What a great food experience!!! Casita Miramar easily earned a spot in my top 2 restaurants I've…read morehad the pleasure of dining at in Puerto Rico when it comes to quality food and an overall amazing experience. The restaurant itself is absolutely beautiful, and the service was excellent from beginning to end,from the hostess to the servers and bussers. Our server, Jeffery, was amazing! He was energetic, professional, attentive, and you can genuinely tell he takes his position seriously. I loved that! We were greeted with complimentary sopa de plátano and bacalaítos, and I was NOT expecting to love them as much as I did. This was by far the best sopa de plátano I've ever had. I never thought I could fall in love with a soup, but here we are! (I ordered a whole extra regular size bowl )The bacalaítos were another surprise because they're normally not something I order or even particularly like--and I've tried quite a few in my life--but these were absolutely delicious. My S/O and I shared the churrasco with arroz mamposteao, along with a side of avocado salad and majado de viandas. Everything was a straight 10/10. Not one disappointment on the table. They also make an amazing Rojo Pico, which was the perfect addition to the experience. 100% recommend Casita Miramar. Don't overthink JUST GO! Beautiful atmosphere, excellent service, and most importantly, genuinely delicious, quality Puerto Rican food. This place absolutely deserves the hype and its spot in my top two!

The workers were honestly the sweetest. the environment is so welcoming and calm…read more although i wasn't very happy with the food. i went with my family and we found the food very bland and overpriced!! my mom LOVES cooking and she could tell when frozen beans are served to her. the food tasted old and the rice look like it was reheated from days ago.. definitely might be a tourist trap. the aesthetics are beautiful but isn't worth the price. on the good side, they sell natural juices and the parcha juice was the best i ever had!!

We ended up dining at Refran for dinner our first night in San Juan and it did not disappoint. Our…read moreserver was so sweet and attentive. We ordered the bacalaitos (codfish fritters) as an appetizer and the mofongo with shrimp (and another with pernil). The bacalaitos were perfectly fried, not greasy. The mofongo was the best mofongo I had in San Juan! It was full of flavor and the shrimp was the perfect compliment. My son housed their rice and beans. My husband ordered the tres leches cake. It was probably the best tres leches I've ever had. We'll definitely return next time we're in San Juan.

A very small restaurant with absolutely authentic Puerto Rican food with about 10 tables or so,…read moreabsolutely do not miss this place! So what do you get by coming here? You get the real deal, real Puerto Rican dishes, with the greatest flavors and fair prices. Unless you prefer playing overpriced, find dining restaurants with average Puerto Rican food, which there are plenty of in the area. I'm not able to emphasize how small this restaurant is, it's located right along the main walking strip in Coronado Beach. Maybe 10 tables or so. No reservations walk up wait in line if you have to eat and leave. Not only will you eat the best tasting food during your trip, but probably also pay the least amount of money. We went here twice! Their rice and beans recipe is probably what it's all about! We got grilled shrimp and skirt steak over rice and beans and honestly, I could've had it all week long! This little gem local place is not to be missed! Highly recommended!

When planning my first trip to PR I scoured tiktok for food recommendations! And this place was…read moreremarkably noted as Bad Bunny's favorite restaurant, and I understand why! The service was immediate & so welcoming! The restaurant had a very homey feel, like you know someone's family recipes are being used. The food was 10/10, hands down, everything was absolutely delicious! The sangria - to die for! Loved every bit of it! Def a staple if you plan on making the trip!!!

Overhyped. The service was bad, and the wait for my takeout order was ridiculous. When I finally…read morewent to ask what was taking so long, the guy told me, "OMG, I forgot to put your order in." Seriously? After waiting all that time, I finally got my food and the order was wrong. On top of that, the food was overly salty. Yo soy boricua, but does everyone on the island heavily salt their food? Because never in my life have I had white rice from a legit, authentic Puerto Rican restaurant that was that salty This place was honestly a one-and-done for me. After hearing people hype it up and claim it was one of the best, the experience was a major disappointment. I make this food daily so it ain't anything special to me lol I only came here because my gf wanted some hole in the wall type of food.

The food was amazing. There were five us. We had empanadas for appetizers that we shared…read more My companions were not thrilled with the drinks. I had a water bottle, which was not remarkable. Three of us ordered whole snapper. We were not disappointed. One of us ordered jerk beef mofungo. We were quite content. The yellow rice was quite tasty. The atmosphere was that of family restaurant. It was nondescript and high volume. Value for the meals.

Bebo's Cafe is everything people say it is and more. After hearing so many positive things, we…read moredecided to visit during our trip, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. The food was incredible. Everything we ordered was flavorful, comforting, and clearly prepared with care. My mother even commented that the arroz y habichuelas reminded her of her grandmother's cooking, which is probably one of the highest compliments a Puerto Rican restaurant can receive. The meal felt authentic, homemade, and deeply satisfying. I ordered the stuffed avocado, and it was absolutely to die for. It was one of the standout dishes of our entire trip. The staff was attentive and worked hard to keep things moving despite how busy the restaurant was. You can immediately tell that this place serves a very high volume of customers, and for good reason. The only thing that may confuse first-time visitors is the seating process. People generally line up in the hallway adjacent to the dining room and wait to be seated. At first, it can feel like organized chaos, but the staff clearly knows how to manage the crowd. Given the popularity of the restaurant and the amount of people coming through the doors, the system works. The quality of the food for the price is outstanding. This is the kind of place you visit when you want authentic Puerto Rican food that tastes like it came straight from someone's family kitchen. If you're visiting San Juan, you owe it to yourself to eat here at least once. Our family loved it, and we would absolutely return on a future trip.

Great food and the service was fast. The place had a great vibe and the employees were nice.read more

Kept seeing a bunch of reviews on how amazing this place was and honestly it's up there…read more To start off, I'm not really a sweets guy so my take is going to be a little off from the general public. We were able to snag a reservation but for a late time which was about an hour and a half before close. The service was super great but one thing I wished they mentioned that the bottled water was going to be a $40 charge lol. Makes sense for any upscale restaurant though. Should've mentioned we wanted tap so fair warning, ask cause you WILL get charged haha. We had a group of 10 and for how big the group was, the food came out pretty fast. I don't think we ever had a time between drinks to entrees where we were waiting for food to come out. We got the watermelons mojito for drinks since it was the most raved about. It was good but personally nothing crazy for me. 8/10 score on that. We also curry popcorn chicken, the ahi tuna lollipops, the empanadillas and the goat cheese quesadillas for apps and honestly overall 9/10. This is where I don't like the sweetness part of this meal. The empanadillas were what I was most excited for but it was more sweet then savory which sort of lose my appetite a little. I think if you like that kind of taste then it's going to be good. It wasn't a bad taste at all. Just too sweet for my liking. The curry popcorn chicken was good and the lollipops were great. Again, nothing crazy. The goat cheese quesadillas was good as well but again, too sweet for my liking. Now on to the entree, they didn't have the porkchop since we came late so I ended up getting the porkchop belly dish. When it came out, it looked amazing but then I got a whiff of it and smelled cinnamon. That's when I was sort of disappointed. It was like eating pork but tasting Cinnamon Toast Crunch and as said before, it tasted great but too sweet for me. This one was way too sweet to where it seemed like a dessert item. I just had poor luck and got one of the one items that were sweet. This doesn't tank the rating down whatsoever because I also should've read it had cinnamon. It would've been great if they made a dipping sauce or something to pair it with and not have it on the pork belly itself. I got to try other dishes my friends got which were good as well but I wish I got to try something else. If I came back I would try the sold out item which was the pork shank or the sea bass. I know for a fact the sea bass was amazing. Had a bite of it and thought "I'll come back for that" Overall, 10/10 experience and nothing bad about the place but gotta try different items when I go next time. I understand the hype now

This meal was spectacular. Don't expect speedy service in this restaurant or any restaurant in…read morePuerto Rico for that matter. I highly recommend this dish. If you love flavor, don't like bland unsalted food, go to Cueva Del Mar. It was the first restaurant we ate at in PR and we made sure it was the last! Great food! Strong drinks!

If you're looking for the best asopao on the island... your search stops here…read more I've never had something like this before. The flavor was ridiculous in the best way possible, the shrimp was perfectly cooked, and the tostones were notably fresh. 10/10- you MUST go. Out of all of the gumbo variations I've had from countless regions, Puerto Rico's is my favorite. Particularly from La Cueva Del Mar. Our server, Nicole, was an angel. She is SO SWEET. She made the experience even better!!! It was packed and very loud at 7pm on a Thursday, which is a nonissue for me, but if your party prefers a quiet meal, be mindful of timing.

There was a line to get in, but it moved pretty quickly…read more The staff was fine. They were friendly but never really came back to check on us to see if we needed anything else. It could also be that we were seated on the top floor and not the main floor of the restaurant. We ordered the bacalaitos for an appetizer. I ordered the mero al horno (grouper filet). My husband ordered the fried snapper. The bacalaitos were good. The grouper was delicious. I didn't get the chance to try the fried snapper but it looked good. The rice and beans complimented the dish well.

This was my first time visiting Viejo San Juan, and this was one of those legendary places I had…read moreheard about for years, going all the way back to when I was a little kid. On our most recent vacation, we finally had the chance to experience it for ourselves, and it did not disappoint. The moment you walk in, it feels like you have stepped back in time. The old school dining room is simple and no frills, with basic tables and chairs lined throughout the space, but that is exactly what gives the place so much character and authenticity. It feels like a true piece of old Puerto Rico. And then there is the food. Absolutely delicious, authentic, traditional Puerto Rican cooking. Our family shared the Bistec Encebollado, Carne Guisada, Chuletas Fritas, tostones, white rice and beans, and arroz con gandules. We started with Alcapurrias and Pastelillos de Carne, and everything was packed with flavor. The portions may be a little smaller than what some people are used to, but the prices are very reasonable, which makes it easy to order several dishes and share everything family style. For me, this was more than just a meal. It was finally getting to experience a place I had heard about for most of my life, surrounded by family and enjoying the kind of traditional Puerto Rican food I was hoping for. AMAZING! Definitely a must visit when you are in Viejo San Juan.

Look, were we at an alcapurria spot ordering pastelillos? Yes. Do we regret it? Absolutely not…read more We got one each of vegetariano, cebolla y queso, pollo, and guayaba con queso. The vegetariano was mid, but the other three? No complaints. But honestly, the food is only part of the story here. The vibe is everything. Salsa playing, high energy, warm service. We rolled in late and hungry, looking for sweet refuge from La Placita crowds, and they welcomed us like we belonged there. The music started out mixed, but at some point it shifted to Contra La Corriente front to back. We were enjoying our pastelillos, singing along to No Me Conoces, minding our own business when... el apagón. Not the whole Placita, just a couple spots including this one. The staff didn't miss a beat. Flashlights came out, mood lighting appeared, and nobody rushed us. We finished our food. We paid. We left happy. 5 stars because some experiences are bigger than the sum of their parts. This was one of them.

This is not a polished, Instagram-perfect restaurant and that's exactly the point. That's why I…read morelove it so much. Tucked inside La Placita de Santurce, its a small, casual, almost hidden spot that's usually packed with locals. Think plastic chairs, outdoor tables, music playing and a constant flow of people coming in for a quick bite or drink. Feels more like a neighborhood hangout than a restaurant. I've been coming here for years and this is what I've learned, take it from a local. For a quick bite, alcapurrias are a MUST -- especially beef or crab. Also the "pastelillos" are amazing-- corn beef, chorizo, morcilla... Everything freshly made to order. Now, if you want to sit down and enjoy an authentic Puerto Rican meal, here are some of my favorites: chuletas fritas, chicharrones de pollo, bistec encebollado and carne frita-- of course with a side of rice and beans or tostones for the win. Bottom line: you come here for flavor and authenticity, not comfort. Enjoy

PHENOMENAL This is…read morenot just a restaurant, this is a dining experience. This is upscale elegance in a relaxed environment. This is global techniques blended with locally sourced Puerto Rican ingredients. From the moment you walk in, you feel welcome. I was there to celebrate my birthday (a reservation is a must). I asked if I could be seated in a different section of the restaurant, and even though they were packed, they said absolutely and found me a lovely seat in the bar area. The staff is knowledgeable and attentive. I suffer from severe food allergies but wanted to experience their tasting menu. My server spoke to the chef directly and then took the time to walk me through every option. I TRULY appreciated that they did not take anything off the menu but rather told me how they could adjust for my allergies. That is very rare and so very much appreciated that they went that extra mile for me. I highly recommend the tasting menu. It's 5 courses and they give you 3 options to choose from, within each course. And for the price ($85), a great value. Everything was delicious but I highly recommend the Breadfruit Gnocchi, Rainbow Runner Crudo, and Criollo Duck Mofongo. Chefs kiss! What I also noticed was, even though they were insanely busy, they didn't make you feel rushed. The invited you to savor the experience - which I did. Next time you are in San Juan, make a reservation and go. You won't be disappointed!

4.5 stars. Cocina Abierta was one of the better meals of our trip. The food was excellent overall,…read morewith the lone exception being the empanadas, which were simply too salty. Everything else was very well done. The two of us split one order of the five-course tasting menu plus an additional starter, and it ended up being a nice light meal. Had we each ordered our own tasting menu, it would have been far more food than we wanted...something we found to be a fairly common theme with portion sizes throughout Puerto Rico. The standout of the evening was the Criollo Duck Mofongo, which was absolutely exquisite and easily the best mofongo we had on our trip by far. The cocktails were tasty and unique, but a bit small for the price. This definitely isn't an every-night kind of restaurant...the prices are on the higher side. But if you're looking to splurge a little, it's a fun place to do it.

The ambiance is casual cool. The service is EXCELLENT! Our waitress answered all our questions and…read morehelped us figure out what we should drink and order. The food was delicious and nice and hot! We had shared a plate and it was just the right size for us. Excellent choice!

I have been to Puerto Rico four times and this is the best Puerto Rican food I have ever had…read more First, let's talk about the service. Lény was amazing. She saw me walking by, chatted me up, invited me in to dine and the rest is history. She was so personable and so funny and really made me feel welcome. Same for the rest of the staff. They created a really light and chilled out atmosphere that was just so inviting. You can tell they genuinely enjoy working with one another. And that definitely translates over into the guest experience. The pina colada I had was hands down the best one ever. This definitely did not come from a mix in a bottle. Just unbelievably delicious. I started off with the alcapurrias. Wow. You have to get these. Perfectly fried, chewy, meaty, seasoned perfectly... If that's the only thing I ate here it would have been well worth it. I haven't had mofongo in over 15 years and I recently learned about trifongo, which is a combination of mashed sweetened and unsweetened plantain, as well as cassava. I ordered the trifongo with shrimp and steak. Oh. Wow. The flavors. The textures. Every bite was something different. At each bite was amazing. The meal little pricey, but OMG was it absolutely worth it. If you are visiting Puerto Rico, no matter where in Puerto Rico you're visiting, you must make a trip here.