After exploring Mayaguez a bit, we lost track of time. Suddenly, we found ourselves really hungry at around 2:30 PM. We hadn't eaten since breakfast and that was around 0900. We got caught up in our adventure and didn't think to check the time. We were having too good of a time! We didn't make reservations and planned to have a go with destiny as we explored my grandmother's hometown. Mana's Gastrobar extended a warm welcome to us. We happily received it and the rest is history.
Side note: Most Mayaguez restaurants close (hard close (no one is there)) until dinnertime (5 pm or later). Mana's was open until 4 PM and came to our rescue. The staff were really friendly and accommodated us as we scurried in to take our seats. We called the number on Yelp to make sure they were open. The were open and made our trip even better.
Mana's menu has creative Puerto Rican cuisine. We ordered tostones for an appetizer and pechua empanada and pechuga salteada as our main dishes. The chicken was cooked and seasoned authentically. The empanada tasted great and to temperature.
The restaurant had a young vibe and cool aesthetic. College age customers sat at the bar while we were eating. It made me think about what life is like in Mayaguez at their age. My grandma lived there around that age (how times change and evolve). I would come back regularly for lunch if I lived in Mayaguez. We didn't see the dinner menu or the dinner crowd vibe. It would be fun to mingle with locals and see a bit more of where my grandma is from in this setting. The server knew my mom was not a local but also a "boriua." Her kind and genuine conversation with my mom made the lunch even more authentic. The lunch was great and I'll be back to check out dinner during my next visit.
Overall, we were appreciated and not turned away when we were hungry. We spent a great part of the day looking around Mayagüez where my family grew up. It was nice to visit and feel welcomed at Mana's Gastrobar. read more