New York City’s Essential Puerto Rican Restaurants
We’re still thinking about this weekend’s history-making Super Bowl halftime show by Bad Bunny. Born Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio in Bayamón, Puerto Rico, Bad Bunny put on what is now being affectionately called the “Benito Bowl”: a true celebration of all things Latin America and, specifically, Puerto Rico, filled with dances, sing-along tunes and pure joy.
While watching the performance on repeat on YouTube, we suddenly feel the urge to explore Puerto Rican culture in any way we can. After all, Puerto Rico isn’t just a cultural force that got its moment in the spotlight on Sunday night: it’s a U.S. territory located in the Caribbean, about 1,600 miles southeast of Miami, roughly a four- to five-hour flight from the mainland.
Puerto Rican food culture, specifically, has been woven into NYC for nearly a century, with a major proliferation of Puerto Rican restaurants, bodegas and Cuchifritos shops taking place from the 1950s through the 1970s, alongside the massive postwar migration that made Puerto Ricans the city’s largest Latino group by 1970.
Today, while gentrification has shuttered many historic neighborhood spots in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Puerto Rican food remains a vital presence in the Bronx and Queens and is experiencing renewed visibility through newer restaurants that frame the cuisine for a broader, citywide audience. Given all of that—and the fact that half a million Puerto Ricans call New York City home as of 2023—we just had to put together a list of the best Puerto Rican restaurants in NYC. Get ready to devour authentic tostones (crispy fried green plantains), pasteles (tamale-like delights) and bacalaitos (salted codfish fritters), without even having to leave the city.
New York City’s Best Puerto Rican Restaurants
Lechonera La Isla
- 254 E 125th Street, New York, NY 10035
The super-casual, counter-service Lechonera La Isla in Harlem serves authentic Puerto Rican cuisine at a more-than-reasonable price (nothing will cost you over $20). As the name suggests, you’re going to want to go for the lechón here: a roasted pig dish with crackly skin that tastes even better alongside a pastelillo, a hand-sized turnover filled with a bunch of savory ingredients and then deep-fried.
La Fonda
- 169 East 106th Street, New York, NY 10029
A staple of the local Puerto Rican culinary scene, La Fonda Boricua has been around since 1966. This is more than just a restaurant; think of it as a community hangout spot where folks like to go during live music and dance nights. Don’t get it twisted, though: the food is nothing to scoff at—especially when it comes to the mofongo: a Puerto Rican dish of mashed fried green plantains, garlic, olive oil and pork cracklings shaped into a ball.
Kiosko 787
- 488 Carroll St, Brooklyn, NY 11215
Kiosko 787 in Gowanus operates out of a tiny blue storefront on Carroll Street. Although there are a few tables inside, in addition to the outdoor table that is usually stationed by the entrance, we suggest taking everything home or to your desk: the food prepared here deserves to be savored. The menu is extensive, but our attention always turns to the classic portion of the roster: from the mar y terra de aguadilla (steak and shrimp) to the pollo guisado (stewed chicken with white rice) and the cazuela de amarillos y carne (sweet plantain casserole), everything deserves your palate’s attention. Fair warning: you may want to come here again and again to savor everything the restaurant has to offer.
The Freakin Rican
- 43-06 34th Ave, Astoria, NY 11101
This restaurant is a vibe. You might actually feel like you’ve just traveled to Puerto Rico for lunch—courtesy of the tropical-style decor and traditional food on offer. Although the menu of classics always delivers, you might want to try the eatery’s take on non-Puerto Rican offerings, as well. Apps like the Freakin’ crispy wings and fried calamari, for example, lean more toward creative bar food categories, alongside other hearty Latin-inspired sandwiches like the Cubano, filled with roasted pork.
El Rinconcito
- 75 Loisaida Ave, New York, NY 10009
At El Rinconcito, patrons can indulge in all types of Latin American fare, including plenty of Puerto Rican dishes that stand the test of time, from the boneless fried chicken chunks (chicharron de pollo) to the roast pork sandwich (pernil). Keep in mind that this is a super casual spot, although the excellent servers tend to treat all patrons like royalty.
Casa Adela
- 66 Loisaida Ave, New York, NY 10009
Open since 1973, Casa Adela is one of the most mentioned spots by local Puerto Ricans when asked about go-to restaurants in town. Everything here is authentic, perfectly cooked and served, but it’s the single dessert on the menu that’s particularly worthy of mention. The flan de queso—a caramel custard that is basically Puerto Rico’s take on a cheesecake—only costs $3, so you’ll probably end up ordering a few.
Cuchifritos
- 168 E 116th St, New York, NY 10029
In Puerto Rican cuisine, cuchifritos are the various deep-fried foods made mainly with pork that also serve as the backbone of the region’s culinary culture. It’s also the essence of the offerings at Cuchifritos restaurant in East Harlem. Keep in mind that the no-frills destination doesn’t have any tables inside, so you’ll have to take your food to go.
188 Cuchifritos
- 158 E 188th St, Bronx, NY 10468
If all that you are craving is pork cooked the Puerto Rican way, 188 Cuchifritos is the only destination worth your while. Funnily enough, the lunch counter was actually opened back in 1982 by the Cuban-born Jose Coto. Here, you go wild: try the pig’s ears, the salami sandwich, the codfish salad and anything else that might strike your gastronomic fancy.
Lechonera La Piraña
- 766 E 152nd St, Bronx, NY 10455
Lechonera La Piraña is a cash-only trailer that makes food worthy of a grand dining room. While waiting on your octopus salad and roast pork, chat up the folks behind you in line: it’s likely that they will be just as interesting as the food you’ll soon be munching on.
El Rincon Boricua
- 622 Melrose Ave, Bronx, NY 10455
Green banana fritters filled with ground beef, stuffed potato fritters and a traditional beef stew made with cow feet, beef tripe and a bunch of vegetables are three of the most popular orders at this Bronx go-to. As seems to be the case across all the restaurants on this list, the prices here are more than reasonable, and the portions huge. As they say in Puerto Rico, ¡Buen provecho! (that would be, bon appetit!)