I spy through the corner of my eyes, the fried delicious steaming hot food that is through the window..perhaps that was what made my stomach growl. Decided to take a step in and had a great diner feeling. Ordered some fried delicious food in which they call of cuchifritos. The favorite was the empanada in which they call pastellios. Had some potato balls and plantains. Then decided to order their fried chicken and rice and beans to go. Boy was my bag heavy and to realize that it was insanely stuffed when I unwrapped it at home. The boyfriend completely approves of this place as he stuffed himself with food. The next week he asked to go to this place again and we ordered a pernil sandwich. Again, they did not disappoint! read more

La Isla Cuchifritos - Menu 2 - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Sad to say as someone that is also of Puerto Rican heritage the colorism is real. I stopped by this place because I was looking specifically for a Spanish food spot and I saw that this is like a little Puerto Rico in Brooklyn and I thought why not let me sit down for my hour lunch break, and eat here. Very wrong decision I walked in, there was an older woman with her daughter, and the daughter was helping her order her food and they were taken care of. I waited as it was very busy. I will say that. A gentleman walked in also Hispanic, but we can identify and assume what color of skin he was because he sat down right next to me, and the server literally went to him did not even look at me not once and asked him what he wanted and took his sit down order right next to me in front of my face! To my astonishment did not ask me what I wanted so I asked him. Do you not see me sitting here waiting to be served?! He didn't even respond. I was going to continue with my order, but it put such a bad taste in my mouth that I stood here in front of the establishment to download Yelp again and write this review. !!Please do not come to this establishment and spend your money because they will not respect you especially if you have of darker skin no matter what nationality you are.! Also the front is crowded with drug addicts! read more

Good service, the food was flavorless somehow. I'm used to the spot in the Bronx off of grand concourse (iykyk) so the food I bought from La Isla was disappointing. I was hoping it would be tasty so I could have a new local spot, but I'll keep looking I guess. The amount of food I got for the price wasn't bad. The only thing I can think of that was positive about the food is that the potato ball was alright, I would eat it again. read more

Gotta say the food in here is pretty much as close as you can get to homemade Puerto Rican food. Came in with my other half who had pata soup which is pork foot with a side of rice. I got an ajonjoli drink which was pretty tasty and different and we also ordered a tamarind juice drink which was good as well. I took a bite out of his soup and even though it looked pretty ugly it tasted ten times better it was peppery and thick with some pota read more

La Isla Cuchifritos - Ajonjoli Juice - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Horrible order a lot of food they didn't send half of it but charged me & kept trying to call with no response. If you are buying from them don't do delivery ‍ read more

This is our go to Cuchifrito place. Delicious! Very delicious Puerto Rican food. The alcapurrias are delicious. The empanadas are crispy and crunchy homemade masa. Not frozen discos. read more

If I can leave a zero star review I would. First of all, when we walk in we were immediately judged. We were dressed nicely and well mannered. They didn't like that I greeted them in English and ordered in English. They proceeded to mock me and make fun of me in Spanish. The only reason I stayed is because my 12 year old daughter didn't understand and she was craving PR food. At the end, they were literally making fun of me to my face. When I told them I understood Spanish, they laughed in my face to one another. I dont know why the hostility. I walked in the door and smiled and said hello nicely, I ordered nicely with a smile on my face and I thanked them nicely with a smile on my face. I was happy to satisfy my daughter's craving. Aside from the blatant racism because I was the incorrect type of Hispanic, the place is truly disgusting. No one is wearing hair nets or gloves. There was a dead roach (not waterbug) right next to the exit. The man who was handling some other food, his nails were dirty. The floors were dirty with filth, idk what, pieces of food and sticky drink. Dust in the corners. I grew up in the 90s and remember the bathrooms at Penn Station. The kitchen looked like that. The smell in there is of wet dirty rags. The only reason I left with the food is because I didnt want to insult them, after all the insulting they did to us. It was only $13 and not worth that discomfort for me. No I didn't leave a tip. Before we got in the car, I left the food on the curb for someone to take. Utterly disgusting and shameful. My cousin's brother in law is a health inspector. I WILL BE REPORTING THIS RESTAURANT TO HIM AND THE HEALTH DEPARTMENT. Shame on you all. That whole experience was uncalled for. read more

This place is a must try! Amazing Puerto Rican Food! The beef stew is so flavorful( it is served with rice) , the prices are very reasonable, and they had a homemade hot sauce that I wish I would have taken some home with me. The portions are very generous, many options to try. I can't wait to go back and try different options. I forgot to take pics though :( read more

Been coming here for decades - literally. Food is always on point and service is flawless Will come here a million times over and over read more

Went for my friend's birthday on a Thursday night for karaoke and had a great time! Cool vibe and the dj and the singers (guests) made it fun. They had a happy hour menu and bottle service. The food was just ok- wings over cooked, but edible. Small bar, nothing fancy, but definitely a good time. Can't wait to go again read more

The Floor is covered in Paper and Garbage like a sidewalk. it's disgusting i don't think they have ever swept one time. couldn't even Order any food just walked back out the Place was just so dirty and unsanitary.there was also no Grade posted on the window i assume because they were rated so poorly by the inspector. I wouldn't eat here read more

Great place with real good food. 10 bucks gets you a meal you won't be able to finish alone. Service is okay it's the rude customers who make it a problem. They cut in line like it's the welfare office. The place doesn't look fancy but it doesn't you get your food and keep it moving. read more

Little tiny spot with best service ever! Excellent food ! Had pernil con arroz y habichuelas que sabroso! Self & friend ate fir less than$25!! like they say- "some of the best places are. BPAWITW's- check it out!! read more

Good food. Love the Alcaparras and the stuff potato balls. Heck every time I stop by on my way back home to Virginia.

These people are serving olf food and no one notices because the only people buying the food is the homeless and a few locals. They served me different empanadas they were full of grease then the papas rejena smelled and were a funny color I thought it was because I hadn't had them in a long time but I was wrong they were rotten and the smell confirmed I should have believed my intuition. Well they continue to serve old food from days before and I won't be supporting their business anymore In fact I will report what happened to me getting sick and in bed for 2 days this info will go to the dept of health. Im sure their kitchen is stocking old food! Never again read more

The food was ok in general. The service was not bad and I found the prices to be reasonable as well.

Super cheap for a plate full of food! Excellent place to fill up after a long day of work or to prep for a long day of work. I ordered the steak and peppers with rice and beans all for only $9.75. It was enough for myself and my girlfriend, and we had leftovers(of rice...) The crowd and neighborhood is a bit sketchy but that's the enjoyment of it, you never know who is going to walk in the restaurant. read more

La Isla Cuchifritos - Steak and peppers - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Come here if you want a heart attack. Real cheap Spanish Caribbean soul food in the heart of bushwick. They are nice, serve excellent fried empanadas that are huge. I hope this place never goes out of business, as this is true to the neighborhood. For all the haters that are new to the neighborhood, eat some more soul food nearby and you will quickly realize that this place is the real deal. Go back to your place in middle america if you can't appreciate Brooklyn's local digs. read more

The Bushwick gem, Las Isla Cuchifritos, (The Island of little fried things) ~ has been around for awhile as I found reviews online going back to 2003, but nothing on Yelp yet. The locals like to think of it as a "best kept secret" and I don't blame them as there is always a line of hungry personas at any time of day, (which tells me I can eat there and not worry about anything at all as millions of people can't be wrong). This is your typical NYC hole in the wall "ethnic" diner. There are no menus anywhere to be found, on the wall or otherwise, just a row of stainless steel containers filled with steaming rice dishes, pig soup, blood soup and different sauces, and innard type dishes (offal): things like pig ears in tomato gravy (orejas) and pork liver. The window is filled with fried codfrish fritters (bacalaitos) fried meat pies (pastellitos), fried potato ball stuffed with ground meat (papa relleno, fried stuffed casava cylinders (alcaparados), sweet plantains stuffed with chopped meat, blood sausages, and plantain mash and empanadas. My favorite thing to get is the rotisserie bbq chicken or pork. I like that they hack and piece it in front of you on a butcher block, I mean I don't know how else they would do it, but I just think it adds to the overall atmosphere of this place. I also have to get rice and beans on the side, they're nothing special but they go great with the tender, well-seasoned meat. This place has a lot of locals who frequent it. The main language is Spanish, and everyone is speaking some version of it in here, not English. If you don't know Spanish and you don't know Puerto Rican food and you are a vegetarian and/or afraid of getting meat in your mouth that doesn't come from the muscle of the animal do not go here because you will hate it. A sense of adventure must prevail upon you and you must be willing to just point and be happy with what you get, unless you go with the chicken or pork and rice and beans. At this place, like a lot of places I go, I don't always know what I am eating, but I usually don't care b/c it tastes good, (hello! island of *fried* things!). I like to be "transported" to another land and NYC is full of these places that are little islands of a culture and it's one of the things that makes this city so amazing to eat in. Please have a sense of adventure when dining here. Realize that if you go to Puerto Rico this is the kind of place you would go and have a quick lunch all the time, so this is the place to go when you are up for a little immersion in a culture. Then after or before you eat, be sure to walk down Graham for some shopping to just to bask in the atmosphere of this little cultural area in Brooklyn, The shops are your typical Payless and VM and department stores galore and Spanish bakeries so it's not like you're going to find anything you can't live without but the sidewalks are always packed with shoppers and it only takes ten minutes to walk up and down so it makes your trip over here for lunch or dinner a little more meaningful. read more

La Isla Cuchifritos - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Not bad not great either but very fairly priced would come back for a budget meal 6.7/10

Delicious food. It's like a mix of Puerto Rican food and Cuban food. This is my late night spot. I love the mofongo, pasteles & the Cuchifritos. I Definitely recommend this as a place to add to your list of food spots. read more

La Isla Cuchifritos - My late night spot! - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I have walked past this place a million time without going in. I finally went in a few weeks ago since there was nothing else open. I have since fallen in love. I usually get the yellow rice and beans with either chicken or pork and I can't get enough. It is just soooooo good. The portion side is pretty big so I usually take my left overs to work the next day. I have also had the chicken soup and beef soup which are amazing. Tip: This place is cash only so make sure you have your cash ready. I have never been greeted and usually have to wait around 5 minutes before someone acknowledges my presence. Other than that the food is good for take out. They are also open 24/7 which is awesome! read more

La Isla Cuchifritos - All this food for $11. Super cheap. Open 24/7. Cash only. - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Real talk, the cuchifritos here are out of this world good. Entering the store might be a little intimidating. Sometimes there's no real line and people are milling around. Be polite, and just wait your turn to get to the counter. My favorite is the pastelillos which are huge. The meat is seasoned so well and it's super filling. My other favorite is the alcapurria which is total perfection. Prices are great too, they're cheaper than my neighborhood spots that has smaller pastelillos! read more

Always the freshest and tastiest cuchifritos !! We drive out from Long Island because there is no one who makes them like they do !! Been going for over 20 years !!! read more

I don't know what it is about this place but it's just not as good as the other locations. The service is always so slow for me. The last few times I've gotten bad quality food too. The last time I ordered I got fried pork chops. It wasn't busy and I think they forgot them in the deep fryer because they were literally two shades lighter than black and they were so dry and over cooked. I would've been better off getting a Slim Jim and uncle bens minute rice from the corner store. Seriously. read more

La Isla Cuchifritos - Burnt pork chops - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This is the kind of place you don't go to if you don't know what to order. There are two menus in the whole place. After having procured one of them, I ordered pepper steak. Apparently nobody orders pepper steak, bc it took them a half hour to make it. I shouldve ordered the chicken, it looked delicious and ready to go. Anyways, you get a lot of food for $7 (I got three lunches out of it), but my pepper steak tasted pretty bland TIP: know Spanish when you come read more

I've been coming here for many yrs! A tiny place, but food is delicious! I don't eat much fried food, but once in a blue, is fine! Nothing like authentic spanish food to make me feel at home! read more

La Isla Cuchifritos is a small spot filled with amazing food. They have the best alcapurrias I can't leave the area without picking some up. This food is sinfully delicious. Yummy! read more

I was reluctant to try this place when I moved here but at one point my late night options were limited to fast food and delis. This place is great, I am not a fan of food lamps but the chicken and ribs are excellent, if you're willing to wait 10-15 minutes try the fried pork chops read more

I love eating here, it's quick delicious food! This place is always filled with locals and workers so if waiting sometimes isn't your thing then. . . But if you can put up with the crowd(sometimes) and you know what you want then you're ok. Here is a tip; if you see a bar setup for a Spanish restaurant then it's delicious food. Its most fried foods and rice plates here. The window has fried snacks/dishes you can order or you can get most Puerto Rican rice dishes. They even have mofongo!! All in all is truly an experience to eat here if you get the chance! read more

Food was not too bad. Ive been coming here for years. It use to taste better. However for spanish food at a cheap price you can't go wrong. They are open i think 24 hours so late night and you hungry get in your car and drive there. Food is always fresh. Never got nothing bad from them. read more

La Isla Cuchifritos - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Went last night for dinner ate in me and my boyfriend had the same exact order only thing different was our drinks. I ended up vomiting and using the bathroom like no tomorrow I don't wanna day it's the food cause my bf didn't get sick but that lemonade from two sips tasted horrible like they didn't clean the container it's kept in I won't be back unfortunately. read more

Cuchifritos? I said to my friend, What the hell is cuchifritos? Well as it turns out cuchifritos is both a type of restaurant (Puerto Rican and/or Dominican mostly) and it also refers to a type of food (cuchi being derived from the Spanish word for pig and fritos for fried). In this case it's also the name of the restaurant. It's a small place, mostly just a long counter with stools and a walk-up window. They serve traditional latin food like mofongo, stews, chicken, ribs, and a few other read more » things, all at low prices. The main draw to a cuchifritos place I think is the fried stuff being kept warm in the front window and the array of fruit juices. Don't expect them to speak a word of English (that's not on the translated menu) so keep the questions mostly to yourself. The first time I was there I was patiently standing waiting for help and more than one person pushed by me to get helped first, there's no doubt that this was discrimination against the only white guy there but it was mostly the people there not the workers so I can't count that against them too much. Aside from the more unusual items like fried pigs ears I've tried most of the stuff in the window and can tell you that in my opinion the best two items are the meat stuff plantains and the "taco", a fried roll resembling a big spring roll that's been stuffed with shredded and seasoned meat. Other options include a puffy fried dough stuffed with meat, a beef/chicken/or cheese patties that are mostly crispy/greasy fried dough, and a battered and fried sweet plantain. Each item is $1.35 so you can get your belly full of fried stuff for dirt cheap. Last time I went I opted for the special of the day, chicken stew. Once I took all the meat off the bones and corn off the cob and got down to eating this hearty dish of chicken, potatoes, a little broth, and a few other ingredients it turned out to be one the best chicken dishes I've ever had. The chicken was impossibly tender and the flavor was great. For less than $6 it was one of the best meals I've had in a long time. read more

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Not many places can you walk in, sit at the counter, and get a full meal with mere pocket change. I work at the hospital across the street and LOVE this place when I'm craving some greasy pastillos, boiled yucca or a hearty soup. It's as if I'm puerto rican and I've walked into my mom's kitchen. Except I'm a little white girl who sheepishly asks for what she wants in plain English. I speak a little Spanish but this isn't the place to practice it - I'm not fooling anyone. Is it fancy? hell no. you get whatever they happen to be making that day. Is it fast and cheap? hell yeah. And the radio in the background blaring god knows what just adds to the charm. This place is awesome. read more

Really cheap, quick Spanish fast food. I was pretty sure this place was going to be gross and dirty, and the food was going to taste like old oil. I was so so wrong, and my taste buds have never been so happy. We got two Yuca Rellenos (balls of yucca filled with seasoned beef), two Relleno de papa (deep fried potato with meat), two empanadas, and a huge cup of pineapple juice for 13 bucks. That is crazy right, all that food? The Yuc Rellenos, is seasoned to perfection, without being salty. It was amazing a chewy and that best thing I've ever eaten in Bushwich. Yes Bushwich, not East Williamsburg, that's not a real place Sooo good, and always packed with locals. Also this place is very clean, the windows are always steamy from the constant cooking. And its always so busy, i just assumed dirty. Not the case at all. This place is worth and try, you will love it! read more

Average cuchifirtio grease spot. As a Spanish person I know I'm supposed to get more excited about these spots, but to be honest, its not really my thing. Small spot, not tables, just counter seating. They serve lots of different Spanish dishes, chicken in the oven, steak, pernil, yellow and white rice, beans, chicken soup, beef soup and all types of "frituras" like empanadas, and rellenos (fried treats stuffed with meat or potatoes). Portions are big, price is cheap. They are normally busy and you have to wait to be attended. Great quick spot kind of place. Cash only! read more

You know how whenever someone moves to New York, one of the first things they complain about is how expensive the food is? Well, I am no exception. However, after having lived here for a year and a half, I can tell you that most of these newbies just aren't looking in the right places. I would like to announce that I have found the glimmering palace that stands above the favelas of New York cheap eats. Its name is Las Isla Cuchifritos. As its name suggests, it is an island. AN ISLAND OF COST SAVINGS! *Cue crazy used car salesman in a cowboy hat* JK, actually, cuchifritos means small fried things but it might as well mean "stuff your face for pennies". I walked in tonight and ordered half of a roasted chicken. A stoic man wordlessly grabbed a chicken *already dead and cooked* from the warmer and hacked it into pieces. The practiced fluidity of his movements and the brutality with which he swung his cleaver were accentuated by the ice cold emotional abyss that is his face. The chicken was then literally *thrown* into a bag and handed to me, again, sans communication. 10 secs. The damage? $3.50. Holy Cuchifritos! I've lost more than that in change on a weekly basis! The roasted chicken was surprisingly moist and flavorful. Don't know what else I could ask for from a half order of chicken that cost less than a drink. They also have a number of other things on the menu that are supposedly delicious. As for the actual cuchifritos themselves, they are the trays of golden nuggets that sit silently beneath the window warmers. Most of them look like they've been nuked so hard that one might think lucifer himself were manning the fryers. I dare any with enough gastronomic bravado to discover what lays under their crispy yellow shells. I, myself, have not the stomach. Were it not for the language barrier between the staff here and any English speaking patron, I would probably give this place 5 stars. As for now, it easily deserves 4. read more

Excellent roast pork and the staff is nice and patient. Been coming here for over 10 years and the food is consistently good, especially for the price. Although I take out for my family each time, there is countertop seating. read more

When you're in the mood for cuchifritos, Las Isla is the place to go! Except today, for some reason today, they had very little cuchifritos. I was in the mood for some spanish fried treats and all they had left at 1:30 PM was relleno de yuca, fried yucca balls. There is no menu displayed above the counter. But on the left hand side in the glass case there is one small printed menu, with an assortment of Spanish/English translated dishes and prices for everything. I guess, they realized that they could make more sales with a menu, even if the lady at the counter mostly spoke Spanish. You do have to know what you want and if Spanish is not your first language, you can still order by pointing to what you want or knowing how to say the words in Spanish. They had no empanadas on the menu, but they had bacalaitos. Empanadas are shell shaped fried dough with meat and/or veggies and baccalitos, are round cod fish balls deep fried in dough. Both are delicious and staples of a cuchifrito. Especially when you are craving them!! No bacalaitos left on the shelf when I got there. No beef soup, the supposed special of the day, but they had chicken soup. It was pretty tasty and made the traditional way with corn and spanish vegetables, yucca and plantains instead of potatoes. You get a large portion for $4.00. I was also going to have rice and beans, for $3.50, but the container with the soup looked like it would be enough. The soup was very tasty and the chicken fell off the bone. I don't normally go to a cuchifrito for soup, but I was very satisfied and even though I didn't get my fried fix, I still enjoyed my meal! I went across the street to George's Spanish Restaurant and they too have very little cuchifrito left and so I left empty handed from there as well. Graham Avenue is known for its cuchifrito!!! I'll have to come back some other day! read more

Horrible food. Alll of their fried food is drenched in oil.. I took a bite of my cuchifrito and nothing but oil came out. In addition, the majority is just flour and small amount of meat. I have never experienced this with any other restaurant. In fact, as soon as you come in you can smell heavy oil. I would not come here again. The cook went to the back with gloves and came out cooking again. Just horrible. Might as well buy an empanada from the carts parked outside. read more