Lali Restaurant

Looking for a casual lunch spot in Hell’s Kitchen to meet a friend for a quick meal today, found this place on Unilocal and decided to try it out.
The place is a cozy narrow storefront with seating at the bar and a few small tables in the back. Being a Friday afternoon at 1pm it wasn’t crowded, maybe 4 – 5 other people sitting at the bar and 5 – 6 people sitting in the back area. We sat at the bar and service was prompt, hot plates of food were served within 5 minutes after ordering.
We ordered the baked chicken and the beef stew. Both came with rice and beans. Portions were generous for lunch, my friend is a fairly voracious eater and felt that the lunch portion was just right for him. The beef was tender but a little dry, the sauce and the vegetables in the stew were moist, tasty and had good flavor. The beans had this great home-​cooked flavor, I could have eaten another plate of just the beans and rice. The baked chicken was tender and I loved the blend of herbs and spices used. Can’t wait to come back and try the daily specials and other items on the menu.

I love this place. Old school, authentic Dominican/​Latin food. The Spanish radio station is always on. I grab breakfast here when I’m working anywhere near its Hells Kitchen location. Good café con leche. The Dominican breakfast includes eggs, plantains, cheese and salami. Definitely not diet food but so good.

I’ve been living in Hell’s Kitchen far before it became known as Clinton by the immigration of hipsters that now share the hood with me. Not that I’m too upset about it, as the neighborhood has changed, mostly for the better. Gentrification is inevitable, but it often brings casualties. One such one was the loss of El Deportivo, a great Latin restaurant on 9^th Ave and 48^th St. The favorite place for a good cheap rice and beans dish, it went away in 2011, I think, because their landlord increased their rent and they couldn’t afford it.
Needing to find another good spot for soulful Latin food I searched around and found Lali’s, a true hidden gem. They’ve got the best baked chicken around, and their beef stew is to die for. Their prices are unbeatable too. The two Dominican ladies that run this hole-​in-​the-​wall joint are krazi in a good way. They’re friendly, but service can be a bit slow [as it usually is in a Dominican restaurant — (sorry ’bout the stereotype)].
They’re open way early for breakfast, and for under $ 7 bucks you can order a Dominican breakfast, with mashed green plantains and a fried egg, fried cheese and fried salami. It’s DELICIOUS! Their Spanish coffee is damn good too, much better than Starbucks (yuck!).
Every day their lunch menu changes, but you can always get their staple, baked chicken or beef stew, which is always a good choice. Another favorite of mine is their Wednesday Gallina Guisada (hen stew). You gotta try it!
Lali’s isn’t open for dinner. It’s strictly a breakfast/​lunch place, and it ain’t open on Sunday. If you’re looking for real Latin family home cooking, at a great price, then look no further. Any true Hell’s Kitchen’ite knows that Lali’s is the best flavor around. (Oh, and they are cash only)

I love the food at lalis and I love lalis personality but the elderly lady who works with lali has attitude problems, like when I call in the morning for a delivery she would yell out «it’s not ready» with a attitude then I ask «when should I call back?» She will respond «later». I went down there 5 minutes later and got my food. Great food just don’t like the old lady.

Ready to go food, friendly clean service. Low prices, fresh and delicious, what more can you ask for?

I was hanging out at my friend’s place and we were both hungry so I Unilocaled food places in her area and discovered this place with excellent reviews. I rely heavily on other people’s reviews and they seemed great so we checked out this place. My friend lives close to this place and said she she never noticed it!
The two ladies running the kitchen/​cashier were super friendly, nice and welcoming. They have a different menu each day consisting of a few items. I think you can find that menu in other Unilocalers uploaded photos. My friend got the Cuban Sandwich, her friend got the beef stew and I got the tilapia. ALL WERE DELICIOUS. Her friend got the mango drink and I got the morirsoñando drink. BOTH WERE DELICIOUS. I wasn’t sure what was in the morirsoñando at first so it was explained to me and it sounded good so I ordered it. Plus, I like trying new things! It tastes like a orange creamsicle in drink form! Both the beef stew and tilapia dishes filled up the plate (we got it with rice and beans) and had the leftovers packed. Oh, we also had a side dish of avocado (I think that came with the meals?) because I didn’t recall any of us ordering that. I would definitely come back again if I was in the area again! Btw, I believe they only take cash.
Oh, and they play Spanish music in the background and I LOVE Spanish music! So that was a plus to the meal ;) Made me wanna go dancing hahaha.

The Baked Chicken is one of the best things I’ve ever put in my mouth. The chicken is really tender and falls off the bone, and the yellow rice and beans are piping hot and give you that comforting feeling of island life.
Plus, the ladies who run the restaurant are super sweet and inviting. This mom-​n-​pop shop gives Hell’s Kitchen some much needed character and charm!

Lali Restaurant is a Hell’s Kitchen gem for sure. The owners are super friendly and there’s a lot of locals here who seem to be regulars.
EVERYONE seemed to be getting the baked chicken, which is on their menu everyday. $ 8 for chicken, lots of rice (either red or white), beans, and avocado and/​or sweet plantains. I’ll definitely have to try this next time.
I got the beef stew and the portion was generous for $ 10. Very homey and authentic taste, and like most their other meals — carbs on carbs on carbs. The beef wasn’t as tender as I had expected. I’ll opt for something else next time, but I don’t regret trying it.

a hearty brunch at Lali’s (Dominican dish). i’ve been meaning to go here for their good reviews and very reasonable price. Eating here brought me back home to the time when my mom cooks for me. Very attentive to your need and wanted you to try almost everything. They even asked if i wanted an avocado which I immediately said yes (been craving for it). This is a restaurant ran by women so you have this home feel right away — sister, mom, aunt or granny. Latin hospitality is definitely there. The place is small but you can always have it to go. If you’re up for a home-​cooked style food, this is the place for you.

This place really warms my heart. And being Hispanic myself, there is nothing better than eating homemade Spanish food!!! My favorite soul food from here is the baked chicken with rice & beans =) It is also an unbeatable price for the portion you get, it’s hard not to want to eat there everyday.
What I also love about inside the restaurant is that it has this Miami vibe to it. For a small hole in the wall in one of the busiest cities in America, it’s nice to have that cozy, comfortable getaway that is so different than anything else in that neighborhood.
I love this place so much. It is part of our community & the people that work at Lali’s give the love back. I am so happy to write a review about them =)

Awesome hole-​in-​the-​wall Dominican restaurant! You have a choice between 5 pre-​selected menus everyday, all with their share of meat, rice and beans! The ladies who own the place have already prepare the food ahead of time, so you get your plate right away, with complementary avocado or plantain. It was delicious, super filling, and the restaurant had a great vibe! I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is looking for a good meal!

It’s incredible how such a simple dish can be so tasty. I was in Lali’s on a Thursday so I had the Thursday special. The Pig knuckles, beans and rice. There was nothing left on the plate except for the bones. If I were a child, I would be licking the plate. And it wasn’t a large plate. Amazing how a small plate can be so tasty and so filling at the same time. If you’re in the neighborhood, you need to try this place. Kali is behind the counter. Sit near the front. There’s no air conditioning in the back and be kind a hot.

This is a great option for people that love authentic food without the bells and whistles. The staff were amazing and the food was perfect Dominican food. I highly recommend coming here! We tried the Dominican breakfast and beef empanadas and it was perfect. The empanafas were perfectly done with flaky delicious dough. Two thumbs up!

Authentic mom & pop restaurant. Friendly and attentive staff. Will definitely come back to try more dishes on the menu.

Lali Restaurant serves up some flavorful, hearty fare that creeps up in my subconscious when I am craving comfort food. Good thing they have odd hours that revolve around lunch time; otherwise I would definitely gain a few inches around my waist from eating their delicious food.
They always have the beef stew and ¼ chicken leg on the menu, but I would recommend trying a «daily special» listed on the chalkboard instead. My favorite is the shredded beef (ropa vieja), which can be found on Fridays — it is saucy, chewy (in a good, lean beef kind of way), decadent, and if you are lucky, will find whole green olives in the shredded protein. I always get it with yellow rice (savory and tossed with lentils), beans (saucy, flavorful pinto beans), and request for avocado. Although I don’t care for plantains, you can request them as well. Wow, I am salivating as I type this!
A big hearty plate will cost around $ 10, but the servings are so abundant that it takes care of both lunch and dinner for me. For this area of Manhattan, this is ridiculously affordable!
A few tips:
— Cash only
— No AC in the summer
— Come during off peak times — the place is a tiny hole in the wall and it will be jammed packed during lunch hour
— They close at 4pm Monday-​Saturday, closed on Sundays
— They do serve a deliciously artery-​clogging Dominican breakfast as well. Yum!
Enjoy the amazing food as well as the guaranteed food coma bliss after!

As advertised. Great food even better prices. friendly people
but it wasnt spectacular. i give 4 stars because for a heaping plate of food it was only 8 dollars

This is authentic Dominican food! Wooooooooooooot! Delicious to the last lick on your plate!
It’s a small place and did find it a bit pricey even at lunch but it is worth at least one try. I guess if you take the other half home, the price works out but I have had some really amazing Dominican food on the cheap. And for lunch it’s usually six bucks while this place charges from 10 to 11 dollars per plate.
Try the ropa vieja aka shredded beef and rice with chickpeas. Yummmmm!

Authentic, and also good as comfort food. Food is fast, cheap and yummy.
Rice and beans on point. Baked chicken is great, but I was a big fan of the beef stew which was really tender and juicy.
A good find when you’re in the area too often and everything else is overpriced flash for the tourists.

Well this is a nice throwback option in the area. Chalkboard menu with specials, nice server lady/​chef, some seating, and most importantly — cheap eats.
For $ 8: What seems like a half pound of fried rice and beans, a thigh/​leg of chicken, and a couple plantains. Took 4 minutes to come out (sometimes it’s okay to come early). Got this baby to go so I can enjoy at home with some Sriracha sauce and a beer.
Chicken is moist and delicious. Wish there was more of it to counter the amount of rice in the meal. Plantains were good too, but again, I just wanted more. Not really a complaint to want more food — just so much rice. This was definitely better with the hot sauce since the meal is mild on its own.
Wish this joint would be open late night, since it’s the perfect food after heavy drinking. Alas it’s regulated to a great lunch spot.

First time here but the ladies made me feel like a regular. Super friendly like a honorary aunt.
All the food are cooked and placed on hot holding tables so it’s super quick to get a nice hot meal when you’re in a rush.
I got the baked chicken with rice and beans with a side of avocado. The rice is moist. The beans flavorful. The avocado sweet. But the chicken was a little bland and on the dry side.

Cool, simple et surtout avec une ambiance toute particulière. beaucoup de charme lorsqu’on mange au comptoir avec les 3 – 4 mamies d’Amérique du sud qui paillent en espagnol… j’adore.