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Charrua Bistro Cafe

4.2 (61 reviews)
InexpensivePuerto Rican, Cafes
Closed Closed

Charrua Bistro Cafe Photos

CHARRUA BISTRO CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Divey
Casual
Moderate noise

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Jane P.

The empanadas here were good! They were fresh, flaky, and flavorful. I got the chicken and beef. The chicken was moist and tender. I liked the beef one too! It was flavorful and cooked to perfection. However, I preferred the chicken empanada. Also, they have an endless selection of sauces. I really liked the cilantro and mango hot sauces. The garlic one was really good too. The ambiance is great. It is casual and homey. We ordered drinks and sat there for a while. The only thing that I would complain about is the service. The girl working there was slightly rude. When we asked for a spit check, she said, "No, you guys figure it out."

Good Luck
Joan H.

This place makes one of the best Sangria's I had in San Juan... Just a little place that we happened on by chance. Prices are reasonable, decorations neat and the management is very friendly. Next time in Old San Juan will be back! I corrected the name with Yelp... Charrua Bistro Cafe hopefully they change it.

Rina J.

So I've had a very interesting experience here. I also believe their name on the awning is Birra and Empandas. So my BF and I stopped here a couple of days ago. He ordered a chicken empanada and I ordered a veggie one. The veggie one was still baking, but my bf started to eat his. As he was eating the power in the whole vicinity shut off. Needless to say, I was unable to eat my empanada. The bartender told me he didn't know how long it would be till the power came back on, so I left paying for both empanadas but I only received one. I was very disappointed. It was poor service, although it was no the fault of the restaurant for losing power.

Outside
Mary A.

The sign outside says "Birras y Empanadas" so you know what to expect (beer and empanadas). They also have the happy hour specials and prices listed outside, too. $5 for mixed drinks. Fresh oven baked empanadas are only $3.50. There are 4 different flavors made daily- pollo, chorizo... they were being made fresh every 30 minutes or so while we were there. There is no ac, but comfortable sitting in here with lots of fans blowing. Great service/bartenders both nights we went here.

Cindy M.

Our favorite place to hang out for beer and empanadas in Old Town. Great ambiance, near Plaza de Armas.

Juan-Luis P.

One of the best bars in "el viejo San Juan" the ambiance is perfect, good music, great drinks and empanadas! Try the chorizo empanadas. The bar reminds me Madrid or La Havana, the owners are awesome, they are at the bar all the time. Highly recommended.

Empanadas!

So yummy & truly authentic! Loved it all! Tried all the empanadas with friends & enjoyed every one :)

Our favorite awning in Old San Juan!
Christine P.

We were so happy to come across the "birra y empanadas" awning while walking around Old San Juan during our 2-day stay. They have a $5 drink menu including beer, wine, mixed drinks, etc. Our first taste of their empanadas included their carne (beef) and pollo (chicken) options. In addition to these, they had some with setas (mushroom), chorizo (sausage), and espinaca (spinach). Since we stopped in on a Monday night, it was pretty quiet, but it seemed like there were a couple locals pulled up to the bar. The empanada case was continually refreshed as we sat and took in Desperately Seeking Susan on the bar TV, so no matter which flavor or what time you ordered, they were hot and fresh. In fact, we couldn't stop thinking about these empanadas... so the next day, before we called our cab, we walked over and literally waited outside until they opened their doors at 2:00 p.m. We sat on the front side of the bar this time and found the wide array of hot sauces! Anything you find in a honey bear is made in-house. We tried a bite with almost every sauce and fully enjoyed each one. The drinks and empanadas are definitely a great deal and I highly recommend stopping by for an afternoon or evening snack and beverage.

James Bond was on with subtitles!  Such fun.

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7 years ago

Closed? Door locked on a Tuesday afternoon. Out of business? Or just not the correct hours posted on Yelp!

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8 years ago

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4 years ago

Good flavor. Dough had a very nice crisp to it. You got a good amount in each empanada. Would go back

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7 years ago

Evrything was amazing from the empanadas to the service. Drinks where great and a good price. Highly recommend

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8 years ago

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7 years ago

Loved the service ! Personal and steak skirt empanadas were the best! But tried several and they did not disappoint!!

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A must for $5 all day happy hours. The empanadas are delicious. Cool local atmosphere.

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12 years ago

Awesome find in old San Juan! Definitely stop by. Genuine good, friendly service. Loved it!

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10 years ago

Not good...beer was warm and the empanadillas were cold and old. ..plus the owner was super rude and unaccommodating

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Charrua Bistro Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - Charrua Bistro Cafe

One of the best bars in "el viejo San Juan" the ambiance is perfect, good music, great drinks and empanadas!

Mentioned in 22 reviews

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Borikén - Passion fruit mojito and rum punch

Borikén

4.3(8 reviews)
0.4 km

I remember coming to this restaurant aBout 5 years ago oomph my layover in San Juan. The food was…read moreso memorable that I decided to come back in 2020 to see if it was still good. Well good news, the food is still good! I stopped in during the festival of San Sebastian and the restaurant was packed! We luckily got a seat for two and were able to order right away. I order the mofongo de pollo and my friend ordered a different meal with a soup. I am not going to lie, the service was extremely slow and the food took about 30 to 40 mins maybe to come out. I expect this was because of the festival and how busy the restaurant was. When the food came out, it was delicious! The chicken was great and drenched in a salsa criolla sauce. It was definitely worth the wait! After my meal, I ordered a coffee to digest the food. Luckily this didn't take as long as the food. I would definitely recommend this place however if you are in a rush, it might be best to go somewhere else. The food is very tasty!

This is a difficult review to do because technically we only had an appetizer and drinks. First of…read moreall the rest is located next to the Christopher Columbus Plaza in Old San Juan which makes it an ideal location for tourists coming in and out. The restaurant is very small inside but they do have outside dining which is what we chose to do. The service was good, they were very attentive to our needs. Unfortunately, the appetizer we ordered was just awful. We ordered a mix of very traditional Puerto Rican bites-small alcapurrias, sorrullos, chicharrónes de pollo and some fried cheese. There was absolutely nothing good about the mix. The alcapurrias has no meat whatsoever, the chicharrónes were not crispy and the cheese was just awful. I wanted to give them a 1star review but I felt this would not be fair because we did not try an entree and I hope that would be better. The 3star was because the service was good. In addition to the service later on in the evening they had live music which was essentially old traditional Puerto Rican music which was excellent. So to be fair I thought a 3 star review would be the right thing to do. Hopefully the entrees are much better just stay away from the surtido appetizer because it was not good.

Photos
Borikén - Chicken mofongo with rice and salad

Chicken mofongo with rice and salad

Borikén
Borikén - Live music.

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Live music.

Mallorca - mallorca w/ butter

Mallorca

4.2(844 reviews)
0.2 km
$$

Review #1,046 Posted on 4.26.26…read more We came here on Thursday the 23rd while in San Juan area for my buddies 50th birthday. This spot we had seen on social media a ton for being famous for their Mallorca sandwich, a special type bread, we got the one with bacon & American cheese. Man, I made the mistake of doing the bacon instead of ham, overthought that deal. I tried my buddies with ham n cheese and I think that was way to go. I loved how this spot had that super old school feel of like a diner. You can sit at one of the table tops, or you can do the countertop too, which has tons of seats, we all were able to sit there. I'd 100% recommend this spot, but get the ham n cheese mallorca sandwich, don't overthink it.

Walked in here at ~8:15am for breakfast. There was not a lot of people yet; we were seated at the…read morebar. After a few minutes, people started trickling down and soon the place was close to being full. I liked the mallorca with ham, bacon, cheese! It was delicious. They looked small but they were filling. The pastries displayed at the window were inviting. If you're dining in, you have to tell your server that you're getting some pastries that are on display then you ask the person at the counter who also serves as the cashier to get them for you. The guava pastry was good. The vanilla bread with strawberry and pineapple/lemon was okay. They looked better than they tasted in my opinion. Payment for everything would be at the cashier after dining. If you're in San Juan, this is a place to try!

Photos
Mallorca
Mallorca - Mallorca w/ ham and cheese

Mallorca w/ ham and cheese

Mallorca - Mallorca with ham n cheese

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Mallorca with ham n cheese

Cayo Caribe - Old San Juan - Red snapper it's about $30/lb

Cayo Caribe - Old San Juan

4.0(220 reviews)
0.3 km
$$

When you want an easy, reliable seafood lunch near the San Juan port, Cayo Caribe hits the mark…read more Our walking tour guide recommended this spot, and it ended up being one of the better casual lunches of the trip. It's located close to the cruise port area, making it an effortless stop if you're exploring Old San Juan. The vibe is straightforward and comfortable--think casual, sit-down seafood spot where you can relax, grab a drink, and not overthink the menu. It's not flashy or upscale, but that's part of the appeal. Just friendly service, cold drinks, and solid food. Service * Very friendly and welcoming * Easy walk-in experience * Relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere Food & Drinks * Standard beers and cocktails--perfect for a mid-day refresher * Seafood Fried Platter - especially the fried cod; crispy, flavorful, and well-executed * Tacos (Fried Shrimp & Fried Cod) - the standout; fresh, generous portions with crunchy slaw and spot-on sauce The tacos were the surprise hit--bright, crispy, and packed with flavor. Exactly what you want from a Puerto Rican seafood lunch. Verdict Cayo Caribe is a dependable, casual seafood stop near the port. Nothing overly complicated--just good service, fresh seafood, and a relaxed setting. A great lunch choice if you're in the area and craving fried seafood and tacos. Solid four stars.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND…read more We had the fried whole snapped it was excellent!! Also the beef empanadas were amazing. Great service and friendly. Inside the bar was playing Pickleball on the tv at the bar and we got to watch the finals.

Photos
Cayo Caribe - Old San Juan - PICKLEBALL AT THE BAR!!!

PICKLEBALL AT THE BAR!!!

Cayo Caribe - Old San Juan - 1.5lb snapper

1.5lb snapper

Cayo Caribe - Old San Juan - Crazy shrimp

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Crazy shrimp

Charrua Bistro Cafe - puertorican - Updated May 2026

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