opinion. Paired with the absolutely glacial pace of serving after ordering, this is not a restaurant I would return to if I were in the area. read more

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Very excited to be able to try this spot. It's a booming dominican restaurant in the bronx right off i95. Many selections to choose from on the menu as well as daily food choices and fresh juices. Employees are very friendly. I had the massive 32oz tomahawk steak with yuca fries. I was surprised to see that it came with a salad which was a plus. Very tasty and excellently displayed on a cutting board. Very smooth to cut into and full of flavors. The Boca Chica is also another grear selection if you're craving fried fish. I am looking forward to trying more items in the future. read more

La Cocina De Yala - Tomahawk Steak w/ Yuca fries and salad. - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

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The pasteles are not good I drove so far to try them. I also bought chivo and it was disgusting and Chen Chen didn't even have flavor. Very disappointed read more

Not bad. This is a nice neighborhood spot. A place where you won't get anything fancy but leave satisfied, having had a good meal. The churrasco was a little fatty and tough but well-seasoned. It came with sweet potato fries that were crispy and simply prepared -- some of the best I've ever had. The steak quesadilla was also a little tough but so well-seasoned that the extra chewing required worked out in my favor. The side of mofongo was pretty good as well. There are few more things on this menu I'd like to taste. I'll definitely return. read more

We randomly decided to visit and grab lunch and to say the least we were pleasantly surprised. This little space in the Bronx was a touch of Caribbean & homemade in one. They currently have outside seating. We ordered The filet basa and one of their signature boxes. Both were a hit. The fish was nicely cooked, the chicken in our box was moist and the plate appeal was very nice. Be prepared to have trouble parking but if you visiting the Bronx it is without a doubt worth going! FIVE STARS for sure! read more

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This was an unexpected yet very beautiful small restaurant in the East Bronx. There are amazing and vibrant paintings in the restaurant. The Yala burger was DELICIOUS. I would come back here again. FYI - they only accept cash. I'm not sure if it has changed. read more

La Cocina De Yala - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

Updating. Have gone twice more and the quality has really gone down hill. Not only that but prices have gone up $10+ per entree. One of the times I went all the fried food tasted like it was fried in old oil. And my recent visit a couple days ago the churrasco was bland and I had to ask for more chimichurri sauce, which is ridiculous now that the churrasco is worth $35. Not really worth it anymore when it's out of the way with long waits and more expensive than other places. read more

La Cocina De Yala - Churrasco with fries - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

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This spot is definitely a little jewel in an unexpected part of the Bronx. The decor is bright and lively while still maintaining the intimate ambiance! The food is fresh and delicious! This is a perfect date night location but be warned due to its small size, they get full fairly quickly. The restaurant does not serve any type of alcoholic beverages but the juice options make up for it! If you're around the neighborhood definitely stop by. You'll thank me later!! read more

La Cocina De Yala - Skirt steak, yucca fries, grilled shrimp topped with pico and Guac! - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

First waited too long for food. Only 4 or 5 tables filled. Food arrives cold, full of flowers and with owner hovering her phone over my meal recording to post on social media. She was very nice, but that only takes you but so far. Yesterday gave a second chance, as I felt for some sancocho. My husband goes to buy in person, and is dismissed for a few minutes until he spoke Spanish ( he looks black, but yes he is Spanish), his nationality should not depict good service. Fast forward, hubby arrives with my sancocho and some pasteles. SUPER EXCITED sancocho full of oil, looked well seasoned but only tasted how salty it was. The pasteles smelled pretty bad, but taste is everything right. OMG they were still raw, and the taste matched the smell. Wouldn't guess in a million years I was eating a pastel. This establishment needs to focus more on their food and less on flowers and social media, maybe then they'll have a prominent chance. Wanted to go back for the Tomahawk steak, but I'm too disappointed. read more

La Cocina De Yala - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

Wow! Is all can say the food was really delicious. If you're looking for some good Dominican food I highly recommend this place. The steak was so good. Can't wait to go back ! read more

La Cocina De Yala - a steak with a side salad - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

This is a great place to eat. It is also a very beautiful location. My boyfriend and I went here for my birthday. The staff was very nice and friendly. The food was delicious! We ordered a few things and the yala burger was exquisite. The fried fish was really well seasoned and my favorite, the tamarind and chinola juices were really tasty and fresh! The staff members always came by to our table to ask if we were doing ok. The only thing that I see is extremely unprofessional is the fact that they have to record every single plate when they are bringing it to the guests. Otherwise everything was perfect! read more

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The food is so good, I work around the area akdnoook forward to the days she is open. Authentic Dominican cuisine with her personal touch. I recommend 100% read more

A hot new Latin fusion cuisine with a touch of the Caribbean on 174th Street, BRONX. We have patronized this business since the beginning. You have to check it out- the ambiance, rich decorum, soulful Latin music, crisp alkaline water and delicious entrees. A local must patronize for lunch or dinner. One visit and you will be back for more. Thank you Yala for sharing your passion for food and diligence for excellence. read more

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Great food and service and when it comes to churasco and steak is the #1 place to eat and go in for some

I went to Casa de Yala with a large group and our visit was mostly positive. The appetizers were the best part of our meal. The entrees and natural juice were also really good. Their menu has something for everyone. I also loved the decor and our waitress was friendly and helpful. My issues are that there were multiple menu items they ran out of. They are cash only but have an ATM in the restaurant. The wait was about 30 minutes and we were seated at a high table so the chairs were cutting off our circulation. We were extremely uncomfortable. I would recommend going BUT expect a wait, request to be seated in a regular table with regular chairs and don't be surprised if they don't have a menu item you are looking forward to. read more

I have been in this restaurant a few times It is such a relaxed place the food is great And there picadera Bandeja are great for party Definitely recommend thi read more

La Cocina De Yala - Picadera mix from la casina de Yala - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

I Went with my friend around 7;30PM , it was only food a la carte. I was looking forward for the delicious food that is advertise in instagram, the pollo guisado, oxtails, beef stew , etc, etc, etc, so we have to order from the menu, and my friend got the steak with the shrimps , he was not impress, and i had the mofongo with the longaniza, still not impress. read more

I will never order from them anymore . First of all how you charge 20 bucks for only shrimps and nothing on the side . Everything was soggy and cold . They missed all the ordering instructions and took dumb long . What a waste of time and money . I called to speak with a supervisor and he was no help at all. Never ever again . read more

Nice!!! Best hamburger I had in NYC so far was the house special. As good as advertised, and at what a price. Is not easy to get this quality of meals at this price, so it is a must go. Just remember to bring cash, since they don't admit credit cards. read more

La Cocina De Yala - Yala Burguer - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

We love trying new places high and low And this place was on our list for a while because of Instagram We waited over 1 hour to be seated amongst other patient patrons standing outside, after you have driven there you kind of have no option but to wait. Unfortunately you can't even order an empanada or a juice while you wait makes no sense. After a long wait we quickly placed our order, the food almost another hour to arrive cold to say the least. My son's burger was cold and swimming in ketchup with cold fries, I ordered the boca chica style fish which I had such high expectations for and again super cold, yaniqueke was gummy and not freshly made, if you love yaniqueke you know it should be eaten freshly fried, the fish was blah, my husband a New York strip which was ordered medium came out as medium rare with no seasoning rather than bathed in some tasteless chimichurri oil, it was sent back and came out a second time 15 m later as raw as it left, I would say that the waitresses were super sweet and accommodating that was the best part of the night. At that point we were some turned off with the appearance of the steak that we asked if we can switch to a churrasco thinking we may have better luck at this point, suddenly the owner / chef appears in a questioning tone saying something about her meats and grill and is going to get stiff if she cooks it more, which is true if the meat was already cooked but it was literally raw not even medium rare. We have eaten at the best steakhouses in the country from Peter Lugers, smith and wollensky, capital grill etc so we know our meats, and her tone was condescending and questioning trying to tell us her steak was perfectly cooked, then she goes ok I'm going to switch it but it would take a while. Like really more time than the 2 hours + wasted? They should totally not worry about filling the plates with flowers and making sure the seasoning and temperature is right nothing worse than waiting hours to eat to be served cold food. Makes no sense. A $140 evening including tip, no alcohol, 3 entres, 1 app, yeah definitely not a second visit. read more

I was excited to try this restaurant since it's heavily promoted on Instagram. Too bad I didn't get to try their food. After waiting close to one hour, outside in the rain, when I finally get inside it turns out most of the items I wanted were sold out. They didn't deem important to inform customers of the sold out items or that the wait time would be more than an hour. Either they're short staffed or need to get lessons in logistics. Very badly managed. read more

The food here sooo good, I had the chicken box and the palitos de queso for appetizer, they have outside dinning available now which it makes easy during Covid19. They do use a LOTS of garlic on their so be careful if you a sensitive stomach read more

La Cocina De Yala - Palitos de queso - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

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I really wanted to like this place I saw on Instagram how there food looked so good and it wasn't too far from where I live. The welcoming was not there this host just pointed at a table he didn't even walk us over. The waiter seemed upset about something she did not introduce herself just asked us what we wanted. I didn't even get to say what I wanted to drink and she left. She brought back two waters and one cup of ice i don't know what she thought if we were suppose to share one cup of ice. They brought out our appetizer and I had to ask for a fork and spoon. We asked if the umbrella can be opened due to the sun beaming down and they said they can't open it because of the wind and there was hardly any wind. So we have been waiting here for about 45 min sweating in this 90 degree heat and the waiter never came back to check up on us to see if we needed more ice water. We finally just told the waiter to give us the bill because it was just a bad experience I know not to come here again I can't even tell you how was the food because we didn't get our food. Horrible read more

La Cocina De Yala - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

First time coming, great food and service! Very satisfied with what i ordered, which was the fried fish with yucca fries and my bf ordered the Yala Burger (burger meat, churrasco, chicken, cheese special sauce,lettuce, tomato, onions) with sweet potato fries. Really liked that they switch up the menu everyday, you know they have their regular menu but also offer daily variety of foods. We both loved the place and will definitely come back very soon! read more

La Cocina De Yala - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

If there were 10 stars I would certainly give it to them. Such a hidden gem . Everything was so delicious!! For appetizer we had a churrasco quesadilla...amazing! I wanted to try a typical Spanish dish, however, I had the "Yala Burger, " named after the chef...best burger I EVER had! Made with real burger meat, churrasco steak, egg, cheese and crispy bacon...oh Jesus! My friend had a salmon with an amazing salad! Place seats about 10 tables. I would come in less busy times. We came at 1:30 pm and it was perfect. Plan ahead for parking. You will not be disappointed!! read more

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La Cocina De Yala is a unique and beautiful restaurant. The deco on the walls and the painting are simple and catch ones eye. The restaurant is suitable for people of all ages as there is no loud music, hookah or alcohol. The presentation of the food is unlike anything I've experienced before. There's always a decorative flower and your food is served as if it's a plate of art not food. Catering from Yala is the best I've had from the coconut fish, to the rice or salmon along with lobster it's all exquisite and rich in taste. When I've ordered on Uber Eats my meals have always been fresh and delicious. I've never had an issue with food order or quality. The prices are high compared to other restaurants that serve similar foods, however, you pay for quality as it's exactly what you get. Plan ahead for parking as parking can be tricky and it shouldn't stop you from experiencing this meal. Here are some great meals to try: The Yala Burger Masa de Cangrejo con tostones Salmon a la plancha read more

The presentations were very beautiful and reminded me of the motherland ! But the food, left me abandoned! I am definitely not pleased with this food ! They were no ingredients ! No seasoning ! And no flavor ! In each and every bite ! I am very disappointed and left very dissatisfied. read more

I'll give them a star for the Lemonade, which my boyfriend says he's actually had better. I would never go back here. For starters, we totally felt like they scam you on their "Tomahawk" steak. My bf got swindled Into ordering it bc they showed him Yala's IG feed and it looked delicious. That was not the case, it was so gross. No flavor, burned on the outside, alll pink and fat on the inside. I know a good steak. I can say this bc we have dined at the finest of places word wide. We have jokes about this place, it's a total scam. We we're fooled by their instagram. The beans we're watered down, and a lot of the food we wanted to order was already "sold out". To top it off they don't take credit/debit cards, they don't have a sign saying so either. At the end of our dinner, one of us had to drive 15 mins to the nearest bank bc their ATM wasn't working either. One of us had to stay at the restaurant while the other went and got the cash bc they didn't trust we would come back, it was so embarrassing and ghetto!! Never again. read more

La Cocina De Yala - Caribbean Near Me - Bronx, New York

The food is outstanding- If you can stand the wait, the lack of the answering phone or them turning you away. Then you're good Whoever is cooking is obviously very talented however they still need to learn/prepare for opening and marketing to the public. If they had the infrastructure/ operation to support their demand, they'd have multiple restaurants. Good luck to them but can't be waiting around for hours, having staff that doesn't know what a ticket time is or just plain not answering the phone. Hopefully I'll be back in a few years when they have it all together. read more

Overated , the food was tasteless. The services is trash, waited over an hour for a fry fist with mash potatoes.

One of the best spot for Dominican and Spanish food. It's basically like eating your grandma's food. Prices are really affordable for the quality of the food you getting. The only reason I'm giving 4 stars is because they only take cash, and even though they have an ATM it would've been easier just to pay with your car or your phone. Hopefully this is something they fix in the near future. food and service are amazing. read more

This is one of the best Dominican food I had ever tasted. It's like being in Dominican heaven with an American touch to it.

This place was on Telemundo and being reported as an up and coming Latin restaurant. My wife and I visited this place on 6/6/21 from NJ and were expecting to be wow based on the Telemundo reporter reviews. This restaurant was nicely decorated with a woman's touch and the servers were friendly. This is a CASH ONLY restaurant and all sales are final. The prices are extremely high for the small food portions. I will agree that the small churrasco steak was spot on, but the rice and beans were not. My wife notice that the white rice was the cheapest that is sold on any local supermarket. The beans did not have the typical Dominican Republic flavor that is usually found in mainstream Dominican restaurants. The parcha and tamarind juice were also spot on. The waiting time for the meal was unacceptable and forces the customer to buy the $18 appetizer box and additional $5 homemade juices. As first time customers, we felt hustled with the service model of La Cosina De Yala. read more

Good food overshadowed by terrible service. Drove over an hour from Westchester county, arrived to the restaurant at 5:30pm on a Saturday afternoon thet refused to take an order, absolutely no exception. On another occasion tried to place an order on the telephone for pick up, someone answered put me on hold, never returned after 6+ minutes. This is NOT how a business is run. The resturant owner knows the shortfalls, but ignores them. Shameful. read more

I'm not sure if their service would be better if there was no pandemic, but the wait was too long and the staff did not offer any refreshments for sale while you wait in the hot sun. The waitresses seemed bothered and had a "FACE" when taking your order, the umbrella hanging over the table was broken and hit our heads multiple times before the 6ft tall employee sitting customers thought it was a good idea to close it, but he was not helpful and hospitable either. THe food was "ok" and the internet menu was cool but the fonts need to be in white to read easier. Horrible hospitality, poor manners for the majority of the staff and I would not recommend. One of our friends didn't get their food bc the waitress forgot his order BUT maybe if you wasn't a snotty poorly trained waitress maybe you wouldn't have forgotten. read more

This used to be my fav spot for weekends. I could organize a whole day just to order food from yala. When the yala box was being sell, I used to order them like crazy but then I started to see that while being delivered the fried plantains will get greasely wet and it started to feel very soft before eating them, then I stop ordering them. Around two weeks ago I asked my partner to get me a churrasco with rice and beans but when the food got home it was really salty even the beans. I commented this to a friend and ahe advised me that the food is getting poor quality because of the high traffic and the small restaurant to handle such high traffic. I regret spending $80 on this plus I also ordered the sancocho but it was also salty. For now I won't be ordering any longer from yala until the food quality changes. It's really sad because she is an amazing chef but I think this is the moment for her to expand. read more

I'm a little late on the review, I stopped in earlier in the week around mid day, I was hoping to have a variety of choices -- as I see on insta & to my surprise it was a pretty empty steam option. For that matter I went with the skirt steak and honestly I've had better. The Moro con coco was decent, the arrepitas were my fav. Not as satisfied as I would of wished. read more