The restaurant has the ambiance of a small town PR restaurant that you would find tucked away in…read morethe country roads of the island, with the long shared tables and the decorations. The wait was usual for Old San Juan. About 30-45mins. They take your name down and call you when there's a table ready. What they don't tell you is that the menu is a QR code on the table. Once you figure that you see a well organized and simple 2 pages menu with many PR authentic dishes listed. The waiter comes about 10-15mins later. And it's best to have all your order ready as they don't come back very often. The place is usually packed all the hours that they're open. Food: that's why they lost a star. Rice and beans, Madurai/amarrillos, scurrilous, delicious 5 stars, but the bigger, empanada, chicken with garlic lack the bite that you come to expect of PR food! They lack taste, "Sazon", they were bland and tasted more like someone forgot to season them and forgot the garlic. I'd tell them to go back to their food and make PR food like it's supposed to taste, not for the tourist, please!

First time visiting El Jibarito! What an amazing experience, delicious homemade food with lovely…read morestaff members. Even the locals come here of how good it is. You get tons of food for the price and would definitely come here again hands down. Feels like my fam is cooking back there in the kitchen haha. Highly recommend!

Excellent service & staff!!! Food and drinks were amazing!!!…read moreDefinitely recommend when in SJ PR

"Great food, great service, local vibe, near port in San Juan"…read more We stopped in San Juan on a Monday from a cruise, and a lot of lunch places were closed. We ended up going here based on good reviews, and we were not disappointed. The place was HOPPING-- nearly every seat taken, but we snagged two seats at the bar. Crowded and slightly noisy but not annoyingly so. My dining partner and I both got mofongo -- I got shrimp and she had chicken. We had rice & beans for a side. Food came out relatively quickly despite how busy the place was. The mofongo was DELICIOUS. I loved it especially with the hot sauce. The shrimp did still have tails, but the taste was perfect. The rice and beans were tasty too. We did appreciate that the place seemed to have a good mix of tourists as well as locals, too. Service was great-- you pay at the front as you leave. Would heartily recommend.

Food was amazing! Highly recommend the platter to share and try a little bit of everything.read more

best pernil i've had in a while! moist, not overcooked at all and flavor was just perfect combined…read morew the mojo sauce! good vibes and great service.

I liked it. Saw a boat tailed grackle. Saw many of those actually. Their beans rock. I loved it…read morehere. Really expensive.

The wait staff was exceptional--friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable about the extensive menu…read moreofferings. The restaurant has a great atmosphere, with Spanish music setting the tone inside and comfortable outdoor seating that made for an enjoyable dinner setting. I started with a house well drink before ordering the fried pork mofongo. The mofongo was outstanding. The plantains and pork were perfectly balanced, and the house garlic sauce tied the dish together beautifully. Overall, I'd rate it a solid 9/10.

I discovered a quaint little spot on YouTube while researching my cruise that serves authentic…read morePuerto Rican food. I was really craving fried snapper, but unfortunately, it was too large for me to eat by myself. To my disappointment, it was served family style, and my family wasn't in the mood for fish. Instead, we ordered several items from the menu, including stew chicken, fried pork chops, which my son really enjoyed. We also had mofongo with chicken and creole sauce, white rice and beans, fried plantains, and another side of beans and rice. We definitely over-ordered, as the food was plentiful and very filling. In fact, that was the only meal we had that day. If you're ever in San Juan, Puerto Rico, I highly recommend this restaurant. It's a hidden gem tucked away on a side street. You will not be disappointed! I can't wait to go back.

Try. the. Mofongo. The skirt steak mofongo, with garlic…read moresauce. Order it, possibly to share -- it's a big portion. You will not be sorry. Your date might be a little over-garlicked if you try to kiss them without letting them at least try it, though. Definitely a vampire-free zone. Delicious! And the best I have ever had, anywhere. We tried a little of a lot of things, kind of a meal of sides to go with our mofongo, and the empanadilla pastry was flaky and light. Hubs liked the chicken one best, I preferred the ground beef. But the big takeaway is the mofongo with garlic sauce. They even let you choose from a list of other sauces if you don't want garlic, but frankly, there's a reason it's listed first and it's not just tradition.

Review #1,046 Posted on 4.26.26…read more We came here on Thursday the 23rd while in San Juan area for my buddies 50th birthday. This spot we had seen on social media a ton for being famous for their Mallorca sandwich, a special type bread, we got the one with bacon & American cheese. Man, I made the mistake of doing the bacon instead of ham, overthought that deal. I tried my buddies with ham n cheese and I think that was way to go. I loved how this spot had that super old school feel of like a diner. You can sit at one of the table tops, or you can do the countertop too, which has tons of seats, we all were able to sit there. I'd 100% recommend this spot, but get the ham n cheese mallorca sandwich, don't overthink it.

Walked in here at ~8:15am for breakfast. There was not a lot of people yet; we were seated at the…read morebar. After a few minutes, people started trickling down and soon the place was close to being full. I liked the mallorca with ham, bacon, cheese! It was delicious. They looked small but they were filling. The pastries displayed at the window were inviting. If you're dining in, you have to tell your server that you're getting some pastries that are on display then you ask the person at the counter who also serves as the cashier to get them for you. The guava pastry was good. The vanilla bread with strawberry and pineapple/lemon was okay. They looked better than they tasted in my opinion. Payment for everything would be at the cashier after dining. If you're in San Juan, this is a place to try!

Awesome food, chill ambiance. Definately on island time,…read morebut worth the wait. The food was delicious and beautifully plated. Highly recommend if you get the chance to go. Good for groups, and plenty of seating. Swing by and give your taste buds a delight! You won't regret it.

Located near Plaza Colon. We came here for the mofongo. Definitely dive bar vibes…read more We ordered drinks and mofongo. I got the sangria and my husband got a pina colada. Food was good. People were nice. Nothing that stood out in a negative way. Nice stop to try some local food.

We're currently dining here, and from the moment my partner and I walked in, the experience has…read morebeen mixed. One of the hostesses was noticeably rude at the start, which set an uncomfortable tone. After being seated, our waiter hasn't been outright unkind, but there's a clear difference in how we're being treated compared to other guests. As a same-sex couple, it feels like we're not being received as warmly, even though he seems to be making an effort to remain professional. As a Puerto Rican, that's honestly a bit disappointing and feels out of place. That said, the food itself has been very good.

A gem. Sat outside & had a great night. Food, vibes, & service were all wonderful. Started out with…read morea complimentary soup & cod fritters (yummmy! & I don't even like fish, usually). The hot sauce on the table was nice, not too hot but a good kick, I usually do not like habanero based hot sauces but this was good! The Queso Frito was interesting in flavors & textures, delicious. El Conflicto was perfect, all the flavor of a pina colada but without the heaviness of syrups & sugar. The Pollo Borracho was super flavorful & filling, chicken cooked to perfection falling off the bone. My fiancé had the Carne Frita, it was super tender & a well balanced dish. Service was friendly & attentive. My only complaint- we were so full we couldn't even look at the dessert menu! Guess we will just have to go back.

When you want an easy, reliable seafood lunch near the San Juan port, Cayo Caribe hits the mark…read more Our walking tour guide recommended this spot, and it ended up being one of the better casual lunches of the trip. It's located close to the cruise port area, making it an effortless stop if you're exploring Old San Juan. The vibe is straightforward and comfortable--think casual, sit-down seafood spot where you can relax, grab a drink, and not overthink the menu. It's not flashy or upscale, but that's part of the appeal. Just friendly service, cold drinks, and solid food. Service * Very friendly and welcoming * Easy walk-in experience * Relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere Food & Drinks * Standard beers and cocktails--perfect for a mid-day refresher * Seafood Fried Platter - especially the fried cod; crispy, flavorful, and well-executed * Tacos (Fried Shrimp & Fried Cod) - the standout; fresh, generous portions with crunchy slaw and spot-on sauce The tacos were the surprise hit--bright, crispy, and packed with flavor. Exactly what you want from a Puerto Rican seafood lunch. Verdict Cayo Caribe is a dependable, casual seafood stop near the port. Nothing overly complicated--just good service, fresh seafood, and a relaxed setting. A great lunch choice if you're in the area and craving fried seafood and tacos. Solid four stars.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND…read more We had the fried whole snapped it was excellent!! Also the beef empanadas were amazing. Great service and friendly. Inside the bar was playing Pickleball on the tv at the bar and we got to watch the finals.

This place was very busy. We had to wait about 30mins before entering they write down your name and…read moreit will be called based on table availability. Once we made it inside they had a long menu of different items. Was able to order and the food took some time to come out but with how busy it was I knew it would be a while. The food came out and it was fresh also hot just missing some hot sauce. The place is noisy with voices carrying which is normal. A recommended place to visit when in Old San Juan.

I asked a Puerto Rican friend for restaurant recommendations in Old San Juan. This was one of the…read moreplaces on his list. I checked the menu and decided to come here for dinner. They don't take reservations but we were gonna go early anyway. We decided that we'd get there at 5:30 PM and allow up to 30 minutes wait time. My friends got there a bit before 5:30 and were seated before I arrived. I got there a bit after 5:30 and there was a line of people trying to put their names down as I was walking in. They had already ordered drinks and an appetizer. We ordered another app and put in our entree orders. The bacalaitos took about 30 minutes to arrive. They were delicious. Not too salty which was great. The entrees took over 30 more minutes to come. I ordered the paella and it was delicious. My friend thought her mofongo was just ok. I tried a bite and it was kinda bland. The kids thought their entrees were ok. I thought they didn't make the right choices. Service was OK. Server wasn't really present as the majority of our time there was waiting vs eating. That was true for most patrons. Most people seated at tables were waiting instead of eating. Not sure if there was an issue that night. Either way, I'd say that it's still a good spot. You just can't come hangry or in a hurry.