Great Puerto Rican Food! Mouth watering and well seasoned and thoughtfully prepared dinners. Just what you would expect if you were in Puerto Rico!

Visited recently..waited on line about 30mi..Paid 44.00 for 2 meals...verdict:The pernil was both crunchy and a bit rubbery ..in side the trailer could have been a little more tidy..This spot I still say is worth the trip ..Juat for the experience ...

Angel Jimminez (aka La Piraña) is still chopping roast pork in the Lechonera his parents started last century. Ambience? It's trailer set on concrete blocks. But there's a bench where you're welcome to sit and the atmosphere couldn't be warmer. Enjoy sitting next to the picture of Justice Sotomayor in the same spot. She looks very happy, and it's easy to see why. You haven't lived til you've tasted the crispy skin from his chicharron -- pork shoulder roasted until it has shed most of its fat, with a crisp mouth-watering skin. He also has memorable octopus, served in a salad or a ceviche. Prices are very reasonable; in fact Angel will take what you offer.

I truly had no idea what I was getting into when I stepped onto this line. And even thinking about it now I'm not sure I could explain it. Come early. Get on line and be comfortable with that. We got to know the couple next to us and it was a lovely experience, even waiting for ultimately about an hour on line. If you're interested, there is a man with a bottle of Smirnoff and an electric scooter bustling up and down the line offering free shots of vodka while you wait. At some point, you see the chef himself leave this ?caravan? of a restaurant to grab a machete. Don't question that. Then you see him leave again to walk down the street to grab the pork that has been cooking streetside in a cooker. The pictures don't do it justice (but there are tons). The service then starts. It can be a little slow, as each party is invited into the caravan to discuss the meal and try a taste of something (it differed each time) on the machete. And the friendliness of the chef is unparalleled-he truly loves what he does. Ultimately, though, the food is the reason people wait for the NYT #6 restaurant. And I get it. I don't love pork cooked this way so much, but even this made me a bit of a believer. We got it with the plantain, shrimp, and octopus. Was worried 2 portions (cash only, 30$ each) would be too much food, and I was right. But not the worst leftovers to have. Overall, this place is an experience.

This food is amazing the most incredible Pernil you would have in your life I'm telling you I been to Puerto Rico and no one has ever been even close to this guys pork oh Pernil, and he is an amazing person love him already, drove from Boston Massachusetts just for he's pork and boy it's amazing !!! Actually I'm going back Next weekend with my whole Family and that's all I'm saying !!!

This place is amazing and Mr. Piraña the best my wife and I went for the food on Saturday we got there early and we had a blast we loved his company and we will go again. If you love roast pork you are gonna love it.. The service was amazing he served ower food and we went home right after that to enjoy ower meal everything was on point.. The ambiance was the best we met lots of good people from Florida, Connecticut we where please with the food and the service we will be back to see Mr. Piraña..

Long line on Puerto Rican day parade, clearly full of new and old customers. He gives everyone a sample of chicharrón, poses for photos and chats up the regulars. A staple of the community. Generous serving, worth the wait and $20/plate. I wanted to try mofongo y ensalada de pulpo but he has to keep the line moving on a day like this. Much love! Please bring your most patient self and try not to ruin the experience for others Bayamón in the house, still loving all the Ponce and Aguadilla decor/ambiance

I. Food II Ambience III Predictability I. Food Slow roasted pork - most excellent. Most excellent. Rice with beans - very nice. Octopus salad - great dressing and bits of salad, and I think I had mistaken expectations. I've only had grilled octopus in the past, at white table cloth restaurants, and I'm guessing that those octopus samples were massaged and massaged and massaged. (Remember the great movie, Jiro Dreams of Sushi? One of the sous chefs had to massage each octopus for 45 minutes before it was considered ready to be presented.) The flavor, by way of the dressing, was great. The octopus itself was tough, maybe because it was marinated and not grilled. How tough? It took me a couple of tries to spear a piece with a metal fork and longer than that to fully chew it. If you're good with that, then it's a must have. II Ambience Yes, it's a food truck by a school playground with no seating. Puerto Rican (?), Mexican (?), Latin X (?) music at a strong but not conversation-killing volume spills out of a speaker, all upbeat, great arrangements: horns, strings, and of course percussion. It'd be great music for a party or festival. Which Lechonera basically is. III Predictability So. Google has it opening at noon, and a 2015 GrubStreet review (https://www.grubstreet.com/2015/07/la-pirana-day.html) has the pork coming out in batches at noon, 1:00, 1:30, 2:30, and 4 p.m. Today, 4/28/2024) we got there at 12:45, and there was a line of about 50 people. No movement on the line. I asked people at the front what time they'd gotten there and they said 11:30 and that people had started lining up at noon. The first batch came out at 1:20 and the people in the front of the line went in at 1:32. We ordered and got served around 3:20, though they didn't have the shrimp pastillos or the mofongo. So, overall: fun party atmosphere, excellent slow roasted pork, and leisurely service, at least today. It took 2 hours for 50 people to be served, which isn't crazy slow, and if the first batches had come out at noon, as advertised, instead of 1:20, our wait would have probably been one hour instead of two. I'm glad we went. The vibe is great, the pork is succulent with a beautifully crisp skin. But it'll probably be a while before going again, and if the food is slow to come out and the offerings spotty, we'll probably move on immediately instead of waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

the best place to get Puerto Rican food from a real Boricua!! He literally does everything himself assuring that you will get real great food highly recommend this place to anybody who wants real fantastic tasting Puerto Rican food

I saw them featured on both IG and TT. There are no authentic RICAN food in the DMV, they claim to be but lemme tell ya, it's not it. Flavors don't come close. So when I was here in NY, I had to stop in Boogie Down. Growing up Sunday night meals would always consist of something hearty. Holidays would consist of Pernil, and Peking Duck etc. Now prepare to wait, but it will be worth it! I rarely get to eat a good Lechon or pernil is my fam stop eating pork etc, dietary and religious reasons. So coming here I was famished. The pernil was seasoned to perfection. The rice on point. It tasted better than how my mom made it. The crispy skin, and meat was soft and tender. Empanadas are good!! Bring containers cuz its a of food and you don't want it to spill. Service was great. Definitely coming back with more friends. This place is a gem!