Old San Juan Express, Hackensack

If you claim to be an authentic Puerto Rican restaurant, you had better serve mofongo, the island's beloved plantain dish that's fried, mashed, molded into a ball, and topped with broth. At Old San Juan Express, the chefs prove their authenticity by preparing four types of mofongo—shrimp, pork, chicken, and plain. They also whip up other Puerto Rican dishes, such as fried beef turnovers, empanadas, and alcapurrias, a fritter dish made from a doughy mixture of tubers and vegetable roots. Moreover, they keep the eatery's buffet filled with fried chicken, oxtail stew, baked ribs, and these metallic things that let you pick the food up.