DeCaBo Bar & Lounge
32-49 Francis Lewis Boulevard
Bayside, N.Y. 11358
(In Bay Plaza Shopping Center)
Telephone: 718-321-1287
Fax: 718-321-1457
Hours: Tuesday through Thursday 4 to 10 p.m.,
Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to 4 a.m.
Web site: www.decabobarandlounge.com
Catering available for all occasions
Free Parking
Free Salsa dance lessons on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m.
Thursdays are Ladies’ Night with two for one drinks
Live DJ Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
DeCaBo is a family-run Puerto Rican restaurant and lounge on Francis Lewis Boulevard in Bayside. It is nestled at the rear corner of the Bay Plaza Shopping Center. This hidden gem is truly a great find.
Jose Cajas, host and owner, welcomed us to his modern lounge and restaurant that features Puerto Rican food. It is the fare, he explained, preferred by other Latin cultures due to the way the food is prepared and seasoned. He is so right.
The portions are large – the prices are not. The food was delicious and included crispy fried chicken pieces (Chicharron de Pollo), crispy fried pork pieces (Carne Frita) served with sides of sweet plantains and yucca. The beef stew was hearty and filling.
The menu includes Sandwiches Tostados (pressed sandwiches) with steak, pulled pork or pulled chicken.
The menu is concise but has all the right offerings.
Rosa, Jose’s sister-in-law, who runs the kitchen, made us a special order of Mofongo.
The food is freshly prepared and seasoned to perfection. Along with Sangria, beer and wine, there are signature drinks that you will not find elsewhere like “El DeCaBo” – Hennessy, cranberry juice and 7 UP – or “El Coqui” – Puerto Rican eggnog with Bacardi rum.
Most evenings, the restaurant morphs into a lounge.
There is Salsa on Tuesday, Beer Pressure Wednesday, Jump Off Thursday and a DJ on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The bar menu is available late into the evening, with drink specials.
Come casual, reservations are not required.
We loved this place and welcome Jose and the staff of DeCaBo to Bayside.
