This post is a sponsored article by Grubhub.
Lifelong New Yorkers know: Puerto Rican culture, cuisine, and energy runs through the fabric of New York City. The uninitiated may not know where to look, especially given that many Puerto Rican restaurants in the city define themselves rather broadly, referring to what they serve as “Spanish” or “Latin American” cuisine given the similarities and shared dishes between the cuisines of Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Dominican Republic. But this is an easier task than you might imagine— Nuyoricans abound in almost every corner of the city.
The Bronx and Queens, in particular, boast Puerto Rican restaurants of incredibly high caliber, from the humble deli counter-style restaurant to extravagant locales blasting Reggaeton and adapting classic recipes in futuristic, innovative ways. While each restaurant deserves an in-person visit, they also deliver straight to your door with Grubhub. Why have it one way when you can have both? Every inclusion on this list is available to order on Grubhub, so you can enjoy a Puerto Rican feast in the comfort of your home.
Jorge’s Restaurant
Jorge’s is a neighborhood staple. Those who live along the southern edge of the M line know this all too well. It serves just about any purpose you could hope for. Their daily specials like Tuesday’s Sancocho soup make excellent quick meals for local commuters. Their more elaborate, classic entrées like Mofongo (served with essentially every topping you could feasibly desire) are perfect for sharing with family, loaded with sides like plantains (Maduros or Tostones, whichever tickles your fancy), potatoes, or classic rice and beans. Jorge’s serves food that feels like someone’s mother cooked it: rich, cozy, well-seasoned everything is what’s on the menu. It’s the sort of essential spot that no neighborhood should go without, and the fact they’re available on Grubhub means you won’t have to wait in line or drown in indecision when faced with the quasi-endless options available steaming up the glass at the deli counter.
Jorge’s Restaurant is located at 688 Seneca Avenue — Order Now
El Dorado
El Dorado feels like a diner in the best way. Where elsewhere Greek and Italian diners abound, the stretch of Myrtle Avenue where the M and L intersect features this especially delightful Puerto Rican locale. Situated just a half-block from the Myrtle-Wyckoff M-L stop, it’s a versatile, all-day-every-day sort of restaurant. From the simplest chuleta sandwich to their complex, better-than-bouillabaisse seafood casserole (Cazuela de Mariscos), their menu can satisfy even the most finicky of eaters. Their side dishes are given equal consideration as their entrées— even their abundant serving of seemingly basic yuca is seasoned to perfection, playing incredibly well with the multidimensional flavor profile of the classic Puerto Rican dishes on their menu. Whether you’re looking for a quick, easy sandwich or a bountiful seafood feast, order from El Dorado on Grubhub to satisfy any and all of your cravings.
El Dorado is located at 54-55 Myrtle Avenue — Order Now
La Cocina De Mamà
Nestled in a sweet stretch along Metropolitan Avenue, La Cocina de Mamà tastes like exactly that— A mother’s kitchen. While it’s true that not every mother can pull off making the perfect Pollo Guisado or rotisserie chicken, this mother can. Oddly enough, perhaps a testament to the level of attention paid to even the most common of Puerto Rican dishes, their maduros (sweet fried plantains) are absolutely perfect. Glistening, caramelized plantains made more or less faultlessly can make any meal feel luxurious. However, luckily for La Cocina de Mamà, their other dishes are equally well-made, and the maduros only serve to emphasize the quality of cooking you’ll find here. Thankfully, eating what feels like home cooking won’t even require a home visit— all you’ll need is to order on Grubhub.
La Cocina de Mamà is located at 56-13 Metropolitan Avenue — Order Now
La Reina Restaurant
La Reina’s address tells you it’s on the Cross Bronx Expressway, and it is, but a roadside attraction it is not. This teeny-tiny restaurant feels like someone’s home kitchen, and the food you’ll eat at La Reina reflects this. Their Tres Golpes breakfast— a bounty of eggs, Mangú, fried queso tropical, and fried salami, is an absolute star, as well as their pernil and Mofongo de Pollo. There’s nothing quite like opening your day with ‘the three hits’— while it’s typically considered a Dominican dish, this breakfast can be found at essentially every Puerto Rican restaurant as well, and La Reina’s version is especially delicious. The kitchen is small, but it’s obvious from both the preparation and the quality of the food that this establishment’s size is not a disadvantage. Customers are given what feels like the royal treatment, and the fact that you can order breakfast, lunch, or dinner from La Reina on Grubhub means you can feel like royalty anytime, even in your pajamas.
La Reina Restaurant is located at 3035 Cross Bronx Expressway — Order Now
Con Sofrito
Con Sofrito can be a little hard to spot given its location in a somewhat industrial area of the Bronx, but it’s worth it. This enormous restaurant uses its ample space wisely, featuring incredible, quasi-surrealist tropical decor and oozing with an energy best defined as “Caribbean luxury”. It can be difficult to find Puerto Rican restaurants that play with innovation and experiment with the typical recipes (why mess with perfection?), but Con Sofrito is an unexpected surprise. One might expect their Mini Mofongo appetizer to resemble a classic mofongo, just shrunk, but Con Sofrito makes some innovative choices (plantain cups, and cheese flan anyone?) to set themselves apart from the more humble Puerto Rican deli counters scattered across the city. If modern, innovative Puerto Rican cuisine is what you want but you’re not particularly interested in a restaurant scavenger hunt, you’re in luck: Con Sofrito is available to order on Grubhub for delivery.
Con Sofrito is located at 1315 Commerce Avenue — Order Now
Margarita’s
Of all these, Margarita’s resembles a typical sit-down restaurant the least — it’s a simple room behind a wrought iron storm door with a simple menu and what seems like simple, straightforward food. It’s the sort of place that those with an eye for restaurants will know is going to be phenomenal, but can be easily overlooked by those without that particular skill. It is for that reason it deserves its spot on this list: the unassuming places, those that strike the visitor as a basic neighborhood snack bar, are often the best places to eat. The tip-off is their prominent Pastelito menu, with their seafood fillings showcased first (and the more typical beef/chicken/cheese fillings listed towards the end). The Pastelitos themselves are the Platonic ideal of Pastelitos— perfect pastry-to-filling ratio, perfect balance between moisture and crunch, and perfectly seasoned fillings. The beef and conch fillings are especially delicious, and taste fresh no matter the time of day. If a perfect pastelito (or several) sounds like your kind of meal, order now on Grubhub, if only to decide for yourself how perfect it might be.
Margarita’s is located at 915 Avenue St. John — Order Now
Whether you’ve got a hankering for chicharrón or a homestyle stew, the Puerto Rican restaurants in the Bronx and Queens have you covered, and enjoying the excellent offerings from each of these restaurants is as simple as a few taps on Grubhub. So if you’re hungry, order now—to at least avoid the fear of missing out on these unique, delicious restaurants.