Zoralie

Delicious food in a little hole in the wall. Cash only ! I wasn’t sure what to get so asked the server what was good and she made me up a delicious plate of rice/beans/chicken. Massive plate of food for $12 - I shared with my boyfriend ! They were very friendly and as we sat and eat, we saw many many people come and go for takeaway - a cute little find in the city

Love this spot. The lunch special was so hearty and flavorful. The roast pork and the yellow rice were great. The staff were so kind and friendly too. Definitely a strong neighborhood spot.

The staff are very warm and friendly. It's a small place with only two tables inside and two tables outside. They are CASH ONLY! I ordered the baked chicken, arroz con dules, tostones, plaintains and morir sonando. The ONLY tasty morsel was the chicken. I am a huge arroz con dules fan and have yet to find a place calling itself authentic puerto rican or dominican restaurant that serves up good, abuelita style arroz con dules. The arroz con dules here was EXTREMELY dry and tasteless. I could tell by the sort of greyish appearance it wasnt going to be good. The tostones were very dry inside, the plaintains instead of being a little crunchy outside and sweet and soft inside, was completely dry. Very disappointed especially after reading the positive reviews, which I'm now convinced were written by people who dont know authentic puerto rican/dominican food.

The friendly and welcoming service was delightful! I had a beef and potato stew with rice and pinto beans that was delicious. This was my favorite meal of my vacation. It felt like stopping into my own granny's kitchen to eat.

great food, even better people. cash / zelle accepted, no credit card machines. food made me feel like i was at home with my mother. impeccable quality. $12 bowls. no more comments. just come here. dont come here for $30 tacos. please.

The food was fantastic, but the service was absolutely unacceptable. I’ve attached a photo of our bill, which is a clear scam. We were charged for items that we didn’t order! Other customers either received a detailed receipt or, as regulars, seemed to be charged appropriately. I strongly advise you to always request an itemized bill to protect yourself from being overcharged. It’s essential to ensure that you are tipping based on what you’ve actually paid for!

Real, authentic neighborhood Dominican food. Family style, cozy, warm atmosphere. Highly recommend it if you’re looking for real, Dominican “soul” food.

Took lunch special and food exceeded my expectations, so so delicious!

There's just something comforting about this place. Dominican comfort food is something that can be eaten year round - from the harsh NYC winters to a quick summer lunch. I stumbled across this place and love how much of a hole in the wall it is. They have the green inviting signs outside and the "buffet" style inside. You can tell they get a lot of orders because they are always churning out new and fresh food. They definitely don't skimp out on the spice because the dishes are all super flavorful.. Some of my favorites were the pepper steak, chicken, and the rice. It depends when you go but be aware that they might run out of food options are certain times just given how busy they are. They move pretty quickly and try to be helpful if you're not sure, definitely a great business to support!

I've been meaning to try this place for some time. I thought it was cash only, but they do take Zelle. Very friendly service. Feels like having a home-cooked meal. The price is very affordable for how much food you're getting. The cheesecake is a must. I think the food is a 3.5. The service was a five.

Condense this First time here and I want to thank those who have reviewed this place. This is home cooking Puerto Rican food, family style. The plate are big with lots of rice and protein. The sweet banana is good, and the savory banana both were perfect. I got the lecheon and it was amazing. Just as good as my grandmas! Thank you for this meal!

The food was fantastic, but the service was absolutely unacceptable. I've attached a photo of our bill, which is a clear scam. We were charged for items that we didn't order! Other customers either received a detailed receipt or, as regulars, seemed to be charged appropriately. I strongly advise you to always request an itemized bill to protect yourself from being overcharged. It's essential to ensure that you are tipping based on what you've actually paid for.

This place is just so good -- so much food for the price. We ordered the house special, as well as the tres leches cake. I also got some mofongo, and the server kindly packed up some gravy for it too. Oh and fried chicken. Everything was just delicious -- the plantains, the rice, everything. I had no idea what to order, and I probably should have just got what was in the hot trays out front, because everyone who came in while I was waiting for my food to be cooked (most people seem to get their orders to go) knew what they wanted from that selection. The pepper steak seemed popular. This is one of the best meals we've had in Hells Kitchen, for sure, even though you'd probably walk by this restaurant and not even notice it. A gem.

Another magnificent visit to Zoralie today, August 1, 2025 where I had two favorites ... mofongo and rice w/pigeon peas. Nicest people work here who took a photo with me.

Family spot it seems. Really small hole in the wall you'd miss if you weren't looking for it. Amount of food you get and quality is worth the price point especially in the area. Is it the best I've ever had? No. But it's consistent and I've gone back at least 5 times probably. Roast pork and chicken are good.

Had to walk across town for this and it was 100% worth it. This small business hits home specially when it's Dominican food. I had one of the best 4 golpes: fried cheese, Dominican salami, eggs, and avocado with plantains and onions. The ladies working there are so sweet. Definitely will be back for more.

Love this place! Kind of one of my go-tos in the neighborhood. Always get the same thing.. the shrimp dish. I had the beef dish once and it was very good also but I love the combination of unique flavors and textures of the shrimp dish. But whatever you get on the menu is good according to my friends and family. Also great mocktails and cocktails. The people who work there and the owner are so friendly and the vibe always feels happy and celebratory. Always busy and probably a good idea to have a reservation but they are very accommodating.

This spot is seriously hidden located in the basement of a building, and if you're not paying close attention, you'll definitely walk right past it. Once you walk in , you'll be greeted by a crew of hardworking women running everything from cooking to serving and handling the register. During my visit, it occurs to me that they have a loyal customer base, mostly Spanish-speaking folks who seem to know exactly what they're ordering. For me, as a first-timer, it was a bit confusing. There wasn't a menu in sight ; no paper, no board, so I stood there awkwardly trying to figure out what to order. It's also a cash-only place, which is pretty rare in NYC these days, thankfully I had a few bills on me that day. The place is very tiny, just a few tables inside and a couple more outside. The food, though, is solid home-style Spanish cooking: think yellow or white rice, pinto beans, pepper steak, baked chicken, and beef stew with potatoes..... I was a little let down by the coffee taste, especially from a Spanish and Dominican restaurant. In my experience, the only down side is you don't get a bill or receipt, they'll just tell you the total, and it's a bit of a mystery how they calculate it. All in all, it's a convenient little place if you're in the area.

I'll be returning after my first meal. A friendly face welcomed us at the entrance. This place prioritizes appearance and hygiene. Their dishes showcase excellent flavor! Don't just take my advice - try it.

The food delivers consistently. The cleanliness meets standards. Every aspect pleases. Deserves consideration. Tasty dishes, helpful people. The meal hit all the right notes. Their approach to diners was impressive. The time spent here was truly satisfying.

This place never lets standards slip even when busy. Restaurant personnel deliver care comparable to their cooking quality. I didn't know what I was getting into - it was great. The few items we ordered met standard expectations. This place demonstrates remarkable consistency.

Always good food. Home style food. Cash only. I am always happy to eat here when I am in town. Good food, reasonable prices, friendly people. Baked chicken, with rice and plantain. Yum.

I finally got to share this spot with my visiting friends and they saw why I love it. The kitchen experiments with taste combinations well. The restaurant's look is stunning. The restaurant appears family-owned with kind employees. Everything here satisfies expectations.

A consistent visitor told me I should come. Workers here serve quickly without seeming rushed. We liked both what we ate and how we felt here. The food here is worth the visit. Tasty selections in an environment that works...

I come for breakfast or lunch often. I enjoy if very much. Its a home atmosphere. Its counter serve. The lady that runs the place if very welcoming and warm and calm.

This little spot has the best Spanish Food in Manhattan! Is family owned and operated and they are amazing the food is delicious and the portions are amazing too. While you're there don't forget to try the three Leche cake, OMG I wish they were open on Sundays.

For too long I've been oblivious to this excellent spot. Their workers were terrific and incredibly adaptable. This place has the right kind of quiet. Their cooking balances flavor with freshness and nutritional consideration. Sample the cuisine at this spot.

I'm no longer going to patronize this spot anymore. Second time in 6 months that the pernil that they cook and reheat smelled super spoiled and had that food poisoning gut wrenching thing happen as soon as it went into my mouth before having to spit it out. Some of their items on the steam table basically get heated over and over again until it gets sold and I'm just not ok with that. Today even the plaintain tasted and smelled spoiled like it was made at 7 am and sat around in open air until the afternoon rather than be thrown out and fresh made.

This spot handles everything with obvious skill and care. The staff showed kind assistance and answered questions with smiles. The restaurant presents a sanitary, vibrant setting. Just remembering the meal makes me smile. Stop by for a meal - you'll understand the praise.

Everything was amazing especially the rice beans baked chicken and pernil. Also, the tres leches was out of this world.

Seems like a very popular neighborhood joint, with a constant stream of people ordering dinner to go. There's limited seating inside and out, which is perfect for soaking up the vibe. Everything I tried was delicious and quite reasonably priced. Mofongo: Such comfort food! A mound of fried plantains mixed with some shredded chicken. Tasty by itself, but absolutely delicious when a forkful is dunked in that red garlicky chicken broth. Such strong flavors absorbed by the mofongo. Simply the best. Boneless Fried Chicken: Got this as the protein on my mofongo plate. Big portion. Quite crispy with the relatively thin batter. Long strips, rather than nugget like chunks. Tasty, though maybe a little dry with the mofongo and would have better with beans and rice. Pernil w/ Rice & Beans: Tender chunks of slow cooked pork. Some pieces were firm with a nice crunch. Excellent with rice & beans for a heaty meal. Tres Leches: So creamy with a completely soaked cake and lots of rich sauce at the bottom. Also, a nice dollop of thick whipped cream on top. Only thing that could make it better would be a little freshly grated spices, like cinnamon, on top.

Zoralie is an unassuming storefront on a side street of Hell's Kitchen. We went during a bustling lunch hour, and the chaos was slightly offputting, but the food made everything worth it. Unfortunately, I cannot say it was a speedy lunch: the ordering was all over the place, and as a first timer, you'll have to use some context clues to see how to order. Specials can be found on a sandwich chalkboard out front which will also remind you that this establishment is cash only. Seating is extremely limited with a few porch-style tables in front of the windows and a table or two inside. However, you'll have some of the best Dominican food in the area, if you can survive the slightly longer than normal wait time. Everything I had was delicious, from the daily mofongo special to the plaintains and daily soup. Saything that the staff here can cook is an absolute understatement. There is definitely a reason for the wait. If you're willing to sacrifice some of your lunch hour with an impatient line for some of the most delicious Dominican food in the area, I would say that's worth it.

Zoralie catered my baby shower of 30 people and everyone LOVED the food! It was an huge hit. Everything is so reasonably priced and they were so very helpful in every way. Efficient and DELICIOUS!

This is a little whole in the wall Dominican restaurant. It was my first time trying Dominican Food and I loved it. If you are looking for great tasting home cooking style Dominican cuisine, this is the place to visit. The staff is very friendly.

No frills Latin American restaurant with an unbeatable lunch special. Pay with cash or Cash App. The pernil is tender and delicious, an instant classic. I hear that their lasagna is a specialty.

Great food full of flavor. Highly recommend. Just make sure to bring cash (you can also use the cash app)

Don't blink or you'll pass it. Even walking like I was. Had lunch before a show. Everything was delicious. Wait staff were very friendly. Split a plate with my mom roast pork with rice and bean. Delicious! Price on point. Small place but reminds of eating in the family kitchen at home. Will be back again and again. Paid cash.

The food here is amazing. We tried both the beef stew and the chicken stew. The chicken melted off the bone and was so flavorful. The plantains and the beans were also so flavorful. We went at 2pm and it stil had a good number of people going through the shop. . Not much seating (a few tables for two) but their takeaway kept nice and warm. Huge quantity of food and so reasonably priced! Cash only but they take Zelle.

This isn't the best Dominican food but its the best in the area. The best prices as well. Its a family run business and they work very hard to produce a quality product. I love coming here.

Zoralie is your ideal spot in the city for Dominican cuisine, especially for the low. The space itself is limited, but outdoor seating is available. Although you kinda waddle your way inside when business is booming a little, it gives me an authentic Hispaniola vibe. It surely foreshadows an amazing meal. I ordered the longanisa con arroz (sausage with rice) and it came with sweet plantains and beans. You get to choose your rice and beans, so I decided to go with yellow and black respectively this time around. You also get to choose between beef sausage or salami and I prefer the latter. The meal was entirely balanced in terms of flavor, texture, and portion size. The rice and beans are potent in their taste and they went together like a couple dancing bachata at a wedding. The salami comes in to provide some more substance to each bite. The meat portion is generous, each slice is perfectly salted, and the tenderness is hard to overlook. The sweet plantains play a significant role in contesting the saltiness of the salami with a subtle sweetness and the texture was also ideal. Soft, but not mushy. Overall, the meal was extremely filling and it feels even better know I got all of that for just $10. This place earns my "That's what you call comida!" seal of approval.

Big platter with rice, beans, and protein for $10! Beef stew was very tasty and satisfying, if missing a little salt. Lady behind the counter was super sweet.

We had 11 small plates for 5 of us, and one dish was better than the next. Flavorful, great presentation, delish! Definitely coming back!

My trip to NY had very few sit down meal experiences. From hot dogs to $2 slices on the street, we pretty much stood through a lot of meals. This basement style joint was legit. The line wrapped around the brownstone and if it wasn't for the line, you might walk right passed it. Inside it's hot with a couple tables and it's very much like your mom just serves you a plate, you sit to eat and then you go. One we got our food we sat at a 6ft fold up table outside with others we didn't know. It's high energy, quick talkers and you kinda feel pressure to know what you want but it's all good. Look at the food and ask any questions and get what you want. It's just like my mom makes. If you don't mind swating a couple flies and eating outside at a dirty table with strangers, it's perfect. If you're Dominican or Hispanic in general, it's not crazy to pull up to a spot like this and the diversity of people in line waiting for the food was a testament to the cooks. I put 4 stars for expectations but the food is no lie. Also... what's up with it being so difficult to get good Dominican food. May be because we were in the city and not a borough, but geez we walked 30 minutes after the train from Brooklyn to get this. It was worth it though, lol.

$10 rice bowls!!! In this economy!!?? I am trying to stick to a budget since I spend copious amounts of money on takeout, thus my first experience here at Zoralie. After a solid 30 minutes trying to find "cheap eats under $10", I made my way over to Zoralie. Like the other reviewers have said, this place is a total hole-in-the-wall. A tiny, dimly lit, full of flies kinda place. I will say I was hesitant to order, but I bit the bullet and I'm glad I did. The chicken/rice plate was GREAT! The staff was super friendly and I will certainly return.

This was the place I used to go when I was pregnant. Honestly for me was the best comfort food I had. Every time I miss home or want Latin food I go there. The workers are very nice. I think the owner answer the fone. She always remember about me, and there is a guy so gentle that always helped me with the long line when I was pregnant. Today was the first day I fed my baby with "carne guisada"... she open her mouth wide open every time that I tried to fed her. She loved it. Now you gotta share the recipe or just open another restaurant close to us. We always will come back. Thank you guys

This is an ultimate hole-in-the-wall neighborhood restaurant. The people working the counter are really good about taking orders and getting your food ready. The food is fantastic. The stewed chicken is probably the most flavorful chicken I've ever tasted. The roasted pork was also delicious. The chicken mofongo was very flavorful with the rich amount of garlic needed for a classic mofongo. It came with a chicken gravy that was so good, it could be its own soup.

Was just in the neighborhood and decided to crave Spanish food before heading home. I walked in to an environment that I'm use to growing up and ordered a "salami mofongo". Man, I'll tell you, it did not disappoint. It was so delicious, this is what's left. They are cash only and very nice people. They gain a returning customer with me!

Walked in for some soup & they had some chicken noodle soup which was delicious! I had with some white rice and sweet plantains on the side. I always tried a homemade passion fruit juice! Amazing!! Very at home and the ladies in house was cool. Thank you ladies ! I'll be back.

Love this place. It's a cute hole in the wall local business. The portions here are HUGE for the price that you pay (we got 2 full plates and avocado for only $22)! And we had leftovers. My friend and I shared two plates: Stewed Chicken: This one was really good. The meat was very tender, and the sauce was so good. Pepper Beef (?): This one was also good, the onions and bell peppers that came with the meat were cooked very well. All the dishes came with beans, rice and plantain and I really liked all these sides. I also recommended getting avocado with your dish, it went really well with the beans and rice.

When in the area, I love to pop in and eat here. The staff is really nice and helpful. The food is inexpensive and consistently good. They have daily specials which are pretty good. You can sit on the small patio and eat as well. I think this place is a gem.

Easy to miss hole-in-the-wall Dominican restaurant that is delicious and homey. We had the Zoralie special which was plump and juicy shrimp in a butter garlic sauce. Perfect to accompany the mashed green plantains that were savory and the perfect tostones. The yellow rice and red beans were flavorful and perfectly cooked. I had the pernil that was generous with crispy chicharrones. The pernil was juicy and tender. My sides were red beans and the yellow rice. I could not finish the portions. They are CASH only and the lovely owner and her daughter are very kind. The neighborhood residents drop by and the regulars know each other. They are worth a stop if you want legitimate Dominican food in Hell's Kitchen near Times Square.

Good hot food. Had Plantains, beef stew, egg and salami with a nice cup of coffee. Very good and filling for breakfast. Reasonable and good food. Open Mon to Fri 9:00 to 7:30 & Sat 10 - 7

Cute little Dominican spot. I've only ordered the mangu with tres golpes from here (multiple multiple times) and it is yuuuuummmmmyyyyy! I love mangu and not every place makes it well but this place sure does. And the coffee is perfect too. Took one star off because the hours vary... they have hours listed on the front of the store yet aren't accurate. It's as if they open when they want to be open haha! Still love this little place. Just fyi- it's cash only!

As a hispanic, Customer services at these spanish restaurant always been terrible, but this specific restaurant is just utterly rude. Prices in spanish restaurants always seems to change as well. Ive been going every day for lunch paying the same price, whether it was cash or zelle. Now all of a sudden, theres a fee of $1.25 using zelle. Mind you, theres no posted sign of this. When i mentioned the prices change, they were very disrespectful & rude because i questioned it. Food isnt that great. Beans barely has flavor. But the pernil is good, i can say that. Anyway, fair warning to future customers!

This place was worth the search. Deliciously moist pernil & perfectly seasoned arroz con gandules.

This place was a nice surprise. They serve you a nice meal for $8. Both seperate times i got the avocado for an extra $1. To go, you can eat outside. Think 2 tables max outside. Place gets busy, which I'm glad for them. They serve good, affordable especially for the area food. They only take cash. Like most Domincan restaurants or delis I get the pernil and rice and some beans, which comes with some plantains. This probably is the best Domincan food I have had at this price range. That is why they get 5 stars and they are quick. Hit the spot both times, passed by this place several times. Glad I finally stopped in.

Zoralie is a Dominican /Puerto Rican restaurant. I live in Northern Virginia and this type of cuisine is so difficult to find. The first thing I did in NYC was search for some good Latin food. The location is small. There are about two tables and no air conditioner. It's extremely warm. Maybe this works during the winter time. But during summer it was brutal to eat inside. There are two other tables on the patio. Outside is a little cooler to eat. I ordered the Wednesday special, which is stewed chicken. I chose as my sides, rice and beans and plantains. Oh, so delicious. And they serve a lot of food. The special was only 7 bucks. 7 bucks!! You know how hard it is to find a place in NYC for lunch for less than $10? Pretty good. 4 stars.