Amazing. First time there. Nice staff. Great portions

Absolutely love this little spot. Excellent food. Nice people.

Awesome experience! Love their food! Super nice employees! There is nothing bad about this place!

Great food ,good price. Nice owners. I'm from Texas visiting and I ate there 2 days in a row. 👍👍

The food is great its honestly the best around in the area!!and very affordable too.

LOVE THE FOOD HERE!! Usually get it to go. Amazing amounts for great prices. So yummy!!

Always when you're in the Downtown Utica area, get a taste of heaven. Always great, always courteous. (Try the Banana Milkshake).

Amazing food, great prices by far the best Spanish food around. I drive 25 minutes for this yummy meal.

Chicken and rice plate is outstanding. Price point is great. Well worth every penny spent!

Sometimes big things come in small packages. This tiny spot on the fringes of downtown serves some of the best authentic spanish food in the area.

Food was hot and fresh. It gets better everytime I stop there. Huge portions!

Really good ! I love it, by far the best & their delivery is fast an the food is always hot when it arrives.

This place was the best find after a 2 hour drive. The food and the people there were just fantastic.

Authentic Spanish home cooking. They serve big portions of chicken, pork, steak, and fish with huge sides of rice and beans.

Absolute diamond in the rough. LOVE this spot, highly recommend! Can't get enough of the empanadas

Great food for the price. Cool little place. Empanadas are tasty.

One of the best Dominican spots in Utica. Kinda cool to see people of all ethnicities enjoying Latin food!!!!

ALWAYS AMAZING AND BEST BANG FOR YOUR BUCK. SO IF EVER AND UTICA NEW YORK YOU MUST GO

This place knows what's up. Delicious. Legit Puertorican mofongo, arroz, pollo y tostones. Duuuurrro!

This place is way better to the place on Bleecker Street. The food is more fresher. When you order the empanadas they’re more filled and they’re fresh and hot people are friendly there and I just prefer this food store than the one on Bleecker.

Great selection and food, hands down for a taste of the puerto rican island, Joel's is the spot. The owners and family are all really great people as well, with great customer service. I always enjoy my visit when eating here. 😊

Empanadas are fantastic, but the stars are the plantains and mofongo. Their chicken and pork also can't be beat. Tried a milkshake there for the first time. Not just ice cream, but real fruit! Excellent.

My first time at Joel's was yesterday I ordered a dozen alcapurrias. They were very cheap and OMG were they amazing!!! It brought me back to being a kid eating my grandmothers alcapurrias! Thank you guys so much for the great food!!!!

One of the best hispanic restaurants i ever been to! I got there often and is amazing every time! I've tried just about everything on the menu and its all wonderful! Honestly way better than the one on Bleeker.

Service was excellent. They were about to close but opened the place back for us. The food was amazing. Thank you for making us feel at home.

I love supporting them.. Garlic lovers come one come all I always get the tostones with garlic sauce. Thats a satisfying gluten free snack The white rice with pink beans on the side and garlicky roasted pork is my favorite We drove 45 minutes the other day just to get lunch and if that aint telling ya something ... For those who hate garlic they have fried fish and fries .buen provecho.i know you will. que rico !!!

Amazing food for a great price. I can't tell you how many times I've thought about their food when I was at work or at home. Damn. So good!

We were visiting Utica for a day and saw Joel’s on Google Maps so we decided to try it out. We got the Beef stew, bacalao, and pernil roast pork all with rice and beans and it was on the money. Some of the best Dominican food we’ve had outside of the country itself and NYC. If youre looking for some authentic and delicious Spanish food and youre in the area, Joels is well worth checking out.

Joel's is my favorite "hole-in-the-wall" place to get take out. Prices are reasonable, everyone is always so nice, and the food is the best Spanish food around. Don't miss out on literally any of the meat, rice, and bean plates, which you must have with a side of fried plantains! Order, pay, and pick up at the side window. Since COVID I've only taken food out. Pre COVID, you could dine in, but call ahead to get the status of dining in.

The owners were incredibly sweet, the food there was very cheap and very good: the atmosphere was quaint and kind. The empanadas were fantastic and I recommend getting a plate of plantains with every meal!

My first time. They were super polite helped me with making my order selection and the food was fantastic! Very very affordable and the helpings are large. I will be returning.

Great food and portions for the price. I would reccommend this place. Only call ahead for orders, they make some of the food fresh on the spot.

Excellent food and service, I go there often, great verity of food!

Food is always outstandingly amazing !!! I've been coming here for decades and it's still the best chicken, rice and beans !!!

Great food and the owners are wonderful people

This food was exactly what I needed. Everything was cooked to perfection. It was also inexpensive. It's a very small shop but the food is home style goodness.

This place is the bees knees. It's just good, there's really no other way to put it. I had chicken stew and rice, and I thought every aspect was absolutely delicious. Imma comin back soon

There food is SOoooooooooo Delicious. Always fresh and always nice and hot! Whether you eat in or delivered. I recommend it to anyone who wants to eat good Spanish Food!

Love the food the service was amazing and friendly!!!

Great bang for the buck. I got the pork chops with beans and yellow rice. I also added 2 chicken and cheese empanadas. Everything really turned out wonderful and tasty. The empenadas were crispy and the portions were very generous.

What a great little spit. I was looking for takeout on my way to a hotel after a long drive and saw the reviews for this place. Did not disappoint. Had the mofongo and roasted pork with rice and beans. Looking forward to my next trip there!

Just tried this place for the first time. The food is amazing, it's as if I went to dinner at a Spanish family's home. Also very friendly service and food was done quick. Highly recommend!

A no-brainer for the weary traveler. We ordered the beef stew, yellow rice and beans and platanos. This is real honest food at fair prices and generous portions. The quality was exceptional when you think of how places like this we’ve been to before can short you in that regard. The quality of ingredients was no less what I would prepare at home for my own. Portions are generous. The place is quaint and there is seating for about 10 people. There is ample off street parking as well. What a gem! We travel the country and this place is a great find!

kirk vazquez

Arguably the best Dominican food I ever had! This establishment serves high quality dishes for a very reasonable price.

Zach Owens

Probably the best empanada I’ve ever had (beef and cheese to be exact) all natural, and every ingredient is made in house. Very fair pricing as well, definitely will be back more than I should!

Luvinda Cobey

The absolute BEST Spanish place around. Employees are always super nice and the food is superior. I got 2 chicken and cheese empanadas with a side of rice and beans and sweet plantains. The boyfriend got the 1/4 chicken meal with a beef and cheese empanada. ALL of the food was delicious, fresh and hot! Thank you Joel’s for the amazing lunch today!

JD

Absolutely amazing food!!!

+1

Jorge Torres

Great food 💯❤️💪🏼 but I been calling for a hour they need to learn how to pick up the phone 🫤

Eric White

Hidden gem. If you can get by the blight of the area this little Spanish restaurant is located in, then you’re in for a treat! Food is fantastic and the service is fast and friendly. Best roast pork in the area and portion sizes are a big bang for your buck!

James Davis

Good cuisine never had a issue with their food always amazing

Awilda Johnston

I’ve been coming to Joel’s for quite a few years (6) and they have gone from great, sub par, to not so great. Today I had the best roast pork and rice and peas in a long time! So yummmm! I also had plantains with garlic. Made to order. Fresh and delish!! Ten ten!! Cost with drink large: $17!

Len

It's a nice small and humble restaurant but the people are very nice and attentive and the food is one of the best in town. I wish it wasn't 40 mins away, I would eat there everyday if I could. I love their food. Highly recommend to order take-out 👌

Jose Pacheco

OMG, services was awesome and food super delicious!!! I will definitely going back!!! You got it try the pepper steak with white rice and beans, "DELICIOSO "

Lisa Tubia

Great food. Reasonable prices. One of our favorite places to eat. Support our Community & Family owned businesses. 🙂

Catrease Bowens

Sorry I forgot to take a pic before I dug in! This is the stew chicken with rice and beans and it is delicious. I've been eating here for years and will continue ❤

Pretty good food at a very reasonable price

Great tasting food. Large portions. Decent prices

Always good. Service was great. Portions just seemed slightly smaller this time around.

This place is great, family run, very friendly and the food is delicious.

Dominican food that is good and inexpensive. A little dry sometimes, especially compared to El Barajo.

Tostones and empanadas were both amazing. Half Chicken and rice were a bit dry but still tasty.

Tostones with garlic are everything! They open until late hours. One of the best places in Utica to fulfill your spanishflld cravings. Please never ever dare to close.

Great Spanish food. Just don't like the walk up window.. Won't be going their if it rains or in the winter.

Went for the plantains. Thought they would be pan-fried but they were deep fried. Not bad still good tasting.

Good food at a great value. The roast pork plate is my fav there.

Great fresh food service with a smile the food made me home sick it was delicious.

Very small inside but clean and cozy. The best deep fried pork steak I have ever had. The plus is they are very inexpensive. The portions are huge.

This place is a great place for Spanish food. The empanadillas are bangin! I had the beef and cheese ones. I also had the pork ribs with yellow rice and beans. That was also very good. Definitely give this place a try. Highly recommend!

S Moore

Second time in Utica decided to grab a bite before heading out. I had a specific taste I was looking for. I ended up here at Joel's. The woman taking the order was very pleasant. I decided on arroz con gandules and bacalao, chicken Empanada. Rice & fish was good. The Empanada it was bland. It was definitely fried to order. Would I go again yes.

Howard Revilo

- Joels Spanish Food - The food was great, the hospitality awesome! Everyone working there was respectful. The portion was over filling. The fried platanos, was so delicious. The rice and the combination of those type of beans was so tasty. I had this meal in my hotel room at the double tree. I had so many people help me back to the hotel. Maybe 8 people wanted to help me fi d the double tree. People here are so nice. Even the officers decided to help me back with my meal. Once again the food was excellent.

First time I have been here and have to say that the food was not that good 🥺. The empanadas were dry and they appear to be overcooked and didn't have that much filling in them.

Food was good but atmosphere could use a little touch. Seem like nice people.

You get a good amount of food. The good part is it's home cooking. No processed heat it up food, chicken cooked and seasoned to the bone. Small area to eat in if you like. The window shows the traffic as it passes by. This place has been in this location for some time now so it's like a go to for authentic Hispanic cuisine. The menu is not vast, but what it will do is open up your tastebuds to try other dishes.

Over priced extra fee on top of the already unlisted prices and owners were rude. 80% rice 20% pork. The food was good but I won’t be going again.

The flavors of the food were good and everything tasted good however the tostones were unsalted, no big deal but there were tiny bones of chicken throughout the chicken meal, like everywhere, like something shattered, made it hard to eat, a little on the pricier side for the kind of food it was, and I had to wait while several others were served before me, sat there in the tiny dining area and waited for 30 minutes for 2 meals and 4 empanadas with an order of tostones on a separate order, cost almost 30 for some thing I used to pay 20 for in Rome.

I only bought a sopa and it was OK. The restaurant was recommended by daughter who often visited Utica. I go once a month I'm hoping to try again 🙃

Daniel Martinez

I like the food from this place. It's not super tasty, but it is a good plain and simple taste, which sometimes we need. Pricing isn't bad. I tried the empanadas 🥟. $2 an empanada isn't a bad price considering you'll have about 3 or 4 to fill you up. I do want to point out though that the wait time was very long, and unless I heard the lady wrong, it was more than they told me. I heard the lady say 15 minutes, but it took an hour. Maybe I misheard her and she said 50 minutes? 💁🏻‍♂️

Will

Food portions are definitely worth the price. My experience was great my chicken was a bit dry maybe due to being the last customer of the night. The restaurant is small but there are tables to sit down with the kids.It's deffenitly a good Spanish place to try out.

Been coming to this place for a long time havent been there in awhile since we moved to rome but stopped in recently we were very disappointed in the quality of the food this time around we ordered rice and beans and their rotissarie chicken which is their main Dish they sell and are known for nitsure if we just went on a bad day but the chicken was very dry and bland and is normally very juicy and full of flavor.the rice and beans were ok this time around .i did also order the arroz con gandules which is rice with pigeon peas and also got the bacalao with it and the arroz con gandules and the bacalao were amazing which is why i gave it a extra star i gave a one star for the quality of their main dish advertised and for the quality of the empanadillas which we had chicken and the beef ones.ill try these guys one more time inthe future and i may change this review based on that future experience but for now 2 stars is what i give it as im big on consistency but i understand their are bad days once in awhile.

Great food but they can never answer the damn phone.

Rice was salty and no flavor , beef stew had no flavor. Decent for $8 but won’t be back for a second time.

They NEVER answer their phones for orders. Other Spanish restaurants are way better. They actually want the business besides the Oneida Square street feins.

VERY DISAPPOINTED!! Just ordered got home and my food is wrong I’m calling at 8:40 pm they close at 9 no one is answering the phone this is so Unacceptable!!!!!!

While the establishment has gained a significant amount of business, the prices have gone up disproportionately. Even during the pandemic Joel's has flourished, but nothing has improved. This used to be a place you could get a great portion sized meal for a even better price, now they jack up the prices and even charge for using a card for payment. Do better by your customers instead of being greedy.

This restaurant sits in the heart of Corn Hill it has been established for A number of years. A while back I witnessed a worker there call a customer the n word I thought it was really disrespectful Seeing that they are apart of the minority community. And because of thatI feel like our black community should not support that restaurant whatsoever. Everyone is not what you see on Oneida Street. That being said there are a lot of other Spanish restaurants to choose fromThey have very good dishes. Located at utica-rome Syracuse and Buffalo area that I know about that very good

All there food is old. Seems like they serve left overs. I ordered from a few time and I just didn’t like it. Asked for a chicken empanada and she literally open up a CAN of shredded chicken, drained it and used it to make the empanada. Try at your own risk. In addition, all there meat and fish is red in color and taste the same. Definitely not authentic!

Kwantia Griffin

I have tried this place 3 times and now I'm making a review. It is disgusting. The food is so called made to order but its still NASTY. My first order was stewed chicken with rice and beans, chicken was extremely bland (no seasoning). Second time was roasted chicken with rice and beans. Chicken was over seasoned with salt and dry. No juice for rice and beans so they were also dry. Third time pepper steak and onions with rice and beans bland (no seasoning). All of the food looked good until it was time for taste. NEVER WASTING MY MONEY HERE AGAIN!!!

Connie Mcrorie

Ordered peppered chicken normally is really good however I ordered yesterday and sad to say I’ll never go back again! I called the restaurant to advise them the food I received definitely taste old and disgusting was extremely dark it has never been like this! I always spend $60 or more for them to tell me they are not going to do anything they make everything fresh just blows minds!! I will never do business with them again! The girl who answered told me she doesn’t know what to say that they will not help me and basically didn’t care if I come back there or not in the future! Great service!

Frank Sinatra

Everytime I eat here my stomach hurts and I literally throw everything up. I could try it today and try it 4 months down the line and still have the same outcome. I don’t know what it is, but it ain’t it.

Eian del medico

Paid 40$ for two meals, told me 15 min. After a 40 min wait they game me overcooked porkchops with no sauce. I used to eat here all the time quality has seriously gone down, price has gone up. Do not recommend, this city has many fantastic Spanish options to choose from !