To provide some context for the story I'm about to tell, I need to explain why a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant from the beautiful state of Kentucky came to find himself in the tropical paradise known as Puerto Rico. I happen to be a member of a church, which I will not name, in my home state. Said church happened to be providing a one-week youth mission trip with a reputable Christian organization. I was on that trip. It was the fifth night of our journey when my group walked into a restaurant, the sign above the door displaying the name "Metropol" in bold lettering. This establishment was night and day compared to the first restaurant we happened to dine at. To start, Metropol's interior design was elegant--dark colors, well-placed lighting, and walls tastefully adorned with photos and artwork of the island's various attractions. By contrast, Vaca Brava (located in Old San Juan) was rowdy, reminiscent of a Texas Roadhouse in the most unaesthetic and tasteless way imaginable. Other differences included the wait time, prices, and food quality, all of which were significantly better at Metropol. It was within the walls of Metropol that I had the fourth life-changing dining experience of my life, and the most spectacular detail is this: it wasn't even my food. No, though the dish I ordered (in fluent Spanish) was worthy of five stars, the sandwich that changed my life was ordered by Xavier. Any additional information about Xavier is irrelevant to the story. All you need to know is that, for the low price of five dollars, Xavier sold me a fairly large piece of el sandwich de bistec--a sandwich listed only in Spanish and tucked away in the "Special" section of the menu. I truly believe that if I were to detail the full breadth and depth of the flavor that entered my body the moment my teeth punctured that soft bread, I would need to write more than any man has ever written. The combination of steak, cheese, and who knows what else that lay within the masterpiece I was tasting was enough to convince me that it could not have been crafted by human hands, no matter how gifted. No, this sandwich was something else entirely--something I can only describe as divine. One bite was enough to make me close my eyes and sink back into my chair. The world fell still around me, and suddenly, everything was dark. I drifted through this void for what felt like hours before noticing something bright swiftly approaching. As it drew nearer, I realized what it was: me. Or rather, me before entering Metropol. I watched myself for hours as I went about my daily tasks, living the only life I had ever known. This vision of myself gradually began to fade, quickly giving way to what I can only imagine was my future self. In that moment, I realized that everything in my life had been leading up to this experience and that everything in my future had been decided by the simple fact that my youth leader chose to take us to this specific restaurant. When I finally floated back into the body of my former self, there was no food left on my plate. I will never forget this place. It has changed my life, and I hope it changes the life of whosoever happens to stumble upon this review. Overall, pretty good food and fast service. Five stars. read more

Llevo yendo a este restaurante por años y la calidad de la comida y servicio ha bajado en las ultimas visitas. Aun asi, no se porque los sigo auspiciando La host, muy mala actitud. Nos puso en una mesa que mientras estuvimos esperando, por ahi no paso un mesero en 10 minutos asi que tuvimos que salir a que nos pusiera en otra mesa. Pedimos empanada y aquello parecia que la habia pasado un truck por encima. El bistec De lomillo no podia ser mas finito!! La yuca ni que al mojo... seca, amarilla y nada de sabor. Los peores tostones. Eso ni los aplastaron de lo gordo que estaban. Lo siento pero por ahora, no vuelvo en buen tiempo. RIP Metropol Guaynabo. read more

One of my favorite restaurants on the island. My visits aren't complete unless I have visited Metropol. Absolutely delicious authentic Puerto Rican cuisine! There are several locations all over the island making it easy to access no matter where you are. Family restaurant, nice atmosphere for hosting family gatherings or going on a romantic date. read more

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Amazing food and Alfredo for the server and you can't ask for a better night out for some grub. read more

Metropol - Pastelon con papa, tostone con pana, platanos maduros, black beans with white rice. - Cuban Near Me - Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

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The food is SO delicious without fail! I have eaten there and have ordered for takeout and no difference in the quality of the food. Service is very good and the ambiance is nice. read more

There is a particular kind of restaurant that exists in a state of benign, self-satisfied mediocrity -- one that arrived at excellence decades ago, planted a flag, and has been living off the interest ever since. Metropol Guaynabo is precisely that establishment. Let us be clear: this is not a bad restaurant. It is, in fact, a perfectly adequate one, which in many respects is a far more damning assessment. Greatness is conspicuous. Adequacy merely occupies space. The Setting Nestled within the Jardines Reales Shopping Center on Avenida Las Cumbres, Metropol Guaynabo greets you with the kind of décor that was almost certainly considered contemporary at some point in the mid-2000s and has since achieved a kind of unintentional retro status. The lighting is functional. The tables are clean. The ambiance could generously be described as "utilitarian warmth" -- the sort of environment that communicates, wordlessly but firmly, that the meal you are about to have will be entirely unremarkable. The Food The menu reads with the confidence of an institution that knows it has fed Puerto Rico for over sixty years, and the kitchen cooks with precisely that same level of urgency -- which is to say, none whatsoever. The Gallinita Rellena, the restaurant's flagship dish and the jewel of its self-mythology, arrives competently prepared. It is seasoned. It is warm. It is technically a bird. One supposes that is enough. The Mofongo Relleno presents itself with modest ambition and fulfills that ambition exactly -- no more, no less. The plantain is properly mashed; the filling does not embarrass itself. The Bistec de Palomilla is thin, serviceable, and arrives with the quiet resignation of a dish that has been made approximately four million times by hands that stopped caring around the two millionth repetition. The beans -- perennially praised by loyalists as among the island's finest -- are, one must admit, genuinely good. This reviewer does not withhold credit where it is marginally due. Portions are large. This appears to be the restaurant's primary love language, and it is communicated with unwavering consistency. The Service The staff at this particular location operate with a kind of cheerful indifference that is almost admirable in its consistency. Requests are acknowledged, orders are eventually filled, and the check arrives when the staff determines that you have been sitting long enough. The wait for a table on weekends stretches into territory that suggests either extraordinary popularity or a fundamental misunderstanding of table management logistics. One suspects the latter. The Value Prices are reasonable -- this, too, is undeniable, and the restaurant wears affordability as its most prominent virtue. For what one pays, one receives exactly what one pays for, which is the gastronomic equivalent of a firm handshake: entirely appropriate, wholly uninspiring. The Verdict Metropol Guaynabo is the culinary equivalent of a beloved uncle who was once genuinely exciting and now simply shows up reliably at every holiday. You are glad he is there. You would not describe the experience as transformative. The restaurant has, for six decades, successfully convinced the Puerto Rican dining public that nostalgia is a condiment -- and to its credit, it is a strategy that continues to work. Whether it constitutes cuisine is a separate conversation entirely. Come for the beans. Manage your expectations with the practiced discipline of someone who has been here before. Three stars. Adequate. Enduring. Exhausting in its contentment. read more

Fantastic! Their paella and arroz con pollo is well priced and delicious. Note, get the spicy green sauce on the side...so good! Their portions used to be bigger but inflation is inflation. We are repeat customers whenever we're in Condado! read more

Buenas tardes auspicio los restaurantes, hoy estoy sin transportación ordenó a metropol de Guaynabo hablo con la gerente y me pide fotos de la comida que fue por UBER y luego que hago todo el ejercicio la gerente que trató de ayudar perooo pretendía volviera a pagar la orden y la fuera a buscar.Que cosa tan falta de respeto su nombre ni lo pongo pues nada hago con eso solo que ya no los auspicio. Gracias read more

Metropol - Chuletas kan kan!!!!!! - Cuban Near Me - Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

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A classic restaurant in PR. Food is always great and a very personable service. We celebrated a birthday and they located us in a private room which was great. Very cool ambiance as well. read more

Great food! Especially the stuffed Cornish hen with Cuban black rice! The service can be lacking sometimes but overall a good place to eat... read more

We decided to give it another try. Once again, the appetizers and drinks were good, but the food was even more disappointing than the previous time. The carne frita and the vaca frita were over cooked, dry and chewy. The tostones de pana tasted like they were yesterday's. We won't be back to this location. read more

The food was awesome with great portion sizes. The service was also good we had a big group of 15 people and they got our table ready at a reasonable time. read more

Food is always good- you know what to expect. If you order a mojito be sure to tell them you want it made with sugar, if not they make it with splenda. Our server was attentive to our needs and the ambiance is always nice. read more

MmMMmm.................! Went to the Metropol Restaurant Nov. 18, 2010 and I was starvingggggggggg. My boyfriend and I read the menu and decided to ask for some appetizers, fried cheese and some Mojito's. Well the Mojito's weren't that great (I prefer the one s from the Metropol Rest. in Barceloneta) but the fried cheese were great and they were huge pieces......mmmmmm! Then I decided to order the chicken breast filled with "mofongo de yuca" wrapped in bacon with white rice with frijoles and ripe fried platains.............OMG delishhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ! And my boyfriend asked for the skirt steak with salad and "arañitas"....to die for! I have to say that guyssssssssssssss, WAYYYYYYYYYY TO GOOOOOOOO and for me this place, for the second time around, it is AS GOOD AS IT GETS!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Metropol - Arañitas, Chicken wrapped with bacon stuffed with yuca, white rice and frijoles and fried ripe platains! - Cuban Near Me - Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

La comida es deliciosa y el servicio muy bueno. Cenamos ternera a la milanesa y el biftec de lomillo encebollado con arroz y habichuelas negras. Las croquetas de jamon y bolitas de queso son muy buenas también. read more

This is a go-to restaurant for me and my family. It isn't anything fancy but rather a casual Cuban restaurant with food that'll satisfy bad cravings. Is it the best food in the world? My answer is: depends how long I've been away from Puerto Rico. I was craving palomilla steak badly so my parent's took me to dinner here the day I arrived home. I was a happy camper especially since they had green fried plantains available. After hurricane Maria, plantains have become a hot commodity. Service was a bit slow and we had to wait a bit to even been greeted after walking in. Parking here can be a huge challenge. This Metropol is located in a small strip mall with a rather small parking lot. We ended up having to walk across to the Walgreens parking to find a spot. Overall an ok spot if you live in the area and don't feel like venturing far for dinner. Takeout is available as well. read more

Fuimos un sábado a las 8:00 PM. Nos sentaron rápido y la mesera fue muy amable. Pedimos el churrasco con arroz mamposteado y yuca. Todo estaba muy sabroso y el servicio estuvo muy bueno. El local estaba limpio y el ambiente tranquilo en el cual uno podía conversar sin problemas. read more

Another spot in my hood! As much as the prices seem high.....for me and my husband, it's the quality of the food that has us returning. Waitresses are cool if you're cool...don't go in being a snob just because you live in Guaynabo City, as I do. With that said, I usually am up to try something new. My husband will stick to the Breaded Beef Steak w/ rice & beans which is always on point! I have tried the mofongo de yuca w/ churrasco which is delicious, meat cake w/ plantains and Cuban Ropa Vieja. All of it is finger licking good and the quantity is a lot so sharing is not a bad idea! Beer selection is pretty wide, sangria is a must as well. All in all, a great place for those monthly occasions or a birthday dinner! read more

We had a reservation for 7:30pm, and were seated promptly. They didn't have enough seating so they created a table for us. From there we ordered at 8:30pm off of a fixed menu. We weren't given our food until 10:30pm and forgot my entree. The food was served cold and average. We should have left. read more

I go on a cruise every year on the royal Caribbean and when we get a hotel and were hungry we say "let's go to the Metropol!" The ribs are great and there is just enough to eat, they serve bread with garlic if you don't like garlic ask for it without. I personally love the plantains. read more

Best arroz maposteao ever! Honestly anything you order in this restaurante is good. They have locations all over the island and also have daily specials. This a definite 5 star experience because the food is just amazing. read more

Eat Here! Feeling the need for something great, but not wanting to gamble with your meal? Fantastic food with a heritage flare in perfect portions, served by an outstanding staff. I've never seen a Resturaunt staff work so we together. Mutual respect for each other and compleat customer focus. Eat here. Enjoy~ read more

Metropol - Have a drink... - Cuban Near Me - Guaynabo, Puerto Rico

I went to this location with my Grandparents expecting the usual, bland Cuban food and slowest service known to man. (-credit-I know it is custom in Puerto Rico to have longer waits for food, but this place is just plain ridiculous) When I come to Puerto Rico, I always make it around to this location. Tonight, though, was not like any other time. The service was rude to my grandparents, the restaurant was cold and the food came out cold. The service, while actually faster than other times, had the audacity to joke around with other piers all within arms reach of my family eating there food. Why are they even payed? The only reason I'm giving them two stars is because they had something I enjoyed on the menu (literally a cubed steak with a fried egg on top) but, yet they were even able to f*** that up. In the future, if I have my way, my whole family will not return. read more

Metropol is the staple cuban food restaurant in PR. Their food is drastically supreme and the service is way beyond excellent. I can review the food for hours but the service is what this restaurant shine most. They dont bother you, but when you need some attention they will spot your need right away. Prices are great, food is excellent and service is superb. read more

I went her for lunch, I order the rice and chicken to go. Food had good taste and was hot when was served. Lunch comes with bread. Service was fast and server was courteous average price $10.00. read more

This is as good as it gets ! When in PR i always look for this place they have them around San Juan area and the island Great PR Food ! and the best service ... read more

Food was very good, affordable, good/attentive service. The smoked 1/2 chicken was outstanding - cooked perfectly with a crisp skin - the smoke flavor almost made it taste like bacon...was very delicious! read more

This is my husband's go-to restaurant when we can't decide where to eat. We always receive speedy and excellent service from the waiters. The portions are large and super greasy, but you can always ask them to use less oil. Bring a jacket or sweater though because it is always freezing inside. No joke. read more

My favorite Metropol by far. The staff is super friendly I've never had to wait too long, considering I've been here on very busy nights, the staff has always been very attentive. The food is the closes thing you'll have to mothers cooking, if you're looking for authentic criollo food look no further. read more

The food and the waitstaff are excellent, you are not disturbed but not forgotten either. The smoked chicken and the Cuban Party are superb.

I have been in this place two-three times. Food flavor is average to above average. Prices are reasonable for the amount of food served. The main reason I give 3 stars is because the slow and bad service. Service is really slow and not attentive at all. If you have just a bit of rush dont go to this place. The waiter took 15 mins to take your order. Once the food comes you don't see you server again unless you ask for him/her. You have to ask for more water because no one pays attention to that. I have the same experience the three times I have been there. read more

My husband, sister and I had dinner there and the service was terrible. We ordered an appetizer and dinner, and close to half an hour later the appetizer had not arrived. We canceled it, and a few minutes later my sister's dinner arrived. She started eating slowly and 10 minutes later the other two dinners had not yet arrived. We complained to the manager, who apologized, but it was still another 12 minutes before the two dinners were served, by which point my sister was long finished. read more

Honestly, one of the best places to eat Cuban food in Puerto Rico. I absolutely love el "Metropol". I used to go almost every single day. I strongly recommend it. read more

We spent a week in PR and ate at Metropol the first night were were in town. It was an excellent experience and a great introduction to PR/Caribbean food! From the moment we walked in the door, we were totally comfortable. The staff was beyond nice and very patient as some in our party were not very familiar with the food on the menu. They answered our questions and explained all of the options. Three of us ordered drinks, which were delicious and strong, exactly what we needed after a long day of travel! Our entrees were excellent--three of us ordered the mofungo with creole sauce and one ordered the fried pork (which was a bit dry and overcooked). We had two children with us, we were happy to have a children's menu and were very happy that they put in their orders immediately so that they didn't have to wait to eat. As other reviewers noted, it was chilly inside, so definitely bring a sweater or jacket. This was our best dining experience in Dorado! read more