Margon

The first stop on our Cuban WorldEats tour (even if it's not the first spot we've written about) was Margon, which is kind of like an old school lunch counter. M used to work around the corner from Margon, but never actually went to get lunch there because the place was always so packed. We made our first Margon visit on the weekend instead when it was far less crowded. We thought this would be a good first stop since it was really close by.

A got the fried king fish. It came with a green-ish sauce that was very oil and garlic based as opposed to the spicier, creamier green sauce that most Latin American restaurants offer. The fish was basically prepared with just a touch of salt to flavor everything and a lemon wedge. The sauce was very garlicky and added a nice sharpness as well. The only issue was that the boniness of the fish made it a little harder to eat and a bit of an annoyance.

The fish came with sides of rice and peas, black beans, and plantains. The rice and peas were rich and flavorful. The black beans were also fairly rich for black beans so possibly not vegetarian. The plantains were good and starchy and had the subtle sweetness that one comes to expect.

M opted for the baked chicken sandwich, something she has gotten often at Sophie's for work lunches (see here, here, here, and here). She thought it would be a good point of comparison.

The baked chicken sandwich at Margon was pretty much torn baked chicken with some sauce and maybe a little mayo (don't quite remember) on crispy bread. They didn't add that onion mix that Sophie's does that M loves so much, so the sandwich had much less flavor. The chicken was fine, but a little bit dry. Overall, M liked the sandwich at Sophie's better. This one also didn't come with any green sauce, which was sad. Maybe she should have gotten the Cuban sandwich instead.

Lunch at Margon was fine. It's one of the few authentic Cuban spots in Midtown (that isn't part of a chain), so it's definitely special for that reason. The food was good, but we weren't in love with it. Maybe next time we'll just go back for some Cuban sandwiches instead. Those are supposedly awesome.

Margon, 136 W. 46th Street, in Midtown Manhattan.