El Sazón R.D.

I'm always up for trying out a new Dominican spot in NYC and hearing one is in Chinatown I had to check this out especially given the recent win the spot got winning the 2025 Blue Moon Burger Bash People's Choice Award for Best Burger with their Dominican Smash Burger. Right off the bat, the spot is a bit small but works well if your coming with a friend as their are some seats and a charging station too if you need that recharge which is nice of them to have but for the most part this is a grab and go spot as I did see a number of people come and pick up their orders though they did have a good number of people just ordering which tells me the spot is getting a good deal of traffic and word is getting around. Staff were nice and happy to answer questions, I also like the décor and overall

They open at 0900hrs for a nice breakfast. I ordered their double smash burger and was pretty impressed. The meat was nicely seasoned and the buns were soft as air. The pickles nicely balanced the oily textures of cheese and meat. Very friendly service and pretty fast too.

GET THE LOADED FRIES! they are SO good, and thoroughly sauced so no dry fries at the bottom like sometimes happens. Also got the smashburger with fried cheese and i don't think i can eat them any other way now 😂 the place is a tiny hole in the wall, no frills, but great food, great prices, and friendly staff.

The pernil here is amazing, the burger is in a league of its own, and don’t forget to order an abundance of Mojito de Ajo! I would highly recommend El Sazón to anyone looking for authentic Dominican food in Lower Manhattan.

I ordered the Dominican Burger with one patty, cheese and grilled onions, and it did not disappoint. When it arrived, it was piping hot, so hot I had to wait a moment before digging in, which I actually love because it means it’s fresh off the grill. The cheese really elevated the flavor, adding a creamy richness that tied the whole burger together. It was juicy, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. I also tried the Chimi Empanada, filled with ground beef, peppers, mozzarella cheese, and onions. The flavors were great, savory with a nice blend of texture, though I do wish it had been a bit larger. To drink, I had their passion fruit juice. It was refreshing, but I found the flavor a bit lighter than I expected; I would have preferred it to be more intense. Overall, I’d rate my experience