El Sazón Restaurant Brings Good Spanish Eats to the Little Italy Historic District On Lyell Ave

A side view of El Sazón Restaurant on Lyell Avenue

If you’re on Lyell Ave and looking for a quality yet affordable meal, consider dropping into the El Sazón Restaurant. If you’re a fan of Hispanic, particularly Dominican-fare, this unassuming eatery is piling tons of flavor on a plate and serving it right to you.

Some background context before I dive into this simple, yet flavorful restaurant. I had not spent much time on Lyell Ave before stopping into El Sazón Restaurant, but Lyell is a historical street, known for a time when it was a thriving community of Italian eateries and bakeries. The memory of those better days remains in plain view to anyone who passes the blighted buildings that have since withered like unwatered flowers in a seemingly forgotten corner of the Flower City.

The Kodak Tower between Plymouth and State Street

In 2019, attempting to recognize this historical past, the city of Rochester officially designated Lyell Avenue as the Little Italy Historic District. A reminder that immigrants make the community strong and bring flavor to the streets of Lyell Ave, an easy 13-minute walk northwest from the famous Kodak Tower that can be seen from most directions in Roc City, even on a cloudy day.

Community is still very centric on Lyell Ave. Like most communities, food is the element that brings us together. It shapes our perspectives and shared heritage, and is passed on through the richness of ingredients across generations. In a big way, El Sazón Restaurant does all of these things. The space is ordinary, with tables, chairs, white walls, and a few trash cans that pile up quickly with empty plates and recycled bottles of Goya or cans of Tropi-Cola. However, like the old saying goes, “It’s what’s on the inside that counts.” In this case, the inside is the heart of the food prepared and served at this subtle eatery.

Small Pollo (Chicken) Plate with Rice with Red Beans

Traditional dishes are found here: arroz amarillo (yellow rice), red beans, Pollo (Chicken), Bistec (Steak), Mariscos (Seafood), and Tostones. All plated with quality and flavor in mind. It must be prepared well because it will undoubtedly be scrutinized for even a minute detail or flaw. That’s the effect of community, it raises us up, and holds us accountable whether we want it to or not.

To conclude, the best part of enjoying a hot meal is with the company of others over a few laughs and some new memories. Spanish music echoes through the room of El Sazón, and a large Dominican flag hangs in the center of the room. Against the backdrop of the white walls, the flag is as brilliant as the music and adds to the character and flavor of the meal. If you go, I hope you go with good company, enjoy the food, and feel as though you have been teleported to another destination, as I did.