Stopped in for an early dinner at J's Kitchen yesterday. Super friendly welcome and the space was invitingly warm after walking around underdressed for the cold December darkness. I'd always wanted to try Mofongo so that was an easy decision (ordered with pork); we also ordered the pernil sandwich with tostones. Both were super tasty and we scarfed it all down. (Thus no pictures...) Word of warning (such as it is): BIG garlic flavor, which we loved, but be warned that you will have some serious dragon breath afterwards for hours Food was reasonably priced for the quality and portions. I'm not sure what the price complaints are about? Great atmosphere, lovely people and delicious food. Do check them out when you're in Fairhaven. read more

Food was pretty good. Nothing that knocked our socks off. I went looking for a specific menu item but they had removed it. First time for us at a Puerto Rican restaurant so we weren't sure what to expect. The location is a good part of town and the restaurant was nice and cozy. Little bit chill though. They for sure weren't running the heat much. Service was helpful and kind but getting our food was quite slow. They did apologize with the reasoning being only had 1 cook. I can appreciate that but when you're out for one of the busiest restaurant nights of the year, you should be expecting a busy night and be staffed appropriately. read more

Husband and I came here for dinner late on a Friday. Not too busy. Smaller restaurant but cozy. We enjoyed the food. I've never tried Puerto Rican food so can't give an opinion on how authentic it is but it was enjoyable. I'd definitely try other things on the menu. The bowl I got wasn't anything too special just chicken on top of rice. The empanadas were my favorite! Service was quick and friendly! read more

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We're regulars here because we like the empanadas and carne bowl so much. We often get take out, but ate in on a Tuesday at the end of happy hour 3-5. Half price apps are quite the deal!! We ordered empanadas and yuca fries. The new pizza empanada is quite tasty, and we're excited to try the buffalo chicken the next time we are back. We like the chicken followed by the beef the best of the regular flavors. We'll be back again for the sunny seating, kind staff, and delicious food. read more

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The ambience is some gangsta Porta rican music (in a good way). There is a second floor. The customer service is good there is nothing to complain about. I ordered the pernil sandwich which was delicious. The meat is cooked perfectly for it is savory, with a slightly salted crispy flavor. The bread is not dry in any way. I throughly enjoyed eating here read more

J's Kitchen - Pernil - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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We sat out front on the deck - pleasant view of Fairhaven. Delicious tostones with cilantro aioli - quite tasty! Try it with the Lychee juice. read more

J's Kitchen - Plantains with cilantro aioli and lychee juice - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Service and food were top notch. Sweet little spot with nice vibes. Wish there was a vegan protein to add, but perhaps in time... :) read more

Flavors to the max!! We had the pollo guisado bowl and a pollo sandwich. Both of these dishes offered a tremendous depth of flavor, especially the bowl. The rice was light coated in what felt like broth/sauce from the chicken which made it moist and tasty. Chicken was pulling apart from the bone with ease. Beans were ultra flavorful as well. Just overall great! We ordered take-out and waited inside the restaurant for our food, and our brief interactions with the staff was delightful. The interior of the restaurant was really cozy and we would definitely go back to eat there! Highly recommend! read more

J's Kitchen - Pollo Guisado Bowl - incredibly tasty! IG - @bilalandjesseatfood - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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Everything on the Menu is amazing must try for yourself! Carne Bowl Fuego con Pollo! Y Tostones Y Arroz Blanco! Tres Leche Cake! I will make a trip from Seattle here asap. I literally will Try everything on the menu! Service is amazing & Phenomenal! 10/10 I love the Vibe & Decor! read more

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The food is outstanding-particularly the pollo guisado! Cheaper than any other restaurant in Fairhaven and the staff is super friendly.

Unique spot, a few notes: Sandwich = dry. Beware and be sure to order cilantro aioli which was bomb diggidy. Beef Empanada was fire af and so heat, but minuscule for a whopping $5. Seriously you get like $2.5 per bite of this thing. But it's the best 2 bites of your life. Mofongo good but deceiving price because there was like 3 pieces of pork. Yum good pork but sparse. Partial service restaurant so not much on service, but be sure to grab your own utensils or else they WILL forget. The ambiance was just the ticket for a lunch on a May day. Banger music. Puerto Rican flags everywhere you can feel the patriotism in every bite considering there is a tiny flag they put in the food quite literally. Quality luncheon date for me and the missus. Will return for empanada. read more

J's Kitchen - Happy camper - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

This place is great! Try their Cuban sandwich. So good! The interior is really cool too

We really liked this restaurant. I saw on Yelp that popular items included the empanadas and mofongo. I preferred the chicken empanadas over the beef empanadas. They paired great with the cilantro aioli. The mofongo was the star though--it's made with plantains and pork. It was so delicious with the pickled onions and I really liked how it didn't taste greasy. read more

J's Kitchen - Empanadas and Mofongo - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

The most delicious food for Lunch/Dinner!! Definitely try some of the sides. Excited to go back. Great immediate customer interaction! Knowledge about the menu I would be proud to share this restaurant with my friends . Small area for seating. Go with 4 of your special friends .. read more

Food was terrific! Carne bowl (with pernil- slow roasted pork) was spot on. Added grilled onions. Wife had a Permil sandwich. Combo of the pork, arugula and avacado with the fresh bread made it a must have. Great place for lunch, friendly staff, good level of Puerto Rican music.... great place! read more

I lived in Puerto Rico for 3 years and the food here reminded me of the island. The mofongo was especially good. A lot of times mofongo can be greasy or heavy but theirs was light and tasty, with pork stuffed inside, and a nice cilantro aioli sauce. There were a couple pork cracklings on top, which is fried pork. It would had been five stars with more of the fried pork. The empanadas were also good. You can't go wrong with fried meat, beans, cheese all breaded and fried. The beef one was probably the best of them. The vibe and ambiance is festive and happy at this restaurant and the location is great in the downtown area of Fairhaven. read more

J's Kitchen - Mofongo - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

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More or less semi self serve. Order at counter. We ordered the pork bowl. Bland. The pork was unseasoned, the pinto beans as well. The bottle of hot sauce on table did add not much flavor. read more

I'm Puertorican and it took me back to the island. Amazing service and food was delicious. I recommend Js Kitchen to anyone. Will be coming back for sure. read more

Stopped by this spot while taking my daughter to WWU, and it turned out to be an excellent choice. I wasn't super hungry--just wanted a little snack--so I ordered the Pork Carne Fritas and a beef empanada. I wasn't prepared for the umami overload. The empanada was incredibly well-seasoned, with a crispy, flaky crust cooked to perfection. Full of bold flavor in every bite. The carne fritas were tender and delicious, topped with a flavorful garlic sauce that really brought it all together. I don't spend a lot of time in this area, but I'll definitely be looking for excuses to come back and try more of the menu. read more

The delicious pernil sandwich was the size of a postage stamp. For $19.00. Complete, blatant ripoff. Welcome to Fairhaven.

This is a two star review. They got an extra star because it was a beautiful day and we got to sit outside with my dog. The chicken and rice (kids meal) was inedible. The chicken cubes were fried so hard it was like eating chicken croutons. Revolting. My son and I had the same bowls - beans and rice, only two green olives, a small amount of pulled pork and sautéed onions. The pork was so over cooked it actually choked me trying to swallow it. The beans and rice were good. The onions were.... Onions. The bowls were more than 20.00 each. There were a couple of disks of fried plantains as well. They were fried deeply and not edible. Everything was extremely overcooked and overpriced. Disappointing, even on a gorgeous perfect day. Get a more experienced cook. read more

I had the thirsty Thursday deal and man! What a deal! A sandwich and yuca fries for $10 PLUS buy one get one half off for all drinks! I was impressed by the price alone considering how most fast food costs more than that these days but the food did not disappoint. Cubano was an excellent recommendation from the very charming server and the yuca fries were excellent. I will definitely be back. read more

Cute place with good service and nice portion. I got the Pernil (roasted pork) bowl with arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) with a couple of tostones. The flavours were good but I would like a piece of the crispy lechon skin. I loved the hot sauce they had on the table it was not too spicy but it uplifted the food to my taste. read more

Came in at lunch today. Cute little place that we'd been to years ago for pizza. You place your order at the counter, the young lady was very helpful since it was our first time, and steered us towards the mofongo and the Cuban sandwich. The sandwich was delicious, with chunky pieces of pork, and crispy bun/bread. I dipped mine in some of the tangy hot sauce that was on the table. Really good. The mofongo came with chicken. It was really good! I'd seen Guy Fieri eat it one time on the telly so I knew what to expect with the mashed plantain etc. I could compare it to a mashed potato dish but tastier. With garlic and chicharones added. Would def come back! I'd love to try some other dishes read more

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This place was amazing. I do not like Cuban food so was a little leary when my husband ordered "the Cubano" sandwich. I got the "Carne Frita". It was so flavorful. It even smelled delicious. If we lived in the area we would definitely be back! read more

J's Kitchen - Cubano sandwich and Carne Frita appetizer. Loved them both - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

I can still taste the succulent chicken in the delicious pollo guisado! I hadn't expected it to be so good as we have an extraordinary Puerto Rican restaurant near where we live. But J's Kitchen--though different--was its equal. My husband lived his Cubano. Large portions. Not fancy but comfortable, warm service and friendly atmosphere. A real place. When I'm back in Bellingham, I'll return for the pollo guisado. read more

My first time. Love this sweet little spot. Would be fun to hang but got my bowl to go -- and thrilled to see J's sends their excellent food out the door in COMPOSTABLE containers. My CARNE BOWL with chicken was amazingly flavorful. I upgraded with AROZ CON GANULES, AVOCADO and grilled onions. I recommend it all! And their TOSTONES are terrific. read more

J's Kitchen - Chicken Carne bowl with avocado and grilled onions. - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

If you're looking for some delicious Puerto Rican food, check out I'd kitchen. They are having their soft open and I was fortunate enough to try out! Located in the historical Fairhaven area, you see the classic brick walls that have been a part of this building for a long time. I ordered my food, paid and then sat in anticipation for my meal. The staff were friendly and helpful. I like to ask questions and they happily answered them. I enjoyed the food so much! The pernil had so much flavor and the rice complimented the flavor. The tostones with the garlic sauce is something I will dream about at night. To finish it all off, we had tres leches cake! The cake is made by his cousin from scratch and it is sweet and rich! I could live off of it! We only tried a small portion of the menu. I must go back to try more! I'm adding this to my list of places I regularly visit. read more

Food was excellent! Portion sizes perfect. We ordered Tostones, carne fritas, mofongo, empanadas and rice and beans. It was all excellent and the Puerto Ricans at the table gave it a thumbs up - just like home. Plus dominos at every table read more

J's Kitchen - Tostones, empanadas, mofongo, carne fritas - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

Bright, colorful & friendly. I was very impressed with their graphics and decorations. Their storefront is cheerful and certainly easy to see. The compact menu is easy to read and understand (Yay!) It was their first day of operation and the expected occasional bumps occurred. They were handled efficiently and with a cheerful attitude. The interior is small, but comfortable and pleasantly decorated. The Cubano sandwich was fresh and flavorful. However, the pork was a little dry and the sandwich could have used a tad more cheese. Still, I would order that again. I misread the menu and was attempting to order ONE empanada. The server mentioned that they were listed as "$15 for 3". My mistake. Then he graciously offered, "We can sell you one for $5". Again, friendly cheerful, accommodating service. The empanada had a very generous amount of beef filling. I felt it could have had more seasoning, but that is just my personal preference. One surprising thing: They offer several flavors of dipping sauce. I do not know which one I received, but it was almost flavorless. And I was charged $0.50 for it. That charge is not indicated anywhere, nor was it mentioned. This was certainly not an deal-breaker, but it was a little off-putting. I've been to both Cuba and Puerto Rico and I will say... this food could hang with the locals. It is fresh and tasty. I think this store is a great addition to Fairhaven. I will be back to try some of the other menu items. read more

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First time eating at J's and my husband and I were very impressed. Loved their Empanadas we had the beef, chicken and cheese all three very delicious. We also shared their Stewed Chicken thighs with potatoes and olives also very delicious and chicken was fall off the bone tender. Good thing we shared because very huge portion, we even had to bring home leftovers even though we shared. Service was wonderful quick service and very friendly and accommodating. Prices very reasonable for portions you get . read more

Cubano was excellent. Owner and waitress were very friendly, and the restaurant had a really fun vibe. Will return soon.

Great Puerto Rican food and drinks. Great Caribbean vibe and you can play some dominoes. So at home here. Gotta love the service too. read more

J's Kitchen - Boricuas at home here. Empanadas con pique and a delicious mojito all the while you can play a hand of dominoes . - Puerto Rican Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

One of my new favorite meals in Bellingham. Love the empanadas and the pork bowl. The staff are great. Food is super tasty. The inside is cozy and comfortable! read more

Their menu featured many gluten-free items. While placing my order, I asked to confirm that the items were indeed gluten-free and was informed that they are cooked in a shared fryer. This is not safe for individuals with Celiac disease and could cause serious illness. I would not have known this if I hadn't asked. A more accurate label would be 'GFO' (gluten-free option), excluding all items cooked in the shared fryer. read more

First time trying Puerto Rican cuisine. They were helpful making recommendations and everything was delicious. Clean plate club members!

Ambiance is vibrant and cheerful. Service was friendly but not intrusive. Food gets a full 5 stars! Everything my party got received rave reviews and we all took our leftovers to go! The coffee quality cost them a half star-but Yelp won't let me load it that way. Highly recommend! read more

We got take out and it was WAY fast. 10 minutes but as this place gets busier (which it should), that may not be the standard. The place took over the old Banter Brunch location so it's naturally just an awesome space :). I got the 3 empanadas with a side of rice and beans, Veggie guisado for my wife, and rice and beans for our two years old. The empanadas were well fried without being too oily and the fillings were perfect. I'd get any of them as a set of 3, but I got one of each to try the flavors. The beans had so much flavor for being a simple order of rice and beans. My kiddos review was "it's good!" Wife loved her guisado and finished all of it. I love a small menu done right. I'm excited to try their Cubano. The sauces were spot on. All in all, a welcome addition to Fairhaven for delicious Puerto Rican food. read more

What a sweet restaurant! We don't know Bellingham very well and so looked to Yelp for some help. The 5 star reviews were well deserved! First, the vibe is just lovely, with lots of color and light and warmth. You order at the register, and the person there had wonderful energy. She did a great job of charming our baby as well. My wife and I both had carne bowls, with deliciously marinated shredded pork, beans, rice, grilled onions, and olives. We were there for a while and didn't feel any pressure to leave--it's the kind of place that welcomes a lazy lunch. We'll certainly be back. read more

I only have two words for you - The Cubano. Okay, maybe now for some more words of clarification... You really need to come to Fairhaven to try J's. Their Cubano is one of the best I've ever had. Soft bread, savory pork and cheese, tangy pickle. I mean, it's kind of perfect. Do you want to up the perfection? The beef empanadas are the bomb. Service is excellent and the ambiance? You are in Fairhaven! Ambiance is part of the deal. Come by. You won't be disappointed. read more