Legend of Yaroa: The Cheese Covered Meat and Plantain Bowl at Empanadas Rosario

Empanadas Rosario is a Dominican take out window in North Philly serving cheap Dominican snacks, sandwiches, stews, and rotisserie chicken.  I noticed it as I walked by when I visited Tierra Colombiana, because anything with the word empanda in the name is going to catch my eye.  Alas it was closed, so I promised myself I would come back.

A fried beef pastelillo came out hot, the perfect snack to munch on while  deciding what I ultimately wanted to order.

Forgoing the sandwiches and $6 stewed meat platters, I picked another snacky type food. Have you ever heard of “yaroa?” I had not. But it is magical and I am glad I ordered it. The dish starts with a layer of mashed sweet plantains, followed by a layer of ground meat, a thick layer of cheese, and then some unneccesary ketchup and Russian dressing. Besides the ketchup and dressing, it is insanely good. Sweet, meaty, and cheesy- it satisfies every tastebud. It reminded me of the stuffed plantains at Tierra Colombiana down the street.

I brought home a stellar rotisserie chicken, complete with herby, blackened skin ($10).

There is not much room to eat inside here and ordering is done through what might be a bullet proof glass window. Nevertheless, its worth the trip up for a snack and/or take out and you can always stop at Tierra Colombiana or Iberia if you’d like to make it a complete your trip with a sit down meal.

 Empanadas Rosario, 4649 N 5th St, 267 331 6319

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