8 Best Places to Eat in The Bronx

TLDR: The Bronx food scene delivers authentic Italian on Arthur Avenue, Puerto Rican comfort food, Mexican tacos that went viral, and Cuban cuisine worth the trip. Three Bronx restaurants made The New York Times' 100 Best list in 2025.

When people think about eating in New York, the Bronx rarely comes up first. That's a mistake. After several visits to explore the borough's food scene, I can tell you it offers some of the most authentic dining in the city.

Arthur Avenue puts Manhattan's Little Italy to shame, and neighborhoods like Parkchester and Castle Hill are home to restaurants that draw people from all five boroughs.

1. Zero Otto Nove

Zero Otto Nove on Arthur Avenue serves what I consider the best pizza in the Bronx. Chef Roberto Paciullo named it after Salerno's telephone area code (089), and the Sorrento-style pies have a puffy, crisp crust with a soft center.

The La Riccardo pizza with butternut squash puree and smoked mozzarella is unlike anything else in the city.

Did You Know? Zero Otto Nove has earned Michelin recognition, making it one of the few Bronx restaurants to achieve this distinction.

2. Roberto's Restaurant

Chef Roberto Paciullo opened Roberto's Restaurant on Crescent Avenue in 1989, and it's been a destination for serious Italian food ever since. He cooks the food of his hometown Salerno, sourcing ingredients daily from Arthur Avenue vendors.

The veal osso buco is a regular favorite, but ask about the specials, which change every two weeks based on what looks good at the market.

Did You Know? Roberto grew up in a family of 11 children in Salerno, where his father cooked every day, an experience that shaped his approach to Italian cooking.

3. Taqueria Tlaxcalli

Taqueria Tlaxcalli has been serving Mexico City-style food since 2006. The burritos here are massive, stuffed with rice, beans, and your choice of meat, and the steak version is the one to get.

The family behind the restaurant is from Mexico City and Honduras, and you can taste the authenticity in every dish. The fresh guacamole made tableside is excellent.

Did You Know? Food critic Keith Lee rated Taqueria Tlaxcalli as having some of the best tacos he'd had in a long time, bringing citywide attention to this Bronx gem.

If you're planning a Bronx food tour, StoryHunt's Personal Tour Guide can help you create a custom audio walk connecting restaurants with neighborhood history. It's a good way to get context about the communities that shaped these food traditions.

4. 188 Bakery Cuchifritos

This Fordham Heights spot, 188 Bakery Cuchifritos, made The New York Times' 100 Best Restaurants list in 2025, and it's easy to see why. They serve Puerto Rican and Dominican classics: generous trays of chicharron, morcilla, pastelillos, and cuajitos.

It's no-frills comfort food done right, the kind of place where regulars have been coming for decades.

Did You Know? The restaurant has been a Fordham Heights institution for decades, serving the same recipes that put it on the NYT's radar.

5. Dominick's

Dominick, an immigrant from Calabria, opened this Arthur Avenue institution in 1962. There's no menu here. The servers tell you what's good that day, and you pick. At the end, they tell you what you owe.

It sounds intimidating, but it's actually part of the charm. The chicken parm and stuffed artichoke are consistently good, and the communal seating means you'll probably make friends. Cash only.

Did You Know? Dominick's seats guests family-style at long communal tables, a tradition that's remained unchanged for over 60 years.

6. Birria-Landia

The Grand Concourse outpost of this viral food truck chain delivers the same Tijuana-style birria tacos that made the Queens original famous. The adobo-marinated beef comes with consomme for dipping, and the combination is addictive.

This spot also made The New York Times' 2025 list, validating what people have been saying for years.

Did You Know? Birria-Landia helped spark the birria taco craze that swept New York City, with lines forming across multiple boroughs.

7. Joe's Italian Deli

Located in the Arthur Avenue Retail Market, Joe's Italian Deli serves what I'd argue are the best sandwiches in the Bronx. The Strongest is the signature order, but honestly everything on the menu works.

They also have trays of baked ziti and lasagna for takeout. The bread is always fresh, and you can grab items from other market vendors to round out your meal.

Did You Know? The Arthur Avenue Retail Market was established in the 1940s under Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia as an indoor Italian bazaar.

8. Havana Cafe

This Castle Hill Cuban restaurant consistently gets mentioned as one of the best in the borough. The portions are generous, the service is friendly, and the Cuban classics are well-executed.

It's the kind of neighborhood spot that feels like a discovery, even though it's been around for years and has a loyal following.

Did You Know? Castle Hill has become a destination for Caribbean cuisine, with multiple Cuban and Dominican restaurants serving the neighborhood.

Explore The Bronx at your own pace

Want to discover more of the Bronx beyond the restaurants? StoryHunt's Personal Tour Guide lets you create your own audio walk with an interactive map.

Build a personalized route that connects food, history, and neighborhood culture in whatever way interests you.