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    El Cuñao

    4.5 (30 reviews)
    ModerateCaribbean
    Closed 7:00 am - 6:00 pm

    El Cuñao Photos

    EL CUÑAO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Loud
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Cuñao

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    Elizabeth T.

    Place to stop off if you're driving through mountains of Cayey. I'm vegan lol so not much for me but a green boil banana Guinea Verdes. The family was extremely happy with the Morcilla (blood-sausage.) You can park on the side of the road. It was happening on a Sunday afternoon.

    Jenna D.

    The ambiance is classic. Mountains, chickens, snakes, oh my. Food was good, great music. Plates are very full and definitely getting moneys worth. Family owned business. Service was meh. Could have been a one off, but I think we were forgotten about.

    logo - happy delicious piggy
    Nicole C.

    Food is top notch - that lechon skin has the BEST crunch. Better than another lechonera we tried on our prior trip, and much easier to order and enjoy in a sit down restaurant with lovely servers. Trea leches (individual tin serving) also is not to be missed - save room!

    Front
    Mark H.

    This place is a MUST! Do not miss it. Forget all the tourist traps and go to El Cunao for the BEST Puerto Rican food on the island---and some of the least expensive. This place has been here for 50 years! One of my business friends, who grew up near by, took me here for lunch. Well exceeded my expectations! If you are a foodie, eating at El Cunao is worth the enire cost of a trip to Puerto Rico. I can't wait to go back! The Lechon Asado with the rice and beans is something I dream about. WOW!!!!! If you like authenticity and OUTSTANDING food this is your place!!! IT'S ALL ABOUT THE EXCELLENT FOOD HERE!

    Sweet rice with cinnamon
    Bree L.

    AMAZING. LOVED EVERY BITE!!!! We are sooooo happy we stopped here. It's the only and last breakfast/food option open in the morning on the mountain and we could not be happier that we decided to stay. The outside isn't much to look at. We drove by this place a year ago but didn't stop because we thought it was maybe a pub or something we wouldn't care to stay at because it wasn't "picturesque". Don't be fooled. This place is incredible. Traditional all the way. We are so satisfied by their quality, abundance (my boyfriend and I shared an entree and two sides and couldn't finish it!). They have maybe one or two workers who speak English so be patient with them and don't assume that they should know English! My boyfriend used a translator on his phone/Google which helped.

    Arroz con langostina & pernil
    Is A.

    Great group place. Tasty food. Cold beers. Full bar options but no menu for it. You have to be creative & tell them what kind of mixes you'd like. Serving portions are very nice sized. Not shareable if hungry. But very filling. Also available is servings by pound for large groups & plates provided to eat family style. No air conditioning but it's so nicely settled in the mountains that the fresh air is cool enough to make it a comfortable setting.

    A bunch of sides for our vegetarian guests
    Eric V.

    A hike up the mountain but worth every moment. I've never eaten here at night usually a late to early lunch. You are not going to get better or more authentic Puerto Rican cuisine. The food is fantastic and it is a truly cultural experience. This is how we on the island love to eat.

    Gene V.

    Outstanding food, tried the Pernil, moist and delicious, arrroz con gandules was great, pasteles also excellent!

    Pork belly with rice with pigeons and ñame

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    5 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Flavor, service and variety of food, how tipical it felt. Had a great meal with my sons and family.

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    1 year ago

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    2 years ago

    Buena comida y servicio. Se pasa excelente. Muy bueno el área. Recomendado. Good...

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Simplemente comida puertorriqueña espectacular y a precios razonables... ¡De lo mejor de la cocina puertorriqueña...!

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    10 years ago

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    El Cuñao Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - El Cuñao

    Try arroz con gandules, lechon asado con cuerito (crunchy skin) guineitos, morcillas and ñames.

    Mentioned in 4 reviews

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    La Placita de Guavate - Rib eye steak Plate serving with French fries and salad.

    La Placita de Guavate

    5.0(4 reviews)
    13.1 km

    After arriving to pork highway a little later than expected (6pm) and discovering most restaurants…read morethat specially serve lechon (roast pork) were closed, we went to La Placita de Guavate for some pork dishes alternative to lechon like the 'Can can' and pork chop tomahawk. Staff was friendly and was helpful in translating some dish names. There was also a happy hour until 8pm for a smaller sized cup of mojito - only $3! You can tell that the liquor was on the light side but for someone like me, I didn't mind it. I got the shrimp (camerones) dish with mofongo as a side, my husband got the can can, and our friends got the pork tomahawk to share. The 'can can' dish was HUGE (can feed two in my opinion)! It's basically a bone in pork loin chop with the belly and skin attached fried to a crisp. Drooling at the moment.. Overall lively atmosphere, nice staff and good food!

    I'm on vacation so I'm going to keep it short and simple. A group of us spent the day driving and…read morebuilt up a great appetite. I came up with the idea of taking them to the pork highway. However, we were quickly disappointed to learn that most of the fire pit roasted pork locations were closed. We almost decided to head back to the hotel but I made one more search and found La Placita open. I called to verify and the response was enthusiast and welcoming. We were so happy. Then we get there and this amazing professional takes us to our table and immediately starts providing the friendliest and caring service. We joked about my horrible "spanglish" and I assisted my party with their orders. It was busy, we were starved and some where borderline hangry. But then the drinks and appetizer arrived. Happy Level 1 achieved. Then after a few extra minutes, the meals start arriving. Omg! Everything was amazing. Get the Tomahawk! Get the Carne Fritas! Sides were also great - rice & beans, tostones, sweet plantains, mamposteao rice were all amazing! I hate myself for not remembering our waitress's name. I want her manager and the restaurant owners to know how special she is. If it helps - we were a party of 6 that came in at around 7:30-7:45pm on 4/22. Thank you and we will return on our next visit to PR! Great environment, great people, even better food! Muchas Gracias!

    Photos
    La Placita de Guavate - Carne Frita with wine sauteed onions plate served with French fries and salad.

    Carne Frita with wine sauteed onions plate served with French fries and salad.

    La Placita de Guavate - Mofongo with semi-sweet and soy marinated pork chunks. The table went crazy over this!

    Mofongo with semi-sweet and soy marinated pork chunks. The table went crazy over this!

    La Placita de Guavate - Pork tomahawk

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    Pork tomahawk

    La Cueva del Mar - Mofongo with Ropa Vieja

    La Cueva del Mar

    4.4(519 reviews)
    42.5 km
    $$

    I highly enjoyed La Cueva Del Mar! I wanted a mix of Latin and seafood and this was the perfect…read morechoice. It was recommended by one of our tour guides so it is a great option for both locals and tourists. It had a nice atmosphere and very large menu with many different types of options. The Frutti di mare was one of the best pastas I've ever had! It had almost every type of seafood you could want. A great option for someone who wants to try a bit of everything. It was large enough to satisfy you but not too large where you have to take leftovers it back to your hotel. It also came with a salad and delicious bread. My husband ordered the yucafongo pollo, and was very impressed. It was also filling and well made. The drink menu also had a lot of options. I went with the sangria which was super tasty! It's more on the fruity side. Our service was great and we didn't have to wait long for a table or our food, although it seemed busy. Whether you live in the area or are just on vacation, I would recommended trying it out!

    This is the "main restaurant" in the Embassy Suites Hotel and Casino…read more It's seafood based and has a pretty extensive menu. We got the Tuna nachos and the shrimp tacos to share. Everything was fresh and delicious! The portions were perfect for sharing and had a wonderful flavor! The shrimp tacos were lightly breaded and had a good flavor. The nachos had fresh ahi tuna and a great flavor with the seaweed salad! The service was good and fast too! The price was a bit high, but it's what you expect in a hotel lobby.

    Photos
    La Cueva del Mar - Inside

    Inside

    La Cueva del Mar - Fish tacos & Sangria

    Fish tacos & Sangria

    La Cueva del Mar - The bar area

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    The bar area

    Paisajes Curet - Arroz con jueyes

    Paisajes Curet

    4.2(57 reviews)
    33.6 km
    $$

    This meal was absolutely delicious 20/10! The red snapper was delivered piping hot, crispy…read moredelectable and adorned in a garlicky sautéed onion and sweep pepper mixture. Served on the side perfectly cooked medium grain rice and seasoned red beans. SERVICE 100/100 our server greeted our table with a welcoming smile and Hola. She offered cold waters for my party of 3 and delivered fried house made cheese with house made guava dipping sauce. Our meals were cooked to order assuming gigantic fresh fish took the longest to cook. We all enjoyed the fresh ocean breeze and sounds of the waves hitting the rocks. Latino music played softly in the background. This experience was nothing short of delicious flavorful and amazing. It was truly a culinary delight. Located off the tourist path but if you can find your way down the winding hills it is more than worth it. By Gods grace,my hubby has a great friend who can smd picked us up from the San Juan Marriott Stallaris and Casino to share his beautiful island with us. Take care all and safe travels.

    The views are what make this place worth visiting, truly a sweeping panoramic view. However, the…read moremofongo here was not good at all, their idea of creole seasoning what just basically frozen vegetables tossed in ketchup served with a side of fry sauce. It's much better in other places, I'm not sure why it was so bad here. Hoping other dishes are better. Pina colada was good though!

    Photos
    Paisajes Curet - Vista parcial

    Vista parcial

    Paisajes Curet - Langosta rellena de mariscos con mofongo

    Langosta rellena de mariscos con mofongo

    Paisajes Curet - Paisajes Curet abierto los 7 días

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    Paisajes Curet abierto los 7 días

    La Mancha de Platano - Vegan Mofongo/ Churrasco Mofongo

    La Mancha de Platano

    4.3(20 reviews)
    24.1 km

    This place was an amazing find on the way to Cabo rojo, the sopa de plátano is insanely delish with…read moresome meat pieces in side.. decadent and tasty. I also got the Benedict canoa soooo good! This place is on my dream list to return.. must visit.

    Y llego!! Los vengo siguiendo desde el 2008, cuando era un food truck donde lo principal era el…read moresandwich de platano. El cual le ponian una salsa de mayo ketchup con ajo que me mataba!! Verlos convertirse en un restaurante donde su menu a ido en escalada y su creatividad a seguido creciendo me llena de orgullo y alegria!! Esa mamposturria es otra cosa!! Pero todo el menu es una cosa del otro mundo!! Les deseo todo el exito del mundo porque se lo merecen!! Si van a la isla del encanto, LA MANCHA DE PLATANO ES UN MUST!! SE VAN A ACORDARSE DE DARME LAS GRACIAS! Is HERE! I have been following them since 2008, when it was a food truck where the main thing was the banana sandwich. Which they put a mayo ketchup sauce with garlic that killed me!! Seeing them become a restaurant where their menu has escalated, and their creativity has continued to grow, fills me with pride and joy!! That mamposturria is something else!! But the entire menu is something out of this world!! I wish you all the success in the world, because you deserve it!! If you go to LA ISLA DEL ENCANTO., LA MANCHA DE PLATANO IS A MUST!! THEM REMEMBER TO THANK ME!

    Photos
    La Mancha de Platano - Barra

    Barra

    La Mancha de Platano - Puerto Rican French Toast (La Francesa Boricua)

    Puerto Rican French Toast (La Francesa Boricua)

    La Mancha de Platano - Sandwich

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    Sandwich

    El Cuñao - caribbean - Updated May 2026

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