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!

Great food, good prices and friendly atmosphere!! A must…read moreplace for lechon whenever we visit the island!!

The Ruta del Lechon "the pork highway" in Guavate, Cayey is a located about 45 minutes from San…read moreJuan. My friend mentioned that this was her favorite place for traditional whole spit-roasted pork and we headed that way for lunch. It is not a fancy place but the flavors are so worth the trip! The place was packed with locals and visitors alike. We stood in line, selected and pointed to what we wanted and we paid at the other end of the counter. They have open coveted seating and they have fans going. Lively music played in the background. We left with our bellies full and happy with our delicious adventure.

Don't miss out on this restaurant! We have been here twice…read more Employees are wonderful! Views are fabulous! Bartenders are amazing! I asked for a fresh ginger margarita. Mind blowing! Lime juice, Blanco tequila, agave & fresh grated ginger! Yum!!!! ¡Gracias!

We stopped by for a couple of cocktails, didn't try the food…read more Our experience at Alavera was great. Found this place by mistake and glad we decided to stop. The views and energy of the restaurant is beautiful. A must visit. Our cocktails were delicious! The servers and bartender were attentive and helpful. Very curious how their food is so I guess we'll have to visit again!

The BEST mofungo in the country. Seriously cannot beat their creole sauce and their mofungo isn't…read moretoo garlicky like some mofungo can be. Also had an amazing chicken breast with plantains and chorizo and cheese. It was such a big serving I had to save half of it for later. One of the best restaurants of our entire trip

E'Pura Cepa in Cidra feels like somebody's younger titi got control of the kitchen and said, "Sí,…read moresí, I know how abuela made it...pero déjame meterle un poquito de sazón mío." This is homemade comida boricua with a little freestyle--los clásicos we already love, but with enough creativity to make them spark in the food jungle. The Nutella French toast? Ay bendito. Sweet, rich, messy in all the right ways, and absolutely not here to support anybody's dieta. Pero EL CHICHARRÓN?! Miraaaa. Fabulous. Crunchy, chewy, salty, melt-in-your-mouth oro. That perfect mix where you get the crisp on the outside and that tender little bite inside. Dangerously bueno. The coffee was rico and simple. No twenty-seven syrups, no nonsense--just a good cafecito doing what cafecito is supposed to do: wake you up and make life feel a little more correct. The staff was super friendly, everything tasted fresh, and the service kept moving. Pero remember, mi gente...you are in Puerto Rico. Island time is real. Sit down, enjoy your cafecito, look around, habla un poquito, and let the kitchen hacer lo suyo. E'Pura Cepa gives you that homemade Rican comfort food feeling, but with a younger-titi twist. Like abuela handed over the recipe book and somebody said, "Trust me, I got this." And honestly? Sí. They got it.

Service was great. Cute music. The food was alright. The pork was amazing!!!! Minus the skin the…read moreskin was WAYYY to hard. Like shatter into a million pieces break your teeth hard. I could hear people crunching on the skin at the next table. The pork empenada lacked seasoning but the chicken empanada was good.

It was super exciting to visit Guavate (aka Pork Highway). This is one of the oldest running…read moreestablishments there. The interior was pretty spacious and colorful, with festive decor for the holidays and a live band playing. There was a happening atmosphere to the place. I ordered Pork (of course), tostones, and yuca. The Pork was well seasoned, though a little dry. I was disappointed that the skin was not crispy thin enough to eat. Tostones were nice and crisp. Yuca were cooked perfectly and had just the right consistency. Also got to try the Pork Ribs, and this was my favorite! They were small in size, delightfully tender, juicy, full of bold flavor, making for truly mouthwatering bites.

Sabado 11 de enero de 2025 nos fuimos de rumba por la ruta de Guavate empezando por Caguas…read more Nuestra primera parada fue para comprar un relleno de papa y un taco de pollo. El restaurante y lechonera estaba listo con el lechón, pollo asado y todas las demás delicias para comer. Ambiente de barrio, local limpio y ordenado.

All the food was great , but that Cuajo is the best I've ever tasted. Service was good and fast…read moreeven when the place was crowded

Si buscas una lechonera en Guavate, esta es una que puedes evadir. Al igual que otras lechoneras de…read morepobre calidad, el lechón aquí es cocinado en horno el lugar de asado al carbón como es de esperar. El resultado es una carne reseca, y un cuerito duro imposible de comer. Contrario a otras cercanas, la ausencia de fila para ordenar debió ser una advertencia que no atendimos. El condimento del cerdo era sal, mas sal, mas sal. No apto para personas con alta presión. La extensa variedad de acompañantes tampoco lucia muy fresca ni apetitosa. El local se encontraba limpio y la atención muy atenta, pero busquen el lechón en otro lugar.

This is the second time in 2 vacations we came here, the pork from the spit roast is always…read moreseasoned so well. My wife loves the sausage but we both agree the rice side and the fresh lemonade is hands down the best.

The food was very tasty, the pernil was very juicy.... Not a dry piece. The morcilla was good but…read morelack a little pepper sauce. The service was great. The place was very clean, they even had a sink in a corner to wash your hands. There were not too many people, but the people were arriving. Overall, I would highly recommend it.

Oooooiiiii!!! The Legendary La Ruta de Lechon (Pork Highway)…read more AMBIANCE Parking: Can definitely get busy during peak hours and weekends, but there's usually attendants and nearby parking options helping direct traffic. There's paid parking and street parking. All in all come early. Seating: Huge open seating areas with picnic-style tables and plenty of room for large groups, families, and celebrations. Take your pick, close to the live music or the local river for a more natural feeling. Vibes: The area keeps you busy from souvenir shopping, listening to music, or just Chinchorreo (like bar crawl but with pork)! The spot itself is alive on the weekend with music, people dancing, pig roasting and for a calmer pace, enjoying the scenery of the mountain, flow of the river and the chirps of animals around. Great place for a nice food adventure for families, friends, or just rolling through solo. FOOD / DRINKS Combo Plate (Recommend) I know it's important to save room to chinchorreo but especially if this is your first time, this should be your base. Lechon - Pick your protein, obviously I got pig - it was juicy, flavorful and tender slices of meat, and a nice piece of crispy skin. Morcilla - not your usual sausage but a rich flavorful with a chewy spiced earthy flavor. Pasteles - kind of like a tamale which was a savory soft doughy base. Arroz con Gandules - If they're out of their seasonal pasteles, then this is a nice savory with a lot of lot of lively flavors and seasoning. The portions overall were generous and very "family style" feeling. This is not tiny trendy food--you come hungry. CUSTOMER SERVICE Awesome! Props to the people that work the weekends for their consistent friendly service. TL;DR OVERALL 5 Stars. Good food, reasonable prices, and a one of a kind Puerto Rican vibe. From the mountain scenery, live local music, smoky aroma, and the general playful energy - this was a highlight of my trip I won't be forgetting for a while. When in Puerto Rico, La Ruta de Lechon is a must and make sure to stop by El Rancho Original. TIPS * Come hungry and come early (for parking and to get the best parts of the lechon). Weekends are the best as it is livelier.

Sábado 10 de mayo de 2025 continuamos local en Caguas para ir decidimos almuerzo. Este local lleva…read morevarios años establecido y es mi primera vez. Por fuera no dice mucho pero por dentro y sus alrededores son otra cosa. Hay negocios independientes detrás del negocio, bueno será en otro momento, fuimos almorzar. Local bien decorado y servicio excelente. Porción de la comidas grandes. Ambiente diurno es familiar.

De la verdad la comida no está mala pero no me salió buena. Es una chinchorreo, y tiene platos…read moretípicos. Comió el conejo frito una de las especialidades de las casa pero mio fue tan seco que casi no podía comer y habichuelas de lata. Los tragos son buenos, y el ambiente si es muy familiar pero aparentemente fue una pelea o asalto pero dentro de la entrada y eso no caí bien. Lo dudó hay voy a regresar. Muy caro por lo que recibo el servicio está bien.