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    La Garita

    4.3 (248 reviews)
    ModeratePuerto Rican
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    La Garita Photos

    LA GARITA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - La Garita

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    Apple S.

    This place is on the top of the hill with an amazing view on the town and the ocean. The chairs aren't the most comfortable when you wear shorts however this place is casual. Staff is very friendly. I got the grouper with rice and beans. My friends got mofongo. Prices are great and food is good. You just need patience as it took 45min for the food to come out.

    Fried red snapper
    Trish P.

    La Garita definitely has the view going for it, and it's a good one. The setting is lovely and makes it an appealing place to sit, relax, and take in the scenery. Unfortunately, the food didn't live up to the surroundings. I ordered the fried red snapper, and it was noticeably dry / overcooked, plus it was noticeably lacking in flavor. Nothing offensive, just under-seasoned and forgettable, especially given the setting and expectations. Service was okay. Nice place to sit for the view, but I'd come with tempered expectations when it comes to the food.

    View from outside dining
    Kim G.

    During cruse, we stopped at San Juan, tour and visited Old Fort, near the Fort, local restaurant and tried Mofongo. You have to walk down like you are heading toward cemetery but as soon as you reach cemetery, you will see uphill. It is right around the uphill. Services were great so did the food.

    Angelo A.

    Just steps away from the Castillo San Felipe de Morro, impeccable service, tasty food, and a view that can't be beat! Would definitely recommend stopping by for some authentic Puerto Rican food!

    Hands-down, the worst Mofongo I've ever had
    Vicente L.

    I came to this place to see what was all the hype. To be honest it was not worth it. You pay for the view and the location. The actual Mofongo are 5 out of 10 the churrasco Mofongo Hands Down, one of the worst I've had. The Lobster Mofongo was just OK but wouldn't come back for it. The other dishes are OK. Also prefer el Jibarito, Modesto By Far and prices are lot more affordable. Also, the food was cold

    Jane P.

    The views were amazing at this place! The wait was very long, but once we were seated the view made it all worth it. You can see the ocean as you eat. The food is really good too! We ordered a ton of different mofongos. My favorite was the lobster mofongo! I wanted to try the conch mofongo. but they ran out when we got there. The sauce in the lobster mofongo was so good! I am so glad we were able to check this place out during our port stop during our cruise.

    Lobster mofongo
    Marissa W.

    This is definitely a restaurant you visit for the views alone, but the food was good too! We both had mofongo, I had lobster and my mom had the veggie. They were both very tasty, probably not the best on the island but still good! I also enjoyed some amarillos, my favorite. The service was quick and friendly. Walking around La Perla after dinner was fun, it was a weekday so not many bars open and it was quiet and peaceful.

    Can't beat this view!
    Stephen G.

    When you find a spot like this... You always return! 3rd year in a row to Puerto Rico and 2nd year in a row at La Garita. The service, the view and the food are fantastic!

    Empanadillas
    Caitlyn B.

    Amazing view, and quick service. Right in old San Juan although a little bit difficult to get to (have to walk down stairs to a lower street). Food was great. Didn't give 5 stars only because there was bird poop on the table, the windows are open and the birds like to come in!! Would definitely still recommend.

    Orquidea R.

    Great place with view of La Perla and he ocean. The food is really good, I have tried a few things from Chuleta Kan Kan to biftec and ensalada de pulpo. All really good and flavorful. Staff is okay, personable and attentive. Food is affordable for the area. It is a but tricky to get to it thou.

    Fish tacos
    Shelby M.

    We showed up right at 11 when they were supposed to open, but true to island time, the doors didn't open until around 11:45 -- honestly, part of the charm. It was worth the wait because we scored an amazing table with a breezy view of the water that set the perfect tone for the meal. We ordered the steak and shrimp mofongo -- absolutely delicious, packed with flavor and perfectly cooked. The fish tacos were another highlight: light, fresh, and paired beautifully with their house hot sauce. For drinks, we went classic with a Medalla and also tried the coconut margarita, which was super refreshing. Service was top-notch. Our waitress was incredibly friendly, checked in often, and gave great recommendations. This place definitely lived up to the hype -- a must-visit for great food and an even better vibe.

    Chicken mofongo
    Catherine M.

    Stopped in for an early dinner/late lunch. Beautiful breeze coming in, with an equally beautiful view. Food was good, beans & rice could have used some flavor though. Pina colada was more coconut flavor than pineapple, but I like them all. Nice chill spot for a meal.

    Fish Tacos
    John M.

    We were looking for a place for lunch and found La Garita on Yelp. This is definitely a case where the view drives the ratings. Here are some details about our experience: - We sat in a spot along the windows with an amazing view and incredible breeze. - We ordered the small combo appetizer plate and the fish tacos. The appetizer plate came out first and was full of heavily breaded items, including some chicken pieces which didn't seem to resemble a chicken. It took forever for the fish tacos to come out and that was only after we asked about where they were. - The fish tacos were pretty good, but heavily doused with thousand island dressing. Bottom line: We don't know if it was the items we ordered or the food in general, but come for the view and choose wisely from the menu!

    Outside

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    Such a good hole in the wall local spot overlooking the water with great PR staples. Great staff. Full belly!

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    El Jibarito - Flan de coco and flan de chocolate

    El Jibarito

    3.9(2.1k reviews)
    0.4 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.

    Photos
    El Jibarito
    El Jibarito - Fried snapper

    Fried snapper

    El Jibarito

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    Deaverdura - Sampler

    Deaverdura

    4.2(1.2k reviews)
    0.3 km
    $$

    Great food. The sampler platter is a perfect mix. We were looking for something authentic and this…read moreplace was perfect.

    This restaurant has been on my San Juan list and it happened to be near my Airbnb so it was a no…read morebrainer for my friends and I to visit. Since I've always seen the long lines outside this store when I passed by, we decided that we try to go in as soon as it opened. So, we lined up around 11:30am. We barely waited much and we got seated. The server that day was quick/efficient/friendly despite the fact that she was running a one woman show. And the food arrived within a decent time. My friends and I decided to order the PUERTO RICAN PLATTER with a side of a side salad. This platter comes with everything you could want & maybe something that might be a bit adventurous for you to eat like blood sausage. Despite that, it's a nice platter to share and try a bit of everything. It's really nice that if you order for 4 people, they give you exactly the amount of pieces that are divisible by 4 (so everyone can try 1-2 pieces of each thing evenly). It also comes with a decent amount of rice/pork as a supplementation, which was nice. It's a balanced meal. And I think the side salad did well to balance out all the fried foods. Overall, we really enjoyed this place. It's a great place to come with friends/families to share. It's a great place as a visitor to try a bit of everything. The platter is a great introduction of puerto rican fried finger foods. And it all taste great! From the presentation of the food to the service here, it's all good. I would recommend this place to others.

    Photos
    Deaverdura - The ambience

    The ambience

    Deaverdura - Small house salad

    Small house salad

    Deaverdura - Passion fruit juice

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    Passion fruit juice

    Borikén - Passion fruit mojito and rum punch

    Borikén

    4.3(8 reviews)
    0.7 km

    I remember coming to this restaurant aBout 5 years ago oomph my layover in San Juan. The food was…read moreso memorable that I decided to come back in 2020 to see if it was still good. Well good news, the food is still good! I stopped in during the festival of San Sebastian and the restaurant was packed! We luckily got a seat for two and were able to order right away. I order the mofongo de pollo and my friend ordered a different meal with a soup. I am not going to lie, the service was extremely slow and the food took about 30 to 40 mins maybe to come out. I expect this was because of the festival and how busy the restaurant was. When the food came out, it was delicious! The chicken was great and drenched in a salsa criolla sauce. It was definitely worth the wait! After my meal, I ordered a coffee to digest the food. Luckily this didn't take as long as the food. I would definitely recommend this place however if you are in a rush, it might be best to go somewhere else. The food is very tasty!

    This is a difficult review to do because technically we only had an appetizer and drinks. First of…read moreall the rest is located next to the Christopher Columbus Plaza in Old San Juan which makes it an ideal location for tourists coming in and out. The restaurant is very small inside but they do have outside dining which is what we chose to do. The service was good, they were very attentive to our needs. Unfortunately, the appetizer we ordered was just awful. We ordered a mix of very traditional Puerto Rican bites-small alcapurrias, sorrullos, chicharrónes de pollo and some fried cheese. There was absolutely nothing good about the mix. The alcapurrias has no meat whatsoever, the chicharrónes were not crispy and the cheese was just awful. I wanted to give them a 1star review but I felt this would not be fair because we did not try an entree and I hope that would be better. The 3star was because the service was good. In addition to the service later on in the evening they had live music which was essentially old traditional Puerto Rican music which was excellent. So to be fair I thought a 3 star review would be the right thing to do. Hopefully the entrees are much better just stay away from the surtido appetizer because it was not good.

    Photos
    Borikén - Appetizer-

    Appetizer-

    Borikén - Chicken mofongo with rice and salad

    Chicken mofongo with rice and salad

    Borikén - Chicken mofongo with rice and salad

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    Chicken mofongo with rice and salad

    Casa Luna Rest. - Avocado salad

    Casa Luna Rest.

    4.4(42 reviews)
    0.6 km

    I discovered a quaint little spot on YouTube while researching my cruise that serves authentic…read morePuerto Rican food. I was really craving fried snapper, but unfortunately, it was too large for me to eat by myself. To my disappointment, it was served family style, and my family wasn't in the mood for fish. Instead, we ordered several items from the menu, including stew chicken, fried pork chops, which my son really enjoyed. We also had mofongo with chicken and creole sauce, white rice and beans, fried plantains, and another side of beans and rice. We definitely over-ordered, as the food was plentiful and very filling. In fact, that was the only meal we had that day. If you're ever in San Juan, Puerto Rico, I highly recommend this restaurant. It's a hidden gem tucked away on a side street. You will not be disappointed! I can't wait to go back.

    Try. the. Mofongo. The skirt steak mofongo, with garlic…read moresauce. Order it, possibly to share -- it's a big portion. You will not be sorry. Your date might be a little over-garlicked if you try to kiss them without letting them at least try it, though. Definitely a vampire-free zone. Delicious! And the best I have ever had, anywhere. We tried a little of a lot of things, kind of a meal of sides to go with our mofongo, and the empanadilla pastry was flaky and light. Hubs liked the chicken one best, I preferred the ground beef. But the big takeaway is the mofongo with garlic sauce. They even let you choose from a list of other sauces if you don't want garlic, but frankly, there's a reason it's listed first and it's not just tradition.

    Photos
    Casa Luna Rest.
    Casa Luna Rest. - Red snapper!!!

    Red snapper!!!

    Casa Luna Rest. - Weak Piña Coladas

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    Weak Piña Coladas

    Mallorca - mallorca w/ butter

    Mallorca

    4.2(853 reviews)
    0.6 km
    $$

    I guess Mallorca is a traditional sweet bread with powdered sugar on top. Our funny waiter who…read morespeaks lightning fast Spanish but also does pretty well with English gave us samples of Mallorca. We ordered more with bacon, egg, cheese, and some with ham and cheese. They were serving lunch so we tried the Pernïl and rice and beans. We also got a salmon plate and a chicken cacciatore cooked in Spanish rice. The restaurant is old and very unassuming, but it doesn't stop the crowds of people to come and visit and see old San Juan history which this building has to be part of. It's not glamorous but you feel like you transported back into the very early years of Old San Juan when maybe it was still just San Juan.

    A MUST if you're staying in Old San Juan!! The greatest breakfast in a really traditional…read moreold-school cafeteria. Pictures of Old San Juan in the early 1900s line the walls to show how little the town has changed in the past century, and Mallorca Cafetería is a gem that has withstood the test of time. Definitely an affordable breakfast as the most expensive mallorca is still under $10. Cafe con leche in styrofoam cups is a staple that is great even in the heat. Definitely worth getting a cup of orange juice as it is freshly squeezed to order. During my stay in Puerto Rico I had several mallorcas around the island but none come close to what I consider the original. Pressed and doused in powdered sugar it's surprisingly both light and filling. We had tried coming at around 9a the previous day and there was already a long line outside so we chose go to somewhere else but made sure we were out the door by 6:30a the next day to get to Mallorca before it opened and there was still a bit of a line. We were able to get in and situate ourselves once they opened at 7a; there are lots of small tables with chairs which we chose because we had a larger group but if dining solo or with one person it's definitely a great experience to sit at the bar for a more traditional feel. Again, this is a must for me every time I am in San Juan and I'm happy to carve out some time for one of the greatest breakfasts you can have. Would rate ten stars if it were possible.

    Photos
    Mallorca
    Mallorca - Mallorca w/ ham and cheese

    Mallorca w/ ham and cheese

    Mallorca - Mallorca with ham n cheese

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    Mallorca with ham n cheese

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

    Casita Miramar

    4.5(1.7k reviews)
    3.8 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!!

    Photos
    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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    Pastelón - Delicious thick Caribbean soft meat and plantain taste and texture

    Cayo Caribe - Red snapper it's about $30/lb

    Cayo Caribe

    4.0(224 reviews)
    0.7 km
    $$

    Whew! Sooooo good!…read more My husband ordered the ribeye and subbed out the mushroom risotto with cheese and it was perfectly cooked and seasoned! Easilyyyy the top five steaks I've ever had in LIFE and I'm a foodie. Kids ordered Alfredo and it didn't disappoint! We also ordered the lobster risotto and it was SOOO delicious and flavorful! Perfectly cooked! Our waitress was also very attentive and helpful with suggestions with the menu. If we're ever in town we are definitely coming back!

    When you want an easy, reliable seafood lunch near the San Juan port, Cayo Caribe hits the mark…read more Our walking tour guide recommended this spot, and it ended up being one of the better casual lunches of the trip. It's located close to the cruise port area, making it an effortless stop if you're exploring Old San Juan. The vibe is straightforward and comfortable--think casual, sit-down seafood spot where you can relax, grab a drink, and not overthink the menu. It's not flashy or upscale, but that's part of the appeal. Just friendly service, cold drinks, and solid food. Service * Very friendly and welcoming * Easy walk-in experience * Relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere Food & Drinks * Standard beers and cocktails--perfect for a mid-day refresher * Seafood Fried Platter - especially the fried cod; crispy, flavorful, and well-executed * Tacos (Fried Shrimp & Fried Cod) - the standout; fresh, generous portions with crunchy slaw and spot-on sauce The tacos were the surprise hit--bright, crispy, and packed with flavor. Exactly what you want from a Puerto Rican seafood lunch. Verdict Cayo Caribe is a dependable, casual seafood stop near the port. Nothing overly complicated--just good service, fresh seafood, and a relaxed setting. A great lunch choice if you're in the area and craving fried seafood and tacos. Solid four stars.

    Photos
    Cayo Caribe - PICKLEBALL AT THE BAR!!!

    PICKLEBALL AT THE BAR!!!

    Cayo Caribe - 1.5lb snapper

    1.5lb snapper

    Cayo Caribe - Crazy shrimp

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    Crazy shrimp

    La Garita - puertorican - Updated August 2026

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