The food is phenomenal. The rib eye tacos, the dip, tiradito... and key lime pie it's to die for. 5 stars

Im afraid to tell you that, just like me before today, you have been making poor life choices, if you have never been to Paulina's Escanes. Walk, run, drive, float, fly, cancel that trip to Hawaii; do what you need to do; Eat dinner here immediately! I mean like, right now. It's 4am and you're in Wisconsin? Don't care. You should be here. I went out looking for a healthy salad after days of eating very rich foods. Planned to go to Opa! Opa was packed, but the doors were locked and the sign was off, despite not closing for another hour according to maps. Oh well. What's this up here? Paulina's. Ok let me check Yelp. Great ratings let's see if they have salads. Right on Ashford, indoor and outdoor seating. It was packed and there was 45 minutes til close. So I went straight to the bar. The server/bartender gave me the best service on this trip. She was prompt, checked in me at the right time, spoke to me in Spanish when I tried but English when I needed to. She was warm and smiled to everyone. While she made drinks i asked random things about the island, the language, and she seemed happy to tell me about it. Vibe was elegant, slightly high scale. I didn't know until I saw the menu... oh this is a Mexican restaurant! I drank an old fashion. It was delicious but tasted a little weak. Not sure how that can be when it's all liquor basically. Maybe I was just in a mode. But it was good. In retrospect, wtf am I drinking an old fashion for? Should have had something more Caribbean! They had a great looking salad called El Orgánico iirc. But then I saw this interesting dish that came with a side salad. It is called "Torta elote de escanes" I think. Something like that. In Arizona a torta is a sandwich on a bun de Frances or Bolio. So I was struck when I read the description. Something about a corn soufflé, with green chiles. Sounded good but not crazy good. But then it went on "this is the one thing you should order at Paulina." Ok, who am I to argue? I ordered the torta elote; and two taquitos de pollo al pastor. (Chicken pastor tacos). She explained that the torts also had mushrooms and sour cream and is that ok. Yes, sounds great! Tacos came out first. Fantastic! I live in Arizona and am no stranger to pastor. This was top tier; probably the best I've had. Insanely tender chicken on a pan-toasted tortilla with pineapple and some sauce. Out of this world. But honestly, compared to what's coming next, I almost forgot all about those perfect tacos. Out comes the "torta". It looks like a rectangle piece of cornbread with crème and tomatoes on top. Served simply on a white flat plate, soufflé (torta) on the left, and the salad on the right. Ate the salad first. It was the low light. Fresh and tasty, but the dressing needs a bit more pop imo: maybe vinegar. I cut off a piece of the corn bread thing, being sure to include a bit of every ingredient. I'm lost for words. I don't know what to say. This is the perfect creation. This is a godly creation. I will never forget this. Now, as I mentioned, I'm from Arizona. So I love corn. I live green chiles. These are southwest flavors so maybe I'm biased. But this thing was perfect in every way as far as I'm concerned. What she said was sour cream I think was actually crème fraiche. But I don't care what you call it. Torta, sour cream, whatever! One of the best dishes I've eaten in my life. 6 stars. read more

Paulina Escanes - Torta Elote - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

We waited at the front door for 5 minutes because the sign clearly said "Please wait to be seated." Multiple staff members saw us standing there and did nothing. No one came over until we finally walked into the restaurant ourselves. Once seated, we were immediately rushed because the kitchen was closing in 10 minutes and the bar was already closed. The food was where things went completely off the rails. The steak was flavorless, unseasoned, and brutally tough. I needed a serrated steak knife and a full back-and-forth sawing motion, so long I honestly thought the restaurant might reopen the next day before I separated a bite. What finally came loose was a fibrous, nearly raw rope of meat that was simply not edible. We told the server plainly that the meat was not tender and had no flavor. He went behind the bar, where we could clearly see him talking to the chef, who could also clearly see us. A few minutes later, the server returned and said the chef was willing to offer 20% off the steak. I said I wasn't eating the steak. I wanted to pay my bill, but I asked that the chef come out and speak to me directly. Knowing where this was headed, I recorded the conversation. I asked the chef if he genuinely believed it was acceptable to send out a $40+ steak, then offer about $8 off for something that couldn't be eaten. His response: "Yes, the steak is good." I told him I couldn't cut through it with a serrated knife. He repeated: "The steak is good." Over and over. At that point, I told him he was an idiot. I paid the bill -- and only later noticed I wasn't even given the 20% discount that had been offered. I still tipped the server 20%, because this wasn't his fault. As I left, I told the chef I would never be back, that I would write a review, and encouraged him to learn what good food actually is. It's painfully obvious this business is not in a good spot. Serving food of that quality, refusing to remove it from the bill or remake it, and instead arguing with a customer tells you everything you need to know. That's not confidence -- that's financial stress. Don't expect this place to be around much longer. If they are somehow still around, they need to start by getting rid of the Napoleon-complex, man-bun chef with the bad attitude, tiny vocabulary, and an objectively inferior palate. Arrogance doesn't tenderize meat, and confidence doesn't replace seasoning, skill, or basic competence! read more

The food was delicious!! With the exception of the dessert, the portions were decent too. I ordered the alfajores and they were literally smaller than a quarter. Each cookie was the diameter of a strawberry slice (SEE PIC). it wasn't crowded on the evening I dined;however the preparing and serving of the food was very slow. The entree took almost 30 minutes and dessert (2 cookies) took just as long! I was asked of i wanted the cookies served cold or warm which led me to believe I've they would've been warmed in the microwave or something. I regretfully opted for warmed but wanted to leave after 20 minutes of waiting! read more

Paulina Escanes - One mini alfojore cookie - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

We were looking for a nice place for brunch on Easter Sunday and saw Paulina Escanes on Yelp...we're really glad we did! Here is what we noticed: - The place has a great relaxed vibe, not too casual and not too formal. - They offered a great range of cocktails, and our server indicated that some of the NA cocktails could be make into alcoholic ones too. I got the Ancho Spritz, which was so good...not too "juice-like" so I could sip it slowly. My wife got the Sevilla Spritz, because she likes things a little sweeter, and my son got the Wicked Lemonade with Mezcal added. All the drinks were good sized and extremely tasty. - In terms of food, my wife and I split both the Torta de Elote Escanes (with two fried eggs added) and the Taquitos Amigos. The Torta takes extra time to cook, but it was well worth it as it was so tasty (including the wonderful salad on the side). The Taquitos were great as well. Our son got the Huevos Rancheros, which he liked a lot. All the dishes were very generously sized too! - We finished our meal off with the Budin Chocolate Blanco (bread pudding), which was incredible and well worth the extra wait to cook it. - Our server was exceptional...very attentive and he provided lots of suggestions/options that weren't apparent on the menu. Bottom line: Paulina Escanes ranks up there as one of the best places we've been to while in Puerto Rico...we highly recommend it! read more

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We loved everything. Our family of four (two kids ages 9 and 13) enjoyed a delicious dinner. The restaurant is decorated nicely with great ambience. We loved the upbeat background music. The waitstaff were terrific and all worked together. Our waitress was friendly and got to know us. The food and drinks were delicious. The husband and I had the margarita and fresh spritzer. They looked beautiful and could tell that they were custom cocktails. Our kids enjoyed the movktails too We started off wuth the burrata appetizer, which is a must have. It's similar to bruschetta utensils different. We also started off with the chorizo quesadilla and loved it. For entrees we had the pollo Persian, flank steak, burger and tostado de pollo. All if the dishes were fresh and flavorful. The portions were large, so you could share entrees. For dessert we had their bread pudding and apple crumble dishes with ice cream. The family LOVED the apple dessert but both were incredible. I cannot recommend this place enough. The food is innovative and a must visit. My daughter says it's a 20 star rating! read more

Paulina Escanes - Pollo tostado - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Excellent service and great food. They ha a very cozy atmosphere. The servers are very polite and know very well the menu to help customers with their questions. read more

Stopped in because the restaurant next door couldn't accommodate us. Was very happy. I had the Peruvian Chicken- not a mint fan and they put the sauce on the side. Was very tasty and the veggies were excellent. My wife had the Elote which came with a salad and she added chicken and enjoyed her meal as well. Service was top notch and we would definitely return on our next visit to the island. read more

We visited while on Vacation and had a great experience.For cocktails my husband ordered the Copal and I had the maja mocktail. We started our meal with the burrata and it was so fresh and creamy. I ordered the taquitos de bacalao for entree and my husband ordered the chicken schnitzel. Both were outstanding, full of flavor. A little note is that the flavor profile on both of these was a little on the spicy side. We also enjoyed the pai de limon and it was very refreshing and light. They also offer brunch, too bad we missed out going during our trip! We didn't have an assigned server everyone sort of pitched in, were knowledgeable and super friendly. The restaurant is small and cozy so make sure you come with a reservation. read more

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I am so excited we found this place. It had it all, amazing food, fun, energetic servers and a lively place. The food was top notch. The way the servers spoke about the food, we could taste all of the flavors. The schnitzel had a lemon paste that was out of this world. The tuna (like ceviche) with tostados were amazing. Again, the flavors... so wonderful. We never have dessert but we did here. We went with the apple pie. It was like no other. One must try this place. So far, there has been no better in San Juan. read more

Si estás buscando un lugar para un brunch definitivamente este es una buena opción. El servicio fue espectacular 10/10 sin duda alguna. Éramos una mesa como de 10 personas y el mesero fue muy amable, nos brindó recomendaciones tanto de la comida como de las bebidas. La comida en su mayoría estuvo deliciosa especialmente los pancakes y las tostadas francesas, pero debo decir que mi plato (los chilaquiles) no me encantaron. (Hay un plato que no lo encuentro en el Menú que se llama algo como "madame" que es un croissant con un huevo encima, estaba muy rico fue una recomendación del mesero pero era muy muy pequeño) Sin dudas regresaría a este lugar cuando regrese a puerto Rico, tiene excelente locación, buena comida, y quedé con las ganas de probar los postres. (Además las bebidas están deliciosas, yo probé el Hola guapa y me encantó) read more

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Food: freshest of fresh; my personal favorites were the Shrimp Taco and Ceviche! Drink! Let's not forget to mention drink. I ordered off menu, the mojito. Very refreshing and smooth. Service: fantastic-friendly, informative, and attentive. Ambiance: quite and intimate read more

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While searching for a restaurant that served some fresh ingredients I found this place with great reviews. We drove here from Carolina and didn't have trouble finding street parking. The restaurant is very nice yet felt cozy. Our server was so nice and very knowledgeable about all the food and described it all so well. Everything we ordered was very excellent but my favorite was the fish tacos. Do not miss this spot it was one of the highlights of our trip. read more

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Every time I come to San Juan, I will have breakfast as Paulina's. The food is amazing and consistent. The coffee with the horchata is so special, staff is very nice and accommodating. We love the French toast, the chilaquiles, the amazing strawberry butter that comes with the sourdough. The tortillas that come with the heuvos rancheros were PERFECTION. Everything is delicious and you can tell it's cooked with love. read more

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Friendly welcome with knowledgeable proactive service by Rossana (Roxie). Started with their great "Pau-uerful" Margaritas and Aperol Spritz. The ambiance is airy and calm inside. We enjoyed great fish tacos and chorizo quesadillas appetizers and a truly wonderful Aguachile. Do not miss the delicious desserts; we had the Chocolate Torta and the Apple Pie; both truly special. read more

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I've been here 10 times. I live here. I always tip really well. Went in today, waited for someone to sit us down, no one ever came, so my wife and I sat down at one table outside to wait. All tables were empty outside. A server comes out, no hello or how are you doing, just immediately scolds us not to sit down in the rudest way possible. It was not brief, it was a 30 second scolding. She then turns around and greets the next guests extremely friendly with a smile (they were Puerto Rican). No way I want to be served by someone like that. Learn hospitality and make sure your servers are welcoming. We walked and I won't go back unless the owner apologizes. Racism and poor service sucks. We aren't tourists. This happened at noon on January 23rd, you should be able to figure out who it was. read more

Wow, GO HERE! For randomly Googling/Yelping places to eat while we wait for checkin to our Air Bnb, this place was BOMB! The servers were so nice to us with all our luggage: literally let us sit in the corner and pile it all next to us. The food was amazing and they explained it SO well: we got 2 drinks and one of their daily specials as well as 2 main courses. I can't remember what they were but it was SO good we even got their famous GLUTEN-FREE dessert cake!! HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

Paulina Escanes - Looking outside - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Mi experiencia en este establecimiento fue profundamente insatisfactoria y dista considerablemente de los estándares mínimos que un cliente debería recibir. Desde el inicio, el servicio evidenció una falta de profesionalismo alarmante: el personal mostró actitudes abiertamente arrogantes al momento de servir, generando un ambiente incómodo e impropio de un restaurante que presume calidad. A ello se suma una evidente desorganización operativa. Tras finalizar los aperitivos, los platos permanecieron en la mesa durante un periodo excesivo sin que nadie se acercara a retirarlos, a pesar de que el flujo de clientes no justificaba tal descuido. Sin embargo, lo más inaceptable fue la espera desmesurada para recibir tres sopas, supuestamente una de las especialidades de la casa. El retraso fue tan prolongado que prácticamente transcurrió toda una noche antes de que los platos llegaran a la mesa, sin explicación, disculpa ni gesto alguno de cortesía por parte del personal. En conjunto, el servicio recibido refleja una falta de respeto hacia el cliente y una gestión deficiente que compromete seriamente la reputación del establecimiento. No recomendaría este lugar bajo ninguna circunstancia a quienes valoren un trato digno, eficiencia y profesionalismo. read more

Excelente calidad y sabor de las comidas ordenadas. Eñ servicio super bueno y el ambiente relax.ambiente

Lovely restaurant in San juan. Food was amazing! The trout and chicken was amazing. So very delicious. The service was excellent. We loved the outdoor dining. Highly recommend this place especially if you have a gluten intolerance or are celiac, they have a well marked menu with many delicious choices! Oooh and the Horchata was the best we have ever had! A must try if you love Horchata read more

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SO GOOD! Absolutely delicious meal with a nice patio ambiance. Our waitress was very sweet and understood my celiac needs and had great recommendations. Highly recommend the chicken! It had a perfect minty sauce and the microgreens were a lovely touch. Expensive but worth it for sure. read more

Paulina Escanes - Fish - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Paulina's is one of my favorite restaurants in Puerto Rico! The burger is so good I crave it like a maniac. The margaritas with the black salt & dried citrus garnish exemplifies the attention to detail that sets this place apart. read more

Paulina Escanes - Hamburger never tasted soooo Good - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

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I came here back in January but I still think about the pollo peruano I ate so I figured I leave a review. Not gonna lie, it's up there in the top things I've ever ate read more

Paulina Escanes - Pollo Peruano - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

Incredible dining experience! service was excellent and the food was great! My husband loved their version of old fashioned with mezcal, the burger was good and the sauce with the chicken was amazing. The Mediterranean dip was so fresh and served with warm naan. Overall great time and would come back again! Also sat outside and loved the ambiance! read more

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amalfi pescado - fish trout came with boiled potato outside seating !!! alot of fun large group unique flavors to fish lemon crispy known for its high end cuisine read more

Great ambience. Great food. Great drinks. Good service. We ordered different variations of tacos and roasted veggies. Everything was good. Highly recommended read more

Literally the best meal we had in all of Puerto Rico & we tried a lot of restaurants within our 5 days. delicious! The server was also the host & he did his big one. The wait time was long but everything was fresh so no complaints. Will be coming back when we return. read more

We came here for the gluten free options and they did not disappoint!! Yanuel (I think that was his name) was fantastic. Very knowledgable and sympathetic with our gluten free needs. We ordered coffees and bloody marys to start. Two of us had Chilaqules. They were amazing!! Another one of us had their special of the day - their Croque Madame served on a croissant. It was very good but if you are looking for a typical Croque, this will taste a bit different. The pancakes should NOT be missed. We ordered a half order and it was perfect! Added the blueberry compote for $2. So fluffy, but full of flavor but not overly sweet! Almost like cake!! For $10, you must get one to share!! They also had a gluten free cake with ice cream so our GF person in our party had to order and it was amazing as well! read more

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Excellent service. Delicious and fresh - ceviche, elote torta, mezcal cocktail and beautiful pastry!

Amazing food and experience. This is the food highlight of the trip to San Juan. Inaru was awesome. She gave us a guided tour of the menu. Cocktails were done to perfection. If you don't visit here did you really go to San Juan? read more

Paulina Escanes - Steak special with potatoes, organic salad, empanadas, and taquitos. - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

The food was great but the service was horrible which made the entire experience very poor. I will never go back to this place!

The food here is not just a meal. It is an experience. Dare I say, a reason to continue on, just to come back for more. It was that good. We had a reservation and were quickly greeted and seated. The service was impeccable. We started with water and drinks. I had the Pauer-ful Margarita and hubby had the Besos de Mezcal. Both were perfect. The Besos de Mezcal is like having a cigar in a glass. Delicious. Appetizer was the Daily Dip. Don't recall the name, but Hummus made of Red Bell Pepper, Walnuts, and Pomegranate. Healthy, non-filling, and delicious. Meal was the Filet Mignon with Roasted Potatoes. I don't know what they did to those potatoes, but damn... they were so good. Side order of Roasted Veggies was colorful, delicious, and offered a great variety of vegetables. Even the Brussel Sprouts were great. To top off the meal, we had the Key Lime Pie. Of all the Key Lime Pies we've eaten throughout the US, this is the only one that was prepared with a real meringue topping lightly toasted and a crust that was not overly sweet. It was perfectly balanced sweetness and tartness. Not to be missed. The restaurant has both inside and outside seating. More tables outside than inside. Good space and a wide variety of table sizes to accommodate large groups and individual diners. The staff and the cooperative way they work together makes the meal proceed at a good pace. The meal did not feel rushed. The best part was our server, Yamuel, who obviously had a great appreciation for good food. He made great recommendations and his descriptions of the dishes were spot on. We intend to visit again, maybe for Brunch, but for sure next time we visit San Juan. read more

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Went there based off reviews. If you're vegan, not really an option. I was told most can't have dairy removed. Gluten free was also an issue. Only a few things are and can be GF. Forget it if you gotta have chicken. I'd give zero stars if I could. read more

Oh my goodness. We came here on our last night in Puerto Rico which was a big mistake, because we didn't have any chances to come back again. The tacos were delicious. They had tons of flavor and I was analyzing all parts of my shrimp tacos to figure out how I could possibly replicate them at home. They were very yummy. My husband enjoyed his fish tacos as well and the fish was perfectly cooked. The tacos were amazing and I definitely should have gotten five of them instead of two, BUT the mouth watering deliciousness I would go back for again and again was the dessert. Which is saying a lot, because I really love tacos. The dessert was so insanely good that we considered ordering another one if we knew it would be quick. But fabulous desserts can not be rushed and we didn't have another 15 min to spare. Try all the food, but definitely don't pass on dessert here! read more

Paulina Escanes - Bread pudding- TO DIE FOR - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico

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Visited Paulina Escanes on 5/14/25 while vacationing in San Juan. Lovely evening! This restaurant is a great combination of cozy and chill yet refined and beautiful. Two particular pluses: it was nice and quiet - no overly loud music or loud groups and our server was fantastic!! My husband and I enjoyed our cocktails - I chose the Hola Guapa because it was different and interesting and it was delicious! We shared the fish tacos to start - a perfect appetizer. I very much enjoyed my entree of Torta de Elote. I have never had anything like it and it was yummy! My husband really liked the flank steak he ordered. We also bought a dozen cookies to take home - a very nice treat. read more

Love this place for breakfast. The ambiance and the feeling was superb to me. They did not have coffee, which was the one thing Ai really needed at the time, but they do have espressos. And... if you add water, you get an americano. So everything worked out for me. As for the other dishes, it was the steak and fish tacos and the pancakes. The pancakes took the longest to come out, but it was fresh and it left an impression. It really tasted fresh and made me feel like it wasn't something I could find easily in the states. The tacos were good overall. Not the best there was, but it was satisfying. Our waitress was awesome. She gave us recommendations on the menu and recommendations on where to go during our vacation. She spent time with us just talking. Luckily it was not super busy as we were the first ones there, but I appreciated the time spent with us. It gave us all a good feeling walking out. read more

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Jueves 21 de septiembre de 2023 no me lleve almuerzo para ir a trabajar y tuve que viajar al área de Condado. Buscando algo rápido pare aquí, me dijeron es caro pero me aventuré. Para empezar es un restaurante gourmet, con un local pequeño en los predios del Hospital Ashford. La cliente no es la típica a la hora de almuerzo así que me sentí muy bien aunque estuviera solo. La recomendación y una de las especialidades es el Salmón. Mi plato preferido filete acompañado de papas de la casa y side de papas welch. La pase bien y almorze bien. Caro si, pero valió la pena y disfrute el tiempo ahí como si estuviera en otro país. El servicio fue súper amable y respetuoso. Ambiente es uno de caché si podríamos decir así y que de vez en cuando hace falta hacerlo. read more

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...excellent ambiance. The waiters were great; very knowledgeable of what they were serving. The food: AMAZING! Started with spritzers and the empanadas. We brought our Champagne bottle as they offer a reasonable corkage fee. Enjoyed the Chilaquiles, the French Toast and, last but not least: the Torta de Elote. That was the star of the show. The flavors and the textures. It is really worth it! read more

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I think this restaurant is just okay, I had a few complaints with our meal. Context wise, we did have a large party of about 12 of us so that could have contributed to it. But some thoughts: -Filet was well done, we asked medium. -Burger was well done as well, asked medium well -Hummus was great, loved it. -Mocktails were extremely flavorful and worth it -service was great -Overall value, not so good. small portions for the price point. Overall, I thought that this restaurant was just ok; there are far better options for the price point. Expect to pay about $70 per person if you have drinks. read more

Ate every bit! Very good. Jaffette offered outstanding service , menu awareness , and friendly conversation without being intrusive . Recommend! read more

Paulina Escanes - Cod and roasted local veggies . - Desserts Near Me - San Juan, Puerto Rico