Rolando’s Spanish & Caribbean Food

UPDATE :
This place sames to not really be serving Spanish food as the Unilocalers have said. Coming here (once you find it) you will literally be walking into an Indian place. and there are all indian people in there
Where «Rolando’s» would be… they just serve cold, dry pizza slices.
So No… this place is not closed but there is no spanish food here anymore

This place was a bit hard to find. It’s now located in on 6^th ave between 36^th and 37^th street in a space that contains a lotto/​deli booth, Indian food and pizza. At first we thought it was next door, but then walked in and saw it hidden behind the bigger pizza front.
The place had limited seating and to be honest, was a bit dingy. But the food still looked fresh (it was after rush hour at around 3pm on a Friday). So I ordered the large pernil over rice and beans, as others on Unilocal recommended and walked over to Bryant Park with coworkers to enjoy it.
I must say, the rice and beans really fill you up. I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast and almost couldn’t finish the meal. The pernil was flavorful and the sauce they poured over it (that the pork was soaked in) was delicious. The outer skin was a bit too done, but it was otherwise great. The large is actually the size styrofoam container you’d get from a street meat truck, and the small is one of those small square containers, but they fill both sides. Next time I might for for the small!
Oh! And they accept credit cards. You just have to go to the lotto booth and the woman at Rolando’s yells how much you owe. Ghetto yes, but they take plastic, which gives them an edge over most street carts!

It is located on 6^th ave now, someone earlier stated. It’s in this strange lotto place with an indian place also located in the same space. the place is pretty run down and the food was just sitting in the buffet. I hope it was just an off day.

Nothing fancy here – cafeteria-​style counter service and a few tables – but the food is very tasty.
I really haven’t had Spanish food this good in years. The meats are stewed nice and slow and spiced wonderfully and the rice is cooked up perfectly. I almost always get yellow rice with lentils and pork. The large is a lot of food for only $ 6.50. That it’s cheap and fast for lunch makes it all the better.
NOTE: Don’t despair when you arrive at the mapped location. The Blimpie’s is closed, but Rolando’s has moved next door. There are three serving counters in what seems to be a converted newstand. The one serving Spanish food is clearly labeled, and if in doubt you can follow the smell. :)

I LOVE this place! **note they have moved to 1013 6^th Ave bet 37 and 38^th. Tele 212−302−5985
I alawys get Pernil, yellow rice and the potato salad is to die for! It is not a fancy place but the food is amazing! Best spanish food I have EVER had hands down.

Not that I’m a Spanish food connoisseur, but I think this place has the most amazing food ever. (If it says anything, my Korean ex-​bfs loved this place.) The pulled/​stewed meats are slow-​cooked, tender, and very flavorful. The beans are cooked just right, not underdone like some other places. Drowning everything in the red hot sauce to top it off adds the perfect touch. I personally like the soft meat over the fried meat at this place, but fried is very good too.
For me, the most important thing at a restaurant is the FOOD. (What, did you think I was going to say how hot the bitchy hostess is at the door? Because… Blimpie didn’t think that was a high priority for this place.) Rolando’s definitely gets this, even if it means sitting on plastic chairs and eating with plastic utensils. I wish this place was closer to me so that I could go everyday!

Similar to the nearby Chinese buffets in the area, Rolando’s is a cafeteria style Latin American cheap eats place that neighbors a Blimpie Subs and would probably be mistaken for a mini-​food court. On a whole, this place reminds me of Tad’s Steaks but instead of steak, eggs, and garlic bread, there are platano maduros, rice, beans, and various chicken and beef dishes.
Make no mistake, the food is solid and the prices are dirt cheap. So cheap that they don’t accept credit cards. But with some cash and a big appetite, Its worth stopping in for some good food.

Most shops in the Garment District are narrow and deep. Rolando’s sits in the back of a Blimpie’s and would be impossible to find save a neon sign in the window that reads «SPANISH FOOD» and a small menu taped up to the window. Ordering at the Blimpie’s would be a tragedy, so follow the white ceramic wall tiles and heavenly smells to the back, where the real crowd and action lie.
The white tile ends where the service counter begins, giving way to bare walls painted in a color that matches the yellow rice. The ceiling height drops by about half. In the summer, several fans push the hot air around. You won’t catch the Metro Café crowd here. The best time to go is in the middle of lunch rush, between 12 – 1 PM. The turnover is fast, the line at its longest, and the food at its freshest. The line snakes around in a long, narrow U-​shape, giving you time to peruse the items in at least twenty steam trays lined up in two rows, divided roughly into 12 trays of mains and another 8 for starters and sides.
A sign on the back wall shows the prices: a «small» is $ 4.50 and a «large» is $ 6. The small and large containers are the same sizes you get at halal carts, which is to say that the small is the size of a styrofoam hamburger container and the large is about twice as wide but a little shorter. If you’re on a tight budget, order a small and have your food to stay. They’ll fill both halves of the container. Depending on your main, your portions may end up as a sort of «medium.»
If you haven’t been to a place like this before, here’s how it works. In the first half of the line you select a container size, your rice and your beans. The rice is white or yellow. The beans are usually red or black, though lentils make an occasional guest appearance. You can then pick extras like maduros for fifty cents per selection. Always visually inspect the maduros before ordering. Occasionally, the plantains are not fully ripened. They’re still edible, just not as sweet and delicious. Your container is filled, closed, and passed on to the next section where another server will ask you to select your main.
The flow of people and food will sometimes move unevenly and it’s possible you’ll be asked to pick a main before you can actually see them. You don’t have to pick until you’re in front of the steam trays, but identify selections that catch your eye while waiting on line to make the best use of your time. The people behind you are hungry, too!
Your container is opened, the main is added, the lid is closed again and passed to the cashier. The cashier opens the lid so you can confirm its contents. Prior to this inspection, of course, you have already selected and armed yourself with the plastic squeeze bottle of the hot sauce of your choice (vinegary red or spicy green). For the two seconds the lid is open, liberally apply the sauce.
You pay for your meal, leave a tip for the hard working staff, and head out with your flavorful booty. If it’s a hot summer day and the air conditioner above the front door is running, be sure to time your exit to avoid the large drops of water leaking from its pan. There are a few seats inside if you want to eat in, but if you don’t want to (or can’t) take it back to your office, walk over to the park in front of Macy’s and eat there instead.
Regardless of your container size, the portions are not for the faint of heart or the carb-​o-​phobic. Here’s a sample of the mains:
Pernil
Beef short ribs
Oxtail
BBQ chicken
Jerk chicken
Bacalao
Onions and potatoes
Pork chops
Pepper steak
The chicken leg is enormous. Drumstick and thigh, it will not fit in the small container without a bone sticking out the side. The oxtail and the ribs are good, as I recall, but the plastic fork will be an inferior eating utensil compared to your fingers. The bacalao and the onions and potatoes have their respective followings but I haven’t tried them.
My favorite is the pernil with yellow rice, lentils, maduros, and a generous shot of green hot sauce. The tender, shredded pork shoulder is perfectly seasoned, accented with garlic and the bite of black pepper without overpowering the flavor of the meat itself. You might find an occasional bone or a portion of pork skin. The green hot sauce may be hotter on some days than others. When it is hotter, the sweetness of the maduros will temper the heat, which is why it’s best to order them when fully ripened. When the green sauce is not as hot, the maduros will be a tasty dessert. Regardless, apply the hot sauce generously, where it and juices from the pork will filter into the rice and lentils for a heady mix of flavors. This is a hearty lunch at half the cost of the food factories lining Seventh Ave.