Disappointed that we made it all the way here to find it closed, no update online, and no vivible sign at the location giving any update. So to make sure it was not just one day that they weren't operating, I came through a second time in the same week. No signs of life. Reporting it closed to Yelp. read more

Que Chevere - Closed establishment - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

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This place has really fallen off. The food used to be tasty, and the portions abundant. I know everything is expensive now but what's happening here is absolutely ridiculous. Earlier this year, I overheard the man who I thought could be the owner telling another customer that foot traffic had slowed down since the implementation of congestion pricing, and they weren't sure they were going to keep the place open past the end of May because they weren't making as much money at this location as they had previously. Well, they're still open, but it seems like since the place isn't a moneymaker, it's no longer a priority. I've only been back a handful of times since then because they seem to be taking shortcuts in an effort to save dough. The arroz con gandules is mushy and flavorless; the chicharron are small and dry; the serving of beans is literally two teaspoons of beans and the rest of the (downsized) container is cooking liquid. Every time I go back hoping for a delicious meal, I'm sorely disappointed. Today I found a piece of raw chicken mixed into my vegetables. Turned my stomach immediately. Now I'm just hoping I don't end up with salmonella. read more

Que Chevere - Raw chicken in my food. - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

This food experience tops my personal all-time list. Simply perfect flavors across the menu. Our evening was completely enjoyable!! The employees display both warmth and assistance. This restaurant won my loyalty. read more

Try as I might to enjoy the breadth of Latin cuisine in NY, I seldom find myself with the pleasure of enjoying Puerto Rican food, though my experience at this stand at the Market Line was lukewarm. The person helping me decide on a bowl was as sweet as can be, so I'm sending a huge shout out and virtual hug to the staff there first and foremost. My cabo rojo bowl, with sauteed shrimp over rice with maduros was really plain, with little to no seasoning on the plantains, and few pieces of shrimp. For $22, I wanted something more filling and texturely interesting. Prices are always high at food halls so I should have reset my expectations. read more

I ordered the mofongo ($15) with pernil ( $4) Good portions for the price. The mofongo was dry. My only issue was my order wasn't ready at the stated time and the cashier had trouble understanding my order. read more

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Que Chevere delivers the same care to every plate they serve. The amount of food is incredible. This restaurant approaches food with creativity. The staff balanced speed with genuine warmth. This place delivers perfect contentment. read more

So I married a Puerto Rican dude. His mom was a good cook. She would make such simple dishes, but they were soooo tasty. There are some things that she made that I know I'll never find close to it again. And it's not necessarily because of the type of food, it's the TLC that's added to it as a secret ingredient. Stop the presses. Que Chevere is up there for giving that extra TLC for Puerto Rican food. The area is sort of off the beaten path. But the Essex market is definitely worth the trip. Lots of different cuisine but to me, QC is THE place to be. I've gotten their baked chicken, their rice and pigeon peas are among the best I've had, and the empanadas are soooo good, in fact the only reason they didn't get five stars is because they're sometimes out of the empanadas, and that makes me very sad (considering I don't get there that often). But hey it's not enough to keep me from visiting! And my husband loves the Kola champagne soda. He finds it difficult to find around these parts haha. And Mike is wonderful. He really took care of us during the holidays to make sure we were well fed! read more

Their meals demonstrate cooking expertise! You'll revisit this meal in your mind. Workers here provide adequate attention. I couldn't find a single flaw at this place! This spot has an ideal setting and we received good treatment from beginning to end. read more

Picked up my order of pasteles from the Pearl Street location, you guys, they are legit! It's been YEARS since I've had pasteles this tasty. Will likely be ordering another dozen sooner than expected. Gracias, QC! read more

The existence of this place was news to me until recently. Every extra item tasted delicious, featuring spices outside my comfort zone. Que Chevere had good service that complemented a night with great company. The staff's friendly manner enhanced our visit. The restaurant presents original ideas! read more

Que Chevre is a great Puerto Rican stand in the basement level Essex Market. It's a bit tucked away, but don't miss it because it is one the stars of the market. Too few people are familiar with mofongo, one of the world's great culinary treasures. It's a delightful mound of garlicky mashed plaintains mixed with your choice of meat. We went with shrimp. The portions are generous, and the flavors are tasty. They also offer create your own bowls, so we tried a chicken bowl with arroz con gandules. The rice was so good, really elevated. The market has public tables out between the stands for seating. We grabbed a beer at the Market Line bar (also in the market just a few steps from Que Chevre), and they have about 50 beers on tap. Great combo. The market blasts bumping beats for ambiance, and the mix of the music and mofongo gave us strong La Placita de Santurce vibes. Good stuff. read more

Que Chevere - the inside of a restaurant - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

Came to Essex Market with a friend for dinner early Sunday evening, and this place looked the most intriguing to us as we've never had Puerto Rican food. Ordering was quick and we got our food within 5 minutes. We got the mofongo with pernil (pork), which is their speciality. The plantains were very plain and starchy, which served as a good complement to the incredibly salty pork. We were also given sauces on the side: the green sauce was our favorite by far for its tang that helped to counteract the saltiness. Points to the massive portions--the bowl was quite large and packed with all meat. Definitely a good deal for ~$19 after tax and tip. read more

Que Chevere - Mofongo with Pernil (Roast Pork) - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

YES - EAT HERE! Outstanding flavor in the shrimp and the sauce that it comes in! The Arroz con Gandules (yellow rice) is exquisitely prepared - screaming with colorful spices and a rich depth of flavor. The side order of beans were a perfect balance if beans and gravy. EVERYTHING WAS WONDERFULLY DELICIOUS! You want authentic, flavorful food? Bottom line; EAT HERE! read more

Que Chevere - Arroz con Gandules with a side of beans. Best meal of the week! - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

Shared the mofongo with shrimp. Good texture to the mofongo. Shrimp was good but chicharron may have been the right call. Came with a super flavorful sauce that is a must use. read more

Disclaimer: This is a TAKEOUT review Que Chevere, whose name means "how fantastic," is run by Michael Petrovitch, who opened the restaurant as an homage to his Puerto Rican heritage. It is located on the lower level of the newly revamped Essex Market on the Lower East Side. I love Puerto Rican food and there really aren't any in my neighborhood (Lower East Side) so I usually get some when I'm either visiting my family back home in East NY Brooklyn or if I'm uptown. I was pleased to stumble upon this highly rated little gem on the NYC Restaurant Week 2021 website. I took advantage of the $20.21 "To-Go" special. There were three options to choose from: 1) Pernil with arroz con gandules and ensalada de papa 2) Rotisserie chicken with arroz con gandules and ensalada de papa 3) Vegetarian mofongo, ensalada verde and two pastelillos de queso I went with option #2 and was pleased with my choice. The chicken was well seasoned and juicy. The arroz con gandules were okay. It was a bit on the salty side. I was quite surprised by that. Anyone who knows me knows that I absolutely despise onions in potato salad, macaroni salad and coleslaw (mainly because of the taste once everything is mixed together and it tends to have a really weird taste). However, Que Chevere's ensalada de papa was surprisingly delicious despite it having onions in it. It didn't have that overpowering "onion-y" taste. Not sure how they were able to mask it but that was a job well done! I would actually order it again. I look forward to returning to try other things, especially since it's right in my neighborhood. A wonderful addition to the Lower East Side! Sidebar: I loved the fact that I was able to order in advance and they sent me notifications about my order status. The order was ready super quick! When I arrived the order was already bagged and ready to go! read more

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So glad I ventured downstairs of the Essex Market tucked away in the back right corner. It was a sleepy Sunday morning but this place had quite a few fellow curious onlookers and regulars lined up. Looks family owned and the food is cooked with love. Pastelillos are 3.50 with a good amount of filling, liked the beef better than chicken, which I found a little dry. San Juan bowl is $18, my fault that I didn't read the tiny print: rice and beans are NOT included. Just chicken breast, 3 tostones and small scoop of cabbage salad. A very good alternative if you're calorie or carb conscious, but maybe disappointing if you're not lol. I usually prefer dark meat, but the breast was surprisingly juicy and tender, actually tasted good 2 days later. Only complaint is food came to $29 with tip, not necessarily an everyday place for me but would visit again if nearby. read more

Que Chevere - Menu - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

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I was looking forward to trying this and was very disappointed. To call this Puerto Rican cuisine is insane. The rice was mushy and had zero flavor. The chicken was not real chicharron. The maduros were okay. But for $17, this was garbage. read more

Que Chevere - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

Petty good food here! My two friends and I headed out to try this gem of a place. The service was amazing. Guy had a long day so he kept forgetting things but he was so kind and honest about it. It's nested in an open air market so it's louder than what you would expect. That being said, you can look around and see other food spots. The dessert counter ended up catching my eye! read more

Que Chevere is such a great find within Essex Market (located downstairs in the Market Line) and all their food is truly made with LOVE FROM PUERTO RICO. They offer such delicious and authentic Puerto Rican food - I absolutely loved the shrimp mofongo, the shrimp was sooo good and cooked perfectly, it had a ton of flavor. You must try their amazing empanadas - I tried a beef one and it was great, also loved the salsas it came with. read more

Que Chevere - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

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I came to Essex Market craving a snack and came across Que Chevere's empanadas. I ordered both the chicken and the cheese but honestly should have just ordered one because they are huge! Service was fast and friendly and the empanadas were delicious! They even gave me a variety of salsas to pair with them which had the right amount of kick! I would honestly buy a bottle if their sold their salsa to-go! read more

Que Chevere - Chicken and Cheese Empanada - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

You would never think for a moment that a place so small could pack such big flavor. A lot of people will say the very same, but no, this is JUST LIKE eating ON the island. 1st having this, I really couldn't believe that in the basement of a market, I would be in San Juan having dinner. The rice, arroz gandules, theres so much pride and love in this rice. It has to be someone's abuela's recipe, they were taught so well. In this time it's extremely unfortunate I did not get to try the pernil, but the chicharron de pollo damn near made me forget all about it. That and the potato salad, don't tell my grandma I had potato salad that was this good outside of her house! We also had the mofongo, this did not blow me away like everything else, but the sauce was a perfect balance with the shrimp and the texture of the plantains. Pro tip, that pique is not for the average hot sauce user, be wary, but don't be afraid, it tastes good on everything. Try it first! I loved every bit of the food, excited to come back and try the pernil. For more pics and foods, please follow me on IG @verytrueoso thank you! read more

Que Chevere - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

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HEALTH/SAFETY CODE VIOLATION!!! In all honesty it would be NO stars. Eat at your own risk! Glass found in food. After voicing my opinion via their Instagram page, I was blocked. Mind you, I was discreet during the entire incident while customers were behind me. Incident occurred on Sunday, August 15, 2021. Below is the IG private message I sent them: Extremely disappointed with my first experience earlier this morning. As a fellow Puerto Rican I'm always on the lookout to find a true Puerto Rican spot to support other fellow Puerto Rican's. Coming all the way from the east end of Long Island, to try your place. We started with three alcapurrias. Then placed our orders for three different entrees. To our surprise one of the alcapurrias had a large piece of glass from what appeared to be from a bottle of Malta India. When my niece took her first bite she felt something cut the inside of her mouth. We immediately brought this to the attention of the person behind the counter and requested that our orders be cancelled and refunded. After that experience, I'm sorry but I would not be able to trust the establishment. The reason I'm reaching out is because I found it odd, that after the person speaking to the owner (Mike), to advise him of what occurred and to confirm that he could refund (void/cancel) my order, it was I that had to instruct the workers to inspect and throw out the other alcapurrias. The glass was apparently inside the meat not the "masa". Unfortunately, I had to leave and was not able to stay long enough to see that they even took the precaution to throw out the other remaining alcapurrias. (END) No comment or any other form of communication from whoever is running their IG page. This lacks professionalism and customer service. read more

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3.5 stars. In San Francisco Bay Area standard this was decent but nothing spectacular. We got the shrimp bowl with seasonal veggie. Good but pricy $20. We got the yuca beef empanada. Not good and inside is basically burger meat. And oily. Glad I tried once. Not going to come back read more

Que Chevere - Yuca beef empanada. Oily. Don't get - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

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I tried the shrimp mofongo and I could not stop eating it. The plantains were soft but still had texture and they were so garlicky yet sweet. The shrimp were also perfectly cooked and dipped in the tomato broth with the mofongo, I mean soooo good! Super hearty delicious meal, perfect for a cold day! read more

Que Chevere - Mofongo with shrimp - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

Great mofongo, amazing sauces, super friendly and helpful staff and complimentary Papa Fritas! How can you go wrong?? Tucked in the lower lever of Essex Market, this jewel is a must try! The mofongo was so good! Definitely comparable to the mofongo I had in Puerto Rico! And the sauce, just outstanding and really completed the dish. It was enough for me and my hubby! And because I checked in on Yelp while we were there, the complimentary papa Fritas came up! They were so warm and had such an awesome seasoning, it was hard to stop! We also picked up a beef pastelillos, but had to save for later since we were pretty full from the mofongo. We will definitely be back to try some of the other awesome menu items! read more

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The service was nice and the empanadas were delicious. Located at the bottom floor of the market and the man who worked there was so kind. The meat in the empanadas were good, we will have to come back to try other food options. I recommend trying these empanadas. read more

This place far exceeded my expectations! It's tucked away in a corner of Essex Market, so it's a bit hard to find, but so worth it. The bowls are around $18 each, which is on the pricier side, but the portion sizes are generous. My bowl had far more pork than rice/plantains-- you can make it stretch into 2 meals. The pork was perfectly cooked and tender. The yellow rice was also very flavorful. Overall, this place is a hidden gem and I'd come back if I'm craving Puerto Rican food! read more

Que Chevere - Pork, plantains - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

Got half way through the bowl because it looked so good before I remembered to take a picture. Phenomenal flavors. Love the fried plantain. Unique dish in an iconic location. Family-run and very friendly staff. Can't wait to come back! read more

Que Chevere - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

Flavors are spot. On. Puerto Rico I took one bite and my heart was FULL! With current circumstances of life, we haven't been able to travel back home and the food from Que Chevere healed our sad hearts. Service was tremendous as well - Super friendly staff! We went for the build your own bowl. Everything was amazing. Arroz con gandules, pernil and potato salad (uhm... WOW) Chicharron de pollo, white rice, and beans (beans took me RIGHT BACK to Cabo Rojo) Guys, if you're reading this, you just gotta go! Be safe and be well! read more

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I've eaten at the Grand Delancey a number of times and the Puerto Rican options have been great but Chevere's chicken wings are just my favorite. They're listed as a side but they definitely serve as an entree for one. My wife enjoys the mofongo but that's not on the Delancey's menu. Anyhow, I swung by on the night on the super bowl to pick up some non-buffalo-style wings as take-out and they had a special of Cincinnati-style wet and Los Angeles-style dry rub. I got half and half and it's delicious. Highly recommended if it's ever available again. read more

Que Chevere - Chicken wings special for Super Bowl Sunday. 50/50 Cincinnati sauce & Los Angeles dry rub. - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

This is a hidden little gem squished between a chicken place and a noodle place in the Essex Marketplace. Close to 15 years ago, I went to Puerto Rico and have yet (until approximately 5 minutes ago) to find maduros (gloriously pan fried bananas) and slow pulled pork with arroz con gandules. The portions are big! I ordered a "chevere" bowl and I'm pretty sure I'll be eating this for left overs tomorrow. Super good tostones on top that I like to break apart and dip. The maduros are a massive serving that can easily feed 2 people. But who really wants to share that? I also ordered a beef pastelillo that was seasoned perfectly and came with a cilantro dipping sauce and a ketchup/dipping sauce. Both tasted great. I can't recommend this place enough! They also donate to Autism Charities. So many wins. read more

This is a true puerto rican staple meal, mofongo con pernil. The flavors were all there, perfectly seasoned. The plantain was perfect texture and the pernil was cooked perfectly. This is real comfort food and it comes with a meat broth on the side to drizzle onto the dish. 10/10 amazing amazing! read more

Que Chevere - Mofongo con Pernil - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

I met the lovely family behind Que Chevere while participating in Hester St Fair last summer before they opened their Essex Market location...even trying their food then I knew it was special. As a Puerto Rican and also a Chef I have a pretty high standard for PR food. Their arroz con gandules are as good as my grandmother's. That is not something I say lightly. I continue to get delivery from them and have dragged my mom to their store front to try it herself. She agrees. The portions are huge and the sauces on the side are all flavorful and bright. The pernil is the MOVE. It is tender and flavorful and not too fatty. You can truly taste the love put into each plate. Even during Covid the standard has never wavered...food arrives in an adorable reusable tote bag, tostones still crispy and rice piping hot. If you're not getting your authentic Puerto Rican food from Que Chevere you're wasting your time. read more

Que Chevere - Puerto Rican Near Me - New York, New York

Authentic Puerto Rican food. The flavors of the island captured in every dish. To say I love Puerto Rican food would be a bit of an understatement, both my parents being born on the island and having raised me on the food they grew up with. This is as close to home grown as I have tasted. Fantastic spot!!! Coming back again and again.... read more

So I found this stall on the lower level inside the Essex Market and had to try their food since it was so highly rated. Their specialty is pernil so I chose that over their rotisserie chicken. He would've gotten the mofongo too but with the commute home, the food would've been ice cold. The pernil was so tender and juicy. I made my own rice and potato salad. It was delicious. L's family makes pernil also but it's bland and nowhere as tender. The food comes in a reusable black tote bag which was really nice. read more

Pretty impressed with this place. My sister and I stumbled upon it in Essex Market when looking for a quick and easy bite for dinner and were convinced to give it a try when we saw all of the amazing looking plates others were walking away with. Build-your-own plates are $13 and the portion size is large - shareable or big enough for leftovers. You pick a rice, a meat, and a side. I had the yellow rice with peas and it was amazing as well as the pernil which was tender and flavorful. However, i would have preferred a slightly smaller portion of both in exchange for a second side. I opted for the sweet plantains which were okay but not great. They gave us a few sauces on the side which had great flavor. The service is slow and discombobulated, which ironically is part of the authenticity; I had been in PR the weekend prior to going and that was the way things were most places there as well. Despite there being only a few people in line in front of us and everything being pre-made chipotle style, we still waited maybe close to 15 minutes for our food. I resisted the temptation to offer to hop behind the counter and help out. Would return. Great low-key spot in Essex Market. read more

Most of it was pretty great. Did a bowl with pernil and it was so tasty. Mofongo sauce was delicious. Mofongo itself was fairly dry and no flavor. Chicharrones de pollo is fried chicken. Not traditional chicharrones. Bought the pasteles-excited to try those ! read more

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Located inside a food hall - location is super clean and well maintained. Got the make your own bowl - chicarrón arroz con gandules and tostones. All was really huge. The bowl looks small, but it's actually a really good portion size. You have to wait for the food to be prepared, which is a plus because it's fresh. Great sauce options too. read more

Authentically Boricua! The experience was nice and the food was delicious. Brought the family and everyone had positive comments.

I just... wow. The food here is like grandma shipped her food straight from Puerto Rico. The pastelillos (empanadas), are soooo flavorful and packed with meat, I almost cried... it was THAT great. I built my own bowl and ordered the chicharron de pollo with tostones and arroz con gandules and let me tell you, I felt like I was at home, it was beautiful. If you want to feel welcomed with open arms and and eat food made straight from the heart, you definitely need to come here! read more

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