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Los Viejos Amigos may have opened in 2004, but its cracked linoleum floor, black counter stools, and block-letter wall menu give the impression that it’s been around forever. Prices are as old-school as the atmosphere. On a sleepy stretch of Vanderbilt Avenue, the small Dominican lunch counter keeps busy, dishing out piles of roast meats to a loyal constituency of hungry locals, many of whom the staff know by name. The two white-jacketed chef-owners may spend most of the day at a back table, sipping coffee and watching the Spanish-language television that blares overhead, but their work in the kitchen proves trustworthy. Slow-cooked roast pork is a house specialty, with chunks of tender white pernil laden with rich fat and crackly red skin. Roast chicken and pepper steaks are equally satisfying; a grilled flounder seasoned simply with lemon and pepper is a lighter, welcome alternative to the meaty dishes, and neighborhood kids dig the melty ham-and-American-cheese baguette sandwiches. Every entrée is accompanied by a massive serving of rice and beans or sweet plantains. Los Viejos Amigos also whips up fresh papaya shakes, startlingly bright orange saffron potatoes, and slabs of sweet cinnamon French toast. — Laurel Fantauzzo

French toast, $2.50, grilled flounder, $10, ham-and-cheese sandwich, $2.50, papaya shake, $2.75

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