El Despertar Marlene - Broad Channel

I received my order really quickly, and my food came right away. I also ordered some takeout for a party, and they prepared that quickly too. The food tasted incredible, just like it was made by my mom!

The meat was overly salty, the rice was undercooked, and the beans lacked flavor and were watery. I found it quite pricey at $15 for a lunch order.

The woman on the phone was quite rude and rushed me off before I could even place my order.

The food here is mediocre at best. The pastellios barely contain any meat and are overly greasy. This was true for all the fast food items I tried as well. I ordered mofongo with chicharron, baked chicken, chicken stew, white rice, and red beans. The chicharron was either dry, overcooked, or just old, and the baked chicken was completely lacking in flavor, which was surprising. The white rice was acceptable, but the red beans were watery and tasteless. The restaurant itself is old and outdated, with just a few tables and chairs, which is not what I would expect given their prices. The only positive note is that it's conveniently located right around the corner from the train station and across from a bus stop.

I would fight to ensure this place stays open. The food is fantastic, and I absolutely love the frituras. My go-to dish is the pollo guisada with arroz, along with morcilla and alcapurria. This is my favorite spot for great Latino food.