La Casa de Iris Is the Hottest Puerto Rican Street Food Spot in Long Beach | Eater LA

"Operating from a colorful red, blue, and white tent decked with Puerto Rican flags at 3170 Cherry Avenue in Long Beach, the family-run Puerto Rican-style street stand La Casa de Iris opened in 2023 when Maria and her son Eddie set out to fulfill matriarch Iris Negron’s dream of selling her food. I observed that all dishes are made to order, so there’s often a wait, and that the menu honors the family’s timeless recipes—fragrant pollo guisado served with arroz con gandules; garlicky mofongo (sold as a side or stuffed with pernil, beef, or chicken); airy, spongy rellenos de papa (potato balls) that some feel may outshine bakery legends; pastelitos and pastelillos, and island pasteles made from yucca, plantain, and pumpkin wrapped in banana leaves; vasos Boricuas (skewer cups) built with mayo-ketchup, arroz con gandules, crumbled chicharrón, mofongo balls and a skewer of meat; and jibaritos, pernil, and pollo guisado showcasing Iris’s sazón. The operation is clearly a multigenerational effort—Maria teaches recipes she learned over decades, Cristina runs the register, Alexis cooks, Edwin greets customers—and despite the pressures of each service the food comes out bold and faithful to Iris’s seasoning. They relocated from a crowded vendor corner at Pacific Coast Highway and Figueroa to a parking lot behind a dispensary in April 2024, and in the two months since the move loyal customers (especially Puerto Ricans) begin lining up each Saturday until they sell out." - Bill Esparza