I lived in Puerto Rico for three years so I know what to expect in Puerto Rican food. Came here…read moreexpecting great food per reviews. The chicken and the pernil were dry...ask for fresh meat but "that's what we have" plus no white meat. Arroz and habichuelas were alright. The fideo was K.

A Masterclass in Authentic Puerto Rican Comfort. From the…read moremoment you step inside, this vibrant eatery transports you directly into the heart of a Puerto Rican grandmother's kitchen. It is an exceptional culinary experience, paired with the kind of warm, attentive hospitality that has become exceedingly rare in modern dining. The staff here are genuinely delightful, executing a service model that is both highly efficient and impeccably clean. Operating as a curated, staff-served buffet line, the setup allows for effortless customization while ensuring pristine presentation. The value proposition here is outstanding, offering remarkably generous portions at a very approachable price point. The spread is impressively comprehensive, featuring an expansive salad bar, a dedicated dessert display, and a rotating selection of hot entrées. The technical execution of the food is flawless: * The Sides: The mashed potatoes and corn are a revelation--whipped to a light, cloud-like consistency that delivers a perfect balance of buttery richness. * The Staples: The rice is impeccably seasoned and cooked to an ideal texture, serving as the perfect canvas for the deeply flavorful, expertly prepared beans. * The Plantains: The fried plantains are a masterclass in technique, boasting a beautifully crisp exterior that gives way to a tender, caramelized interior. * The Protein: The roasted chicken is a triumph--so succulent and deeply infused with flavor that it commands the plate entirely on its own merit. With a weekly menu rotation that promises new daily variations, this establishment has deservedly earned a permanent spot in my dining itinerary during my month-long stay in town. I look forward to exploring the rest of their repertoire.

On vacation found a Puerto Rican restaurant and we had to order few things from the menu. The…read moreservice was great,but not the wait. The food was delicious!! We are so happy that we stopped and that we had the opportunity to taste authentic Puerto Rico food!! The ambiance was relaxing and they had few tables outdoors.

I feel like I'm home!! So good, the flavors, the vibe, the music all bring me back to being at a…read morekiosko on the island. The food was great, they turned our orders quickly. Absolutely recommend for an authentic taste of Puerto Rico.

Found this food truck at a community event and I'm so glad I did! Ordered the ay papi plate with…read moregarlic chicken, rice, salad, and maduros and it was bomb. It was super flavorful and a generous portion of food. The rice was delicious and the garlic sauce on the side was super good. The crazy yuca fries are a must try, they have multiple things on them and are a good way to try the meats on their menu. The owners were super friendly as well.

I came across this food truck at an event near the dominion. They were at The Gents Place for their…read moregrand opening. I tried the chicken empanada and fries. I loved the taste and how crispy the fries were. The chicken empanada was delicious but I wish it had more chicken. It had a bit too much dough for my liking. I think I would eat at their food truck again in the future.

Food was delicious, service was quick and polite and music playing in the background as I was the…read moreonly person dining inside. Next time I better come with an emptier stomach and finish all my food-I tried.

First time trying this restaurant & it did not disappoint! Nice inside with booths & local food…read moreproducts for sale. I ordered online & picking up was easy. The food was fairly priced & good size portions.

Not sure why description here buries the lead. The jerk chicken here is fantastic. The flavor…read morecarries from the skin to the bones. Finger licking is almost impossible to avoid, even amongst coworkers. Seconds may be necessary. The mac and cheese, greens, and fries are incredible as well. Service is fast. Make it happen.

After seeing the social media hype and the many awards my wife and I had to try Jerk Shack out…read more I tried the mixed chicken plate to see if it lived up to the hype. I'll start with the good: The jerk chicken was delicious. You can tell the chicken is marinated. It's fall off the bone tender. The jerk is super flavorful and warm without being too hot. I could bottle the jerk seasoning! The Mac and cheese was also great. The noodles weren't over cooked and it was creamy and flavorful. I also liked the interior. It was unique and artistic! The rest felt like a miss to me. After trying the jerk chicken I had high expectations for the fried chicken but was disappointed. The fried chicken was oily and lacked that "crunch" you want from good fried chicken. The batter wasn't very seasoned. Maybe that's just compared to the jerk but I was hoping for more. It also wasn't nearly as good texture wise. I tried the masala fries and was underwhelmed with them as well. Average extra crispy fries with some light seasoning. We also tried the Coco rolls. They were okay. Basically a yeast roll with sweetened butter. Not bad but pretty bland. Service was fairly friendly.

Chicken skewer, tostones and pork empanada 10/10 recommend. A little pricy for all of this but it…read morewas delicious nonetheless. The chicken thighs were grilled perfectly. Tostones fried perfectly and the pork empanada was my favorite. It was packed with meat and the crust was so butter but light. I could t have eaten 2, that's how much I enjoyed it. They are a food truck so some of the other items I wanted to try they sold out of. But next time...

Not good. The chicken pinchos had good flavor but were over cooked and chewy. I ordered the…read morealcapurria bites and they had no flavor and were chewy as well. Huge disappointment.

I'm on travel for work and stopped here for lunch before heading back to the hotel on the riverwalk…read moreto get some real food away from the tourists. Friendly staff and great building. Felt like Cuba. Chef also made a juice smoothie after I had the Cuban sandwich. Enjoyed it. Will go back.

First time visiting after seeing an ad for their Easter brunch buffet, and overall it was a mixed…read morebut positive experience. We made reservations in advance (there is a $5 per person reservation fee), and the flyer advertised hours from 10am-2pm. However, when we arrived just before 11am, the restaurant was still closed. After checking in about our reservation, we were eventually seated and able to order drinks, which were brought out promptly. The buffet itself wasn't ready until around 11:45am, which was a bit of a wait, but once it opened, the food did not disappoint. There was a good variety of options, with the shredded pork and creamy garlic chicken being the standout dishes--both were absolutely delicious. The coffee was also strong and flavorful, which I appreciated. The restaurant has a warm, rustic feel, though parking is limited to street parking only. The staff seemed a bit disorganized and confused at times, but they were friendly throughout the experience. My only suggestion would be to offer a way to toast bread and bagels, or at least make that option more visible to guests. Overall, the quality of the food was solid, and despite a few hiccups with timing and organization, I'd be open to coming back and trying their buffet again.

Chef Waldo is an engaging and genuinely welcoming host who clearly takes pride in both his food and…read morehis customers. Meeting him was a significant part of what made this restaurant such a memorable experience. I had the buffet, and the food was fresh, delicious, and plentiful. Chef Waldo was incredibly generous, attentive, and made sure everyone felt welcome. It's rare to meet someone so passionate about both great food and outstanding customer service. I will definitely be returning and highly recommend El Ceviche De Waldito to anyone looking for an exceptional dining experience. This version flows a bit better, highlights both the food and the service, and ends with a strong recommendation.

My husband and I have been here before but we can't remember if it was owned by the same person…read more I'm sure I would have remembered Chef Waldito! Upon arriving, we were welcomed by the Chef Waldito with open arms, amazing energy and you can tell he absolutely LOVES what he does! The restaurant is small but cozy with accolades all over the wall. He explained the menu, the buffet and said he would make anything to order but recommended the buffet. How could you not have a smile on your face when someone talks straight from the heart about making food for his customers?!? We opted for the buffet which was all you can eat and his homemade tea for only $12!! He says he only makes enough money to cover the rent because feeding people was his love language. This touched us! You can get either one or both soups. He served a seafood soup and a chicken noodle soup. The soups was very flavorful and warm. He also serves bread with it as well. The chicken noodle soup was on point! It was flavorful, the noodles were cooked well and wasnt mushy. He will serve you the buffet. It had roasted chicken, then a chicken stew with Caribbean vegetables (plantains, yucca, etc), yucca, black or red beans and either white or rice with gandules. Being that my husband is from the islands, we know flavor! Unfortunately, the beans and the stew had little to no flavor, not even salt. Additionally, the beans were burnt. The arroz con gandules was odd. It lacked flavor and I'm not sure how you can get mushy but underdone rice. The stew tasted like it was just watered down. He graciously made fresh fried Maduros which were great and fried pork as well. The tea that came with it was very good! I'd definitely order a pitcher of it! It had a lot of fruit and floral notes for a tea! Unfortunately, the food missed the mark for us. We couldn't even finish it, let alone even eat half. We were so disappointed because you can tell he absolutely loves and lives off of his love for cooking. I don't know if my husband and I were off on our taste buds that day. I gave this a three star because Chef Waldito was such a pleasure to be around. He made it worth while and I don't want his restaurant to fail. If it were solely on the food, I truly hate to say it but I would have given it a one star. If there's a next time, we might just order off the menu! We do wish him luck and if he or someone that knows him reads this, we hope it will be more helpful than hurtful.

El Cerviche De Waldito? There is no sign. But thank goodness it still showed up on Yelp and I saw…read morethe sign for Puerto Rican, Cuban & Peruvian food. My friends wanted to share their favorite restaurant with me and I'm so glad they ordered because I can't figure out most of the menu. If you ask them, they will definitely make recommendations on their daily specials. Lunch buffet is easy- dinner is a little harder :-) Hole-in-the-walls are the best. And for good reason. They are usually started from scratch with sweat, blood and tears. You can taste the passion in their dishes. Waldo and his wife started off as a catering business and just expanded into a restaurant a year ago and are going strong. It's definitely a two person show so be patient and go when it's slow...you'll get to spend time with him and maybe he'll share his stories with you. It was all to-die-for and I'll be dreaming of this dinner for years to come. The pictures don't do justice. You need to try it for yourself. Tostones-fried plantains with homemade lemon juice/garlic dipping sauce Peruvian chicken tamale There was some special plate with pork and chicken and rice Coffee! the coffee for dessert was like espresso on crack. Super strong and sweet. yum. Oh cheese, reliving this is making me want to go for dinner.

Please note that this business is listed several times- three, the last time I checked. This is…read moreprobably to prevent you from seeing the mostly-negative reviews posted on all the others, but hey, make your own call. I got a groupon for this place and tried going no less than six times, but they were never open and had the worst customer service possible- I'd call and they'd tell me they'd be open the next day, but I'd drive up DURING THEIR POSTED HOURS, and they were closed. When I called back, they always blamed their catering business and how they had events on weekends that would take precedence. Well, maybe your regulars don't mind driving up to a closed restaurant, but I sure do. Like I said, called and came by repeatedly in a three month span, and never once was I apologized to or helped in any way- there was always an excuse. From those who have actually had the food, it sounds delicious. I just wish this place were run like a business and not like someone's pet project.