INWOOD, MANHATTAN
Elsa La Reina del Chicharrón
Crackling Dominican pork chicharrón and fried chicken with rice and beans, a few doors from the Dyckman Farmhouse.
The name is a promise: Elsa, the queen of chicharrón. On Broadway, a few doors from the 1785 Dyckman Farmhouse, this Dominican counter fries pork belly into crackling chunks and sells it by the plate with rice and beans. Chicken gets the same treatment as chicharrón de pollo.
Portions are large and the room is basic, which is exactly how it should be. Order at the counter, and take a fresh juice or a batido from the juice bar on the way out.
Editor’s tip
Order chicharrón de cerdo with rice and beans, then walk it off in Inwood Hill Park.
Also in the neighborhood
INWOOD, MANHATTAN
Patacon Pisao (the original truck)
The truck that started it all — fried green plantain for a bun, piled with pernil or shredded beef, on West 202nd Street late into the night.
Venezuelan · Food Truck & Cart · $
INWOOD, MANHATTAN
Cachapas y Mas
Sweet-corn cachapas folded over white cheese, served deep into the night on Dyckman Street.
Venezuelan · Hidden Gem · $
Editorial draft — core details last reviewed October 13, 2026. Confirm practical details with the official site before you go.