After arriving to pork highway a little later than expected (6pm) and discovering most restaurants…read morethat specially serve lechon (roast pork) were closed, we went to La Placita de Guavate for some pork dishes alternative to lechon like the 'Can can' and pork chop tomahawk. Staff was friendly and was helpful in translating some dish names. There was also a happy hour until 8pm for a smaller sized cup of mojito - only $3! You can tell that the liquor was on the light side but for someone like me, I didn't mind it. I got the shrimp (camerones) dish with mofongo as a side, my husband got the can can, and our friends got the pork tomahawk to share. The 'can can' dish was HUGE (can feed two in my opinion)! It's basically a bone in pork loin chop with the belly and skin attached fried to a crisp. Drooling at the moment.. Overall lively atmosphere, nice staff and good food!

I'm on vacation so I'm going to keep it short and simple. A group of us spent the day driving and…read morebuilt up a great appetite. I came up with the idea of taking them to the pork highway. However, we were quickly disappointed to learn that most of the fire pit roasted pork locations were closed. We almost decided to head back to the hotel but I made one more search and found La Placita open. I called to verify and the response was enthusiast and welcoming. We were so happy. Then we get there and this amazing professional takes us to our table and immediately starts providing the friendliest and caring service. We joked about my horrible "spanglish" and I assisted my party with their orders. It was busy, we were starved and some where borderline hangry. But then the drinks and appetizer arrived. Happy Level 1 achieved. Then after a few extra minutes, the meals start arriving. Omg! Everything was amazing. Get the Tomahawk! Get the Carne Fritas! Sides were also great - rice & beans, tostones, sweet plantains, mamposteao rice were all amazing! I hate myself for not remembering our waitress's name. I want her manager and the restaurant owners to know how special she is. If it helps - we were a party of 6 that came in at around 7:30-7:45pm on 4/22. Thank you and we will return on our next visit to PR! Great environment, great people, even better food! Muchas Gracias!

We stopped by for a couple of cocktails, didn't try the food…read more Our experience at Alavera was great. Found this place by mistake and glad we decided to stop. The views and energy of the restaurant is beautiful. A must visit. Our cocktails were delicious! The servers and bartender were attentive and helpful. Very curious how their food is so I guess we'll have to visit again!

Don't miss out on this restaurant! We have been here twice…read more Employees are wonderful! Views are fabulous! Bartenders are amazing! I asked for a fresh ginger margarita. Mind blowing! Lime juice, Blanco tequila, agave & fresh grated ginger! Yum!!!! ¡Gracias!

We were restaurant hopping in the area and this was hands down the best pernil we tried…read more The mean and skin were super tasty, not fatty and very flavorful. The sides were delicious. Fast service and very friendly bartenders. Cool little outdoor place with live music on Sundays. Definitely visiting this place again.

It was super exciting to visit Guavate (aka Pork Highway). This is one of the oldest running…read moreestablishments there. The interior was pretty spacious and colorful, with festive decor for the holidays and a live band playing. There was a happening atmosphere to the place. I ordered Pork (of course), tostones, and yuca. The Pork was well seasoned, though a little dry. I was disappointed that the skin was not crispy thin enough to eat. Tostones were nice and crisp. Yuca were cooked perfectly and had just the right consistency. Also got to try the Pork Ribs, and this was my favorite! They were small in size, delightfully tender, juicy, full of bold flavor, making for truly mouthwatering bites.

Si buscas una lechonera en Guavate, esta es una que puedes evadir. Al igual que otras lechoneras de…read morepobre calidad, el lechón aquí es cocinado en horno el lugar de asado al carbón como es de esperar. El resultado es una carne reseca, y un cuerito duro imposible de comer. Contrario a otras cercanas, la ausencia de fila para ordenar debió ser una advertencia que no atendimos. El condimento del cerdo era sal, mas sal, mas sal. No apto para personas con alta presión. La extensa variedad de acompañantes tampoco lucia muy fresca ni apetitosa. El local se encontraba limpio y la atención muy atenta, pero busquen el lechón en otro lugar.

This is the second time in 2 vacations we came here, the pork from the spit roast is always…read moreseasoned so well. My wife loves the sausage but we both agree the rice side and the fresh lemonade is hands down the best.

Our party of 9 went there on Sunday and I can certainly recommend it. The menu is varied with local…read morefavorites. I had the grouper fillet with rice and beans and it was outstanding. The place had very friendly servers and our table had an awesome view of the Cayey mountains. Would definitely go again.

Un lugar donde voy a regresar mil veces. La comida perfecta, lugar perfecto, servicio excelente!…read moreGracias MUCHO EXITO

Oooooiiiii!!! The Legendary La Ruta de Lechon (Pork Highway)…read more AMBIANCE Parking: Can definitely get busy during peak hours and weekends, but there's usually attendants and nearby parking options helping direct traffic. There's paid parking and street parking. All in all come early. Seating: Huge open seating areas with picnic-style tables and plenty of room for large groups, families, and celebrations. Take your pick, close to the live music or the local river for a more natural feeling. Vibes: The area keeps you busy from souvenir shopping, listening to music, or just Chinchorreo (like bar crawl but with pork)! The spot itself is alive on the weekend with music, people dancing, pig roasting and for a calmer pace, enjoying the scenery of the mountain, flow of the river and the chirps of animals around. Great place for a nice food adventure for families, friends, or just rolling through solo. FOOD / DRINKS Combo Plate (Recommend) I know it's important to save room to chinchorreo but especially if this is your first time, this should be your base. Lechon - Pick your protein, obviously I got pig - it was juicy, flavorful and tender slices of meat, and a nice piece of crispy skin. Morcilla - not your usual sausage but a rich flavorful with a chewy spiced earthy flavor. Pasteles - kind of like a tamale which was a savory soft doughy base. Arroz con Gandules - If they're out of their seasonal pasteles, then this is a nice savory with a lot of lot of lively flavors and seasoning. The portions overall were generous and very "family style" feeling. This is not tiny trendy food--you come hungry. CUSTOMER SERVICE Awesome! Props to the people that work the weekends for their consistent friendly service. TL;DR OVERALL 5 Stars. Good food, reasonable prices, and a one of a kind Puerto Rican vibe. From the mountain scenery, live local music, smoky aroma, and the general playful energy - this was a highlight of my trip I won't be forgetting for a while. When in Puerto Rico, La Ruta de Lechon is a must and make sure to stop by El Rancho Original. TIPS * Come hungry and come early (for parking and to get the best parts of the lechon). Weekends are the best as it is livelier.

I don't know what that rub/flavor is that they put on the pork at El Rancho Original but I vote…read morethis is the best pork on the Pork Highway. It is the last lechoneras on the street but if you are driving and making the stops make sure to leave room in your stomach for this one. Loved it a ton although I would have liked the band volume to be a little lower. Also we had other friendly customers jump in and help us when we messed up during our ordering. Then our line neighbors made sure we knew how to pick up our food when we were at the pick up station. Everyone here was so nice. Def come here!

We stopped here on the road between Ponce and San Juan, and since we didn't have a lot of time, we…read moredidn't wander too far down the Ruta del Lechon (Pork Highway). This place is right on the main highway, it's huge and packed so plan accordingly: we arrived before noon on a Friday, so we probably got one of the last parking spots (there's a guy managing or charging in the parking lot? not sure) and the line was manageable. A large group and some buses showed up after us, so it got really crowded! Anyway, we had a short line, had no idea what we were doing to order (I should have researched better) but pointed and nodded, and with some help from the nice people in line, ended up with two huge platters of pork, rice and some other sides - way more food that we probably needed. The food: delicious! I would say our #2 favorite meal in Puerto Rico, after Marmalade (but that was more than 10x the price!) The pork was delicious, juicy, flavorful, and the crackling was to die for! I wish they would package those and sell them - probably only good fresh, though. Rice and sides were adequate: my son tried to be healthy and said the salad and potatoes were ok, but you're really there for the pork. Cost etc.: we paid less than $50 for 2 enormous plates of food and some sodas. It was enough for 3 lunch servings, plus enough leftovers for 2 people to have the rest for dinner - so I guess 5 servings? The wait was not bad early on a weekday, but they must get incredibly overrun on weekends. It is entertaining to see the pork cooking on a spit (please don't come if you are vegetarian and sensitive to such things) and watch them hacking away with machetes. My husband wondered if the machetes are the same once used for sugar cane!

During our trip to Puerto Rico, we made a stop at a lechónera- a restaurant that serves lechón (one…read moreof PR's unofficial national dishes), which is a whole, slow-roasted pig. This restaurant is just one of many open-air roadside spots that serve lechón along "La Ruta del Lechón", aka the "pork highway" in Guavate. We got a half pound of lechon along with Mamposteao, which was delicious and filling. The pork skin hit a level of shatteringly crispy texture that I have never had from non-fried pork skin. We came later in the day, which unfortunately meant that the pork was slightly dried out. However, the texture and flavor of the lechón was absoutely delicious. It's a "build your own box" style restaurant where you choose which sides you want on the dipslay. Besides the mamposteao there were also other delicious-looking sides such as plantains/mofongo, beans, fruit, etc. There's a small parking lot outside the restaurant- one where the rule is you can only back your car into your parking space. Interesting. Would definetely come to try lechón here again!

Miércoles 19 de noviembre de 2025 salida almorzar y aunque iba para otro lado me encontré este de…read morefrente y decidí probar. Local al aire libre con mesas en varios sitios menú extenso y con barra. Local limpio y bien decorado. La comida desde la sopa y hasta el postre fue muy bueno. Servicio muy excelente.

Sábado 14 de junio de 2025. Víspera Día de Padres mi hijo me invitar almorzar y decidí llegar este…read morelocal. Vista espectacular y facilidades grandes y cómodas. Comida excelente al igual que el servicio. Ambiente de almuerzo es familiar.

Our first time visiting and we cannot wait to go back! Went with family to enjoy the unique view…read moreand amazing flavors that did not dissapoint. The mofongo is incredible and they have many options of proteins and sauces to create unique plates for everyones palates. We went on a Sunday close to opening time and it was already busy and full. The 45 minute wait was worth it but if you are trying to get a table without waiting make sure you arrive a little before opening. The wait was entertaining as we got to enjoy the view and take pictures in the roof area that showcases the entire beautiful island of Puerto Rico!

Fantastic! I'm always trying plantains because I want to like them -- this is the first place I…read morehave!! The tostones with the garlic sauce are amazing!! And the chicken with garlic was also fantastic! Worth the trip!

Nice casual place. Good service. Menu seemed delicious but they only had half of the menu, on a…read moreweekend hours before closing time.