We had an outstanding meal at El Despecho. Chef Michael came to our table after we told our server it was most delicious Puerto Rican cuisine we had in Rincon. We had a fantastic appetizer piononos which was sweet plantains with ground beef. The chef offered us a rabbit empanada to sample during our meal as well. My husband ordered authentic Puerto Rican steak and onions with white rice and pink beans. I had garlic shrimp with Arroz Mamposteao which was the best I have ever had during my many visits to PR. They also have a nice variety of craft cocktails using fresh juices as well as mocktails. Highly recommend the coconut flan with guava sauce. Every plate that came from the kitchen was aesthetically appealing and so flavorful! This is our new Rincon favorite spot! The decor with custom floral murals is soothing and relaxing. We loved our server who also made the entire dining experience so lovely. My husband is a Puerto Rican from NY and he gave El Despecho 5 Stars! read more

Very relaxed and cozy vibe. The staff was helpful in explaining the menu. The hummus was good, but if I were to return I'd try one of their other appetizers. Both entrees were rich in flavor and well cooked! read more

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Went for coffee after eating elsewhere. Service was good, quick, and coffee was tasty.

If you are in Rincón, you HAVE to add this place to your restaurant musts. We went two nights in a row because the food is truly spectacular. Over the course of the two visits we ordered: -mini piononos -yuca fritters with BBQ pulled pork -steak and onions with rice/beans - chuleta with arroz mamposteao -mofongo stuffed w/ steaks and onions -Moscow mule with Jamaica -lemonade (original and with cucumber/basil) Everything we ate was cooked to perfection and BURSTING with flavor. Every. Single. Dish We could not pick a favorite dish because again, everything was phenomenal. Do yourself a favor and go eat here! read more

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Good food and good service. My wife and I shared the pulled pork appetizer, the pork chop, flan, and finished with an espresso.

The service coming in was good, but then they messed up on a couple orders, and then the service turned into complete disappointment. It took about 30 mins to bring out 2 apps, and then after about 1 hour and 10 mins nobody came back to take a main dish order, so we ended up taking the check and left. Very weird, maybe an off day for everybody, but completely unacceptable. Especially for a place that tries to emulate a top shelf type spot. read more

Those montaditas were, in the words of Eugene Struthers "on a whole 'nutha level. " of you come here get those as an appetizer you won't be disappointed. The waitress was nice and friendly and our food all came out quick. We shared the entree bistec encebollado and it was average. The beans that comes with the rice were very good too and I started to eat the beans straight out of the bowl. Good job. read more

El Despecho - Montaditas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Rincon, Puerto Rico

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This Restaurant is a must if you're in the Rincón area. The food was delicious and authentic Puerto Rican dish. It tasted like home cooked food but even better. The best food we've since vacationing here in Puerto Rico. Angie our server was so attentive and had great recommendations! Thank you Angie for your excellent service! We will definitely come back when in PR. Highly recommend! And the ambiance was very small intimate and welcoming. New York visitors xo read more

Very nice place, offering authentic Puerto Rican cuisine with a fusion of everything is the best way to describe what I had the pleasure of eating. read more

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Food, services were great. Or server was fabulous! My friend wanted authentic and she got it.

First was a big surprise the localization of the restaurant, very accessible on the road behind the Plaza very close to the Mexican restaurant that is facing the Plaza. The ambiance is very relaxing, the personnel is very knowledgeable and friendly. Our server Keneth was amazing and very good explaining the dishes that were crafted by Cheff Isabel. THAT WAS PURE HEAVEN and spotless, seasoned to perfection and the presentation was nothing short of marvelous. But pic's are worth more than a thousand words. read more

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Service was great. Food was pretty good. Their pork plantain appetizer was delicious and I highly recommend. My son loved the hibiscus lemonade. The arroz mamposteao was the best. It had little bits of amarillos in it. So good. The arroz con habichulas was ok, I have had better. The restaurant was beautiful as well. read more

El Despecho - Hibiscus lemonade - Tapas Bars Near Me - Rincon, Puerto Rico

spent a week in rincon and this was by far the best food i had all week ( my family agreed ). 10/10 everything. what we had below Fried pork chunks montaditos ( pulled pork on Yuca) the fried mahi chunks the pasta alfredo with shrimp the special of the day (caja china marinated pork shoulder) both desserts. i never leave reviews but given that we were in this town an entire week, ate out for every meal and this was the only one that wowed me, i had to leave this review. best restaurant in town. read more

So I wanted to go to this restaurant a couple of years ago, but didn't. I was on vacation last week and looking for something local and remembered El Despecho. Went there with my parents and OMG! We were all delighted either the food. We had the rabbit empanadas and the montaditos for appetizers. I had the house Sangria, amazing! Then for the main course, my dad and me had the ribs and house special rice. For dessert we had a delicious pumpkin pudding. If you are in Rincón definitely give it a try! read more

Excellent and authentic Puerto Rican food! This restaurant was a highlight of our visit to Rincón. High quality food and friendly staff! We brought our four kids and even the two picky eaters were happy with this choice of lunch stop! Best tostones we had on our trip!! read more

El Despecho - Tapas Bars Near Me - Rincon, Puerto Rico

We had all but two of the appetisers! Each one was better than the last one! We will be going here a lot while visiting Rincon! Our waiter was fantastic! read more

Incredible fettuccine Alfredo and salmon. Cozy setting and polite servers. Best meal we had in Rincón, and tucked right off of the Main Street read more

This place is located below the airbnb I rented in Rincon PR. Its a small business, hidden on a side street behind the taco restaurant. 1. Parking - only off street parking which is difficult to find if you are not familiar with the streets. You can walk to it if you are staying locally or park a few blocks away. 2. Ambience- small, cozy, personal and clean. Steats inside a max of 20 and 6 outside. 3. Staff - friendly and knoweldgable. If you have an allergy make sure they are not guessing and have them ask the the chef as my waitress wasn't 100% sure. We ordered a few dishes since they serve traditional Puerto Rican cuisine. APPETIZERS 1. Gandules Hummus with plantain and local root chips. 9.7 out of 10. This is a new style of hummus which I love! The chips are not greasy at all and very tasty and fresh. The hummus was a win for all in my party. It was rich in garlic and cilantro and well balanced with salt. Excellent! 2. Mini Pinononos- 9.5 out of 10. It is ground beef wrapped in sweet plantains strips with melted cheese. This is PRs version of American shepherds pie. A total of 6 bite size treats. We ordered 2 plates. They were delicous. My only suggestion is to exclude the tomato sauce drizzled on the bottom. The acidicness takes away from the experience. They should replace it with a drizzle of mayoketchup on the side and should cut back abit on the cheese to allow the meat flavor to be distiguished a bit more. 3. Asopao de Gandules - 10 out of 10. Outstanding! You can order small or large. The flavors were explosive. Lots of broth, and a good balance of rice and gandules (pigeon peas). it had fried bacon bits, wow! 4. Plaintain soup - if you like the taste of pasteles then this is for you. Rich flavors and light. Loved it! ENTREES 1. Pork bits with rice and beans. 9 out of 10. The meat was flavorful but a bit greasy (oil visible on the plate), needed to drain more before serving. The rice was fluffy and perfectly seasoned with salt. The bean were not a win for me. Its flavor was not that of the island. All in my party did not like it and that says a lot for 4 people saying the same thing. 2. Shrimp pesto pasta - 9 out of 10. it was a hit with the kids. Flavorful and portion was perfect. They ate all of it. 3. Shrimp alfredo pastas - 10 out of 10 the shrimp was seasoned to perfection. Shrimp was cooked perfectly. Instead of drenching in the sauce it was placed on top of the pasta, kabob style, loved this concept. It gave you the option to eat as is or mix with the sauce and noodle. The sauce was by far one of the closest I had to ITALIAN alfredo sauce, wow! 4. Mahi Mahi bites with tartar sauce and fried plantains - 9.5 out of 10. The mahi mahi bite was rich with flavors from the island and the sauce was perfect. The fried plantains needed a bit more cooking to make it a bit more crunchy. DESERTS unfortunately they ran out of all deserts Overall rating of 9.5! We will be back again read more

The food and drinks are delicious. Place is a hidden gem. Must try. Great service and food is just fresh. read more

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I'm surprised they don't have more reviews. A bit of context before the review. My wife and I had just gotten married and we had some friends in town to be our photographers. They're American and as my wife and I are as well, I'm Boricua and she's also hispanic. Our photographers hadn't really had anything authentic and Puerto Rican which was a travesty in my humbled opinion so on our last night in Rincon I remembered on the main city strip, decked out with Christmas lights and live music, the night previous (thursday) there had been an art festival, which is a regular occurrence. Anyways I remembered this sign and we followed the directions, which if you're on the Main Street you just follow the arrow pointing to the right and you're greeted with a small little restaurant but by all means it was worth it. What you get. There is a nicely sized tapas menu, almost ,like light portions or appetizers depending on how you would translate it. And they also had drinks. We decided to order everything on the menu minus the vegetarian options. While I wouldn't say it was the most 'authentic' like our initial goal was, it appeared to be twists of a traditional Puerto Rican appetite. Here were tapas with pulled pork or platanos and sausage balles and even like an avocado or cilantro crema. What was phenomenal was that the 5 of us could try them all and even fill our stomachs whilst enjoying the association. The drinks were well made as well and we even re-ordered some of our favorites. Definitely come here. read more

El Despecho - Different Tapas - Tapas Bars Near Me - Rincon, Puerto Rico

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Service 5/5 Quality 5/5 Taste 5/5 Value 5/5 For $10 you have fresh fish and the best rice and side dish you could ask for in PR. Our favorite place to grab a bite. So good, and staff is thoughtful and attentive and kind. read more

Initially, I thought I had the wrong address.. because this place it is the definition of a hole in the wall... but gosh am I glad we found it! Few tables. Cozy place. And the food is freaking amazing!!! Tapas style plates were my favorite! The "MONTADITOS DE YUCA CON PERNIL" and the " MASITAS DE DORADO" are to die for ! And the amazing service ... an absolute pleasure! Highly recommend it ! read more

Hidden little gem with great food and service. The vibe is amazing. Make sure to ask for the house salsa and save some room for dessert. Flan was one of the best I've had. read more

We were looking for a place for lunch and the reviews convinced us. We are so glad they did. The food was amazing, service was great and it was in a cute neighborhood. I would come back here in a heartbeat. The green pigeon pea hummus was quite possibly my favorite thing there but everything we got was delicious. read more

What else can I call this place but "Rincon's Hidden Gem". It's a step off of the plaza in the center of the town. The dining area is comfy, quaint, warm and inviting. The staff is professional, friendly and focused on pleasing the customer. The menu is perfectly balanced yet playful. An interesting take on classic Puerto Rican dishes. Pigeon peas hummus is very delicate and flavorful. The piononos are a must. The drinks are creative and delicious. You will not be disappointed. Esto es PR (this is PR). read more

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The food is amazing!! The food is just as great!!! They have an amazing spicy sauce here if you like spice. The server made the ambience feel really welcoming. very attentive. Thanks Kenneth for the awesome customer service and great recommendations. read more

Tucked into a popular part of Rincon, El Despecho is easily one of the best experiences I've ever had with food. A small Mom and Pop business, you can tell that the owners have an eye and skill for attention to detail....both in the quality and taste of their food, but also in the vibe and environment they have built by hand inside the establishment. 1. The food Anything on their menu is top notch both in it's taste, and how nicely crafted and arranged. Be prepared for small yet filling portion sizes. I must say out of all the places I have eaten on the island, this one leads in the tastiness of their food. You can taste the skill, love, and passion that the owners put into the product. 2. Drinks Their Fresh made juices are amazing and unique. I personally had a Pina Colada that was awesome 3. Environment The resturant itself has a great modern Cafe vibe, with hints of rustic furniture, which is always up my alley. When I was there, I had a nice and quiet atmosphere with very attentive and welcoming staff. For travelers, they have great english and an easy menu to navigate. This is a must see if stopping through Rincon read more

Stopped by for lunch and It was spectacular! We tried the Hummus de Gandules and it was so delicious, so full of flavor it actually made me not want to share the drinks we ordered were fun and very tasty. The service was outstanding! Isabel was so attentive, gave us some great recommendations and was just so friendly and welcoming! If you're in Rincon, it's a must try! read more

El Despecho - Delicious cocktails - Tapas Bars Near Me - Rincon, Puerto Rico

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The service was warm and welcoming, and fast! The food is delicious and local. The owners run the place and you can feel their love for their restaurant and customers. Delicious drinks with natural juice! read more

El Despecho - El despecho - Tapas Bars Near Me - Rincon, Puerto Rico

Nice ambiance and friendly service. Really good food. I had the house salad and the gandules hummus. Delicious. Off the beaten path from Rincón plaza and much less touristy. read more

So first things first - after about a week in Rincon, this has been my favorite meal here so far. We ordered their breaded chicken and garlic sauce chicken and both were really freaking good. We also had piña coladas which were fire and their traditional dessert which was another awesome dish. So good all alround! The waitress was extremely friendly, welcoming and kind and made for honestly a perfect meal. We will definitely be going back again before we leave Puerto Rico! read more

We came here for three nights straight while visiting Rincon. Absolutely delicious pasta with veggies. I had the Alfredo/ pesto sauce combo. My girlfriend enjoyed her rice and beans and we both loved their pina coladas and guava flan. Will def be back next trip! Wonderful service and owners to top it off!! read more

In a word, excellent! The food was incredible. Authentic Puerto Rican food. Best mufongo I've ever had. The mamposteao rice was amazing. Everything was fantastic, including the service. Cute little place with great ambiance inside. Love the vibe. We will be back!!! read more

Very charming, fantastic food and drinks whenever you visit Rincón is a Must!! Ambiance is very enjoyable and fresh, good Vibes, Un Encanto read more

El Despecho - Beautiful drinks, el despecho y el engaño - Tapas Bars Near Me - Rincon, Puerto Rico

A small local place for delicious Puerto Rican tapas and drinks. Staff is friendly and accommodating. The must tries are the pulled pork on the yuca frita and gandules hummus. For drinks El Despecho and spicy mango margarita were the best! read more

Stopped in here for lunch and we are so glad we did. Everything we ordered was amazing and the staff was attentive and friendly. We will be going back for dinner! read more

Very limited menu. Went with my wife and son and two other couples. Ordered six items of the menu. They were hit or miss. The worst was the service. Ordered appetizers along with everyone at the table. For what ever reason the waitress sent the appetizer and main course to be served at the same time, which she blatantly admitted she did it; don't know why. Then the appetizers came one at at a time in 5 minute intervals while the rest of the table had already had their appetizers and were already on their main courses. When it came time to settle the tab, they split the check with the two other couples and did not provide me with a check. The deprived me of the satisfaction of giving a shitty tip for the terrible service and subpar menu. If you're ever in Rincón PR stay the hell away from this place. read more

I'm with the other reviewers. This was our best meal in PR. Traditional Puerto Rican cuisine done very well. I know it's strange to say, but it's actually difficult to find actual Puerto Rican food in Rincón. This was very good and, when we were there, it was very reasonably priced. I meant to snap a photo of the menu because there isn't one on here, but I forgot! Suffice to say, we fed everyone from my wife with some food restrictions to my pickiest eater. I'd definitely recommend making time for this place. read more

Super Expensive and Super Small Portions. I do not recommend this restaurant. There are so many better in its vicinity.

Really nice fresh food served by a super friendly local couple. Highly recommend the rice and sweet plantains.