Rico Pollo

Rico Pollo’s chicharrón has a crunch that you can hear across the room. You’ll find it in one of the many trays lined up near the entrance at this Dominican restaurant in Ridgewood, alongside yucca, maduros, and pollo guisado with salty green olives. For a sub-$20 meal that’ll leave you with leftovers to pick at for the next 24 hours, it doesn’t get better. Line up at the counter and get some food to go, or grab a seat in the bright, utilitarian dining room in the back and dive into a plate of mofongo paired with pernil, which is, on its best days, just as crispy as the chicharrón.

photo credit: Alex Staniloff