To get here, you have to take multiple long winding mountain roads. If you're traveling in the dark, take your time. It may seem like you're going no where but once you reach the restaurant you will be pleasantly surprised. The food is outstanding!! We have the ensue ribs and the brisket risotto. Absolutely mouthwatering, lick the plate good. Marlo was fabulous server, speaking very good English and sought help if he couldn't explain it well enough. Jose, the manager was polite and kind. Take the time, go up the mountain, you won't be disappointed. read more

At there once. Good food.. you have to sit outside, lots of flys.. very hard to eat and enjoy your food. I didn't like it that much.. At there once. Good food.. you have to sit outside, lots of flys.. very hard to eat and enjoy your food. I didn't like it that much.. At there once. Good food.. you have to sit outside, lots of flys.. very hard to eat and enjoy your food. I didn't like it that much.. read more

Ordenamos El fogón fuimos 6 personas comimos muy bien. La comida estaba muy buena y suficiente para 6 personas. La mesera muy amable y conocia el menu. Muy buen ambiente y lindo lugar. read more

My family and I stopped by for a late lunch, around 3 pm, 2 weeks ago when visiting the island and making it a day trip from San Juan to visit Las Delicias waterfall. We were starving and tired after the drive with kids and had noticed Asao on the way to the falls - it was on a short list of places we drove by to go to for lunch after our short waterfall hike. We were the only patrons there the entire time we were there. They were starting to set up Christmas lights as we arrived. Our waitress was very nice - she didn't know English too well so called over another waitress or bartender to help communicate the menu better for us. We ended up ordering chicken tenders for the kids, and a combo order of pork, ribs, and chicken. Everything tasted incredibly fresh; however, I will be honest - I didn't particularly like the smoky flavor of the meat. Not at any fault of the restaurant- it just wasn't my particular taste. It's a bit too game-y in taste for me. The service was excellent. The setup and open air feel of the restaurant was great as well. read more

I really wanted to love this place! A Puerto Rican bbq spot nestled in the mountains with beautiful views! Came here after visiting an amazing waterfall nearby. We arrived at 5pm and waited another 30 minutes to be seated. Once we were seated, we could not get a drink and barely saw our waitress. I truly understand Island time but this was a bit negligent and unapologetic. After about 45 minutes, we got our food. It was family style and we enjoyed it, it was great. They just need to work on the service. read more

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I don't know if this is a chain, I don't know if I care if it is a chain, the cowboy ribeye 2.5lb, the risotto, the lechon 1lb, the longaniza de pollo and the mini beef empanadilla where all delicious We took everything togo since we had 2 kids a 1yr old and a 6yr old, you know how you can tell the food is good, if it is still good after 30min drive the reheated then the food is really good. The trek to get here was long ride, allot of winding roads, low hanging trees, almost 1 lane roads. Well worth the drive, you pass several small bars, side vendors, and homes The parking lot is huge, made specifically for their patrons, wide open restaurant no windows, huge sphere like bbq pit, stainless steel like bars that hold the meat, the smoke taste comes from the meat being placed on the stainless steel bars then covered with large metal mixing spheres to fuse the smoke into the meat Here is what we sampled, the risotto with lechon- cheesy, heavy, lechon minus the skin was juicy and delicious, if you like mac n cheese this is like that but on crack and with meat The longaniza de pollo - sausage like dish where the chicken is wrapped in sausage skin then smoked, slightly spicy, peppery, chewy, super filler don't have to many The lechon asao - huge chunks of roasted pork, only a little skin I want to say maybe a fingernail of the skin, everything else was meat, the pork was juicy, smoked, tender not dry, sadly more skin would have been a plus The beef empanada's 6 total, super deep fried, still light, bit airy but very flavorful, paired with a sweet type ketchup sauce The cowboy ribeye 2.5lb - talk about overkill, ordered this bad boy rare, simply because ordering med-rare then driving 30min out would have ruined the taste, after 30min travel time, cut and reheated the steak in its true form sit in the oven for 5 min the rest for 15min then cut into that meat beautiful rare which is now med-rare, did the taste make the grade? HELL F YEAH!!!!The charred sides of the meat was heaven!! Jesus best meal so far I've had in Puerto Rico!! Definitely recommend this place to anyone that visits PR While we waited for our order we ordered some mojitos an original and passion flavor, ohh they were strong, for a small glass they packed a punch, the staff gave us a sample of there deep fried cheese balls, dipping sauce of thousand islands offered made the cheese balls even better, not that they needed help Food ***** steak is delicious they charge by pound, lechon is juicy and smoked, ask for that crunchy skin Price $$$ Service ***** very helpfulstaff Ambiance ***** outside, spacious, smoky smells everywhere read more

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Food was excelente. One of the best steaks I have had. There was abundant amounts of food in each order. Service was slow, but good. The place was completely full, so ambiance was great for a Holliday with many families. read more

Excelente comida y calidad. Servicio de clase plus. Lo recomiendo 100% en todo el sentido

The food was amazing and everybody was super attentive.Highly recommend! My family and I came all the way from Dorado PR just to eat here and we will soon be back!!! The food had great flavor, Great representation of traditional Puerto Rican food!!! read more

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Fantastic food in beautiful location. Great spices and perfectly cooked steak! Worth the beautiful ride. Will definitely be back on our next trip! read more

Best barbecue in Puerto Rico. They actually did win the Cattlemen's BBQ competition on the island in February. Being a barbecue fanatic and having eaten a lot of different cue, I thought I'd see how good they were. They're the real thing, great tasting ribs and brisket, good chicken, and even a good cowboy steak. I tried it all, all the different meats they had to offer. All of them were good but the ribs were the best. However, in addition to the barbecue, they have some of the best risotto that I've had. Who would have thought, risotto at a barbecue joint, but it's amongst the best that I've had. read more

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Waited for 1.5 hrs, and the waitress told me she couldn't do nothing about it!!! Worst service ever! I wouldn't recommended!!!

The food is pretty good but I recommend not to go on holidays or days where you just think it's gone be busy. We waited 35-45 min for a table and 1.5 hr to get our food. Not worth it. We bill give it a try next time we are on the island. Only because my husband loves the meat...my son loved the rips...so if you think to get out there make sure it's not too busy and you have to wait so long... read more

Asao Steakhouse - Barbeque Near Me - Ciales, Puerto Rico

The hike to the mountainous center of the Island is part of the pilgrimage to BBQ heaven. Awesome flavors in what has to be a perfect menu offering: the best of American BBQ w ribs, cowboy steak, prime rib, brisket, baked beans, cole slaw, combined with the best of portorrican comfort food cuisine, lechon asao (organically-fed), churrasco, pollo asao, mofongo, tostones, arroz con gandules. Had the cowboy steak and tried the smoked BBQ ribs. It was sensationally delicious. Great atmosphere. Can't wait to come back. This is home to several award winning Cattlemen's BBQ Competition read more

Asao Steakhouse - cowboy steak - Barbeque Near Me - Ciales, Puerto Rico

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We have a Lunch of lechon asao, Chicken, Ribs, mofongo and yellow rice. Also a pork risotto. My wife regularly dont eat risotto but she ate this one. The lechon was good, they got to ribs, one of those was with a lot a grease. But overall, the place is good read more

If you want to try something out of this world please please try the lechón con cuerito Risotto OmG is soooooo good. I always order the same thing when I am here and wow they haven't let me down. The lechón con cuerito risotto has cheese the risotto pork meat and a big chunk of cuerito make sure you tell them to put the cuerito. I couldn't stopped thinking about the risotto from here that is how amazingly good it was. The place is awesome they have live music on the weekends they have drinks. The place is very casual like outdoors we went after the beach. It can get really really crowded but is worth the wait believe me..... read more

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The best churrasco and the best risotto I've ever had. Highly recommend! They serve big portions too.

Great surprise. Ordered the 1/2 sampler called the 1/2 Fogón Asao that includes 1/2 lb of roasted chicken, ribs and pork with arroz apastelado and mofongo balls. It was delicious. For dessert we had the Nutella chocolate cake, also delicious. We'll be back for sure. The service was superb. read more

Asao Steakhouse - 1/2 Fogón Asao - Barbeque Near Me - Ciales, Puerto Rico

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Beyond all expectations, and this is following the owner's quote "best BBQ in all Puerto Rico." After a long day of hiking in the rain, soaked to the bone, we stopped here for dinner. From the moment we stepped out of the car, you could smell the smoke. Not the "something's burning kind" but the delicious, mouthwatering, "I just can't wait" kind. We strolled up to the grill and put in personalized requests for a variety of cuts of meat. I wish I had a few more days to go back and try the all the ones I left behind when we eventually finished up and left. Where they succeed, both great recipes and amazing grilling skills. It wasn't enough that the variety of flavors were an amazing blend, but the succulent nature of the meat just hits the whole experience right out of the park. You have to do yourself a favor and try out it if you're a fan of bbq. The flank steak was my favorite by far. Oh, and they are not a simple one trick pony. The appetizers where traditional Puerto Rican, and tasty, but the desserts ... even after so much meat I could room for such sweet treats. Now, if only I could find my way back. read more

Massive portions. Great food. Wonderful local place and great scenery! Amazing desserts as well! read more

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Good portions, good food, great drinks. Ordered a family combo and was excellent for us and some left over to take home.

No había organización en la entrada, la espera para la bebida fue irreal y para la comida ni se diga. Esperamos demasiado por la comida para que cuando llegara estuviera fría, pedazos de carne de cerdo crudas y los tostones fríos y mongos. Muy mala experiencia lamentablemente. read more

We visited Asao because it has great reviews but it did not work out for us. The restaurant has a great ambiance with open space overlooking tropical trees. It has good music and plenty of parking. The service was good. We ordered the morcilla appetizer which was average at best. We ordered the "1/2 Fogon" which is enough food for 3-4. The ribs were good. The chicken was average. The pork was very salty. The rice and mash viandas were very good. The check was around $75 plus tip. They have good review so you may want to give it a chance if you are near Ciales. It's a great place for cocktails! read more

My favorite BBQ place in Puerto Rico, great ambiance, great food, the owner is a great host. Lots of fun. read more

Asao Steakhouse - Costillas sobas the best - Barbeque Near Me - Ciales, Puerto Rico

The place is well located on road 149. From the outside looks appealing, open spaces. Due to the pandemic you will have your temperature taken and use hand sanitizer. I was received by the hostess and the first thing that you need to do is take a picture of the menu. Later I was taken to a high table by myself. The hostess dropped the ball immediately. Did not notified the staff that I was seated. I waited 10 minutes and I got up and requested service, and I noticed staff seating on the "closed bar" chatting and having a good time. Finally I got a very nice young lady who took my order and apologized for my inconvenience. I ordered morcillas (blood sausage). Good bite and a some spiced. Then I ordered the brisket and rice with pigeon peas. The brisket was over cooked and had flavor of lighter fluid. The rice was ok, but not impressed was dry. My drink was okay! So my impression of ASAO is, meh! read more

One word . . . Risotto. don't get me wrong the meat is good too, but you must try one of the risottos. They are full of cheesy goodness and have BBQ or shrimp in them. We have tried almost everything here and the ribs are the best meat on the menu. Did I mention the risotto??? read more

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This place was great and the owner of Fu Hou in Manati recommended it. He was right. We ate everything we ordered and it was a lot of food. My father loved the Asoa baseball cap our server was wearing and she actually gave it to him after the meal! They were so nice, the food was so good and the atmosphere way up in the hills is spectacular above the clouds. Its a drive but worth it. read more

Asao Steakhouse - MY dad after his best meal ever. Thank you! - Barbeque Near Me - Ciales, Puerto Rico

This was by far the best meal we had in Puerto Rico. We had so many different types of meat and all of them were amazing. Worth the drive! read more

Asao Steakhouse - Get it all - Barbeque Near Me - Ciales, Puerto Rico

Perfect weekend escape!!! Best BBq ribs in the island. Get the pollo con guayaba rissotto, trust me. And The mojitos in any flavor, they wont disappoint you. Not dog friendly, but the will let you tie the dog near your sight. read more

Asao Steakhouse - Barbeque Near Me - Ciales, Puerto Rico

Amazing food. The pork ribs, beans, and white rice with bacon were to die for! Our cashier explained the menu in English for us and made recommendations based on our party size. Definitely a must stop if you're vacationing from the states. read more

Asao Steakhouse - Barbeque Near Me - Ciales, Puerto Rico

We stumbled upon this cute place on our way down the windy PR 149. The food was sooo good, staff was very helpful and friendly. Cold beer on the patio. Well worth the visit! read more

Definitely this place is worth more than 5 stars. The wait to sit down was not short. We ordered manchego and brisket mushroom risottos, "naked" and "sweet" ribs (esnúa and soba'), mashed viandas and 'apastelado' rice. Everything was delicious! Portions are enormous (1 ribs order is for 4 persons or more!). Really unexpected from a low-key place like this. read more

Great location, excellent service... And the food is amazing. The risotto is "to die for..." And the ribs are incredible.

Great ambiance in a crowded place. Very different from typical puerto rican place. Try the chicken guava risotto (sticky rice)!

If you are a Gringo, aka from the USA, don't go to Asao !!! We waited over 2 hours for our food while other "locals" got their food after sitting well after us. All kinds of excuses ... the best of which was: "We only had one cook doing the risotto". Only because we got friendly with the folks next to us .. who are great friends with the owner ... Only when they intervened on our behalf did we get served. The music .. which was nice ... was all about "independistas" (an independent Puerto Rico) .... We were the only "gringoes" in the place. Obvious to me why we were not served better. And folks wonder why we are in the financial mess that we are. Go figure. read more

So I think the best way to describe this place is like a boricua version of Famous Daves...it kind of look like it....lots of wood....pig decoration....big orders with combinations from the menu good for sharing. The local flavor is in the environment...the music....and the fact that its in the mountains...which is cool. The ribs are great...so is the rice....the chicken and pork were Ok, Good place to come with a group of friends or family....good service and even if you have to wait a bit to be seated once you sit down you will get the food really quick(like 15min) read more

Asao is worth the trip from San Juan. Ask for the rissotto with guava and chicken. It will blow your mind. Also ribs are ok, the brisket is superior. Ask for 1/2 rissotto of any to complement any food. Don't forget to pass through the coffee museum while going to Asao, for an excellent coffee. read more

This place is the best in Puerto Rico for sure. The drive from San Juan is totally worth it and that's why the place is packed! Get there early and it's only open from Thursday to Sunday. Cowboy steaks medium rare, risotto with steak was just right creamy cheesy and meaty. Their rubs have hints of sweetness and smokiness infused into the meat. The owner is a genuinely great guy that loves his people as much as his food. Remember to get the tres leches coconut! read more

Was their on sunday. My daughter recommended this place i was in the area and my first impresion was wow it going to be at least two hours waiting time was ready to leave but saw some parking and park the car went in and saw some of the waiters with some of the plate and said to my self look very good so i decided to wait to my surprise seated in fifteen minutes. We order a couple of beer at a very good price and ask for the menu we order and got serve in less then twenty minutes they all ready had two stars with me we began to eat every thing was delicious. The chef came by our table to ask how everything was we told him great but that the rice was a little to warn within three minutes we had another order of rice. I WIIL VISIT THIS PLACE AGAIN AND RECOMMENDED. Good parking, services, restroom,prices very good for the food your getting. att chef richie mandes. 7 stars. read more

My husband, 10 year old daughter and I came here for some bbq food from California. We heard about the place from a friend who lives there. Asao's food is indeed the bomb!!! It is located in the mountain away from the hustle and bustle of the city of San Juan. It is defintely a "hole in a wall" type of place where only the locals know about. Before arriving, we didn't know what to expect. As soon as you get closer to the restaurant, there is a designated person to slow traffic and guide you to the parking lot directly across from the restaurant. Talk about service. Then, you walk into a rustic restaurant that has a casual openness to it. It was a hot day and it was wonderful to feel the breeze. After being seated and looking over the menu, we definitely wanted to try the ribs, pork, and risotto that we heard such raving reviews about. However, we didn't want to have too much left overs since we were only visiting and not locals. While waiting for our food, a nice gentlemen came over to see how we were doing. We found out he was the owner. When he found out it was our first time and that we were from California, he said he would "take care of us." He was so warm and friendly. He is the epitome of a wonderful host. He even performed a magic trick to entertain our daughter. She was laughing and commenting that, "he's a really nice man.." When the food came, he gave us a sampling of different food. However, we really enjoyed the Esnua ribs. It was so good!!! Peter uses a dry rub. It brought out the flavor of the meat. Unlike other bbq places, usually the ribs are slathered with so much sauce that you taste the sauce, not the meat. He also gave us a try of 2 types of risotto. We totally fell in love with the Pollo Guayabo Risotto. The combination of salty and sweetness was so good. We are really grateful for Peter's humor, kindness and thoughtfulness. He and his wife, Brenda are one of the friendliest people that you can meet. They are the best hosts. We enjoyed the whole experience 200%. If you want great food, service, this is a MUST when you are in Puerto Rico!! Since it is a local place, go really early to beat the crowd. The place was packed by the time we finished our meal.. read more