La Cocina

La Cocina is the classic Newark spot for Cuban eats! For lunch, you pick your choice of rice, vegetables, and protein -- and on a recent visit, I had arroz con gandules, steamed broccoli, and beef stew. All delicious, albeit a little salty to my taste. La Cocina is a popular catering spot for Rutgers events, so I have been fortunate to try a wide variety of offerings such as pastelon, pernil, and chicken stew -- and you can't really go wrong with any of them. The empanadas are also a must (make sure to ask for hot sauce), and while difficult, try to save room for dessert! Flan and tres leches are soooo good. Lunch time gets really busy, so you can avoid the rush by coming a little later. However, the staff is good about moving everyone along, so you won't be waiting forever. Definitely give La Cocina a try!

In search of a little something delicious to eat on a gorgeous Friday afternoon and La Cocina did not disappoint. There were many options - three types of rice, stews, veggies, grilled chicken, etc. They prepared a generous and affordable plate of ribs and tostones (made to order!) in about five minutes. You can't tell from the sidewalk, but there's a cute patio out back. I sat on the second floor of the outdoor dining area, which seats about 20 people. I picked a table without an umbrella so that I could enjoy the sunshine and soft, soulful music playing on the speakers.

Ordered a wonderful Cuban sandwich from here for lunch. I must admit it was packed with all the goodness of pork, spicy mustard, great pickles and that garlic took it over the top. Perfectly toasted and was satisfied with half for lunch, the other half for dinner. Just AWESOMENESS!!!!!

Tried this food at a stand at SHI stadium and it was the best choice. The stew on a cold day was just what I needed. The stew sauce soaked into the rice perfectly. The rice was a nice texture, flavorful and not too soft. The meat fell apart and was not too chewy. I wish I had gotten more carrots and potatoes. The empanadas were stamped with the name of the restaurant which was a nice touch. They pressed each as they were ordered to keep them hot. My friend got the chicken and liked those as well. Service was quick.

Went there today for the first time to pick up lunch and i was very pleased. You ask for what you want and you get to have a choice of meat and side. I do wish there were more side choices. Food was very tasty. Would go there again.

Delicious and authentic Cuban eats and a seamless catering order. La Cocina, I am a fan! I ordered a few catered trays for a work event and La Cocina was a big hit. Leading up to the event communication was seamless. Josh was very helpful and provided me with suggestions on what and how much to order. On the day of the event delivery was prompt and I was set up with everything that I needed - utensils, plates, napkins, etc. The food was delicious and everyone was really pleased. Cuban sandwiches were definitely a highlight - stuffed with lots of tasty meat and served on fresh crispy bread. Empanadas were HUGE and filled to the brim with tasty meat. I also ordered a tray of maduros and chickpea salad, both delicious. This was a great option for catering and I'd definitely consider again for future large events.

Hardest part about going into this restaurant is deciding what you want to eat. The Cuban sandwich is the best I've ever had. The hot bar is amazing and one of these days I have to try the empanadas. Staff is very friendly and attentive and the owner comes around and talks to patrons. It is a true hidden gem. Anybody who's been there when you mention the place their eyes light up. Can't speak highly enough about it.

We stopped by La Cocina for Monday lunch. It's a small store in the busy downtown area of Newark, parking is really really hard to get. There 5-6 tables inside the store too dine-in, it's self served, not so fancy esthetic wise. The line starts right at the door, luckily no one was in front of us. They served it chipotle style, you get to pick the items for your plate. The have white, brown, bean rice, vegetables, chicken/beef stew, baked chicken, salmon and few other items. The have ready made empanadas too. The price so reasonable, between $9-$12 for a decently large portion. We tried the chicken stew, baked chicken and salmon. Everything tasted like freshly homemade. Both brown and white rice were excellent quality. The stew chicken almost melted before even I bite it. Salmon was cooked to perfection, and baked chicken has this lovely brown skin with beautiful cooked inside. This is a hidden in Newark, and for sure will be a regular spot for our lunch.

My go to for authentic Cuban food in Newark. The food is absolutely delicious! I always recommend their pernil, pollo a la plancha, pastelon, ropa vieja, and oxtails. I always get the arroz moro with a side of plantains. Their chicken and beef empanadas are just as delicious as the entrees. You won't be disappointed with their food.

I was in the mood for some Spanish food and tried this spot. When I arrived I found parking on the street nearby. I walked in and was greeted. The service was great. I ordered several meals and for myself I got the salmon with the rice and beans. When I ate the food was soo good. The salmon was seasoned to perfection and the rice and beans were soo good. I really enjoyed the food and service.

We stumbled upon this place due to the volume of reviews compared to others in the area but the alarming thing was seeing a number of bad yelp reviews, stating their food isn't good and all were delivery related. I crossed my fingers and took a chance to eat here and thankfully didn't experience anything that went bad. we had a pernil rice platter with plantains. Both were good and the pernil at times was dry but at times was salty. eaten with rice it was just the right balance. we also tried the chicken / beef / cuban empanadas. Chicken was by far my favorite one followed by beef, then lastly cuban. I would recommend adding some apple or orange juice to the beverage offerings if possible for families with children who dine here.

So good! I ordered a pernil lunch special with beans and rice, the serving was HUGE. My food was ready for pickup five minutes after I placed the order. All the employees I interacted with were friendly and I received great customer service. The food totally hit the spot. I ate some of the pork by itself, then started dribbling sauce on top. Combo bites also proved to be rewarding. Try as I might, the rice and beans were too much for me, and will be a lovely snack later on. Location is on New Street at Washington, right by Rutgers - Newark and just a short walk from Military Park. Prices are very fair.

Food is always delicious. My favorite thing to get is the empanadas! Also has good lunch specials. Highly recommend.

Amazing fresh food. A new favorite for myself. The pricing is economical yet the food is delicious. The portions size were impressive. Highly recommend!

Beef stew had a weird smell. I ordered about 2 hours after opening, so it may have been leftovers. It smelled like it had gone bad. The arroz cons gandules had so few gandules that I thought they gave me the wrong side. Salmon is SUPER salty, and dry. The chicken empanada was ok. These pictures are just before we threw it out because it was just too bad to keep forcing ourselves to eat. I honestly wouldn't have forced it if I wasn't starving. Absolutely do NOT recommend

Yes very good clean and fast I got the Cuban sandwich omg loved it just like Miami Florida's and there are llenar lol My daughter always comes here to take home also the salmon is delish

This place is awesome! I wanted the Pastelón tray for Fathers a day weekend. They had it ready for me Friday and it was so freaking good. We got the large tray. Def recommend. Don't tell my family, but it tastes better than my husbands Puerto Rican aunts pastelón

I've been coming to La Cocina for the last two years now and I really enjoy the spot. The staff is always friendly and helpful and the food is always very tasty. The lunch crowds outside of this covid times can get crazy but when I went this week there weren't many people there. I appreciate the meals here as they remind me of home and hit the spot on days I just want comfort food that I grew up with. They have some outdoor seating which is great wish they would spruce it up a bit, especially since this is the only option to dine there. Don't forget about the coffee selection too, they make a mean café con leche. I'll continue to frequent this place now that they have reopened. Salud y buen provecho!

The best Cuban sandwich I have had outside of Miami! Owner is amazing & service is great! If you are in the area do not hesitate to try this place.

It is now my favorite lunch spot. I work in Ridgewood but come here for lunch. Tell me that this is not dedication! What is there not to love about the food here. My favorite is the pernil with arroz con gandules, the meat pastelon and today I had their Salmon with arroz moro with maduros. I'm in 7thheaven. You will not be disappointed when you come here. Thanks Manny

Everyone in my group enjoyed what they ordered! Great prices, delicious food, and very friendly staff!!! Will definitely return

I discovered this gem from a coworker, and what a find!! Imm new to working in Newark and still learning all the good spots. You are immediately greeted by the friendly staff and orders are taken along the bar of food options - rice, vegetables and their daily protein options (and empanadas at the end). I highly recommend the rice and black beans, and the plantains are a perfect sweet bite to keep your tastebuds wanting more savory. The star of my trips (IMO) are the pork ribs!!! I just had lunch there but am already craving them. I top my meal off with a Cuban coffee to go (to fight my afternoon post-food coma). Make sure to check out the terrace seating behind the building, it's a sweet little hideaway.

This is sort of like a "hole in the wall" type of place.. even though everyone knows about it haha. The food is usually really good. I don't know if I would recommend catering from here though. The food needs to be fresh to really taste good. When you cater it's not as fresh and does not taste as good. Namely the chicken and pasta/lasagna stuff. Would recommend trying this place out!! Food cost around $10-15 and it def worth the sheer quantity of food you get. You will be stuffed!

We stopped at la Cocina on our way to airport and we where not disappointed. We got Cuban sandwiches, empanadas , ropa vieja , arroz and maduros. Needless to say we loved it. The Cuban sandwiches where nice and tasty and of course hot ! The service was excellent too , the guy that served our food was fast and very helpful.

First time trying them. Food was flavorful and the portions were good. I ordered for delivery via uber eats and food came quickly. Would definitely like to try other menu items. Prices were also good for the quality of food.

Food has great flavor and pricing, Chipotle but 10x better. Service was great giving recommendations too.

Pros 1. Well cooked White Rice and Yellow rice. 2. Well cooked sweet plantains! 3. Good Baked Chicken. 4. Good Chicken Stew. 5. Deliciously Soft Yuca! 6. Good customer service. 7. Spicy Chicken Stew is DELICIOUS. 8. Good Oxtail stew. 9. The BEST Chicken Empanada in NJ so far. Very Juicy, Tender and Flavorful. Cons 1. Chicken Noodle Soup could be better. 2. The Mojo Sauce could be better. 3. The Black Bean Rice could be better. 4. The Garlic Chicken Breast wasn't Tender and Flavorful.

Wow I've been here like a million times and realized I never left them a review...shame on me!! So the one thing I love about this place is FOOD IS READY TO ORDER!! Literally think of a buffet line. Tips: - Weekdays during lunch, the line can be out the door - Feening for an empanada, CHECK IN WITH YELP and get it for $1.50 - Seating is available....so come early to grab a seat - Friendly Service - No waitress service - They cater!! My fave: - Pernil (I request for crispy :-) ) - Moro Rice - Sweet Plantains - Side of their garlic sauce Give it a try....they quick too so don't be scared of the line!! Maybe I will see you there one day!

Delicious food and generous servings. Right next to to Rutgers makes it especially convenient. Make sure to ask for the hot sauce, too.

Omg literally the most flavorful arroz negro ever!! And the chicken stew was cooked perfectly, the chicken was so tender it fell right off the bone!!! The Cuban empanada I will definitely be back again, next time with a car full of friends!!!

This place was so great I bought a T shirt! Excellent food, welcoming staff, and incredible ropa vieja! I'll definitely be back.

La cocina is one of the best Cuban restaurants in Newark. I work for Rutgers so after finding this gem, it was only right to share it with my coworkers. Cuban sandwich uff nicely prepared. Their empanadas are delicious like everything else. Highly recommend worth every cent !

Great meal at a great price, it doesn't get much better than that! I ordered online through Yelp because I just wanted to grab the food and go, but it really wasn't necessary. The line moves very quickly in an assembly line fashion and you can get your food in a matter of minutes. So don't be intimidated if you see a line out the door when you get there; the place is really small! I am seriously so surprised by the amount of food that you get for the price. The lunch special comes out to $8.51 (including tax) and it consists of a meat and two sides. I got the Pollo a la Plancha (basically marinated, grilled chicken with onions) with sweet plantains and yellow rice with pigeon peas. It was definitely more rice than anything else but there was a decent amount of chicken as well. Everything was extremely flavorful and they also included two great sauces in there for me to try. The food is definitely more on the greasy side, no doubt about that, but I kind of knew that coming into this. I think it is possible to make the meal a little healthier by getting grilled chicken with maybe steamed vegetables but you're not really getting the full experience that way. There are also salads of course. It's A LOT of food. I was only able to eat about 1/3 of it for lunch but that works out because I don't have time to go out to get food for dinner. $4.25 per meal works for me! Even if it's not the healthiest thing in the world, at least I got to try something new.

Unbelievably wonderful Cuban sandwich and Cuban empanada. I just wish I was in Newark more and could try everything on their menu. And the staff? So kind and friendly. Congratulations La Cocina! (I still have your Cuban flag toothpick in my wallet)

SaturdY afternoon, working in downtown Newark and most everything was closed. But I found this place and got a fantastic Cubano, delivered to the office. Hot and delicious.

The food was great when warm! The prices were not very clear. I went in the morning to grab a coffee while I waited for a meeting to start. Had an empanada and a coffee. Great appearance and taste. I returned later that afternoon around 4 pm for dinner, it seems like they make all their food in the morning and when a dish sells out they wont have more for the remaining time the store is opened. I ordered an empanada and a meal with 2 sides and a protein. The empanada was a little hard compared to the one I had in the morning. I ate about half my meal after purchase and went to eat the second half about 2 hours later. It seemed like the food had a smell to it as if it was going bad. I put it in the microwave and was not able to finish the food. I think they may have let it sit out in the heat too long. They have a steam heating system to maintain the warm temperature of the food throughout the day. Perhaps making smaller portions in the morning a second portion midday would be helo to maintain the freshness of the food. Will be returning to try a meal in the morning when its fresh!

I was in the Newark area, around lunchtime, and I used my trusty Yelp app, to find some good lunch eats. Luckily for me this place popped up as nearby the area I was in. The lunch specials here were very reasonably priced and the food was really good. Its too bad this place isn't closer to home. The setup is cafeteria style during lunch. You order your meal and someone serves you from the already prepared dishes in the trays. I tried the pepper steak with black beans and yellow rice. The pepper steak had a stew like texture and the rice was flavorful. I also got to try a Postobon soda. I'm a fan of Mexican soda, and when I heard that Postobon soda was Columbian, I had to give it a try. It was very tasty. I liked the apple flavor. The location is very close to the Rutger's campus.

Fabulous, seasoned food for cheap prices I purchased a chicken stew with rice and beans platter. It came out to about $8. The chicken was super tender. The black beans were fully seasoned, so flavorful. The rice also was nicely made. I'll be back, to try more of their delicious food!

I love La Cocina but hate that it's closed on weekends....the food is great! Never disappointed...delivery always on time with Uber Eats...

I don't know why I didn't come here sooner. I only got three things (yellow rice, beans, and ropa vieja) but they were all perfect. Sitting area is on the smaller side and it's served cafeteria style. I was gonna take a picture but it smelled too good to wait. Oops!

Great lunch spot! I always get the chicken, yellow rice and plantains. Ask for hot sauces!

I LOVE La Cocina! I usually only ate it when the housing department at Rutgers got it catered for our training; however when I went for the first time, it only won my heart more. Although it is very busy and is usually packed (so I don't recommend you eating there because the space is really crowded and limited), they have amazing service and an even better lunch deal where you can get rice, side and meat for only $8.50. I highly recommend anyone near the prudential center or the college campuses to come here! It's definitely a little hole in the wall that can get overlooked with Rob's and the Thai place right next door.

Nothing but the best from this place. Brother Manny is an incredible guy who goes all out for his business and customers. All of the staff are friendly and the food is amazing. Highly recommend to anyone in the downtown Newark area who wants quality and quality all at the same time for a very affordable price.

Really good empanadas with the exception of the Spinach. Ive been their twice and havent had the pleasure to try their heavy duty meals. The pernil, white rice and beans are calling me. Will give it a try upon my return. Very friendly staff. Always very attentive. And they have really good cheap-eats for lunch. You cant best that. Viva Cubaaaaaaaa!!!!

One of the better fast lunch options in the area. The owner and his staff are really friendly and the lines are usually long but go by quick. When I went to school across the street, my usual go-to was the chicken with plantains and rice, empanadas on occasion, and cortaditos when I needed to perk up. The cortaditos are strong and come sweetened, so if you don't want that extra sugar (like me), let them know!

This place is delicious and the owner is super nice and very helpful if you aren't sure what to order . The Lunch specials come with an entree and two sides . My go-to meal is the grilled chicken, steamed broccoli and carrots and maduros (fried sweet plaintains). They have different specials on different days (i.e. Wednesday's they have ropa vieja [cuban style shredded beef]) There is always a line around lunch time. Always leave feeling satisfied! The food is great, service friendly, and atmosphere lively. All the dishes are fresh due to the large turn around of customers coming in. The service is professional and friendly. The owner makes the experience complete. His individualized attention to customers makes you feel special every time you walk in the door and helps if you are unsure of what to get! Great food and even better prices!

Do not get the Pan con Bistek sandwich. The other food is good but for the pan con bistek, in order to save time, they take the stewed steak pieces and wrap bread around it, no lettuce, no tomatoes, no fries. That is the one thing for which they do not follow even their own menu description.

Very good food, reasonable prices & they deliver! The delivery is quick as well. I had the pepper steak, rice & pigeon peas with steamed yuca & everything taste great. The steak was very tender & the rice was cooked to perfection.

Everything on the menu is delicious. They employees are all professional, helpful and patient while you make your selection. Generous portions. I really value having such high quality food in my community.

Best food and coffee in Newark! Must go! I LOVE going here and I bet you will too. The reasons I strongly recommend it are: 1. Food is delicious. It does not matter if you order rice, plantains, empanadas, or some flesh like pernil, it is all delicious. (I'm a vegetarian but I get the pernil for my mom from this place and she LOVES it.) 2. The coffee is great and it's not expensive. La Cocina has a wide variety of coffee, from regular coffee to cafe con leche to el cordadito. 3. It does not matter if you are a vegetarian or a meat eater, you will find something delicious to rave about to your friends. 4. The owner and management team and staff are all smiling and seem happy. This is a great sign that they love what they do and they emit this energy to their customers. I love smiling so I keep coming back. I feel welcome EVERY TIME I come here. Our Favorites: Empanadas: Cheese and Spinach ones Coffee: Cordadito Meat: Pernil Sides: Plantain with the sauce Even for items not mentioned on the above list, I bet if it is made here, it MUST be good. Do yourself a favor and next time you are wondering where to go for lunch, go to La Cocina. You won't be disappointed. Just go before 5pm. By the way, I love the people who manage this place. Josh, Mani and Luis. They make me feel at home. Thank you! ** TV Show Producers - Take Note - Put this restaurant on your list to feature on your show! **