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El Castillo De Jagua
Categories: Restaurants Cuban Restaurants Spanish Cuban, Spanish
521 Grand St(between Broadway & Abraham Kazan St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighbourhood: Lower East Side
(212) 995-0244
- Nearest Transit:
-
Essex St (J, M, Z)
Delancey St (F)
East Broadway (F)
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take Away:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
19 reviews for El Castillo De Jagua
19 reviews in English
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Review from Emily D.
Every time we visit to NYC we try to hit up a lot of local small restaurants. This is the best city to do that and this restaurant is an example of a must try!
No, it's not fancy with table cloth service like other places but the food is delicious and inexpensive. That's what makes it worth while. The restaurant makes authentic dominican/cuban/latin food.
We came for brunch on a Saturday and it wasn't too packed. My friend kept raving about their Mangu (mashed plantains) which is apart their Dominican breakfast. I decided to order it and it was so good. The Dominican breakfast comes with Mangu, topped with sauteed onions, fried salami, fried cheese, and you can order with or without eggs. I ordered mine with 2 fried over easy eggs. It is one of the most delicious meals I had all weekend. Huge portion, you'll be full all day. How much.. $7!!! Not bad for breakfast in NYC and so satisfying.
My husband wasn't as adventrous and decided for a more american breakfast which they also do. Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon. He loved the pancakes, they were thick and sweet. You can taste a hint of vanilla and/or cinnamon.
Around us people were eating lunch.. rice, beans, fried porkchops... their food looked just as yummy. This is a spot to come any time of the day. The prices are cheap, the portions are big, service was quick and friendly... just how I like it. -
Review from Tony K.
New York, NY
4/6/2012 3 photos
Thank you Yelpers. Thank you indeed.
Was in the area for the first time the other day. With nothing to go on and without a clue, I whip out my trusty phone and browse Yelp for the latest and greatest. Low and behold, a gem of gems is offered to me.
After reading the reviews, I decided on El Castillo because I was in the mood for great Cuban food. And yes, El Castillo delivered.
I got the Cuban pork platter (rice, pork, beans, plus three pieces of buttered bread) for $6. Yes $6 in NYC in 2012. See the pictures. I left stuffed. And it was really good too. The bread is toasted when you order so it is nice and hot. The pork was so tender that I did not even need a knife, fork only here.
And it came out really fast too--- about 5 min piping hot. The cakes smelled delicious but I was so full. People walking pass got takeout orders of corn bread and cakes only which made me think this is the spot for dessert as well.
I do not really eat Cuban often but still I am picky. Years ago I stumbled onto a place in Miami on the humble and that taught me what was real Cuban food is. El Castillo brought back that memory from yesteryear.
Lastly, the waitress was nice and easy on the eyes too. Had a great experience here and I owe it all to my fellow Yelpers. Hit me up people, I'll buy you a round.
Cheers
Note: Cash only (ATM on premises) -
Review from K F.
Alameda, CA
12/8/2011 2 Check-ins Here
The person behind the desk at the Abron Theater made this suggestion to us and I'm glad he did.
Unfortunately, the staff here really needs PR 101 or needs to go back to bed and get up on the other side.
I can tell you that they make a mean cappuccino with cinnamon! They tres lechi and chocolate cake are just ok, not exactly what I'd come back for.
We had the pork roast and it was very tasty and moist but was sitting in a layer of grease with the meat juice below. The pork chops off the special of the day list was a little on the crispy side but the red beans and rice and the sweet plantains were yummy!
The prices are awesome. I wish I live closer so I could try more ... -
Review from Sara H.
Jersey City, NJ
11/22/2011
- MAD CHEAP
- MAD GOOD
we stumbled upon this spot desperate for some serious breakfast on a saturday morning. the place was filled with content looking people digging into delish looking food. once i set eyes on the menu i [thought i] realized why everyone looked so happy...the prices here are beyond reasonable...and by that i mean dirt cheap. when's the last time you saw coffee actually cost $1 in a nyc restaurant? yeah, i guess that's how much it should cost...but NOWADAYZ it doesn't happen often. french toast was like 3bucks. eggs, sandwiches, etc, all similarly mind-blowingly wallet friendly. i'm lovin it [but thank the lord this ain't mickey d's.]
of course i was drawn to the most pricey$$$$$$$$ item on the menu, @ a whopping 7bucks...mangu w/ eggs any style, fried cheese, and salami. not that i knew what mangu was [but it looked amazin in the photo on the menu, pretty much my go-to method of ordering shit.] i asked the waitress, and she was super sweet about it, told me it was really good and rushed to the back to bring a lil sample to our table. thx girl! i was totally sold. for those ignorant to the charms of this dish like i sadly was, mangu is a dominican bkfst specialty made of green plantains, kinda like a savory porridge. topped with a fried egg, tangy pickled onions, and the previously mentioned cheese and salami.......ayyy mami. ultra comforting, muy flavorful. total home run.
after finishin up the meal i was left with a stupid grin on my face and the realization that all my fellow diners weren't only so happy cuz of the bargain basement price of the food, but more likely the extreme deliciousness of it. combination of the two makes this frugal fatso xxxtra delighted. -
Review from Chris O.
KNICKERBOCKER, NY
1/22/2012 1 Check-in Here
A little restaurant that has big flavors. Always big portions and more then enough food to fill you up. My suggestion is be ready to carry food home. They also do tale out and delivery. I would recommend you call ahead and pick it up. It's cash only, which is rare that now a days everyone pays with credit.
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Review from Anya T.
New York, NY
7/2/2011
This place is so insanely delicious. The food, for reasons I don't fully understand, is actually better than at the original location on Rivington Street, and the room and staff are much more pleasant, too.
Really, everything is great, but the thing I crave is the roast pork -- which is slow-roasted and incredibly juicy and tender -- with yellow rice and pinto beans. The perfect meal! Their milkshakes are incredible, too, especially the guanabana, and their chicken is great, as is the cubano. Breakfast is always great and they have wonderful cafe con leche.
All this is helped by how insanely cheap it all is!
Go! -
Review from Susan L.
4/18/2011
We pass by this place all the time and it always looks full at dinnertime on weekdays, so tonight we finally got around to trying it. We ordered four dishes for takeout (when I went to pick them up, only one table was occupied - although it was a Sunday evening. The interior is rather spartan, so it's all about the food). The person who took my order was pleasant enough, both on the phone and in person. Also, they have an "A" rating from the Health Department.
The food was very tasty and we had enough left over for another meal (that was our intention, after having read several comments concerning portion size). We ordered four seafood dishes: Don Miguel, Camarones Empanizados, Salmon A La Parrilla and Filete De Pescado Relleno De Camarones. The last two came with vegetables which were very fresh-tasting. Also; each dish came with a very generous portion of rice (we chose the yellow, but other options are white or white & peas) and beans in a sauce. I don't like spicy food, so I was glad the food wasn't spicy (spicy dishes are indicated as such).
The total cost was $58 (for what amounts to two meals for two people) and there will even be extra rice & beans left over for a lunch.
Note: Cash only. -
Review from Raul N.
Manhattan, NY
12/11/2011 1 Check-in Here
Order from this place ALL the time, never disappointed:-)
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Review from Tony Y.
New York, NY
2/22/2011
I've been going to there other location on Rivington for years, but since the hotel went up two buildings over the environment has changed. Too many people in the area. The food at both these two locations are pretty much the same awesome.
Awesome food and great prices, and they deliver. FYI they also cater. They've catered for me on several times. -
Review from JP B.
2/18/2009
Being a fan of El Castillo de Jagua on Rivington, it's hard for me not to compare El Castillo de Jagua 2 on Grand to the original. It stands up reasonably well by comparison. The food here is nearly the same; perhaps the stews are a bit less salty, but in a blindfold test I'd bet it'd be nearly impossible to tell. So Castillo 2 starts off getting the most important thing right: the food is good.
Over a few visits I've tried their Cuban Sandwich, Mondogo (translated as "Triple Soup"), Beef Stew and Roast Chicken. All delicious. All priced very reasonably: $10 buys more food than many folks can comfortable eat at one sitting. They don't scrimp on the meat, the rice or the beans.
The service is friendly and bilingual. The decor is fine, but can't compare with the Rivington Street location; Castillo 2 is like a quieter, less flashy version of it's livelier sister restaurant. No jukebox. No rubber trees in the window. Quieter patrons. The lack of beer is more of a drawback, as Dominican food puts me in the mood for a bottle or two of Presidente.
In the end El Castillo de Jagua 2 is a pleasant Dominican diner with good food at great prices. Portions are pretty large - bring an appetite!Listed in: Cheap Eats on the LES Below…
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Review from Kent P.
12/14/2007 2 photos
I've eaten delivery, it came cold, transported over a two hour period from Manhattan to Queens.
And it was still good.
Good food tastes good cold.
And this stuff did.
I had rice & pigeon peas (arroz con gandules), chicharones de pollo (fried chicken chunks), regular white rice.
Awesome. Even cold. Good prices, or so I heard.
-=-=-=-=-
Edit, went there last night 12.14.07 right before I am Legend.
I jogged 3 miles, sprinted home (another mile) so my appetite was VORACIOUS.
-rice & pigeon peas (arroz con gandules)
-chicharrones de pollo sin hueso (breaded, fried boneless chicken chunks) they're served with a delicious BBQ sauce.
-banana shake (not too great, I needed to add sugar)
-ginger ale
-coconut frosted cake
-coffee
ALL VERY VERY VERY VERY GOOD.
I took pics of the interior too. Prices are reasonable, bordering on ridiculously cheap.
Very clean looking, different from the average Dominican spot, the exterior is great too. I was surprised and pleased. -
Review from Lisa L.
New York, NY
Updated - 6/1/2009
Ok now they get an extra star.... lol
because I finally tried the dessert, the CHOCOLATE CAKE IS SOOOOO GOOOD... oh my god
If you eat from this place, go go take a chance and try the chocolate cake and it's not expensive.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/21/2009
The food here is OKAY, it isn't great. I would still eat here, because it's across the street from… Read more »
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Review from G L.
East Elmhurst, NY
8/30/2009
Good food at good prices. The dishes are slightly geared toward more Americanized pallet but it is not something that is unappealing.
It is a good place to buy breakfast if you're on the run but not to buy a single cup of coffee because you'll get placed at the end of a very long queue.
The food and service is appropriate enough for informal meetings, lunch with colleagues or friends. -
Review from Romano C.
KNICKERBOCKER, NY
7/17/2011
Staff could use a course in civilization. Food is decent but I wont go back until they hire humans to work there.
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Review from Michael M.
Ridgewood, NY
2/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Very good food. the don miguel was amazing
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Review from David E.
New York, NY
8/11/2008
Good for breakfast, so-so for regular meals
I go here for breakfast and it's a decent and cheap spot to get a pretty standard breakfast (eggs & the like) with some dominican options to make things a little interesting. For instance, they have mangu, a mashed plantain dish that can be served with red onions. They also have a dominican salami and a fried cheese. I usually get eggs and mangu on a roll, for about $2.50.
The lunch and dinner meals are really so-so. The most dependable options I've had are : cuban sandwich - not the greatest but good with a side of tostones. The chicken soup is OK. The squid with rice dish is pretty good and cheap. Everything else is not exactly cheap (pernil with rice I think is like $9), and generally, I find to be not particularly seasoned, but also too salty. The portions are also not that big - the baked chicken came as a fairly small thigh and leg, and it was about $7-8. Depending on the waitress, service can also be really slow.
For take-out, our go-to options are the whole baked chicken, or the chicken soup.
The problem with the area is there really aren't too many options so you always end up going here because it's close and open late - but if there was a better option, I think I'd be choosing differently.
No credit card - they have an ATM in the premises. -
Review from Pat A.
New York, NY
9/14/2008
I like their breakfast sandwich, egg and bacon on a hero. They'll add fried fresh cheese if you ask for it. Yum. Spanish coffee, it's strong with foamy milk. For lunch, I like their Cubanos, big and warm. The papaya batida and the limonada fresca, which is icy and tart, are fine. Everything's inexpensive.
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Review from Jr B.
New York, NY
10/5/2010
A nice family oriented place to enjoy delicious Cuban cuisine. My siblings and I go there for our sibling night.
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Review from Sean D.
Manhattan, NY
2/22/2011
my breakfast spot for a while. breakfast is good and super cheap ($12 after tax & tip for coffee and breakfast for two). would've rated higher if service was quicker--definitely hit-or-miss there.
overall good spot for a cheap, filling breakfast. but be prepared to wait for service on occasion.
