Torta Truck for Mexican and Rumba Cafe for Cuban are both great. I would take either over Pizza Masters for lunch any day.

Rumba’s Cafe is amazing and cheap as hell. The little taco truck by Lee’s liquors has my favorite tacos. Sabor a Peru is good with terrific lunch specials. Irmas cafe does good Birria tacos. El Rey del Ser and Tres Chillitos are also solid options.

Where they really hit is the cafes. Dulce de Leche, Unica Cafe, angel azul all do a great job.

Adding for your original list…Saigon Bistro and OZU Foods for non-Latin food

No but the Heights is not definitively Hispanic. Quite frankly I'd love more diversity in restaurants but the Hispanic restaurants here are nothing great. Good but I wouldn't recommend someone travel up to the Heights with exception to Rumba Cafe and Dulce de Leche. If you want nothing but Hispanic, Bergenline is the best place to go. Nothing but Cuban, Colombian, Peruvian, etc.

Hispanic spots in the Heights:

Rumba Cafe

La Bodega

Tres Chillitos

Angel Azul Cafe

Pio Pio

Dulce De Leche

Noches De Colombia

Mision Burrito

Torta Truck

Pico Taco

El Gordo

Galeria Cafe

La Concha

Nah I think this sub is just predominantly populated by non adventurous whites people lol. The vast majority of restaurants in the Heights are Hispanic. Noches de Colombia is a good start for sit down food. Torta Truck is good for fast/casual. Just go up and down Central, every other storefront is a restaurant.

Tres chilitos (mexican) used to be good a couple of years ago, but quality has gone downhill since the owner's untimely passing.

There's a few newer Peruvian spots that are quite good, but they haven't been around long enough or have enough quality to warrant a recommendation.

Kikiriki (peruvian) has great rotisserie Peruvian style chicken. But it's pretty much takeout only.

There's also a newish Peruvian spot at the corner of jfk blvd and Lincoln (the site of the old Vinnies pizzeria if you remember it). I've tried a couple of things there and thought it was decent, but its also more of a takeout spot.

Noches de colombia is ok, but not the great value it used to be some years ago.

Rumbas is probably the best of the sit down, no frills, good food, good value.

The best lunch value is probably La Concha (near Charles and Central ave). Delicious and huge portions.

I love La Concha and Irma’s Cafe. Neither is a sit down place but they’re both delicious.

El Sabroso is also fantastic, however, like many other the value is a thing of the past. I still go on occasion.

There's so much good Latin food on Central alone. Some of my faves are Sabor a Peru, Noches, Los Amigos (their eggs with green sauce, holy moly), Irma's, Kikriki. Tons more as you wander up into Union City too.

Of course the Spanish food doesn't suck, it's mostly pretty great. It's just that it's not that interesting to talk about compared to the latest global food that drops in like a Thai or French or whatever. Plus they tend to be down scale. It gave me a huge sad when basically all of the cheap Spanish places exited Downtown.

My favorite currently is Ricky's on Franklin Street, huge portions of Pernil w rice and beans!

Noches is ok at best, always check your order before you leave. They always forget something

For Hispanic food, take a trip to Bergenline instead of anything in The Heights

Yup. Hudson County has a lot of great food. Don't limit yourself to just JC.

Go to Rumba Cafe, Irma's Cafe, El Gordo, Unica Cafe, Angel Azul, and Dulce de Leche. Also, shout out to Freetown Road as a Caribbean option in JSQ.

Do you have any favorites on Bergenline?

I personally like Sabor a Veracruz and Oaxaca taqueria.

Rumbas in the heights is very good. There is a very good selection of peruvian places to. But you cannot go wrong with any spot on Central to be honest.

I want to try Torta Truck so much but it’s like a Mayonnaise party and they don’t do customization😞 which is their right obviously but I am just one of those people who can’t stand even the concept of Mayo.

Rumbas cafe is amazing though and pio pio café you can get something ridiculous like 2 entire chickens and sides for like 20$! Yum.

the taco truck is so good!

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I hate mayo too, but the will leave the mayo off if you ask. I think the customization they are talking about is subbing this ingredient for that one. Like mixing and matching different proteins. Ask to hold they mayo and they will. It’s well worth it.

Union city has the best Ecuadorian spot, Garcia's Restaurant. Don't try going on the weekends without a reservation. It's jam packed for their famous weekend sopa de mariscos.

El Gordo in the heights is a top 3 Peruvian restaurant in the US. I challenge anybody to say otherwise, find a better Peruvian restaurant and I'll pay for your chaufa order

El Artesano is lit

El Artesano, La Churreria, Las Palmas, Las Chicas all in UC

You got to try a sandwich from Dos Amigos in West New York

Why don't people see the obvious that the initial postings and usual follow ups are almost like a paid promotions so they can get free publicity. i.e. its advertising.

Rumba's is very reliable. Duche de Leche and Angel Azul are reliable cafes. Noches de Colombia has TVs for sports fans.

As for the recommended places you refer to; some are usually busy but some are not when I walk pass them but that could be because of Covid.

Noches has gone down the drain the past few years. Its Peruvian but Lomo Truck has been solid even with their growth.

Thank you!

the taco truck is fantastic, compares favorably to street food I had in Mexico.

Pico taco has been my go to for the last 3 months. Cheap and banging

Another vote for the taco truck. A+ food

>No but the Heights is not definitively Hispanic.

What? The Heights is almost majority Hispanic. I mean it's not as Hispanic as Union City or West New York, or even as much as it was 15-20 years ago, but it's still the largest demographic in the Heights.

I said definitively not definitely. The Heights is not absolutely Hispanic, especially in the last few years as it has diversified. Still majority Hispanic