I absolutely recommend Taino's Kitchen for Puerto Rican food that is deliciously authentic. I ordered Pollo Asado, arroz con habichuelas y maduros. And I ordered rellenos de papa to take home. I love the look and feel of the restaurant and I'm excited to go back when the weather is warmer to eat in their outdoor dining area. The decor is beautiful and the people who greeted and served my friend and I were warm and inviting. I have finally found my food home. Absolutely in love with Taino's Kitchen! read more

Taino's Kitchen - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Went for lunch with some coworkers on a Tuesday afternoon. The place wasn't super packed and we were able to get a table for 6 pretty quickly, despite the place being somewhat small with not many big tables. The food took very long to come out, around 30 minutes, which is inconvenient if you're, like us, set to go back to work within an hour. I ordered their parcha juice as a my drink. It was good, but not as flavorful as others I've tried or those from the island. Their pernil was very good and so were their tostones. I got vegetables on the side in garlic sauce and was pleasantly surprised at how good those were as well. I definitely think, if you have the time to be there for a while, this is a spot to check out! read more

Taino's Kitchen - The restaurant interior features warm orange walls and a ceiling with dark, decorative tin tiles. A corrugated metal counter with a Puerto Rican flag decoration is positioned near the window, with a display case and menu on top. Two customers are seated at a booth, one looking at their phone. In the background, a staff member is working in the kitchen area, visible through an open doorway. The decor includes small potted plants on a shelf and artwork on the walls. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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The food is fresh and authentically Puerto Rican. The service was attentive. Ambiance was homey - not too many people there so they welcomed us warmly. read more

Taino's Kitchen - Mofongo with fresh shrimp in a garlic sauce - A white oval plate holds mofongo topped with shrimp in garlic sauce, surrounded by a light broth or sauce. A side salad with shredded lettuce, sliced red onion, and tomato is placed on the side of the plate. The dish is presented on a dark wooden table, with a drink partially visible in the background. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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The food here was good and the portions were right however there were many issues. First was the parking none available even on site there was no place Secondly the service was poor as only one waitress was present who handles the inside and outside. I didn't receive my drinks until well after I finished my meal even thought I had asked in the beginning Third it was 4 of us and we were charged a 20% surcharge which did not include tip. The visit became very expensive and certainly not worth it. They also charge an additional high percentage for the use of a credit card. Won't be returning read more

Simplemente fenomenal! Ambiente, la gente, dog friendly. Evene treated me, una gringota, with lots of cariño. Thank you

Great service with a fresh variety of juice the passion fruit juice is so rich with flavor. I tried the onions steak with white rice, beans, salad, and avacado. The meal was very filling and full of rich flavor. The beef empanada was yummy and finished with a coconut flan that was just as savory. Really good service. read more

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This is my third time visiting Taino's kitchen and I have to say it's a pretty decent Puerto Rican Restaurant. The ambience of the Restaurant makes you feel like you're back home in Puerto Rico. And the staff's hospitality just speaks to the friendliness that we Puerto Ricans have naturally. The food was tasty and the portion sizes were good and quite filling. The waitresses are amazing and checked in with us periodically during our visit. Overall, I would recommend this place to anyone, because it's delivers both excellent service and pretty decent food. Check it out and see for yourself what Taino's kitchen has to offer. Enjoy! read more

Taino's Kitchen - Bacalao Guisado Sunday Special - The image shows a black round plate with a serving of yellow rice mixed with black beans, a portion of chicken stew with onions, tomatoes, and peppers, and a side salad consisting of lettuce, sliced tomato, and red onion. The plate is placed on a wooden table, and the food appears to be a meal from Caribbean cuisine. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Very disappointed! I ordered pernil with white rice and beans, 2 cheese empanadas and 4 alcapurrias. The pernil lacked flavor and the pieces they gave me were very dry. The beans were quite watery and lacked flavor as well. Never in all of my days have I ever had an empanada with American cheese in it. I was so disappointed in these. I want to ask for a refund, but am afraid they will be difficult about it. The alcapurrias are ok. The Taino kitchen on Halsey has better. This was a waste of money and unfortunately I won't order again. read more

Taino's Kitchen - Pernil - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Waited 30 minutes for alcappurias with RAW ground beef inside. I can't believe it. The service and quality of this is not a good representation of PR people. PR people have hospitality and smile and care about eachother. Serving raw meat is dangerous. Will not be coming back, not because of the meal but the lady with the braids who couldn't smile, say thank you or your welcome. Totally rude and cold ! read more

Taino's Kitchen - Alcapurrias de guineo (green banana stuffed with beef) meat is totally raw and slimey. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I went here for lunch and let's just say that after eating, I needed a nap. The food was that filling and delicious. I got the beef stew since that is the lunch specialty on Tuesdays. The beef was sooooo tender and well seasoned. The beans and rice were also really good and fresh. The sweet plantains were like candy. Omg! I washed it all down with their homemade passion fruit juice which was fruity and refreshing. *chefs kiss* Something about this establishment made me feel like I was in San Juan. But I guess that's the idea of Taino's. The staff was super lovely and hospitable. Any establishment with great food and lovely staff will get my support! 5/5 read more

Taino's Kitchen - Chicken Empanadas de Carne, Pollo and Jamon y Queso - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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I am excited I finally found a place that sells Chicharrones de pollo CON hueso (bone in crispy chicken chunks) because SIN hueso (no bone) is a flipping chicken nugget!! There. I said it. I love the option to add sauteed onion to your meal because, I just live sauteed onions. Their Arroz con guandules is phenomenal, my daughter raved about it and if you think I'm a tough critic smh my kids are the hardest lol I've had their Chicharrone de pollo y Mofongo and am very pleased with both. Their pernil is well seasoned and juicy. I ordered an alcappuria de yuca from DD delivery and got a message it was out of stock and they subbed an alcappuria de masa instead. Not going to lie, wasn't too thrilled about it because for me Yuca trumps Guineo in all situations. I rarely eat traditional pasteles and opt for pastel de yuca during Christmas. But, Boy, let me tell you!! When I bit into that thing it was nostalgic. A flood of memories rushed into me and I thought of my Great Grandmother immediately. It was delicious and heart warming. You can't beat that lol I haven't visited in person as of yet but I definitely will. I input multiple specific instructions in the delivery notes and they actually read the notes and complied. I've also had their Vanilla and Coco flan both phenomenal. They have a few an options like a true Boriken would. I love this place and the fact that it is named Taino which is directly linked to my blood line, I'm definitely going to continue to show love and support! read more

Taino's Kitchen - Chicharones de pollo con onions y mofongo. Delicious! - The image shows a foam takeout container filled with Caribbean food, including fried plantains, grilled meats topped with sliced onions, and a small cup of sauce or broth. The food appears freshly prepared and is presented in a typical takeout style, emphasizing traditional Caribbean flavors. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I love this place. The food is fresh and the people are great. It's like being on the island.

I stopped by Tainos Kitchen for take out and was greeted by a very pleasant staff member. My order arrived fairly quickly and was packaged in such a way that my rice and beans weren't mixed to prevent the rice from being extra soggy prior to my enjoying it. After the first bite I was hooked. The pork was very well seasoned and the bean and rice were just right! I highly recommend! read more

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Food is delicious!! Customer service was wonderful. I placed an order for 30 people and everything was ready a half hour before my pick up. Everyone at my lunch raved about how much they loved the food. 10 out 10!! Definitely going to order again and eat at restaurant. Everyone was so pleasant and accommodating read more

Taino' s Kitchen exceeded my expectations excellent food and the Service The ambiance was also Amazing ! Thank you guys for you food and service ! Hope to see you back at Sussex County Fair! Next year !! read more

Called to inquire if the plates came Ala cart or with rice and when greeted by the nicest most kind and helpful woman. I followed up to place an order online and the food did not disappoint. We ordered the pernil, pollo a la plancha, arroz con gandules, tostones, Maduros, and alcapurria. All the food tasted great. Will order from here again. read more

Moist and delicious. That's the theme. Everything here had a very unique and delicious moistness that I've had at few, if any, other similar places. It all started when we had the tostones, which were some of the tastiest we've ever had. I wish I could make my tostones as juicy as the ones from here. The yellow rice was perfectly cooked and so savory. Whoever cooked it should get a side job calibrating rice makers. And the roasted chicken was to die for. I'll be back in heartbeat. read more

Went with a group of 6 and a baby under 2. We were seated fairly quickly and our appetizers order was taken fairly quickly too. They came out about 15 minutes later. After we had our order taken. After this we never saw our server again. We waiting about and hour and a half before asking for an update for our food, told it'll be 10 more minutes. After 15 minutes we asked to have out food in to-go boxes as it was nearing 2 hours of waiting for our food. Told that we had to wait longer since it was already plated. (Then why was the food not brought out if it was plated already). Waited another 15 minutes for our food to be placed in to-go boxes when the manger came out giving my table an excuse for the poor servic. Being busy DOES NOT equal an excuse use for poor service, and waiting almost two hours for our food. In the end the time it took our food to get to us wasn't what upset the group. It was the fact that we weren't given a SINGLE update on our food since we ordered it. AS WELL TO NOT GETTING FOOD WE EVEN ORDERED. WE WERENT NOTIFIED AT THE FACT THAT THEY HAD RAN OUT OF FOOD THAT WE HAD ORDERED ALMOST 2 HOURS PRIOR. THEY SUBSTITUTED DISHES WITHOUT ASKING. AND STILL DIDNT SAY ANYTHING AT CHECKOUT. Edit: looking at the recept again, there are items we were charged for and didn't receive it. read more

Taino's Kitchen - Anything with a "0.00" is an item we ordered but was removed without the groups knowledge. - A crumpled receipt from Taino's Kitchen, located at 849 Mount Prospect Avenue, Newark, NJ, displays an order including Caribbean dishes such as pollo, arroz blanco, and tamarindo, with prices and quantities. The receipt includes transaction details, subtotal, sales tax, and total amount paid via debit card. The background shows part of a person's lap, with a pink patterned bag and black clothing visible. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I was there today for the first time for lunch and ordered few different dishes; garlic shrimp, pernil , sancocho, grilled fish, relleno de papa. Everything was good BUT the service was horrible. Im sorry but our waitress had an attitude and looked like she hated her job. I will never go back for that alone. If im spending over $100 to sit somewhere and eat, the service needs to be at par. There are plenty of authentic restaurants in that area to choose from. read more

Waited an hour for my food order to go. They forgot two items in my order. The food is bland. The ambiance is ok. There are too many better places in the area to choose from. I would not recommend it. read more

I decided I wanted some Puerto Rican food before heading back to Maryland after attending a concert at Prudential Center. Looked online and found Taino's Kitchen. The food and ambiance were great. I tried papas rellenas, alcapurias, and pastelillos or empanadas. Great flavor and their mayoketchup was delicious. Me and my gf had the pernil with arroz con gandules. The pernil was very good alone. I do like adding additional sauces so I def added the pique and mayo ketchup to sauce it up some. We also ended up drinking Guanabana which was so good. For desert we ordered tres leches and the Flan de coco which were amazing. We decided to get 10 empanadas de carne for the road. Everything was great. Staff was friendly. If I am in the NJ, I will be coming back. read more

Taino's Kitchen - Arroz con Gandules, Pernil Asado Sunday Special, Tostones - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I have given Taino's a 5 star before but this time 2023 only 3 stars. I was disappointed this time around. Maybe the chef is not the same but the food tasted different. The Puerto Rican flavors were not there. We asked for bistec encebollado white rice and red beans. The rice was good but the beans were watery no tomato sauce plus when I asked for red beans I meant the small red beans not those red long ones. They should let you know. The steak was pale and no taste with lots of fat. I also ordered two mofongos with salsa criolla. They were delicious. Before leaving I asked the female if the tres leches and the flan were fresh. She said yes. I took two and one. A big mistake the cakes were old and dry . I don't know if they took the best chef to their new location at Halsey street but I was disappointed. I spent over $65. Plus the desert. I love the owner and it is not personal. read more

Came here with my Sister N Law. The food brings you back to El San Juan. Not my mothers cooking but its pretty up there in taste. I ordered the fried fish with tostones and salad and my Sister had the bistec encebollado con tostones both very tasty. The portions were small for the price in my opinion, price was marked high, but with Covid I guess they have to make their buck somewhere. Expect a wait but when your food arrives its worth the wait. The waitress was friendly and precise. We washed it all down with their signature jugo de parcha which was delicious. I highly recommend this place. I will return. read more

Taino's Kitchen - $18 Fish, Tostones, Salad - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

I was craving some authentic Puerto Rican food and I found this place online. I read some of the reviews and was a little skeptical but still decided to go. I ate the camarones en salsa criolla with white rice and beans and my partner had the mofongo with pernil. We also got a beef empanada, a yuca alcapurria and a banana one. The food was delicious. If you want some good Puerto Rican food you will not be disappointed. The staff was very friendly and the place was clean. There was no parking lot so we parked on the street. read more

Went here yesterday with a friend. What a feast and magnificent time we enjoyed!!! The food is off the hook delicious!!! The prices are reasonable compared to the very excellent food you receive, Great portions. The staff is super friendly. I really enjoyed coming here. read more

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I thought the food was decent but not particularly outstanding. The papa rellenos were very good and baseball-sized. Aguacate salad was fresh and plentiful. I ordered a platter of pernil, the yellow rice I asked for came with it but the beans were missing. The pork needed extra oomph, like a sauce, but it was tender and not dry. Codfish stew was well put together and the tastiest of the bunch. The flan was also yummy. The main issue I had here was the service - they don't greet you, or ask you what you would like so make sure you speak up and check your order before you go for any missing items. All too often I forget to do that. It takes 2 seconds. Some of the opinions about this restaurant expressed here echo that since they opened a downtown (busier) location, the service and food quality has fallen off a bit from what it once was. That's something they would be keen to take notice of. read more

Went on 4/9/22 after checking out cherry blossoms in Branch Brook Park. The food was absolutely delicious with very large portions. Got the Masitas de Cerdo, Picadera de Camarones y Cerdo con Vegetales, and Camarones en Salsa Criolla. The Masitas were delicious and deep fried but not greasy at all. Came with salad and a lot of tostones. You can choose tostones or rice. The Picadera had a lot of tostones as well, with shrimp and pork chunks. The vegetables were slightly pickled in vinegar so they gave a really nice contrast to the tostones, shrimp, and pork flavors. My gf chose yellow rice with pinto beans in the Camarones. The rice was delicious and so were the shrimp. This also came with a salad as well. The sauce tasted so good mixed with the rice. I'd definitely come here again. The staff were all so pleasant and nice. read more

Ehhhh the food was average with outback and houlihan's price minus their quality. The service is good and they're friendly.

Definitely gives San Juan vibes. Love the decor and outdoor seating. Customer service was great, friendly staff. Food was good. Gave it 4 stars because some items from the menu were missing. read more

Taino's Kitchen - Jibarrito - Pernil sandwich with lettuce, tomato, onions and Mayo ketchup. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

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Food was amazing, the Puerto Rican artwork made you feel that you were in Puerto Rico (beautiful). Service was good, but restaurant gets too packed and the wait is pretty long. I will definitely go again! read more

Terrible service. Over and hour waiting for our order for them to tell us what we ordered was out of stock. Then they convinced us to get other food, and said it would be another 40 minutes to prepare. I understand that things happen but it's unreasonable to make someone wait an hour before letting them know. read more

I went here with a friend to visit a rare beauty. A PiertoRican Restaurant!! Not many left. Place is cozy. Staff very friendly. I ordered arroz con habichuelas and bistek empanizado. (White rice with beans and breaded steak) delicious! Also ordered an alcappuria and a empanada both chicken. Awesome! Took me back to my childhood. Highly recommend. read more

The service was great. Very friendly environment. The food was amazing everything is fresh. I was in awe when I tasted the food it was worth the wait time. Looking forward to going back and highly recommend read more

Taino's Kitchen - Arroz con gandules y biste enseboñado - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Exciting review! Truly a pleasure! They were at the Meadowlands in an Immaculately clean food truck! Best of all the food I loved it! Tasted like Puerto Rican food from Puerto Rico. Workers were very nice. Everything was very organized. They even had a faux rooftop at the top of the food truck. I just liked everything about them! I highly recommend. read more

Taino's Kitchen - Meadowlands NJ - A food truck decorated with Puerto Rican-themed artwork, including a woman with a flag and various symbols, is parked outdoors during dusk. Several people, including children and adults, are gathered around the truck, some ordering food and others walking past. The sky is transitioning to night, and the scene includes a small grassy area and a structure with flags on top. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Newark, New Jersey

Went to Taino's Kitchen on a Sunday afternoon. We were hung so ordered as appetizers a relleno de papa and an empanada con carne. We also ordered one of the Sunday specials, arroz con gandules with pernil and it came with a small salad. We also ordered mofongo with camarones en salsa criolla and my husband ordered the fried chuleta with white rice and habichuelas guisadas. I would give the food a 4.0 out of 5 stars other than the mofongo with the shrimp in salsa criolla. That was delicious! A solid 5. I thought and my husband thought the same that the food needed more seasoning. Maybe I caught them on a bad day. The service was friend albeit a little slow. The ambiance was nicely decorated with cultural art and paintings on the walls. All in all, it is a nice neighborhood restaurant with above average food. read more

Delicious típico PRican food!! Excellent customer service Excellent food Excellent dessert read more

A small restaurant with big flavor. We came here just as restaurants were opening up and we were not disappointed. This is definitely a no frills restaurant but we were pleased with the food. Would definitely recommend to anyone in the area read more

Camarones al ajilo was delish. The portion size was really good. I would recommend this place.

My fiancé and I popped in right before close, but the staff was super accommodating and didn't rush us out. Thanks for your patience! We ended up getting the daily special, such a good choice. Food tasted fresh and cooked in small batches. We loved the authentic Puerto Rican decor and snuck a peek at their outdoor set up. It looks so cute and we want to come back during warmer weather to enjoy a meal outdoors. read more

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Nothing good about it. Pernil portion was small and dry. Chicken was dry and flavorless. Sancocho was meatless. Had high hopes but won't be ordering again. read more