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.

Its been about 8 weeks since we came back from PR and eating at El Jibarito, and I can't stop…read morethinking about. Wish we had eaten here at the beginning of our trip, so we could have gone a couple more times. The service was amazing, a lady came by with a couple different little plates with different food, so we can try, i've never eaten somewhere, where they did that. I didnt see if she was walking around doing this, or she just did it for us. Everything was amazing and it was a hard choice to narrow down and decide what to order. I decided on the carne guisada, which is basically beef stew it came with rice and beans, chefs kiss!!! AMAZING flavor, the meat was so tender. Everything else everyone ordered was so good, hands down the best food we ate on our whole vacation, and we ate great food! The restaurant felt like you were eating at your tias house, beautiful decor, service was amazing it felt like home. As we walked out I thanked the lady that brought us the food, she stopped me and gave me the biggest hug as if she had known me a lifetime.

Very popular restaurant on the main street near the cruise port…read more Expect waits during peak dinner hours (6pm - 7:30pm) especially on weekends and when the cruise ships are docked. I was able to get a single seat at the bar (there is a small - about 6-8 seats - bar toward the back of restaurant) during peak times on a weekday evening. I ordered the steak which was good but the wait for food was about 30-40 minutes...granted...they were packed that night. Service was excellent throughout...very friendly and patient staff.

Came here for the Pina Coladas, stayed for literally everything else! PR had me in a Sangria &…read moreMofongo Chokehold! It literally doesn't get better than that! This spot was in walking distance from our bnb in San Juan - 10/10, it was cute and lively. It kinda gave sports bar vibes but we enjoyed it! The service was amazing! Like everywhere else in PR. The food, easy- delicious! Drinks, amazing, food amazinger?! Lol we had a time here and enjoyed every second! Great place to stop for some PR staples and a fun atmosphere!

Amazing service for such a large group last minute. Food…read moreand drinks were out of this world. The skirt steak was some of the best steak I've ever had especially for the price. Grouper was so refreshing and creole sauce was phenomenal. Such a cute restaurant with amazing art anf cut little homemade crafts to buy at the entrance if you'd like!

When you walk into the restaurant, there many rooms of all sizes. The servicers are professional…read moreand pleasant. The food was good. They have a wonderful selection to please everyone. You can order for yourself or sharable plates. Highly recommended We did not have a reservation, but they accommodated us.

The food here lives up to the hype! I did not care for the bacalaitos appetizer, but the pork and…read morethe beef were fantastic. On top of that, the mofongo (or did I get the trifongo? sorry, I forget, it's been a month) here was the best I've had in PR; it was well-seasoned and perfectly savory. This was probably my favorite place to have eaten at in PR, and I actually miss the food *cries in California* The space was cozy, and service was friendly if slow. If we had stayed more than a night, I definitely would've had more than one meal here.

This place was alright but credit to a delicious mofongo!…read more Everything came out on paper plates, plastic cups, and also a red solo cup. That seems to be different than all the images i see here. The virgin piña colada was $10 compared to a different review i see here showing less. The vibe was awkward with us being the only group, not much branding, and the paper plates. Good for if you're out shopping in old san juan but nothing crazy that since i didn't grab a picture of the food.

Great food. The sampler platter is a perfect mix. We were looking for something authentic and this…read moreplace was perfect.

This restaurant has been on my San Juan list and it happened to be near my Airbnb so it was a no…read morebrainer for my friends and I to visit. Since I've always seen the long lines outside this store when I passed by, we decided that we try to go in as soon as it opened. So, we lined up around 11:30am. We barely waited much and we got seated. The server that day was quick/efficient/friendly despite the fact that she was running a one woman show. And the food arrived within a decent time. My friends and I decided to order the PUERTO RICAN PLATTER with a side of a side salad. This platter comes with everything you could want & maybe something that might be a bit adventurous for you to eat like blood sausage. Despite that, it's a nice platter to share and try a bit of everything. It's really nice that if you order for 4 people, they give you exactly the amount of pieces that are divisible by 4 (so everyone can try 1-2 pieces of each thing evenly). It also comes with a decent amount of rice/pork as a supplementation, which was nice. It's a balanced meal. And I think the side salad did well to balance out all the fried foods. Overall, we really enjoyed this place. It's a great place to come with friends/families to share. It's a great place as a visitor to try a bit of everything. The platter is a great introduction of puerto rican fried finger foods. And it all taste great! From the presentation of the food to the service here, it's all good. I would recommend this place to others.

I guess Mallorca is a traditional sweet bread with powdered sugar on top. Our funny waiter who…read morespeaks lightning fast Spanish but also does pretty well with English gave us samples of Mallorca. We ordered more with bacon, egg, cheese, and some with ham and cheese. They were serving lunch so we tried the Pernïl and rice and beans. We also got a salmon plate and a chicken cacciatore cooked in Spanish rice. The restaurant is old and very unassuming, but it doesn't stop the crowds of people to come and visit and see old San Juan history which this building has to be part of. It's not glamorous but you feel like you transported back into the very early years of Old San Juan when maybe it was still just San Juan.

A MUST if you're staying in Old San Juan!! The greatest breakfast in a really traditional…read moreold-school cafeteria. Pictures of Old San Juan in the early 1900s line the walls to show how little the town has changed in the past century, and Mallorca Cafetería is a gem that has withstood the test of time. Definitely an affordable breakfast as the most expensive mallorca is still under $10. Cafe con leche in styrofoam cups is a staple that is great even in the heat. Definitely worth getting a cup of orange juice as it is freshly squeezed to order. During my stay in Puerto Rico I had several mallorcas around the island but none come close to what I consider the original. Pressed and doused in powdered sugar it's surprisingly both light and filling. We had tried coming at around 9a the previous day and there was already a long line outside so we chose go to somewhere else but made sure we were out the door by 6:30a the next day to get to Mallorca before it opened and there was still a bit of a line. We were able to get in and situate ourselves once they opened at 7a; there are lots of small tables with chairs which we chose because we had a larger group but if dining solo or with one person it's definitely a great experience to sit at the bar for a more traditional feel. Again, this is a must for me every time I am in San Juan and I'm happy to carve out some time for one of the greatest breakfasts you can have. Would rate ten stars if it were possible.

We came here for lunch as a group of 4. We started with the Alcapurrias. It was good, but nothing…read morespecial to me. Then we had the goat fricase, cod and pork chops. The goat fricase's sauce was amazing. It was full of flavor and eating it with the rice and beans was a joy. The cod was perfectly cooked and was delicious. Then my favorite was the pork chops. They pre-cut it for us since we were eating family style. The skin was so crispy and the pork was so flavorful, I smiled the entire time I ate it. Service was very good.

Puerto Rico fare in town by the famous promenade…read more Food: 4. Service: 4 Atmosphere: 3.5 Cost to worth it rating: 4 (wonderful entrees for under $30) Opentableable: no, on their site Return worthiness: yes Eve award: best sea bass coconut ceviche Highlights: - Sea bass ceviche: light, fresh, coconutty, delicious. Served with taro chips which held up to the large chunks of fish. 5 stars - Fish special: huge thick double filet in a big bowl. Simple and tasted freshly caught. 4.25 stars - Arancini: good flavor and exterior crisp, enjoyed the sweet and sour type sauce. Though was sausage and didn't get that in it. 4.25 stars - Pork chop: huge combo on a fried pork chop and pork belly. 4 stars - Arroz con pollo: chicken leg on top with chicken hidden within the rice. 3.5 stars - Atmosphere: inside with ac and live music and outside with few lights around the rum bar. Midlights: - Thought the outside would be a cuter atmosphere but inside seemed to be more where it was at - Introed by the waiter that they had local rum cocktails but only a very few rum ones on their cocktail list... - Online only menu needed to navigate Lowlights: - Sauna level hot in the restroom

Amazing Paella Sangria and Flamenco Show! Good service nice ambience. Restaurant has a history used…read moreto be a Local Bank in the sixties.

Place is outdated, but spacious. They offer a flamenco show at 7:30 that is so worth watching…read more Juan Carlos is amazing. As for the service, so-so. Our waiter was not very attentive nor ready to provide recommendations. He showed up only when called over to the table. Ordered the croquettes and the were still raw inside. Overcooked on the outside. Let him know and he said yes, I don't like that texture. Really, he could have said something when I ordered them. The octopus was bland, the patatas bravas had a nice spicy flavor. The risotto was nicely sized, but lacked flavor. Overall service lacking, food average, show amazing.

Permanently closed per Google (we couldn't find it). But Brasas in the same area was AMAZING! Try…read morethe stuffed mofongos.

Wonderful restaurant! We have been twice and loved each time. I am vegetarian while my husband is…read morenot. Chef Josh made an amazing vegetarian stuffed pepper dish that was not on the regular menu. Wonderful to have a chef that can accommodate and create tastey dish. Friendly service, great food and nice location. I will continue to frequent this restaruant.

I came in with a serious hankering for beef, and on paper this was the right call. Beef, beef, and…read moremore beef, with a big menu full of options and a good location surrounded by plenty more to do. After a full day of touristing, I'd built up exactly the kind of appetite this place is designed for. The vibe was solid. Chill, relaxed, easy place to sit back with a drink, and they've got TVs around if you want something to watch. The service was nice too. So far so good. Here's where it falls apart, and why I landed on three stars: the food just didn't deliver. The quality and taste weren't there for me. It felt like a fairly generic American steakhouse, which is not what I was hoping for in San Juan. Good hang, disappointing meal. I wanted to love it and just couldn't get there on the food.

Conveniently located right by the port, which tells you something about the crowd it draws -- but…read morethat doesn't mean it's not worth a stop. Vaca Brava is a no-frills, gets-the-job-done kind of place, and sometimes that's exactly what you need. Easy to get a reservation, which is a plus when you're navigating Old San Juan on a busy day. The space is casual and unpretentious, and the menu leans into Puerto Rican staples without trying to reinvent anything. I had the mofongo with sweet plantains -- a generous, satisfying plate, well-seasoned and exactly what you want when you're in PR. My daughter had a steak and was happy with it. The food is solid across the board, the portions are good, and the price is fair for the location. It's not going to be the meal you talk about for years, but it delivers what it promises. Good value, great spot to recharge after a morning exploring Old San Juan, and the location alone earns some points.