R&A Deli AKA Dominican Food Corp

R&A Deli AKA Dominican Food Corp - Staten Island

- January 30, 2019

I hate to say that I use Yelp far more often than I should. Not to sound like too much of a grandpa, but I remember a day when you would see a new restaurant and try it out. That simple. Maybe you heard about it before, maybe you hadn't, that didn't really matter so much. You were hungry and in the mood to try something new, and those were the only real thoughts that mattered. I'm happy to say those exact thoughts brought me to the aptly named Dominican Food Corp. also known as R&A Deli.

The Grub:

R&A is one of those hot table joints with a back kitchen constantly replenishing the food in the front. If you've spent any time in the NYC area, you've probably already been to a place like this before. If you haven't, or if you're looking for a new spot like I was, then stop in here and grab something. In my humble opinion, the food here is some of the best you'll get in its price range. Head to the end of the counter and tell the nice lady behind the counter what rice you want to start with, I suggest arroz con gandules but you do you. Make sure to top that rice with some beans, usually a choice between black or red. I like red. Then, you need some meat to go along with that, and the best bet here is the pernil (roast pork) which is out of this world good, always perfectly seasoned. If your not a pork guy, grab the stewed chicken, you can't go wrong. Now you need some tostones or fried sweet plantains to finish everything off, and, if you're feeling healthy, grab some salad too. Also, don't forget to add an empanada or two, cant miss that. Grab an overly sweet drink from the cooler and you my friend, are off to the races.

My Order:

Arroz con gandules
Red beans
Pernil
Fried sweet plantains
2 beef empanadas
orange soda

The Digs:

As mentioned earlier, R&A/Dominican Food Corp. is a hot table restaurant, which means you walk up, point to what you want, and they bring it out to you. Grab a drink, sit down, and pay at the register at the end. The inside is a no frills experience, sort of like an 80s or 90s pizza joint with more Caribbean decor. The food here is very well priced and an excellent value, actually quite better than almost anything else on Staten Island. The one problem is parking can get very challenging here. They have a very small parking lot that's always tight, over-packed, or generally short on space. If its after banking hours, I would usually park next-door at the Bank of America or across the street in the Lowe's parking lot.

Search The Foodhound

The New Jersey Foodhound™