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The façade is very unassuming.
The strip looks somewhat run
down. |
A review of El Rey de lasFritas should begin by clarifying what my expectations were before my visit. I wanted to experience what a "Cuban Hamburger" was like. Did I expect to find the"Ultimate Hamburger"?... no. I was looking for a unique combination of flavors which is what the "frita" is all about...
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Just in case you get "confused"
this sign makes it pretty clear.
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The restaurant is kind of small, six booths back to back and about a dozen stools at the counter. The server was very endearing and treated us like old friends, if you happen to speak Spanish you can expect to be called: "My dear", "My love","My child", etc... very enjoyable.
In addition to the usual soft drinks: Coke, Materva etc., they also make shakes and fruit juices. The melon juice was pure and sweet (maybe added sugar) and the banana shake was very thick (made from real bananas).
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They make "jugos" and "batidos"
rignt in front of you.
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The "fritas" come in a white semi-soft roll about the size of a whopper roll, julienne French fries are piled on top and chopped onions are offered as an option. There is also a cheeseburger version with American cheese.
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The "frita" with julienne fries.
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Other than the julienne fries, what separates this hamburger from the average fast food burger is the sauce, which is tomato based (some may refer to it as a “sofrito”) added on top while the burger is being cooked. That is all the information they are willing to volunteer about the sauce; our warm friendly server turned ice cold when I prodded her for more information, she simply stated: "...it's a secret". From what I could taste, there was some tomato paste, cumin, garlic and paprika. When the right amount of sauce is applied to the meat patty, the combination of the meat flavor with the sauce makes it quite tasty and satisfying. Unfortunately, the flavor of the sauce was overpowering the taste of the meat, coming close to nullifying it, so basically what was left was a French fry sandwich with a strong tomato based sauce and a faint taste of meat.
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| The "Frita Especial" here it means they add cheese. |
The"Pan con Bistec"(steak sandwich) was actually one of the better steak sandwiches that I've had within the Cuban food genre. The lettuce and tomato were very fresh and the meat was tender, not chewy like in other places. If you are ordering the"Pan con Bistec" and the "frita" (probably the best way to go if you want to sample the best they have to offer), don't have the steak after the "frita" or the aftertaste of the "frita" will nullify the taste of the meat in the steak sandwich.
EL REY DE LAS FRITAS MENU
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"Pan con Bistec", one of the
better ones I've had.
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There are other offerings in the menu and from the looks of it, the other items looked good for a Cuban joint... but I was not there for that.
The "Flan"(Egg based custard with light syrup) for dessert was totally average and the Cuban coffee was as good as any they make anywhere.
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Here is the check:
Total: $25.05 |
The total order was: One “Frita”, one “Frita Especial”, one “Pan con Bistec”, one “Jugo de Melon”, one banana shake, one flan and one coffee. The total check came to about $25.00 with tax, tip not included.
All in all, the food was ok.A visit here could be considered an "adventure" to see what the "fritas" are all about. I do think that the steak sandwich is a must try but if you are going to call yourself the king of something, you better be ready to knock it out of the ballpark, this was more like a one base hit.
RATING:
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★★
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TOTAL CALORIE
COUNT:
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Fritas: 470 to 570 each
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Pan con bistec: 900
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TASTE:
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Slightly above average
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NUTRITIONAL VALUE:
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You don’t come here for that.
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COST:
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Meal for two:$25.00
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