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It is a great spot with live music even super late at night. I went there like 11pm and did not leave until 12:30am so you know they definitely open longer than it says on yelp. When I was there, some locals even come here dancing in the bar area. Watching them dancing is kind an experience haha. The food here is good but I would not say it is the best. I think the vibrant atmosphere, friendly service and the nice paintings in there are what make this place stand out. But be aware that the wait here for food is a bit long. I think it is around 30-40 mins.
Maybe it was because it was our first stop after arriving in PR, but Palmas stands out as one of the better meals we had. Just to be clear, this is not a fancy spot by any means, but IMHO those little casual places are always the ones that stand out for me when I'm traveling! Throughout the rest of the trip, we ate a LOT of mofongo, but this one was the best, I think. For me the secret was their sauce, which had more garlic than other places. I also tried the arroz con pollo which had similar flavors to the mofongo but in rice form. The server was really nice about making suggestions on dishes and even which hot sauces to try. They have a little nook with a ton of different kinds of hot sauce but he recommended the one they make in-house! Great service from start to finish. It's an easy to miss spot filled with both tourists and locals, and they set up a live music area in the bar section. A great choice either for a meal or for a casual beer (with maybe some mofongo on the side as a snack!)
When I travel somewhere new, I make it a point to find out where he locals go. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Las Palmas is one of those places. Nestled in a small alley off the beaten bath in Old San Juan, Las Palmas is a restaurant where the true vibes and tastes of Puerto Rico can be found. The food is excellent and served buffet style in addition to the normal menu. I got an assortment of deliciousness consisting of ribs, goat, beans, plantain and yellow rice. It was delicious, although only luke warm. I also tasted the Mofongo which was delicious and very unique from the other Mofongo dishes I had during the trip. The area right outside the restaurant is full of action. Locals surround the restaurants playing dominoes and there was even a local salsa band playing live music. People were dancing in the alley and overall just having a great time. Overall, an awesome restaurant in the local part of town with really good food. If visiting San Juan, this is definitely a restaurant worth coming to.
Like eating in someone's comfortable home. Good service. Each meal prepared fresh from the kitchen, full of flavor. Bar in front, tables inside and outside in the most breezy callejon in Old San Juan. We'll be back again and again. Recommendations: Arroz con Pollo & Chicken (pick from among a dozen sauces). Charming, charming, charming!
This place is the best!!! They have a buffet on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 10 pm! Who does that?! The food is delicious and portions are big! I love the music playing in the street, all the little trinkets hanging on the wall and I love their rustic bathroom! I work in architecture and I love finding interesting features in the places I visit. I'm so glad we found this place!
It is a small place with a large crowd outside and music blaring off the beaten path in the north side of town. We had the Asopao de Pollo (chicken and rice stew - $13.99) and Queso Frito (fried cheese with mango sauce -$8.95). The cheese was good, but probably $3 overpriced for the size, even in Old San Juan. The asopao was very good, but at $13.99 for a few chunks of gristly chicken, some red bell pepper, and a half a cup of rice in chicken broth was probably $6 more than it should have been while still allowing a fair profit for the proprietor. I had two cervezas Medallas and at $3 a pop they were twice the price I had paid our entire 3 weeks on the island, but where else do you get a $3 beer in a tourist area? Javier, the owner, stopped by our table and lopped- off half of an avocado the size of a watermelon (Javier and CombatCritic pictured). I tossed it in my stew and added some butt-kicking hot sauce, but made the mistake of touching my eye ... EYE CARAMBA! Don't get me wrong, the food was good and the bill came to $42 including 20% tip, not horrific, but more than we should have paid for a couple cheap beers, an appetizer, and a cheap entree. I hope Javier figures out that knocking a couple bucks off the prices will result in happier customers, glowing reviews, and much more customers and money in his pocket. He and his staff were very nice and we enjoyed our visit even if it was not the best TravelValue in Puerto Rico. CombatCritic Gives Palmas de Boulevard 6 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBAS ARE BUENAS!
We came across this restaurant on our first day in OSJ because it was Easter Sunday and it happened to be one of the only places open. It's further back than most of the touristy restaurants that we passed, but this just made it even better. We ordered Piña Coladas and they come in huge glasses which is really perfect to get your night started. The atmosphere is very cute, they've clearly spent a lot of time trying to create a vibe. We sat near a window and there was a birthday party going on in the street, pressed right up against our restaurant, it was amazing to just watch and even get to be a little bit of a part of the festivities. The atmosphere is about as authentic as it gets. Which brings me to the food. Oh, the food. If you're looking for the best possible taste of Puerto Rico you can get, you'll get it here. We were ravenous by the time we found this place, and every bite was like a taste of heaven. Honestly, we're not even completely sure what we ordered other than Chicken Mofongo, but everything that came was perfect. They give you huge portions, so arrive hungry. The service here is slow but then again, it always is outside of the US. It would be best to come here with friends or family to enjoy drinks and a great meal while catching up or just relaxing. Not a place to run in and out of. Prices are a little bit high but nothing more than the other restaurants around the area. Overall, this is definitely a destination for any traveler(s) who is looking for a bit of culture and a lot of great food.
The location is what attracted us to this place. It is right near the ocean (at the top of Viejo San Juan) and gets that nice sea breeze. We came here for lunch one day after wandering around. The service was very friendly and attentive, and our food was delicious. We ordered arroz con pollo (boricua), carnitas, mofongo and tostones. Everything was perfectly seasoned, not too salty, and it came out of the kitchen hot. The decor is fun and cheesy, but I like that in a restaurant. The front of the restaurant has a bar and it connects to an alley where, at night, we saw people dancing and socializing. This is a fun spot to be.
This is right on the ocean set in an alley way about 3 blocks away from the main, touristy section of town. It is San Juan epitomized as a lot of day trippers from the cruise lines stumble upon it. It is very festive inside but maybe a tiny bit touristy.....but still very beautiful and fun! It is decked out in all things Puerto Rican! The best part of this restaurant though is during Thursday-Sunday they play salsa music and people dance in the streets! This was one of the most incredible parts of our trip! Dancing on the cobblestone with locals while you can hear the ocean! Incredible! And cheap beer!
The hubby and I were exploring VSJ and we got thirsty! We saw this spot down a colorful fun looking alley and I'm go glad we went inside. We're not usually Mojito drinkers but after the bartender recommend them we decided why not. Oh my goodness they were deliciousness! Instead of syrupy sweet sugar he used raw cane sugar. After that we ordered two coconuts "CoCo" to go. Locals and tourists were there hanging out. I would recommend this fun, well appointed spot to anyone.
This is the little engine that could restaurant. Beautiful ocean view from the outside seating area. They also have indoor seating. The food was delicious and served fresh. The food had so much flavor. The ceviche was fresh, delicious, and the portions were super. Don't miss the little place in Old San Juan. read more
So this location is under new management and the name has changed a little. Staff is genuinely friendly and the food was tasty bar fare. We really enjoyed this place and wish it was closer to Condado the area we were staying. We will visit again when we are in olde San Juan again. Cheers! read more
I am so happy we came across this restaurant. The location is super adorable because of the decor they have inside. The owner of the restaurant made us feel at home by coming to our table on offering us more food to try and even gave us a shot so my husband and I can have together. This restaurant has such a "home" feeling to it and you will not regret coming here. We had the buffet which I have to say was amazing! We had the lechon, chicken, sancocho, gosh and so much more and everything was delicious. Not to mention the arroz con habichuelas which were so darn good! read more
5 years ago
4 years ago
Nishka was a great server. Love the vibe of the street. Very reasonable prices and quality drinks. Highly recommend for those looking for a bit more local feel. read more
4 years ago
8 years ago
Excellent portions friendly staff no issues or complaints Would give it a try if in the area read more
It is a great spot with live music even super late at night. I went there like 11pm and did not leave until 12:30am so you know they definitely open longer than it says on yelp. When I was there, some locals even come here dancing in the bar area. Watching them dancing is kind an experience haha. The food here is good but I would not say it is the best. I think the vibrant atmosphere, friendly service and the nice paintings in there are what make this place stand out. But be aware that the wait here for food is a bit long. I think it is around 30-40 mins. read more
9 years ago
Maybe it was because it was our first stop after arriving in PR, but Palmas stands out as one of the better meals we had. Just to be clear, this is not a fancy spot by any means, but IMHO those little casual places are always the ones that stand out for me when I'm traveling! Throughout the rest of the trip, we ate a LOT of mofongo, but this one was the best, I think. For me the secret was their sauce, which had more garlic than other places. I also tried the arroz con pollo which had similar flavors to the mofongo but in rice form. The server was really nice about making suggestions on dishes and even which hot sauces to try. They have a little nook with a ton of different kinds of hot sauce but he recommended the one they make in-house! Great service from start to finish. It's an easy to miss spot filled with both tourists and locals, and they set up a live music area in the bar section. A great choice either for a meal or for a casual beer (with maybe some mofongo on the side as a snack!) read more
When I travel somewhere new, I make it a point to find out where he locals go. In San Juan, Puerto Rico, Las Palmas is one of those places. Nestled in a small alley off the beaten bath in Old San Juan, Las Palmas is a restaurant where the true vibes and tastes of Puerto Rico can be found. The food is excellent and served buffet style in addition to the normal menu. I got an assortment of deliciousness consisting of ribs, goat, beans, plantain and yellow rice. It was delicious, although only luke warm. I also tasted the Mofongo which was delicious and very unique from the other Mofongo dishes I had during the trip. The area right outside the restaurant is full of action. Locals surround the restaurants playing dominoes and there was even a local salsa band playing live music. People were dancing in the alley and overall just having a great time. Overall, an awesome restaurant in the local part of town with really good food. If visiting San Juan, this is definitely a restaurant worth coming to. read more
3 years ago
11 years ago
Like eating in someone's comfortable home. Good service. Each meal prepared fresh from the kitchen, full of flavor. Bar in front, tables inside and outside in the most breezy callejon in Old San Juan. We'll be back again and again. Recommendations: Arroz con Pollo & Chicken (pick from among a dozen sauces). Charming, charming, charming! read more
12 years ago
9 years ago
12 years ago
This place is the best!!! They have a buffet on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am to 10 pm! Who does that?! The food is delicious and portions are big! I love the music playing in the street, all the little trinkets hanging on the wall and I love their rustic bathroom! I work in architecture and I love finding interesting features in the places I visit. I'm so glad we found this place! read more
13 years ago
It is a small place with a large crowd outside and music blaring off the beaten path in the north side of town. We had the Asopao de Pollo (chicken and rice stew - $13.99) and Queso Frito (fried cheese with mango sauce -$8.95). The cheese was good, but probably $3 overpriced for the size, even in Old San Juan. The asopao was very good, but at $13.99 for a few chunks of gristly chicken, some red bell pepper, and a half a cup of rice in chicken broth was probably $6 more than it should have been while still allowing a fair profit for the proprietor. I had two cervezas Medallas and at $3 a pop they were twice the price I had paid our entire 3 weeks on the island, but where else do you get a $3 beer in a tourist area? Javier, the owner, stopped by our table and lopped- off half of an avocado the size of a watermelon (Javier and CombatCritic pictured). I tossed it in my stew and added some butt-kicking hot sauce, but made the mistake of touching my eye ... EYE CARAMBA! Don't get me wrong, the food was good and the bill came to $42 including 20% tip, not horrific, but more than we should have paid for a couple cheap beers, an appetizer, and a cheap entree. I hope Javier figures out that knocking a couple bucks off the prices will result in happier customers, glowing reviews, and much more customers and money in his pocket. He and his staff were very nice and we enjoyed our visit even if it was not the best TravelValue in Puerto Rico. CombatCritic Gives Palmas de Boulevard 6 Bombs Out of 10 ... BOMBAS ARE BUENAS! read more
11 years ago
We came across this restaurant on our first day in OSJ because it was Easter Sunday and it happened to be one of the only places open. It's further back than most of the touristy restaurants that we passed, but this just made it even better. We ordered Piña Coladas and they come in huge glasses which is really perfect to get your night started. The atmosphere is very cute, they've clearly spent a lot of time trying to create a vibe. We sat near a window and there was a birthday party going on in the street, pressed right up against our restaurant, it was amazing to just watch and even get to be a little bit of a part of the festivities. The atmosphere is about as authentic as it gets. Which brings me to the food. Oh, the food. If you're looking for the best possible taste of Puerto Rico you can get, you'll get it here. We were ravenous by the time we found this place, and every bite was like a taste of heaven. Honestly, we're not even completely sure what we ordered other than Chicken Mofongo, but everything that came was perfect. They give you huge portions, so arrive hungry. The service here is slow but then again, it always is outside of the US. It would be best to come here with friends or family to enjoy drinks and a great meal while catching up or just relaxing. Not a place to run in and out of. Prices are a little bit high but nothing more than the other restaurants around the area. Overall, this is definitely a destination for any traveler(s) who is looking for a bit of culture and a lot of great food. read more
11 years ago
The location is what attracted us to this place. It is right near the ocean (at the top of Viejo San Juan) and gets that nice sea breeze. We came here for lunch one day after wandering around. The service was very friendly and attentive, and our food was delicious. We ordered arroz con pollo (boricua), carnitas, mofongo and tostones. Everything was perfectly seasoned, not too salty, and it came out of the kitchen hot. The decor is fun and cheesy, but I like that in a restaurant. The front of the restaurant has a bar and it connects to an alley where, at night, we saw people dancing and socializing. This is a fun spot to be. read more
10 years ago
Needed to stop after the 2 hour trip from Isabela/gathering supplies. This was the first spot we saw. Stopped in for 2 Negra Modelos (kept up the "I speak Spanish act" for nearly 2 minutes...impressive). Great service. Delicious Guava Cheesecake. That's all we got but I'd come back. read more
This is right on the ocean set in an alley way about 3 blocks away from the main, touristy section of town. It is San Juan epitomized as a lot of day trippers from the cruise lines stumble upon it. It is very festive inside but maybe a tiny bit touristy.....but still very beautiful and fun! It is decked out in all things Puerto Rican! The best part of this restaurant though is during Thursday-Sunday they play salsa music and people dance in the streets! This was one of the most incredible parts of our trip! Dancing on the cobblestone with locals while you can hear the ocean! Incredible! And cheap beer! read more
6 years ago
11 years ago
The hubby and I were exploring VSJ and we got thirsty! We saw this spot down a colorful fun looking alley and I'm go glad we went inside. We're not usually Mojito drinkers but after the bartender recommend them we decided why not. Oh my goodness they were deliciousness! Instead of syrupy sweet sugar he used raw cane sugar. After that we ordered two coconuts "CoCo" to go. Locals and tourists were there hanging out. I would recommend this fun, well appointed spot to anyone. read more
11 years ago
The first thing I would like to say about this place is the service is great. The bartender was personable and catered to some odd drink requests that we had. The food here was very good. We ordered the chicken and rice dish and the mofongo pollo (mofongo with chicken). Both were very good. You should be aware that there is a surcharge for ordering food from the bartender (there were no other options when we visited). I believe the charge is $7.00. They also include 15% gratuity in your bill. Our bill was a little higher than we expected, especially for lunch, but we enjoyed ourselves and the food was very good. read more
10 years ago
An excellent pace to go for authentic Puerto Rican food in Old San Juan. I had a few appetizers, the seafood paella, and a few bites of my friend's mofongo dish; all were delicious! It was filled with locals when I visited at lunch time, and that is usually a good sign. Our server was polite and attentive, and the restaurant's overall atmosphere was very laid back. The outdoor seating area is a great place to sit and take in your surroundings. It is located in a lively alley where people hang out and play music. I will certainly go back next time I'm in Old San Juan. read more
Stopped here when we visited old San Juan. Very clean (except for random birds walking around inside lol). I had chicken and rice which was pretty bland until I added liberal amount of hot (HOT!) sauce. I should have asked before I ordered but I think it was dark meat chicken which I don't care for. Also sampled the cheese sticks which were very good, also chicken wings (which I don't usually eat) which were so crispy and amazing. Best of all were the sliders-amazing! I wish I had ordered them as my entree. Some weird thing going on with some chick changing into slinky outfits 2-3 times in open back room. read more
11 years ago
OMG come here! The picture I posted of the food they recommended has amazing flavor! So good, does not do it justice. I have nothing left to say but these bloody yelp reviews have to be so long! read more
10 years ago
9 years ago
Love this place. Very welcoming, foods good (sorry...we dove in before photos). Jeshua and Natalie were fantastic :) read more
11 years ago
12 years ago
Ordered the steak with plantains for appetizer which was amazing. For my main dish I ordered the rice with crab which was extremely flavorful. If you order that just eat it carefully since you may get pieces of the crab shell. Also ordered the shrimp mofongo which was just ok. The atmosphere was great and very enjoyable. As one other gentleman mentioned on his post we were also lured here by the waiter since we were originally going to the jibarito but apparently closed for remodeling. From one of those dishes I ended up getting hives about an hour later but I guess that was just an allergic reaction to something I ate. I am not sure if it was all fresh food which I hope it was because I really did enjoy it all and I hope my hives were due to an actuall allergic reaction and not because of non fresh food. read more
7 years ago
12 years ago
Decided to explore OSJ on foot and came across this hidden little gem on our morning stroll. Delicious and authentic boriqua food! Had Mufongo de Pulpo & Mufongo de Puerco... absolutely delicious. Very friendly service. Had Medalla beer and was so COLD, it did more than quench my thirst. This place made my vacation so much more pleasurable. Plus in the little alley nearby was beautiful live music playing, happy people singing and dancing beauties. Truly "La Isla Del Encanto" ('the island of enchantment'). Highly recommended. read more
10 years ago
11 years ago
This place is heavily decorated with Caribbean styled stuff. The food we ordered was also extremely Caribbean, reminding me of the pirates films I have seen - there are various little clams, oysters, fish, calamari mixed with smashed sea veggies and special sauces. Employers were very friendly. read more
9 years ago
Down home funky hole in the wall bar/restaurant. No A/C, friendly staff, lively, good eats, just don't be in a hurry. They make food fresh and it can take a hour to get. So my tip is to order the minute you arrive? Then you should get it right about when you are ready to eat. read more
10 years ago
Excellent service , amazing food #vivapuertorico oh by the way one of the best mojitos I've ever tasted, passion fruit mojitos definitely I recommend. read more
7 years ago
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More info about Palmas Restaurant
Calle San Sebastian 281
San Juan, Puerto Rico 00901
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(787) 723-3507
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Review Highlights - Palmas Restaurant
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5 reviews that are not currently recommended
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