Lechonera La Piraña

I had a wonderful time, the patrons waiting with me to be served were a delight, conversations were flowing naturally like if we knew each other for years. The food is wonderful and fulfilling, you can feed two people with one meal. May God continue to bless this man and his mission.

"Lechonera La Piraña"🗽🇵🇷 1️⃣of the🔝Lechon spots in NYC with a authentic home Puerto Rican🇵🇷 style taste that you can't get anywhere but here & on the Island❕️🏝Angel welcomes everyone & show great hospitality to all & hooks everyone 🆙️ As long as there's food left, which usually runs out around 4pm. But be ready to wait at least a hour which is worth the wait. I got the "Lechon y Arroz con gandules y camarones".🏝🐷🍛🍲🍚🍴🍤🦐🐙🧅🧄🥃🐸👍🏽🗽🇵🇷

One of the best Saturday afternoons i have spent in the city in some time. This person and the party that surrounds him as he cooks is a cultural experience. The food is great too. If you like street food and street food culture, I highly recommend this place. Bring beers and chairs, and be prepared to wait.

Great crowd and Aviance, but it took too long to get up ahead of the line. Only one person serving and cutting the food.

We showed up around 11:30am and we were one of the first people in line. There was no octopus that day but there was shrimp. The pork was so good. The skin is super crispy. People call the garlic sauce “God Sauce” for a reason.

I waited for 2 hours it was a great time sitting there with locals nice warm morning I expected the pork to taste better a little hard the seasoning was not what I thought it would be . the rice was good but I had a great time won't go again happy I went and got it out of the way he cooks the pork on the sidewalk if you have not gone you should go give your feedback

I only gave it 4 stars because it was 3pm and he ran out of rice, and the plate was kind of expensive. Meat, shrimp and octopus salad. For $30. With no rice. Now service and atmosphere was great. One other thing the famous trailer was not there, only 2 tents. Got home and had to make some rice. Besides that the food was good.

Today was a wet day and the street atmosphere was poor but Angel’s lechon and rice for $20 and having Angel serve you fresh hot crispy skin with garlic with fat side melting in your mouth is something delightful

I truly had no idea what I was getting into when I stepped onto this line. And even thinking about it now I'm not sure I could explain it. Come early. Get on line and be comfortable with that. We got to know the couple next to us and it was a lovely experience, even waiting for ultimately about an hour on line. If you're interested, there is a man with a bottle of Smirnoff and an electric scooter bustling up and down the line offering free shots of vodka while you wait. At some point, you see the chef himself leave this ?caravan? of a restaurant to grab a machete. Don't question that. Then you see him leave again to walk down the street to grab the pork that has been cooking streetside in a cooker. The pictures don't do it justice (but there are tons). The service then starts. It can be a little slow, as each party is invited into the caravan to discuss the meal and try a taste of something (it differed each time) on the machete. And the friendliness of the chef is unparalleled-he truly loves what he does. Ultimately, though, the food is the reason people wait for the NYT #6 restaurant. And I get it. I don't love pork cooked this way so much, but even this made me a bit of a believer. We got it with the plantain, shrimp, and octopus. Was worried 2 portions (cash only, 30$ each) would be too much food, and I was right. But not the worst leftovers to have. Overall, this place is an experience.

This place is amazing and Mr. Piraña the best my wife and I went for the food on Saturday we got there early and we had a blast we loved his company and we will go again. If you love roast pork you are gonna love it.. The service was amazing he served ower food and we went home right after that to enjoy ower meal everything was on point.. The ambiance was the best we met lots of good people from Florida, Connecticut we where please with the food and the service we will be back to see Mr. Piraña..

This food is amazing the most incredible Pernil you would have in your life I'm telling you I been to Puerto Rico and no one has ever been even close to this guys pork oh Pernil, and he is an amazing person love him already, drove from Boston Massachusetts just for he's pork and boy it's amazing !!! Actually I'm going back Next weekend with my whole Family and that's all I'm saying !!!

Angel Jimminez (aka La Piraña) is still chopping roast pork in the Lechonera his parents started last century. Ambience? It's trailer set on concrete blocks. But there's a bench where you're welcome to sit and the atmosphere couldn't be warmer. Enjoy sitting next to the picture of Justice Sotomayor in the same spot. She looks very happy, and it's easy to see why. You haven't lived til you've tasted the crispy skin from his chicharron -- pork shoulder roasted until it has shed most of its fat, with a crisp mouth-watering skin. He also has memorable octopus, served in a salad or a ceviche. Prices are very reasonable; in fact Angel will take what you offer.

the best place to get Puerto Rican food from a real Boricua!! He literally does everything himself assuring that you will get real great food highly recommend this place to anybody who wants real fantastic tasting Puerto Rican food

Long line on Puerto Rican day parade, clearly full of new and old customers. He gives everyone a sample of chicharrón, poses for photos and chats up the regulars. A staple of the community. Generous serving, worth the wait and $20/plate. I wanted to try mofongo y ensalada de pulpo but he has to keep the line moving on a day like this. Much love! Please bring your most patient self and try not to ruin the experience for others Bayamón in the house, still loving all the Ponce and Aguadilla decor/ambiance

I. Food II Ambience III Predictability I. Food Slow roasted pork - most excellent. Most excellent. Rice with beans - very nice. Octopus salad - great dressing and bits of salad, and I think I had mistaken expectations. I've only had grilled octopus in the past, at white table cloth restaurants, and I'm guessing that those octopus samples were massaged and massaged and massaged. (Remember the great movie, Jiro Dreams of Sushi? One of the sous chefs had to massage each octopus for 45 minutes before it was considered ready to be presented.) The flavor, by way of the dressing, was great. The octopus itself was tough, maybe because it was marinated and not grilled. How tough? It took me a couple of tries to spear a piece with a metal fork and longer than that to fully chew it. If you're good with that, then it's a must have. II Ambience Yes, it's a food truck by a school playground with no seating. Puerto Rican (?), Mexican (?), Latin X (?) music at a strong but not conversation-killing volume spills out of a speaker, all upbeat, great arrangements: horns, strings, and of course percussion. It'd be great music for a party or festival. Which Lechonera basically is. III Predictability So. Google has it opening at noon, and a 2015 GrubStreet review (https://www.grubstreet.com/2015/07/la-pirana-day.html) has the pork coming out in batches at noon, 1:00, 1:30, 2:30, and 4 p.m. Today, 4/28/2024) we got there at 12:45, and there was a line of about 50 people. No movement on the line. I asked people at the front what time they'd gotten there and they said 11:30 and that people had started lining up at noon. The first batch came out at 1:20 and the people in the front of the line went in at 1:32. We ordered and got served around 3:20, though they didn't have the shrimp pastillos or the mofongo. So, overall: fun party atmosphere, excellent slow roasted pork, and leisurely service, at least today. It took 2 hours for 50 people to be served, which isn't crazy slow, and if the first batches had come out at noon, as advertised, instead of 1:20, our wait would have probably been one hour instead of two. I'm glad we went. The vibe is great, the pork is succulent with a beautifully crisp skin. But it'll probably be a while before going again, and if the food is slow to come out and the offerings spotty, we'll probably move on immediately instead of waiting. And waiting. And waiting.

I saw them featured on both IG and TT. There are no authentic RICAN food in the DMV, they claim to be but lemme tell ya, it's not it. Flavors don't come close. So when I was here in NY, I had to stop in Boogie Down. Growing up Sunday night meals would always consist of something hearty. Holidays would consist of Pernil, and Peking Duck etc. Now prepare to wait, but it will be worth it! I rarely get to eat a good Lechon or pernil is my fam stop eating pork etc, dietary and religious reasons. So coming here I was famished. The pernil was seasoned to perfection. The rice on point. It tasted better than how my mom made it. The crispy skin, and meat was soft and tender. Empanadas are good!! Bring containers cuz its a of food and you don't want it to spill. Service was great. Definitely coming back with more friends. This place is a gem!

First a warning for the faint of heart- if you are really a stickler for cleanliness and hygiene this place is NOT for you. No sink on site, he walks up the block to a lock box for the cooked pig (lechon) and he smokes while serving. The other MAJOR downside is the service is SUPER SLOW. I waited an hour and a half on a long line where all the owner Angel did was serve food and talk, and talk, and talk... He posed a lot for pictures as well. Having written all of the above I will STILL give them 5 stars. The food is THAT GOOD. All he sells is lechon with rice and peas (arroz con gandules), octopus ceviche and what he called shrimp ceviche but it is clearly cooked... He would be a rich man if he sold drinks, desert, other sides... But DAMN is what he sells AMAZINGLY delicious! He is only open on the weekends from 11 until he sells out. I was told to get there at noon if I want fast-ish service.

This how we do in the (South) Bronx!!! Nothing quite encapsulates the Bronx like a visit to Lechonera La Piraña.. a man full of Puerto Rican/Bronx pride, endless energy, love, and unsolicited kindness. From a food truck and an age old oven he is producing some of the best food in all of NYC. Beer in one hand, machete in the other, he is happy to feed new and old faces! In need of his special Mofongo with chicharron pieces mashed in again

It was so worth the wait!!! Hands down the best lechon I have ever had. My boyfriend and I made the trip up to the Bronx from Manhattan on a Saturday afternoon to get a taste of this iconic street food. We arrived around 12:30 and waited about an hour or so to get our food. People were very friendly in line and there are bodegas across the street to get drinks and snacks to enjoy while waiting. We got 2 lechon rice boxes: one with octopus salad and the other with shrimp. Both were equally delicious with an explosion of flavor with every bite and the freshest and crispiest lechon skin I've ever had. We watched the chef chop up the lechon in front of us and he even handed us a piping hot sampler piece right off of his machete. Everything was assembled by the chef and topped with fresh garlic and hot sauce. There's a park nearby with benches and tables to enjoy your food ASAP. Overall such a fun and unique dining experience, I highly recommend this spot for the tastiest lechon of your life.

If people saw how food is prepared!?! discussing!!!!! No self respect!!!!!!!!¡!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I have given this review some thought before posting. Only because as a fellow "boricua " I'm not out to hurt anyone that wants to turn out some authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. So here goes , the place has its multitude of 5 star ratings. For good reason , the food is definitely authentic. Even the owner is as authentic a puerto rican can be. He was friendly and spirited. Gleeful and talkative. A rather nice person catering to the multitude of people waiting nearly an hour or more to serve. Now , the side that unfortunately I was not a fan of ; the place and the hygiene of same does not meet the standards of the NYC FOOD SERVICE. It's quite difficult to see the person serving your food has no gloves , accepts cash ( only ) with the same hands he will cut your pork , and go right ahead to serve your food . I know he means well. And given the amount of people waiting, perhaps ; because he does everything alone , he does not have time to be sanitary and pleasing to all. So if your queasy and anal about cleanliness, then this might deter you. The food was great regardless. Yes , I know , I prayed that an E.coli or Staph would not be part of my meal. Also , quite pricy for a food truck , $20 per plate. Quick note , there is no refrigeration for the octopus salad. And no sinks for the cleaning of cutting and serving utensils. Not to mention his ovens are half a block away on the street ! So who cleans them when he's closed ? Altogether this was lengthy and I apologize. I do , from the bottom of my heart , hope that the gentleman will take this as a positive move to a well established community icon.

Pirana is a staple in the neighborhood.... Since moving out of the city, my family travels 1 hr 1/2 to for the "Pirana experience" Great service , delicious food; good music WE LOVE this spot!!! It's a MUST TRY

From all of the reviews I expected so much better from the restaurant. I grew up on Latin food and have never has pastellios that were so dry and cold. I asked for sancocho and I got chicken soup with tripe in it. I went back before I headed home to see if they were having an off day but no it was the same thing. On the upside the service was good

Amazing. First visit got half pulpo / half lechon, with a shrimp empanada on the side, and it was all excellent. I'd probably get more empanadas next time, and sub out the pulpo for the simpler lechon with rice. Also, we came later in the day and the line was short, which was a nice surprise.

I was there today 07/20/2024. Waited on line for an hour, had to wait for the pork roast to roast. It didn't disappoint, the meat was greatly opened fire cooked, tasted great. I traveled on public transportation from Far Rockaway. I was disappointed because I asked the wifey how much was the plate of what I wanted, she said 13$. For pork roast and rice,which was reasonable to me. Then wifey tells out to the cook her husband how much and he says 22$. That's a 9 $ difference from what she said. I was puzzled, but I said maybe he's hooking me up because it's my first time there. I paid 44$ for 2 plates. One with rice, the other with green bananas. I wasn't expecting one spoon of rice, literally. Then I thought, did his wife yell out to him how much after telling me one plate was 13$ as a code to victimize me!! I will never go back.

Found out about this place during Covid 2020 and finally went. Crispy pork skin, garlicky mojo drizzled ontop of everything, octopus salad and rice with gandules was my order. Plus the owner is a sweet heart. Delicious and will be back!

Waited 2 hours for food and just never got any service. Terrible place. Terrible service.

$25.00 for a plate of pernil, octopus, arroz con gandules, ample portion and well worth it. The guy has magical cooking skills. Lechon is falling off the bone, everyhing is delicious, tasty. It's in the Bronx, well worth the trip. He is leaving for Aguadilla, Puerto Rico soon to open a Lechonera there. What a loss. The guy is so charming, really nice man. Food is just amazing.

La mejor comida boricua en NYC. Como en familia. Parece que estás en PR. Esta es la comida más auténtica y el ambiente más cercano a lo que es Puerto Rico

The pork is absolutely incredible no question some of the best roast pork I've ever had.

I did visit the Lechonera but the line was too long and not moving..the owner left twice to pick up more food..I left because I wasn't sure he would have any food left by my turn on the line..very popular has excellent reviews but you need to get there early to stand on line....

Delicioso! I'd definitely recommend this place. Fabuloso! Un lugar maravilloso para llevar la familia, comer delicioso, y pasarlo muy bien.

I'm Filipino and our national dish is lechon. My Uncle's lechon will always be number one. But this dude I met today is definitely a close second! The best food I've tasted in NYC since we moved here 4 years ago. Been to all sorts of places, but nothing hit home harder than this! I was definitely able to get the full authentic Puerto Rican experience Going here every weekend that I possibly can!

Wow, wow, wow. Hands down the best puerto rican food I've ever had, and the best pernil in NYC. Angel (La Pirana) is truly and angel. I stopped by late in the day, and was too late but Angel invited me into the truck to try some costillas he had left over and chicharron he set aside for himself. I tried some of his ceviche, and shrimp stew, and all of it was to die for. He even gave me a taste of some moonshine he had for the weekend. The hospitality, the flavors, and the culture are everything we love about lechonera. If you are in the BX and you haven't been here you're really playing yourself. Make that all of NYC, actually.

Lechon is great. Ambiance terrific Owner and operator very polite and portions are great

The food is good and comparable to the Miami Puerto Rico scene. Every dish tastes the same and nothing spectacular. The pork was a tad dry and the skin hard and tough. We will give it another chance in the future but not high on our repeat list.

Its' all true about Angel and his Food Truck! The food is on point all 100% skip all the fancy spots in the city and head to the boogie Down Bronx for the Food worth more then you will pay.

My friend and I came in from Manhattan to visit Angel's Puerto Rican food truck in the South Bronx. My kosher-keeping wife was out of town so we decided to indulge in some pork and check out the Bronx, as neither of us had spent much time there. Suffice to say that going to Lechonera La Piraña is not like a typical Manhattan Halal cart, it's more of an "immersive" experience because he welcomes you into his food truck, both literally (you climb up a rickety black metal staircase to enter into the truck) and figuratively (he treats his customers like family). He clearly has a bit of a following, because even on a cold winter day he had a small line of people... but luckily we didn't have to wait long before we were welcomed inside. I was a bit intimidated as I didn't know the ordering protocol but Angel put me at ease, behind the counter, expertly cutting up pork with a large machete... He quickly offered us a sample of the pork and also a little plastic cups of his split pea soup which was delicious. Maybe we looked like out-of-towners because he asked us how we heard about him and we told him about the Vice article and he said that people come from all over to try his lechón. He delivered heaping piles of food to us in take-out containers. Angel himself, as well as other people leaned in to take photos of our food 'cuz it looked so tasty and the other guests said they had already eaten their food and wanted photos. Note that Portion sizes were EXTREMELY large. There was a tasty garlic sauce and also hot sauces available. One was a home-made Puerto Rican hot sauce in an orange juice container that was very tasty. My friend ordered shrimp sauce over rice + pork on the side. I ordered just the pork. I asked for salad but he didn't have any so I got only pork. He did not have soda. We paid $27.00 for everything. Would go back again in the future.

Amazing spot highly recommend. Lechón Is always on point! And the mojo sauce is amazing!

Yooooooooooo get your delicious lechon cravings met here. Saw this place on the youtube video and have been meaning to go. FINALLY. FYI/PSA: For the next 1 or 2 saturdays, he will be at Park Ave and 112th in Manhattan (not in the usual bronx location). But Sundays are normal. So my friend and I got super lucky cuz we got there around 11:50am not realizing he had already packed up to go to his Manhattan location, but he still was super nice and fixed us up a few platters on the spot. He also hooked us up with a few free pieces for free while we waited for him to chop up the pork on the back of his pickup truck. Pork and rice +/- plantain =$10 Pork, rice, octopus salad = $15 The lechon was juicy and tasty. The skin was crisp and fatty and salty and you know it's not good for you but you don't care cuz it's delicious. My friend who has had lots of lechon said it's one of the best he's had. The octopus salad was great too. The olive-ness and acidity helps even out the fat.

You want authentic lechon, arroz y granules with mojo, octopus salad or shrimp empanadas..this is the place you want to go!! This man is incredible. Get there early and prepare to wait on line. We'll worth the wait.

This belongs in the pantheon of once a year treats. Giant roast pig with crispy skin laid over rice , pigeon peas and scattered veggies for $10. Ladle on your own garlic sauce. The place is an honest to goodness trailer in the south bronx and the guy running It is very congenial

I really have to say that it looked better on TikTok. Not one sanitary compliance at all. The biggest mistake of our lives. I was sick for two days after. Would not recommend not even to my closest enemy . I really used poor judgment. The pork is cooked outside in an oven chained up to a light pole. Makes me wonder when it's not being used during the week how many rats go in there for the warmth . You have been warned.

I only let a small handful of people call me by my nickname "Anita La Chinita" and the owner of this amazing food truck/trailer is one of them. I'm not even being dramatic when I say Señor Jimenez is the tío I've never had. (He also gives me a bit of free food every time I stop by because he finds me adorable ). That's why I make the drive all the way to the Bronx (1 hour each way) every month for a piece of that savory lechón. Expect long lines when visiting. And ALL IS WELCOME. No hate, no racism, nothing but love and good food. I'm very grateful that as an Asian American I can speak native Spanish because the wait time was a breeze when I'm having small talk with him as well as the other customers waiting for the lechón. Hearty laughter and the sweet smell of freshly cooked pernil always filled the air whenever I'm there. Can't wait to go back for more. Lechón Boricua style is the way to go! Also, try some of his empanadas while waiting. The most popular ones are chicken and shrimp.

This place and it's owner followed absolutely no sanitary measures. Smoked (weed) while food prep. Nose snot wiped with same cloth hanging from his shoulder which is what he used to wipe his hands and everything else. The food is not kept at temperature, just sits there at room temperature and uncovered including the seafood item. Perfect recipe for food poisoning. The place may be iconic and know in the area but not worth the risk.

9.3/10 lechon w/ rice: Haven't ever had Puerto Rican food before, but this is IT; pork was phenomenal, seasoned well; the skin was super crispy and flavorful, so beware, if you're trying to lose weight, this ain't the place to be; rice was very good too, also seasoned well, probably the best non-Asian rice I've ever had; if anything, perhaps the dish was too fatty, but I'm sure that added to the flavor; ambiance was just as good as the food

La pirana is an AWESOME guy. Food is fantastic. Will come back always!! Piping delicious food!!

What a great little gem. Walking in, no it's not much. A little trailer with barely enough room for 5 people to wait in, but soon there will be a crown of people out the door. We arrived around 11 as the yelp hours said it opened at 10:30. Angel was just setting up the empanadas .The lechon wouldn't be ready until 12. Angel made us a few empanadas to hold us over and we began talking. What a genuinely great guy. He was nice enough to take us over to where he cooked the lechon also which was a sight to see. I ordered a plate with fresh lechon with rice, the lechon has crispy skin and was super moist. We also couldn't stop eating the empanadas. He also does some catering on the side so make sure you give him a try.

Seriously delicious! Angel is just the sweetest and his food speaks for itself. Everything was on point and big Big portions! Went there with my husband and it was our first time and he gave us so much to sample for free. Treats u like family. Not one bad thing to say.

This is top notch pernil. Saw it on the Food Network and had to try. It lived up to the hype! Owner is super friendly. The only negative is that the hours and days are limited. Still 5 stars.

I order the shrimp mofongo, lechón with arroz, and pulpo ceviche . Everything was outstanding and really great, the flavor of the food was beyond perfect. Piraña (owner) treated me as family and that makes the experience one to remember. Overall .... would definitely repeat

WOW WOW WOW! Best lechón in NYC! Super authentic, lechón was chopped with a machete, felt like home, if I can go on I would. It was that great! The owner was SUPER nice, he gave me a taste of his homemade hot sauce and the vibe inside was super dope. I will definitely be going back soon.

Best authentic Puerto Rican food in New York City! Lechon was succulent and ridiculously good. Empanadas outrageous! The thought of the food makes the trip from Staten Island short!! Plus the proprietor is a charismatic friendly guy who is all kinds of awesome and makes everyone feel at home. Don't miss this place. Photos don't lie!!!

Best Puerto Rican food ever ..... BESIDES MY MOMS FOOD ITS DA BEST straight out from Brooklyn to the bronx for this flavor

Hands down some crazy good food. Pernil cooked to perfection. Juicy and tender it knocks the food in other restaurants out of the competition. The pastelitos are high quality too. It's cash only and the owner is super dope.

Saw a video of him on FB and the food looked good so my husband and I decided to try it out. We went today and let me tell you.....being there, smelling that food took us right back to la isla de Puerto Rico!! La Piraña is such a humble man...and you can tell he loves what he does. The food was AMAZING!! The best lechón I've ever had, hands down! He makes you feel like he's know you forever.

It's been a while, but I remember it being some dam good food. Lucky for me I live in Orlando, Fl and Puerto Rican food is just a few towns over in Kissimmee. Tons of great Puerto Rican places for my cravings in this area, but this place is hard to beat! Definitely some of the best PR food this side of the world! So when ever I make it back to NYC, I'll be hitting this place up for sure.... mouth already watering just thinking about it. So for those of you that live near this place, man I'm jealous! Enjoy that little piece of heaven right around your corner!!!