Perez
Restaurant
217-19
Jamaica Avenue,
Queens Village
718- 776-0673
Cuisine:
Spanish
Hours:
9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Monday to Saturday
There’s
a casual mid-sized restaurant in Queens Village that’s as
appropriate for just hanging out as it is for good Spanish and
American food.
Perez
Restaurant, on Jamaica Avenue between 217th and 218th Streets, has
just under 50 seats in two rooms separated by a swinging half-door.
There’s
a television always going with one of the local Spanish-language
stations, and the staff is friendly and attentive in the best way; you
don’t notice they’re there, but they’re aware of your needs.
Run
out of napkins?
They’re there.
Need some more water?
They’re there.
Sitting at the diner-style counter, life is even better.
There’s
a jukebox in the restaurant’s rear dining room, filled with
Spanish-language CDs.
Nothing was spinning during a recent mid-week visit, but the
big room is a perfect space for parties with music.
Another
thing that makes Perez a great place to kick back and relax is that
unlike most take-out and delivery-friendly restaurants, there’s a
large selection of beers to enjoy with (or without!) a meal.
Like
at a good bar, some regulars at the restaurant don’t even have to
order.
As soon as they sit down, their favorite brew is served.
With
the Queens Village Long Island Railroad station right across the
street, Perez is a great place to stop in for a cold one and dinner to
go before heading home.
In
another diner-like offering, Perez serves its breakfast foods any time
of the day.
The breakfast menu is more Spanish than American, being heavy
on meat, eggs and fried stuff.
Hamburgers and cheeseburgers, oddly, are also on the breakfast
menu.
But
oh, is breakfast at Perez cheap . . . and good.
Two eggs with sausage, ham or bacon, toast, home fries and
coffee is just $2.50 and classic greasy-spoon.
There’s
a big sandwich menu, also big on heavy meats.
All are under $4.50.
The
restaurant’s platos calientes, or “hot platters,” are also heavy
on meats, and can be interesting for people not familiar with Spanish
food.
Hen is differentiated from chicken (both $5), and you can also
order pig’s feet, ox tail stew and goat stew.
The
most expensive hot platter is the shrimp, at $9.
All are served with rice and beans, mashed potatoes, fried
plantains or vegetables.
Also
exotic on the menu is an octopus salad, at $10.
For
a great dessert at Perez, try one of their natural shakes: papaya,
mamey, mango, vanilla and fresa.
All are $2.50.
Perez
does free delivery in its neighborhood for orders over $8.50.
Another thing to know about the restaurant is that its
offerings aren’t fixed; you can often get things not printed on the
menu, like the fried chicken on a recent visit.
—
Shams
Tarek
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