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Okay great food, ambiance, and service for a great price. It felt warm and homey inside the restaurant and it was worth the wait. Everyone from My teen to toddler loved it. If you go, don't forget to check out the photo op on the way to the bathroom
We came to El Jibarito for dinner after it was recommended by Yelp as it had a 4-star rating. We did have a bit of a wait, but it was worth it. The restaurant is absolutely adorable inside and has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Once we were seated, the service was quick and attentive. There were four of us in our party, and we started with the pizza turnovers. They were delicious, although I do wish they had a little more filling. I ordered the tamale. While it wasn't quite to my personal taste, I could tell it was well made and I'm sure others who enjoy that style of tamale would love it. My husband had the baked chicken and really liked it. My friend ordered the salmon and said it was moist and very flavorful, and her husband had the garlic chicken, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Overall, everyone in our group was happy with their meals. Between the cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and tasty food, I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you're visiting Old San Juan.
We came here on a Saturday evening as a party of five and had about a 15-20 minute wait, and boy it was absolutely worth it. From the start, our waitress was friendly, energetic, and clearly proud of the food. She brought our table a sample of the Masitas en Salsa de Plátano (pork cubes in plantain gravy), and wow...what a great introduction. The pork was incredibly tender and juicy, and the gravy was rich and savory. The best way I can describe it is like eating a pastel soup. It was so good that a couple of us ended up ordering it as our entrée. We also tried the Christmas Plate, which came with pernil, pastel de masa, yellow rice, and plátanos maduros. Everything was flavorful and tasted like a typical PR holiday meal. To drink, we had guava mojitos, which were refreshing. The service was fast and attentive throughout the meal, and what really made the evening special happened at the end. We were quietly singing "Happy Birthday" to my boyfriend when our waitress overheard us and immediately rallied the staff to come over and celebrate with him officially. It was such a thoughtful gesture that made the night even more memorable. For dessert, I had the flan and my boyfriend had the chocolate tres leches cake. Both were delicious and a great way to end the meal. Between the welcoming service, casual atmosphere, and outstanding Puerto Rican food, We left happy and full.
Loveddddd this place in Old San Juan! Jeremy was an amazing server. The beef stew was so flavorful and moist. It paired so well with the trifongo. We had come here for an afternoon snack and drinks as we were walking around old San Juana and the forts all day and had gone to one fort and ready to move to the next after a bite. This was the perfect meal to hold us over. Not so greasy and not too filling. The drinks were just average but refreshing after hours in the sun. The atmosphere is casual and busy and loud. However, the service was quick even with them being busy. I highly recommend the beef stew with mofongo and coming here even if it's just for that!
First time visiting El Jibarito! What an amazing experience, delicious homemade food with lovely staff 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!
We selected this restaurant based off of other reviews. We weren't super hungry, but knew we definitely wanted some Mofongo. This quaint family owned restaurant is close to the ocean, but it does not have an ocean view. It's kind of hidden with a small sign. Nothing really signifying the restaurant from a distance. We ordered the Alcapurrias / Fried Beef Plantain Türnover and the Bistec Encebollado / Cube Steak with Onions with a side of Mofongo. I also had a pineapple Mojito. The food was good. I do wish the fried plantains had a little more beef in them. Some didn't have any at all. The drink was average. The ambience was very casual, warm, welcoming and locally decorated. Our server was very friendly. She had several recommendations and our food came quickly.
I really wanted fried fish in San Juan and got recommended El Jibarito. We went almost near their closing time, unknowingly and still got to be able to sit and got my craving in for fried fish! It's a casual restaurant with limited seating that I think is also a bit popular. When we walked in to dine and we did have to wait a bit and put our name down on the waiting list. However, the time flew by I think it was maybe 20 minutes max and we were able to be seated at a table. My partner ordered the steak, but I wasn't the biggest fan of it. it did come with the plantain side. That was super delicious. Overall, for the both of us and a couple of drinks we spent US$90 with tip and each entrée was about $35-$30.
This restaurant comes up in many lists of recommended places to try in San Juan so I decided to try it myself. Walked in at ~7pm and had to wait for 15 minutes to be seated. Ambiance was very casual. Restrooms are at the back of the restaurant and you have to go out to a small uncovered space to get to the restrooms, which are not the cleanest. Masitas en salsa de platano (pork cubes in plantain gravy) comes with green salad and tomato and a side. Choices for the side are white rice with beans (arroz blanco y habitchuelas), yellow rice (arroz guisado), tostones (green plantain), sweet plantain (amarillos), mofongos de platano, yuca, trifongo y pana. The salad did not come with dressing; it was dry and sad. Got mofongo as the side; it was also dry and not flavorful. The pork cubes was tender but not as flavorful as I was expecting. Tres leches was not that sweet which was okay. Overall, the food was disappointing. In addition, wait times can be long; the place can get very busy and loud.
This restaurant and another one close by were recommended to us by our Uber driver for being the spots where you can find good Puerto Rican cuisine in Old San Juan. We came in weary from all of the walking we had done that morning. This restaurant is large and is busy. We had to wait for a few minutes but were seated quickly. I got a cold beer to enjoy but many others were getting their cocktails, which looked good. The eating area, bar, and kitchen are all in the same area, which is pretty cool. My partner and I both ordered the pork tamale which came with salad and your choice of side. We both ordered the mufongo. While I can't speak to the authenticity compared to other restaurants, the food was very good. All of it was tasty and fresh. I also felt very reasonably priced, especially for being in the touristy Old San Juan area. We enjoyed the opportunity to rest our legs in the A/C while enjoying cold drinks and good food. This is a great place to stop in for lunch while you walk around Old San Juan.
So early warning the sign is not hanging out where it's visible. So look for that dark green building and the sign is on the building in black really high. Walked into a nice small local restaurant A/C is great in here after that walk to get here. The servers greeted us with a big beautiful welcoming smile which is always the best way to pull me in. Drinks- we got the mojito (classic) and the passion fruit margarita and they were both very nice. Drinks were mixed great where nothing was overwhelming the other. Beef turnover- nice and tasty. The beef was seasoned well with hints of herbal seasonings. It came with a little pepper sauce that wasn't just spicy but had like a sweet pepper and chives flavor as well. Baked pork ribs- got this with the white rice and beans. The beans was well seasoned and tasted really good. The rice was cooked well and with some salt where it's not too much but you can taste a hint of it with every bite. The pork was disappointingly dry. It had a nice flavor almost like smoked but too dry and hard. Fried snapper- this took the cake. It was cooked to perfection where it wasn't dry but soft and juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside. It came with a nice tasting garlic sauce but honestly the sauce over powers the herbal flavor of the fish. Fried cod fish- this was a no no. It was fried like a chip but tasted like oil. There was no fish flavor at all.
This was worth the wait. We waited around 20 minutes. The host and servers were very friendly and hospitable. The vibe in the restaurant was very festive. We were seated upstairs and had a great view of the first floor. The pina coladas were delish and the food was so yummy. We had the snapper, steak, pork. We had sides of yellow rice and sweet plantains. So good! You name it, it was delish. We had the coconut flan and the tres leches for dessert and I must say the flan was the best one I've ever tasted. I understand the hype of visiting this long-established restaurant!
Found el jibarito by asking g chat gpt of some really good places to eat in san juan. El jibarito came up as one of the many places. We had a party of 5 and waited maybe 10 minutes. We were seated and scanned the qr code on the table for the menu. Our waitress showed up with a sample of pork cubed in plantain gravey. Must say that was absolutely delicious! We all enjoyed that very much! The pork was soft and the plantain sauce was very savory. I would describe it like eating a melted pastele. Super good! That's what atleast two of us ended up ordering. And I would recommend it! The service was fast and attentive and the ambiance was casual. I woukd definitely come back.
A little less attitude and a bit more of a smile would do wonders to the service of this place. I stood at the chained gate for a few minutes before I got even acknowledged. It felt like I was being done a favor being served. I had the pina colada, the bacalaitos, the red beans and rice and the side salad. Pina colada - too sugary and like a dessert, side salad - was $5 for a bed of iceberg with 3 slices of tomatoes. Bacalaitos was dripping with oil. All I wanted was some authentic Puerto Rican food and the beans and rice helped. The place is closed with no open windows, smells of cleaning product.
1 month ago
4 months ago
Walking around san juan and found this delicious place! Our food was so tasty and service was great . This place was packed but the wait time was not too bad! When you see line out the door it has to be good food ! It was !! read more
1 year ago
Oh, how I waited four years to return--this was meant to be the grand finale of our trip to San Juan, and it ended up being deeply disappointing. We went completely out of our way, squeezing in this visit just 3 hours before our flight, because I had been dreaming about it for so long. All I really wanted were the masitas de cerdo... but they weren't available at all. Heartbroken, I settled for the pork ribs. While they had good flavor, they were unfortunately quite dry. The mofongo was generous and well-seasoned, though I wasn't a fan of the large chunks of unmashed plantain throughout. I asked for hot sauce and was given a thimble-sized portion--barely enough to taste. The side salad? Sad and undressed, almost like a garnish rather than a real offering. We also ordered piña coladas, which tasted like they were missing most (if not all) of the alcohol, though we still ended up having two each. A small highlight: this was the only place we found that served Ron del Barrilito, so we made sure to get a shot of that. As for the service--borderline inattentive at best, which added to the overall letdown. I'm glad I came back, if only to put the curiosity to rest. Now I know: some memories are best left untouched. read more
The fact that restaurant isn't higher in ratings but so popular and there can be a wait time is surprising. My aunt has been telling me about this place for a while and so happy to have the opportunity to do so! This place is like coming to your families house and getting that authentic feeling of Puerto Rico and getting that home cook meal and that is what me and my boyfriend needed. We both cleaned our plates and my boyfriend was so impressed with service and quality of the food that he does not want to go anywhere else when we go to Puwrto Rico lol I was glad he loved it so much as he can be very picky. Overall, please come try this amazing restaurant in Old San Juan! read more
Like everywhere here, things are slow. But maybe that's the vibes of a great relaxing city like San Juan. I'm from Chicago and everything is go go go, or else it's considered slow. I had the el sandwich de jabarito and it was good. The fried plantain had a nice . Highly recommend! read more
Highly visited Puerto Rican gem. We loved everything about our food and drinks (worth the 45 min wait). They are traditional, family owned business. Depending on the time you go, it can be a long wait and you cannot make reservations. I also recommend shared vehicles or ride share because Old San Juan has very slim parking options. Below is my rating of the food and drinks: *Fried Red Snapper: BEST fried fish I've had in a minute... they get 10/5 for this one. *Arroz con Gandules: 5/5 *Piña Colada: 5/5 (best I had in PR) *Guava Mojito: 5/5 *Mofongo: 4/5 *Pastelillos De Pollo: 3/5 *Garlic Sauce: 5/5 Everybody was so kind and helpful. They really do work like a team! Recommendation for the restaurant: please renovate your restroom. read more
4 months ago
Early lunch after Castillo son Cristobal. Christmas Plate was very tasty. Pork ribs, tómale (wrapped in a banana(?) leaf), yellow rice, and sweet plantains. My wife had the pork with plantain gravy. She thought it was delicious. Surprisingly, the tostones were the item not that tasty. Great PR vibe. Like the laid back nature. Seated read more
4 months ago
2 months ago
The food and service was great!! We took our kids late because we were traveling and arrived later than planned. We were very happy we went there. It was quick and food was delicious!! read more
11 months ago
Brought a group of 7 here at 5 pm on a Thursday and we were able to be seated quickly. The vibe was lively, fun, and energetic. We asked for recommendations for plates to share across the table and loved everything we had. Would highly recommend trying the Mofongo con Carne Guisada and the Plato Navideño was a great sampler to share. read more
2 months ago
After an amazing concert the next morning, my friend and I were looking for a breakfast spot as we were starving! We were going to go to a location around here, but there was a crazy line so we started looking for different options and came across El Jibarito. I was glad that we stopped in here as it felt like an authentic location. We got lucky and were seated pretty quickly because after us they started to be a line outside. We started with bacaloitos and empanadas. Both were crispy but not greasy and flavorful. For the main I had carne guisado with arroz con guandules. The beef was tender and the rice was flavorful. My friend had the chicken and it wasn't as good. But I was happy with my meal. It was a great alternative to the very busy location that was down the road so if you're standing in line and looking at your Yelp app this is definitely a good alternative read more
11 months ago
So we came here and they lied to us about the wait. They told us half an hour and then when we waited they kept telling us we were next and we ended up waiting maybe an hour and a half. So that was very upsetting; then the food was good. The service was a bit better when we went inside. Overall the food was good. I ordered garlic shrimp with trifongo. I enjoyed the trifongo. The shrimp didn't have a lot of flavor and needed the sauce to be thicker. The place does remind me of eating at home. The appetizer was delicious and I definitely recommend that. read more
4 months ago
23 days ago
Felt like a home cooked meal! It's a very busy restaurant, so you will probably have to wait a bit, which gives you a chance to walk the blue brick streets. Our server started us off with a tasting of the chicken stew- amazing! It sold my husband on it. The menu is somewhat small, but not disappointing. My husband ordered the chicken "stew" with a side of red beans and rice. I got the garlic shrimp, yellow rice, and added a side of sweet plantains. I got a mojito and he got a beer. Our meal came pretty quickly, and was fantastic! Nothing fancy, just really good food. I would definitely recommend this place in Old San Juan. read more
11 months ago
Visited the island and a lot of locals from San Juan recommended this place as authentic boricua food. We sample a little bit of everything, the mojitos too. Very yummy!! The place is real small and they will try to accommodate everyone. The wait can be about an hour. Depends what time you make it. We went around 4:30pm and we waited for 30 minutes to be seated. I wasn't impressed with their appetizers. Too greasy! But the main star was their red snapper. Real delicious and cooked to perfection!! read more
On our quick stop in San Juan, we were given the recommendation to go here because of the customer service, the food, and the price. Well, 2/3 isn't bad. The customer service end: we had to wait for over an hour to get seated and as people were leaving they were saying it was worth the wait as the food was so good! Well went up the alley to get drinks at a bar called La Verguenza and it was overlooking the ocean. It was already close to 7:00 so the sun was going down and on a Sunday night the motorcycles and cruising vehicles were numerous passing by. Very interesting people watching. So we sat down, ordered, but it took so long for the food to arrive. We were a party of 7, I will give them that. However, people seated after us got their food much sooner than we did. The ambience was that of an old casual restaurant with the San Juan Vibe. Not much upkeep going on inside. But finally, the food arrived. Our table ordered the Bistec Encebollado (cube steak), Sandwich el Jibarito, Pollo al Horno (baked chicken), Filete de Mero Al Horno (baked fish) , Chillo Frito (fried snapper), Pastelillos de carne, and Amarillos. Not overwhelmingly impressive overall, but the local flavor was well represented. The most impressive dish was the Chillo Frito, this one I would highly recommend! I am a fan of their amarillos (sweet plantains). I would say worth a try, but not really worth a long wait. read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
This restaurant was just down Calle del Sol from our Airbnb. So delicious! We got a variety of plates and everything was delicious. Stay for dessert!... the flan de coco is to die for! read more
6 months ago
amazing food, authentic and service. Fast and delicious. The staff was very attentive. add to your stop read more
5 months ago
Please refrain from visiting this establishment. The experience is not worthwhile. The wait time to be seated is approximately 40 minutes, followed by an additional 30 minutes before a server approaches to take your order. It takes about an hour for your food to be served, and querying the staff about the menu often results in an unpleasant attitude. Furthermore, upon billing, you may wait another 30 minutes to settle your account, which can be tiresome. Consequently, we chose to leave and pay at the bar. Regrettably, the food was also not of satisfactory quality. read more
26 days ago
1 year ago
This place always has a line, so be prepared to wait, especially for a large party. Also, be prepared to speak Spanish, as this place isn't as bilingual as others, but in my opinion, it added to its charm! The menu is pretty decent, all Spanish food, and it was delicious. The prices are very reasonable, and the staff was friendly. They played salsa music the whole time, which was great. I would definitely recommend this place! Este lugar siempre tiene fila, así que prepárate para esperar, especialmente si vas en grupo grande. Además, prepárate para hablar español, porque aquí no son tan bilingües como en otros sitios, ¡pero en mi opinión eso le da su encanto! El menú está bastante bien, pura comida española, y estaba deliciosa. Los precios son muy razonables y el personal fue súper amable. Estuvieron poniendo música de salsa todo el tiempo, lo cual estuvo genial. ¡Definitivamente recomendaría este lugar! read more
We love easy going staffs! The lady offered us free samples of ready meat stew and it made us so happy. We ordered the chicken stew, the tostones and chuletas, as well as the beef stew. They came with yellow rice and peas and hot sauce, totally tasty! The vibes was bar and casual read more
The appetizers were good. They also brought out a mayo/ketchup mix sauce to dip them in and it was better than I expected. The sweetness of the corn sticks mixed well with the sauce. This page was busy and we had to put our name down and wait about 15 minutes, which wasn't bad at all. Our service was meh. No one came around after we got our meal and we were missing a side of amarillos but we got those taken off when the after it was verified that we never got them. My chicken with garlic was not seasoned and I couldn't taste the garlic. The rice was also hard and it had pieces of pork but it had more flavor so it was edible. My partner had the same rice but his didn't have pork, we don't eat pork, so it was interesting. They have a bar but I didn't see any searing there since they have tables close and there isn't much passing room. read more
My friend recommended this place and he did not miss! Todo estaba muy rico!!! The carne was so tender and full of flavor. My favorite was the sandwich! Ugh I've been craving this nonstop! Service was quick and they were very friendly. Definitely recommend and must try! read more
25 days ago
This Puerto Rico trip required that I try a few places that I have never visited before. So we went to have lunch at Jibaritos. Nestled in old San Juan is this vintage Spanish restaurant. The waiters an host were very helpful in sitting you at a table. The menu is pretty light with a choice of just a few items. Enough to get your taste buds going! We had the steak and onions which my friend said was just ok. We ate foodies so we're looking for explosions of tastebuds in our mouths. I had the pork in plátano sauce? Which was also okay. We had the bacalaitos which tasted straight out the box no cod fish in it at all. The alcapurrias were not up to par either. Sorry. The food can pass for aunties food but not Grandmas if you know what I mean? Now if your auntie can cook cook then disregard what I just wrote. All in all the prices are affordable for Puerto Rico prices. And it may be worth a lunch in old San Juan. But I probably won't be back. read more
1 year ago
I think el jibarito was a good introduction to PR food. I went with a large group and they were able to accommodate all of us at one large table, which was great. The food came out a little slower than I was used to, but that seemed to be the case for most sit down restaurants we went to in San Juan. My fricasé de pollo was a good amount of food and very seasoned. It was too salty to eat on its own but the mofongo balanced it out. Some of my friends got a Christmas plate, which was a lot of food and was good too. read more
1 year ago
Authentic Puerto Rican food. The pernil ribs were delicious. Service was great. The place was packed. Love the vibe and the decor. read more
8 months ago
Authentic delicious food. Excellent service. Historic ambiance. Very nice experience overall read more
1 year ago
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