El Jibarito is absolutely worth the visit if you're looking for authentic Puerto Rican food. We had…read morethe lechón con salsa de plátano, and it was absolutely delicious--full of flavor and cooked perfectly! We were a large group, so there was about a 30-minute wait for a table, but that's part of the fonda-style experience. Tables turn over as people finish their meals, and while you're waiting, you can relax with an ice-cold Medalla, which makes the time go by quickly. A special thank you to the staff for the excellent service and warm hospitality. The food, the atmosphere, and the friendly staff made this one of our favorite dining experiences in Old San Juan. We will definitely be back!

We came to El Jibarito for dinner after it was recommended by Yelp as it had a 4-star rating. We…read moredid have a bit of a wait, but it was worth it. The restaurant is absolutely adorable inside and has a warm, welcoming atmosphere. Once we were seated, the service was quick and attentive. There were four of us in our party, and we started with the pizza turnovers. They were delicious, although I do wish they had a little more filling. I ordered the tamale. While it wasn't quite to my personal taste, I could tell it was well made and I'm sure others who enjoy that style of tamale would love it. My husband had the baked chicken and really liked it. My friend ordered the salmon and said it was moist and very flavorful, and her husband had the garlic chicken, which he thoroughly enjoyed. Overall, everyone in our group was happy with their meals. Between the cozy atmosphere, friendly service, and tasty food, I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you're visiting Old San Juan.

Came here for the Pina Coladas, stayed for literally everything else! PR had me in a Sangria &…read moreMofongo Chokehold! It literally doesn't get better than that! This spot was in walking distance from our bnb in San Juan - 10/10, it was cute and lively. It kinda gave sports bar vibes but we enjoyed it! The service was amazing! Like everywhere else in PR. The food, easy- delicious! Drinks, amazing, food amazinger?! Lol we had a time here and enjoyed every second! Great place to stop for some PR staples and a fun atmosphere!

We had dinner tonight at Raices in Old San Juan because several people recommended it…read more Unfortunately, I can't recommend it based on our experience. The inside of the restaurant is absolutely adorable, and the servers are dressed in traditional-style Puerto Rican attire, which adds to the atmosphere and charm. Our server was wonderful--very friendly, knowledgeable, attentive, and genuinely pleasant throughout the meal. Unfortunately, the food did not live up to the experience. I ordered the red snapper, which was quite dry, and the garlic sauce lacked flavor. I also informed the server that I do not like cilantro, but my beans arrived with cilantro in them. They were graciously replaced with plantains, which I appreciated. While the service and ambiance were excellent, the food simply did not meet my expectations. Because of that, I would not return or recommend this restaurant.

Amazing service for such a large group last minute. Food…read moreand drinks were out of this world. The skirt steak was some of the best steak I've ever had especially for the price. Grouper was so refreshing and creole sauce was phenomenal. Such a cute restaurant with amazing art anf cut little homemade crafts to buy at the entrance if you'd like!

We ate at Café El Punto, and what a cute restaurant! As you walk in, the center of the building is…read moreopen to the ceiling, giving it a bright, airy feel. There are enclosed, air-conditioned dining rooms on either side, which was a welcome relief from the Puerto Rico heat. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere is warm and inviting. The restaurant is beautifully decorated, and it just has a great vibe. I ordered the stuffed avocado with shrimp. I had seen stuffed avocados on several menus during our trip, so I'm glad I finally tried one. It was delicious and something I can't easily find back home. Everyone else in our group enjoyed their meals as well. One thing to note is that the restrooms are located through another doorway that leads outside to an enclosed bathroom area. It was extremely hot out there, so just be prepared. There was only one other party dining in our room, which made for a cozy and relaxing atmosphere. The service was very good, and overall we had a wonderful experience. When you enter the restaurant, you walk through a shopping area of handmade items beautiful items so take the time to shop either on the way in or the way out I would definitely recommend Café El Punto if you're visiting Old San Juan.

The food here lives up to the hype! I did not care for the bacalaitos appetizer, but the pork and…read morethe beef were fantastic. On top of that, the mofongo (or did I get the trifongo? sorry, I forget, it's been a month) here was the best I've had in PR; it was well-seasoned and perfectly savory. This was probably my favorite place to have eaten at in PR, and I actually miss the food *cries in California* The space was cozy, and service was friendly if slow. If we had stayed more than a night, I definitely would've had more than one meal here.

Located in the back of a store, this was my first full meal in San Juan, Puerto Rico. The space was…read morecute and cozy with a decent amount of seating. I ordered a non alcoholic Pina Colada, as well as Bacaolitos ($8) and Trifongo with fried pork and onions ($16). The Pina Colada was topped with whipped cream and a cherry. It was perfectly thick, sweet, creamy, and refreshing. The Bacaolitos were satisfyingly crispy and well seasoned. It was my first time trying Trifongo, which is similar to Mofongo, consisting of plantains, yucca, and sweet plantains. This was absolutely delicious! The combination of the ingredients were just right and it was packed with delightful flavor, tasting of garlic and savory seasoning. The Fried Pork was wonderfully crunchy, juicy, and well seasoned. Service was great. The waiter was welcoming and had a good sense of humor. Prices were pretty reasonable. Everything came out in a timely manner. I enjoyed my time here.

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.

We were in old San Juan and wanted some authentic Puerto Rican food. I found this spot on Yelp and…read morewas surprised to know this was a TikTok favorite. The restaurant is medium sized, so for the sake of space they make you wait outside for a table. Our group of 7 was seated pretty easily but it also wasn't too packed when we arrived. Their menu is written on a chalkboard and from my knowledge, they don't provide any physical copies. My table got a variety of things but me in particular, I ordered the Puerto Rican sampler. We split it between 3 people and they said it could feed 4 but hmmm, I'd be skeptical of that. I think no more than 2 comfortably honestly as a meal. The sampler was delicious though and had all the main things I wanted. The corn fritters were a hit and the steak was well cooked and seasoned. While the food was good, the wait was a little long and the service was mid (not bad but not the best we've had). Solid 4 stars

We came here for lunch as a group of 4. We started with the Alcapurrias. It was good, but nothing…read morespecial to me. Then we had the goat fricase, cod and pork chops. The goat fricase's sauce was amazing. It was full of flavor and eating it with the rice and beans was a joy. The cod was perfectly cooked and was delicious. Then my favorite was the pork chops. They pre-cut it for us since we were eating family style. The skin was so crispy and the pork was so flavorful, I smiled the entire time I ate it. Service was very good.

This restaurant is exactly the kind of place you'd want to bring your SO to. It's very romantic,…read moreit's got a live band, and the music is loud enough to listen and enjoy, but soft enough to have conversation. The food was a joy from start to finish. I started with a drink that resembles an espresso martini, but very inspired by the locality. We shared cassava baskets filled with ropa vieja and some local cheese. This was incredible but I did find the cassava shell tough to chew. My main dish was the catch of the day, which was snapper (absolutely delightful!) the snapper was served with a dollop of mashed potatoes and tostines! Everything here was incredible though I did find two of the tostones tough to chew. Dessert was bread pudding using Mallorca bread with coconut and guava alongside a scoop of ice cream. This was a bit of a let down, but still wonderful. Service could be better? We did feel like everything took a long time due to the waiters absence. Otherwise, this place was great! Do come!

Place is outdated, but spacious. They offer a flamenco show at 7:30 that is so worth watching…read more Juan Carlos is amazing. As for the service, so-so. Our waiter was not very attentive nor ready to provide recommendations. He showed up only when called over to the table. Ordered the croquettes and the were still raw inside. Overcooked on the outside. Let him know and he said yes, I don't like that texture. Really, he could have said something when I ordered them. The octopus was bland, the patatas bravas had a nice spicy flavor. The risotto was nicely sized, but lacked flavor. Overall service lacking, food average, show amazing.

Best grouper bites in my life. Server who recommended it was spot on about them! Seafood paella was…read moreabsolutely phenomenal as well!

We happened upon this place and decided to try the cod fish croquettes. Simple but flavorful!!…read moreLoved not only the food but the family that owned it. The service was wonderful. It's a small but quaint place that you need to go check out!

OMG!!! Ok so you HAVE TO GO TO THIS PLACE!! Everything is delicious. Walked in thought, "ok, so…read morelet's give the TINY place a chance. And the inside IS TINY but the food is explosive!! Tried 6 different things ALL yummy but the pork dumplings?!?! And the ravioli!?!? I was so full by the time the burger and fries came I thought noooo but my taste buds said come on babyyyyy..... Also had a delicious turnover and fried plantains all good. The guys running the place are great too, Really friendly but the fooood ! Portions big enough to share.

Permanently closed per Google (we couldn't find it). But Brasas in the same area was AMAZING! Try…read morethe stuffed mofongos.

Wonderful restaurant! We have been twice and loved each time. I am vegetarian while my husband is…read morenot. Chef Josh made an amazing vegetarian stuffed pepper dish that was not on the regular menu. Wonderful to have a chef that can accommodate and create tastey dish. Friendly service, great food and nice location. I will continue to frequent this restaruant.

Conveniently located right by the port, which tells you something about the crowd it draws -- but…read morethat doesn't mean it's not worth a stop. Vaca Brava is a no-frills, gets-the-job-done kind of place, and sometimes that's exactly what you need. Easy to get a reservation, which is a plus when you're navigating Old San Juan on a busy day. The space is casual and unpretentious, and the menu leans into Puerto Rican staples without trying to reinvent anything. I had the mofongo with sweet plantains -- a generous, satisfying plate, well-seasoned and exactly what you want when you're in PR. My daughter had a steak and was happy with it. The food is solid across the board, the portions are good, and the price is fair for the location. It's not going to be the meal you talk about for years, but it delivers what it promises. Good value, great spot to recharge after a morning exploring Old San Juan, and the location alone earns some points.

This is a great stop just a couple blocks up from the cruise port. We stopped there with a party of…read moreeight. We got seats right away. It's kind of like a picnic table seating it's nice inside. It has clean restrooms. The service is a little slow they're not overly excited that you're there which is fine. It's kind of just the island way. We ordered some appetizers and drink drinks. Everything was good. The combination meat rack was really cool to see the meat was good tender juicy sausage was good. chicken was good. One complaint I do have is the only give you plastic silverware but whatever it is what it is but it's hard to you to stake with a plastic knife for restrooms are clean, nice music playing in the background. They seem to do some cruise boat excursions here you see people making piña coladas and things like that. It's a good stop. I suggested for a cruise ship food break.