AppeThaizing
727 S Crouse Ave,Ste 4, Syracuse, NY, 13210
AppeThaizing Menu
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Diabetics at Applebee's
Diabetics must resist their temptations when dining at Applebee's. Most of the items on Applebee's menu is either stuffed with sodium or sugar. You must be extra careful and pick low-sugar and low-sodium diet at Applebee's if you are diabetic.
Foods to Avoid at Applebee's for Diabetics:
If you are starting your meal with appetizers then make sure you skip the Classic Buffalo sauce, Honey BBQ sauce, and sweet Asian Chile sauce on your wings order. It is highly recommended to skip the appetizers if you are dining alone and instead build your appetizer keeping nutrition in check. Among the steaks, you must stay away from the Applebee's Riblets platter as well as Bourbon Street Steak at all costs. Shrimp 'N Parmesan Sirloin is also not recommended. Skip the sandwiches, wraps, and tacos as well. Desserts may be tempting but it is recommended to avoid them at Applebee's for their high sugar content. All the beverages except Iced Teas must be avoided as well to control your sugar intake.
Food Suggestions for Diabetics at Applebee's
Boneless Wings (Appetizer Sampler)
Nutritional Facts: 330 calories, 17g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 3g), 800mg sodium, 25g carbs, 1g sugar, 2g fiber, 20g Protein
Caesar Salad (Sides)
Nutritional Facts: 220 calories, 18g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 3.5g), 380mg sodium, 11g carbs, 2g sugar, 2g fiber, 4g Protein
Portsmouth Clam Chowder
Nutritional Facts: 160 calories, 7g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 530mg sodium, 18g carbs, 4g sugar, 2g fiber, 5g Protein
Double-Glazed Baby Back Ribs, Half Rack (side NOT included)
Nutritional Facts: 430 calories, 32g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 15g), 330mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g sugar, 1g fiber, 35g Protein
Garlicky Green Beans Side
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 14g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 7g), 310mg sodium, 11g carbs, 2g sugar, 4g fiber, 3g Protein
Steamed Broccoli Side
Nutritional Facts: 100 calories, 8g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4.5g), 210mg sodium, 6g carbs, 2g sugar, 2g fiber, 3g Protein
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Nutritional Facts: 130 calories, 6g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 1g), 320mg sodium, 17g carbs, 2g sugar, 2g fiber, 2g Protein
Visit below restaurant in Syracuse for healthy meals suggestion.
High Blood Pressure at Applebee's
Most of the foods served at Applebee's restaurants are high in sodium. Unless you are visiting the restaurant or dining here in the group, there are hardly any options from the main meals if you wish to keep your blood pressure in check. You can rely on a few salad options though. If lucky, you may find low-sodium ribs as well at the restaurant.
Foods to Avoid at Applebee's for High Blood Pressure
Avoid Green Goddess Wedge at Applebee's. Broccoli Cheese Soup and French Onion Soup contain over 1000mg sodium and hence must be skipped as well. Skip all the chicken dishes and seafood at Applebee's except Grilled Chicken Breast and Baked Haddock without sides respectively. You must also skip Brunch Burger, Quesadilla Burger, Triple Bacon Burger, and Whiskey Bacon Burger at Applebee's. High sodium intake can be lethal for a high blood pressure candidate. Avoid ordering foods that contain over 1000mg sodium at Applebee's, especially if you're dining alone.
Food Suggestions for High Blood Pressure at Applebee's
House Salad
Nutritional Facts: 120 calories, 6g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 200mg sodium, 12g carbs, 4g sugar, 2g fiber, 6g Protein
Caesar Salad (Sides)
Nutritional Facts: 220 calories, 18g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 3.5g), 380mg sodium, 11g carbs, 2g sugar, 2g fiber, 4g Protein
Mixed Green Salad
Nutritional Facts: 70 calories, 2g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 105mg sodium, 11g carbs, 4g sugar, 2g fiber, 2g Protein
Double-Glazed Baby Back Ribs, Half Rack (side NOT included)
Nutritional Facts: 430 calories, 32g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 15g), 330mg sodium, 0g carbs, 0g sugar, 1g fiber, 35g Protein
Steamed Broccoli Side
Nutritional Facts: 100 calories, 8g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4.5g), 210mg sodium, 6g carbs, 2g sugar, 2g fiber, 3g Protein
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant blood pressure menu details.
High Cholesterol at Applebee's
Well, steaks and ribs go hand in hand with cholesterol. Being their signature dish, it will be a challenge to find low-calorie, healthy food for those concerned with their cholesterol levels. However, you can always opt for their salads and other light foods to keep the cholesterol in check.
Foods to Avoid at Applebee's for High Cholesterol
If you have high cholesterol, then you must avoid eating sandwiches, wraps, and tacos at Applebee's. While the salads and soups sound healthy, you must skip the Fiesta Chopped Salad and Loaded Potato Soup at Applebee's. It is also advised to dodge the Three Cheese Chicken Penne and Chicken Fajita Rollup. Any main meal with over 100mg cholesterol is not idle for someone with high cholesterol. So, skip those items at Applebee's.
Food Suggestions to Maintain Cholesterol Level at Applebee's
House Salad
Nutritional Facts: 120 calories, 6g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 2.5g), 200mg sodium, 12g carbs, 4g sugar, 2g fiber, 6g Protein
Mixed Green Salad
Nutritional Facts: 70 calories, 2g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 0g), 105mg sodium, 11g carbs, 4g sugar, 2g fiber, 2g Protein
Portsmouth Clam Chowder
Nutritional Facts: 160 calories, 7g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 5g), 530mg sodium, 18g carbs, 4g sugar, 2g fiber, 5g Protein
Fire-Grilled Veggies Side
Nutritional Facts: 150 calories, 12g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 4.5g), 410mg sodium, 9g carbs, 6g sugar, 3g fiber, 2g Protein
Garlicky Green Beans Side
Nutritional Facts: 180 calories, 14g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 7g), 310mg sodium, 11g carbs, 2g sugar, 4g fiber, 3g Protein
Garlic Mashed Potatoes
Nutritional Facts: 130 calories, 6g (Tans. Fat 0g & Sat. Fat 1g), 320mg sodium, 17g carbs, 2g sugar, 2g fiber, 2g Protein
Sorry, We are updating this restaurant cholesterol menu details.
Q & A on Applebee's
What time does Applebee's half price appetizers start?
Applebee's restaurant has launched the late-night happy hour where some of the listed appetizers are sold at half price. The offer is available at most of the Applebee's locations where one can enjoy the offer after 9 pm on weekdays and after 10 pm on weekends.
What time is the happy hour at Applebee's?
Applebee's Happy Hour Monday starts from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM. Apples Late Night Happy Hour Monday starts from 9:00 PM until midnight.
What can a vegan and Vegetarian eat at Applebee's?
There are almost no vegan option and sparse vegetarian option at Applebee's. If you are a vegan ask for steamed vegetables, baked potato, salads, or fried vegetables without butter. There are certain vegan dressings you can try to make your salad tastier.
What are the opening and closing timing at Applebee's?
Applebee's Restaurant operational hours on weekdays (Monday through Thursday) and Sundays start from 11 am until midnight. While on Fridays and Saturdays, the restaurant remains open until 1 am. The timing may vary as per the location.
Does Applebee's remain close on holidays?
Applebee's remain closed on many holidays, but it may vary as per the location of the restaurant. For holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving, the restaurant remains closed throughout the USA.
How to find the nearest Applebee's Restaurant?
Today Applebee's is located on 135+ locations in the USA and growing. The restaurant is famous for its lip-smacking ribs and steaks, seafood and fried chicken wings. There are healthier salads and sides for people who are health conscious. If you want to find nearest Applebee's restaurant in your area, just go through the Restaurant Listing Directory to find one.
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About Applebee's
Applebee is an American full-service restaurant brand popularly known for its signature Riblets. Applebee was conceptualized in 1980 by Bill and TJ Palmer in Atlanta, Georgia. At first, the restaurant was named T.J. Applebee's RX for Edibles and Elixirs. After the concept was acquired by W.R. Grace and Company, the restaurant was renamed as Applebee's Neighborhood Grill & Bar. Later the company and the Applebee's concept changed hands with Abe Gustin and John Hamra who started the first Applebee's franchise restaurant in Kansas City.
Later in 2007, IHOP Corp. now known as DineEquity, Inc. acquired Applebee's and began their journey together to make Applebee's the world's largest full-service restaurant chain. Today, Applebee's serves at more than 1,830 locations worldwide. The Applebee's menu ranges from Appetizers and Salads to heavy meals consisting of ribs and steak. Although the trademark dish Riblets is a hot favorite among regular Applebee's dwellers, the restaurant also serves some amazing burgers, sandwiches, pasta, and salads.
Healthy Food Options at Applebee's
When a restaurant serves ribs as their main dish, then you can assume the diet-friendliness of their menu. Well, Applebee's is no different. However, you can dig deeper into their menu and pick some good healthy food options for sure. You can try the salads, light sandwiches, appetizers to ensure you don't order heavy items, etc. If you are really diet conscious, then you got to be careful with their steaks & ribs as well as desserts section.
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Address :
727 S Crouse Ave,Ste 4
Syracuse, NY, 13210 - Phone (315) 295-2200
- Website https://www.appethaizing.com/
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
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Specialities
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Em R.
Someone asked me about a Caribbean Spanish restaurant that I could recommend, and this is the first place that came to mind. Dominican food is very similar to Puerto Rican food, since we're so close both culturally and geographically; and that has meant that a lot of dishes from one country become part of the other country's menu. Case in point, "Morir Soñando", a Dominican drink that my mom used to make for me in Puerto Rico, or mofongo, a Puerto Rican signature dish that's now part of the Dominican menu. I have an issue with most "Latin" restaurants in Rochester. Their food tend to be greasy and full of msg products like "sazon", or commercial "adobo". This place is the exception. It doesn't mean they're afraid of fat, we love fat in the Caribbean, but their food is well balanced with flavors and textures. And what they make, home style, Dominican food is beautifully executed. Don't expect "haute cusine", or "fusion", or even a 5 star atmosphere, this is a family style place, that serve food Cafeteria style. The prices are great for the quality of the food, and you can choose getting what they made for the day (which is usually fantastic), or order from the menu. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere casual. I recommend it to students and people that want something different and delicious on a budget. My recommended highlights Beef Stew: The best, I have yet to make it as good as they do, and I make really good beef stew Tostones: Crispy and delicious served with mayo-ketchup, the traditional dipping sauce. Fried Chicken pieces (pica de pollo): This is not the usual fried chicken, but rather small pieces of chicken fried until very crispy, boneless or bone in. Home made hot sauce: it's very flavorful, and not super spicy, a highlight to all the dishes, especially the tostones, and chicken pieces. I forgot to add, their pickled onions, they are a delicious addition to their meals. Ask for them, they don't have them all the time, but they are worth it. I gave this place 5 stars because it is the place I go in Rochester when I want to have rice and beans, and a good Latin meal, it's good and hearty, and not overwhelmingly fatty or salty. I don't think they have any competition in Rochester for tasty Latin food (that is not Mexican). So they get the 5 stars Note: El Sabor de la Isla in Norton and North is equally good, but it's owned by the same people, and the neighborhood is a bit sketchy.
(5)Joley B.
My first visit to D'Mangu was a pleasant one. On a cold snowy Tuesday evening, it was nice to be inside the warm and comfortable restaurant. If you were faced away from the window, you could almost be tricked into believing you were down on the island. I went with a mofongo dish because my Puerto Rican students had been talking it up. The dish itself wasn't quite what I had anticipated, but I was told by my dinner-mates that mofongo is truly a Puerto Rican dish. So, even though it didn't look like I had anticipated, it was still tasty. The platanos were done well, and I liked the pickled onions we'd ordered as well. Our servers were pleasant and very accommodating! I enjoyed the evening out with Yelp's international supper club, and I look forward to going back again to try some more traditional Dominican food.
(3)Mike C.
I have eaten here several times for lunch and it is fantastic! Food is great, the staff is friendly and the service is top notch. They will answer any questions you have as this is not the typical fare for Henrietta! I have introduced this place to many people and they have all loved it. Try it out, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Judy Z.
I came here one day when I starving, and went a little crazy with the ordering. So you can either choose to order off the menu, or go up to the display counter and pick the meats and sides that are already made. We had a few people in our group so we were able to try everything. They are pretty generous with the sides. I liked the beef stew and the pull pork the best! Do not leave without trying the plantains!!
(4)Matt L.
I think I will come back for another try but my experience was somewhat disappointing. When we walked in, we were seated almost immediately. We were also waited on almost immediately, so the staff was attentive and also polite. The environment was nice but the staff were playing music loudly over an Apple TV with YouTube and would switch music halfway through songs and it made awkward silences across the restaurant. I ordered (and I can't forget the name I think it started with an m) but it was basically a plantain dish with chicken and cheese. It described and showed a picture of a rich colorful dish with garlic and plenty of sauce/broth. My friend ordered the same but with pork. They did bring out some delicious fried cornmeal strips with some dipping sauce while we waited and they were to die for, complementary too. Service was quick and the food came out right as we were finishing the cornmeal strips. When the entree came out, it looked a lot different than the picture. It looked somewhat like chunky oatmeal pressed into a Tupperware and then inverted onto a otherwise clean white plate. That strategy may have worked with something else but with it wasn't too appetizing here. I was wondering where the sauce in the picture was but I figured it must have been mixed into the square thing. Next to it was a very poor excuse for a side salad, a couple coarse pieces of green lettuce and a wedge of tomato, and a chunk of (cabbage?) with something that tasted like Italian dressing. Sorry I'm not much of a salad expert but this was pretty rough. The flavor of the entree was good, and very smooth, but it was almost entirely plantains and was too dry. I tasted no garlic or cheese in this dish. The chicken was seasoned well but slightly tough and also dry. Also halfway through the meal our server came out and asked us if we wanted hot sauce. A little late but I agreed anyways, and glad I did. The sauce was amazing (probably a bit spicy for some but great with me) and it added a great extra dimension to my plantain dish. I enjoyed the dish because It was something different for me but I have to really wonder what part made it a $14 entree. Did plantains turn into gold overnight? I would like to try one of their other offerings because the reviews for this place are so good but my experience in here was let down a bit by the price vs quality of the food I received from the kitchen.
(3)David L.
Phenomenal food and really nice servers! They even gave us some extra appetizers on the house just so we could try!!!
(5)Harrison K.
Do yourself a favour, and come get some of this flavour. The roast pork melts in your mouth and has the perfect balance of saltines and tenderness. Both the mashed and fried plantains are delicious and the white and yellow rice is cooked to perfection!
(5)Andrew J.
comida increÃble! I wish we had a place like this in Syracuse. We will visiting again muchas gracias!
(5)Jane O.
I happened on this place by accident one day and have been bringing people here whenever I have the opportunity. The food is flavorful and not too spicy, although you certainly can add heat to anything you like with their very tasty pepper relish served at the table. I think it's a welcome addition to the food places in Henrietta. You can only eat at just so many sorta-Chinese buffets, Italian joints or fast food atrocities before you crave well made comfort foods from a different part of the world. Try the mashed plantains! Delish!
(4)somi b.
We went here for the second time. Food was OK but I felt the waiter (guy..victor?)talks way too much. Also I called into check the prices. On the call I was told a different price and when I went in I was told totally different price. A higher amount. I questioned and was told the lower price was for take out. Huh? That sounded ridiculous to me because when you dine in you pay tip for the service. Totally unacceptable. Prices should be displayed. Isn't that the law? Owner should explain this to customers.
(2)Mel M.
I have come here twice in 8 days and I must say I am a fan! First plate last week was stewed pork, with black beans and yellow rice, roasted veggies and plantains. The port was VERY flavorful, juicy and tender all good in my book. The other accompaniments were well seasoned as well. Second plate, I had today for take out, was the stewed chicken, along with the same side dishes, which was all very good. The decor is much nicer than you normally find here in Rochester. It is clean and very comfortable. There is one person working there that I have seen twice that has an attitude of complete indifference, don't mind her. When I see her she is usually cleaning, so that may be the reason.
(4)Karinna O.
This place is amazing. Food from the menu is cooked once ordered. Or if you are in a hurry, you can take food from the lunch buffet. Legit Dominican food. One word: delicious!!!
(5)j b.
Sign me up as yet another D'Mangu enthusiast. Situated in the bleak industrial heartland of suburban Rochester, D'Mangu stands out like a shiny gem. It is another outstanding ethnic cuisine restaurant that is family run. You are greeted with a smile by the gracious staff into a nicely appointed, spotless Caribbean-decored dining area. You can order from the buffet or from the menu. I had lechon asado (pulled pork) with yellow rice, red beans and plantains. It was all succulent and in ample portions. Next time, I'll try one their tantalizing mofongo dishes. Each bite takes you away from cool, staid Upstate NY to the pulsing warm vibes of the Dominican Republic. The owner, Luis, is welcoming and quick with a funny line. Rochesterians are fortunate to have a wide diversity of cuisines to choose from, of which D'Mangu is one. Give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Lucas B.
Love this place. I've had takeout and eaten in. The stewed meats are excellent - hearty and somewhat salty. You have to get the sweet plantains...when we eat in we get a whole side order to share. If you wander in on a Sunday for dinner (like we once did), get ready for a full house and Dominican karaoke. We did not sing, although there are thousands of English and Spanish options. When we went, there really weren't any tables, but they made one up for us so that we could join in the festivities. The host (and owner?) has always made a point to welcome us and have a small conversation. It really for a very friendly atmosphere.
(4)Veronica L.
Tasty food and good range of choice, if you a lover of Dominican food as I am, you need to try it. Fairly priced with nice interiors that you can never tell from the outside.
(4)Tony D.
Well. What can I say. I'd eat here 8 days a week if I could. Roast pork, stewed pork, stewed chicken, chicken on the bone, stewed beef, empanadas, plantains, onions, peppers, yellow rice with beans, salad with house dressing. And the hot sauce! Ahh the hot sauce. Get that sauce bottled and in the stores and you will have built the better mouse trap. I'm telling you right now. Get in your car and get to D"Mangu. It's a little slice of heaven.
(5)Cece C.
I thought this place was pretty good.Nothing to write home about. My steak and eggs were a bit salty. Fried pork a little dry due to overcooking. Overall flavoring was good.
(3)James M.
Nice addition to the Gennessee Regional Market area which is already home to a few of my favorite restaurants. Popped in for lunch and checked in the small buffet option, which consists of rice, beans, mangu and your choice of meat. I rocked out the stewed beef. Rice was well cooked, beans were solid, and the beef was very good. I snagged a piece of roast pork, which was as good as any I've had. I'm not an expert in Caribbean fare by any means, but D'Mangu gets my approval. For $4.99 you get a massive plate of food (the medium is the small + a salad, and the large is the medium + another meat), great value. I will definitely be back for pork and to try a few empanadas.
(4)Vis G.
I've been here multiple times for lunch. The food offering is quite straight forward and extremely delicious. The light salad with the boiled vegetables and the fried plantains are great. The black bean rice is also really good. Don't forget to ask for the hot sauce, it goes great with the plantains and the rice. I had been here once for dinner and I was lost on what to order. I ended up asking them for a lunch platter arrangement and they smiled and obliged...
(4)Marissa N.
Went for some variety on the cafeteria line; the pork, beef and chicken were tender and flavorful....delicious, beans were beans, the rice was a hmmmmm bit like dry crunchy tasteless nubules. Looking at my posts I think I'm turning into a rice snob. Fickle rice! We ordered a side of plaintains with perhaps a mayo-ish piquant (ha oxymoron there) dipping sauce, they were cooked well. A beef empanada was also divided up, it was certainly beef flavored, and I almost caught a hint of velveeta which can't be right. Although the innards confounded me the dough was delicious.
(3)Yanneris S.
The food wasn't a that great and the service was horrible, the waitress had an opinion on the meat selection that I chose stated that it was too fatty for me...
(1)Saul M.
I've seen some really high reviews for the restaurant but let me preface mine with the notion that I have a very high standard for food from the Tres Antillas (Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico). I also don't give credit for plantains. All of the above cuisines have fried ripe and green plantains and they are hard to mess up. Also, don't be mistaken, D'Mangu is a solid choice for a hearty meal. However, there are things that can't miss and others that, well, miss. There are differences between Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican cuisines to note, that may be helpful. If you want black beans, Cuban is the way to go. At Dominican and Puerto Rican restaurants you want red or pink beans. Mofongo is a Puerto Rican thing and mangu is Dominican. Both are mashed plantain dishes but done very differently. Arroz con gandules (yellow rice with pigeon peas) is the "national" dish of Puerto Rico. Morro rice means different things to Cubans and Dominicans. At D'Mangu, their roasted and stewed meats are all fantastic. I especially like the stewed pork. They also have chicharrones, which not many restaurants serve. They always have both ripe and green plantains. They also serve yaniqueques, which is the Dominican version of the johnnycake. I know I'm in the minority, but I prefer them green because I like to go for a more starchy savory side. Ask for the pickled onions, another Dominican specialty. What to me is lacking is the yellow rice (perhaps I'm too biased to a more Puerto Rican style). I also did not like their mofongo. Note: D'Mangu also has a sister restaurant up at North and Norton Streets.
(3)James C.
We are always looking for different types of food, my GF was just relocated to Henrietta so we decided to try this on the lunch hour. It took a minute to figure out the process of going through the line, starting further in the restaurant and working your way back towards where you came in seemed a little backwards but no big deal. New to this type of food and process we had to be schooled on the plate sizes and what all of these amazing dishes were, nothing is labeled. I am glad for the lesson! Not a plantain fan but the sweet plantains were yummy, as was the cabbage, yes, the cabbage, who would have thought!! We are suckers for a good rice and bean dish, they came through. I had pork stew, my GF had Chix stew, both were good, I always enjoy veggies with my meal and what veggies were in my pork were delish and crunchy, wish there were more. The hot sauce was a winner! nice flavor, good heat with great pepper content. We will certainly be back there, probably bringing some friends too! Great job guys!
(5)Souky S.
I picked up lunch, the selection at the buffet was the following: roasted pork, stewed pork, stewed beef, stewed chicken, yellow rice, white rice, plantains, red beans, black beans, roast chicken, stewed vegetables (real good, had a chew, not over cooked) salads. Food was hot and fresh. I took an order of large, got me yellow rice, red beans, roast pork, and stewed pork, and side of cooked veggies for $11.80. I was able to make two meals, split with a coworker.
(4)Vincent C.
I ate from this restaurant like 3 times a week on campus! Can't get sick of Dominican foods. Little pricy on campus than the restaurant... Great comfort foods!
(4)Lisa B.
Whether you order from the menu or the daily selection on the buffet, this is the BEST place outside of downtown Rochester to get the most flavorful lechon asado with crispy chicharron and arroz con gandules. When you crave porky goodness but don't feel like driving to the city and dealing with street parking, this is where to go!
(5)Breanna B.
Dominican food while a foot of snow is being dumped on Rochester. Yes. Please. Now. I arrived early on a Tuesday evening, it was pretty dead -- our group was the only crew dining that evening. Granted it was terrible outside, I'm surprised I wasn't eating by myself. It was *the* best comfort food. I'm ashamed to say this was my first visit. I can't believe in all my years living here, I hadn't visited before. Now I know it's everything I love all wrapped up in one restaurant. Tip: stick to the buffet items. Highlights reel: - I prefer the sautéed ripe plantains over fried raw plantains -- slightly sweeter and dip 'em in that mayo/ketchup sauce, it's perfection. - Homemade tangy, garlic-y hot sauce -- bottle 'er up for me, please. - Empanadas -- I should have ordered more. Holy hell, they were good. Some of the best I've had so far in Rochester. The beef was packed with flavor and the crust was golden, buttery, and flaky. A must! - I ordered the roast pork and beef stew with rice and red beans. Roast pork was my top choice, I'll be getting that again. Melt in your mouth good -- well-seasoned, juicy, and salty. Mix everything together and it's like a DR-version of a ROC garbage plate. It warms my soul. - Always opt for the red beans and pour them over your rice (or whole dish as I did). - Service was top notch -- they were really helpful and worked with us as we decided what to order. - Finish it off with a Presidente cerveza and curl up in bed because you'll be knocked out from one heck of a hearty meal. We all split the check evenly so it worked out to be ~$20 per person w/ tip. Not a bad deal considering the appetizers we ordered and the leftovers I had for me and my bf the following day. Can you tell I love leftovers? So worth it... plus the flavors soak together and it's even better on day two. I hear lunch here is a good choice too -- affordable & tasty for all of you who work in Henrietta.
(4)Lisa S.
Went here for lunch and it was great. It's 'cafeteria style', so you wait in line and pick out what you want to eat. I got the Small Plate for $4.99 (the only reason I knew what to order was because I read the Yelp reviews before I went), there weren't any menus (that I could see) laying around. The women working were very friendly and fast. The food was really good, very flavorful, here's what I got. Small Plate: Yellow Rice, Pinto Beans, Pulled Pork Side of Tostones All very flavorful, ask for a side of Hot Sauce, it's homemade and comes in a shot glass, and it's delicious!
(4)John G.
Every time I go here, I try to coax a non-Latin friend to come with me, just so they can get an authentic Hispanic foodie experience. Growing up in Puerto Rico, I know exactly how lechón asado (roasted pork) and rice should taste like. This is the real deal. And what makes the experience even better are the people who work here. They are as genuine as the food; and they'll patiently explain all the goodies laid out in front of you in an easy cafeteria style format. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to experience this gem of a restaurant. This will become a favorite stop!
(5)Ben W.
So after reading a couple article raving about D'Mangu and finding out about the living social deal, I decided to give the place a try. Unfortunately, my experience there was not as pleasant as I would have expected. The place itself looks great. The interior decor and openness of the dining area is really relaxing. The walls are bright and there are several wall paintings/objects that really add a nice vibe to the place. Another thing I loved is their water pitchers. The waitress brought us glasses and a glass bottle with a latched lid that I thought added a nice touch. The menu is pretty extensive, with lots of options from types of meat to different types of salad. Because of the living social coupon, we decided to splurge and we got fried pork with onions, the pork with tropical sauce, the spicy beef steak platter, and the octopus salad (these aren't the exact names, forgot what they were called on the menu). It took about 15-20 minutes for the food, which was a little unexpected since we were one of two parties in the restaurant at the time. However, all the food was hot when it came out. The two pork dishes were a little disappointing. I had read how their pork is succulent and juicy, but ours were nothing but a dry piece of meat. The tropical sauce did add a nice flavor, but it couldn't cover up the overcooked-ness of the pork. The steak had a nice flavor as well, a bit spicy, but it was also overcooked and tough to cut. Don't even get me started on the salad. Everyone at the table agreed it was disgusting. The octopus was tough and grainy and tasted like it came from a can. Underneath it was just an assortment of iceberg lettuce, tomates, onions, and green peppers, hardly worth the $14.99 we paid for it. This was one of the few times a yelp! review led me astray. Do not get the octopus salad, you will regret it. The sides however were delicious. We got fried green and sweet plantains, rice and beans, and the garlic mashed plantains, which despite being a little dry, were delicious and had just the right amount of garlic. Service wise, the waitress seemed to not really care, probably because it was around her own dinner time (she was eating at another table while we were eating), but the service could have been much better. Her descriptions of the food were also very unhelpful. All in all, it was a worthwhile experience. I know that I won't be going back, especially with the prices (we spent over $60 on this meal) and quality of the food. I think the lunch buffet might be a little better (from what I heard), but try at your own risk. Recap Pros: nice decor, wide-ranging menu Cons: overcooked and poor quality food, long wait time, poor service Dishes to try: Fried green plantains, mashed plantains Dishes to skip: Octopus salad, pork chops
(2)Tanya S.
The food here was extremely good and flavorful. The waitress was a little "rough around the edges", but for some reason I think she was doing the best that she knew how. The plantains were awesome and that chicken with peppers and onions was "delish". It didn't get 5 stars because of the service. Hardly anyone in here but I had to wait too long for my food and too long for my check and some water.
(4)Troy H.
The protocol for this place can be confusing and awkward for the unintiated. Like others have pointed out they have a "buffet" as soon as you walk in that is not really a buffet (refer to previous reviews) but they also have a menu that you can order items from (like shrimp, chicken dishes, etc) that arent on the buffet. If you go for dinner, it seems the only buffet option is a large (9.99) and they hook you up with 2 meats rice and beans mafongo or whatever you call it, and a salad. I'm a big guy and can eat alot but couldn't eat half of the mound of food I was served from the buffet. The pork was a lil on the dry side as was the stewed chicken but when you mixed it all in with the sauce from the beans all was good, if not a bit salty. I tasted someone elses shrimp in a garlic kinda sauce that was perfect. Plump tender, perfectly seasoned, these were badonkadonk shrimps. Not those shriveled up popcorn shrimps they serve you at Long Johns We got some empanadas to go. Folks, I implore you to try them, as they put Juan and Maria's Empanadas to shamful bloody shame. I always thought Public MArket emps were decent, but couldnt put my finger on why they are obviously not authentic the way the ones here are. Service was OK, not perfect. We had to wait a while for a waitress to seat us on an early saturday eve, but the food came out in a reasonable time. This is a bloated 4 star review as D'mangu could use some work: -They need to give folks some plantain chips, bread, or something to nibble on before the food comes out. -And another thing about the food, what I ordered from the buffet was not hot, it was somewhere between toasty and lukewarm. But depsite its flaws, this place is on my list of go-tos
(5)Rene V.
The food was absolutely delicious. Full of flavor and very authentic. Bonus is the food was plentiful without burning a hole in your wallet. This place is a gem and I highly recommend the empanadas and chuleta (pork chops). I'll be coming back again and again.
(5)Nancy G.
This place is amazing. I've been here quite a few times for lunch. I usually get the stewed chicken or pork with rice and beans and plantains. I almost always get it to go, but I dined in once, and the service was great.
(5)Darryl H.
GREAT lunch specials, 2 meats, rice and 3 sides on a plate! I had the stewed pork and the braised ribs - both of which were excellent! The sides included mashed and fried plantains which were good, black beans, roasted veggies- all very good. The location is a bit odd - in a small strip plaza next to a nail salon but don't let that scare you off.
(4)Connor B.
This restaurant brings home a little slice of heaven! Expertly crafted food that doesn't burn a hole in your wallet. The food is authentic and unique. The staff is kind and attentive. I have absolutely no complaints!! I highly recommend!
(5)Christine W.
After viewing others' reviews, I realized that I HAD to check this place out. So, the man and I headed out (after getting waylaid for a previously planned visit). I needed this hot sauce! After easily parking on a weekday, we found a bustling restaurant inside. There were a few single people, some business people, some tattoo artists, families and couples(that means everybody). We were greeted kindly and shown the lunch buffet. I was after the three P's-Plump Pork n Plantains. I was in luck. Oh, the crispy pork skin. The succulent meat. The yellow rice with red beans were great, but the bf's green were better. But those red onions? Houwly cow, were they fantastic. Sweet. Sour. Slightly raw. Sublime. Added just the right touch to everything. Small in stature-significant in impact. I ordered the medium which also came with a standard house salad, which I thoroughly enjoy. I just love crisp lettuce with great tomatoes and a great house-made dressing. Sometimes it's that easy. That hot sauce. That hot sauce! Ridiculously great. Green in color, had some nice black flecks in it(I believe they char their peppers first). I also had a lovely citrus flavor to it, maybe lime? Maybe orange? I will have to send it off to a lab for testing. The sauce did have a nice bite to it, and as an exxxtreme lover of hot, I was not disappointed. Was I happy? Extremely. The service was extremely friendly, like you were a guest in their home. They really show that they care about what they are feeding you. Their dining room is bright, pleasant, comfortable, the music-cheerful and enjoyable. There is a small outside area that has a high fence, plentiful with hanging baskets to shield you from passing Henrietta traffic. In short-I'm in love. I wish this place continued success. It deserves it!
(4)F F.
MMmmmmm. MMMMM. Get the extra napkins!! I will be more brief than my fellow yelper on this review. Yes, be aware you at a DOMINICAN restaurant, so don't ask for black beans and be ready to actually converse and wait for your food. Yes, converse, chat, talk and enjoy each other's company. The food is wonderful and their homemade spicy sauce (ask for the green one) is delicious and has a great kick and flavor! The plantains were perfect. Great place for a group and the service was friendly. I can't wait to go again.
(4)Trisha G.
Fantastic food, unbelievably friendly staff, excellent prices, warm atmosphere, and very good vegetarian options. It's not on the menu, but you can order vegetarian buffet plates for the same sizes and prices as the regular buffet choices. My carnivore friends all loved the various pork and chicken dishes they tried, and we all agree that the beans, rice, mangu, and plantains are tasty. There aren't many places in Rochester where you can find authentic Caribbean food for this price. Definitely a lunch-time favorite!
(5)Huan-Yu C.
I love this place. I knew the existence of D'Mangu because of a D&C article. And I have been wanting some nice Latin American food ever since I had in college, even through I cannot remember the nationality of the cuisine I had. I came to the place during lunch and as soon as I saw the line of food choice on the buffet style table I knew I hit the jackpot. I chose the $8.99 special which gave me salad, Mangu (mashed plantains), rice and 2 types of meat. Although I don't remember what kind of choices I had, they did have 2 types of salad, 3 types of rice (white, yellow with beans, yellow with chicken), two types of beans, 2 type plantains (mashed and fried), and 4 kinds of meat dishes. I had the house salad, yellow rice with beans, with more beans on top, mangu and slowed cooked pork and chicken to go. Everything is delicious and the portions are good (a lot of food). The pork skins were flavorful and crispy even after staying in the container other food; the chicken were fall-of-the-bones tender (dark meat!!! yum!!!) And the mashed plantain blew regular mashed potatoes out of the water with its flavors. This is a great place. The only reason I didn't give it five star is because I didn't have much Dominican food and have nothing to compare this place to. Therefore, I cannot say "as good as it gets." Nevertheless, it is really really delicious food in any scale!
(4)Jason C.
D'Mangu is the place to get Dominican comfort food in Rochester. Lunch plates are big and cheap with great variety: rice, beans, veg, choice of stewed meats and salad for under $10. Their hot sauce is awesome. The staff is friendly (it seems family run) and the decor is bright and inviting. What else can you ask for? 5/5
(5)Karen J.
First time review....sooooo disappointed!! Got stuck here and went strickly to places that delivered. After hours of starving and reading reviews finally decided on this place, called and they said they diddn't have delivery today!!! Now what?!
(1)Lisa M.
Compared to authentic Dominican food, this place was horrible. There was nothing fresh about the food here. It was so bad that I didn't even eat the rest of my food and i HATE wasting food. The only thing worth eating were the empanadas.... oh and the food is overpriced!
(1)Michael W.
Bottom line: great and affordable food with large portions. I've been here for dinner and their lunch buffet. For dinner, I had a nicely cooked and marinated steak dish that was served over greens with a generous side of rice and beans. We shared an order of sweet plantains which are amazing. I also got to try the octopus salad which is definitely cooked for a long time to produce tender and succulent pieces of octopi (I'll probably get this next time). Their lunch buffet has three sized plates; I went with the medium. It comes with salad, rice and beans, and a choice of meat which was multiple kinds of chicken, pork, or fish. The medium was plenty of food and I may even consider getting a small next time. A large would be out of the question for me, and I'm a pretty big eater. Check this place out. It's definitely a family-run establishment that truly appreciates your business.
(4)Peter F.
Just tried Mangu for the first time and am pretty pleased with the food. I had to try two proteins so my inaugural lunch consisted of the chicken rice, red beans, mangu (plantains), braised pork chop, and codfish. Overall impressions: - The ordering process is a bit confusing. The only real indication of what to ask for is a small chaulk board on the wall but after reading other reviews I believe this is 'standard' and you are encouraged to chat/ask which I did. The large, which I got, is pretty hefty and comes in around 10 bucks which is about what id pay for a sub, chips, and drink at Dibellas or Wegmans anyway so all in all, pretty fair. - The chicken rice was excellent. Not dry, well seasoned, and to my pleasant surprise, every now and then a large chunk of on the bone tender chicken. Very good. The read beans did add some moisture back to the rice and a bit of a kick, but not too much. Next time ill try to spicy sauce. - The mangu, oddly enough, was my least favorite dish. My understanding is its kind of like the puerto rican dish 'Mufungo' (pureed plantains, some protein - usually pork or chicken, and spices). Theres was lacking really any flavor and was all in all pretty bland. Not sure if I 'did it wrong' but wasnt terribly impressed. - The braised pork chop was excellent, dry but not Mohave Desert. I believe there was some saffron or mustard in there are my fingers were deliciously yellow after the fact (no knife on hand. Sadface.) This was the chefs recommendation and I took it. Next time ill change it up and try the striper or pulled pork pieces. - Lastly, the codfish. I have mixed emotions about it but otherwise really enjoyed it. Like any fish, the bones that run lateral to the fish (pinbones) are extremely small and often hard to take out. While delicious and full of salty, fishy flavor, be careful when you bite down. I had a couple pop out in mine but nothing life threatening. Cons: - My only gripe, and I'm sure others will agree, is in all dishes ordered there were 'bits'. In the chicken rice, there were pieces of marrow, bone, and cartelige. In the mangu, hard pieces of plantain flesh. And in the fish, some smaller pinbones and other pieces. For myself, this is no problem. Take a bit, pick it out, throw it to the side, move on. For some (read: old people/people with fillings or people with kids) this could be problematic and youll want to eat with caution. This is authentic food made in the authentic style, there will be 'parts'. Its not a deep fried McNugget. Just be careful. All in all a great warm and filling meal for lunch and you support some great people and a good local resteraunt. Go for it!
(4)Paul S.
Great food, quantity, and price. Full of flavor.
(5)Eric B.
Stopped in for lunch, I am from out of town. I loved eating here. Would eat here again in a heart beat. I ordered the lemon chicken, rice and beans off of the menu. The chicken has a strong lemon flavor and tasted great. I am a big rice and beans fan and was not disappointed. Waiting on my desert.... If you have ever eaten here you should give the place a try.... It's worth it.
(4)The Joei W.
Sooo good,very heavy food and lots of it!!
(5)Kelly G.
My department recently had lunch at D'Mangu Dominican Restaurant. The people working there were so nice. They offered to let us try something before we ordered from the buffet and then brought our food to the table. The servings were huge and so tastey! I highly recommend trying them out. The only negative that I had, was I got the pork stew and you had to be careful eating it, or you might get a big piece of fat or cartilage. Regardless, everything was delish!!! I also recommend putting some of their home made hot sauce on your rice. SO GOOD!
(4)Elliot A.
I've been here for the lunch buffet which was very good(not great). Took my wife for dinner here at about 6:40PM. They seated us promptly. Very few people there. Unfortunately very few cooks there either. After we ordered we sat for about 35 minutes before our food came out. I don't mind waiting for a reasonable amount of time but this I thought was a bit too long. When the food did come the orders were mixed up. The waitress didn't apologized but offered to straighten it out. We waited enough time so we said it was fine. The food was overfried and dry (carne frita) and the pork chop was unusually fatty(poor cut). Meanwhileout of season Christmas music added to the already slow service.The waitress didn't bother to check on us and we had to flag them down just to get our check. The waitress did give us a discount for messing up the order. Just a bad night for service and food. Like I said the lunch buffet is worth it. Dinner...not so much.
(2)Adam G.
2011-07-30 10:41:48 We went for dinner last night and loved it. Can't wait to go back! It's nice to support your neighbors instead of chain restaurant. Yesenia Cruz was a delight as a hostess/server/owner. The decor was warm and the paintings were colorful and lively, and these may be the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in at a restaurant! The restaurant was clean and even though the restaurant wsn't filled when we went, everyone was busy doing something. The food was delicious and plentiful. The leftover Mangu was perfect for breakfast and there was enough between my wife and myself to have for dinner the next night We are looking forward to returning and hope that everyone will go and give this place a try. Next time it would be nice if we went when Yesenia is having dinner and have her join us
(4)Brandon M.
As many of my other reviews, I'll preface this one...with the fact that I'm engaged to a Latin woman. I saw a general menu in my office after a co-worker went there during lunch one day ($4.99 lunch buffet!). I visited Nicaragua with my fiancee during Christmas of 2010 and thought that this might be a good Latin restaurant to visit. When we first walked in, there is a long walk way and you're not quite sure if you should order at a counter or sit yourself. Eventually you are seated but I credit this fact to it being a Latin restaurant rather than poor service (more details to follow later). The dining room was almost exactly like every city I visited in Nicaragua (contrasting paint colors on the walls, local art pieces on the wall, good music, etc.). It is obviously a family owned and operated restaurant and the wait staff is new to the business so I gave them some slack. Shortly after we were seated a menu was brought over. My fiancee was shocked by the fact that there were local Latin dishes on the menu (to be fair, it is Rochester and she is used to Americans running a "Latin" restaurant - this is obviously a Latin restaurant run by true Latin Americans). While I needed help with what was on the menu she knew many of the dishes right away (the dishes are in Spanish with English translations below). Some of them I actually had in Nicaragua (a point I'd like to make later on). After a few minutes of reviewing the menu we were ready to order and the waitress came over. At this point I'd like to say a few things about Latin restaurants. This is nothing positive or negative about locations, but after seeing first hand I will say many true Latin places are slow. This has nothing to do with quality but more of the laid back and relaxed personality of Latin people. My fiancee wanted orange juice with her meal. She asked if the orange juice was fresh. The waitress said that everything was made fresh in the mornings, but they were out of orange juice (we were there at 6 pm, the peak of what I consider dinner time). Again this isn't a negative point, I just must point out for my American friends that in many true Latin restaurants, they prepare dishes/drinks by hand...once they are out they are out and that is it. A few moments later we were given a free appetizer. I excused myself the table to wash my hands so I wasn't there when it was delivered. But I will tell you it was the best pre-meal dish I have ever had. It was more or less a chicken nugget, but freshly prepared. Ground chicken meat with a light coating and fried with a mildly spicy dipping sauce. There are two per person (4 for a couple, 8 for a 4-person table) given to every table, regardless of meal ordered - so less of a "free" appetizer and more of pre-meal roll basket at American restaurants. At this point I will not try to butcher the Spanish language and use only English. I ordered the fried rice with steak while my Fiancee ordered a steak on salad as well as fried plantain as a side dish (my fiancee's favorite side from Nicaragua and one that I very much enjoyed). The tostones (plantianes) came out first and were exactly as I remembered from Nicaragua. A light outer fried shell and a sweet banana like interior. I'm almost positive that we will order take out (which they do offer) solely of plantain side dishes because they were that good. All of the sides are served with a Latin-thousand island sauce. I didn't get to ask what was in it, but pretty sure ketchup and mayo were involved. Either way, the sauce was perfect. Our main dishes were fried rice with steak and a steak with salad (sorry, there are actual names for the dishes but I don't remember the Spanish name for them). The food is served family style. The portions are massive and are meant to be shared with everyone at the table (another Latin fact I forgot before going there). Everything was cooked and prepared perfectly when compared to dishes served in Nicaragua. My fiancee and I shared our meals with each other easily and had a wonderful time. There is a desert menu (one that all Latin people will enjoy, flan, dulce de leche, etc.), but after massive portions you have to say no haha. I'm almost positive that later this week I will be returning the food and atmosphere is that good. To all of my American readers, the service is "slow" but that is cultural but the food is amazing. To any Latin readers, this menu will remind anyone of home (according to my Nicaraguan fiancee, between their soups, sides, main dishes). I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone that is at RIT (close proximity and diverse student body) or Latin and wants a taste of home or any American that wants to try true Latin food (not just Mexican). The last thing I will say is the family who owns the restaurant is very friendly and accommodating. My Spanish is "broken" at best. English & Spanish speakers will feel welcomed.
(4)Nick S.
The BF and I stumbled across this place a few weeks ago, looking for lunch on a Saturday, and were delighted to find a new favorite restaurant. We started with an order of ceviche, which was excellent -- the marinade was tangy but not too sour, with lots of flavor, and the fish was cured exactly right. The crisp little chips (almost like a fried wonton -- sorry I don't know what they're called) were freshly fried and a nice crunchy counterpoint to the soft, velvety fish. BF had chicken mofongo, and I opted for the roast pork with rice and beans. Heaven! The pork was juicy, flavorful, and decadent -- particularly the little square of fried skin on top. The rice and beans was also quite satisfactory. What made the meal, for me, was the homemade hot sauce. So good that we wanted to see if we could get some to go! It wasn't super hot, but it was absolutely packed with bright, fresh, complex flavor. Added a zingy topnote to everything we tried it on. Our waitress was friendly, but service was a bit slow. It was about 1pm on a Saturday, and the restaurant wasn't busy when we got in. Maybe two other tables. It got busier during our meal, and it was hard to watch people getting plates from the buffet and sitting down to eat while we were waiting. Still, that's a minor qualm and very easily fixed since I think next time I'd opt for one of the buffet options as well. Can't wait to come back!
(4)Fox E.
I'm into D'Mangoo, I mean, who doesn't like Mangoo amirite? If you want to come and taste D'Mangu, this place is open pretty late, right across from King And I Thai which I can't stand, and close to the amazing Bombay Chaat place. But honestly I'd rather eat Mangu than D'Mangu. Their Pernil-type-dish (roasted pork, usually juicy or at least a little juicy) was dry and a little overpriced compared to El Latino... it didn't taste particularly seasoned or flavourful which is what I expect from Pernil. And it was lukewarm. Their Empanadas, which I've had on three separate occasions because my travelling companion loves empanadas, I find to be 90% pastry and the filling is not particularly great. And sometimes hot, but sometimes lukewarm. Nice and cheap though, which I appreciate. Also, the service has been anywhere from great to rude and abrupt. I won't downgrade based on service, but the food just doesn't do it for me. When a certain girl is serving, I kind of feel like I'm being treated like she wishes I never walked into her place. Whereas when a certain guy is serving, I'm the best thing that ever happened to the place. So it's hit or miss on that front. All in all, I was going to give it a 3, then I read all the owner responses and I was incredibly impressed! I may not be crazy about the food here, but my word this owner has a real passion and a real heart and more than that, he has some of the best PR skills around! He knows exactly what to say and is super duper nice and diplomatic and positive and warm and friendly no matter what sort of criticism is leveled. He seriously should get a side job teaching other owners how to respond on Yelp because so many of them are awful. And so for his amazing PR skills, I'm bumping the man goo up from a 3 to a 4. Bravo, Luis, bravo.
(4)Carrie J.
This restaurant is simply DELICIOUS! My only con is that I didn't come here sooner! I come from a Puerto Rican background and I can attest that this food is #1 authentic and #2 full of flavor the way that it should be!!!! I had the pernil (pulled pork), stewed pork, veggies, rice and beans, and plantanos. Again...AMAZING! I ordered from the buffet but ate at a table. The restaurant is larger and nicer than I ever expected. I'll definitely be back!!! For what you pay you'll leave stuffed and VERY satisfied!
(5)Jay R.
Stoped There on Sunday for lunch to go. Service was nice but unimpressive. Food was also fresh and plentiful but I thought it was over spiced and overly greasy. I was offered fried plantain but was not told it would cost $1 more. It was not the money but the principle. The place looked welcoming and clean. Would I go again? Probably not, but if friends chose that place, i wouldn't say no. I just wouldn't pick the flavored rice, it heavily clashed with the pork sauce.
(3)Mary K.
When you want something different try this! Yummy dishes at good prices seem authentic. Sometimes the food is a bit salty. Overall worth a trip!
(4)Mae G.
Okay, so I'm giving this place 3 stars, but I'll definitely be trying it again because the positives were strong and I'm hoping my first experience was just a fluke. Here we go! I ordered lunch for myself and a coworker on Friday from D'Mangu. Neither of us have ever had Dominican food before and we were excited to give it a shot. The first obstacle that we encountered was that there isn't a menu online that actually explains what the dishes are. No where. When we tried to go to the website, it asked use for a username and login to continue to the website. There are menus listing off the items, but for people completely unfamiliar with the cuisine, we ended up using Google to figure out what was what. We ordered through GrubHub, and my coworker agreed to pick up the order. The estimated time for pickup got pushed back, which was kind of cruddy because my coworker ended up waiting longer than expected, but it was understandable. However when he picked up the order, the lady at the register said one of the items I ordered wasn't made there anymore, so they doubled up my empanada order. Normally I wouldn't care, but their beef and cheese empanada wasn't that great. The meat was seasoned well, but the cheese tasted like Velveeta or something and I really didn't like the fact that I ended up getting TWO of them. And they had my number via GrubHub; they could've (honestly: should have) called me to check what to do. My coworker said his fried pork was super good though; and that there was so much he couldn't even finish it (and he often brags about how much he can eat). Overall it was a pretty lackluster experience. I plan on making a stop to eat in, so we'll see. Until then, 3 stars.
(3)Jan N.
Silly of me to order the basics for dine in that are also offered at the "buffet". My meal here a few days ago was much different than my first so I had to update my review. Service was still very good. I ordered roast pork, yellow rice, and red beans. I mentioned I wanted juicy pork and she said she could give me half roast pork and half pork stew. She also offered the same to my bf when he couldn't decide between steak or chicken. Again, maybe it's because I ordered what I basically could get from the takeout bar, but the food has dropped a few points for me. First, my pork stew was topped with mostly fat leaving barely any meat. Same goes for my bf's chicken which was mostly a big bone. And where were my habichuelas?! I was served with a cup of liquid and 8 beans. Yes, small enough for me to count. Maybe I went on an off day. I hope all other dishes are still good.
(2)Shirley L.
This place has never failed me! Every time I come to visit my grandparents here in Rochester we come to this place at least 2 times before I leave and I'm only here about 2 weeks. This time I tried the shrimp with sauce mofongo. Hot damn its good! Empanadas are good, but mom makes better ones. ;)
(5)Melhem J.
A very disappointed dominican. It's so sad how dominican treat dominicans abroad. Very poor customer service. They wouldn't make a morir soñando because "they were busy" and we see another waitress bringing a morir soñando to the table next to us... The worst about is that for those lazy dominican we all pay... After we asked the other waitress for the manager, she said that she could make it for us, but we would have to wait (which is normal) and she brought it right away. Bien decepcionado por el servicio al cliente, lamentable como el dominicano trata al dominicano fuera... La vagancia y la falta de deseo de trabajar o el no estar contento con su trabajo se refleja en el pesimo servicio. Llegamos y pedimos un morir soñando y una de las camarera dice q tienen todo para hacerlos pero q no lo pueden hacer porque estan muy ocupados, vemos a otra camarera llevando un morir soñando a la mesa del lado y le preguntamos por el manager y en seguida nos dijo que ella podia hacerlo, pero q teniamos que esperar (lo cual es logico y natural), entonces lo trajo en seguida. Domincano, trata bien a tu compatriota dentro y fuera de tu pais, que con nuestro apoyo podemos avanzar mucho mejor...
(1)Andrew G.
Wow - what a find! I can't remember any other notable true Dominican restaurant in Rochester, and D'Mangu definitely takes the (plantain) cake. I went here for dinner maybe a week or so ago with one of my old college friends and the experience was truly, truly wonderful. First and foremost, our waitress was kind and attentive. Since this food was more unknown to my friend, she was open to all sorts of questions and just had an extremely friendly vibe about her. It felt like she actually cared for us as customers, which is something you sadly won't find everywhere in town. It was absolutely lovely. As for the food - holy smokes is it good! My friend and I shared the beef empanadas for our appetizer and devoured them within minutes. The pastry was flaky and cooked correctly, and the beef inside was soft and juicy, full of meaty flavor. Combined with their housemade smoky chile-hot sauce, this was the ultimate bang for my buck!! I could totally go in and just order a couple of orders of empanadas with their hot sauce and be a happy man all winter long. For my entree I had the mofongo with chicken and fried pork, and it was scrumptious! Maybe I haven't had plantains in awhile, but the seasonings and textures just somehow worked magically. You had soft chicken, crispy pork, and soft-but-crunchy (in a good way) plantains which made for a textural symphony in my mouth. When I needed something sharp, there was a salad on the side with a delicious vinaigrette, so truly all of my taste buds needs were met tenfold. I will happily return again and again. Simply wow. What an awesome, awesome night out.
(4)Josh S.
The Good: One of my favorite restaurants in Rochester. The way they integrate their meats with tropical and citrus flavors is outstanding. The Bad: The service can be kind of slow. There are definitely some gringo dishes on the menu; avoid those. Times I've Gone: 12 I Usually Order: Pechugas Tropical and Patacones
(5)Sophia C.
I've been here before but it was mostly for the $11-12 plate where you can choose an assorted amount of food (rice, beans, meat and side) as your meal. All very delicious but today I tried something new because I wasn't feeling too well. I always get soup when I'm feeling queasy and was hoping this place had soup on the menu. They did and I went with the chicken soup. It took a long time to come out. All my friends had finished their meals by the time it did come out. But I'm a patient person because I could tell right then this was going to be a really awesome soup. The waiter(or manager I'm not sure.) always came by to check on our table, gave me the fried dough strips to munch on while I wait and assured me that they make their soups from scratch which was why it was taking so long. I was so excited. The soup did not disappoint. He gave me lime to put in the soup and said it was a Dominican touch on the dish. Reminded me of when you put lime into pho. The soup was SO GOOD. It was warming and fresh. Hearty from the potatoes and meat but the flavors were still delicate and soothing. Nothing was too rich or too salty or too sweet. It was perfect. I could honestly tell a lot of hard work went into that soup. It felt like a mother's home-cooked meal, which is a feeling rarely ever experienced in a restaurant. I'm in love. I have a new favorite, especially for this cold season coming up.
(5)Joann J.
Wow! So delicious. I had the medium buffet plate which included only one meat choice. I chose the pork loin and was not disappointed! The server added one slice of bbq beef...so good! The fried, sweet plantains were delicious and brought me to Little Havana in Miami. We will be returning, probably for dinner tonight!
(4)Douglas W.
Showed up because I love this cuisine and Yelpers love this restaurant. It had few holighlights and I ended up not having to pay for my meal. It was 2 hours from the time we walked in, waited 15 minutes to sit down and 1 hour for our food, to the time we received our bill. The staff was friendly but not seen often. I ordered mofongo with pork and chicken. It wasn't what I expected from my trip to Puerto Rico. It was all mixed together. My problem was that it was so salty I couldn't eat it. I like salty but this was intense. Good restaurants need to use sea salt too. It's a better salty and better for you. I tried my wife's chicken mofongo and it was fine. I like the meats in a sauce moat around my plantain however. I sent mine away and got the roast pork with some black beans. Better. The homemade hot sauce is great but really salty. The beans are like a thin soup with a few pieces of bean and intensely garlicky. They're ok I guess. My friends ordered flan. They murdered it. It was filled with air pockets where it had risen and fell in the oven. Gone was the creamy silkiness a flan should possess. Terrible texture. My tres Leches was ok. I wouldn't come back based on my food here. The people are great and I liked the place but it wasn't worth my time.
(2)Kimberly D.
I love the service!! The food is delish.....love the Mofongo with shrimp. The presentation is beautiful and it's scrumptious!! The portions are more than enough. I've been here a few times and they never disappointment. I've also tried the buffet. Plenty of flavorful dishes just in case u don't know what u want. The stew chicken is one of my favs
(5)Darrell F.
First visit to this hidden gem of a restaurant! Thank you to all of you Yelp reviewers, because of your photos and advice I had an idea of what I wanted. Place is great for lunch because much of the meat (much like a BBQ smoke house) is prepared for you to just choose. Heading advice I chose the large buffet plate with roast pork and stewed pork. Wow! Think of the tastiest pig roast you ever had because it is now in second place. Plate is generous with a serving of plantains, rice with or without beans (I went with red), a salad (which I skipped because I was feeling "meaty") to go with the choice of two meats. Also another patron suggested a serving of the hot sauce, yummy. Just enough heat and I actually ended up putting on my rice as well a dipping the pork. I made sure that I saved one plantain to eat last for that sweet ending to an enjoyable meal. As others have reported the service was warm an friendly and I think I just found a new favorite to add to my rotation.
(5)Naz B.
Whenever I know I am about to head to D'Mangu, I try to skip the meal leading up to the one here. Why? Well....here are some of my reasons: Empanadas - far superior to the very popular but bland ones from Juan and Maria's. Tostones - double fried unripe plantains served with mayo-ketchup sauce (no prizes for guessing the ingredients). Best $2.50 you will spend that day! Beef stew - I am not sure how they do it but the stew has such depth of flavour and is hearty without feeling very heavy. This is the best dish on their buffet selection IMO. Yellow rice + black beans - so flavourful! I have been to other Latin American restaurants around town where the rice and beans are tasteless and relegated to being the tired sidekicks but here, they stand on their own. Homemade hot sauce - garlicky with a little heat and a punch of acidity to cut through the rich flavours of the other dishes. I joked that they should sell this stuff...and the server tells me they do sell it. I will be buying some on my next trip. House dressing on their salad - Best described as a Dominican take on vinaigrette? Sharp and acidic. I just wish they had something besides iceberg to put it on. Chicharrones de pollo - Lemony, small, fried chicken pieces of heaven. You can get these boneless but please get them bone in so they stay juicy. They do hack the chicken up willy nilly so you might have to work a little around the bones. Serious props to fellow Yelper, Em R., for turning me to these nuggets of heaven. If you have room after eating all this (aka you didn't listen to my suggestions and didn't do it up right), I suggest trying the tres leche cake. It is a good version and is not overly sweet. I wish they would put some chopped strawberries on top but otherwise, it is a great way to end the meal. Well, that and a 5K to burn off everything you just ate. I advise you bring a few friends to split the items I outlined so that way you can run just 3K instead of 5!
(4)Avriel W.
The food was very good.and authentic. Service was quick and the place was very clean. There were a lot of families with kids, us included so, no one mind loud children, you can enjoy with out being overly concerned about bothering other guest. I had the roasted pork shoulder which was delicious! Also we had mixed empanadas that were good, but not filling. The only thing I would suggest is if you like hot sauce (Tabasco sauce) bring your own because they don't have any. Ann's they need to change that! Lol
(4)Chris L.
This place is becoming a hot spot for faceless Yelpers, so I figured I would add some objective legitimacy to the 4.5 star review D'Mangu currently has. James M. and I came here on Wednesday for a UYMD (Unofficial Yelp Man Date) and I was pleasantly surprised by the vibrant decor and squeaking cleanliness of this restaurant. No offense to Lee's (because you all know how big a Lee's fan I am), but I was kind of expecting D'Mangu to be a Dominican version of Lee's. Not the case. The dining room was large and colorful, and I didn't see a single speck of food on the floor, nor did the Dominican version of Lee hack a piece of lung onto my pork. Great first impression. The "lunch buffet" was somewhat confusing and it could have used a roped off area to control traffic flow, but fortunately, there weren't many people waiting in line when we arrived. It's not really a buffet in the same respect that, say, Ponderosa is a buffet (does that even exist anymore?); it's more of a cafeteria-style hot food line in which you can select what you want on your plate. I thought it was self-serve until James pointed out the layer of glass between me and the food, which I then touched to confirm that it was really there. I think the fact that I didn't even see the glass speaks to the cleanliness of this restaurant. The difference between the $4.99, $6.99, and $8.99 lunch specials wasn't obvious, but it seemed that the more expensive ones added something I wasn't interested in eating (for example, the $6.99 version added a salad - I don't need a salad to make my 2,000 calorie lunch appear more healthy), so I stuck with the budget plate, which consisted of beans, rice, mangu, and meat. I got pork (obviously) and a side of house made hot sauce. The woman gave me an "are you sure?" look when I asked for the hot version of hot sauce, and I responded with a "do you know anything about Asian people?" stare, which I think she understood. Mango and papaya shakes were the only options available, to me at least. The scouting report indicated that they served a shake with a fruit called "zapote," which I wanted to try, but I forgot the name of it and ordered a mango shake to avoid an inevitably awkward conversation in which the owner would be summoned and I'd have to look at the menu, thus holding up the line of rotund latinos multiplying behind me. The food was fantastic. The pork was meltingly tender and far superior to that of the now defunct (aka burned down) Tu Casa. I might just remove a star from my Tu Casa review because this place is so much better and it's unfair to give them the same rating. The starches, and there were a lot of them, were all very good and none of them were too dry or so dense that I couldn't possibly eat another bite, which sometimes happens, especially when I plantains. The hot sauce wasn't as hot as I would have liked, but the flavor was good and its acidity cut the richness of the pork nicely. The mango shake was more of a milkshake than a Dominican version of a mango lassi and I would have preferred a stronger mango flavor, but it was still well blended and satisfying, in a milkshake sort of way. At under $9 for a shake and a large plate of filling food, D'Mangu is a great lunch option. I'm gonna have a really hard time deciding between this place and Haveli the next time I'm looking to binge in Henrietta.
(4)Nick S.
The BF and I stumbled across this place a few weeks ago, looking for lunch on a Saturday, and were delighted to find a new favorite restaurant. We started with an order of ceviche, which was excellent -- the marinade was tangy but not too sour, with lots of flavor, and the fish was cured exactly right. The crisp little chips (almost like a fried wonton -- sorry I don't know what they're called) were freshly fried and a nice crunchy counterpoint to the soft, velvety fish. BF had chicken mofongo, and I opted for the roast pork with rice and beans. Heaven! The pork was juicy, flavorful, and decadent -- particularly the little square of fried skin on top. The rice and beans was also quite satisfactory. What made the meal, for me, was the homemade hot sauce. So good that we wanted to see if we could get some to go! It wasn't super hot, but it was absolutely packed with bright, fresh, complex flavor. Added a zingy topnote to everything we tried it on. Our waitress was friendly, but service was a bit slow. It was about 1pm on a Saturday, and the restaurant wasn't busy when we got in. Maybe two other tables. It got busier during our meal, and it was hard to watch people getting plates from the buffet and sitting down to eat while we were waiting. Still, that's a minor qualm and very easily fixed since I think next time I'd opt for one of the buffet options as well. Can't wait to come back!
(4)Fox E.
I'm into D'Mangoo, I mean, who doesn't like Mangoo amirite? If you want to come and taste D'Mangu, this place is open pretty late, right across from King And I Thai which I can't stand, and close to the amazing Bombay Chaat place. But honestly I'd rather eat Mangu than D'Mangu. Their Pernil-type-dish (roasted pork, usually juicy or at least a little juicy) was dry and a little overpriced compared to El Latino... it didn't taste particularly seasoned or flavourful which is what I expect from Pernil. And it was lukewarm. Their Empanadas, which I've had on three separate occasions because my travelling companion loves empanadas, I find to be 90% pastry and the filling is not particularly great. And sometimes hot, but sometimes lukewarm. Nice and cheap though, which I appreciate. Also, the service has been anywhere from great to rude and abrupt. I won't downgrade based on service, but the food just doesn't do it for me. When a certain girl is serving, I kind of feel like I'm being treated like she wishes I never walked into her place. Whereas when a certain guy is serving, I'm the best thing that ever happened to the place. So it's hit or miss on that front. All in all, I was going to give it a 3, then I read all the owner responses and I was incredibly impressed! I may not be crazy about the food here, but my word this owner has a real passion and a real heart and more than that, he has some of the best PR skills around! He knows exactly what to say and is super duper nice and diplomatic and positive and warm and friendly no matter what sort of criticism is leveled. He seriously should get a side job teaching other owners how to respond on Yelp because so many of them are awful. And so for his amazing PR skills, I'm bumping the man goo up from a 3 to a 4. Bravo, Luis, bravo.
(4)Carrie J.
This restaurant is simply DELICIOUS! My only con is that I didn't come here sooner! I come from a Puerto Rican background and I can attest that this food is #1 authentic and #2 full of flavor the way that it should be!!!! I had the pernil (pulled pork), stewed pork, veggies, rice and beans, and plantanos. Again...AMAZING! I ordered from the buffet but ate at a table. The restaurant is larger and nicer than I ever expected. I'll definitely be back!!! For what you pay you'll leave stuffed and VERY satisfied!
(5)Mae G.
Okay, so I'm giving this place 3 stars, but I'll definitely be trying it again because the positives were strong and I'm hoping my first experience was just a fluke. Here we go! I ordered lunch for myself and a coworker on Friday from D'Mangu. Neither of us have ever had Dominican food before and we were excited to give it a shot. The first obstacle that we encountered was that there isn't a menu online that actually explains what the dishes are. No where. When we tried to go to the website, it asked use for a username and login to continue to the website. There are menus listing off the items, but for people completely unfamiliar with the cuisine, we ended up using Google to figure out what was what. We ordered through GrubHub, and my coworker agreed to pick up the order. The estimated time for pickup got pushed back, which was kind of cruddy because my coworker ended up waiting longer than expected, but it was understandable. However when he picked up the order, the lady at the register said one of the items I ordered wasn't made there anymore, so they doubled up my empanada order. Normally I wouldn't care, but their beef and cheese empanada wasn't that great. The meat was seasoned well, but the cheese tasted like Velveeta or something and I really didn't like the fact that I ended up getting TWO of them. And they had my number via GrubHub; they could've (honestly: should have) called me to check what to do. My coworker said his fried pork was super good though; and that there was so much he couldn't even finish it (and he often brags about how much he can eat). Overall it was a pretty lackluster experience. I plan on making a stop to eat in, so we'll see. Until then, 3 stars.
(3)Jan N.
Silly of me to order the basics for dine in that are also offered at the "buffet". My meal here a few days ago was much different than my first so I had to update my review. Service was still very good. I ordered roast pork, yellow rice, and red beans. I mentioned I wanted juicy pork and she said she could give me half roast pork and half pork stew. She also offered the same to my bf when he couldn't decide between steak or chicken. Again, maybe it's because I ordered what I basically could get from the takeout bar, but the food has dropped a few points for me. First, my pork stew was topped with mostly fat leaving barely any meat. Same goes for my bf's chicken which was mostly a big bone. And where were my habichuelas?! I was served with a cup of liquid and 8 beans. Yes, small enough for me to count. Maybe I went on an off day. I hope all other dishes are still good.
(2)Shirley L.
This place has never failed me! Every time I come to visit my grandparents here in Rochester we come to this place at least 2 times before I leave and I'm only here about 2 weeks. This time I tried the shrimp with sauce mofongo. Hot damn its good! Empanadas are good, but mom makes better ones. ;)
(5)Matt L.
I think I will come back for another try but my experience was somewhat disappointing. When we walked in, we were seated almost immediately. We were also waited on almost immediately, so the staff was attentive and also polite. The environment was nice but the staff were playing music loudly over an Apple TV with YouTube and would switch music halfway through songs and it made awkward silences across the restaurant. I ordered (and I can't forget the name I think it started with an m) but it was basically a plantain dish with chicken and cheese. It described and showed a picture of a rich colorful dish with garlic and plenty of sauce/broth. My friend ordered the same but with pork. They did bring out some delicious fried cornmeal strips with some dipping sauce while we waited and they were to die for, complementary too. Service was quick and the food came out right as we were finishing the cornmeal strips. When the entree came out, it looked a lot different than the picture. It looked somewhat like chunky oatmeal pressed into a Tupperware and then inverted onto a otherwise clean white plate. That strategy may have worked with something else but with it wasn't too appetizing here. I was wondering where the sauce in the picture was but I figured it must have been mixed into the square thing. Next to it was a very poor excuse for a side salad, a couple coarse pieces of green lettuce and a wedge of tomato, and a chunk of (cabbage?) with something that tasted like Italian dressing. Sorry I'm not much of a salad expert but this was pretty rough. The flavor of the entree was good, and very smooth, but it was almost entirely plantains and was too dry. I tasted no garlic or cheese in this dish. The chicken was seasoned well but slightly tough and also dry. Also halfway through the meal our server came out and asked us if we wanted hot sauce. A little late but I agreed anyways, and glad I did. The sauce was amazing (probably a bit spicy for some but great with me) and it added a great extra dimension to my plantain dish. I enjoyed the dish because It was something different for me but I have to really wonder what part made it a $14 entree. Did plantains turn into gold overnight? I would like to try one of their other offerings because the reviews for this place are so good but my experience in here was let down a bit by the price vs quality of the food I received from the kitchen.
(3)David L.
Phenomenal food and really nice servers! They even gave us some extra appetizers on the house just so we could try!!!
(5)Harrison K.
Do yourself a favour, and come get some of this flavour. The roast pork melts in your mouth and has the perfect balance of saltines and tenderness. Both the mashed and fried plantains are delicious and the white and yellow rice is cooked to perfection!
(5)Andrew J.
comida increÃble! I wish we had a place like this in Syracuse. We will visiting again muchas gracias!
(5)Mel M.
I have come here twice in 8 days and I must say I am a fan! First plate last week was stewed pork, with black beans and yellow rice, roasted veggies and plantains. The port was VERY flavorful, juicy and tender all good in my book. The other accompaniments were well seasoned as well. Second plate, I had today for take out, was the stewed chicken, along with the same side dishes, which was all very good. The decor is much nicer than you normally find here in Rochester. It is clean and very comfortable. There is one person working there that I have seen twice that has an attitude of complete indifference, don't mind her. When I see her she is usually cleaning, so that may be the reason.
(4)Karinna O.
This place is amazing. Food from the menu is cooked once ordered. Or if you are in a hurry, you can take food from the lunch buffet. Legit Dominican food. One word: delicious!!!
(5)John G.
Every time I go here, I try to coax a non-Latin friend to come with me, just so they can get an authentic Hispanic foodie experience. Growing up in Puerto Rico, I know exactly how lechón asado (roasted pork) and rice should taste like. This is the real deal. And what makes the experience even better are the people who work here. They are as genuine as the food; and they'll patiently explain all the goodies laid out in front of you in an easy cafeteria style format. Don't be afraid to step out of your comfort zone to experience this gem of a restaurant. This will become a favorite stop!
(5)Melhem J.
A very disappointed dominican. It's so sad how dominican treat dominicans abroad. Very poor customer service. They wouldn't make a morir soñando because "they were busy" and we see another waitress bringing a morir soñando to the table next to us... The worst about is that for those lazy dominican we all pay... After we asked the other waitress for the manager, she said that she could make it for us, but we would have to wait (which is normal) and she brought it right away. Bien decepcionado por el servicio al cliente, lamentable como el dominicano trata al dominicano fuera... La vagancia y la falta de deseo de trabajar o el no estar contento con su trabajo se refleja en el pesimo servicio. Llegamos y pedimos un morir soñando y una de las camarera dice q tienen todo para hacerlos pero q no lo pueden hacer porque estan muy ocupados, vemos a otra camarera llevando un morir soñando a la mesa del lado y le preguntamos por el manager y en seguida nos dijo que ella podia hacerlo, pero q teniamos que esperar (lo cual es logico y natural), entonces lo trajo en seguida. Domincano, trata bien a tu compatriota dentro y fuera de tu pais, que con nuestro apoyo podemos avanzar mucho mejor...
(1)Andrew G.
Wow - what a find! I can't remember any other notable true Dominican restaurant in Rochester, and D'Mangu definitely takes the (plantain) cake. I went here for dinner maybe a week or so ago with one of my old college friends and the experience was truly, truly wonderful. First and foremost, our waitress was kind and attentive. Since this food was more unknown to my friend, she was open to all sorts of questions and just had an extremely friendly vibe about her. It felt like she actually cared for us as customers, which is something you sadly won't find everywhere in town. It was absolutely lovely. As for the food - holy smokes is it good! My friend and I shared the beef empanadas for our appetizer and devoured them within minutes. The pastry was flaky and cooked correctly, and the beef inside was soft and juicy, full of meaty flavor. Combined with their housemade smoky chile-hot sauce, this was the ultimate bang for my buck!! I could totally go in and just order a couple of orders of empanadas with their hot sauce and be a happy man all winter long. For my entree I had the mofongo with chicken and fried pork, and it was scrumptious! Maybe I haven't had plantains in awhile, but the seasonings and textures just somehow worked magically. You had soft chicken, crispy pork, and soft-but-crunchy (in a good way) plantains which made for a textural symphony in my mouth. When I needed something sharp, there was a salad on the side with a delicious vinaigrette, so truly all of my taste buds needs were met tenfold. I will happily return again and again. Simply wow. What an awesome, awesome night out.
(4)Josh S.
The Good: One of my favorite restaurants in Rochester. The way they integrate their meats with tropical and citrus flavors is outstanding. The Bad: The service can be kind of slow. There are definitely some gringo dishes on the menu; avoid those. Times I've Gone: 12 I Usually Order: Pechugas Tropical and Patacones
(5)Jay R.
Stoped There on Sunday for lunch to go. Service was nice but unimpressive. Food was also fresh and plentiful but I thought it was over spiced and overly greasy. I was offered fried plantain but was not told it would cost $1 more. It was not the money but the principle. The place looked welcoming and clean. Would I go again? Probably not, but if friends chose that place, i wouldn't say no. I just wouldn't pick the flavored rice, it heavily clashed with the pork sauce.
(3)Mary K.
When you want something different try this! Yummy dishes at good prices seem authentic. Sometimes the food is a bit salty. Overall worth a trip!
(4)Sophia C.
I've been here before but it was mostly for the $11-12 plate where you can choose an assorted amount of food (rice, beans, meat and side) as your meal. All very delicious but today I tried something new because I wasn't feeling too well. I always get soup when I'm feeling queasy and was hoping this place had soup on the menu. They did and I went with the chicken soup. It took a long time to come out. All my friends had finished their meals by the time it did come out. But I'm a patient person because I could tell right then this was going to be a really awesome soup. The waiter(or manager I'm not sure.) always came by to check on our table, gave me the fried dough strips to munch on while I wait and assured me that they make their soups from scratch which was why it was taking so long. I was so excited. The soup did not disappoint. He gave me lime to put in the soup and said it was a Dominican touch on the dish. Reminded me of when you put lime into pho. The soup was SO GOOD. It was warming and fresh. Hearty from the potatoes and meat but the flavors were still delicate and soothing. Nothing was too rich or too salty or too sweet. It was perfect. I could honestly tell a lot of hard work went into that soup. It felt like a mother's home-cooked meal, which is a feeling rarely ever experienced in a restaurant. I'm in love. I have a new favorite, especially for this cold season coming up.
(5)Joann J.
Wow! So delicious. I had the medium buffet plate which included only one meat choice. I chose the pork loin and was not disappointed! The server added one slice of bbq beef...so good! The fried, sweet plantains were delicious and brought me to Little Havana in Miami. We will be returning, probably for dinner tonight!
(4)Lisa S.
Went here for lunch and it was great. It's 'cafeteria style', so you wait in line and pick out what you want to eat. I got the Small Plate for $4.99 (the only reason I knew what to order was because I read the Yelp reviews before I went), there weren't any menus (that I could see) laying around. The women working were very friendly and fast. The food was really good, very flavorful, here's what I got. Small Plate: Yellow Rice, Pinto Beans, Pulled Pork Side of Tostones All very flavorful, ask for a side of Hot Sauce, it's homemade and comes in a shot glass, and it's delicious!
(4)Douglas W.
Showed up because I love this cuisine and Yelpers love this restaurant. It had few holighlights and I ended up not having to pay for my meal. It was 2 hours from the time we walked in, waited 15 minutes to sit down and 1 hour for our food, to the time we received our bill. The staff was friendly but not seen often. I ordered mofongo with pork and chicken. It wasn't what I expected from my trip to Puerto Rico. It was all mixed together. My problem was that it was so salty I couldn't eat it. I like salty but this was intense. Good restaurants need to use sea salt too. It's a better salty and better for you. I tried my wife's chicken mofongo and it was fine. I like the meats in a sauce moat around my plantain however. I sent mine away and got the roast pork with some black beans. Better. The homemade hot sauce is great but really salty. The beans are like a thin soup with a few pieces of bean and intensely garlicky. They're ok I guess. My friends ordered flan. They murdered it. It was filled with air pockets where it had risen and fell in the oven. Gone was the creamy silkiness a flan should possess. Terrible texture. My tres Leches was ok. I wouldn't come back based on my food here. The people are great and I liked the place but it wasn't worth my time.
(2)Kimberly D.
I love the service!! The food is delish.....love the Mofongo with shrimp. The presentation is beautiful and it's scrumptious!! The portions are more than enough. I've been here a few times and they never disappointment. I've also tried the buffet. Plenty of flavorful dishes just in case u don't know what u want. The stew chicken is one of my favs
(5)Darrell F.
First visit to this hidden gem of a restaurant! Thank you to all of you Yelp reviewers, because of your photos and advice I had an idea of what I wanted. Place is great for lunch because much of the meat (much like a BBQ smoke house) is prepared for you to just choose. Heading advice I chose the large buffet plate with roast pork and stewed pork. Wow! Think of the tastiest pig roast you ever had because it is now in second place. Plate is generous with a serving of plantains, rice with or without beans (I went with red), a salad (which I skipped because I was feeling "meaty") to go with the choice of two meats. Also another patron suggested a serving of the hot sauce, yummy. Just enough heat and I actually ended up putting on my rice as well a dipping the pork. I made sure that I saved one plantain to eat last for that sweet ending to an enjoyable meal. As others have reported the service was warm an friendly and I think I just found a new favorite to add to my rotation.
(5)Jane O.
I happened on this place by accident one day and have been bringing people here whenever I have the opportunity. The food is flavorful and not too spicy, although you certainly can add heat to anything you like with their very tasty pepper relish served at the table. I think it's a welcome addition to the food places in Henrietta. You can only eat at just so many sorta-Chinese buffets, Italian joints or fast food atrocities before you crave well made comfort foods from a different part of the world. Try the mashed plantains! Delish!
(4)Naz B.
Whenever I know I am about to head to D'Mangu, I try to skip the meal leading up to the one here. Why? Well....here are some of my reasons: Empanadas - far superior to the very popular but bland ones from Juan and Maria's. Tostones - double fried unripe plantains served with mayo-ketchup sauce (no prizes for guessing the ingredients). Best $2.50 you will spend that day! Beef stew - I am not sure how they do it but the stew has such depth of flavour and is hearty without feeling very heavy. This is the best dish on their buffet selection IMO. Yellow rice + black beans - so flavourful! I have been to other Latin American restaurants around town where the rice and beans are tasteless and relegated to being the tired sidekicks but here, they stand on their own. Homemade hot sauce - garlicky with a little heat and a punch of acidity to cut through the rich flavours of the other dishes. I joked that they should sell this stuff...and the server tells me they do sell it. I will be buying some on my next trip. House dressing on their salad - Best described as a Dominican take on vinaigrette? Sharp and acidic. I just wish they had something besides iceberg to put it on. Chicharrones de pollo - Lemony, small, fried chicken pieces of heaven. You can get these boneless but please get them bone in so they stay juicy. They do hack the chicken up willy nilly so you might have to work a little around the bones. Serious props to fellow Yelper, Em R., for turning me to these nuggets of heaven. If you have room after eating all this (aka you didn't listen to my suggestions and didn't do it up right), I suggest trying the tres leche cake. It is a good version and is not overly sweet. I wish they would put some chopped strawberries on top but otherwise, it is a great way to end the meal. Well, that and a 5K to burn off everything you just ate. I advise you bring a few friends to split the items I outlined so that way you can run just 3K instead of 5!
(4)Avriel W.
The food was very good.and authentic. Service was quick and the place was very clean. There were a lot of families with kids, us included so, no one mind loud children, you can enjoy with out being overly concerned about bothering other guest. I had the roasted pork shoulder which was delicious! Also we had mixed empanadas that were good, but not filling. The only thing I would suggest is if you like hot sauce (Tabasco sauce) bring your own because they don't have any. Ann's they need to change that! Lol
(4)Yanneris S.
The food wasn't a that great and the service was horrible, the waitress had an opinion on the meat selection that I chose stated that it was too fatty for me...
(1)Lisa B.
Whether you order from the menu or the daily selection on the buffet, this is the BEST place outside of downtown Rochester to get the most flavorful lechon asado with crispy chicharron and arroz con gandules. When you crave porky goodness but don't feel like driving to the city and dealing with street parking, this is where to go!
(5)Breanna B.
Dominican food while a foot of snow is being dumped on Rochester. Yes. Please. Now. I arrived early on a Tuesday evening, it was pretty dead -- our group was the only crew dining that evening. Granted it was terrible outside, I'm surprised I wasn't eating by myself. It was *the* best comfort food. I'm ashamed to say this was my first visit. I can't believe in all my years living here, I hadn't visited before. Now I know it's everything I love all wrapped up in one restaurant. Tip: stick to the buffet items. Highlights reel: - I prefer the sautéed ripe plantains over fried raw plantains -- slightly sweeter and dip 'em in that mayo/ketchup sauce, it's perfection. - Homemade tangy, garlic-y hot sauce -- bottle 'er up for me, please. - Empanadas -- I should have ordered more. Holy hell, they were good. Some of the best I've had so far in Rochester. The beef was packed with flavor and the crust was golden, buttery, and flaky. A must! - I ordered the roast pork and beef stew with rice and red beans. Roast pork was my top choice, I'll be getting that again. Melt in your mouth good -- well-seasoned, juicy, and salty. Mix everything together and it's like a DR-version of a ROC garbage plate. It warms my soul. - Always opt for the red beans and pour them over your rice (or whole dish as I did). - Service was top notch -- they were really helpful and worked with us as we decided what to order. - Finish it off with a Presidente cerveza and curl up in bed because you'll be knocked out from one heck of a hearty meal. We all split the check evenly so it worked out to be ~$20 per person w/ tip. Not a bad deal considering the appetizers we ordered and the leftovers I had for me and my bf the following day. Can you tell I love leftovers? So worth it... plus the flavors soak together and it's even better on day two. I hear lunch here is a good choice too -- affordable & tasty for all of you who work in Henrietta.
(4)Saul M.
I've seen some really high reviews for the restaurant but let me preface mine with the notion that I have a very high standard for food from the Tres Antillas (Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico). I also don't give credit for plantains. All of the above cuisines have fried ripe and green plantains and they are hard to mess up. Also, don't be mistaken, D'Mangu is a solid choice for a hearty meal. However, there are things that can't miss and others that, well, miss. There are differences between Cuban, Dominican, and Puerto Rican cuisines to note, that may be helpful. If you want black beans, Cuban is the way to go. At Dominican and Puerto Rican restaurants you want red or pink beans. Mofongo is a Puerto Rican thing and mangu is Dominican. Both are mashed plantain dishes but done very differently. Arroz con gandules (yellow rice with pigeon peas) is the "national" dish of Puerto Rico. Morro rice means different things to Cubans and Dominicans. At D'Mangu, their roasted and stewed meats are all fantastic. I especially like the stewed pork. They also have chicharrones, which not many restaurants serve. They always have both ripe and green plantains. They also serve yaniqueques, which is the Dominican version of the johnnycake. I know I'm in the minority, but I prefer them green because I like to go for a more starchy savory side. Ask for the pickled onions, another Dominican specialty. What to me is lacking is the yellow rice (perhaps I'm too biased to a more Puerto Rican style). I also did not like their mofongo. Note: D'Mangu also has a sister restaurant up at North and Norton Streets.
(3)Em R.
Someone asked me about a Caribbean Spanish restaurant that I could recommend, and this is the first place that came to mind. Dominican food is very similar to Puerto Rican food, since we're so close both culturally and geographically; and that has meant that a lot of dishes from one country become part of the other country's menu. Case in point, "Morir Soñando", a Dominican drink that my mom used to make for me in Puerto Rico, or mofongo, a Puerto Rican signature dish that's now part of the Dominican menu. I have an issue with most "Latin" restaurants in Rochester. Their food tend to be greasy and full of msg products like "sazon", or commercial "adobo". This place is the exception. It doesn't mean they're afraid of fat, we love fat in the Caribbean, but their food is well balanced with flavors and textures. And what they make, home style, Dominican food is beautifully executed. Don't expect "haute cusine", or "fusion", or even a 5 star atmosphere, this is a family style place, that serve food Cafeteria style. The prices are great for the quality of the food, and you can choose getting what they made for the day (which is usually fantastic), or order from the menu. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere casual. I recommend it to students and people that want something different and delicious on a budget. My recommended highlights Beef Stew: The best, I have yet to make it as good as they do, and I make really good beef stew Tostones: Crispy and delicious served with mayo-ketchup, the traditional dipping sauce. Fried Chicken pieces (pica de pollo): This is not the usual fried chicken, but rather small pieces of chicken fried until very crispy, boneless or bone in. Home made hot sauce: it's very flavorful, and not super spicy, a highlight to all the dishes, especially the tostones, and chicken pieces. I forgot to add, their pickled onions, they are a delicious addition to their meals. Ask for them, they don't have them all the time, but they are worth it. I gave this place 5 stars because it is the place I go in Rochester when I want to have rice and beans, and a good Latin meal, it's good and hearty, and not overwhelmingly fatty or salty. I don't think they have any competition in Rochester for tasty Latin food (that is not Mexican). So they get the 5 stars Note: El Sabor de la Isla in Norton and North is equally good, but it's owned by the same people, and the neighborhood is a bit sketchy.
(5)Joley B.
My first visit to D'Mangu was a pleasant one. On a cold snowy Tuesday evening, it was nice to be inside the warm and comfortable restaurant. If you were faced away from the window, you could almost be tricked into believing you were down on the island. I went with a mofongo dish because my Puerto Rican students had been talking it up. The dish itself wasn't quite what I had anticipated, but I was told by my dinner-mates that mofongo is truly a Puerto Rican dish. So, even though it didn't look like I had anticipated, it was still tasty. The platanos were done well, and I liked the pickled onions we'd ordered as well. Our servers were pleasant and very accommodating! I enjoyed the evening out with Yelp's international supper club, and I look forward to going back again to try some more traditional Dominican food.
(3)James C.
We are always looking for different types of food, my GF was just relocated to Henrietta so we decided to try this on the lunch hour. It took a minute to figure out the process of going through the line, starting further in the restaurant and working your way back towards where you came in seemed a little backwards but no big deal. New to this type of food and process we had to be schooled on the plate sizes and what all of these amazing dishes were, nothing is labeled. I am glad for the lesson! Not a plantain fan but the sweet plantains were yummy, as was the cabbage, yes, the cabbage, who would have thought!! We are suckers for a good rice and bean dish, they came through. I had pork stew, my GF had Chix stew, both were good, I always enjoy veggies with my meal and what veggies were in my pork were delish and crunchy, wish there were more. The hot sauce was a winner! nice flavor, good heat with great pepper content. We will certainly be back there, probably bringing some friends too! Great job guys!
(5)Souky S.
I picked up lunch, the selection at the buffet was the following: roasted pork, stewed pork, stewed beef, stewed chicken, yellow rice, white rice, plantains, red beans, black beans, roast chicken, stewed vegetables (real good, had a chew, not over cooked) salads. Food was hot and fresh. I took an order of large, got me yellow rice, red beans, roast pork, and stewed pork, and side of cooked veggies for $11.80. I was able to make two meals, split with a coworker.
(4)Vincent C.
I ate from this restaurant like 3 times a week on campus! Can't get sick of Dominican foods. Little pricy on campus than the restaurant... Great comfort foods!
(4)Mike C.
I have eaten here several times for lunch and it is fantastic! Food is great, the staff is friendly and the service is top notch. They will answer any questions you have as this is not the typical fare for Henrietta! I have introduced this place to many people and they have all loved it. Try it out, you won't be disappointed.
(5)Judy Z.
I came here one day when I starving, and went a little crazy with the ordering. So you can either choose to order off the menu, or go up to the display counter and pick the meats and sides that are already made. We had a few people in our group so we were able to try everything. They are pretty generous with the sides. I liked the beef stew and the pull pork the best! Do not leave without trying the plantains!!
(4)somi b.
We went here for the second time. Food was OK but I felt the waiter (guy..victor?)talks way too much. Also I called into check the prices. On the call I was told a different price and when I went in I was told totally different price. A higher amount. I questioned and was told the lower price was for take out. Huh? That sounded ridiculous to me because when you dine in you pay tip for the service. Totally unacceptable. Prices should be displayed. Isn't that the law? Owner should explain this to customers.
(2)Chris L.
This place is becoming a hot spot for faceless Yelpers, so I figured I would add some objective legitimacy to the 4.5 star review D'Mangu currently has. James M. and I came here on Wednesday for a UYMD (Unofficial Yelp Man Date) and I was pleasantly surprised by the vibrant decor and squeaking cleanliness of this restaurant. No offense to Lee's (because you all know how big a Lee's fan I am), but I was kind of expecting D'Mangu to be a Dominican version of Lee's. Not the case. The dining room was large and colorful, and I didn't see a single speck of food on the floor, nor did the Dominican version of Lee hack a piece of lung onto my pork. Great first impression. The "lunch buffet" was somewhat confusing and it could have used a roped off area to control traffic flow, but fortunately, there weren't many people waiting in line when we arrived. It's not really a buffet in the same respect that, say, Ponderosa is a buffet (does that even exist anymore?); it's more of a cafeteria-style hot food line in which you can select what you want on your plate. I thought it was self-serve until James pointed out the layer of glass between me and the food, which I then touched to confirm that it was really there. I think the fact that I didn't even see the glass speaks to the cleanliness of this restaurant. The difference between the $4.99, $6.99, and $8.99 lunch specials wasn't obvious, but it seemed that the more expensive ones added something I wasn't interested in eating (for example, the $6.99 version added a salad - I don't need a salad to make my 2,000 calorie lunch appear more healthy), so I stuck with the budget plate, which consisted of beans, rice, mangu, and meat. I got pork (obviously) and a side of house made hot sauce. The woman gave me an "are you sure?" look when I asked for the hot version of hot sauce, and I responded with a "do you know anything about Asian people?" stare, which I think she understood. Mango and papaya shakes were the only options available, to me at least. The scouting report indicated that they served a shake with a fruit called "zapote," which I wanted to try, but I forgot the name of it and ordered a mango shake to avoid an inevitably awkward conversation in which the owner would be summoned and I'd have to look at the menu, thus holding up the line of rotund latinos multiplying behind me. The food was fantastic. The pork was meltingly tender and far superior to that of the now defunct (aka burned down) Tu Casa. I might just remove a star from my Tu Casa review because this place is so much better and it's unfair to give them the same rating. The starches, and there were a lot of them, were all very good and none of them were too dry or so dense that I couldn't possibly eat another bite, which sometimes happens, especially when I plantains. The hot sauce wasn't as hot as I would have liked, but the flavor was good and its acidity cut the richness of the pork nicely. The mango shake was more of a milkshake than a Dominican version of a mango lassi and I would have preferred a stronger mango flavor, but it was still well blended and satisfying, in a milkshake sort of way. At under $9 for a shake and a large plate of filling food, D'Mangu is a great lunch option. I'm gonna have a really hard time deciding between this place and Haveli the next time I'm looking to binge in Henrietta.
(4)Veronica L.
Tasty food and good range of choice, if you a lover of Dominican food as I am, you need to try it. Fairly priced with nice interiors that you can never tell from the outside.
(4)Tony D.
Well. What can I say. I'd eat here 8 days a week if I could. Roast pork, stewed pork, stewed chicken, chicken on the bone, stewed beef, empanadas, plantains, onions, peppers, yellow rice with beans, salad with house dressing. And the hot sauce! Ahh the hot sauce. Get that sauce bottled and in the stores and you will have built the better mouse trap. I'm telling you right now. Get in your car and get to D"Mangu. It's a little slice of heaven.
(5)Cece C.
I thought this place was pretty good.Nothing to write home about. My steak and eggs were a bit salty. Fried pork a little dry due to overcooking. Overall flavoring was good.
(3)j b.
Sign me up as yet another D'Mangu enthusiast. Situated in the bleak industrial heartland of suburban Rochester, D'Mangu stands out like a shiny gem. It is another outstanding ethnic cuisine restaurant that is family run. You are greeted with a smile by the gracious staff into a nicely appointed, spotless Caribbean-decored dining area. You can order from the buffet or from the menu. I had lechon asado (pulled pork) with yellow rice, red beans and plantains. It was all succulent and in ample portions. Next time, I'll try one their tantalizing mofongo dishes. Each bite takes you away from cool, staid Upstate NY to the pulsing warm vibes of the Dominican Republic. The owner, Luis, is welcoming and quick with a funny line. Rochesterians are fortunate to have a wide diversity of cuisines to choose from, of which D'Mangu is one. Give this one a try. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Lucas B.
Love this place. I've had takeout and eaten in. The stewed meats are excellent - hearty and somewhat salty. You have to get the sweet plantains...when we eat in we get a whole side order to share. If you wander in on a Sunday for dinner (like we once did), get ready for a full house and Dominican karaoke. We did not sing, although there are thousands of English and Spanish options. When we went, there really weren't any tables, but they made one up for us so that we could join in the festivities. The host (and owner?) has always made a point to welcome us and have a small conversation. It really for a very friendly atmosphere.
(4)Ben W.
So after reading a couple article raving about D'Mangu and finding out about the living social deal, I decided to give the place a try. Unfortunately, my experience there was not as pleasant as I would have expected. The place itself looks great. The interior decor and openness of the dining area is really relaxing. The walls are bright and there are several wall paintings/objects that really add a nice vibe to the place. Another thing I loved is their water pitchers. The waitress brought us glasses and a glass bottle with a latched lid that I thought added a nice touch. The menu is pretty extensive, with lots of options from types of meat to different types of salad. Because of the living social coupon, we decided to splurge and we got fried pork with onions, the pork with tropical sauce, the spicy beef steak platter, and the octopus salad (these aren't the exact names, forgot what they were called on the menu). It took about 15-20 minutes for the food, which was a little unexpected since we were one of two parties in the restaurant at the time. However, all the food was hot when it came out. The two pork dishes were a little disappointing. I had read how their pork is succulent and juicy, but ours were nothing but a dry piece of meat. The tropical sauce did add a nice flavor, but it couldn't cover up the overcooked-ness of the pork. The steak had a nice flavor as well, a bit spicy, but it was also overcooked and tough to cut. Don't even get me started on the salad. Everyone at the table agreed it was disgusting. The octopus was tough and grainy and tasted like it came from a can. Underneath it was just an assortment of iceberg lettuce, tomates, onions, and green peppers, hardly worth the $14.99 we paid for it. This was one of the few times a yelp! review led me astray. Do not get the octopus salad, you will regret it. The sides however were delicious. We got fried green and sweet plantains, rice and beans, and the garlic mashed plantains, which despite being a little dry, were delicious and had just the right amount of garlic. Service wise, the waitress seemed to not really care, probably because it was around her own dinner time (she was eating at another table while we were eating), but the service could have been much better. Her descriptions of the food were also very unhelpful. All in all, it was a worthwhile experience. I know that I won't be going back, especially with the prices (we spent over $60 on this meal) and quality of the food. I think the lunch buffet might be a little better (from what I heard), but try at your own risk. Recap Pros: nice decor, wide-ranging menu Cons: overcooked and poor quality food, long wait time, poor service Dishes to try: Fried green plantains, mashed plantains Dishes to skip: Octopus salad, pork chops
(2)Adam G.
2011-07-30 10:41:48 We went for dinner last night and loved it. Can't wait to go back! It's nice to support your neighbors instead of chain restaurant. Yesenia Cruz was a delight as a hostess/server/owner. The decor was warm and the paintings were colorful and lively, and these may be the most comfortable chairs I have ever sat in at a restaurant! The restaurant was clean and even though the restaurant wsn't filled when we went, everyone was busy doing something. The food was delicious and plentiful. The leftover Mangu was perfect for breakfast and there was enough between my wife and myself to have for dinner the next night We are looking forward to returning and hope that everyone will go and give this place a try. Next time it would be nice if we went when Yesenia is having dinner and have her join us
(4)Brandon M.
As many of my other reviews, I'll preface this one...with the fact that I'm engaged to a Latin woman. I saw a general menu in my office after a co-worker went there during lunch one day ($4.99 lunch buffet!). I visited Nicaragua with my fiancee during Christmas of 2010 and thought that this might be a good Latin restaurant to visit. When we first walked in, there is a long walk way and you're not quite sure if you should order at a counter or sit yourself. Eventually you are seated but I credit this fact to it being a Latin restaurant rather than poor service (more details to follow later). The dining room was almost exactly like every city I visited in Nicaragua (contrasting paint colors on the walls, local art pieces on the wall, good music, etc.). It is obviously a family owned and operated restaurant and the wait staff is new to the business so I gave them some slack. Shortly after we were seated a menu was brought over. My fiancee was shocked by the fact that there were local Latin dishes on the menu (to be fair, it is Rochester and she is used to Americans running a "Latin" restaurant - this is obviously a Latin restaurant run by true Latin Americans). While I needed help with what was on the menu she knew many of the dishes right away (the dishes are in Spanish with English translations below). Some of them I actually had in Nicaragua (a point I'd like to make later on). After a few minutes of reviewing the menu we were ready to order and the waitress came over. At this point I'd like to say a few things about Latin restaurants. This is nothing positive or negative about locations, but after seeing first hand I will say many true Latin places are slow. This has nothing to do with quality but more of the laid back and relaxed personality of Latin people. My fiancee wanted orange juice with her meal. She asked if the orange juice was fresh. The waitress said that everything was made fresh in the mornings, but they were out of orange juice (we were there at 6 pm, the peak of what I consider dinner time). Again this isn't a negative point, I just must point out for my American friends that in many true Latin restaurants, they prepare dishes/drinks by hand...once they are out they are out and that is it. A few moments later we were given a free appetizer. I excused myself the table to wash my hands so I wasn't there when it was delivered. But I will tell you it was the best pre-meal dish I have ever had. It was more or less a chicken nugget, but freshly prepared. Ground chicken meat with a light coating and fried with a mildly spicy dipping sauce. There are two per person (4 for a couple, 8 for a 4-person table) given to every table, regardless of meal ordered - so less of a "free" appetizer and more of pre-meal roll basket at American restaurants. At this point I will not try to butcher the Spanish language and use only English. I ordered the fried rice with steak while my Fiancee ordered a steak on salad as well as fried plantain as a side dish (my fiancee's favorite side from Nicaragua and one that I very much enjoyed). The tostones (plantianes) came out first and were exactly as I remembered from Nicaragua. A light outer fried shell and a sweet banana like interior. I'm almost positive that we will order take out (which they do offer) solely of plantain side dishes because they were that good. All of the sides are served with a Latin-thousand island sauce. I didn't get to ask what was in it, but pretty sure ketchup and mayo were involved. Either way, the sauce was perfect. Our main dishes were fried rice with steak and a steak with salad (sorry, there are actual names for the dishes but I don't remember the Spanish name for them). The food is served family style. The portions are massive and are meant to be shared with everyone at the table (another Latin fact I forgot before going there). Everything was cooked and prepared perfectly when compared to dishes served in Nicaragua. My fiancee and I shared our meals with each other easily and had a wonderful time. There is a desert menu (one that all Latin people will enjoy, flan, dulce de leche, etc.), but after massive portions you have to say no haha. I'm almost positive that later this week I will be returning the food and atmosphere is that good. To all of my American readers, the service is "slow" but that is cultural but the food is amazing. To any Latin readers, this menu will remind anyone of home (according to my Nicaraguan fiancee, between their soups, sides, main dishes). I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone that is at RIT (close proximity and diverse student body) or Latin and wants a taste of home or any American that wants to try true Latin food (not just Mexican). The last thing I will say is the family who owns the restaurant is very friendly and accommodating. My Spanish is "broken" at best. English & Spanish speakers will feel welcomed.
(4)