Profile

La Lechonera Criolla is especially welcoming given the industrial stretch of the South Bronx, lined with tire and auto-body shops, it occupies. Typical cocina criolla dishes (Puerto Rican creole favorites) offer hearty and home-style renderings of pork, steak, chicken, and shellfish. Mondongo, tripe soup with pig feet disconcertingly floating in a citrus-inflected broth, is a popular starter. Mofongo relleno de pollo is an appealing mix of starchy mashed plantains, dry shredded chicken, and crunchy bits of pork rind. Served in a tall cone, the dish comes to life when dressed with garlicky sauce. Namesake lechón, or roast pork, is proudly displayed in the front window; the meltingly tender pulled meat is served with squares of caramel-colored skin. The space is large, with a bar and lunch counter bookending the room. Tables are oriented toward a small stage, where a Puerto Rican flag is the backdrop for jumping Sunday-night live music. The room itself sports more red, white, and blue than the Fourth of July, with additional Puerto Rican flags encased under glass tabletops and strung along the ceilings. — Ethan Wolff

Mofongo relleno de pollo, $7; Cuban sandwich, $5; roast-pork plate, $7