After escaping the cold in Jersey for the weekend, I decided to find some comfort in a good home cooked meal, and this place sure did deliver. Service was a little laggy though, wish we had a half star rating, I would deduct .5 for the service. It took us a little while to get seated, we were kind of just standing here waiting for the waitress. The decor and atmosphere is super clean, neat and plain. Nothing too crazy with the decorations, but simplistic. So for our entrees, I decided to go with the breaded steak with the arroz con gandules with tostones, and my sister got the roasted pork with the same rice and yuca. My breaded steak was super crispy and salty, and I loved it. The saltiness from the protein mixed with the rice was a perfect combo. And my sister loved, loved her dish. Her roasted pork was perfectly cooked, moist and juicy. It was a good joint, and I'll be back! Happy eatings! read more

Being born and raised in Puerto Rico I am happy to say this is an authentic place right in the middle is Miami! I had the mofongo, palomilla steak, with rice and beans. Everything was phenomenal! Also, the cortadito was on point! Will definitely be back. read more

See all

Yummy Puerto Rican comfort food. Casual, cafeteria vibe. We had the mofongo with steak and it was very tasty. The mofongo was not dry like in most places and they serve it with a side of broth. Very simple place, but quick friendly service. The food was better and half the price of La Placita and they have Medalla beer! Wish they had parking, to do a quick pick up since it's near my apt. read more

El Bajareque Restaurant - Latin American Near Me - Miami, Florida

I used to love this restaurant but lately the service is horrible.... orders are always wrong... placed an order for 2 carne ripiad went to pick it up and they only had 1 them server is arguing with me stating I placed order for 1 when the receipt clearly charged me for 2 and know ur stated u don't have anymore at 12: 27 pm, What I don't understand is that ur Monday special and ur out??? Can't support u guys anymore... Sorry but NOT sorry!!! read more

Love this place!!! Great authentic food! The bread is to die for with the little sauce and best of all is the hospitality of the staff! They make you feel like your at home! read more

Food was so good, I couldn't stop eating. The price was super cheap too, I had a breakfast meal and a Lunch meal along with soup and oatmeal and total came to just $26. Definitely must try read more

If I could give this restaurant a 0 I would. It just took us a matter of 10 minutes to sit down and decide we were leaving. We sat down and no one greeted us. A young lady came to our table, in a hurry, when we were the only people at the restaurant and threw our menus on the table. She proceeded to hurry out of our site. Did not ask us if we wanted water or anything to drink. She was just in a hurry to go back and gossip with her coworker. Immediately we stood up and left. We told them that they should learn a thing or two about being a waiter. Very sad how 2 women coming from Puerto Rico can't enjoy their food because of people who make everything intolerable and distasteful. read more

This place is delicious, it taste like real real Puerto Rican food. The food is amazing, I highly recommend. Best of all it is very affordable. read more

You cant expect high quality food when you in the hood. But hey what can I say, I'm doing uber today and just came looking for the nearest place. I been here before. At least the coffee tasted great today. But why does the food taste like it just came out the microwave? Almost tasted like last nights left overs. For the most part, I enjoyed my coffee. But than why I'm waiting for ever for a dam bill. Like they wanted me to walk out with a free meal. They was lucky there was cameras lol. Because i was irritated enough to walk out. read more

I am in Miami for the day to deal with getting my passport replaced. Such fun. While I wait, I used YELP to see if there were any good Spanish food places nearby, and El Bajareque came up with lots of great reviews. So, I gave it a shot. It was fantastic! It doesn't look like much, but the food is delish & the staff is super friendly. read more

See all

Really nice place, gets super packed for a reason. Service is good. Food is very good and tasty. Worth the wait.

The ad in the Miami New Times says Excellent Prices, Excellent Service. This is all correct. But they left out Excellent Food. We stopped for lunch. We each had the reasonable priced lunch specials - stewed beef with potatoes and chicken and rice. Lots of home cooked food. Really, really good. read more

I give up on finding a good puerto Rican pork sandwich in south florida. If you ever been to PR and have had any type of sandwich you would understand me. The pork was juicy but I had to add the garlic sauce from my bread to give it more flavor, I asked for mayoketchu (mayonnaise and ketchup) and I can tell you it looks like it cost them plenty because half my sandwich was missing the sauce. I will return to try other foods and see if they can salvage my faith. And the service was good no problems there. read more

El Bajareque Restaurant - Pork sandwich - Latin American Near Me - Miami, Florida

The food was good, however the vibe was not good. my friend& I felt like outsiders because of the way the service was. To begin with, nobody greated us upon arrival, nobody told us that we can sit ourselves (the workers just stared at us). Then a lady& her daughter comes in after us ordered they're food and got they're food before us. Also, our waitress wasn't friendly. read more

Food is ok. Last time I ordered chicken and waffles the chicken was good I love who is the little Over cooked.

I gotta say...This is the best Puerto Rican food in Miami...I haven't tried many places in ft Lauderdale but I don't need to when I can get the best pasteles, arroz con gandules, bacalaoitos and morcilla I've had since my grandmother passed here in Miami... This place is 100%legit. Not very glamorous...It's a little hole in the wall...But the food will have your rolling in the back of your head...So u won't be looking at the decor much anyways.... read more

El Bajareque Restaurant - It's morcilla!! I know what you're thinking you naughty thing...;) - Latin American Near Me - Miami, Florida

Best food ever I always pass by take lunch or dinner !! Saturday lechón con arroz con gandulees y un rico flan .

Yes I did visit this restaurant is out to say that it's a Puerto Rican restaurant I am Puerto Rican and to me it didn't have the feel or the taste of Puerto Rican it's a small hole in the wall type place they might be someone that knows some flavors of Puerto Rican cuisine but they trailer use it to camouflage their own flavors. Like the famous Mufongo which Puerto Rico is known for it has some Mufongo but they put a lot of chicharrón chips in it to try to give it some taste it didn't even have real Chicharrón. They had this garlic dipping sauce the only thing about it that it was kind of green and it didn't seem too appealing to me so didn't use it. Not sure about green garlic looking. The famous Puerto Rican rice which is arroz con gandules It was OK but I've eaten it in other places way way better and one signature dish that usually Puerto Rican restaurants usually have is the Alcapurrias, my Niece has called several times to buy some and they never have. We asked the server recommendation she didn't know how to recommend anything in particular we did question her what she thought about the dish that we was interested in buying we asked if it was good and she say yes obviously they're going to say yes and she probably hasn't even tried it herself or she knows that it's not what it should be. So in my final note I won't be eating there again and I won't be recommending it neither. No pictures of this one. read more

4.5 This is more like it. Imagine my surprise when moving from Chicago to Miami that I couldn't find good mofongo. I know that Chicago has (had) a large boricua community and, as such, a depth of restaurants vying for people's business and the title of 'best.' But this is Miami. We're, like, 20 minutes (yes, I know it's more than 20 minutes; it's, like, 45 with traffic) from Puerto Rico. Why was I feeling as though I needed to fly back to the midwest to find some real deal mofongo? Thankfully, I don't have to spend money on airfare. Bajareque fills the mofongo void in the 305. If someone's told you differently, he's lying. The restaurant would fit nicely within the paseo boricua de Humboldt Park. It's an unassuming cafeteria with guys hanging out in front, ladies behind and in front of the counter, bolero y salsa playing in the background, and families getting their grub on. No one's trying to be fancy. People are here to eat, kick it with their family/people and do it for affordable prices. Me gusta mucho. Now, while there are many options on the menu, I came here for one reason: mofongo. Specifically, mofongo con camerones. I was quite pleased with my meal. To begin with, you sit down, you look over the menu, you order, you get a basket of garlic bread. Done. Yes. This is it. Why is this so hard to find in Miami? After trading some sass in Spanglish with the waitress (but not too much; this place is family-style... and that means your neck may get readjusted for stepping out of line... but that's how it should be), sit back, sip on your soda (use a straw for cred) and wait for your food. You're about to be very happy. Now, my favorite protein con mofongo es bacalao pero cuando quiero mofongo ahora camerones es (son? es) bueno. The shrimp(S heehee) here are delicious. They're a nice-size, nicely flavored and plentiful. The mofongo has the right consistency/texture, is full of cracklins and garlic, is served with soup, and has hot sauce at the ready. Done. And, done. Oh, and the cost of two mofongos, one Sprite and tax? $20. This is how you do it. read more

If you've ever watched a Spanish telenovela, you're familiar with the "cafeteria del barrio" where the most colorful characters hang out and have a drink. If you can imagine being inside that cafe, then you can imagine being at Bajareque. The girls behind a bar seem to have been hired by the same casting manager, but not only can they "act" they also cook great - Em and I stopped in while waiting for an appointment a few stores down. We had two beef empanadas, freshly fried, and he had two beers - all for just $10 - nice! To add to the charm of the place (if you could call it charm), the alarm and stereo shop across the streets lends this block of 36th street very lively Spanish music; yes, the same you'd expect to hear as background soundtrack in such said telenovela. Salud! read more

Lately I've been a sucker for Puerto Rican food so I yelped for a place near work in the midtown area. As usual yelp did not disappoint. True to its 4.5 stars this place was LEGIT! I ordered for a few coworkers including a native Puerto Rican who still smells of mofongo in her hair. I had the arroz con gandules maduros and masas de puerco frita. (Translation: Rice and pigeon peas fried plantains and fried pork chunks) So darn good! The rice was so tasty with nice chunks of ham in it. The maduros were fried to perfection. The pork was juicy and tasted great. I originally wanted the mofongo but they were out. I was very disappointed as I was really looking forward to trying it, but it gives me a very good excuse to come back again. Must be good if by 12:30 they were already out. Yes everything was fried but nothing was overly greasy. The food was delicious. My PR friend said it was all very authentic and reminded her a lot of her grandmother's cooking. I'm glad this local and authentic spot is right around the corner of my job. Could be my cheat day food. Service was very friendly taking my order and they were pretty quick to get us our big order together. BTW, all that food (which I only ate half of it) was under $8. Overall very pleased. I'm waiting to give them that last and final star once I try that mofongo! Bendito Nene! read more

I came here specifically to try the mofongo, which term I have heard thrown back and forth ever since joining Yelp and having my food boundaries stretched like a sheep stomach being stuffed with haggis. I was a little on the meeeeehhh nervy side because somewhere along the way I had read that it was plantains (which I LURVE)....but mashed up with pork rinds (the thought of eating pure fat makes me gag...it's OK to "be" fat...but not to obviously eat it fried up and crispy). BUT, for the benefit of all you lovely Yelp people I ordered it with Shrimp and dug in. It came with a little side dish of what I at first thought was clarified butter like you get with lobster, but which turned out to be beef broth (which made it all that much better). Damn, this stuff is good....and if this place is turning out to be one of, if not THE best place in Miami to get mofongo...I'm going to have to follow this up with a visit to someones abuela's kitchen //looks at Greskha P.// to get the best. I totally went in there with the intention of taking half of this home for dinner, but ended up eating the entire lot. Finding this restaurant is exactly what I love about Yelp. I have driven past this place on so many occasions and would never think that behind such an unassuming facade was such a delicious treat. Cool little place to stop off when in Midtown and you just can't stand to face another of those chain places. read more

If you want as close as home made and authentic Puertorican food, the lb you must come here! Great price and amazing food. It's not fancy and it's very small, but that's probably why I like it too. Alcapurias are delicious, mofongo is perfect with a lot of chicharon and the arroz con gandules is the best. Can't go wrong especially with those prices. This is my new to go spot for Hispanic food. read more

El Bajareque Restaurant - Churasco and mofongo - Latin American Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

We went to Bajareque with a group, and we were really excited to FINALLY try some Puerto Rican food. Our group was already seated when we arrived, and we were pleasently surprised to see how well they had accommodated such a large party. A very polite and friendly waitress took our order. We were unsure of what to order, but it seemed like everyone was ordering Mofongo with Pork, so we figured we might as well order that too. The food arrived and I was very pleasently surprised! The Mofongo was really tasty, and although the texture is a bit dry, it comes with a broth that gives it a smoother texture. The masitas de puerco were really well prepared. I was in Puerto Rican Heaven! The portions are really big, we barely finished our plates. We asked for the bill, and with two Mofongos & pork, and two sodas, the bill came out to $20... No, thats not a typo. It was $20.00. I will definitely be returning for some Mofongo! read more

Always a great spot for a quick colada stop or to try some authentic Puerto Rican food, at amazing prices! Ask for their Alcapurrias and their Mamet shake. read more

As soon as you arrive the place is more like a mom and pop restaurant. It looks more like a cafeteria. The place is simple and small. The staff it's extremely friendly and fast. The minute we arrived we sat and ordered right away! We wanted to to sample plenty of puertorrican food so we ordered mostly appetizers. We were blown away!!! Forget about fancy chairs, or space and focus on the great tasting real puertorrican food. We were transported back to our island of Puerto Rico. The Cushitic with guineitos was great, bacalaitos tasted delicious just like the Kioskos in Luquillo. Empanadilla de Pizza did not impress anyone. The have home made pasteles all year long. They even sell it by the dozen. The were ok. The star of the day was the mofongo, just delicious with pork and chicharron and the Caldo just as good. But the mega star was the alcapurrias. I was transported right back to piñones in Puerto Rico . THE BEST IN MIAMI and perfectly fried. Boricua if you love alcapurrias You must try El Bajareque. Price point was super cheap. Si tu eres Boricua in search of a great puertorrican food just like abuela made it . EL BAJAREQUE IS THE PLACE !!! read more

El Bajareque Restaurant - Alcapurrias full of meat! Perfectly made and prepared. - Latin American Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

Great food, and great price. Customer service is awesome, they want to make sure you go out satisfied. Would highly recommend.

My mom (a Miami native ) told me to check this place out bc it was reviewed in the Hearld and they featured a recipe for ( Puerto Rican shrimp w garlic). She's not one to recommend places to eat other than the dinner table in her dining room tucked away on a shady street in Miami. It's an exclusive members only dinning situation ( invite only). Which was the vibe I received there. We sat down the place had a few people at counter and a couple more at tables. I soon came to believe these people were related or knew each other very well. The man in the corner eating seemed to see us before our waitress " do you need a menu" " I do thank you." Waitress hears us, gives menu, takes drink order. Brings ice cups forgets cans of soda.. I grab two from the cooler accessible to customers. I kid not when I say thus reminded me of home. The food was very reminiscent of exactly what makes my tummy smile. My stewed chicken was deli sh my daughter ordered roasted pork ( the Wed specials ). She smiled while eating so I know it was to her liking. Accompanied by rice and gandules and plantains. All for 7!! My stewed chicken was cooked in a great orange creamy stew with a potato. My daughters stewed pork was a hit. We took home leftovers of both entrees. The portions were generous enough to do so. My mom opened the boxes finished it off with my dad. So basically this review is reviewing two delish meals that four delish people enjoyed. My mom actually said she's going back with us . She never goes out to eat!!! I guess I'll have to introduce her to my Puerto Rican side of the family. read more

See all

No. No, no, no, no, no. Please allow me of saving you from that awkward feeling you get when you've already sat down at a restaurant and you realize you've made a mistake. You know the feeling, the one you get after they've brought you your water and bread and you can't leave because that's rude. The food is not just bad, it's just SAD. Although this place may be inexpensive, you really DO get what you pay for. And that really isn't much. The service here is lacking too. The waitress we had was very distracted, brought out two wrong dishes and was reminded three times to bring us our checks. Are you looking for mofongo? For maybe 5 bucks extra you can get some really amazing mofongo at Jimmy's Kitchen not that far away, thank me later. read more

Basically: 1) This is not the best food you'll ever have, but it's good enough. 2) Prices are UNBEATABLE for being down a block from Midtown. I mean unbeatable. $4 Sanwiches, $7 entrées, $1 - $3 sides. 3) Breakfast specials: Less than $4 gets you eggs, toast, protein (sausage/bacon/ham), coffee, hashbrown/french fries. 4) Every day there's meal specials (pork chops with congri & salad or a stew, among other things) and they're about $7. This is the kind of neighborhood place you go to if you're on a budget & are itching to get some latin/puertorican food. Place is clean and seating space is decent. Enjoy! read more

Obsessed with this place. With an overwhelming amount of Cuban restaurants in South Florida, it's not easy finding a great Puerto Rican place. This is the spot for Boricuas, everything was on point and service was quick and easy. Can't wait to come back and try everything else on the menu. Arroz con habichuelas FTW read more

El Bajareque Restaurant - Pollo a la plancha... Delicious - Latin American Near Me - Miami, Florida

Omggggg this is the best Spanish food in this area!! I love them super cheap but great food. Staff is amazing !! Love going here !! Can feed a family if 3 for under $20 bucks. The mofongo is my fav to get , trust me you will not regret it!! read more

An authentic Puerto Rican meal for a great price. I had a delicious, fresh order of porkchops, rice & red beans and tostones. Clean, small "homey" spot with a nice waitress :) 2 meals and a pan con lechon for $24 including tip :D :D :D :D :D :D yes made me very happy :D :D :D next time ill have mofongo :) read more

Ay Benditoooo! what can I say. I'm a puertorrican girl from the country side ( Yauco). A few people told me about " el bajareke". A Puertorrican restaurant near me. First time I decide to try them was In December I called 3 or 4 times and no one answered, I was checking their menu for an event. Since no one answered I moved on. Recently, I decided to go to the place itself and place an order there. As, I arrived 3 diff waiters were at the counter and no one approached me. Finally, I asked a lady to help me and she was "too busy to help" closing time was approaching. Another woman came to my rescue, I asked what was left from the specials of the day and asked for a some traditional items, Arros con gandules , roasted pork and tostones and an order of white rice, beans and bacalao w viandas, plus 3 alcapurrias, ( by the way... aren't alcapurrias made with yuca? Not at el bajareke!!! they are made with green bananas that to me are pionos. Anyhow, At one point I met the owner, not puertorrican at all. A Cuban woman...hello! We chat and she's a nice lady but no idea what puertorrican food is! Finally another woman came out with a large bag of food charged me and off I went. The order was all wrong, they send different items, but the bottom line is that I wouldn't care if at least tasted true to what it should be. Therefore, this foodie girl will NOT!!recommend this establishment, it doesn't represent nor serve Puertorrican food beside they lack proper costumer service, knowledge & approachability. _0 in my book! read more

Called to confirm if still open and if they still had a specific food we are looking for. We showed up 20 minutes before closing and they states they were closed. Wasted an Uber and wasted our time. They didn't even open the door to talk to us. Terrible impression. read more

El Bajareque Restaurant - This post was before 7 - Latin American Near Me - Miami, Florida

My kids keep asking me to take them back here. When you drive up to the area, your not impressed at all (if your not from the area), but inside its a very nicely decorated restauranted. The food was excellent, and so was the service. For authentic puerto rican food, it was very affordable. Its a family owned restaurant so they speak to each other as if they were at home, I noticed some customers were a bit turned off by it, but realized thats who they are. These people have good service and even one of their employees went outside with a large umbrella to walk us to our car in a heavy down pour. For that alone, they have my loyalty. I did go back but unfortunately it was a holiday and they were closed. :( Family keeps bugging me to take them back, so we shall be visiting again soon. read more

El Bajareque Restaurant - Table mats ;) - Latin American Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

I've been coming to this spot for quite some time now and I love the servers. all of them are really sweet and the food? Mannnnnn at this moment I'm obsessed w the mofongo haha I could eat it every day! Highly recommend read more

Ate here yesterday with my mom and fiancè and I must say it was delicious! The pasteles are amazing and perfectly cooked! Their flan was so good I had to refrain from ordering 4 more...lol. Friendly and attentive service! All in all, a must visit for Puerto Rican food! read more

El Bajareque Restaurant - Mofongo with roast pork. Pork was super most and tender. - Latin American Near Me - Miami, Florida

See all

Food is excellent and staff is friendly. The mofongo is delicious and authentic. You have to try it with the masa de puerco. Pasteles for appetizer was great and the croquetas too. If your looking for delicious Puertorrican food this is the place to come. read more

Wow!!!! This place it's typical boriqua style. Food was fresh and tasteful. Service was prompt and fast.