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El Buen Cafe

3.5 (59 reviews)
Closed 6:00 am - 10:00 pm

El Buen Cafe Photos

EL BUEN CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Touristy
Trendy
Moderate noise

Recommended Reviews - El Buen Cafe

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Reviews With Photos

Nadiezhda M.

The service was excellent and the staff are very helpful with the menu. The atmosphere is very nice! You able to enjoy some quesitos and coffee with the family. They do have a whole menu with a variety. If you go to the town of Hatillo make sure to stop here...

Chicken with yellow rice. Pork stew with potatoes
Sammie G.

Glad we stopped at this place. Instead of food from the menu, we chose to order from warming station with variety of Puerto Rican home style dish. We got some kind of stew beef, chicken and pork. Great wholesome meal before heading to our destinations. The staff were helpful and eager to explain the dishes.

Sinthia S.

This spot is a MUST if you're making your way from San Juan or Arecibo to Rincón or Cabo Rojo. The service was great and prompt, which is something that most restaurants in PR cannot brag about. Antonio was a very attentive waiter and was nice enough to explain several items in the menu being that were from NY and know very basic Puerto Rican food items. There is very fresh fish daily, right at the front there's a daily catch list and they prepare the fish to your liking with choice of sauce. Rice and beans "mamposteado" really delicious side. We had the passion fruit and strawberry mojitos since they were out of fresh kiwi. My favorite was the passion fruit!

Inside
Judy S.

We picked the restaurant because we where in the middle of nowhere and really hungry. The name helped too. My rating was mostly based on the service and some on the food. As we walked in I saw cookies. I was so happy. I haven't had a cookie in a week and so I bought some to eat . I was in the mood for something sweet. Those where the hardest cookies I ever had. I/we had a hard time breaking a Piece off with my hand. We where starving so still ate the thing. It did not have much flavor. So I asked the waitress why where the cookies so hard. She said that they are a traditional hard cookie of the country. I learned something new today. I ordered Mofongo stuffed with ropa bieja. It was OK. It looked like a little plantain bowl with meat in the center. It came with a little salad. The mofongo portions was big. They brought our order one at a time. As in maybe 5 to 7 minutes later from the last. We where five so by the time the last person got served the first person finished. The restaurant had a pastries. They looked all good. But I was scared to try after the cookies I had lol.

Pulpo (octopus) salad with mofongo.
Millie R.

Such a amazing experience here. The customer service was excellent! I had the pulpo salad and have to say that it was AMAZING!!! Almost as good as my moms! This a place I would love to visit again and share with friends!

Service was not great. When I walked in there were several employees standing near the cash register chatting with each other. I tried interrupting to see about getting a table (place wasn't full, no customers ahead of me; employees were just standing there chatting with each other), but they ignored me. Another employee came over from the dining area and asked if I needed a table. I finally got a table, and the waitress was pleasant (unlike the three male employees who ignored me when I came in). Food was pricey. I got the grilled chicken with yellow rice and tostones. My wife got an onioned stake with mofongo. It was saltier than we'd like, and there was way too much garlic in the mofongo, almost to the point of making it unpalatable. Overall, the high prices didn't justify the food or experience. You can get the same food from any of the dozens of nearby restaurants and food trucks for half the price.

Exterior
Sarah A.

Convenient location right off the highway. We were excited to find that not only were they open on Christmas Day, but they had delicious pasteles available! We enjoyed some pasteles and coffees, all of which were excellent. Service was quick and friendly. The bathrooms were very clean as was the overall establishment. Some beautiful colors and décor! Parking was easy in the lot right out front. Great pit stop!

Jose H.

My sea bass was well cocked and properly seasoned. Rice with red beans were typical, not phenomenal. Dinning area needs some remodeling but for a cafeteria look was acceptable. We got at 2pm and the options were already limited. Thus, get early and there would be more options. Service was a bit disorganized.

Restaurant El Buen Café
Evan G.

Restaurant El Buen Café in Hatillo is a great place to go for delicious food that is well prepared. I really like their sandwiches, seafood, and Mofongo. Everything is flavorful and tastes really good. The staff here is very kind and accommodating. Good place to stop for a quality meal.

Biftec encebollado
Andres A.

This restaurant is conveniently right off the highway. As you come in you may think you are in a cafeteria but trust me the food is good. You have the option of dining from food they have already prepared for the day or you can order off their menu if you prefer to eat something different. Since we made it in after most of their daily options were finished we had to order from the menu. I had the biftec encebollado (steak & onions) with white rice and my girlfriend had the Mofongo with chicharrónes de pollo. We enjoyed our meal. The portions were plentiful and very flavorful. The staff was quick to take care of us and we were very pleased with our choice.

Front signage
Andres R.

Conveniently located along PR-2 highway in our way to the western side of the island, we stopped for a light lunch. We all had a Christmas specialty food, namely masa pasteles filled with pork and veggies that are wrapped in banana leaves and poached. With freshly squeezed orange juice and delicious cafe con leche. They also honored a 10 % Yelp discount online voucher!

N M.

Truly a delicious treat on Friday night in Puerto Rico! Quesitos, pastelillos, & a cold Medalla in a bottle! Never could I find something so good in the states. This place has the cheesiest quesitos and coldest cervecera! I will always come back for more of these amazing sweet treats!

Outside the restaurant

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7 years ago

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9 years ago

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12 years ago

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12 years ago

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11 years ago

Great food!!! The plates where huge for the price!! Fresh baked goods and great coffee! Service was great too

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11 years ago

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11 years ago

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9 years ago

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9 years ago

Food was a bit on the salty side , service was slow took about 15 minutes to get the bill , overall it was good

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9 years ago

Good food, fair price. Prompt service. Had the Super Breakfast. 2 eggs, Bacon, Toast, Pancakes, and a coffee.

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Photo of Marina F.
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11 years ago

Delicious and inexpensive Puertorrican cuisine. Nothing fancy, but their food was very good.

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13 years ago

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10 years ago

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El Buen Cafe Reviews in Other Languages

Review Highlights - El Buen Cafe

Had scramble eggs and bacon and toast a lot for 5 bucks hearty food all fresh.

Mentioned in 2 reviews

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Miti Miti Coffee Shop - Huevo Ranchero

Miti Miti Coffee Shop

4.9(8 reviews)
2.0 km

Outstanding cafe. Modern, clean and very nicely decorated. You automatically get a good vibe upon…read moreentering. We went for breakfast. The menu itself is impressive. Plastic, so it can be wiped clean if you spill your coffee on it. Thoughtfully laid out with morning/all day offers at the beginning, followed by lunch choices. Then, drinks and, hallelujah, on the back of the last page: Cocktails! Aperol Spritz, Espresso Martini, for example. Prices are sub-$10, which is phenomenal. And, they are professionally and properly made (we tried three). My cappuccino was also barista quality and BIG. We were impressed. Our breakfasts looked as good as they tasted. There is a well-trained professional chef behind those kitchen doors who understands both food preparation and presentation. My son (second time there) swears their pancakes are off the hook. Gringo friendly, in case you were wondering. English spoken, but everyone there when we were visiting was Puerto Rican, except me, including my son (figure that one out!). I am looking forward to a future visit. If I lived here, this would become a regular stop. P.S. Service can seem a little slow. But, I think it is better to call it "deliberate." This not a knock on the restaurant. Our server was excellent. But, just a heads-up that preparing quality just may take a few minutes extra.

The coffee and food are always amazing! Steak and eggs. Huevo Ranchero and more!!! Parcha mimosa is…read morea must! Paradise ice coffee perfect blend of flavors

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Miti Miti Coffee Shop - Paradise coffee

Paradise coffee

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El Buen Cafe - seafood - Updated May 2026

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