Call it fritanga, call it chuchifritos. They’re fried, they’re salty, they’re Caribbean meat snacks.
Rancho is known as the post-bar spot for late night fried food cravings in Perth Amboy. Open until 2 am Mon-Thurs, and 4am on weekends.
This sort of place is the equivalent to late night food trucks in Washington Heights or the numerous popular fritangas in the Bronx.
It’s a very small restaurant, with a walk-up counter, where you’ll see the chef fiercely and loudly chopping away with a meat cleaver.
There’s a menu board on the right, but the basic gist is:
First, you pick what size of platter (picadera) you want, then which cuts of meat you want, and they fry it all up on the spot with tostones, everything tossed with garlic and lime.
To be perfectly honest, and not to knock the place, but I would have to be fairly intoxicated to order half those things. (ear with cartilage? just out of curiosity, can you order it without cartilage too?)
Never been to Don Manuel’s , but I’m familiar with it.
Other places I’ve been to in Perth Amboy are:
Taco Express - Mexican spot good for tacos and great pambazos
Rico Taco Mex - Mexican spot with Colombian bread
Alquimia Bakery - Colombian restaurant/bakery - wasn’t a huge fan of here
There’s also a Tortilleria I’ve been meaning to check out Tortilleria Lopez on 182 Fayette St.
Justin is familiar with Rancho, having spent most of his life in Perth Amboy. We are going to try it out soon based on this post. Love me some blood sausage.
I’ve only been for lunch and would never get rodizio for lunch, but I’m so glad to see the Armory updated since Sandy. Have you ever had the rodizio there and if so how was it? I’ve been for cocktails a few times during the summer when the outside bar is open and they have life music. I really want to make a point of getting there for dinner some time, is it worth passing right by Fernandes & Costa Verdi to go for dinner?
I was only at the Armory once, pre-Sandy and I had paella. It was good from what I remember. Portuguese Manor is my usual haunt.
Recently, though, and someone mentioned this restaurant, Justin has been taking me to Don Manuel’s. You get an astronomical amount of food for the trivial amount of money. Review here.
For me, I always needed white vinegar with blood sausage (or any blood product such as Dinuguan). Just a splash of that acidity does wonders to cut any heaviness. Lime would work exceptionally well I imagine.
I’ve heard of that one, looks to be another place with the fried meat picadera option, with other stuff such as yaroa (Dominican nachos), empanadas, and typical dishes.
I was fairly intoxicated in Durango, Mexico circa 1980 and ate some tacos from a street vendor and it could have been any of the above but I was so hungry they sure tasted good.
I got the stomach “flu” a few days later but I’m pretty sure it was the chicken sandwich on the train that got me.
