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    El Platanal

    3.7 (39 reviews)
    Open • Open 24 hours

    El Platanal Photos

    EL PLATANAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Dogs allowed
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Platanal

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    Carne guisada
    Kirstie C.

    A bit slow service due to the post concert rush, but the food is great as usual. Great late night food option with local flavors.

    Ropa vieja
    Mike J.

    I love that this place is open late. Came after bad bunny pool party and the food hit the spot! Alberto had excellent customer service and recommended what we should order. We ordered the following: Carne Guisada: 10/10 packed with flavor, arroz apastelado was so good Ropa vieja: 10/10 so tinder and falling apart Tostones: 10/10 just crispy enough. I recommend this place for late night outings big time!

    Menu
    Shana T.

    Our Uber suggested this place which is a diner of sorts that's open 24 hours. We were seated right away and it's very spacious inside. Our server didn't speak much English but she was nice and we used Google translator to help with our order. It was my first time trying Plantain mofongo and where else but Puerto Rico to try to the real deal! The have a lot of options with steak, chicken and seafood. The drinks were very good as well and the prices are not terrible at all. Overall, I enjoyed the food and drinks and had a good time.

    Chuleta Kan Kan
    Isabel J.

    After spending the day walking and sightseeing we wanted a local spot for dinner. A local bartender recommended this place and I'm glad she did. We tried the sopa de platano (plantain), pernil and chuleta Kan Kan. Everything was delicious and it tasted like grandma made it. We really enjoyed our meal.

    Octopus with garlic sauce
    Melanie L.

    Good and tasty food! This was a nice place to try and the food hit the spot! I got the octopus with the rice plate and it was delicious. Everything was cooked so well and had so much flavor. Service was alright. Ambiance was fun, especially for a birthday celebration. I would come back again.

    Leslie V.

    This is one of the restaurants we decided to go and eat in Puerto Rico the food the drinks the service was excellent and we were a party of over 50 people. The waiter was on point with every order every drink they accommodated us last minute. They did an amazing job Taking care of all of us. The service the ambiance everything was well done .

    Paul G.

    Very delicious food. Few locations in the metro area. Went to the one in Hato Rey. Food was very delightful. Servers were very welcoming and informative. Nice justice rustic decoration and atmosphere.

    Ropa Vieja with arroz mamposteao
    Kelsie M.

    Took forever to get our food but once it finally came out, it was great! Keyla was good

    Chicken breast batter at the Milanesa
    Jose H.

    From the country to the city that's the feeling you get from the ambiance. Food exceeded all our expectations, basically I had to try every dish we ordered and all were pretty delicious. Loved the chicken breast (milanesa), churrasco, mofongo, breadfruit tostones and the kan-kan pork chop. Taste and portions were for a hungry appetite and possibly for sharing. Portion/price ratio was very respectable. Service was attentive and seating area was spacious and clean.

    Menu
    Kaizamar F.

    Well decorated and attention grabbing location. Touristy spot just outside of San Juan, price points reflect this. Food was not great. The fish was swimming in sauce and undercooked. The avocado salad was not an actual avocado salad. It's a sliced up avocado on a leaf of lettuce. Waitstaff was not attentive and we constantly had to seek assistance from other staff to get cutlery or inquire about missing order items. We had to go up front towards the end to obtain our bill as our waiter flat out disappeared for over :45 minutes. Parking was a nightmare as well. Had to keep circling the block to be able to find a spot. Not enough parking area. Would benefit from staff training, and parking development.

    The food was absolutely amazing, and the portions were generous--we even had enough to take home in to-go boxes. This was only my second place to eat in Puerto Rico, and it did not disappoint! Every dish was packed with flavor, and the service was excellent. The staff was so friendly and attentive--you can really tell they care about their customers. Even the other diners added to the experience, as everyone in the restaurant was kind and welcoming.

    The beautiful chuleta kan kan
    Jose F.

    I love this restaurant. The food is always very good. The chuleta kan kan is always great here and get the mofongo with any topping and you will be happy . I love the staff too, they are always great. Our last server was Misael, was great. He knew the menu , was patient and very friendly but professional. So happy to have met him. I love the paintings on the wall as well, I like the ambiance. Just family friendly with big Puerto Rican hospitality and boricua flavors. This will always be one of my favorite places to eat in Puerto Rico and the price is always great .

    Guillermo G.

    This Platanal is open 24/7, which makes it a good alternative to Denny's after a night of boozing or a place to go when the other restaurants are closing. It helps the food is good too. It's located on a stretch of Roosevelt Ave that has several good restaurants. They have limited parking on the side of the building, on Calle Ing. Antonín Nin Martínez. Note that this street is a one-way street and can't be accessed from the main avenue. You have to loop around. A little inconvenient. You check in with the host outside on the balcony. The balcony has a few benches. There is a wheel chair ramp. The interior was clean with a family friendly vibe. There is a full bar with happy hours from 3-9pm. Ask for specials. Restroom was clean. I liked that the sink bowl was a repurposed caldero. Creative. There was a baby changing station in the restroom too. We started off with the fried cheese appetizers. They were really good. They came with a guava dipping sauce. The sweet and savory combination of the guava and cheese made for a good start. I then ordered from the daily specials menu. I went with the pernil al horno. It came with a side salad and choice of another side. I chose the arroz apastelado. The pernil was seasoned right and was nice and tender. The rice was excellent. My wife had the abacado stuffed with bacalao and arroz mamposteao. I preferred the arroz apastelado. It had a better texture. The bacalao was very good. In addition to getting it with the avocado, you can get it with the mofongo. That would also be a good choice because the mofongo was delicious. Our son's kid's churrasco had good flavor. The only miss were the amarillos. They were undercooked and not sweet.

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    4 months ago

    Food was pretty good, fish was very fresh. Our server was really nice. Good view of downtown.

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    9 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    The food was delicious and I loved that it was 24/7. It was authentic too, I really enjoyed the mofongo.

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    3 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Servicio Pésimo, Nadie paso por la mesa a atendernos, más de 20 minutos esperando. Ni la orden de bebidas

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    2 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Great places , good food , and good service , ambience is relaxing!!! Me gustó mucho el sampler !

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    4 years ago

    Great food. Came here with family and they loved it. I recommend it if you are looking for a great place to dine a typical PR dish.

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    El Platanal Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - El Platanal

    “This was only my second place to eat in Puerto Rico, and it did not disappoint!”

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

    Read more highlights

    Casita Miramar - Arroz con Mariscos (seafood paella) and Churrasco (steak); Follow me @RimyEats on Instagram

    Casita Miramar

    4.5(1.7k reviews)
    4.4 km
    •$$$

    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!!

    Photos
    Casita Miramar - Indoor Dining Room

    Indoor Dining Room

    Casita Miramar - Amazing chocolate Fudge Cake delivered to restaurant (Cakes by Glorimar in PR). Staff sang and added candle

    Amazing chocolate Fudge Cake delivered to restaurant (Cakes by Glorimar in PR). Staff sang and added candle

    Casita Miramar - Pastelón - Delicious thick Caribbean soft meat and plantain taste and texture

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    Pastelón - Delicious thick Caribbean soft meat and plantain taste and texture

    El Refrán - NY strip with Root vegetable mash

    El Refrán

    4.5(336 reviews)
    4.0 km
    •$$

    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!

    Photos
    El Refrán
    El Refrán - Skirt steak on top of a bed of rice and beans

    Skirt steak on top of a bed of rice and beans

    El Refrán

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    Santaella - FILETE DE SALMÓN ORIENTAL

    Santaella

    4.3(698 reviews)
    3.2 km
    •$$$

    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

    WOULD recommend (dinner). Stopped by during first night in Puerto Rico, we had a reservation around…read more9pm so we were able to see the festivities associated with La Placita. I suggest doing reservations at least 3 weeks in advanced if you want to time that you want especially during peak days like Fri, Sat, etc. When we came in, the staff were very hospitable to us. This establishment has was very intimate, well lit; upon entry the music was a bit loud but then became manageable for casual conversation. We saw a good amount of large parties as well so they have good reputation for celebratory outings. We started off with drinks, ordered the Paper Plane, was very sour but wasn't bad in my opinion (Rating: 7.1/10), but the Perfect Lady on the other hand, was amazing lavender goodness, I don't think I have had a bad lavender drink yet from any place I have had so glad they kept the train going (Rating: 9.0/10). Next, for appetizers we ordered the Empanadas, that have different flavors everyday. The day that we came, the flavor was BBQ pulled pork, which I personally absolutely loved. Crispy, not hard exterior, hot and fresh (Rating 8.8/10). For the entrees, we ordered the Tacos De Mero Empanados (Fish Tacos with Chipotle Coleslaw) and the Milanesa De Pollo. The fish tacos were definitely the best dish at the table, came with 3 tacos that had rich flavors, ordered from the "Daily Specials" section of the menu (Rating 8.4/10). Next, the Milanesa De Polla was a large, breaded chicken breast that was honestly good for multiple people, came with side of arugula and cherry tomatoes with light dressing (almost nonexistent to be honest). It came with a sauce on top, like an aioli that wasn't bad honestly. This dish was a good safe option if you aren't sure what to get (Rating 8.1/10). I wanted to originally order the Pastelon De Amarillos but they were out of stock of that dish during the visit. Overall, Santaella offers pretty extensive menu with foundations of a high quality restaurant. Their service during our visit was definitely top of the line, no complaints. I just wished they had more than 2 single use bathrooms as the line definitely added up which could pose an issue for guests with urinary urgency/frequency. Pricing also wasn't horrible, was able to get a full course dinner for 2 for under $150 so can't really complain, just check their menu before going if you want specifics. They also have Rooftop Sundays at Azotea for those who are interested in their alternative dining setting. This place was good nonetheless and I would recommend it, is right in between fine dining and casual making it good for those dressier date nights.

    Photos
    Santaella - Dinning room area

    Dinning room area

    Santaella - Pulpo Parrilla

    Pulpo Parrilla

    Santaella - Tomatoes with Parmesan Cheese Ice Cream

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    Tomatoes with Parmesan Cheese Ice Cream

    La Alcapurria Quemá - Alcapurria

    La Alcapurria Quemá

    4.5(173 reviews)
    3.3 km
    •$$

    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

    Photos
    La Alcapurria Quemá - The name of the place !!!

    The name of the place !!!

    La Alcapurria Quemá - Empanadas

    Empanadas

    La Alcapurria Quemá - Alvapurria - corned beef

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    Alvapurria - corned beef

    Cocina Abierta - Second Course

    Cocina Abierta

    4.4(747 reviews)
    3.8 km
    •$$$$

    I don't write reviews often, but this experience was absolutely worth taking the time to write one…read more All I can genuinely say is WOW. And honestly... how is Cocina Abierta not Michelin rated?! I decided to do four courses, and every single one was incredible. I started with the Crudo de Salmón Hawaiana with mango pascual, watermelon radish, and hibiscus flower. Then the Robalo al Horno de Leña with coconut beurre blanc, salicornia, and tamarind. For the main course, the Mofongo de Pato Criollo with duck chicharrón, duck and shiitake broth, and guava hoisin. And dessert was the Café with requesón, pâte à choux, and carambola. This was one of the most dynamic meals I've ever had. Every course was completely different, yet everything felt intentional, creative, and incredibly well-balanced. The flavors, textures, presentation, and creativity were on another level. What made the experience even more special was knowing that the ingredients are locally sourced and thoughtfully incorporated into the menu. You can genuinely taste the care that goes into every dish. And the hospitality? Unforgettable. From start to finish, the entire experience was exceptional. Cocina Abierta absolutely blew me away. This is the kind of meal you remember long after you leave, and I will 100% be back. If you're in San Juan and looking for an unforgettable dining experience, go here.

    A real culinary experience! They offer a 5 course meal that will surely give your tastebuds a…read moreroller coaster of unique tastes. All the staff are VERY knowledgeable about the food and ingredients. Cocktails very good as well.

    Photos
    Cocina Abierta - Bar

    Bar

    Cocina Abierta - Snook

    Snook

    Cocina Abierta - FRESH LOCAL CATCH CEVICHE - Leche de tigre | avocado chips

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    FRESH LOCAL CATCH CEVICHE - Leche de tigre | avocado chips

    El Platanal - puertorican - Updated October 2026

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