Elsa La Reina Del Chicharron

Came in for some food but decided to only order 2 beef pastelitos. They decided to have a conversation amongst themselves about how they didnt have pastelitos ready but could give us empanadas because we wouldn’t know the difference.
Then since they were taking forever to decide whether to put the time to fry up two beef pastelitos or pulling a fast one, they ended up giving us cheese pastelitos.
Normally that wouldn’t be a problem except my friend is allergic and could have ended up in the hospital. Won’t be coming here again.
Oh and it wasn’t even busy, we were the only ones in the restaurant.

Always a good time! So bomb! If you’re in dyckman you must stop by here ! It’s busy because it’s good

The Chicharron was hard and dry, like it was made for days, the tostones were hard too, they also charged us 10.00 for kids chicken Nuggets not even at Disney chicken nuggets are so expensive.

I recently moved to Inwood and discovered Elsa Restaurant last week. Since then I’ve been 3 times. As previous reviewers have stated it is true that they are clearly not too fond of folks that don’t speak any Spanish. This especially applies to the old lady that is usually hacking up the incredibly succulent hunks of chicharron. Also, there is not a single sign in english, nor have I seen another gringo in there. I see these all as positive things as far as the food.
If you don’t speak Spanish just learn a few basic words. Hola, gracias, de nada, chicharron, arroz y frijoles. That’s really all you need to know. They have warmed up to me considerably since my second visit. And really, shame on you if you live in NYC and don’t speak any Spanish.
The bottom line is this place makes the best chicharron I have ever had. They actually have a fairly extensive menu, but I have never seen anyone getting anything else besides different sides. With that being said, make sure you get some of their pickled red onions with your pork. Seating consists of about 5 stools, so I suggest getting it to go and hitting the park or just bring it home. If you get rice & beans they serve the beans in a separate container, so nothing gets soggy, especially the chicharron. The pork chunks are comprised of a thin layer of incredibly crispy, salty and spiced skin, followed by a healthy layer of fat and then a good layer of meat.
The platter for one is under $ 10 and I have yet to finish it in one sitting.

After a number of years living in Inwood, I decided to give it a try and boy, was I happy. Don’t count the calories but enjoy the pork with the skin because it doesn’t get any better than this.
I haven’t met Elsa’s match yet… it’s that good.

Homestyle dominican food, nothing extra. Authentic seasoning and flavor and portions are not exaggerated like most latino joints. Anytime I want a good meal with nostalgia on the side, this place warms my heart and fills my belly. Spanish speaking honest gang. Very friendly.

The chicarron was extremely dry and hard, not moist on the inside at all. I think the menu said «accompanied with yucca, sweet potatoes, plantains, or green bananas» but they didn’t add them, and the guy told me it was an extra three dollar charge on my already expensive salad (13 dollars for fried pork with random lettuce and tomato) maybe I need to come back when it’s not a weekend but it was not really worth the wait…

Bf and I were wondering in Inwood– an underrated neighborhood as far as Manhattan goes. As the nabe is pretty Latino influenced, we were happy to make a stop to Elsa to get some chicahrron lunch. Now, we have never had this dish, but we love fried pork so figured it must be good. This particular location is a small, small space with just bar seating. It is really made for to-​go. We had the 10.99 special with two pieces of chicharron, and tostones and ate it in the park. Came with a side of lemon. Unfortunately, they neglected to tell me there was a yummy garlic aioli you could get with it– so the dish was a bit dry. But, the pork was great — the outside layer was basically pork rhine, followed by lots of fat, then some meat (some– a lil), and the drier/​fried rib-​y part next. The tostones were also a wee bit too dry and fried– I’ve had better but I love plantains so I’ll never complain much.
They gave a good portion but it was really THAT cheap. maybe the lunch specials were. My one complaint is that, that place is kind of chaos– everyone is loud, and you have to order kind of at gunpoint. The staff was accomodating but was impatient as I was TRYING to actually speak Spanish with them– and the customer behind me was even worse. She kept giving me dirty looks, and seemed frustrated that we were new and didn’t really know how to order. Grrr. Not as friendly as I was expecting.
We wanted to try the roasted chicken but they didn’t have anymore in the late afternoon when we came.
But, really, we probably won’t go back as we’re just not in Inwood ever– it’s a beautiful place to explore though with all the parks, and, if you want some good ass fried pork, stop in this place. The mofongo looks good too.

They serve awesome chicharron. For $ 11 you get a generous serving of their fresh, crisp meat (I think it was 2 big chunks) and a side dish of your choice (choose among these: cassava, plantains, sweet potato)
So happy we found this place. Will definitely coma back to satisfy carnivorous cravings.

Here from Cali and looking for a good Dominican spot in Washington Heights. This place was delicious, real and authentic. I feel the vibes of the restraraunt right when I walked in, super Latino feel, playing merengue like going to your moms house

Very small spot cuz its not meant to have a full blown dinner. I usually sit by the window, have a beer and my chicharrones with Fried batata. Mmm. Only once a yr tho. Lol Delicious Chicharron hands down.

This place serves some great chicharron. We randomly found this place after searching for good Dominican food in Washington Heights, which I figured would be the best local food in the area. My prediction turned out to be very true. We walk into this place and it is packed with people. Line is always a big plus. We decide on the chicarron mofongo and special platter, which combines chicharron, chicken, and longaniza. After some misunderstanding (lack of good Spanish on my part being the proximate cause), the people behind the counter were incredulous that I truly wanted what I ordered. I told them not to worry about it.
We sat and waited while sipping on some tasty Dominican soda. We get the mofongo first and five in. The sauce was create and the mashed plantain was moist and juicy with little chunks of chicarron interspersed. It took another five minutes or so to get the special, but it was worth the wait. More chicharron, other meat and my favourite, little longanizas. It We saved half of the food for later as it was a rather massive quantity (whatever, I’m fine with leftovers). We finish off with a tamarind drink, which was rather sweet tamarind water was one can imagine.
Quite good. Pleasant people. Everyone was nice and called you Papi even if you were not Dominican. I wish this place was down the block from me and not ten miles away in Washington Heights. Oh well. I’ll be back to take someone here for delicious Dominicano food.

My Chicharron was extremely salty and hard and crispy all the way through. It could be because I went a little later at night (8pm), but good chicharron should be crispy on the outside and moist on the inside. Mine was hard on the inside, like it had been fried for way too long, and super super salty. I will have to go back to see if I can have a better experience, because the chicharron in the Unilocal pictures looks much better than the chicharron I was served.

I’ll admit that I was surprised when I saw what our Dominican brethren call chicharron… In a good way! You see, where I come from, chicharron is fried pork belly fat with no meat — but their chicharron, which in fact has meat on it, is just as delicious (the crispy, salty goodness kind of delicious). Although I’ve been here many times, I’ve only had their boiled yuca, and the tenderness and flavor that it packs has no competition (not that I’m aware of).
Tip: They go by weight or dollar value equivalent. So, for instance, whenever I go I ask for $ 8 of Chicharron con Yuca — which is quite a hefty plate. My friends usually go for the $ 6. Consistent with other reviewer’s comments, Spanish is a plus but not mandatory (English is fine). There’s a couple of stools to sit but take-​out is the better option for people who can’t stand merengue or bachata at full volume. Buen provecho!

The best «chicharron» in the whole Manhattan island. I think they have one of the best «Dominican style onions on top of the soft delicious Yuca. Ummmmhu!

The chicharrones are like… burnt. And the plantains are not crispy. And the server doesn’t speak English. Some parts are too fatty to eat and others are too burnt to eat. And other parts are bones. That being said, the occasional perfect bite is delicious.

Décor:
Tiny takeout hole in the wall with a few counter/​bar style window seats
Service
English is fine, Spanish is better
Food:
Amazing chicharrones
The skin is amazingly crispy, followed by a good layer of meat and fat that just melts in your mouth.
You get a choice of side of plantains or sweet potato or. Who cares you just really want the chicharrones!
Comes with a slice of lime — makes it even more amazing

Hands down, the best Chicharron you will ever have. I have tried Chicharron from numerous places in several different cities but nothing compares to the freshness and crunchiness of Elsa’s. My favorites are the Chicharron Mofongo ($ 12) & the Fried Batata with Chicharron combo ($ 10).
Please keep in mind that this location is ideal for takeout; this is not a sit down restaurant but there are a few high stools to sit on if you do want to dine in.

We had the Chicharrón, chicken with rice and red beans and steak with Moro.
The Chicharrón was good in flavor but a but dry making it too hard to chew. If it was a bit less dry I would have given them 5 stars.
The chicken was good but not my fave.
The steak was my FAVE! Very tender and flavorful! Not crazy about the moro.
Overall good place!

Had some time to kill while cruising through Dyckman and the stomach was asking me for Mofongo. Found parking in front of Elsa’s and made my way into this tiny but charming eatery. Elsa and her staff of 2 were hospitable and accommodating. It took about twenty minutes to prepare my meal, but hey, it was fresh and made from scratch. This was the best mofongo I’ve ever had. If you’re in the area and in the mood for Dominican comfort food, this place throws down. Ask for the red sauce on the side. You’ll be happy you did.