The Scene
The restaurant's name refers to one of the busiest streets in Puerto Rico, not to the food, which is anything but marginal. Tucked away in an old strip mall, La Marginal is off the beaten path, but after one bite you'll make this tiny diner-style eatery a quick-fix staple.
The Food
While unusual to most, Puerto Rican cooking is the perfect comfort food. The simple flavors of white rice, beans, plantains and meat fuse together to make a meal that both titillates the taste buds and soothes the soul. The relleno de papas appetizer is reason enough to visit: This fried potato ball stuffed with spiced beef twists the meat-and-potatoes staple into a soft and crunchy delight. You can't go wrong with the plato el jibarito, featuring roast pork that all but dissolves in your mouth. And the tenderness of the baked chicken on the plato cuchilandia harmonizes beautifully with the sweet plumpness of the maduros plantains.