Gran Rancho Jubilee Offers Taste Of The Tropics

Just across the highway from LaGuardia Airport on 94th Street in East Elmhurst a tropical paradise awaits. It’s easy to spot—it looks like a beachfront hut in the Caribbean. Every detail, from the thatched roof to the bamboo and rattan chairs and palm trees helps to create a warm, tropical feeling right here in Queens. This marvel, Gran Rancho Jubilee, opened a year and a half ago when Carlos Tavarez decided to bring the food, flavor and music of his native Dominican Republic to the people of New York.

Gran Rancho Jubilee is more than just a Caribbean restaurant. The expansive building houses a multi-level dining room, four cocktail bars, a lounge with a DJ where there’s dancing Thursday through Sunday nights, and catering for private parties. A large screen television shows sports for an enthusiastic crowd and there’s live entertainment, featuring Dominican singers and Mexican mariachi bands, each week. Gran Rancho Jubilee offers an ever-changing schedule of events, so check their ads or call for more information.

Such classic drinks as margaritas, fresh fruit daiquiris, pina coladas and rum punch will get you right into a tropical mood, and cool, refreshing El Presidente beer from the Dominican Republic goes well with Gran Rancho Jubilee’s tasty appetizers.

Fresh octopus salad is tender and tasty, as is the mixed seafood salad with shrimp, clams, octopus and scallops. A favorite of mine is conch salad, prepared with diced onion and bell pepper and a zesty dressing. Tavarez suggested fritanga, a crab shell filled with crabmeat and spices that was just delicious. Yucca croquettes, crisp and golden on the outside, were filled with savory meat. If you’re not familiar with this type of cuisine, the helpful wait staff will explain each dish and make suggestions for you. With so many fresh fish and seafood entrees, it was difficult to choose. I couldn’t have been happier with my filet of white snapper with delicate almond sauce that was cooked in a banana leaf to seal in all the juices and flavor ($18). Whole porgy in coconut sauce is flaky and succulent and goes well with the rice accompaniment. Plump shrimp are sautéed with garlic sauce that is soaked up by fluffy rice. A half squash filled with chunks of fish and seafood in a special Creole sauce is typical of Haitian cuisine ($12). Curry shrimp is a typical West Indian dish.

If you prefer meat or chicken, there are plenty of choices, such as juicy grilled T-bone, served with golden plantains on a sizzling platter. Plantains are a variety of banana plentiful in the Caribbean that come in both sweet and potato-like flavors. They are often offered as a side dish and you can choose your favorite. Yucca is another common side dish and Gran Rancho makes a creamy version of mashed yucca that is out of this world. Grilled skirt steak is another favorite, as are filet mignon and juicy pork chops. Asopoa de pollo, a thick chicken soup with big chunks of boneless chicken and vegetables, is served in a clay crock tableside ($12). Sweet and sour chicken with pineapple is a favorite among kids, and who could resist rice with chicken, lobster and shrimp? I tried the goat stew, very popular in the Caribbean, and found the meat to be tender and the dish itself very flavorful. Some continental pasta dishes round out the menu to satisfy everyone’s taste.

For dessert, enjoy a steaming cup of café con leche and a creamy, sweet dessert called tres leches because it is made with three kinds of milk. Crème brulee, flan and cheesecake are on hand, as well as fruit tart and chocolate mousse cake.

The lights, palm trees, music and colorful artwork make for a very festive atmosphere, especially in these waning days of winter. Gran Rancho Jubilee would be an ideal place to celebrate a happy occasion or a night out with the girls or guys. Don’t forget the DJ and dancing Thursday through Sunday nights, when proper attire is required. Check their ads for schedules of events and stop in soon for a taste of the tropics, right here in Queens.

Gran Rancho Jubilee

23-04 94th St.

East Elmhurst

718-335-1700