Unacceptable! Ordered Mofongo with Masas de cerdo and received unseasoned and dried pork chop bits…read more Mofongo was under seasoned, lacked garlic and not mashed enough. Husband ordered Mofongo with camarones al ajillo. Shrimp were definitely pre cooked and bathed in a garlic sauce. I will not be ordering or eating from El Palmar again.

The food is okay. I expected much more. But, honestly it can be a difficult take when fusing…read morecuisines. And while Puerto Rican and Cuban food has a lot of similarities. There are many differences and that's where the key lies. Hope this helps.

First time trying this place. Owners are very nice. Its where the old 494 was. Authentic Puerto…read moreRican food. Everything we ordered was delicious. We took it home to eat. We definitely recommend. I had an empanada that was very good too.

Hole in the wall restaurants always has the best food. Great food and hospitality. We had lunch…read morehere and it was delicious. Warm and friendly staff. If it's food that matter and you don't care much about decor, it's a good place. Definitely a Staten Island gem. Highly recommend it. Will definitely come again.

A small venue in a strip mall lot, so plenty of free parking. Simple interior with some original…read morePuerto Rican inspired art on the walls. Food is made to order, so if you're in a rush order ahead. Friendly & fun staff, not too busy to explain things to you. We had Alcapurria (Yuca), Cubano, Cheese Empanada, Papa Rellena, Chicharron Polo, Chimichurri Chicken, & a Vanilla Tres Leche. Everything was very good & definitely worth a revisit. A very casual place with a super chill vibe. Grades: Alcapurria (Yuca): A+ Cubano: A Cheese Empanada: A Papa Rellena: A+ Chicharron Polo: B+ Chimichurri Chicken: A Vanilla Tres Leche: A+

Caught them at the Just Jersey food truck festival last weekend. Tried the chicken empanadas and…read morethey were pretty good. Nice size portions etc, however, it was the start of the event and the truck had no sour cream. That's literally the one thing we eat these with, so they offered us a similar version of sour cream with some kind of crema mixed in, but it was too spicy for my kid, so she wasn't a fan and therefore, couldn't finish her food. I def think SC is something the truck making Latin food should keep on hand! It's pretty common.

Sabor Caribeno was excellent, but sadly they sold new people, who changed the name to Sabor De La…read moreIsla. Either way, it doesn't matter much now. There was a massive fire over a year ago, and the restaurant has been closed since.

So on our quest for chicharron DE POLLO throughout Union County, google lead me to this little gem…read more The first time I had chicharron DE POLLO (I'll explain later, why I'm putting emphasis on de pollo.) was at work from a restaurant in Perth Amboy. Anyone familiar w/this area knows it's a nice ride to Perth Amboy from Union for some fried chicken chunks. So I decided to call a few of the local spots near home to find out if they've been hiding these little morsels of heaven from me all along but low and behold and lucky for them they didn't. ... NONE of em. Not one. They only had chicharron which is apparently pork. Although I'm a fan of pork, I was on a mission to find heaven close to home. Which leads me to my review of Sabor de la Isla. The service is friendly and courteous. And the chicharron DE POLLO wasn't as good as Perth Amboy's version but it was a very satisfying second. You get a LOT of rice, the beans are a decent portion and the chicharron is plentiful. I personally can get two sittings from the chicken and the rice is damn near enough to share with your family. You may just need an extra order of beans. But all of that for $9 is worth it imo.

Everything on their menu is absolutely amazing ! Their Pork is so fresh and tender , RIBS fall off…read morethe bone .. rice and beans authentic and fresh ! And prices are great for the portions you get ! Definitely recommend this place

Everything was fresh and tasty. Ordered take out- 1/2 chicken you can pick your sides and do not…read moreforget the sauce, loved the green sauce- perfect amount of spice. Chicken was tender and seasoned. Enough food for two meals.

We went inside and placed a takeout order it was around 7 pm on a Friday and the place was empty…read moreexcept for two couples sitting at two tables. There was one man waiting for his order. 1st red flag. The place was dark and dingy looking, 2nd red flag. We ordered real basic 1/2 rotisserie chicken with rice and peas, my husband ordered 1/2 chicken with yellow rice and red beans. The chicken was so hard and dry that I almost choked swallowing it! It had no taste and neither did the beans and rice. They were dry as well, rice was overly sticky, nothing 'traditional' about the food. I may not be latino but I have eaten enough Latin dishes to know what's traditional and what's not, and this place IS NOT. Don't bother going here if you want, at the least, good tasting, authentic Dominican food that is prepared well!

I love the food. I usually get a whole chicken with yellow rice and peas. The yuca is amazing…read more Empanadas are so good. The sauces have so much flavor. Desserts are made perfectly.

I always enjoy the food at El Dorado! Food always hot and fresh and the staff always nice! Great…read moretasty authentic desserts!

Place is hit or miss. I used to like it with the pernil, rice and side salads. Every time I got it…read morerecently was not good. Last time I ordered uber Eats was expensive and got me and my whole family sick. I love me a Mac salad but it's good some times and other times a weird after taste. Ehhh....

Nice local place for lunch near work…read more This place took over a luncheonette. I always fancy a place where I can get tacos with my eggs over easy with home fries platter. Heard there's half price taco Tuesdays. Will try that soon. Plenty of street parking.

Great breakfast spot! We tried the arepas with sausage, egg, and cheese and the French toast! Yum!read more

This is my second time coming here. It was a yelp event that brought us here first and it was…read moreamazing. I will say parking is street parking or side streets and can get a little crazy on weekends. Service is always great and you feel like you are a part of the family here. Food is always fresh and amazing. Anytime I am near here we stop regardless of being hungry or not. I absolutely am obsessed with their vaca frita and black beans. It's a huge portion so leftovers are always good. My boyfriend always orders their cubano as he said it is the best one he has ever had. Their Maduros are also sweet and crisp and never greasy. We also tried their choripan sandwich and it was awesome. We've never had thinly sliced chorizo which eliminates the usual oil and messiness. Always an amazing meal. We also tried their pineapple Cuban smoothie and ended the meal with their delicious flan.

I would give Cha Cha in Kenilworth 2 stars…read more This was my first visit, and while the service was friendly and welcoming, the food itself was very disappointing. I appreciated the complimentary yuca fritters with special sauce, which was a kind gesture. However, the overall quality, freshness, and authenticity of the main dishes did not meet expectations. Parking is very limited street parking. The Cuban breaded steak was the biggest disappointment. A proper Cuban-style breaded steak should be thin, tender, savory, garlicky, slightly citrusy, well-seasoned, evenly breaded, and pan-fried until crisp and golden. The version I received tasted oddly sweet, the breading separated from the meat, and the steak had a gummy texture with an old-looking color. It did not have the freshness or clean savory flavor expected from this classic dish. The red beans were very concerning. They tasted strongly like vinegar, and I had to spit them out. When I looked closer, there appeared to be a white, murky-looking substance in them. Beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless something is wrong. Cuban-style red beans should be creamy, savory, aromatic, and well-seasoned with garlic, onion, peppers, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The white rice was also not acceptable. It was hard, did not taste fresh, and had a vinegar-like smell and flavor. It appeared as if older rice may have been mixed with newer rice. Proper Cuban white rice should be fluffy, clean-tasting, separated, and neutral in flavor. The moro with black beans and rice was better than the white rice, but still lacked depth. It needed more bay leaf flavor and stronger Cuban seasoning. A good moro should have a rich, savory base from sofrito, garlic, peppers, onions, beans, broth, herbs, and slow cooking so the rice absorbs the flavor. The oxtail was tender and okay, but it did not fully deliver the deep, rich Cuban-style flavor I expected. Traditional Cuban oxtail should be slow-braised with garlic, onions, peppers, tomato sauce, wine, herbs, and spices until the sauce becomes rich and the meat is deeply seasoned. This oxtail tasted acceptable, but it seemed as though it may have been prepared a day or two before and reheated. I understand that many restaurants legally prepare certain foods a day ahead, especially dishes like beans, stews, and oxtail. However, food should still taste fresh and be stored, cooled, reheated, and handled according to food safety standards. Sour or vinegar-like flavors in rice or beans can sometimes indicate fermentation, spoilage, or improper storage, and that should never reach the customer. The best part of the meal was the dessert. The vanilla flan was very good, and the coconut flan was excellent. The coconut flan was rich, creamy, and full of coconut flavor, with shredded coconut pieces that added texture and made it stand out. That dessert showed real potential. The prices were reasonable, but reasonable pricing does not make up for poor freshness and low food quality. It did look like they may do better with sandwiches and empanadas, which I did not try and perhaps should have ordered first. I cook Cuban food, Puerto Rican food, and other traditional dishes myself, and I lived in Miami for over nine years. I also learned from Cuban friends who cook authentic Cuban food at home. Because of that, I know how these dishes should taste. In my opinion, the dishes I tried did not represent Cuban cuisine with the freshness, authenticity, seasoning, or care it deserves. The restaurant may have people who know how to cook, but based on this visit, it seems the kitchen has lost some of the authenticity and discipline needed to serve fresh, properly prepared Cuban food. Food that tastes sour, vinegary, old, or questionable should never be served to customers. The service and desserts were the highlights, but the main dishes need serious improvement in freshness, food handling, seasoning, and respect for authentic Cuban cuisine. There are several areas that need improvement. Freshness and food safety should be the main priority. Rice and beans should never taste sour or vinegary unless intentionally prepared that way, and food that seems old or questionable should not be served. The breaded steak should be freshly breaded, crispy outside, tender inside, and properly seasoned with authentic Cuban flavors like garlic, citrus, cumin, oregano, and bay leaves. The rice should be fluffy, the beans creamy, and the oxtail deeply seasoned and fresh-tasting. I believe the restaurant may have cooks who understand Cuban cuisine, but the kitchen needs to reconnect with freshness, consistency, authenticity, and stronger food handling standards. Cuban food is rich in flavor, comfort, and cultural pride, and with improvement this restaurant could better reflect that tradition.