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    El Platanal

    3.9 (63 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated 3 months ago

    El Platanal Photos

    EL PLATANAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - El Platanal

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    Plantain sandwich: steak
    Naomi T.

    This used to be one of my favorite spots, but not anymore. Service was slow even though it wasn't busy. We waited a long time for water, the appetizer came after the main dishes, and no one checked on us. We had to ask multiple employees just to get water once the food arrived. The food was the biggest disappointment. The churrasco plantain sandwich was dry and flavorless. The mofongo and yuca with chicken were bland, and the chicken was tough and needed seasoning. The staff was polite, but not attentive. Being told the tip was "15% no less" at the end didn't sit right either. There are too many great Puerto Rican options out there -- we won't be back.

    Amarillos, flan de coco, bacalaitos, rice and beans. Amazing!
    Rizma W.

    Y'all, I'm gonna make this quick so I can get back to my food. This is one of the best meals I had in Puerto Rico. Hands down. Period. They are open 24/7 and deliver on Uber Eats so you have no excuse not to get you some. The bacalaitos were delicious! Chewy and tender and perfectly fried. Generous portion. Enough to share, although if you reach over here you might pull back a nub. Moving on... The rice and beans. Savory, saucy delicious carbs. What's not to love? Amarillos/platanos/fried sweet plantain (whatever you want to call them)... Yum!! Mind you, they're not caramelized like their Jamaican or Trinidadian counterparts... So adjust your expectations accordingly. I had some cilantro crema leftover from another meal that I thought would be good with them... And I was so right. And last, but certainly not least... The flan de coco. I love flan, but I've never had coconut flan... Until now. Easily one of the best flans I've ever had and probably the best dessert I've had out of all of my trips to Puerto Rico. Ok, I gave y'all all the information you need to know about this place. Why are you still reading this? Go get you some! And if you don't, that's fine too... I'll just eat your share. And no you can't have any.

    Dany G.

    Excelente, realmente fuego en un ambiente muy agradable . La atención de todos es excepcional

    Sopa de platano
    Sin Y.

    You have to try the local dish called Mofongos. The service was fast and food was delicious! Inside the place was well decorated and had bunch of tv's. If you visit San Juan must try.

    Bacalaitos, terrible, gummy, too salty.

    The garlic grouper is delicious. So is the bistec con cebolla. The tostones de platano y pana, yummy. The bacalaitos were terrible, gummy, and raw inside. The beers were cold.

    Awesome dinner!
    Kenneth S.

    If you want to eat authentic Puertorican food, this is the place. Enjoy the classic Mofongo, Chuletas Kan Kan, Arañitas, etc. the service is quick and personal and the prices are accessible. Don't miss it if you are in San Juan.

    First photo of the parasite when first discovering it inside my chillo frito.
    Angelina M.

    !!! 2 INCH TONGUE-EATING PARASITE found inside my fried red snapper, the "chillo frito"! (See photos) I ate the entire fish up to the jaw and that's when I saw the tail of the thick long parasite --this parasite has claws, two eyes, and whiskers. Google: Cymothoa exigua, or the tongue-eating parasite (louse), it enters fish through the gills. The female attaches to the tongue, while the male attaches to the gill arches beneath and behind the female. The staff took my plate to the back, returned and said "we broke open the jaw and examined the fish and you are right and we are horrified and so sorry." The manager admitted to frightening discovery and offered a postre. Not a free meal, but a dessert. Of course my appetite along with my guest was gone, so then they gave me the bill and expected me to pay for the fish BECAUSE I ATE IT. I said to them "how am I expected to pay for a meal with a parasite?" The waiter sighed and said "okay" then took the fish off and billed me for our two drinks, appetizer, with their tip included in the bill. My guest and I were in shock--traumatized, so I quickly paid just to leave. The next day a family member saw the entire video on social media and called the restaurant to demand a refund. The staff said that I could come back to the restaurant and they would give me the refund, so when we let them know that their response to this traumatic situation was to now have me drive an hour our of the way to get a refund on top of their mishandling was insult to injury is when they offered to pay for my gas *****BUT ALL OUT OF POCKET SO THAT THE OWNER WOULD NOT FIND OUT ABOUT THIS. 1: A parasite in my food. 2: expected to pay. 3: the staff are trying to hide this from ownership. 4. I have not yet recieved the refund, will update this post if/when I do. "Dear Department of Health.....

    Red snapper with dirty rice (my plate) Shrimp and avocado with sweet plantain (her plate)
    Kaiyou V.

    This place was the first restaurant we stopped by and it was a blast. Food was good, service was great, and our server Michael was perfect! Ask for him when you get there because he'll take care of you!! He recommended some perfect appetizers, and the entrees were phenomenal! The drinks were so good too. Definitely will be the first place we come back to when we do come back!

    Entrance
    Michelle C.

    Looking for fairly priced, delicious Puerto Rican food? Then look no further when in the metropolitan area, "El Platanal" is a perfect choice!! Probably one of my favorite places to get Puerto Rican Food, "Platanal" is a banana/plantain plantation. Is no wonder why "El Platanal" is named after a plantain plantation they specialize in anything plantain. Mofongo? You got it! Fried or sweet plantains? Go for it! Plantain soup? My favorite place to get it. A must is are their Fried cheese with guava sauce appetizer (GET IT!!!) and their "Aplatanado rice", which is packed with "gandules" (pigeon peas) and mashed fried plantain (similar to small mofongo balls). Finally, depending on what you get, prices range from $8-20, but they always have house specials which some stay constant and others change from day to day. Check them out!!! FYI: Parking is limited and cramped. :\

    Sandwich De Platano (plantain sandwich) with Camarones (shrimp) inside

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    11 years ago

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    8 years ago

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    9 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Well it was very good food, but didn't like to much the place, I thought it was different.

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    8 years ago

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    13 years ago

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    9 years ago

    A tad expensive for typical puertorrican food. Now the food is good and the servings aare large. Gets crowded

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    5 years ago

    the food was okay. the rice was hard. attention was terrible rarely came to attend and took so long

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    12 years ago

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    12 years ago

    Very good and affordable. "Mero en salsa de coco" and "Carrucho al ajillo" are highly recommended

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    9 years ago

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    Page 2 of 2

    El Platanal Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - El Platanal

    I had Filete de Mero with mofongo, and my friend had Aguacate Relleno de Ropa Vieja and he adored it.

    Mentioned in 11 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    Casita Miramar - Arroz con Mariscos (seafood paella) and Churrasco (steak); Follow me @RimyEats on Instagram

    Casita Miramar

    4.5(1.7k reviews)
    8.4 km
    $$$

    What a great food experience!!! Casita Miramar easily earned a spot in my top 2 restaurants I've…read morehad the pleasure of dining at in Puerto Rico when it comes to quality food and an overall amazing experience. The restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful, and the service was excellent from beginning to end,from the hostess to the servers and bussers. Our server, Jeffery, was amazing! He was energetic, professional, attentive, and you can genuinely tell he takes his position seriously. I loved that! We were greeted with complimentary sopa de plátano and bacalaítos, and I was NOT expecting to love them as much as I did. This was by far the best sopa de plátano I've ever had. I never thought I could fall in love with a soup, but here we are! (I ordered a whole extra regular size bowl )The bacalaítos were another surprise because they're normally not something I order or even particularly like--and I've tried quite a few in my life--but these were absolutely delicious. My S/O and I shared the churrasco with arroz mamposteao, along with a side of avocado salad and majado de viandas. Everything was a straight 10/10. Not one disappointment on the table. They also make an amazing Rojo Pico, which was the perfect addition to the experience. 100% recommend Casita Miramar. Don't overthink JUST GO! Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and most importantly, genuinely delicious, quality Puerto Rican food. This place absolutely deserves the hype and its spot in my top two!

    The workers were honestly the sweetest. the environment is so welcoming and calm…read more although i wasn't very happy with the food. i went with my family and we found the food very bland and overpriced!! my mom LOVES cooking and she could tell when frozen beans are served to her. the food tasted old and the rice look like it was reheated from days ago.. definitely might be a tourist trap. the aesthetics are beautiful but isn't worth the price. on the good side, they sell natural juices and the parcha juice was the best i ever had!!

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    Casita Miramar - Indoor Dining Room

    Indoor Dining Room

    Casita Miramar - Amazing chocolate Fudge Cake delivered to restaurant (Cakes by Glorimar in PR). Staff sang and added candle

    Amazing chocolate Fudge Cake delivered to restaurant (Cakes by Glorimar in PR). Staff sang and added candle

    Casita Miramar - Pastelón - Delicious thick Caribbean soft meat and plantain taste and texture

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    El Refrán - NY strip with Root vegetable mash

    El Refrán

    4.5(333 reviews)
    8.3 km
    $$

    A very small restaurant with absolutely authentic Puerto Rican food with about 10 tables or so,…read moreabsolutely do not miss this place! So what do you get by coming here? You get the real deal, real Puerto Rican dishes, with the greatest flavors and fair prices. Unless you prefer playing overpriced, find dining restaurants with average Puerto Rican food, which there are plenty of in the area. I'm not able to emphasize how small this restaurant is, it's located right along the main walking strip in Coronado Beach. Maybe 10 tables or so. No reservations walk up wait in line if you have to eat and leave. Not only will you eat the best tasting food during your trip, but probably also pay the least amount of money. We went here twice! Their rice and beans recipe is probably what it's all about! We got grilled shrimp and skirt steak over rice and beans and honestly, I could've had it all week long! This little gem local place is not to be missed! Highly recommended!

    This casual restaurant is a fun dinner stop with open air dining (not so good on a hot day though)…read more We went early at 5pm and avoided crowds. The restaurant filled up before we left. We went with the waitress's recommended dishes - Mofongo Churrasco (steak) and Mamposteao Tacu Tacu with grilled shrimp. Flavors were strong and a bit on the salty side, but delicious. We enjoyed both dishes. The Mamposteao Tacu Tacu has a long fancy name but it was rice and beans topped with skirt steak. The sangria was the happy hour cocktail of the night, very refreshing.

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    El Refrán
    El Refrán - Skirt steak on top of a bed of rice and beans

    Skirt steak on top of a bed of rice and beans

    El Refrán - Steak Quesadillas

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    El Jibarito - Flan de coco and flan de chocolate

    El Jibarito

    3.9(2.1k reviews)
    10.6 km
    $$

    This was my first time visiting Viejo San Juan, and this was one of those legendary places I had…read moreheard about for years, going all the way back to when I was a little kid. On our most recent vacation, we finally had the chance to experience it for ourselves, and it did not disappoint. The moment you walk in, it feels like you have stepped back in time. The old school dining room is simple and no frills, with basic tables and chairs lined throughout the space, but that is exactly what gives the place so much character and authenticity. It feels like a true piece of old Puerto Rico. And then there is the food. Absolutely delicious, authentic, traditional Puerto Rican cooking. Our family shared the Bistec Encebollado, Carne Guisada, Chuletas Fritas, tostones, white rice and beans, and arroz con gandules. We started with Alcapurrias and Pastelillos de Carne, and everything was packed with flavor. The portions may be a little smaller than what some people are used to, but the prices are very reasonable, which makes it easy to order several dishes and share everything family style. For me, this was more than just a meal. It was finally getting to experience a place I had heard about for most of my life, surrounded by family and enjoying the kind of traditional Puerto Rican food I was hoping for. AMAZING! Definitely a must visit when you are in Viejo San Juan.

    Its been about 8 weeks since we came back from PR and eating at El Jibarito, and I can't stop…read morethinking about. Wish we had eaten here at the beginning of our trip, so we could have gone a couple more times. The service was amazing, a lady came by with a couple different little plates with different food, so we can try, i've never eaten somewhere, where they did that. I didnt see if she was walking around doing this, or she just did it for us. Everything was amazing and it was a hard choice to narrow down and decide what to order. I decided on the carne guisada, which is basically beef stew it came with rice and beans, chefs kiss!!! AMAZING flavor, the meat was so tender. Everything else everyone ordered was so good, hands down the best food we ate on our whole vacation, and we ate great food! The restaurant felt like you were eating at your tias house, beautiful decor, service was amazing it felt like home. As we walked out I thanked the lady that brought us the food, she stopped me and gave me the biggest hug as if she had known me a lifetime.

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    El Jibarito - Fried snapper

    Fried snapper

    El Jibarito

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    Santaella - FILETE DE SALMÓN ORIENTAL

    Santaella

    4.3(699 reviews)
    7.6 km
    $$$

    Great food and the service was fast. The place had a great vibe and the employees were nice.read more

    Kept seeing a bunch of reviews on how amazing this place was and honestly it's up there…read more To start off, I'm not really a sweets guy so my take is going to be a little off from the general public. We were able to snag a reservation but for a late time which was about an hour and a half before close. The service was super great but one thing I wished they mentioned that the bottled water was going to be a $40 charge lol. Makes sense for any upscale restaurant though. Should've mentioned we wanted tap so fair warning, ask cause you WILL get charged haha. We had a group of 10 and for how big the group was, the food came out pretty fast. I don't think we ever had a time between drinks to entrees where we were waiting for food to come out. We got the watermelons mojito for drinks since it was the most raved about. It was good but personally nothing crazy for me. 8/10 score on that. We also curry popcorn chicken, the ahi tuna lollipops, the empanadillas and the goat cheese quesadillas for apps and honestly overall 9/10. This is where I don't like the sweetness part of this meal. The empanadillas were what I was most excited for but it was more sweet then savory which sort of lose my appetite a little. I think if you like that kind of taste then it's going to be good. It wasn't a bad taste at all. Just too sweet for my liking. The curry popcorn chicken was good and the lollipops were great. Again, nothing crazy. The goat cheese quesadillas was good as well but again, too sweet for my liking. Now on to the entree, they didn't have the porkchop since we came late so I ended up getting the porkchop belly dish. When it came out, it looked amazing but then I got a whiff of it and smelled cinnamon. That's when I was sort of disappointed. It was like eating pork but tasting Cinnamon Toast Crunch and as said before, it tasted great but too sweet for me. This one was way too sweet to where it seemed like a dessert item. I just had poor luck and got one of the one items that were sweet. This doesn't tank the rating down whatsoever because I also should've read it had cinnamon. It would've been great if they made a dipping sauce or something to pair it with and not have it on the pork belly itself. I got to try other dishes my friends got which were good as well but I wish I got to try something else. If I came back I would try the sold out item which was the pork shank or the sea bass. I know for a fact the sea bass was amazing. Had a bite of it and thought "I'll come back for that" Overall, 10/10 experience and nothing bad about the place but gotta try different items when I go next time. I understand the hype now

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    Santaella - Dinning room area

    Dinning room area

    Santaella - Pulpo Parrilla

    Pulpo Parrilla

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    Cocina Al Fondo - Rabbit meatballs, root vegetables 'al pilón' - good!

    Cocina Al Fondo

    4.6(103 reviews)
    7.7 km

    We visited at the recommendation of a friend and WOOOOOOW. This was my favorite dining experience…read morein San Juan...maybe all of PR. The high quality preparation combined with the classic tastes of the island... mwah chef's kiss. LB and I ordered apps and split and entree. There was sooo much food and it was all so delicious. Our server was a DELIGHT and made it feel like we were dining with friends. Love the ambiance. The location. The menu. Put this high on your list of things to check out

    Farm to table Puerto Rican food, James Beard winning chef. Highlights for me were the appetizers…read moreand cocktails. The buñuelos de malanga and the longaniza empanadas were excellent. The Funk Fashion was an interesting take on the Old Fashioned. My wife ordered a few other cocktails which were also very good. As for main course dishes, My lamb fricasse and the rice with rabbit were delicious. The only reason I'm taking off a star is because it was hot af. Seating is mostly outdoors. Interior seating is very limited so expect to be seated outside. The patio is very nice, but there is little to no breeze so it gets very hot. My parents went earlier in the year when temperatures were lower than they are this summer and they experienced the same. My suggestion is wear light breathable clothing: shorts, skirts, open toed footwear. Maybe bring a personal fan. Overall, a must foodie destination.

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    Cocina Al Fondo
    Cocina Al Fondo - La Maja cocktail, Beets and 'Lucía' goat cheese terrine, honey, cherry tomatoes, almonds, artisanal bread toast - lovely

    La Maja cocktail, Beets and 'Lucía' goat cheese terrine, honey, cherry tomatoes, almonds, artisanal bread toast - lovely

    Cocina Al Fondo - Funky Fashion - their twist on Old Fashioned

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    La Alcapurria Quemá - Alcapurria

    La Alcapurria Quemá

    4.5(169 reviews)
    7.6 km
    $$

    Look, were we at an alcapurria spot ordering pastelillos? Yes. Do we regret it? Absolutely not…read more We got one each of vegetariano, cebolla y queso, pollo, and guayaba con queso. The vegetariano was mid, but the other three? No complaints. But honestly, the food is only part of the story here. The vibe is everything. Salsa playing, high energy, warm service. We rolled in late and hungry, looking for sweet refuge from La Placita crowds, and they welcomed us like we belonged there. The music started out mixed, but at some point it shifted to Contra La Corriente front to back. We were enjoying our pastelillos, singing along to No Me Conoces, minding our own business when... el apagón. Not the whole Placita, just a couple spots including this one. The staff didn't miss a beat. Flashlights came out, mood lighting appeared, and nobody rushed us. We finished our food. We paid. We left happy. 5 stars because some experiences are bigger than the sum of their parts. This was one of them.

    This is not a polished, Instagram-perfect restaurant and that's exactly the point. That's why I…read morelove it so much. Tucked inside La Placita de Santurce, its a small, casual, almost hidden spot that's usually packed with locals. Think plastic chairs, outdoor tables, music playing and a constant flow of people coming in for a quick bite or drink. Feels more like a neighborhood hangout than a restaurant. I've been coming here for years and this is what I've learned, take it from a local. For a quick bite, alcapurrias are a MUST -- especially beef or crab. Also the "pastelillos" are amazing-- corn beef, chorizo, morcilla... Everything freshly made to order. Now, if you want to sit down and enjoy an authentic Puerto Rican meal, here are some of my favorites: chuletas fritas, chicharrones de pollo, bistec encebollado and carne frita-- of course with a side of rice and beans or tostones for the win. Bottom line: you come here for flavor and authenticity, not comfort. Enjoy

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    La Alcapurria Quemá - The name of the place !!!

    The name of the place !!!

    La Alcapurria Quemá - Empanadas

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    Cocina Abierta - Second Course

    Cocina Abierta

    4.4(745 reviews)
    8.1 km
    $$$$

    PHENOMENAL This is…read morenot just a restaurant, this is a dining experience. This is upscale elegance in a relaxed environment. This is global techniques blended with locally sourced Puerto Rican ingredients. From the moment you walk in, you feel welcome. I was there to celebrate my birthday (a reservation is a must). I asked if I could be seated in a different section of the restaurant, and even though they were packed, they said absolutely and found me a lovely seat in the bar area. The staff is knowledgeable and attentive. I suffer from severe food allergies but wanted to experience their tasting menu. My server spoke to the chef directly and then took the time to walk me through every option. I TRULY appreciated that they did not take anything off the menu but rather told me how they could adjust for my allergies. That is very rare and so very much appreciated that they went that extra mile for me. I highly recommend the tasting menu. It's 5 courses and they give you 3 options to choose from, within each course. And for the price ($85), a great value. Everything was delicious but I highly recommend the Breadfruit Gnocchi, Rainbow Runner Crudo, and Criollo Duck Mofongo. Chefs kiss! What I also noticed was, even though they were insanely busy, they didn't make you feel rushed. The invited you to savor the experience - which I did. Next time you are in San Juan, make a reservation and go. You won't be disappointed!

    4.5 stars. Cocina Abierta was one of the better meals of our trip. The food was excellent overall,…read morewith the lone exception being the empanadas, which were simply too salty. Everything else was very well done. The two of us split one order of the five-course tasting menu plus an additional starter, and it ended up being a nice light meal. Had we each ordered our own tasting menu, it would have been far more food than we wanted...something we found to be a fairly common theme with portion sizes throughout Puerto Rico. The standout of the evening was the Criollo Duck Mofongo, which was absolutely exquisite and easily the best mofongo we had on our trip by far. The cocktails were tasty and unique, but a bit small for the price. This definitely isn't an every-night kind of restaurant...the prices are on the higher side. But if you're looking to splurge a little, it's a fun place to do it.

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    Cocina Abierta - Bar

    Bar

    Cocina Abierta - Snook

    Snook

    Cocina Abierta - FRESH LOCAL CATCH CEVICHE - Leche de tigre | avocado chips

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    FRESH LOCAL CATCH CEVICHE - Leche de tigre | avocado chips

    El Platanal - puertorican - Updated August 2026

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