Ok. So we'd been here 3 times in the past on recent trips to PR over the past 2 years, and loved the burgers. Last visit was a huge dissapointment. Dropped by at about 8pm on a Sunday night (3/6/2011) for a burger dinner while on vacation with my wife, son and two of our employees whom earned a trip to PR with us. We used to love this burger shack, but it's amazing how a terrible experience at a restaurant will wreck their "mojo." The "hostess" running the dining area that evening was clueless, curt, semi-rude, and it was obvious she could care less about running an efficient dining room. Possibly it's a Puerto Rico (slower pace, could care less about the customer) thing, and something I don't (and likely never will) understand. But, it seemed, she really couldn't have cared less that there was a party of five that really wanted to dine at El Jefe's Burger Shack. She said there was a 1 hour wait, minimum, for a table. The dining area looked like a disaster, napkins blowing all over the floor, dirty tables, messy piles everywhere. I asked if we could be put on the list because we've been several times in the past and love the burgers, and she said, "there is no list" and smugly pointed at her head as if to imply that the "list" was in her head. Very unprofessional. Strange, weird. Wrong. Just wrong. I sensed this was a strange set-up, so I asked if we could be seated within 1 hour, her reply was simply "no." She really couldn't care less, and it was obvious. There really was nobody around waiting for tables either...very, very strange situation indeed. Couldn't quite figure out what was really going on, so I offered her a $20.00 bill to be "put at the top" of this imaginary list. She refused. All I can speculate is that she either simply didn't want to do her job, or she just wanted to keep the "waiting list" ambiguous for some unknown and stupid reason. Very strange experience from a very strange, unprofessional girl. I guess you can't expect too much at "The Kioskos" in Luquillo, PR though. The best part of finding a little hole-in-the-wall, other than good food, is when they actually know how to treat their paying customers well...then it becomes very special. Being from Boston, I'm just not used to this type of "baby" behavior. And that's really what her behavior reminded me of... a baby. They do have good burgers, so that is the reason they even grab 2 stars. Very, very bad service though. What a strange gal. Wow! El Jefe ownership needs to re-evaluate who they hire to run their dining room, as this gal was a real "gem." read more

Wow! In my top 3 best burgers... Of all time! Excellent ginger mojitos too. The firecracker burger with their signature cheese sauce is amazingggg. Also, there onion "rings" are some of the best I've ever had. cons- lonng wait because they make orders one at a time. wild kittens running around but thats PR for ya. if you pay with cash count your change for accuracy because we definitely got jipped! noticed after the fact. worth every penny though. TRY IT read more

We stopped by the kioskos and walking around randomly ended up at El Jefe Burger. Definitely a good choice. The service was slow, even by PR standards. The bartender warned us off the bat that a large order had just come in and burgers would take a while (probably a way to sell an appetizer). We split the nachos, which were decent, if a bit sparsely topped. The two burgers took probably 75 minutes to cook. But it was worth it. I routinely eat at "Ray's Hell Burger" in Arlington, VA which is kind of my gold standard. The burgers here were on par with those. The stuffed green chile and jalapeno burger was definitely worth the wait. It was incredibly delicious, and cooked just right. The mixed drinks were stiff and all good. They had a small but very good beer selection (about 6 microbrews), and according to one of my friends, they rotate those out on a fairly regular basis. The bartender was friendly and attentive. read more

Just north off the PR-3 in Luquillo, 30 something shacks (Kioskos) populate a long stretch of road-turned-parking lot facing the highway. Tucked behind the kioskos is a thin stretch of empty Caribbean beach. Apparently, the reason for stopping here in Luquillo is not the soft white sand and the gently rolling green-blue waves lolling atop a stretch of reef. Clearly it was the Chorizo-stuffed Cheeseburger with El Jefe Cheese sauce, located in Kiosko #12. The atmosphere, decor, style, and overall feel was classic Rock n Roll. I felt right at home... until I decided to order in terrible Gringo Spanish and realized I was sorely out of place. Recommendations: Eat, then wash down with a Medalla Light or three. The burger was massive. 1/2 lb patty of tender hand-ground chuck steak, stuffed with Spanish Chorizo. Toppings were the typical L.O.T. (Lettuce Onion Tomato), and the bun, according to both the menu and my mouth was BOSS (not sure what the means, but I dig it). I wasted no time, and inhaled the sucker. Easily one of the Top 5 burgers I've ever had. And that list includes two spots in Puerto Rico. read more

El Jefe was pretty good. The burgers are clearly hand packed after you order them which is pretty cool but honestly, they were not anything special. I got a burger stuffed with chorizo and it was alright, I don't think it was really worth the 1h30 it took for them to make the burger or the $12.50 they charged for the burger. Tl;dr While it is definitely cool that they make the burgers after you order them, I don't think the meal was worth the time or the money. read more

We ate here twice on vacation. The burgers are great but the grilled chicken sandwich is the best chicken sandwich I have ever had. Both times we went we were the only customers dining and it still took about 30 minutes for our food so don't come if you are in a hurry. But if you have kids they will enjoy writing on the walls while you wait. They provide markers and let the kids draw all they want. read more

El Jefe Burger Shack - El Jefe Burger Shack - Burgers Near Me - Luquillo, Puerto Rico

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We did our research for a place to get a burger between San Juan and Fajardo, and decided on EL Jefe Burger Shack. We arrived 30 minutes before they are supposed to open, at noon. It was a normal day, not a holiday, and the neighboring businesses were all arriving and opening. We decided to wait and walk around the area and look at the beach behind the restaurant(s). WOW! It looked like a garbage dump. Trash was literally everywhere. It was extremely sad and depressing, because it would otherwise be a very beautiful beach. Just after 12:00 we return to find the gates still down and locked. We look inside and saw no employees, but plenty of cats and kittens walking all over the counters and tables, and one using a spot on the floor as a litter box. We walked in to a neighboring shop and asked about El Jefe's hours. They said they might not open until 1:00. We waited the rest of the hour till a bit after 1:00, and still nobody arrived to open the place. We finally gave up and left. All this being said, I would have STILL ordered a burger and rated this place based primarily on the food and service, forgiving the apparent lack of concern to cleanliness of their establishment and the area around it ....had they ever bothered to open. BUT....I love not too many things more than a good burger, so I will likely try again and will update this review if that happens. read more

The server was nice and helpful. However the service was slow. I'm sure there was nothing she could have done about it but the mojitos took about 20 min and also the food took over an 1.5 HOURS. We were a large table but everyone got hamburgers and there's no reason it should take that long. Oh and we were also the ONLY people there. HOWEVER... the Hamburgers were SUPER juicy and delicious. Great food but the staff need some better managing. read more

The best burgers. Hands down. Try the stuffed braided ribs burger with the onion rings. Those are a must. There is a 30 minute wait for the burger but it is well worth it. Try the mango mojito and the coconut mojito. The piña coladas are made from scratch and is a must. Ask for Carlos. The best bartender/waiter ever. Enjoy. The place is a 10!!! No a/c. But you're at the beach. read more

Great food, great drinks! This place came recommended from a local, and it didn't disappoint. I ordered a burger off of their "build your own" menu and it was phenomenal, and their signature lemon and ginger mojito, which was fabulous. The only downside (and what I've found with many places here in Puerto Rico) is that the food took almost an hour to come (which, to be fair, the waitress did warn us about), but it was a little too long (for us Americans) to wait. Also, the back patio is located close to the dumpster, which smelled pretty bad. But it's right next to the ocean, which was really nice. Other than that, everyone at the table left happy and full! read more

The back of the bartender's shirt read, "El Jefe: The Best Burgers in the World." Although it's going to take some time for me try every hamburger joint on the planet to confirm the claim, until I do, I am content to let El Jefe hold the title. I refuse to argue with any place that grinds its own steaks into patties, them stuffs them with meat from tender spare ribs. Wow -- enough said. read more

Stopped here because of the good reviews. Definitely a good choice! As someone else mentioned, get the El Jefe cheese sauce. Wow, it's good. It's white cheese mixed with jalapenos and roasted garlic. Spicy, but more flavorful than hot. The burgers are handmade at the time you order, so they take some time. Plus, there is only one guy working in the back. We waited a bit, but it didn't seem like that long. Weekends or evenings I would expect it to take awhile to get your meal. They also make very tasty mojitos! read more

We came here after spending the day hiking at the El Yunque National Forest. We were starving and burgers with beer sounded good. My wife got the firecracker green chile and jalapeno blend burger, which I thought was delicious. I got the beer braised short ribs stuffed burger, which sounded great on paper but was just ok when I eat it. The margarita I had was strong and tasty. The service was a little slow here but the staff was nice so it wasn't an issue at all. Definitely come back here if I'm craving a burger. read more

El Jefe Burger Shack - beer braised short ribs stuffed burger - Burgers Near Me - Luquillo, Puerto Rico

Very good food...even better service So we get into our first night in PR, and we check into our place in Luquillo late. I had El Jefe on my short list of places to visit in the area based on Yelp reviews. So, tip for everyone staying around here, DO NOT attempt to use your google maps navi on your phone while in PR. It is totally inaccurate, and will get you super lost. I tried to do walking directions from my place, and it brought me into some sketchy residential area. So I call up El Jefe and ask for some directions, and the guy offers to send his bartender to come pick me up. Cmon...how often will you EVER hear that? So within a few mins, he picks us up (can't remember his name for the life of me) and brings us back to El Jefe. It's on the long strip of stores called "Kiosks", right on the beach. The burgers and drinks are great, but literally you can't ask for better service. The bacon tastes a little funny in PR in general, but the burgers were perfectly cooked, and the fries were great! I highly recommend this place! read more

Let me first say that my dietary restrictions (vegetarian, eat fish occasionally) are really hard to follow in Puerto Rico. Sure, there's a new local and organic foods movement, but restaurants are few and hard to come by once you leave San Juan. So, when we rented a car and took a road trip during our two month stay, we were really happy to find this place on Yelp. Just finding a place that offers options is always a joy. I ordered the fish burger. It was delicious, the fries were great. The food took a long time to come, even on PR time. We were hungry and we were the only customers. The restaurant has that dingy bar feeling-- they give you markers and you can write on the wall while you wait. So, if you aren't looking for something "punk", and trendy, you might be a little disappointed. It's a bar atmosphere and they sever mixed drinks and beers. The drinks were okay-- a little on the sweet side. My friend tried their veggie burger, which was misleading because it actually wasn't a burger, but just a tomato and onion sandwich on a roll--this is one thing I'd change (it's not hard to get frozen veggie burgers in PR and the bit of protein would have been appreciated). They even charged her extra for avocado. Considering the nearby options, I'd go back again next time I'm in town, but I have to remind myself, we are not in NYC anymore ;) read more

We had a family friend recommend this restaurant to us as a "must-go" when in Puerto Rico. This could not have been farther from the truth. For a family of 6, it took over 1.5 hours to get our food. When it finally came out, they only brought 5 meals and said the 6th would be out five minutes later. It ended up taking another 25 minutes to receive the final meal. On top of all of that, the electricity somehow cutout during a perfectly clear and beautiful day. All of this said, the food is really nothing special. The burger (at least the one I had) was pretty bland. Waitresses were nice enough though! read more

Not sure where some of the negative reviews come from but when my husband and I visited in August 2016 the service was great and the food was excellent. One of the best burgers in the area in our opinion. read more

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I'll tell you what. They cook one hell of a burger. We weren't really in the mood for appetizers, especially since most of them were fried foods which we were going to get some of anyways with our burgers. So we passed. The nachos did look good though. I got the Firecracker Green Chile and Jalapeno Blend stuffed burger with the El Jefe cheese sauce. The burger was cooked perfectly. The cheese sauce itself it a bit spicy. It's a good thing I like heat. I'll be honest, I put this burger easily in my top 5 all time. I'd have to think long and hard about where it is in the top 5, but it's up there. The service was a bit slow. If you're in a hurry, pick someplace else. Took me a good solid 5 to 10 minutes to just make eye contact with our waitress for another Medalla. Then again, I wasn't in a hurry so it didn't bother me so much. El Jefe was a good change of pace from all the PR food we had been eating. Nice addition to the Luquillo kiosks. read more

The place is cool and casual. Bring a sharpie to write on the walls. Had seen reviews on slow service, but the service wasn't too slow at 8pm on a Saturday night. We were seated and then waited 30 min after ordering for our burger. We had drinks to pass the time so it was fine. I had the ginger mojito and it was very, very tasty. Loved the flavors and would try to make this at home if I could! The waiter was very nice. The food was just ok. The other reviews had me expecting more. I ordered the green chili stuffed burger with El Jefe cheese sauce and was hoping for a spicy burger. As far as burgers go it was a good burger but I think my expectations were too high on the flavor. Fries were average. Overall it was a fun place. It may deserve "Best Burger on the Island" status, but not in the top 10 I've ever had. read more

Excellent pina colada. Fun laidback beach atmosphere (like all the kiosks, but this one was cleaner). I can recommend the nachos, spicy, delicious. The fried cheese wasn't that flavorful and lacked enough guava dipping sauce. They were out of a lot of things- including buns... which is fine, but also annoying. It happens, but shouldn't. read more

Best stuffed burgers ever! We shared two -- the Spanish Chorizo and the "Firecracker Green Chile and Jalapeno Blend. Plus, perfectly crispy fries, fun relaxing atmosphere, happy music, fresh ocean air, awesome servers, all enjoyed from a couple of adirondack chairs. Do not pass go, do not collect $200, just go to El Jefe. read more

So it's not authentic PR food, but damn is it good! Only reason I'm not giving five stars is because the "premium toppings" for burgers were annoyingly expensive. $1 for sauteed onions? Really? But don't let that deter you. First thing first - YOU MUST ORDER THE EL JEFE CHEESE SAUCE. Put it on everything. My brand new husband and I both loved it here. The mojitos are to die for. I liked the ginger, while he preferred the original. Why no try them both! We both ordered burgers with our favorite toppings. The onion rings are giant, greasy and delicious. The fries were fresh cut with course sea salt on them. YUM. We asked our waitress where we should go to party that night and she took about 15 minutes to give us all kinds of suggestions AND her cell number in case we got lost or had any questions. El Jefe Burgers and Tapas 13 (right next door) have the same owners. Since we enjoyed El Jefe so much, we really wanted to go back and try Tapas 13, but we ran out of time. Next time! read more

The food and drinks here are excellent! The atmosphere was casual, fun, and relaxing while the staff seemed happy to be there. My boyfriend was not hungry when we were there, but he got something anyway and was glad he did. I got the stuffed jalapeno burger and it was the best I've had in my life. Not to mention the pina coladas! Made to order and not anywhere near the same as the ones you'd get on Coronado in San Juan, they are so good that I had three in the space of thirty minutes. read more

This is no ordinary burger. This is a huge 1/2 lb. with all the fixings you want to add. Service is good and owner is very friendly. Please try their Ginger mojito, is great and full of fresh mint leaves. I am a local and found this place through this page. I definable will return next Sunday for their BBQ ribs full slab. My teenager kids. Loved the place. read more

After a day at Luquillo Beach the whole family was hungry. We had seen El Jefe online and everyone voted on burgers so off we went. Well we couldn't have been more pleased. Our waiter was great. So nice and fun. He suggested the ginger lime mojitos and after our first pitcher we had to ordered another it was so good. Everyone said it was the best mojito they had ever had. Then the appetizers come, fried onion wedges, nachos, and shrimp basket. All incredibly delicious. The nachos were not your run of the mill affair. It was a kind of cross between nachos and brushetta. It was really really tasty. The burgers are build your own affairs and everyone loved their burger. Very tasty and perfectly made. If you are in the mood for great burgers while in Luquillo or anywhere near Rio Grande, El Jefe is the place! read more

Okay, this place is on PR-3 as you're heading east out of San Juan. Can't miss it....and you shouldn't miss it. The place itself is in a "kiosk" (i.e. row of garages, basically). It kind of threw me because...it's a garage...but don't let that deter you. Because on the other side of that garage is beautiful beach. The place itself is kind of divey with port-a-potty bathrooms and customer graffiti all over the walls. The servers give you markers when you sit down. I dare you to find a blank space on the wall. If anyone's ever been to Crunchy's in East Lansing, Michigan, it's a very similar vibe...except tropical. We started off with a half order of nachos. We wanted to save the majority of our stomach room for these burgers we've heard so much about. Well, let me tell you about the half order of nachos...it comes in a BUCKET. Seriously, we were glad the waitstaff was a little slow because we were FULL afterward. Delicious tortilla chips that taste like they're either homemade or home-fried, a mild and delicate house-made cheese sauce, and spicy jalapeno rings, yum yum! Our burgers came out. My mate ordered the short rib stuffed burger and I ordered the chorizo stuffed burger with cheese sauce, caramelized onion, and a fried egg on top. My burger was cooked to perfection and messy as hell. I stole napkins from the table next to us. But as much as I loved my burger, I HAVE to say that the short rib burger probably wins here. That texture and flavor change when you hit the center is out of this world. However, the accompanying fries were a throwaway and I'd recommend ordering anything else. I'd probably be more upset about the fries but we were too stuffed to care. Also, pro tip: order a ginger mojito. However, they're not for the faint of heart. They have a ton of real ginger in them. I also enjoyed my coconut mojito. Highly recommended. Perfect little place to stop (especially if you're sick of mofongo already) on the way to Fajardo or after a day at Luquillo beach. read more

Food was good and the cook was friendly. I would recommend this place and plan on eating there again

These burgers were off the chain!!! They were some homemade and fresh!! We had an awesome lunch.. Drinks were good too.. Awesome service.. Waitress was real sweet and attentive.. Definitely recommend! read more

El Jefe Burger Shack - El Jeffe Burger - Burgers Near Me - Luquillo, Puerto Rico

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Five different burgers. Five very satisfied customers. Friendly staff. Great atmosphere. Simple. Affordable. Fresh. Make sure to try their coconut mojito! read more

El Jefe Burger Shack - Do you want door #1, door #2, or door #3? - Burgers Near Me - Luquillo, Puerto Rico

Ginger Mojitos were everything they said they would be. Add in jalapeño stuffed burger and yum!!! Visited during the weekend when beach was packed. Fun local spot to visit while here on vacation. read more

Wow horrible horrible service the owner was kissing and hugging our waitress while we waited for the food been waiting for about an hour the place is not even clean and workers are having fun and joking around really unprofesional not close to all the reviews that are here Please somebodey come and clean this place up and get new employees cause this is plain horrible food is not as good as people say. Super unprofesional read more

I don't even know where to begin. It looks cute enough, and we wanted to sample a bunch of places along the kioskos in Luquillo. We ordered lemonades, and they brought us one mojito. No big deal. 2 people came over to apologize for the confusion. No problem- just bring us our lemonades. It took forever. We were relaxing and trying to get into the Cruzan Time groove. But this was ridiculous. We ordered a large appetizer combo to split - sliders, fries, wings etc. I should have realized something was wrong when i looked around and noticed no one had food in front of them. We waited. And waited. And waited. For an hour and a half. We got there at 2pm -not exactly lunch rush. There is a window looking into the kitchen and we watched this cook (there was only one) stare at the mounting orders in bewilderment. We asked about our order from one of the 10 servers (there are like 15 tables) and were told the burgers take at least 20 minutes - each- and since we ordered last, we had to add in all the other people in front of us, which was why it was taking so long. And she said it like "Duh!" IT'S A BURGER JOINT. I don't want to spend the entire afternoon there. Then the food came, finally. It was the worst combination of greasy AND tasteless. Fries were soggy, wings so-so, sliders? OK, but nothing to write home about. If we weren't so ravenous, we wouldn't have eaten it. I ordered a coke, and she brought me a lemonade. I told her I'd ordered a coke, and she told me no, I'd ordered a lemonade before and she mistakenly brought me a mojito. HUH????? She made my head hurt. My boyfriend went to the bathroom and someone (another patron) accidentally locked him in. He had to bang on the door for like 5 minutes before someone came to let him out. Who has a bathroom that can be locked (with a big, sliding bar) from the OUTSIDE??? The bill came to $30, for some soft drinks and an appetizer. The worst experience I had in Puerto Rico, and possibly the worst in my life. read more

While mojitos in all of PR are surprisingly good, this place wins. The ginger monjito was both delicious and boozey - just the way I like it. I wish I could have it right now. I also enjoyed the friendliness of our bartender from Arizona. Rock on dude. read more

good drinks - great burgers in a beach shack setting makes a tasty pina colada and the mojitos are good as well - love being to walk in from the beach (okay so its not the greatest beach) the burger that is stuffed with shortrib meat - can you see me drooling at the keyboard yet? and great staff too - spoke with them about fried pickles - and they went and made them when they were not even on the menu yum read more

Great place all around... the fish and chips were awesome and my husband loved the burgers and craft beer selection. Once we found this place we came back everyday for the rest of our vacation. read more

Had the chorizo stuffed cheese burger. Place looks scary, but they are the best burgers I have had in a long time. Do not let the look of the place scare you off. read more

This place had the best mojito i have ever had. And ive had them ALL OVER THE WORLD! try the lemon ginger mojito. Also guys working it were great read more

I went to "el jefe" a while ago with Jean-Caesar M....and let me just say he was right on.But let me just add something aside from everything he said that was true.The photos you see are staged !! The burgers are not even that thick,and the waitress never asked me how I wanted my burger cooked.save your time(which is plenty) And your money and go to condado where you can find the best burgers in P.R(not close to five guys but still) they are much better than these cookie sized burgers,and greasy over cooked fries..and to make matter worse this place had a fly fest...there were flies everywhere and it was quite annoying while we were eating. If you want something fast and worth your money don't come here. read more

Burger's were good ... but we waited 44 minutes for food. On top of that I ordered a drink ... got it ...and have never been asked if I want another .. its been about an hour.... would have had at least a few more read more

The food here was seriously delicious! My wife and I were looking for a good place to have lunch and with all the great reviews, we knew we had to try it out. The food did not disappoint! We had the bacon wrapped dates, the grilled chicken Caesar salad and the el jefe sampler with the stuffed burgers. We both agreed the Caesar salad was the best thing we had! It came with avocado that was a nice touch. All the portions are really big, so come hungry or split with friends. We also had some of the drinks which were delicious and very reasonably priced! A must try if you're in luquillo or nearby! read more