La Bodega Hispana

All the reviewers got it right; this place is delicious and they have so much food in the single container for lunch. They make all the rice and beans and plantains and roast chicken and beef stew and tacos. Homemade! All the food was delicious and it cost six dollars. A single meal could feed me for three meals.

They actually call me «La bodyego Hispana.» No joke. Because:
(1) I look Hispanic
(2) I have an amazing body
(3) I have a huge, enormous, swollen, massive, gargantuan, rock hard, throbbing… ego.
OK, the body part is a bit of a stretch, but I’m working on it, for reals for reals. Lost a ton of weight and can see my abs and pecs properly for the first time. Six months of hitting the gym almost every day (and it didn’t hit back) for 3 – 4 hours at a time, mostly doing weights. I feel great. No seriously, touch me, I feel great.
Which is why I have to stop f***ing eating at f***ing places like La Bodega f***ing Hispana. Seriously. It’s gonna mess my sh** up. Damnit. But it’s soooooooooo gooooooood. So what do I do? I cathartically write about it so that I can live vicariously through all of you guys and girls, imagining I’m eating the delicious food (and eating delicious other things) that I’m describing. Meanwhile I just eat fruit and veggies and reap the benefits. Now you know my evil plan. Mwahahaha.
Just kidding. But for me, Unilocaling is a way to try and keep places like LBH alive and in business. Besides, LBH is much better than GBH, which you can end up in jail for.
What to get: Pernil with yellow rice
What else: What more could you need in life than Pernil
How about some drugs: Just because I’m Persian, you think I deal drugs?
I said rugs: Oh, so just because I’m Persian, you think I sell ru… oh wait. I do. Sure, what size rug are you looking for hun?
So I’m trying to write this review and 2 of the best kittens in the world are here (not Starlight — it’s Mutu and my Son aka Jonny C) and they’re being totally adorable and licking each other and cuddling me. I know that 2 males licking each other may not be your thing but it’s totally fine with me.
If Antonio Banderas played 007 in the next movie, I guess that would be «La Bond Hispana.»
Now let’s focus on the food. It’s a tiny little Latin store which serves fresh hot Puerto Rican food. This is hands down some of the best Puerto Rican food I’ve ever had. It’s up there with Niagara Café and Sazon Criollo in Buffalo, or alongside Cocina Latina in Rochester. It doesn’t get much better than LBH.
If Keanu Reeves at the end of Point Break was actually Peruvian I guess that’d be «La Bondi Beach Hispana.» But he’d have to Peruve his nationality first.
It’s juicy, it’s hot, it’s fresh, and it’s ridiculously cheap. I think when last here I paid something like $ 6 for a portion so large, it would have filled Adam Richman up for weeks. Maybe. The rice is greasy and moist and delicious unlike so much of the dry rice you get from PR and Dominicana places.
If you could get cash back por tu cerveza aqi, then this would be «La Bottle-​bank Hispana.»
The service is absolutely wonderful here too. Extremely friendly guys, spoke decent English (not that I care, and I speak Spanish anyway), and hit on me the whole time I was in there. Well the hitting on me part was more in my imagination, my hopes and dreams, but the other parts are accurate.
If Matt Damon’s better looking boyfriend owned it, then it’d be «La Benaffleck Hispana.»
I’ve gotten Pernil both times I’ve been here. Next time I come I’ll branch out and try some new dishes. But everyone that goes in there seems to get the Pernil. You get a piece of skin with it too which is a traditional addition and a nice touch. And of course the yummy beans as well if you like them, poured all over the rice.
If you had a curved Salvadoran pee pee, then it’d be «La Banana Hispana.»
I’ve actually been here 3 times, but the 2^nd time I couldn’t find it, and the place I found that I thought was it, had closed down and turned into a gas station. That doesn’t usually happen to me so please don’t tell anyone.
If the employees loved lookin’ at you, kid, it’d be «La Bogart Hispana.»
My first visit here was 2009. My most recent was 2014. Both times the food was sensational. I’ll be going back again to try some new stuff and will update my review.
This is the review of the place I wrote back in 2009, but never uploaded:
Amazing Pernil, not as luscious as the Pernil at Niagara Café in Buffalo, but so juicy and the portions are enormous, and omg, the prices? Are you kidding me? $ 5 for all that? On Long Island? Are you insane? ⁵⁄₅ baby. Friendliest servers around. Yay! Seems more authentic than the other Puerto Rican food I’ve had. Just this little hole in the wall with 100% Puerto Rican patrons. They were genuinely surprised that I was in there, even though I look latino. Anyway, delicious, one of my favourite types of food. Ask for extra juicy, that will supplant the dryness and make it all the more worthy of your money (it hardly costs anything) and time (it’s ready in a second). Nom nom nom.
And if you could rent me by the hour at this place, it’d be «La Bordello Hispana.» Actually, you can. My price list is coming up in a future review.
Now let’s talk about the size of my ego again. I have the pictures to prove it. Trade?

a great home feeling in this area. in the back all the people drinking a ton and in the front is all the food. the prices are great and its very tasty. the food is packed with flavor and love. its like walking in a hispanic home with big open arms. it was raining that day when i came and the people i was with was starving so i stopped by a deli thinking there was only sandwiches in the deli. it was a great surprise that there was so much food to purchase from.

Papa ningo it’s nice place same people say is ordinary place butt this peoples it’s ignorants

Tasty, inexpensive, perfect to grab lunch to go. Friendly owner.

Renamed to ‘Papa Ningo Deli’ — The place itself is pretty ordinary. It’s your traditional local hispanic bodega. It’s the in-​house food there that makes this place stand out. g-​ddamn that’s some good food. All of it. I haven’t tried the pork though since I personally don’t do pork. However, it always looks and smells amazing. There isn’t really a place to sit down and eat, it’s more of a pickup/​take-​out place. The clientele is bi-​lingual (English/​Spanish) and always provide generous portions for takeout. They also have Horchata and Marañon. I highly reccomend it!

Changed ownership, now know as Papa Mingo’s. Still ok, but not as great as it was. Same set up, same low prices, friendly staff.

This spot is a real hidden Gem. The staff is helpful with food selections. They have a pretty large choice of cooked food on their steam table. The black beans and rice were very good. Next time I will try the red beans. The roast pork was great. It was moist, tender and just fell apart. We also had some stewed beef that was a little dry but real flavorful. Our take out order cost 25.00. We had enough to feed 4 adults very well.

I haven’t gone to get Spanish food in a few years. Used to go to a place in Bay Shore, but heck if I’m driving all the way there. So then I came across some reviews of La Bodega Hispana on New York Avenue. Only about 10 minutes from my house, great.
Walked inside, greeted right away. The guy serving the food was very friendly. Food looked good„ Great service, clean inside. I need to hit this place up some more!

I love this place… was craving Spanish food for Christmas Eve. However, not just any Spanish food. it had to be traditional Puerto Rican. it had to be rice and beans, pork and sweet plantains. — do you know what I mean? — many of you will!
They have hot food stations with everything Spanish you want. The food was just like my mom used to make (may she rest in peace) — oh what great memories.
If you want real Spanish (Puerto Rican style) food — this is the place!!- enjoy.

I used to have a favorite hole in the wall bodega on Depot Road, but La Bodega Hispana really steps it up. They have a long line of different hot foods that you pick out to eat, and for the most part they’re all pretty good.
I really liked the addition of corn to their yellow rice, and the stewed chicken and red beans was delicious, if not a tad bit too salty. The BBQ pork ribs were also notable, tender and delicious. My only complaint were the sweet plantains, but they’ve been sitting on a tray for a bit so I can’t really judge when they’re supposed to be eaten freshly cooked. I still ate them though, haha! Just get hot sauce on everything!
Friendly service, everyone spoke English and Spanish, so it was a very pleasant takeout lunch experience.

Might be my new favorite hispanic food spot (Don’t tell Don Juan Pupusseria II). I walked in the other day with a craving for some form of fried pork. I got there and found Jeff O’s «Rainbow of Pork» and more.
This place has a large hot food selection and large drink selection and is very gringo friendly. The owner/​manager was very helpful in helping me make a selection and when I got home to eat, the food was delicious.
Thinking about going back there tonight for some good eats!

One day I got the craving for Hispanic food… being from Puerto Rico, it is hard to find authentic Latino food that tastes like the one my mother cooks for me when I go home; and not the typical over-​seasoned (or under-​seasoned) to make it more «Americanized». The one that got the closest has been «Old San Juan» Restaurant in Manhattan (review available).
We stopped one day at the Dunking Donuts next door to «La Bodega Hispana» to get coffee. I went in and loved the look of the food. A few days later I came back to try it. This was 2 years ago…
Ever since then, I come here once a week in average (while in town) for a taste of mama’s style food. Everything is soooo delicious!
As for the meal, here is how you order…
First, choose the small or large container for your portion. I used to order the large container but it is enough food for 2 to 3 people. I’ve come down to the small portion as it is more than enough for one person… probably two!
Once you choose your container, choose white or yellow Spanish rice. Then choose the beans you want: red or black. I always go for black beans. The staff is more than generous with the amount of food served.
Finally, order the main item on your meal. They usually carry a chicken, pork and fish among many other items such as tamales, soups, vegetables and much more… what makes it so unique? The way is cooked, the Spanish seasonings and how much flavor the food has! The only thing I did not like is the «tostones» (deep fried plantains) as they should be eaten right off the fryer and not let it stand for too long… otherwise they get soggy. But everything else has been fantastic!
As for price, I will have the small container with rice, beans and a main item with an extra of something (a veggie, empanada, soup, etc.) The food is enough for two (possibly three) people and I’ve never paid more than $ 10.00. Prices varies depending on your choices. I always come for lunch and most of the time I will have enough leftovers for dinner.
The place is mostly for takeout. One table in the back is available for eat-​in. If you come at lunch time, you will be sharing the table with many Hispanics on their lunch break.
The staff speaks full English and Spanish. Plenty of cold drinks available. Hispanic soft drinks such as «Malta» (my favorite — a sweet malt) available as well as beer and other regular soft drinks.
It is my favorite place in town for Spanish/​Latino food! Once a week visit has not go unnoticed by the very friendly staff and I’ve gotten a few freebies or a special discount here and there…
My only suggestion: come at lunch time or early afternoon to get the food at its freshest and best.

«A Rainbow of Pork»
The words came from from eyes, marinated my mind, then rolled off my tongue. I gravitated towards the pork. Two of the greatest foods known to man were staring me down. Carnitas and Chicharones whole.
Later, when I opened my plate, the only smell I could compare it to was Thanksgiving. What warmth!
Large hot food selection, although by 7pm some items looked like that was past their time. The portion sizes are gigantic. For 7 dollars, I have enough dinner for 3 days. 2 if I am planning on stuffing myself. There is a large selection of drinks, grocery items as well as a large table in back for… eating?
Surprisingly gringo friendly. No blaring music, easy to point windows, bilingual staff. I walked out and a gringo coming in smiled at me. He knew.