La Taza De Oro

used to work on 9^th ave. & 16^th st. ate there all the time. fantastic food and great employees.
always a great time talking with the employees. they need to re-​open it asap.
best food ever!

Sadly, I just learned that they will not be reopening. La Taza de Oro will be missed!

They are still closed :(
Loved the food and the old time luncheonette atmosphere.
Chicken that falls off the bone.
SO SAD to read they are still closed.

Damn closed?!
Great place to stop in for a café con leche.
:(

Look up «hole-​in-​the-​wall» in the dictionary and there will be a full page article on this place. Great value for the price, but it lacked everything else. There was no friendly atmosphere, you felt as if you were eating at a truck stop diner in a small town in the mid west.

Hate to see a legend die…
La Taza was OK not pow wow great by no means. Recently I saw it decline, the owner was never there.
The staff really could care less! A couple of times my order was totally wrong.
Anyway I walk by all the time, I do miss looking in.

What can I say! Always hits the spot and has yet to fail. This greasy spoon is as authentic as it gets. The Pink beans are awesome and the pork chops are always fried to perfection!
It is what it is… Delicious, inexpensive and authentic Puerto Rican cuisine.

One of the last remaining old-​school NYC spots left in the city. Hodge-​podge of patrons — neighborhood locals, ‘Chelsea cats’, rent stabilized people here, government housing people here, tourists, construction workers, cops, firemen, Wall Street types, artists, hispanic grandmothers hanging by the door with their coffees & teas gossiping about the goings-​on of the week and more. Just like the way it used to be in the city — all types co-​habitating together and here just for the food. No salads, organic products, farm-​to-​table, fusion-​anything will be found here. Only basic diner and Puerto Rican options here — I’m talking café con leche, rice & beans, oxtail, pork chops, liver & onions, roasted pork, pigs feet, fried fish, etc. my favorite is the fried pork chops with red beans and rice… can’t go wrong.

This is the definitive hole-​in-​the-​wall restaurant where you can get your Latin Food Fix on the cheap. More crowded that a trendy bar on a Saturday night, this cash-​only place serves up some phenomenally tasty, and completely authentic, food. Be prepared to sit elbow-​to-​elbow at the counter or, if you’re with a party of four or fewer, squeezing into one of the few tables that line the wall.
I went with three of my work colleagues – it’s steps from the A, C Train station – and dug into the beef stew and the roast chicken, ordering a side of platanos for the table. The stew was hearty and flavorful, and the side of rice and beans was excellent. There was a bottle of what appeared to be a store-​made hot sauce that was plenty hot but not for the sake of just adding heat – there was a lot of flavor, too. Those who had the chicken enjoyed their meals, too, so the lunch was a winner all around. One warning: The platanos are very garlicky and no amount of Altoids are going to cover that up so try to avoid having to speak too close to anyone you like for a good while afterwards!
I had been hearing about this place for months, and I can see why they’ve managed to serve hearty meals to a couple of generations of New Yorkers. It may not be fancy white tablecloth dining, but you will get an entirely a legitimate New York experience that taps into the soul of the city.

The price is awesome, the food is awesome (not a huge fan of the habicuelas/​red kidney beans, they were too thin/​watery) and it’s right off of the blue line. My biggest gripe is the inconsistency of the portion sizes. An order of Chuletas/​pork chops gets you two really big porkchops, but an order of the pollo guisado/​chicken stew gets you the most frugal amount of chicken… It’s a good place for a quick lunch.

WEPA! CASH ONLY
We have been to this location several times over the span of 10 years and have never had a bad meal or experience. I always make it a point to stop here for a taste of home. Its definitely not fine dining atmosphere, but the food makes up for what they are lacking in décor.
If your not sure about what certain items taste like and don’t want to order an entire platter just to be disappointed, feel free to ask for a sample. Your server will gladly bring you a taste of Latin flavor to help you decide. Your experience will be authentic if you speak Spanish. If you don’t, it’s like Celia Cruz said «My English is not very good looking», but they will get through the menu with you.
What can I say, rice, beans, and meat product… what else do you need to satisfy a Latin tummy.

This place deserves ABSOLUTELY NO STAR at all! This has been the worst experience ever. The food was absolutely disgusting and the service was horrible. I wouldn’t eat this again, ever! I was with 4 of my friends and WE ALL agree it was the worst! We are Hispanic and trust me we know what good Spanish food taste like & this by farthest was the most disgusting !
We were definitely un please!

Excellent Puerto Rican meal.
1) I got the mofongo, ropa vieja, rice with red beans, and Kola Champagne. All of the dishes were great.
2) The ropa vieja was perfect, and the rice with beans were cooked just the way I like it.
3) Try the Kola Champagne if you want to taste a very unique and sugary drink. I loved it, but the amount of sugar sick.
4) The price is very reasonable and the service is fast. Downside is: Cash Only.

Friendly atmosphere, nice staffs, only cash!
Their yellow rice is good, very smoky so if you like some authentic Puerto Rico yellow rice this is good.
I asked for beef gravy, which i added top of the rice. Nice flavor.
Chicken crackling is good. Beef stew is excellent but very small amount of food. Mostly people get full with the rice.
Generally food is bit salty but it has interesting atmosphere in middle of chelsea

So I’ve been searching for authentic Puerto Rican food in this neck of the woods (Chelsea/​anything not in El Barrio) for about 2.5 years and… I’ve finally found it! When I say authentic, I’m talking about the kind that I get when I sit down for dinner at my Wela’s table. Like really authentic. I mean the food was seasoned perfectly. The portions left you completely satisfied and the service made me feel like I was at home. Not fancy, but warm and inviting nonetheless. They let their food do the talking.
My meal:
Steak and onions
White rice and red beans
Maduros
Pepsi
Rating: Absolutely mouthwatering
I’m a fan. As soon as I left I called my family and told them I finally found it! This was all Unilocal too. Great work to all the previous reviewers who recognized the quality of this establishment.
Que rico!

Trusty Unilocal does it again!
Not the same as my experience in Puerto Rico, but does come close. We ordered the oxtail entrée and it was decent portioned for one serving. Each entrée comes with rice and beans and a big heaping of meat/​potatoes. Our side order of tostones (yummy fried green plantains) were complimented with the garlic paste… heavenly!
Easy to walk past, but once you had it you’ll go back. Décor reminds me of olden time, feels like I am walking into the past. Food tastes great though!
We ordered it to go and ate it at the High line Park. A couple stopped us to ask where we got our food :)

Desde qué ves el lugar te transportas a la Isla, es totalmente Puerto Rico!, la gente lindisima, son muy atentos y te explican perfecto el menú si hay algo que no entiendes… Soy mexicana y cada que voy a NY, es visita obligada… Bistec encebollado, carne guisada (mi favorita!), arroz con habichuelas, y no pueden faltar los «maduros», todo es súper rico. Al final no se pueden ir sin postre, el flan es muy rico pero el tembleque de coco, es simplemente lo mejor!!! Los precios súper buenos, pues las porciones son bastante grandes.

Well me and my buddy Rico were hungry and it was getting late so we stopped in about 9 30 pm. As we looked at the menu for the day, I felt like something different and ordered the Pernil with Black Beans & Arroz Con Blanco. I also ordered a side of Platano Maduro which I love.
Well the Pernil was fine, the black beans were very bland had to add some salt & pepper and hot sauce to liven them up. But when I got the platano maduro I was quite surprised it looked like a serving for a 6 year old.
There was literally 7 slices of banana, I mean come on you can get platano maduro bananas in the supermarket three for a dollar. I get 3 slices free in Brooklyn with my meal and here they were charging you nada, zippo, zilch unbelievable. What a rip off! WTF!!!
I don’t know service was ok, the food was ok, just didn’t like the fact my maduro was so small.

This is a great deal for some authentic food. It is super casual, quick service and olfd school, really no frills and nothing fancy but a hearty meal.
When you get there, find out what they have cooked for the day. It’s fresh, right behind the bar. When I went there were pigs feet, goat, chicken and more. When I wasn’t sure what I wanted the server was happy to give me a taste which I thought was cool.
Portions are small, but cheap, so just get more if you need it. My meal included a small serving of the goat, a full plate of rice and beans (solid), and shared tostones somehow only cost me $ 12.
I would definitely go back. Good stuff, done just right.

La Taza de Oro es un restaurante Boricua, de verdad.
Cuando paso por aqui me siento como si estuviera en la casa de una tia or tio tomando café con leche y escuchandolos hablar de los viejos tiempos en Puerto Rico y yo preguntandome «¿pero porque todavia estan aqui en Nueva York?»
Una conversacion que tuve en la bar:
«Oye ese es el pollo?»
Si.
«Pero sé ve como muy blancusco»
((Entra otro hombre en la conversacion))
Si pero esta muy Rico… Dale un pedacito mas quemao
«No esta bien… Y el lechon sabe bueno?
Es que aqui todo es bueno nena
«Si pero yo soy Puertorriqueña y nadie cocina mejor que mi mama»
Pero aqui si–
«Tu nunca a probado la comida de me madre…»
Aqui la comida es ricisima! Dale un poco de lechon para que sepa
«Esta bien– dame un poco»
Me fui con una order de arroz blanco, habichuelas negra, y lechon con mojo de ajo. La salsa picante no me gusto para nada… Pero tanta comida por $ 9 aqui en Manhattan esta bueno aunque no sepa como la de mami!

I asked my Puerto Rican friend to take me to a locals place in NYC. Days later, in chelsea, we end up at an inconspicuous old small diner, smothered in attention and Spanish with a warm staff that knew his family.
Authentic staples were like a homemade meal, simple, refreshing and with some flaws. My main complaint was that the meat portion seemed passable but not attractive looking or grade A beef.
We both had beef and onions with yellow rice. I had red beans. He had white. We splurged with an order of maduros and chowed down.
The small space seemed safe, with well behaved families, young and old, and an air of familiarity.
It’s a surprisingly quit place to find refuge while in the city.
Meals around $ 10.

I was nostalgic for the Taza De Oro of my childhood: impeccable food when Papi didn’t want Mami to cook and hauled us in the ’69 Lincoln Continental with the suicide doors.
Impeccable is not the word I’d use to describe the food at this time, but really dry, generic yellow rice and beans (dare I say) from the can. The food was edible, recession-​proof prices and the ambiance the same, with two of the same staff still there from back in the day, with less hair and more wrinkles. Regulars tend to belly up on the revolving bar stools and share stories of the ‘hood with the staff.
Two positives that allowed me to give them three stars instead of two: service is still attentive and the Pollo al Horno (Oven-​baked chicken) was juicy and delicious.
I’m glad I went for the nostalgia factor but sad this down-​home spot is past its heyday. La Taza de Oro is now gold-​plated.