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Walked in here at ~8:15am for breakfast. There was not a lot of people yet; we were seated at the bar. After a few minutes, people started trickling down and soon the place was close to being full. I liked the mallorca with ham, bacon, cheese! It was delicious. They looked small but they were filling. The pastries displayed at the window were inviting. If you're dining in, you have to tell your server that you're getting some pastries that are on display then you ask the person at the counter who also serves as the cashier to get them for you. The guava pastry was good. The vanilla bread with strawberry and pineapple/lemon was okay. They looked better than they tasted in my opinion. Payment for everything would be at the cashier after dining. If you're in San Juan, this is a place to try!
One of the classics that are amplified via social media. Here was our experience. AMBIANCE Parking: Old San Juan rules--come early or be ready to walk. Seating: Inside seating, plenty of seating but just gets pretty busy because of how popular this place is. Vibes: Welcome to Old San Juan! Heart of Puerto Rico but also a very touristy spot as well. The attitude changes based on the time of day. When it comes to the early/mid day - brekkie/brunch busy. The spot itself was nothing too flashy just your authentic morning coffee shop with servers busy serving people. Great place to chill, chat, and start up your day. FOOD / DRINKS Mallorca - Regular (Recommend) A mallorca is basically a sweet bread but this one is most known for their ham and cheese. We tried getting their as early as possible but they were backed so we had the regular which was a soft, fluffy, and slightly sweet but powdered with sugar. A nice morning boost of energy to start the day. CUSTOMER SERVICE: Gotta respect the employees for handling the busy rushes time in and out. TL;DR OVERALL 4 Stars. Good food, reasonable prices, and a pleasant experience. A must-try Old San Juan experience. You can get mallorcas in other places but the history here is pretty nice. Not trendy, not curated--but deeply rooted in local culture. If you want to understand Puerto Rican breakfast, this is a great place to start. TIPS * Go early to beat the crowd * Tip your servers
Review #1,046 Posted on 4.26.26 We came here on Thursday the 23rd while in San Juan area for my buddies 50th birthday. This spot we had seen on social media a ton for being famous for their Mallorca sandwich, a special type bread, we got the one with bacon & American cheese. Man, I made the mistake of doing the bacon instead of ham, overthought that deal. I tried my buddies with ham n cheese and I think that was way to go. I loved how this spot had that super old school feel of like a diner. You can sit at one of the table tops, or you can do the countertop too, which has tons of seats, we all were able to sit there. I'd 100% recommend this spot, but get the ham n cheese mallorca sandwich, don't overthink it.
Stopped by for breakfast on a Tuesday morning around 8am. It wasn't busy at all when we arrived and we immediately got a table. We ordered two coffees, cheese Mallorca, Swiss Mallorca, coconut macaroon, and Mallorca bread. The coffees were small but mighty. Cheese Mallorcas were delicious and we slightly favored the Swiss version. I'd get it with ham next time. Super simple. Sweet and savory. From the pastry window, we picked up a Mallorca bread with powered sugar which was amazing. The bread was SO soft and fluffy. Very similar to Japanese milk bread. We also got a coconut macaroon which has a bit of lemon flavor to it. Also good, very sweet. I'd definitely come back and highly recommend!
We were recommended this spot by a local - and we are so glad we came to Old San Juan to find it! We arrived just after 8am for good reason, the place fills up so quick! We sat at the bar top for quick service! You must try the famous Mallorca with ham and cheese - this light flufffy pastry like sandwich is delectable. The perfect balance of sweet and savory. Everything was served on paper plates and plastic cups... nothing fancy, just fantastic food and great local coffee. The service was quick, friendly and yes, he spoke little English but it was quite easy to understand as we don't speak Spanish.
What a charming old-school diner. We were staying around the corner and had walked by a few times in the evenings, when they are closed. I had seen recommendations to try the Mallorcas, so we came back early one morning before 8 AM as we had to catch a tour bus. At that hour it was pretty empty, just the waiter, a cashier, a handful of older gentlemen hanging out, and a couple of tourist groups like ourselves. We all ordered Mallorcas, which are basically breakfast sandwiches of soft thin bread rolls (Mallorcas) with powdered sugar, but come in variations with egg, cheese, ham, bacon, etc. Get any of the variants - not the plain ones, which I don't think come toasted - as they crisp them first with the fillings, then sprinkle the sugar. They were pretty good and cheaper than most other breakfasts we tried in the area. The next morning, we even tried to came back, but it was PACKED at 9 AM so we wandered down to El Meson (fast food) and were sorely disappointed at their version of Mallorcas (to be fair it was dirt cheap there), so I would stick to Cafe Mallorca but COME EARLY! Ambience was old school diner with a long counter and vintage photos of Mallorca and Old San Juan. I wish they would use real plates and cutlery instead of the disposable stuff we found prevalent in PR. Oh and the coffee is nothing special so you fill have to get your espressos or lattes somewhere else.... Oh and the bakery case was filled with what looked like delectable treats but unfortunately we did not get to try those (other than the mallorcas)... next time!
Went from 5 Stars to 1 real quick. Although there are full trays of pastries in the window, they refuse to sell us Mallorca to go. You can only eat on the premises; they are too busy for take-out. Whatever that means. But there are no seats. Does not matter. So we waited and sat at the end of the counter. Where people standing to our left were picking up their to-go orders. No kidding. Plus no air. Server moves like a sloth. Got our order of 4 Mallorcas and 2 coffees wrong. Plus they nuke the coffee. To pay, you are back in 1975 on a long line with the cashier marking every sale in a marble book. And she moves like a snail. All the charm is gone. Mallorca bread is delicious, but it just. Ain't. Worth it.
The sandwich was a 20/10. I saw it in a video and said huh? A what? But you must go try it for yourself. The dining room can get crowded, its seat yourself and then get served, but service was rather quick. Think casual dining. You check out on your way out where you can grab pastries to go as well.
Must visit while in PR for a quick authentic breakfast experience. Beware, there is usually a long line, however it moves super quick due to the quick service. Their breakfast sandwiches are made right on the spot with fresh mallorcas. Their lemonade and orange juice are also to die for! Freshly squeezed! They are also pretty cheap, in comparison to other options in the area. The hype around this place is definitely worth it, making it a must try!
This is quite literally the best surprise I've ever experienced. This constantly comes up as as a must try when in San Juan and there's a line out the door to prove it. Inside, it's a typical cafeteria type restaurant and the poor server we had had a lot of tables to take care of so service was slow but the sandwich is WELL worth the wait. I tried the egg ham and cheese Mallorca. Delicious!!
Foods are great it's a mom and pops place very popular here in San Juan Puerto Rico but you need to stretched out your patience waiting to get your order and for your orders to be served as well only 2 servers getting in all the orders and serving for the price is just right food is good cleanliness i would say 2 stars service is 1 star foods are 4 stars even mom and pops breakfast and brunch place need to step up just saying but of-course first time visitors need to try this
We arrived at 11:00 am on a Friday morning. Since all of the tables were full we sat at two barstools at the bar. A server slid some menus down to us and by 11:15 we were still waiting (and attempting to get the servers attention). When a table opened up, we asked if we could move to it. They said yes. We then flagged down a server to say we were ready to order. He said ok and kept walking. After being ignored for another 15 min, we finally were able to place an our order. We both got coffee, juice and a Mallorca con queso huevo y Jamon. Mine did not have egg. The server did get us another one. Overall the food was ok and the service was so bad that I can't recommend this place nor will I return
3 years ago
4 years ago
7 years ago
OMG !!! THE BEST EGG SANDWICH IVE EVER HAD!! This place was so good i can't stop thinking about it! I came here my first morning in San Juan, ordered the "Mallorca w Ham Cheese and an Egg" and it was DELICIOUS! it was sooo good that i came back the next day! The place is very casual and the service is ok. The waitstaff is incredibly friendly and knowledgeable about the area. Now where can I get a Mallorca in NY ?!!! read more
10 years ago
If you're looking for authentic Puerto Rican food, you must try this place. Not only has it been around for ages but it has an authentic feeling and great service. Be prepared to wait a couple of minutes as the space is small and fills up quickly due to its popularity for locals and tourists alike. They have bakery items and food for ordering. We ordered mofongo with chicken and hueyes (crab), arroz con pollo, Mallorca ham and cheese sandwich, and milojas for dessert. The food was excellent. The beans were DELICIOUS! They accept card/cash. Enjoy! read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
Great little diner in old san juan! There are plenty of options but order the namesake dish at least to try it. I had the mallorca with ham and swiss and it was heavenly! My daughter did have fish with rice and beans and that was also good. No complaints at this convenient stop in our sight seeing day! read more
4 years ago
the best breakfast we had in san juan! really loved that this place wasn't a tourist trap and really felt authentic. i had the swiss cheese mallorca, one friend had the ham and cheese mallorca, and another had the ham egg and cheese mallorca and all were phenomenal. such a delicious breakfast for a low cost so definitely recommend! read more
10 years ago
Ermargherd! I need this back home. It's an old school diner type place serving up all the Puerto Rican goods on the cheap. They have a full breakfast and lunch menu but they specialize in mallorcas which is a sweet bread filled with cheese, grilled, and then sprinkled with powdered sugar. And the possibilities are endless; ham & cheese, egg & cheese, etc. I could eat this everyday. The cafe con leche was good and strong also. The place is small and gets very crowded, almost chaotic, but its organized chaos and the gentlemen working there are quick and make sure that you're taken care of from the moment you walk in. It's a great place for an authentic and inexpensive meal. read more
The one thing I'm going to revise is my choice in seating. Not only are the counter stools super comfortable, it's where all the locals sit. I've been here twice since my original review, sat at the counter both times. As a tourist it's super cool to me when my server assumes I speak Spanish and starts talking my ear off. Sit at the bar, all the locals do. read more
Lots of good yelps for this restaurant but since it was all about a pastry called a Mallorca I decided to skip it since I don't eat pastries but then I stumbled across it on my walk to find something to eat. It is like a more like a diner than a cafeteria with the servers wearing old school cafeteria hats. Like I said they are known for their pastries but also for food too. Unfortunately, I don't eat sweets, fried food or meat so my choices were small. I had...ok not very PR...tuna sandwich. The tuna tasted fresher and more chunky than canned but I can't say it wasn't. The bread was nicely toasted but differently then just a toaster. They ice tea they have is only sweet tea so I opted for water. The staff was very friendly and it looks like it's a lot of locals with a mix of tourist (yes I assume everyone that speaks Spanish in Puerto Rico are Puerto Rican...sorry) :) read more
7 years ago
So many yummy choice here! Huge pastry selection. Everything I've tried on the menu has been delish! Local vibe and authentic Puerto Rican food. read more
A cafeteria, a diner, a greasy spoon... una cuchara grasienta? Whatever you want to call it, Cafeteria Mallorca serves simple honest breakfast fare for simple honest prices. We took 2 seats at the counter next to both locals and other vacationers, and amused our server by ordering jugo de china por las chinas! I had to have a Mallorca which was toasty, buttery, sugary, filled with gooey ham & cheese, perfect with my cafe con leche, and way too easy to finish. We also shared a Ham Omelette which was nothing special but provided much energy before a long day of roaming around the island! read more
13 years ago
Cafetería Mallorca is a historic building in downtown San Juan. The decor and the uniforms are those of a Puerto Rican 1950s diner, and the cashiers wear paper soda jerk hats. The juices (I saw pineapple and orange juice, and lemonade.) are freshly squeezed and you can watch them make your juice at the counter. Their prices are reasonable for San Juan, but are expensive by Puerto Rican standards. I think the locals flock there for the ambiance and to socialize. Another reason to go there is because it's one of the few places to get breakfast food in downtown San Juan. The signature dish is Mallorca, which is the Puerto Rican name for ensaimadas (a pastry from Spain that tastes somewhat like French toast). The desserts in the window display are tiny by Puerto Rican bakery standards, but food in downtown San Juan is small and expensive in nature, so Cafetería Mallorca is reasonable by comparison. You can eat flan a la moda (flan with a scoop of vanilla ice cream) at your table, so maybe you can ask your waiter to add a scoop of ice cream to any dessert you buy. Though the desserts rotate, I've seen the following in their display window: Puerto Rican-style guava cheesecake (bizcocho de queso y guayaba), cream cheese flan (flan de queso), coconut custard (tembleque), bread pudding (budín de pan), guava-cream cheese puff pastries (pastelillos de queso y guayaba), ricotta-cream cheese twists (quesitos), Puerto Rican-style milky sponge cake (bizcocho tres leches), pound cake with coconut sauce (bienmesabe), pineapple upside down cake (bizcocho de piña), guava jelly rolls (brazos de gitanas de guayaba), coconut cookies (besitos de coco, but in an unusual rectangular shape), cornbread with icing (pan de maíz dulce), and chocolate meringue (merengue de chocolate). TIPS: - When you are done eating, PAY AT THE COUNTER. In Puerto Rican culture, it is generally considered rude for waiters to go up to you other than to serve your food. If you have a complaint about your food, get up and go talk to your waiter. - The earlier you arrive, the more dessert choices there are in the window display, and the fresher they will be. Also, breakfast foods cost $1.00 extra after 11 AM. - Compared to the Mallorcas that are in bakeries around Puerto Rico, the Mallorcas at this place are tiny, have too much confectioners' sugar, and aren't NEARLY as elastic (Mallorcas are normally super stretchy when you pull them apart). I don't mind when different restaurants give dishes their own spin, but if you love traditional Mallorcas, you won't necessarily like these (Try them though!). - If you get a Mallorca con jamon y queso (a Mallorca cut in half with ham and cheese placed in the middle to make a sandwich), you have to specifically ask for Swiss cheese, otherwise you get processed American cheese. On the up-side, you can get Swiss cheese in your Mallorca! - Try dipping your Mallorca and/or your Puerto Rican bread into your coffee. It's the Puerto Rican way. - No Wi-Fi. However, the locals all bring their own newspapers and magazines, and you can also bring your e-reader (which will have stuff to read in English). - The bottled red sauce at your table is traditional Puerto Rican hot sauce (pique). WHAT I'VE TRIED THERE: Mallorcas with ham and Swiss cheese, a passion fruit smoothie (batido), and coffee. It's very nostalgic to drink a smoothie at a 50s diner! The panini press-style of cooking the Mallorca is a tasty feature that you don't get at standard bakeries. read more
12 years ago
It was my second day in Puerto Rico and I was looking to have a day full of tourist fun! One of our hotel staff told us to check out this place because it was a nice cheap place to grab to bite to eat before starting our day. Being basically in the center of Old San Juan, it only took us about a minute or two to get here! When we walked in we were told that we could sit anywhere, so we chose to sit near the bar. An older gentleman quickly greeted us and handed us both lunch and breakfast menus. Being the indecisive person I am, it took a little while for me to look through the menus and decide what I wanted. I ended up asking a lady next to me what she recommended and she gave me a few pretty good options. As time went on, I decided to order a cafe con leche, just so our waiter wouldn't get sick of us sitting there. I eventually ended up ordering pancakes con huevos y jamon (pretty basic after all of that time I spent looking, Haha) The food was very good! It took less than five minutes to come to us, and it was plentiful! I made small talk with the people around me to play around with my Spanish, and continued to enjoy the food! At the end, two plates and a small coffee came to only $11!!! I was sold! Great prices, good food, and a comfortable atmosphere. I'd definitely come back read more
3 years ago
5 years ago
5 years ago
Sweet baby Jesus.... I had heard about this place via YouTube. The Mallorca lived up to the hype! Delicious read more
12 years ago
If you're visiting Old San Juan, wake up early and come here for breakfast. The mallorca sandwiches (just written as "mallorcas" on the menu) are excellent--light, crispy, and covered in powdered sugar--and very reasonably priced. I also found them to be perfectly sized for a light breakfast that is not too filling. Also, try the pastries--they're delicious. The restaurant is waited by older locals who leave an impression of authenticity. This restaurant does feel more local than others in Old San Juan, though you may run into other tourists there. I have not yet been able to try the lunch menu, but I will be sure to do so soon. Very recommended. read more
I never knew a love like this. I was in PR for four days and in that time had my daily dose of mallorca's from this spot. What can one say about this sandwich? You have your sweet from the powdered sugar, the salty from the ham the crispness of the toasted bread and the cheese! Which brings it together in a beautiful package that leaves you feeling content and happy with your good life decisions. Top off with a cafe con leche and you can take on the world. I literally didn't eat anything else from there.. But the other food looked tasty enough. read more
This place is awesome! We walked in front of Cafeteria Mallorca, and the pastries in the windows stopped my husband and I in our tracks. We stopped in for a midday snack and some coffee. We sat at the counter, and the gentleman working behind the counter was so welcoming and patient as we fumbled with our Spanglish and trying to understand how to order the pastries. Once we got our mallorca and other pasty (with guayaba), he told us all kinds of stories about what a mallorca is and how older adults have a love/hate relationship with the guayaba tree (long story). We enjoyed a side of cultural history with our pastry! It was very reasonably priced, and we look forward to returning in the future. read more
3 years ago
You can't get anymore Puerto Rican than their highly addictive traditional breakfast pastry called Mallorca, a sweet bread topped with powdered sugar. Located in the heart of Old San Juan, Cafeteria Mallorca's freshly baked buttery Mallorca stuffed with ham and cheese topped with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar had us squealing like little girls. And yes, we ordered doubles. While the ambiance is bare, one can experience the essence of PR through the local crowd and bold flavors. PS: Primlani Kitchen is planning on attempting to bake these airy delights this coming weekend. read more
17 years ago
7 years ago
Came in today after reading other reviews and I was not disappointed. My kids ate breakfast items which they said was good. The toast was delicious even though it was just plain toast. I on the other hand ordered crab rice. It was so flavorful and very filling. The side of beans that came with it were amazing and I dont even like beans. They were soupy and had tons of flavor. Worth a visit! read more
5 years ago
If you are down in Old San Juan, you have to stop here for a guava pastry and coffee. It is a bakery and diner. The shrimp mofongo was delicious, crispy mashed plantains with shrimp covered in a tomato garlic sauce, The chicken noodle soup is homemade and makes you feel good in your soul. Also had the scrambled eggs with bacalao, very good . I would order everything again. The service by the waiter "German" was outstanding. I will be back. read more
5 years ago
This place is amazing. It came from Puerto Rico heavens. The pastry was soft, buttery and delicious! This is a must try spot if in Puerto Rico. You will not be disappointed! read more
12 years ago
Sit where ever you'd like in this old school-esque diner We had the bacon egg and cheese Mallorca sandwich and the Serrano and egg Mallorca sandwich- both were, nice. Just nice. They are very messy to eat! If you have had Mallorca bread before than you may have expected this . I am almost embarrassed to say that I expected it to taste like the Starbucks Mallorca sweet breads- moist and sweeter. Cafe com leche is strong but creamy. Another couple was seen having pancakes but they left after a couple bites. Was it the pancakes or the table of 4 sitting next to them ( and us) that was speaking so loudly and making rude jokes that sent them running? Tax is not included in your check so be prepared to pay more than what is on your bill when you go to cashier. read more
7 years ago
The waiter was cheerful, nice and with a big smile. Great service and he was like a mind reader. He knew exactly what my wife wanted. He gave us our cafe con leche and it was like now I can start my day off right. He gave us each half a Mallorca . It was like a pancake and a crescent had a child with powdered sugaring top. It was like this came from the heavens onto my plate. The best treat by far. I could have eaten 50 of these. Sooooooo goood and worth just going there just for that no matter how many miles you needed to drive. A must if you are visiting San Juan. You will not regret it read more
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