Margon — Restaurant in New York

Sometimes a hidden bite can be that place where you can escape from the world a bit and feel at home. Many hole in the wall eateries can feel that way and we'll be focusing on Margon a Cuban/Dominican restaurant in Midtown Manhattan that for many years has been a trusted staple of the area because of their customer service, welcoming atmosphere, and of course food especially their sandwiches. Having come here for many years myself, Margon has always felt welcoming and you come out of it with a smile on the face. The menu will be familiar to those with Caribbean cuisine along with having daily specials from empanadas, pork chops and beef stew to steak, king fish, roasted chicken chicharron, and more with of course the classic rice and beans all done well and filling but if you are looking to wash things down then it has to be with their tropical shakes always made fresh.

At $8, options like tamarind, papaya, wheat, and moril sonando are great but so is one of my go too tropical shakes here - mamey - that transported me to a past that may or may not have happened. Also a little extra is always done that they give you in a small cup on top of the drink itself which is great and goes back to that great service. But we have to talk about the sandwiches as having a dedicated guy doing the sandwiches every day, watching this guy work is like seeing a magician do their thing.

Having had both their media noche and Cubano sandwiches, that are always fresh and made on the spot, you cannot go wrong with either. But what is the difference between the two? A Cubano traditionally is the bigger sandwich with a crusty Cuban bread and a media noche sandwich uses a softer eggy bread as they both share the same filling of roasted pork, ham, swiss cheese, pickles and mustard so if your looking for a softer sandwich the media noche is what you want. At $13, the media noche is an easy grab and go bite that satisfies on its own much like the Cubano at $16 that makes for a great lunch meal. The combination of meats satisfies, the pickles gives that acidity to balance things, the mustard isn't overdone, the cheese melts perfectly and that bread works so well that absorbs everything but doesn't feel all consuming. Roast pork, ham & cheese, steak, tunafish, and chicken sandwiches are also options to explore.

It can get busy, especially at lunch time, and with the small space can get crazy but it still flows well showing the experience accumulated over many years. Good eats in the Times Square/Rockefeller Center area of Midtown can be hard to come by, but Margon is one of those establishments that, despite its hole in the wall nature, shouldn't be missed offering well done Caribbean food, a staff that cares about what they do day in and day out, and an atmosphere that is always inviting that whether you are in the area or looking for a great downtown NYC bite for lunch or even cover yourself for dinner, they will...

Midtown Lunch at my favorite Cuban eatery from my youth.

Tucked in the middle of one of the side streets of Time Square is a bastion of authentic Cuban cooking (normally, you gotta go deep into Queens or maybe near Washington Heights).

Serving a rotating selection of daily specials ranging from the ubiquitous Cubano sandwich to slightly more adventurous Octopus Salad (this was the dish that lead me to this establishment back when I was in high school). The clientele is a mix of local office workers and tourists both Spanish speaking and non Spanish speakers.

Today I went with the Cubano Sandwich paired with the soup (chicken) one of the Daily Specials for Thursday, which came to a total of 15.50 (this includes tax).

The Cubano is toasted to a nicely crispy and crunchy exterior with ham, roasted pork, salami (strange addition) with sliced pickles and mustard. I couldn't taste much of the ham cause the layer of roasted pork was so juicy and tender it kinda overwhelmed the ham, which I think is just regular deli ham. The pickle provided a nice snappy texture to the affair, and the flavor of the mustard felt cut the otherwise fattyness of the roasted pork.

Now to the soup; I'll admit I would have thought this was an afterthought, but the soup is delicious, bringing to mind of home cooking. It's peppery flavoring with tender fall of the bone chicken meat and potatoes invokes images of home (not my home cause I'm not cuban and my mom uses different seasoning for her soup). But that's how good it was it can help you see memories of someone else's home cooking.

Seriously, if you're around Time Square; skip the multitude of franchise chains on the main street and take a trip to a vision of Cuba by...

Margon 136 W. 46th St New York, NY 10036

Cuban Coffee Media Noche Roast Chicken Flan Banana Shake

Located in Midtown Manhattan is a Cuban restaurant that may be a hole in the hole, but its plates are more than superior.

If you need a quick energy boost, this hot caffeinated drink will do the trick. In addition to having coffee and expresso, there is also steamed milk, sugar, and cinnamon.

This is equivalent to having a Cuban Sandwich, just without the salami. The delicious sandwich was served on Cuban potato bread.

The juicy, tender chicken falls right off the bone. This main course also included plantains, yellow rice, black beans, and pickled red onions. While I was skeptical about trying pickled onions, I learned very quickly how tasty this was.

And don’t be bashful with your helping of hot sauce; the more the merrier.

The homemade dessert is a Spanish version to custard, but denser. You can never have enough caramel sauce.

I went bananas over the banana milkshake especially when there were tiny pieces of the chopped fruit in this refreshing tropical drink. As a bonus, I was given an extra serving that was leftover from the blender.

If you come during the week, take advantage of their discounted prices offered on specific week days.

It was a great experience dining in this locally owned casual style restaurant.

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