If you want authentic Puerto Rican homemade cooking this is the place . The owners are very…read morefriendly and so welcoming. The place inside has little tables but makes it unique, Only thing is they don't accept credit cards , only cash . But this place is like if you had a puertorican mom and she prepared you food .

Oh My Goodness!!!! This place has the best food with outstanding service! This is a mom and pop…read morerestaurant that has been here for 32 years. The ambiance is welcoming and up beat! They have have Puerta Rican Music playing and videos. Makes you want to get up and dance. They also offer Karaoke on Friday nights. We were recommend this local spot by our house host! We asked for local restaurants that we must try while visiting. He recommend Casa Laurel, as well as a few other spots! We walked in sound 7:45pm, owner said that they had sold out of most their menu items for the day. (Note: Not uncommon for mom and pop business) He offered to make us a salad, steak, with green plátano. We said we'd love to try whatever he could make. Hands down best customer service here on island, and the best food! The meal was so delicious! We cleaned our plates. My boyfriend personally thanked the wife who was the chef and as a parting gift they offered us some delicious fresh flan. We were there past closing and they were still so welcoming and kind to us. Best Hospitality we've had all week on island! We will probably go back for seconds before we leave the island.

When planning my first trip to PR I scoured tiktok for food recommendations! And this place was…read moreremarkably noted as Bad Bunny's favorite restaurant, and I understand why! The service was immediate & so welcoming! The restaurant had a very homey feel, like you know someone's family recipes are being used. The food was 10/10, hands down, everything was absolutely delicious! The sangria - to die for! Loved every bit of it! Def a staple if you plan on making the trip!!!

Overhyped. The service was bad, and the wait for my takeout order was ridiculous. When I finally…read morewent to ask what was taking so long, the guy told me, "OMG, I forgot to put your order in." Seriously? After waiting all that time, I finally got my food and the order was wrong. On top of that, the food was overly salty. Yo soy boricua, but does everyone on the island heavily salt their food? Because never in my life have I had white rice from a legit, authentic Puerto Rican restaurant that was that salty This place was honestly a one-and-done for me. After hearing people hype it up and claim it was one of the best, the experience was a major disappointment. I make this food daily so it ain't anything special to me lol I only came here because my gf wanted some hole in the wall type of food.

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.

My friends and I were so happy to come here as part of our friend's Bach trip! We loved everything…read morewe ordered, including the plantain-breaded grouper fillet, the breaded chicken breast, the churrasco mofongo, and the seafood gumbo!

0/10 would not recommend. We sat down at 8:45 and didn't get any food until 10:30... food was cold…read moreand the presentation of the food was not great. Cold fries, not all the way cooked grouper nuggets. Waiter took a while to come back and check on us. Just a bad experience. Food was meh

Looking for that old school vibe , typical Puerto Rican food done "al fogon" (wood fired). Friendly…read moreatmosphere where Everybody enjoys a typical meal while chatting and listening to music. Excellent flavors!

Talk about great food and service!…read more Although there's always a line to get in, it does move pretty quickly. Our server was very friendly and accommodating, especially since we were travelling with our child. The manager was also very accommodating and friendly. The menu is fairly simple. You choose a dish and 2 sides. First night, we ordered the blood sausage for an appetizer. I ordered the fried chicken with rice and beans as an entree. My husband ordered the mero (grouper). Surprisingly, the blood sausage was probably the best one I've tried so far. The chicken was fried perfectly, not greasy at all. The rice and beans perfect compliments to the dish. The grouper stole the show though. It was absolutely delicious, probably one of the best fish I've ever had. A few days after, we decided to have dinner here again after my son wanted to eat there. The waiter from the first night and manager recognized us (from the time before) and thanked us for coming back. This time, I ordered the mero with arroz con habichuelas. The grouper was even better than the 1st time I had ordered it. We also tried the juices (orange, passion fruit, tamarind, and soursop) and all of them were so fresh. We loved this place and wouldn't hesitate to come back again.

We were in old San Juan and wanted some authentic Puerto Rican food. I found this spot on Yelp and…read morewas surprised to know this was a TikTok favorite. The restaurant is medium sized, so for the sake of space they make you wait outside for a table. Our group of 7 was seated pretty easily but it also wasn't too packed when we arrived. Their menu is written on a chalkboard and from my knowledge, they don't provide any physical copies. My table got a variety of things but me in particular, I ordered the Puerto Rican sampler. We split it between 3 people and they said it could feed 4 but hmmm, I'd be skeptical of that. I think no more than 2 comfortably honestly as a meal. The sampler was delicious though and had all the main things I wanted. The corn fritters were a hit and the steak was well cooked and seasoned. While the food was good, the wait was a little long and the service was mid (not bad but not the best we've had). Solid 4 stars

This restaurant is good for the soul! Even with all our dietary restrictions (gluten free celiac…read moreand low carb), they made it work and it was all DELICIOUS!! Super friendly staff with an awesome regular menu and daily menu, we sat in the shade, listened to music, and enjoyed our lunch! Easy drive from the ferry in Ceiba :)

On my latest PR vaca I had to stop by El Jibarito.. "The little Hillbilly".. aka the mountain…read morefarmer.. One of my favorite PR restaurants.. I had the petchuga de pollo with rice, beans, tostones.. I also had my favorite appetizers, sorullios and Pizza empanadas.. The chicken, rice, beans were delicious as usual. The corn fritters were equally delicious but the Pizza empanadas missed the spot.. Can't win them all. But overall I had a great meal and will be back soon! Service was great as the wait staff were attentive and accommodating. As far as the ambience, it was pretty packed there was patrons joining their meals. Can't really remember if there was any music in the background. But it's a very nice restaurant. If you are in the old San Juan Puerto Rico area and are looking for some good Puerto Rican food I suggest that you hit this spot up. You won't be mad. Alright now.. Have a great one yall! -Ray

There was a line to get in, but it moved pretty quickly…read more The staff was fine. They were friendly but never really came back to check on us to see if we needed anything else. It could also be that we were seated on the top floor and not the main floor of the restaurant. We ordered the bacalaitos for an appetizer. I ordered the mero al horno (grouper filet). My husband ordered the fried snapper. The bacalaitos were good. The grouper was delicious. I didn't get the chance to try the fried snapper but it looked good. The rice and beans complimented the dish well.

The food was very tasty, the pernil was very juicy.... Not a dry piece. The morcilla was good but…read morelack a little pepper sauce. The service was great. The place was very clean, they even had a sink in a corner to wash your hands. There were not too many people, but the people were arriving. Overall, I would highly recommend it.

Oooooiiiii!!! The Legendary La Ruta de Lechon (Pork Highway)…read more AMBIANCE Parking: Can definitely get busy during peak hours and weekends, but there's usually attendants and nearby parking options helping direct traffic. There's paid parking and street parking. All in all come early. Seating: Huge open seating areas with picnic-style tables and plenty of room for large groups, families, and celebrations. Take your pick, close to the live music or the local river for a more natural feeling. Vibes: The area keeps you busy from souvenir shopping, listening to music, or just Chinchorreo (like bar crawl but with pork)! The spot itself is alive on the weekend with music, people dancing, pig roasting and for a calmer pace, enjoying the scenery of the mountain, flow of the river and the chirps of animals around. Great place for a nice food adventure for families, friends, or just rolling through solo. FOOD / DRINKS Combo Plate (Recommend) I know it's important to save room to chinchorreo but especially if this is your first time, this should be your base. Lechon - Pick your protein, obviously I got pig - it was juicy, flavorful and tender slices of meat, and a nice piece of crispy skin. Morcilla - not your usual sausage but a rich flavorful with a chewy spiced earthy flavor. Pasteles - kind of like a tamale which was a savory soft doughy base. Arroz con Gandules - If they're out of their seasonal pasteles, then this is a nice savory with a lot of lot of lively flavors and seasoning. The portions overall were generous and very "family style" feeling. This is not tiny trendy food--you come hungry. CUSTOMER SERVICE Awesome! Props to the people that work the weekends for their consistent friendly service. TL;DR OVERALL 5 Stars. Good food, reasonable prices, and a one of a kind Puerto Rican vibe. From the mountain scenery, live local music, smoky aroma, and the general playful energy - this was a highlight of my trip I won't be forgetting for a while. When in Puerto Rico, La Ruta de Lechon is a must and make sure to stop by El Rancho Original. TIPS * Come hungry and come early (for parking and to get the best parts of the lechon). Weekends are the best as it is livelier.