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Best lechon I've ever had. My partner and I had heard to show up early and we had seen videos of the place with a ton of people. The store opens at 6 am but we got there at 6:30 am and we laughed with the locals. It's too early! Don't forget that they run on island time! In any case, the workers were sweet and gave us a coffee on the house since we were there and enthusiastic. We tried lechon, the yellow rice, sweet plantains, tres leches, and a pastele. All of it was mind blowing and we washed with down with a cold Medalla! The lechon was phenomenal and reheated very well the next day !
The pork is amazing, half pound is perfect for 3 people; we got 1 pound which was plenty. We went here after eating at Los Pinos, down the road (1 min walk) -- this place is overall better, get the pork and BBQ ribs. It's more tender and flavorful. The BBQ ribs flavor is 10/10, it's a perfect balance of sweet and savory, different from typical bbq sauce in the states. Our order cost $25. They don't have pork sausage here, BUT Los Pinos does and it's AMAZING. Start at Los Pinos, get the sausage and since they also have free parking, then walk here. Cafeteria style! Just order and wait at the second stop in the line to pay once they have your food ready. It's a nice drive to reach here, but narrow roads.
Wonderful. Wonderful. What a wonderful family friendly atmosphere. Was completely welcomed by the customers who was eager to help me. The lecheron was so tasty and crispy. I was even more excited to eat it the next day because it was good portions. Seeing the huge lecheron was also a plus! And the place was nice too with a hut/garden in the backyard and I heard there's live band options on certain days. What a gem.
The food was fresh and the pork was flavorful. It lost a star because the skin was inedible. Other than that perfection. Service was good and fast and the woman understood my American Spanish. The ambiance was quiet because it was a Tuesday. DON'T GO ANYTIME AFTER OR NEAR 5pm, they are closed!
El Rancho Original en Guavate, Puerto Rico. I have been coming to this place since I'm a little girl. It has changed and grown a lot, but the food is always great. The staff is friendly and helpful. The place is clean. Music playing. Lots of places to sit and enjoy your food and the yummy mojitos. You can also go down the steps and sit in one of their gazebos by the river.
On vacation, I always try to go to Guavate and this trip was no exception as always it did not disappoint with great food and views especially on a rainy day no views like those where I come from. We had the Lechon a la vara with the pigeon peas rice and boiled bananas as well as the potato salad and all was delicious the island seasoning that I miss. there was a music band and dancing going on very happy atmosphere. Service was great as all the employees were very friendly and took care of you like family would.
The best lechón and arroz con gandules. Gandules are fresh not canned. They look so nice in color when cooked. The lechón was seasoned to perfection. The morcilla to die for. We sat in the Bohío in the back and enjoyed the water stream. It's totally worth the trip while in PR. FYI this is an entire strip of pig roast businesses but this one had the best review.
I drove almost an hour away an up a winding road for "Okay" pork!! The line wasn't long at all so that was nice. I had tried to use my google translate to understand the menu as it's all in Spanish. All I really knew was to get the Lechon (pork). I asked the young lady taking my order if it came with sides? She said yes an mentioned the macaroni an potato salad. I asked her what she suggested am she said Macaroni. I went with those 2 options an a Coke. The best thing I ate was the pig skin! So crunchy. The salad lacked flavor an I thought the pork desperately needed BBQ sauce. I'm glad I tried the place an the parking was free. It was reasonably price at $9.75. read more
4 years ago
We stopped here after our day trip to Ponce. We heard so much about the legendary "pork highway" we had to try it. To my disappointment, there were no non pork options at the time. My dining partner ordered a plate with rice and peas, Morcilla sausage, Lechon and banana for a whopping $30. When we got back to our hotel she soon regretted going here. The lechon was very dry and the sausage was very bland. seeing all these good reviews could it be they were just off their game this day? I dont know but I would likely go up the road for something else. read more
This is the spot to go to when you visit Guavate. They are probably the largest lechonera in Guavate. You can order you food and sit in the huge dining area they have. If tables are available you can even sit by a creek which flows through their property. If you are not interested in food then they have a full bar area where you are able to order whatever you like. This tends to be a very popular place so you may need to be patient but they will get you in and out rather quickly. Best time to go is the weekend although it will be packed and parking will be hard to find. It is well worth it. Also on weekends they have live entertainment where they play all types of music. We love it and it is super affordable. Some of the best food on the island will be found here. read more
2 years ago
Guvate!!!!!!!!!! As they call it P.R Baby!!!! Amazing experience, first time here and the energy is out of this world. This time around coming back to p.r I had to make it here just to eat. It's like mom cooking food in the kitchen times 10. Theres salsa playing in each spot people dancing singing and just having the time of their life. I adore it here just to be in golf with my roots. The food hits the spot with the lechon (yummmmmmmy) the skin is super crunchy and beans and yuca taste great, omg the list goes on. You really have to go there with comfy shoes and be prepared to walk because it's a whole strip of goodness and fun! read more
3 years ago
4 years ago
Lively fun spot to see in Puerto Rico. Very affordable and it has very authentic food. The lechon was out of this world, spiced perfectly. And the pasteles were excellent. The frapes were delicious as well. Well worth the drive. read more
3 years ago
another place that is worth the drive for sure. we cam here during a rainy day and it was perfect as it was not packed and we got to enjoy the best sit in the place. they have private parking and that was awesome since we drove there and did not have to worry about parking, since it was not packed parking was easy to achieve. this is an outdoor restaurant and has plenty of covered sitting but no real indoor area as I could notice, but maybe I just didn't notice. the food is all on display through a glass as well as the roasting pigs so you get your plate filled while pointing at the parts and side you like to have, then after getting the food you order your drink and after all you pay and go have a sit to enjoy your meal. ROASTED PORK- you pick your favorite part of the pig and that is about it. it is a roasted pig so it is a very different way of eating, the skin is very crunchy and fun to try. PINA COLADA- the Pina colada here is pretty amazing it is definitely a must try, they make them right in front of you old school. BLOOD SAUSAGE- not my thing but yes they have it here and so if you never had it, do give it a try. RICE- they have this lentil and yellow rice, that to me was a bit blend but the flavors of all the meal are so strong that the rice should not make much a difference here. APPETIZERS- we got some fried appetizers and they were not super awesome but they were ok to try for sure. the real star her is the sitting area. the sitting area in the back of the restaurant is by the river side and it looks amazing, you have a lot of nature all around you here. the sitting area is just breathtaking and perfect. I will definitely come back here if I have a chance, not so much to eat but to have another pina colada and enjoy the nature for sure. read more
5 years ago
My friends and I were only in Puerto Rico for 3 days but venturing to "Pork Highway" was definitely a "must do" on my list. I researched and debated whether we should go to this restaurant or the other famous lechonera but in the end settled on this one and I am glad I did! For one, the vibe was electrifying! We went on a Sunday afternoon. By the time we got there, about a 30-45 minute drive from San Juan, it was noon so things were poppin'. People dancing, live band singing and performing. Vendors selling things on the street. My advice is to rent a car. I rented one from Enterprise. They picked me up from my hotel (and will drop you off later). It cost about ~$40 for the day with tolls included. Like I said, it is about a 30-45 minute drive without traffic, which there wasn't on a Sunday around 11:30am. We didn't get lost at all. We just followed our GPS. But Enterprise kindly gave us written directions as well just in case. One thing to note is that the coordinates on Yelp will not take you DIRECTLY there, it will take you to the BEGINNING of the highway. That first lechonera is NOT the one and is NOT the one you want to go to. You want to keep going UP the mountain until Mile Marker 28. Now..on to what you really care about: THE FOOD. uhhhmazing. Unfortunately, unlike San Juan English is not as widely used here but I'm sure you can get by. I speak Spanish fairly well so I ordered for the group. I didn't really know how much to order so I just said I wanted enough lechon for 5 people and they gave me the perfect amount. We also ordered arroz con gandules (yellow rice with pigeon peas), white rice, yucca, plantains, sodas and waters. All in all it cost $45.All lechon come with the skin, don't you worry! Cause as we all know, that's the best part! They serve other stuff like chicken and turkey but we didn't try it. One other thing that was delicious was the pina coladas, made with fresh pineapples! They also served smoothies. But while on vacation.... If you want to eat like the locals do, head over to El Rancho Original for some food and dancing. Buen Provecho! read more
10 years ago
When we traversed the Pork Highway last year, my husband and I ate at the neighboring competitor of Rancho Original (Los Pinos) and we enjoyed it very much. So, this time around, we decided to see which of these lechoneras really is King Pig, and the verdict was: Rancho, hands down! The lechon at Rancho Original was cooked to perfection--the meat was tender and juicy and the best way to describe the skin was "meat candy," crisp and caramelized almost, just delectable and sinful and so worth the hours I will spend at the gym when our vacation is over. The sides (arroz con gandules, amarillos, potato salad) were good but not stellar. They were very similar in taste to Los Pinos, good but not the star of the show. The yucca escabeche had no flavor at all, you couldn't even detect a bit of vinegar in the dish, just onions and oil. The bathroom was disgusting. For these two reasons, I could not give this experience 5 stars. If I was just rating the lechon, I'd give it 10 stars. Superb! read more
7 years ago
Pig... It's all about the pig... And the rice and beans, pastele, maduros, yucca... Pina Colada! But the best part is you get to eat by a running stream... Surrounded by lush banana trees... read more
I saw this place on bizarre foods with Andrew Zimmern (my favorite foodie) and this is the second time we have been. It's absolutely amazing! Every bit as good as Andrew stated. Not sure why some reviews are negative, but I love it. I really can't say which is better, the chicken or pork. They roast the chicken under the hogs, and it bastes in the pork dripping. I would go hear weekly if I lived in beautiful Puerto Rico! read more
2 years ago
2 years ago
5 years ago
4 years ago
7 years ago
Great atmosphere! Came here on Christmas and they said they were open all day. Waited in a short line and ordered lechon, rice, beans, and a pasteles. Came out to $11-super affordable. Split between me and my parents, it was enough food for us. The pork was so delicious. Especially the skin, which was so crispy. One of the workers saw me trying to take a picture of the pig and let me step inside the kitchen to get a better view--super sweet! read more
6 years ago
I don't see what the hype is about, the meat was very oil and no season. Including the yuca. I had better on side street pork places. The drink was decent. read more
4 years ago
A must if you are in PR Pork, chicken, assorted roots, plantains, potatoes, veggies and much more. YUMMY. Come hungry. read more
I have been coming here over 20 years and it's still as delicious as the first time I had it. Get that lechon, let that fatty goodness coat your stomach and then get yo drank on. The food is good, the ambiance is festive, if you arrive on a Friday or Saturday, and the views in the back are gorgeous. Do your self a favor and stop on by. You wont be disappointed. read more
5 years ago
7 years ago
Day four of our Puerto Rico vacation and we decided to go down deep into the heart of what is called pork highway. Found a place that has good reviews and I am here to report that nobody lied :-). The pork is absolutely divine as well as all of the extra sides that you can order to make your own plate. The famous American chef Andrew Zimmerman has pictures of him posted on the wall behind the counter. Customer service was awesome, really nice and gentle and kind people. Will recommend to anyone read more
7 years ago
11 years ago
6 years ago
We stopped in on a Saturday late afternoon and it was packed. Even though there was a big line, we were able to placed the order within 10 min. It is more like a fast food restaurant where You place the order, they call out your name to give you the food and that's where you pay and order the drinks at the same time. I ordered lechon, arroz con gandules and yuca. OMG!! It was heaven in my mouth. Probably one of the best pork I ever tried. There was a live band signing bachata, salsa, merengue. I felt like I was listening to Toño Rosario Really good! It is about 40 min from Condado. Long drive but it was all worth it! read more
El Rancho Original is one of those places that you go to while on vacation and then it just haunts your life and calls out to you until you have no choice but to go back. I came here after seeing numerous food shows about the infamous "Guavate" area of Puerto Rico or otherwise know as "Pork Highway". Named because of the stretch of road thats covered in restaurant after restaurant all serving the delicious "lechon". That's that perfectly cooked pig with the crunchy skin, Mmmm!!! There's so many restaurants to choose from while driving through this highway, how do you know which to choose from?! Well the name says it all "El Rancho Original", original! Or as the locals would say "its all the way at the end". Just keep driving to the end of the highway and there you have it. If you go on the most popular day, which Sunday, you will know it from the massive mob outside. In Puerto Rico, Sunday is the day that everyone gets together and goes up to Guavate to eat and drink. It will be crowded, so it's ideal to get there early like 10! It's never to early for some lechon. The restaurant has a seating area and dance area, live bands play and everyone drinks, eats, and dances. Definitely a good time. As for the food they don't only serve lechon. They have all the traditional Puerto Rican good eats. Chicken, roasted and stewed, rice and beans, sausages, pastele, morcilla, potato salad, soups, yucca, I can go on and on. And if none of this looks familiar to you and you don't know what it is, I say order it! I guarantee it will be good! But nothing beats that lechon. They hack off large amounts of the pig for you with a machete, they are most definitely not greedy. I had tender juicy pieces of pork meat and two large pieces of the skin, the desired piece! It was soo crunchy and a little fatty and still had some meat in it! Omg, i'd give anything to have some right now!! This place is amazing and anyone will love it. Not to mention the seating area that overlooks nature, a little river and forest. The drive up there is also worth it. Beautiful scenery of the mountains and land, it's breathtaking. It is a long drive though, so be prepared!! And might be a little scary for people who are not used to driving on narrow roads up mountains, but i promise, it is worth it and the gold is waiting at the end of the highway for you. read more
12 years ago
Yelp address is wrong. Be prepared to stop to ask for directions from locals. See my pics for GPS coordinates. First off I admit I don't like pork. However I am a rib guy and do like the ribs though beef ribs much preferred over pork ribs. It's the gaminess flavor of pork that I find so off putting even though I love duck and lamb. Took my first bite of lechon. No swine game there. Lightly salted and peppered with great moisturized pliability! Beware of the ribs. They look dry and under sauced. Complete opposite! Alas my only regret was not hoarding more of the ribs. Do not let my mistakes haunt you! read more
16 years ago
I had to mentally and physically prepare myself before I write this review. Now my stomach is full and I'm ready to let you know how GOOD this place is............... Alright damn I can't put it into words. I'm speechless looking at the pictures I took of the food. There is one thing here - LECHON. This is the place all the locals come to eat. It's a bit far from Old San Juan. About a 45 minute trip and you do have to pay toll. Rent a car and go there. It's worth it! US GPS works here. Just make sure you tell the GPS you're okay with taking the toll roads or else it'll take you up the freakin mountain on a 2 hr detour. But what do you get for all that work? LECHON!!! Big ass chunks of pork. Awesome delicious crispy chunks of pork. Oh man forget this review. I'm hungry again. I have to go eat now. read more
After watching Andrew Zimmerman call it the best pork on the planet, I knew I had to try it for myself. Guavate is a small mountain town 45 minutes south of Old San Juan. Their specialty is roasting whole pigs. The key to finding El Rancho Original is to keep driving down the main path even past when you think you've gone too far. Stop to ask a local if you get lost. The restaurant itself is gigantic and it definitely helps to speak Spanish when it's comes to ordering. Get the yellow rice with beans, it is very flavorful. The blood sausage is worth a try as well. The pork itself was very dry on the most part... which was not only disappointing but impossible to cut with the plastic silverware provided. The skin is by far the best part. It is super crispy, crunchy and juicy from the fat. Why would I give dry pork 4 stars? Because the experience as a whole was sublime. Driving into the breathtaking mountain town, enjoying the meal with hundreds of locals while listening to live music, and watching the locals salsa on the dance floor, it all resulted in one of my favorite experiences in Puerto Rico. Special thanks to my new friend Chrissy for embarking on this adventure with me. read more
The four of us took a mini trip to Guavate on a Tuesday through tropical storm Maria. I called in at 10AM but no one picked up. I relied on Facebook that they would be open on the weekdays. We drove about 45 minutes from San Juan. Arrived at Route 184 and couldn't find El Rancho Original. Ended up asking a local and he told us to drive up so we did. It felt like a never ending maze, going up and down the mountain - I actually got car sick and everyone's ears were popping. So, we finally got there around 11:30AM. It was totally dead, including some of the lechon restaurants on the way there (I guess people can't party everyday). No one was there, no music, and definitely no pina coladas that I've heard about. We were starving so we ordered 2 pounds of pig ($8 per pound) whole avocado, amarillos, rice and beans, and a couple of sodas - all for $30. Majority of the meat was dry and salty but it was delicious with the beans. The crispy yet chewy skin and fat were the best part. A little heavy for breakfast though. My friends kept on comparing it to the crispy Chinese pork but hey, they're cooked differently. Some locals came later on while we ate. After we walked around the back area, we took the leftovers (we had A LOT left) back to the hotel - munched on it here and there. I wish I had some bread to make sandwiches but we were on vacation you know. I do feel like we missed out on the festive aspect. At least we didn't have to wait around in the rain. I would've given 5 stars if I got the whole lechon experience. I'll be back piggies! read more
15 years ago
Come on SUNDAY. The whole entire town becomes a giant streety party. Locals all come out to dance, drink and eat. It is an experience not to be missed. Saw this on Bizarre Foods and had to make the 45 min. drive from San Juan to get here. Take PR-52 from San Juan and follow the signs to Guavate up PR-184 all the way to KM 20 or so. You get in line, point at stuff you want, they package it, and you pay. Very little english spoken. Roast pig (LECHON) is $8/lb and 1 lb feeds 2-3 people. Take your food and go out back where there is an amazing gazebo that you can relax and enjoy the scenery. The roast pig is flavorful and the skin is extremely crispy. True, it is not as good as Chinese roast pork, but you're there for the entire experience. You get to watch people dance and gamble while you eat! Also, be sure to get the pina coladas served in the streets. They are the best and cheapest pina coladas ($3 w/o alcohol, $4 with) I've ever had! read more
When stopping by Puerto Rico's famous Guavate for pig, go to the original of course! That's the advice my family opted for and while we can't compare El Rancho to any of the other neighboring restaurants, we weren't impressed. The lechon featured very crispy and oily skin, but the skin tasted a bit burnt and the rest of the meat was dry and lacking in flavor. Maybe we came on an off day, but El Rancho failed to live up to its reputation. read more
A trip to Guavate and to El Rancho Original is a must while in Puerto Rico. Being Filipino I take my lechon seriously and the lechon here seriously does not disappoint. The only thing missing is white rice and Mang Tomas lechon sauce (1 star off for no sauce lol)! You order your lechon per lb. and whatever sides you want to add and pay when your order is ready. They have a bunch of tables right behind the front but walk a little further down by the stream and grab a table there. :) Join in on the fun when they start playing music and local families start dancing. The surrounding area also has a lot of little stores you can check out to walk off all the crispy skin and plantains you just ate. You'll pass by a lot of lechoneras as soon as you get on "Pork Highway" but don't be tempted and keep driving to the end. read more
16 years ago
To put it simply, this place is awesome. A must stop for all visiting the PR! We had chosen this place because Zimmerman from the travel channel had profiled the lechon in the area and said this was the best joint. I agree with his opinion. The service is really quick. They are an assembly line back there churning out meals left and right. The service was only the beginning of the good things to come our way. I have had better lechon, but this is right up there. The skin could have used a tad bit more crisp. Very, very good lechon. The plantains were decently cooked. It could have used a tad bit more browning and sugar crystallizing on the tips. The beans were very good and tasty. This lechon meal was probably the cheapest meal I had all trip. It came out to $7 each. What I really loved about the place, besides the food, was the vibe. Lechon and meal: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cyOAjr5jpiWX8mtns7o_Iw?select=G59rbnnn6mkpwCD6yGd6qQ The ambiance is awesome. They have live music and a dance floor for those who want to salsa. They have tables near the music or you can opt for a more secluded table in the gazebos along the scenic creek. Creek: http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/cyOAjr5jpiWX8mtns7o_Iw?select=Qnxg5cQNhDHH7MFHF5SGCg With the music, the place is electric. If I lived in the PR, I would be at this place every Sunday. It reminds me of a huge block party. It is full of fun and a good date place. read more
More info about El Rancho Original
Carretera 184 KM 27.5
Cayey, Puerto Rico 00736
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(787) 747-7296
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http://elranchooriginalpr.com
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3 years ago
2 years ago
