188 Cuchifritos

188 Cuchifritos

Reviewed by
Em Pineda @TheHungryDominican

I’ve lived in NYC my entire life, but I only first heard about 188 Bakery Cuchifritos in 2019 from Anthony Bourdain of all people.

He made a visit on “Parts Unknown,” and I immediately knew I had to make a pilgrimage. Not to say that it would be out of the ordinary to hear about an extraordinary place from one of the leading voices in the culinary world, but I just didn’t know King Bourdain would have made a trip all the way to the Bronx to get his Puerto Rican and Dominican vibe on. This restaurant is what some might call a “hole in the wall.” It’s an unapologetic, no-frills establishment in which when you walk in you can buy lottery tickets to the left of you, and indulge in some of the finest Latin cuisines in the city to the right of you. From classic dishes like rice and beans, blood sausage, and fried plantains, to their outstanding chicharron de cerda (fried pork), there is no dish here that will leave you unsatisfied. Their classic Dominican breakfast of mashed plantains, fried eggs, fried cheese, fried salami, and red onions is a perfect way to start your day. The counter is staffed by older men and women who reminded me of my Aunts and Uncles back in “el campo.” If Bourdain brought the crowd, the food keeps people coming back for more: it’s still rare to see 188 empty.