Gena's Grill

When I went in it looked like a soup kitchen. There were 3 people prepping order but there was an older woman who prepared the sandwich. First let me say that 1 slice of steak for a steak sandwich is unacceptable for the price then she just grabbed lettuce pieces that looked discarded from a salad and put them in... Will never go back to that place ,prices are way to high and food is nasty and sloppy.

This restaurant was just… wow. Amazing service (it does help if you speak Spanish or at least go into there to with key words for ordering). The staff was so kind and helpful and gave us recommendations for his favorite plate the Pernil Asado (roasted leg of pork) which is one of the daily specials. The meat. Wow. It was so tender and juicy, literally no toughness to it at all. And the flavor was immaculate. I also got yellow rice and black beans which were flavorful as well. The salsa they had for the table was sweet and spicy and provided a pop of flavor and spice to the dish. Great experience and amazing staff. Also inexpensive! For the amount of food you get. We got the small plate and it was jam packed!

I love this place. Amazing flavor, great prices. I just ask for chicken with rice and beans and it’s to die for.

Food is great taste not salty seasoned well. The place has great customer service. They need a bathroom and more space. The price is reasonable you get ya money worth I think. Overall it's a nice vibe.

Mouthwatering home cooking. Tiny place, but the aromas never stop. Like eating in your mom's kitchen. Get it to go, but if you can get a seat, enjoy the home style vibes. If you speak Spanish you'll be part of the conversation.

Hate to give these guys a bad review because i use to order from them regularly but something needs to be said. 1. When you order over the phone no one speaks english to take your order correctly. I have gotten my order mixed up countless times because of this. I understand this is a spanish restaurant but you’re losing business if you cant understand your customers 2. If you can see in the photos there is a foreign object mixed in with the food. Not sure how that happened.

Had pernil, beef and beans and rice with a side salad. Everything was delicious. Ladies working were very nice and catered to us well. I would come back again.

Our first time in the area, we were passing through, and saw Gena’s Grill and had to try it. It’s definitely authentic. We had the oxtail with rice & beans the pollo guisado (chicken stew), empanadas, and sweet plantains all of it was amazing. Everything was warm, fresh, and hit the spot. We will definitely be visiting more.

Dropped by on a Saturday afternoon to get some lunch. Very small and cozy, brick-and-mortar mom-and-pop vibe. Order at the counter and find a seat anywhere, though it probably only seats like 6-10 people max. I got the stewed beef with yellow rice and beans. The rice and beans were great - can never go wrong with that at a Dominican spot. The stewed beef was a bit on the dry end, but I find that to be pretty common. Still, a good amount of food. Recommend if you're looking for a small authentic Dominican joint in the East Village!

I was excited to try Gena's Grill, which I had read as offering some of the best Latin food in the area. Focusing on Dominican, Puerto Rican, and Cuban cuisine, Gena's Grill is a local neighborhood favorite. Unpretentious in its interior and ambience, it focuses on delivering reliably good food. I'd walked past the restaurant numerous times, and then finally opted to order delivery from there over the weekend. We ordered beans (habichuelas), the Latin daily soup (sancocho), a stewed goat dish (chivo guisado), mofongo with chicken, and a Dominican cake (bizcocho dominicano). Everything was flavorful and delicious. I especially loved the sancocho, mofongo, and goat dish. The rich, warming beans accompanied the mofongo wonderfully. Portion sizes were also generous; there were plentiful leftovers from our meal for two. Although others have complained about price increases, given the current inflationary environment, I thought the prices were reasonable.

I love Gena's! This is one of my favorite local fast Spanish food in East Village. Anytime I crave for a plate of $10 (it may be couple of dollars higher now due to inflation) affordable rice and beans with stewed chicken, I come here. I have been coming to this restaurant for years (and I am super thankful it survived the pandemic). I love a good, convenient, local, and economic meal. I especially love seeing the locals, the delivery and construction workers alike going there during lunch hours. Inside Gena, you can hear people and the staff speak Spanish all the time. Gena's inside is not the biggest but the food quality is there. The service is quick and the staff are friendly. If you are there next time, make sure to also give their empanadas a try!!

Family run, authentic plates and platters. Oxtails to chicken and seasoned rice, this spot is a great stop.

Heard from the owner that the building was bought recently and now they are raising rents. She may be going out of business beginning of next year when her lease is up. Come and support while they are still open.

One of the worst dinners I have ever had. The food tasted like it was sitting out for hours and they warmed up in a microwave. Sat inside and saw a mouse running through the kitchen. I threw away the rest of my food. Do not eat here it is gross.

This place is phenomenal. Usually the hole in the wall type spots do not live up to the hype, but this one does. Highly recommend the rice and beans with roasted pork. It's only $12 and you get it almost immediately. The people working there do not speak very good English so ordering may be a bit of a process.

This is definitely not Authentic Dominican or Puerto Rican food. The Flavor of my and my coworkers food was completely off. The oxtails she ordered were tough red and oily. The Sancocho I ordered was flavorless. The soup had a tip of a drumstick and a small piece of beef mostly bone, and the broth was Cilantro Flavored but also salty. The saving grace was the bread as I used it to dip into the broth to get full.

I ordered from GrubHub and have eaten for years at Gena's Grill and it was superb....However, unfortunately I was so disappointed in my delivery order not because of GrubHub but was so disappointed in the food- I go in person to eat to see if the food has changed that much

Food was delicious, been coming here for long time now,had the pork chops with rice and beans and avocado salad, yummy, yummy

I'm a 23 year old man I don't write reviews and i never understood why people do , But after trying the Pastales from this restaurant I realized I just have to tell everyone. THESE PASTAELES ARE AMAZING Amazing 10/10 whoever made them knows exactly what they are doing god bless ur soul

Gena has been a staple in the community for years and for this I commend her for always being available in the community during hurricane Sandy and COVID 19 pandemic. The food is made fresh everyday it's just bland missing the Dominican spices that the Latin community is use to definitely lacking. I read complaints about the true price increase. However, every business has to find a way to adjust to inflation to survive the Manhattan rent increases. Definitely not the worst place since the food is always fresh.

The best mangu I ever had in my life. The stew chicken is also on point as well. The most delicious savory chicken stew I've had in a while. The prices are out of this world and the next one too. If you looking for that good ole fashioned cooking to compensate for the back home cooking you might be missing, then imma advise all of you to head down to Gena's Grill on first ave. You'll be glad you did I guarantee it like that man's warehouse slogan lol

I am Dominican and I was in the area waiting to pick up someone from the eye hospital nearby and decided to get lunch from here, since it is advertised as a Dominican/puerto rican spot. What a disappointment. This has got to be the saddest Dominican lunch I've ever had. The portion of pernil was sooo small. They took one small piece of pernil and shredded it and spread it on top of the rice.Plus, I paid almost $10 for it. Seriously, what a joke. Food didn't taste Dominican at all. Perhaps because there was no one Dominican there. I feel I have to apologize for the people who've eaten here and think that's what Dominican food tastes like. Please do yourself a favor and skip this one, if looking for a bite in the area. There's plenty of pizza spots around. Gave 2 stars because the service was fast and the lady in the counter was pleasant.

The season is changing and a cold is coming on but I blasted it away with a ton of garlic in gena's chicken soup which could've been better stocked but was still yum.

Wanted to like this place but they overcharged me for a small plate saying that tostones were extra when it clearly says on the sign that tostones are part of the small plate deal. The service was not friendly or helpful, considering she was trying to convince me what was on the sign was not what was written on it!? When someone orders a small you give them what is included, you don't assume they want extra and then overcharge them for what is supposed to be included in what they ordered. Service is pretty bad here. Food is just ok.

This place is amazing! I ordered a sancocho and it was tasty and well done. It was well stewed as the meat was well seasoned, tasty, and good consistency. I also had a beef stew with maduros. The beef was very good. The sauce was also good. The maduros were well made. The whole beef stew with maduros went really well with sancocho. I would definitely recommend this combo for you. The place is small but it gives you a very good feeling of mom and pop shop. It also offers you the traditional Dominican dine in experience.

One of worst dining experiences I've ever had and this is considering the fact that I'm a island born Puerto Rican Let me tell you the yellow rice wasn't exactly yellow rice but orange in color. I ordered an extra order of red kidney beans but what what I recieved was a liquid bean broth that wasn't appetizing to me at all considering that there were any beans at all. What an embarrassment that I ordered food from a Latino resturant and I get this poor quality food from this hole in the wall dive. Bargain basement food at its best. Never again ever again. I gave this food to my dogs and I say that because my dogs aren't picky. I'm so friggen glad that I Puerto Rican. We know how to cook comida con sabor sin esta mierda

Time to update my 5-star review because we ordered take-out yesterday and the food is as good as ever. The pernil was lean, well-seasoned, and supremely flavorful; the maduros sweet and delightful; and the sancocho as hearty and tasty as you could ask for. I recommend the black beans, as they come with a delicious broth that makes even white rice a treat. This was my first take out order from Gena's, and the food was as terrific as it was during our dine-in experiences.

The cheese and sausage are good, but there is no reason why two slices of cheese and two slices of sausage is $10. The food is very fresh, just never seasoned. Food is always bland over the years. They need flavor and to lower breakfast prices.

The food is OUTSTANDING. Limited seating, limited ambiance but if you are after incredible taste with no pretentiousness then this is your spot. Reasonable prices as well. DO IT.

I'm from Miami Florida, city, which should have the best, Hispanic Latin food in the world, or at least in America. Wrong wrong the best food from a Hispanic country in the United States is this restaurant is this restaurant this restaurant. Not too expensive very reasonably priced, and extraordinarily delicious with a fantastic sense of hospitality and a welcoming energy. Gina's grill is 100%. I must have in the East Village and I will be back here more times than I probably should.

Food was terrible and didn't get exactly what I've ordered. I called the restaurant and the lady called me a liar because I said the food was no good and that I didn't get what I've ordered, she also gave me such a bad attitude and didn't want me for to send the food's pics to her. Terrible service and food. Don't waste your money.

This is more of a takeout place than a dine in restaurant. There are only two tables for 4 ppl each, and a counter for single diners. Four of us went on a Monday night @ 6pm and were lucky enough to get a table. The food is fabulous and well worth the trip! Delicious food at very reasonable prices. We each paid just $12 for the below shared dinner: Mofongo w.pork rind - mashed green plantains (pretty good but more garlic, please!) Pernil - roasted leg of pork (The BEST!!) Chicharon de pollo - fried chicken chunks (good) Mondongo - Tripe soup (tasty) Maduros - sweet plantains (sweet goodness) Rice & Beans My fav dish of the night: Pernil...a MUST have!

These type of light night places are an endangered species. It's always tempting to come in and grab a plate of stewed oxtail. The meat could be a little more tender but it get's the job done after a night of drinking in the East Village. The place is super small but you can get in and out pretty quickly.

This is what you serve your first responders? I brought my coworkers with me and this is what I get. You should of just said you didn't have cassava.

Had to run in to get plain roasted chicken for dinner. Asked for half a chicken and got charged $12. That was plain chicken no sides. I will not be ever going back. It saddens me that one of few left Spanish eateries in the neighborhood is robbing people left and right.

I LOVE THIS PLACE. The pernil is amazing and never dry! Pernil with yellow rice and red beans is my staple. Tostones are amazing as well. Their garlic sauce is homemade and legit. I've never tried the morir soñando anywhere else so I can't compare it to anything but I think it was well made. Tip: you get more food when you order take out since the container is bigger than their plate ;)

The food is always season well. The rice and beans has a lot of flavor. The roast pork is off the chart. The Cubano are excellent.

Read reviews about how good the food was, but sadly, the food didn't live up to any expectations. Ordered the Pernil Asado (most popular) -- both the pork & pigeon pea rice were dry & lacked any savory taste you'd expect from such a staple dish. Super sad it couldn't be deemed a hole-in-the-wall for Puerto Rican/Dominican food by any standards. Food: 2/5 Service/Speed: 4/5 Price (college student budget): $ Atmosphere: Casual, minimal seating space. More of a takeout place. Would return & recommend? 2/5 www.instagram.com/grubgalz *follow @grubgalz on Instagram for more reviews & content!*

I ordered some mondongo soup and it was delicious thank I so much I will definitely be going back

Great neighborhood spot! I've been coming for 5 years. As a vegetarian I get beans, rice and maduros . My roommates love the chicken dishes. Very affordable take out. The woman who takes orders is lovely. Go here over chipotle!

Authentic Dominican/Puerto Rican Food, best place for the best mofongo ever!!! truly an experience, this is a must visit, not only was all of the dishes we ordered on point for taste but the service was A+ they were attentive, caring and all the food came out hot and delicious. The women that work here were happy and full of joy which made our experience delightful. The place is small just a couple of tables and counter tops sitting but the taste of the food was so good you forget that the restaurant is small. I want to thank the ladies for such a great experience and we will be back, we had a group of eight and were comfortable but the food was sooooo good, look at my pictures. I will be back!!!

My Granny is from Puerto Rico and I use to spend my summers with her in New York. The food she would cook had her building smelling like heaven! My pops brought me here the day of her memorial service and it took me back to my childhood. The fried plantains, Arroz con pollo, rice and peas. It amazes me the flavors that came out of this tiny place. That's the only reason I gave it 4 instead of 5 stars. If you ate in the restaurant you would have people literally standing at your table order their food. The staff was nice and the place was clean.

Horrible service. Been waiting for two hours for my food and they said they couldn't deliver my food because they have lousy driver. What kind business to say that they have lousy driver- they should fired him and find replacement.

For Spanish food don't expect authentic Spanish cuisine food here, it's eh at best. What you need to look out for is how she pads the bill. She's very greedy and she will cheat you out of a dime each and every time if you're not paying attention. And if you call her on it she'll get angry on try to justify the bogus overcharge. It doesn't matter if you're a regular customer. She's a Cheat buyer beware. Ty A

Gena!! What is the total BS I got tonight? I've given you four/five stars for years! The "Oxtail" I got tonight was absolutely not Oxtail! Whatever it was, it was stringy, overcooked and terrible. If you don't have Oxtail just say so!! Blech!!

Before heading to happy hours in the East Village we stopped by this little hole in the wall place for food. It is small and can be easily missed. Just look for the painted Puerto Rican flag on the store windows. The inside is extremely tight and not a lot of elbow room. A group of 3 will fill the tables. The counter has about 6 seats. I tried the Pollo Guisado (stewed chicken) with maduros (sweet plantains)- It was delicious! Rate 4/5. My GF had the Rabo Guisado (oxtail stew). which was even better then my dish! Rate 5/5. The food came fast and the food disappeared into my mouth fast! I will definitely head straight here the next time I'm in the neighborhood.

I really wanted to like this place. But after placing an order at 11:30am i get a phone call at 12:35pm telling me that they didn't have what i ordered and would have to wait another hour if i wanted it.. Could've just called me right away when the order was placed but her excuse was that she "WAS BUSY"... but not busy enough to press the button and accept my order. you clearly saw what my order was

Two words will have me waking up from sleep: guyabana and maduros. I was searching yelp for something small to grab on my way home and saw this Dominican/Puerto Rican spot and decided to check it out. I am vegetarian/ pescatarian so many of these dishes don't apply to me but man, my heart almost stopped when I saw guyabana. I was in Colombia a few months back and fell in love with this fruit, usually served as a drink. I got it and maduros (sweet plantains) to go and both were DELICIOUS! I'll definitely be stopping by when I am more hungry to grab a few items. The restaurant is family run and owned, which I also love. Prices are very reasonable, unlike anywhere else in manhattan. Food: 5 stars Service: 5 stars Location : 5 stars (right by the L) I'll be back!

Came here for lunch on a Wednesday and ordered the Pernil Asado, Oxtail Stew, Avocado Salad, and Maduros. Roast Pork was refreshingly juicy and tender. Beans and Rice could have used more flavor but they were still better than other places in the city. I was a bit disappointed that some Tostones were mixed in my order of Maduros.. I would come back for more Pernil! Lali's is still my favorite spot in the city!

From the moment I walked in and smelled the Pernil and heard El perdedor by Aventura playing i knew I was in the right place. As a latina, New York has somewhat disappointed in the authenticity of real cultured Latinx food. Gena's grill gives you a good amount of food and the flavors are just as good. I'm not gonna lie, it is a bit pricey than what I'm used to for Dominican/Puerto Rican food but it makes up for it in quality. I got chicharrón de puerco and my friend got peppered steak. They give you a side of a lot of rice and and beans. I really wish I had the chance to try the pernil or sancocho but I will be back again.

I'm brutally honest with Yelp reviews. I genuinely loved this restaurant and I'm kind of disappointed more people haven't gone to the establishment. The cashier and server were so kind and walked us through the different possible options. Once we got our plates they were meticulous. The biste was cooked perfectly and really reminded me of home. The tostones were fried to perfection and there was a heap of them as well. Lastly, it's really hard to impress ethnic folks with rice but this was it. I highly recommend it and if you've never gone you should try it the best food doesn't have to be expensive and it definitely makes you feel like you're going international. Try it out it's wayyyy better than any boujee restaurant in Manhattan.

Can't believe they charged me $19 for 4 pieces of oxtails 1/2" thick. What a ripoff, just terribly small portions . I used to come here and always feel like I got good value. But this is just ridiculous

When I say this is TAO level taste with chicken spot prices I am not kidding. Whoever cooks here cooks like their ancestors are in that kitchen with them. If you are looking for QUALITY this is the place to go.

I would rate this place a half a star but it's not possible. Went there with my coworkers for our lunch break and regretted the 30 min bus ride!! The owner Gena was very rude and disrespectful. She ranted on about how she can't afford to give any extra meat without charging $5.00 extra because then her business will close. She definitely enjoyed speaking about how she went away to DR on vacation. But she didn't hesitate in treating her regular customers nicely. The dishes were being washed with a dirty sponge in a sink full of water. After the point of paying for the food she continued to complain about how her workers give too much food.

This is a tiny Dominican spot ran by Mexican staff. The food is pretty good but can be pricey if you don't know how to order it. They won't let you know that if you don't specify that you want a lunch they will give you everything separate. I paid $16 for rice beans and chicken . Most places charge $10-$15. I would have asked them to give me an order all together but I didn't know until after my friend advised me. The rice and beans taste authentic and very Dominican and you can't go wrong eating here.

Gena's Grill was great! Delicious food at very affordable prices. The highlight of the meal was the roasted chicken - so juicy and flavorful. We also enjoyed the rice and beans, yuca, and maduros. We ordered the avocado, tomato, and lettuce - it was mostly just lettuce and the avocado was not ripe. The passion fruit and tamarind juices were great. Most of the staff speak Spanish primarily. This place has a cozy neighborhood vibe.

DO NOT EAT HERE !! This place is over priced for small portions of meat. The menu says $6.50 for pollo guisado and I payed $8 for two small pieces of chicken that were still RAW !!! The chicken was completely inedible on top of that they only put 1 slice of carrot and a sliver of a potato. Beans were hard as fuck. I'm sorry but not all Spanish people can cook !!! this place is a joke to Hispanic heritage