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    Rankin St. Deli

    4.6 (8 reviews)
    Open 5:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Order Rankin St. Deli Takeout or Delivery

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    a refrigerator with a puerto flag painted on it
    Eli G.

    If you are looking for the best, authentic Puerto Rican empanadas, there's no other place to go, but Rankin St. Deli...simply the best!

    Empanada and croquette

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    6 months ago

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    10 months ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    4 years ago

    If I could give this place 6 stars I would . From the bacon egg and cheese to their empanadas to the pinchos on Saturday . They don't miss.

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    8 years ago

    Food is amazing, fresh ingredients, and restaurant is very clean. If you're in Elizabeth I encourage you to go here!!!!

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    Sabor De La Isla

    Sabor De La Isla

    1.6(9 reviews)
    3.7 mi

    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.

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    Sabor De La Isla - Menu - Front

    Menu - Front

    Sabor De La Isla - Inside- Menu

    Inside- Menu

    Sabor De La Isla

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    Cha Cha Cha Cuban Cafe

    Cha Cha Cha Cuban Cafe

    4.5(414 reviews)
    4.5 mi
    $$

    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.

    Photos
    Cha Cha Cha Cuban Cafe
    Cha Cha Cha Cuban Cafe
    Cha Cha Cha Cuban Cafe - Outside

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    Outside

    Rankin St. Deli - sandwiches - Updated May 2026

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