El Chevere

Had whole chicken, yellow rice and Papa rellenas and they were awesome! So flavorful and delicious. I will definitely return.

Great Puerto Rican food. Fast and cheap! However it’s not called el Coqui, it’s called El Chevere, a little confusing. Definitely a hole in the wall type place with very limited counter seating but great if you’re in the area.

I have been really craving real cuchifrito (not quchifrito) for a really long time now and this place definitely hit the spot! I ordered the cuban sandwich which was recommended by my fellow Unilocalers and as I waited I had a patelito, a alcapurilla and a stuffed potatoe ball. The potatoe ball was amazing! It was perfectly fried but not greasy and the middle was perfectly soft and stuffed. I can say the same about the alcapurilla and the patelito. When I got my cuban sandwich it tasted great! The lady that was there really hooked it up. The only slight problem that i can say is that the bread was a little under toasted but still it was a great sandwich. The plus I must add is that the place looked really clean amd the people were friendly with good service.

first off it’s not called coqui anymore. second, it’s too expensive for that type of food. never again!!!
«el chevere restaurant and bakery.» east 110 street and third avenue, n.y. n, y. 10 029 in the heart of el barrio called «tito puente way.» cuban owned.

The chicken is a bit bland and the yucca was mushy, the madurro were good, but you can’t really mess them up. The mangoo is good and when I can’t get coffee next door at the bakery, this is my second choice for a coffee, and a morning oatmeal

The most amazing Cuban Sandwich I ever had was from here. Sidenote: I’m from South Florida, and I’ve had plenty of cubans. El Coqui/​El Chevere — from the outside I thought this place was called Cuchifritos! My parents and sister tried other things on the menu, but all 5 stars of this Unilocal review is for that damn delicious Cuban Sandwich. Such tasty pork! I’m not on this side of town anymore, but if our paths cross again, I’mma GET IT.

The neighborhoods are changing and places like this are disappearing, so please, if you like the food and atmosphere eat here all you can! I know I will.
The change from El Coqui to the new management was as seamless as can be, with many of the awesome dishes retained and the quality and authenticity retained. The beef stew is as good as ever and I’ll keep coming back even though I moved from Morningside Heights to Hoboken NJ. Whatever you may have to say about how things change, at least it didn’t go away! Great trip on the foodie circuit as well.

We specifically went to El Coqui to get some alcapurrias. The setup was a long counter with stools, similar to the old fashioned diners but that was the sum of the eat-​in space. Definitely no frills, unless you count the patient friendly service. Our server bantered with the other customers and nicely gave us samples of the juices so we could decide. The parcha juice (passion fruit) won the day! We ordered alcapurrias –surprisingly large so that I had to scale back the order, mofongo con chicharron, a pastel and a couple of drinks. The cup sizes are old fashioned cup sizes, so be prepared for that, and a mountain of tasty food at reasonable prices.

Good greasy spoon for frituras and cuchifritos – the meals are pretty good too.

Really good Puerto Rican food, although i think the only person working there that was Boriqua was the cook, all good though — great food, cheap prices. I think it may have got bought out by Cuchifritos — since thats what its called now.

Sadly El Coqui is no more. It is now called El Chevere and is under Dominican management (as opposed to Puerto Rican). The menu is basically the same bit the flavors are a bit different. Some of my favorites from El Coqui are nearly as good — the pollo guisada (chicken stew), pernil (roast pork) and alcapurrias (fried mashed yucca stuffed with beef) are super yummy. Their rice is OK — not bad, not great. Sadly, the one dish that would send me driving up the FDR from Brooklyn to El Coqui — the pasteles — are pretty bad here now. Don’t bother. If anyone knows where the old man from El Coqui went, please let me know so I can order a lifetime supply of pasteles. On a positive note, El Chevere’s flan was some of the best I’ve ever had. Super rich and thick and the caramel was thick too, not runny. Save room for flan, it’s worth it. Another positive is that for a cuchifrito, this place is usually really clean.

Its not fancy and looks like a hole in the wall type of place but they have the best roast chicken in the city. The food here is great.

Indeed eating here is as good as it gets. If you’re looking for Spanish food, don’t bother heading anywhere else. You want half a chicken with rice and beans (with flavor) for under 10 dollars?, the cuchifritos is the place to go. With most of these places, expect a hole in the wall atmosphere, you have the regulars, the loud guy, and the laughter. All beautiful things which make dinning-​in a nice little adventure.
Onto the food. Rice and beans are prepared just like mom used to make, flavor is the keynote here. No other place will cover your chicken in gravy or serve you sesame seed juice with so much flavor, and for such a cheap price. Expect to wait for you big meals as platters like, pernil, chuleta, and a cuban sandwhich, will take quite a while, but well worth it. On that note, order the Cuban (cubano) and enjoy the very filling meal.
Frankly, any place that sells a potato filled with meat for a dollar is going to be the spot for me. As I’ve posted on another review, hole in the walls have to bust their ass to keep you in your seat and still compete with bigger food chains. This one has been in business since I was a kid, and a Mc Donalds opened right across from it… which doesn’t stop them from being packed on Mondays and Fridays.
I’ve never been greeted with an attitude and the chefs know how to cook. What else can you ask for? good spanish food for ridiculously cheap prices served to you by good people.

When you think about El Barrio, at least when I do, I think about Spanish Harlem, Nuyorican Swag and eateries that are rapidly disappearing from the area — thanks gentrification. This spot is a cuchifrito done right. Its been here longer than anyone in my generation and is a staple of the community that is rapidly losing its identity. The food is fried, greasy, and definitely bad for you — which creates that deliciously wicked appeal that Latinos in NYC often crave. What else is there to say, morsilla, empanadas, guineitos — you name it. The price is right, the frituras are on point, and everytime you go into this place, you experience one of the few remaining authentic Barrio eateries.

The number one thing I miss about NYC over LA is the spontaneous food craving adventure. However standard or eclectic the food is that you are pining for, there exists a neighborhood in NYC to deliver you exactly what you want, and it’s all a subway ride away.
In relation to El Coqui, the craving in question was for delicious beef empanadas, and the elusive Mofongo (ball/​bowl of garlic-​flavored fried and mashed plantains with pork in the middle). I would drag my then-​boyfriend all the way from the financial district up to spanish harlem — initially in search of the famed ‘Empanada Lady’ cart which proved even more elusive than mofongo — and walk up and down 3^rd street until we found just the right window display (and price point) to get me drooling.
Honestly, I’m not even sure what we would order. I would just point to the awesome-​looking beef and pork stews simmering at the back wall, and have them served up with yellow rice (ah yes, the unhealthiest and arguably tastiest of them all), black beans, and a healthy serving of crushed/​minced garlic and hot sauce on the side. So freakin good. Empanadas are tasty but a bit on the greasy side. wouldn’t order more than one of those even between two people. I think the meat in traditional mofongo is actually pork crackling bits, which is how the dish is served at El Coqui, but I tend to prefer it with meat that’s a bit softer/​more savory to balance out the hard bits that already exist in the plantains.
If you ever have a hankering for good homestyle Cuban/​PR cuisine and are in the area or don’t mind an afternoon adventure into spanish harlem, definitely check out El Coqui. And then maybe go for a swim in the huge public pool at the north side of Central Park.