El Malecón Restaurant

Caribbean / $

764 Amsterdam Ave. between W. 97th-98th Sts.
1, 2, 3 trains to 96th & Broadway
(212) 864-5648

7 days 6 AM-11 PM
No reservations needed
Takeout & delivery available
Visa, MC, AmEx, Discover

This place bills itself as the "king of the roasted chicken," and indeed the savory spices of the Caribbean recipe have beckoned to us from the street more times than we can count, since we live nearby. There's a different set of daily specials for each day of the week. Wednesday—to choose one at random—features steak in sauce, spaghetti with chicken, fish in vinaigrette sauce, roast beef, Spanish-style guinea hen stew, pork feet stew, chicken, beef, or tripe soup, and yellow rice with red beans. But the one that we've returned to enjoy more than once is the Camarones Al Pilon (mashed green plantains with garlic shrimp). The tangy plantains, vaguely similar to bananas, are formed into an edible bowl that holds the shrimp and garlic sauce. Wash it down with Presidente beer and you've got a feast that'll have your out-of-town guests regaling their friends back home.

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