Bad Bunny's residency has Puerto Rico on everyone's mind. Among those already on the Island is Toñita, the matriarch of Caribbean Social Club whom Bad Bunny immortalized in "Nueva Yol," who is back in her hometown of Juncos for "a well-deserved rest and a well-deserved rumba," as she shared on social media.
She was a special guest at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico and was honored with a motorcade, music and a lot of love. Meanwhile, her chinchorro (a casual roadside food and drink spot) in Brooklyn, a refuge for the diaspora for four decades, remains closed until further notice.
What do Puerto Ricans, Latinos and friends of Toñita do while the Club is closed? Where can we listen to music from our community, dance a little, play dominoes and eat like home in New York City?
Well, that's a big question, and here I'll try to answer it. From mofongo to live music to cafes with soul, these places are little pieces of the Island in the city.
🌆 🇵🇷 Corners where the Island lives in the heart
Bembé
📍Address: 81 S 6th St, Brooklyn
Where reggaeton and salsa never stop
If you want to dance to Puerto Rican and Latin music, Bembé in Williamsburg is the spot. This small bar, just across the Williamsburg Bridge, is pure energy. Once the music starts, you can't stop moving. Live DJs play salsa, reggaeton, cumbia, reggae, afrobeat and more. Order your drink, bring your crew and get ready to dance until dawn.
Coney Island
📍Address: 1000 Surf Ave, Brooklyn
Drums, trumpets and the sea: Puerto Rico outdoors
But if what you want is a more intimate experience, connecting with the Puerto Rican community and joining an outdoor musical gathering, stop by Coney Island on weekends.
A group of Nuyoricans gathers on the boardwalk with drums, trumpets, flags and plenty of flavor. Just follow the rhythm, and the flags waving by the sea. People sing, dance and live the culture here. It feels like home, but in New York.
Casa Adela
📍Address: 66 Loisaida Ave, Manhattan
Grandma's cooking in the Lower East Side
And if you get hungry and want to eat criollo, Casa Adela in Loisaida is a classic. This well-known restaurant is a piece of Puerto Rico in New York. Casa Adela's cooking doesn't miss: mofongo, rice and beans, fried meat, pernil, tostones, homestyle dishes that warm the soul. Perfect for anyone missing the flavor of the Island.
Kiosko 787
📍Address: 488 Carroll St, Brooklyn
Like the beach at Piñones
But if you're in Brooklyn looking for a treat, Kiosko 787 has bacalaítos, alcapurrias, pasteles, mofongo and even traditional holiday dishes. A little corner of Borinquen for those who know what's good.
The Pincho Truck
📍Address: 90 Kent Ave, Brooklyn
The flavor of chinchorreo on the streets of Brooklyn
this one is a real find: The Pincho Truck. For Puerto Ricans, nothing beats a BBQ pincho, and The Pincho Truck has them. Chicken or pork, soft bread and even tostones, the flavor is irresistible. It takes me back to the mountains of Puerto Rico. You can find them at the Union Square Night Market and on weekends around Brooklyn. My mouth waters just thinking about it.
Café Colmado
📍Address: 286 Broome St, Manhattan
Where coffee and culture meet
And if after eating and dancing you still have energy left, nothing beats a cafecito at Café Colmado. This cafe, which opened in 2024, is a gathering point for a vibrant scene of young talent, artists and people who want to feel the Island close by.
Acclaimed chef Manolo López, of the legendary Mofon•GO project, created this space where Puerto Rican identity connects with all kindred cultures and celebrates who we are. Events are held here with a lot of style, and you feel the Island in every corner.
I'm sure many will miss Toñita, but in the meantime, we keep enjoying and sharing what's ours. Puerto Rico is here too: on every corner, in every rhythm, in every dish.
Acho, PR en NY es otra cosa!
This content was translated with the assistance of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
