Puerto Viejo — Restaurant in New York

What a gem! A small, underrated, cultural gem that is Puerto Viejo! I am more than glad that I came across this place on Google. They pride themselves on serving authentic Dominican cuisine that makes you feel warmth when you eat it. It truly tastes like home cooked food. First off, it’s such a cool decor. Really gives me South American vibes and energy. The music, the overall mood gave me Dominican Republic vibes. I was happy to hear that they do have a happy hour, so I ordered a sangria, which was honestly one of the best I’ve had in some time, and I know a couple places that makes some good sangrias. This one at Puerto Viejo however, just had something different about it in flavor. I can tell that it was intentional, and that whomever made it, is skilled at sangrias. It really was just what I needed. Tropical, chilled, refreshing. One of the main reasons I came here was because I saw that they have pastelon on their menu, which I only recently tried from a friend. She’s a great cook, and her pastelon left me wanting more! Pastelon is pretty much a lasagna, made with beef, cheese, and ripe plantains. It’s made differently in every culture, and I’ve yet to try Dominican pastelon. I ordered it, and as it was coming out, I was in awe at how beautiful it was. So simple. So homey. So comforting just by the look of it. I dig into it with my fork, take a bite, and am instantly blown away. They weren’t lying on their website when they said authentic. It tasted as such. But also, it tasted like love. The ripe, sweet plantains, with the contrast of the savory, well-flavored beef. The cheese, that gave me a different vibe from most cheeses I’ve eaten. It was so comforting. I knew right away that they cared about their food and what they serve their guests. I tasted their culture and their pride in it. It really was a special dish. Damn.... I also wanted dessert. I saw on the menu that they serve tres leches cake. I have a thing with tres leches cake, where I either love love love it and it gives me life and purpose, or it’s sad, therefore making me sad that no one cared about making it properly, and also sad that I wasted calories. I asked the waiter if it was made in-house. That’s always the determining factor for me. If it isn’t made in-house, then I won’t even try it. He told me that it was made in-house and that it is one of the best, that is is VERY good! His confidence is what sold me.....and girl, I’m glad it did. When he brought out this tres leches cake, I didn’t even have to taste it to know that I was gonna love love love it! I could sense the love that was baked into this slice of cake. I could feel it. It sounds dramatic, but it’s REAL. There was a layer of milk at the bottom of the bowl, allowing the cake to continue to soak. I bit into it, and drifted into the heavens. It was extremely lite. Rich, yet lite. Moist. Decadent. Loving. Scrumptious Dominican tres leche cake. It truly was the best I’ve ever had. After eating, I saw the owner. I recognized her from IG. I went over and expressed my gratitude for her delicious food. I was blown away by it and everyone needs to go RIGHT NOW to Puerto Viejo! Tell them Kevin’s...

We moved to the neighborhood almost 2 years ago and we've been loyal clients ever since. We go there almost every week we take all our friends there. The food is good and it is relatively a good delivery option in the neighborhood. However, we are all annoyed by their unprofessional behavior and we hope that they fix their issues before people stop going there as we have.

The service is very slow. There is usually only one server in the restaurant since they apparently rely on their family members to do the serving (which they do with zero willingness and enthusiasm) and don't want to pay for another server. Anytime we go there we wait around 45 mins-1 hour for our food to arrive. And in case you ask for salt, ketchup, sauce that means another half an hour.

A couple of times we went there in the morning when it was supposed to be already open. And each time the restaurant wasn't open yet. Apparently they had gotten there at the time they were supposed to open the restaurant. They were cleaning up, preparing the kitchen and the staff wasn't there. If they say 11 am for the opening time on their website and google maps then it's very irresponsible of them not to do so.

When we ask for beverages with no ice they bring it in tiny glasses. It's sad that for them that's the way of decreasing the expenses.

Their espresso machine broke a while ago. And as a restaurant which serves brunch it is very weird. Everytime we ask, the answer is that it's still broken. I don't understand how they can't buy a new one or even bring a machine from their houses.

Only once we made a reservation there for a group of 8 for a special occasion. And because we know what would happen we went there and made the reservation in person. Then the day before the reservation we called them for confirmation they said everything was fine. However, when we got there they told us to wait at the bar and gave the table to another group. If there were other tables for 8 people it would be okay for us but that was only one at the restaurant. So we had to wait for 45 minutes at the bar... and there weren't...

I love this place so much. It’s my favorite restaurant in my neighborhood and I come here twice a month or more. They have great sangria - I usually get the red. I almost always order the bistec encebollado and I get maduros instead of the tostones it normally comes with. Their maduros are done the right way - thin sliced and pan fried to utter perfection. They melt in my mouth like candy. The brown sauce with the meat is delicious and I want to take a bath in it. There’s nothing bad I can say about this place. I used to complain that they were cash only, but thanks to the plague they take cards now!!! Thank you, coronavirus!! Thank you!!! I almost never carry cash and it was a pain. They also have amazing happy hour before 7 on drinks and empanadas, which are so crispy and good that sometimes I just come and drink and eat empanadas. And that’s why I’m fat! Seriously, it’s so good. It’s on a weird bombed out looking quiet stretch of Grand just past Atlantic Ave. wait, I do have one major complaint!! And it’s actually huge. They are CLOSED SUNDAYS. I know that everyone needs a day off in the restaurant business, but I wish they’d pick Monday or Tuesday instead. Everyone in my house always craves puerto on Sundays. It’s the PERFECT day to eat their food. But you can’t. Nope. They are closed. Something to consider for them - a Sunday brunch. YESSSSSSSS. Please...