Lechonera Los Pinos
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We came to the pork highway w so much excitement for this experience and a plan to hit a few spots. We drove to the Los Pinos and El Rancho Original region bc that seemed like it was the most festive/wild/crazy area. I'm not gonna lie - at first I thought maybe we picked the Pat's and Geno's of the pork highway - I was afraid the tastes were not going to be as good as some of the other quieter spots. We waited in line a long time but then we got our food and it was crazy good. The pork was moist and tender and the crispy skin was spot on. The music was loud and over all it was a crazy fun time.
Get the pork sausage! 10/10 would make a pit stop to come back here. It's so flavorful, almost on the verge of maybe salty but in the best way. I would recommend getting the rice alongside. Up the road is another pork restaurant, El Rancho (1 min walk), which has better pork, I'd recommend going there for pork but get the pork sausage here. El Rancho doesn't have pork sausage. The pork with skin was also good, but the skin was a bit too chewy, not crispy. The pork wasn't as flavorful as the sausage so I'd recommend sausage if you had to pick. We had help ordering but you order by the pound, we got 1 lb. A few people spoke English so they can be rung up to help if you don't know Spanish. 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 but narrow roads.
I'm so glad we made it to Lechonera Los Pinos. I love lechon and their version is delicious. The best part is the cracking of the skin. It was super crispy and the pork was tasty. We also got an empanada and arroz con gandules and both were great. Los Pinos has a ton of side dishes on offer, which is nice. It's a fairly open air restaurant, but everything, including the restrooms, were clean. There is a parking lot. Staff was friendly.
This location is definitely a little deeper in along the way up the mountain. But don't be put off. Once you get there, the parking is spacious and the area is very welcoming. There's even a cute gift shop across the street. (And great music playing in the background) Let me start off by saying these were some of the sweetest people we met on the island! The lady who took care of us was so nice and sweet. She was offering us different things to try which I definitely appreciated. Of course, since this is on la Ruta del Lechon, they have a lot of the classics. But one thing that stood out to me about them is that they offer alcapurrias and they are fried to order. So they are fresh and piping hot. So here we got to try the lechon asado (roasted pork), arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), amarillos (fried sweet plaintains), an alcapurria (deep fried plaintain , taro masa with meat filling), pastel (similar to tamales but with plantain masa and pork filling) and guineos en escabeche (chilled pickled plantain salad). We had all this food with a soda and it was only $23! I thought that was extremely affordable, given we paid more at another lechonera previous to this for less food. So lets get into the bites: The lechon asado was a punch full of flavor. You can tell this meat had been marinating for a very very long time. You can taste the mojo in every bite. Might be a little overpowering if you don't like that type of taste. The arroz con gandules were bland in my opinion. It was missing a little salt. But given the fact that the pork was so heavily seasoned, it kinda evened it out. The amarillos were good but I've had better. Now the guineos en escabeche were absolutely delicious. The pickled brine was so refeshing and almost cleansing to the palate. It went so well with the food. It was absolutely delicious. I was so full, but I ate the whole thing. The pastel was just as delicious. Soft and full of flavor. The alcapurria was a ball of fire when we got it. So be careful taking your first bite! Like I said, fried to order. Super super hot. But once it cools down a bit, it's delicious. Definitely greasy, but hey it is deep fried. (that's what makes it indulgent) The best part was the meat filling. It was very flavorful. I do wish it had a little more meat filling. Great people and great food! Definitely make this one of your stops on your foodie adventures!
1. Parking: There seems to be enough parking right at the restaurant. The seating and ambiance: This is the normal structure that you will find in PR that resembles a country side lechonera or pork place. The service is ok as they will take your order at the counter and you will pay and find your own seat at the restaurant, there is plenty of seats, bench and boths style seating. And now the verdict. Rice and beans were my side items as you can choose from several items. They were normal white rice and Puertorican cuisine beans prepared with the spanish flavor. Beans could have been better as they lacked spices that usually is used in the culture. I ordered yuca and also was dissapointed, as it lacked flavor. The lechón (pork) was the biggest dissapointment as I received mostly bones and lard, chunks of tendons that were tough, just fibrous cords that connect muscles to bones. Tendons are not typically eaten, as they are very tough. However, they can be included in stocks and broths, where they add richness and collagen. I spoke to the lady that took my order and they gave me a second portion for free but still I could not enjoy the pork as it seemed too hard and dry. Pictures speak a thousand words. Not recommending this restaurant to anybody that knows about pork quality.
We were passing by and wanted to try a lechonera so we settled on this one. I got the bbq ribs and arroz con gandules with coditos (Mac salad). I was disappointed first of all because they gave me more fat and bone than actual meat. The coditos were dry as well with no coating of mayonnaise. But they did do a generous overflow of rice. I wish I was able to try more of the meat. I don't know how this place has gotten so good reviews because it was a let down.
Traveling in the mountains in Puerto Rico, you will find several of these eatery's serving up authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. Roasted pork, beans and rice, yuca, and much more can be found at the roadside restaurants. All seating is outside which makes this place a wonderful experience for dining. Wide open space, equipped with tables and chairs with salsa music blaring from around the restaurant. There's parking on the side of the restaurant. The staff quickly takes your order and you pay. The staff were friendly and helpful. We ordered several items beans and rice, pork, blood sausage, etc. The pork wasn't as tender as I would have liked. The beans and rice were good. I would recommend for the experience but I would suggest trying another eatery in the area.
It's all hype, this is the second Bourdain recommendation that I didnt agree or it has simply gone down in standard. The meat was alright lukewarm not dry but the disappointment is the skin it seems they have chopped it up and sitting for awhile. It was tough, oily and no crunch. We did go back to ask them for some hotter or fresher ones and those were alright. The blood sausage was good. There was a restaurant near the cave we drove by once that had well executed super crunch thin skin and moist meat, and it was reasonably priced.
Very traditional lechonera. One of our normal stops at some point everytime we go back to the island. This is very greasy food, not for everyone. Service has always been great. We always order more than we can eat I like their rice so I always order it. Not be surprised to see a dog or too just walking around. The place is open there is no a/c but there is free limited parking. Ambiance: casual.
Tucked away in the Lechonera center of Puerto Rico sits lechonera los Pinos, you feel instantly warm with friendly locals all smiling and enjoying time with friends and family. This place is really special and truly serving up amazing plates! Very friendly staff! If you come here please don't feel intimidated ordering, ask questions, get a recommendation, try something new, order a beer and don't skip on the hot sauce!
Take a ride on La Ruta del Lechon aka The Pork Highway! This is a beautiful mountain region in Puerto Rico with many roadside eateries and bars. Roasted pork is the specialty here. Ask for how much you want by weight and they will chop it up with a machete. Fantastic food and it was a cute atmosphere in December with fun holiday decorations.
5 months ago
We were restaurant hopping in the area and this was hands down the best pernil we tried. 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. read more
It was super exciting to visit Guavate (aka Pork Highway). This is one of the oldest running establishments 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. read more
3 days ago
Service was great. Cute music. The food was alright. The pork was amazing!!!! Minus the skin the skin was WAYYY to hard. Like shatter into a million pieces break your teeth hard. I could hear people crunching on the skin at the next table. The pork empenada lacked seasoning but the chicken empanada was good. read more
We came to the pork highway w so much excitement for this experience and a plan to hit a few spots. We drove to the Los Pinos and El Rancho Original region bc that seemed like it was the most festive/wild/crazy area. I'm not gonna lie - at first I thought maybe we picked the Pat's and Geno's of the pork highway - I was afraid the tastes were not going to be as good as some of the other quieter spots. We waited in line a long time but then we got our food and it was crazy good. The pork was moist and tender and the crispy skin was spot on. The music was loud and over all it was a crazy fun time. read more
Get the pork sausage! 10/10 would make a pit stop to come back here. It's so flavorful, almost on the verge of maybe salty but in the best way. I would recommend getting the rice alongside. Up the road is another pork restaurant, El Rancho (1 min walk), which has better pork, I'd recommend going there for pork but get the pork sausage here. El Rancho doesn't have pork sausage. The pork with skin was also good, but the skin was a bit too chewy, not crispy. The pork wasn't as flavorful as the sausage so I'd recommend sausage if you had to pick. We had help ordering but you order by the pound, we got 1 lb. A few people spoke English so they can be rung up to help if you don't know Spanish. 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 but narrow roads. read more
I'm so glad we made it to Lechonera Los Pinos. I love lechon and their version is delicious. The best part is the cracking of the skin. It was super crispy and the pork was tasty. We also got an empanada and arroz con gandules and both were great. Los Pinos has a ton of side dishes on offer, which is nice. It's a fairly open air restaurant, but everything, including the restrooms, were clean. There is a parking lot. Staff was friendly. read more
3 months ago
Omg the Lechon was crunchy, juicy and just perfect! Also the fried batata was fire!!! We got there early before the big rush, seems like around lunch time and afternoon noon they might even have music. Also great parking lot which is hard to find in PR. read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
This location is definitely a little deeper in along the way up the mountain. But don't be put off. Once you get there, the parking is spacious and the area is very welcoming. There's even a cute gift shop across the street. (And great music playing in the background) Let me start off by saying these were some of the sweetest people we met on the island! The lady who took care of us was so nice and sweet. She was offering us different things to try which I definitely appreciated. Of course, since this is on la Ruta del Lechon, they have a lot of the classics. But one thing that stood out to me about them is that they offer alcapurrias and they are fried to order. So they are fresh and piping hot. So here we got to try the lechon asado (roasted pork), arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas), amarillos (fried sweet plaintains), an alcapurria (deep fried plaintain , taro masa with meat filling), pastel (similar to tamales but with plantain masa and pork filling) and guineos en escabeche (chilled pickled plantain salad). We had all this food with a soda and it was only $23! I thought that was extremely affordable, given we paid more at another lechonera previous to this for less food. So lets get into the bites: The lechon asado was a punch full of flavor. You can tell this meat had been marinating for a very very long time. You can taste the mojo in every bite. Might be a little overpowering if you don't like that type of taste. The arroz con gandules were bland in my opinion. It was missing a little salt. But given the fact that the pork was so heavily seasoned, it kinda evened it out. The amarillos were good but I've had better. Now the guineos en escabeche were absolutely delicious. The pickled brine was so refeshing and almost cleansing to the palate. It went so well with the food. It was absolutely delicious. I was so full, but I ate the whole thing. The pastel was just as delicious. Soft and full of flavor. The alcapurria was a ball of fire when we got it. So be careful taking your first bite! Like I said, fried to order. Super super hot. But once it cools down a bit, it's delicious. Definitely greasy, but hey it is deep fried. (that's what makes it indulgent) The best part was the meat filling. It was very flavorful. I do wish it had a little more meat filling. Great people and great food! Definitely make this one of your stops on your foodie adventures! read more
1. Parking: There seems to be enough parking right at the restaurant. The seating and ambiance: This is the normal structure that you will find in PR that resembles a country side lechonera or pork place. The service is ok as they will take your order at the counter and you will pay and find your own seat at the restaurant, there is plenty of seats, bench and boths style seating. And now the verdict. Rice and beans were my side items as you can choose from several items. They were normal white rice and Puertorican cuisine beans prepared with the spanish flavor. Beans could have been better as they lacked spices that usually is used in the culture. I ordered yuca and also was dissapointed, as it lacked flavor. The lechón (pork) was the biggest dissapointment as I received mostly bones and lard, chunks of tendons that were tough, just fibrous cords that connect muscles to bones. Tendons are not typically eaten, as they are very tough. However, they can be included in stocks and broths, where they add richness and collagen. I spoke to the lady that took my order and they gave me a second portion for free but still I could not enjoy the pork as it seemed too hard and dry. Pictures speak a thousand words. Not recommending this restaurant to anybody that knows about pork quality. read more
We were passing by and wanted to try a lechonera so we settled on this one. I got the bbq ribs and arroz con gandules with coditos (Mac salad). I was disappointed first of all because they gave me more fat and bone than actual meat. The coditos were dry as well with no coating of mayonnaise. But they did do a generous overflow of rice. I wish I was able to try more of the meat. I don't know how this place has gotten so good reviews because it was a let down. read more
2 months ago
2 months ago
Traveling in the mountains in Puerto Rico, you will find several of these eatery's serving up authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. Roasted pork, beans and rice, yuca, and much more can be found at the roadside restaurants. All seating is outside which makes this place a wonderful experience for dining. Wide open space, equipped with tables and chairs with salsa music blaring from around the restaurant. There's parking on the side of the restaurant. The staff quickly takes your order and you pay. The staff were friendly and helpful. We ordered several items beans and rice, pork, blood sausage, etc. The pork wasn't as tender as I would have liked. The beans and rice were good. I would recommend for the experience but I would suggest trying another eatery in the area. read more
It's all hype, this is the second Bourdain recommendation that I didnt agree or it has simply gone down in standard. The meat was alright lukewarm not dry but the disappointment is the skin it seems they have chopped it up and sitting for awhile. It was tough, oily and no crunch. We did go back to ask them for some hotter or fresher ones and those were alright. The blood sausage was good. There was a restaurant near the cave we drove by once that had well executed super crunch thin skin and moist meat, and it was reasonably priced. read more
1 year ago
Very traditional lechonera. One of our normal stops at some point everytime we go back to the island. This is very greasy food, not for everyone. Service has always been great. We always order more than we can eat I like their rice so I always order it. Not be surprised to see a dog or too just walking around. The place is open there is no a/c but there is free limited parking. Ambiance: casual. read more
1 year ago
Tucked away in the Lechonera center of Puerto Rico sits lechonera los Pinos, you feel instantly warm with friendly locals all smiling and enjoying time with friends and family. This place is really special and truly serving up amazing plates! Very friendly staff! If you come here please don't feel intimidated ordering, ask questions, get a recommendation, try something new, order a beer and don't skip on the hot sauce! read more
2 years ago
Sabado 11 de enero de 2025 nuestra segunda parada fue aquí. Desde temprano la comida criolla del día esta disponible para comer. Local grande, limpio y con estacionamiento. Todo en orden. Servicio bueno y ambiente familiar. read more
Take a ride on La Ruta del Lechon aka The Pork Highway! This is a beautiful mountain region in Puerto Rico with many roadside eateries and bars. Roasted pork is the specialty here. Ask for how much you want by weight and they will chop it up with a machete. Fantastic food and it was a cute atmosphere in December with fun holiday decorations. read more
Right after we ordered and got our food (with exceedingly gracious help from the older woman who was called up to help the gringos when the sweet young thing who was probably HS age balked at our language incompetence -- not hers, absolutely ours), a veritable parade of abuelas y abuelos queued up to order. That is immediate validation that we chose the right place of all the possible lechoneras along Pork Highway (Rt 184). And the food was amazing -- the pork succulent and Juicy, the crispy skin simply a marvel, and even the sweet potatoes something worth noting. We ordered one meal for two people with plans to make additional stops at other lechoneras, but I don't know, maybe we should just stock up here and roll out like overfilled beach balls in a few hours? read more
This is a late post only because I was too busy eating the food I have so waited long for and almost my soul reason to go so I didn't have tons of pictures to share. You must and I mean you must go to Lechon highway. Go to the top of the hill and hit up this place! Outdoor seating with a creek and plenty of patios to eat in.... So awesome! It's not a long strip to walk but pleabty of souvenir shops to see. Back to the food! It was absolute everything I thought it would me. We had ordered a meal that could feed 6 plus 3 beers for (drum roll please) $42!!!!!!!! I ordered an additional 2 lbs to take back to our Airbnb The people were awesome and very helpful in explaining the food. I miss it! If you're there ship me some lol read more
1 year ago
Had really high hopes for this place, even took a detour from our route to get there. Possibly it was what we ordered (bbq ribs and yucca) but it was really fatty and too oily to eat. Chicken would have been a better bet. Left feeling like I got the gringo treatment with the fattiness of the ribs because others looked really good. Be picky, watch what they pick out for you. read more
The CRISPIEST pork skin I've ever had. I also loved the rest of the pork because it was so juicy but not too greasy. It's also such a steal for the price!! My friend and I shared one portion and it was more than enough along with a couple side dishes. Also, don't skip on the cassava. The people were also so nice. There is a man directing the parking lot for the store and he also gave us a lot of great recommendations around the island. You definitely need a car to get up here and if steep, narrow, and windy mountain roads intimidate you then you may want to avoid the pork highway. Otherwise, this restaurant is very worth the drive up. read more
11 months ago
1 year ago
****Warning**** Ordered Lechon with a side of rice and beans and 2 medalla's $38.00 for everything. Seemed I was charged extra for being a tourist. Lechon was super dry. Not worth NYC prices for this. read more
1 year ago
Great lechon asada. Got a pound here and enjoyed it a lot, very well tasting meat with nice skin. Price was not exorbitant and is on the famous Pork Highway of course. Check this out if you can. read more
4 years ago
We were kind of confused on how to order so the cashier was getting impatient with us and started yelling at us. My boyfriends first language is Spanish so it's not like we didn't understand Spanish. Other than that we enjoyed the experience. We watched a video before coming that showed the tripe and that's what made us come. Unfortunately, they didn't have tripe that day The arroz con gandule was okay. It was a little hard to be honest. the Lechon though... amazing. No other words to describe it. Very well cooked, flavor was perfect. Another pro is the portion for the price is great! The most affordable meal we've had in Puerto Rico. read more
We travelled and triedthe Lechonera Los Pinos here at Guavate. Most of the restaurants (at the area are close by each other)on Thursday. We ordered Lechon, Arroz Con Gandules (Yellow Rice), Pork Sausage and Plantanos Madurai (Sweet Plantains). Lechon skins that we got are tough and chewy (guessing that big pig Lechon is matured). The Sausage, Plantains and Rice were delicious and tasty. We'll definitely try it again. Service is good. read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
BEST EMPANADILLAS ON THE ISLAND!! Staff is always very kind. You have to watch out for the bees and you absolutely should get there early for the freshest empanadillas but this is an absolute must visit. read more
Made my long-awaited trip to Pork Highway despite the efforts of COVID and Southwest Airlines. Well worth the wait to get our plates filled with lechón, loganiza, plantain maduros, rice, and stewed pinto beans. Highlights were the lechón, which were a good balance of juicy and fatty pork without being solely fatty pork, unlike the other lechonera we went to. Also loved the plantain maduros. I know the plantain crop has better devastated this year and there's a good chance that these were frozen/shipped in, but they were still tasty and less sweet/carmlized than the kind I'm usually used to. And the stewed pinto beans, though simple, were a great way to top off the rice. Only downside of the meal was the crispy pork skin, which was way too hard and tough. Plenty of airy seating to enjoy the mountain breeze. Service...is...not the best. But the food istasty and made me glad that I finally go to see the Pork Highway. read more
2 years ago
Well worth the drive. The best and most flavorful lechón I've had. The seasoning was on point, cooked perfectly and not dry and crispy in the right places. The rice came out of the kitchen of someone's grandmas house, the flavor was so good. They gave you a whole fried Madura, wasn't greasy at all with perfectly crisp edges. We also had alcapurrias were good the masa had a lot of flavor. It was a friendly spot with quick service. And the cheesecake was perfect. Ice cold drinks and very authentic food and extremely well priced. Don't skip this place. read more
3.5 stars. The whole roasted pig in the window is awesome to look at. Love it. The pig itself though is pretty dry and not a whole lot of flavor. I also got blood sausages and a tamale with yellow rice. Honestly, it's all lacking a bit of flavor especially the rice and tamale. The blood sausage's alright. The service though is super friendly and I love the atmosphere. read more
4 years ago
My favorite place during my visit to PR. I must say the drive to get here is pretty scary. Once we got to the restaurant there was no line and we got our food super fast. The service was great! The lechon was AMAZING! The ribs too. It definitely was with the drive! read more
5 years ago
A visit to Guavate is a must for foodies in Puerto Rico. This town is full of Lechonera's which serve traditional mouthwatering Lechon (roasted pig). However, once arriving, it's overwhelming to decide which one to visit. Lechonera Los Pinos is seemingly the most popular because it was featured by Anthony Bourdain years ago but I ultimately chose to visit here because family living in the area also recommended it. Yes! Lechonera Los Pinos lives up to the hype! The Lechon was some of the best I have ever tried: super tender, meaty and juicy with juicy crisp skin. However, the additional menu items were also phenomenal. I had flavorful and savory Arroz con Gandules, tender and citrusy Ensalada De Pulpo (octopus), starchy Pasteles De Masa filled with tender pork, rich, flavorful and savory Morcilla (blood sausage), and lightly sweet and starchy Batata (sweet potato). read more
We drove through the mountainous middle area of Puerto Rico known as Guavate, as this place is the most well-known and rated Lechón (Slow Whole Roasted Pig) in the island. They open as early as 6:00 AM and we were the first ones in line to order a pound of this delightful delicacy from the happy faces of the owners Tomas and Carmen to dine-in and even take it on our way back to San Juan. The Lechón was one of the best that I have ever tasted. The skin, so crispy and smooth from all those hours of roasting and the meaty inside was so tender and juicy and was expecting this very well and defnitely worth the drive! Fun Fact: This place was featured and shown on Anthony Bourdain's "No Reservations" many years ago, as he made beautiful memories for his viewers at this place, full of zest to try on the best Lechón in the country :) read more
Los Pinos must only used prize pigs because their pork was perfectly on point! I can't say that I have ever had better roast pork and I can without question say that this is the best morcilla I have ever eaten. The flavor of the pig was came through in every bite and the seasonings, fire and smoke were vey welcomed added flavor. The morcilla is rich and gritty and you can really taste the freshness. All the sides were good as well but the their power is definitely in their pork! read more
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More info about Lechonera Los Pinos
Carr 184 Km 27.7
Bo. Guavate
Cayey, Puerto Rico 00736
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(787) 286-1917
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https://lospinosguavate.com
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