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    Restaurante Desperado

    3.7 (127 reviews)
    ModerateSeafood, Steakhouses
    Open • 11:00 am - 12:00 AM (Next day)

    Restaurante Desperado Photos

    RESTAURANTE DESPERADO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Outdoor seating

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    Manan D.

    This was my group's first meal in Puerto Rico! We really wanted to get some mofongo, and this place was close to our base as well. The food was very tasty, and our server was great (El Ninõ aka Supreme). There definitely is a bit of a wait time as other reviews have mentioned, but I think as long as you have some drinks and apps the wait isn't so bad, and the food was certainly worth it. I'd recommend going with the Shrimp Mofongo, which was really tasty and had a great texture. Side note: the hot sauce they make in house is super tasty and properly spicy. We bought a couple bottles to take home.

    Kate J.

    I hate to say this, because the service was really nice and did their best, but this was by far the most disappointing meal I had my entire trip to Puerto Rico. I ordered the steak in mushroom sauce with a side of Mac and cheese. What I got was an excruciatingly salty slab of meat covered in Campbell's cream of mushroom soup (or at least that's what it tasted like) and, I kid you not, a side of Kraft mac and cheese. Literally classic blue box. And I waited well over an hour for it. Again, the service was delightful, if slow, but that's the kitchen, not them. They were very friendly, though. Drinks were good, too. Lighting needs work.

    Yvonne P.

    We came here for a late night dinner when we came in town and the server gave his absolute best service despite us walking in 10 mins prior to closing. Portion sizes were generous and we enjoyed the fried fish the most.

    Arham C.

    This place is a scam !! We were here as tourists from New York and visiting this place and thought of supporting a local restaurant which clearly back fired on us and ended up ruining our day. There was a massive mistake made by the staff. The menu does not mention the prices of main dishes. Our main dish (lobster) cost us $130 alone. In the entire duration when the manager was taking the order he never mentioned the weight of the lobster (Menu is even missing the cost per pound which is $30 per pound) We were never told by the staff about the price of the dish, the bill was a shock to us. The food is also average. Overall it was a disastrous experience for us.

    Robb M.

    ***My patented pre-review tip: Specify that you want tap water if you don't want them bringing you a bottle and charging for it. If you prefer bottled and hate the environment like some sort of monster, disregard this tip.*** We went here based on our host's recommendation. The location is very open air (like lots of PR restaurants) and is attached to a mechanic's, but don't let those facts stop you. On the inside it's very classy. You know what else was classy? The prices. We almost walked out when we sat down and saw the prices here, but decided to give it a go since our host spoke highly of it. I think the cheapest entree on the menu was around $18, which isn't terrible, but adding on a drink (we didn't, but got stuck for the aforementioned bottled water) or some extras would have spiked the bill up pretty quickly. We got the mofongo. Every destination has that "must-try" local cuisine with a funny name, and in PR mofongo is it. It consists of mashed plantains (side note: if you notice a bunch of mortar and pestles in the gift shop, that's what that's about) and garlic, and, well...that's basically it. The money shot is what an establishment puts on top, which varies from nothing to the off-the-hook meat and sauce Desperado's puts on its mofongo. The W had one with shrimp and I had skirt steak, and the portions were absolutely generous even at the ~$20 price. Actually, the price was about right for the portions, and just right for the quality, which was outstanding. The shrimp were cooked perfectly, the steak was tender, the sauce was rich, but not too rich. It was along the lines of a beef gravy and decadent in such a good way. I honestly can't imagine we would have found this dish as enjoyable anywhere else on the island. Maybe more authentic, I don't know, but not better. Our server was super friendly and conversational, and she definitely tried for the upsell with appetizers and dessert, but that mofongo dish was the exact right amount of food for one meal for us. I'd actually love to try some other items on the menu, but the prices just went up from what we ordered, and we ain't go that kind of scratch. That said, if we're ever in the neighborhood again, we'll probably go back!

    Joey J.

    Food taste awesome. You have to order the lobster, it's like one of its kind in the world. I've tried many different style of seafood but none can compare with this one. It's a little bit expensive but it's fresh and special. The Desperado beef steak is tender and juicy. I am surprised that a seafood restaurant can cook beef this well. Highly recommended!

    Empty at 6:18
    Max K.

    Tourist trap for sure :), but nice enough for a gringo. You will not see any locals eating here.

    Lobster Bryan with Garlic sauce
    Chad C.

    We stayed on PR for 8 days, and ate amazing food all over the island. The Desperado is, by far, the most amazing restaurant on the island!!!!!! My two oldest kids got the lobster w/ garlic sauce, I had the PR sauce (can't remember what it's called but Bryan will explain it, no worries!). (Bryan showed us the lobsters that just came off the boat, totally cool, the freshest food I've had all trip) My wife had the steak (Fricking awesome!). All the portions are huge! You will not mind the cost! If you miss this place it's your loss.

    Desparado Restaurant
    Bill H.

    The best mofongo with shrimp around. If you get the seafood plate with lobster be sure to share it with someone there's plenty. Frappe and fruit drinks with a local flair too. Family run, the owner always says hi at your table. This is also the only restaurant in Puerto Rico that plays country music.

    Fried snapper and plantains
    Callie S.

    Amazing food here! Don't think it can get any better. I got the friend red snapper and fried plantains. They are amazing. My boyfriend got the lobster o bryn also super super delicious. It comes with rice and beans on the side. Huge dishes. Could have split everything but we decided to be fat since were on vacation. Definitely come here for good food!

    Vincent M.

    The Lobster o Bryan was amazing! I would give 5 stars but the service it self was not the greatest, our waitress was cleaning and mopping around us since it was close to 10pm. The Strawberry Mango Frap was also unreal. I would definitely go back next time I am in PR.

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    9 months ago

    Family business. Good food. Prices competitive. Great stuffed lobster. Nicer rustic decor.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Restaurante Desperado Reviews in Other Languages

    Review Highlights - Restaurante Desperado

    “I split the Lobster Bryan (stuffed lobster) and was definitely happy with it.”

    Mentioned in 8 reviews

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    La Fonda Gourmet - Front of the business!

    La Fonda Gourmet

    4.5(346 reviews)
    7.3 km
    •$$
    Vegetarian friendly
    Large group friendly

    My husband and I are staying in Luquillo and decided to stop at La Fonda for lunch. I had the…read moremahi-mahi, and he had the grouper with rice, beans, and vegetables. Everything was absolutely phenomenal. The service was impeccable, and our waitress was incredibly kind, attentive, and helpful. The atmosphere was welcoming and beautifully done, but the food was truly the highlight. The seafood was exceptionally fresh and seasoned perfectly. We asked for extra hot sauce, and it was amazing. This was one of the best meals we've had during our trip, and we're already talking about coming back for dinner before we leave. Highly recommend!

    The Paseo de la Pared might be the best cocktail I've ever had. The service was very friendly,…read morealthough there were several instances where 1 person of our group of 5 was left out when things were delivered to our table. The waitress (who was super cool) had to go and remind the bar to make my wife's drink. Then, she had to go and ask the kitchen why my entree hadn't come out when everyone else had been served 5 minutes prior. The food was good (especially the churrasco), but this was a very expensive meal. Like, "Holy hell is that correct?!"-when they bring you the check level expensive. We would go back for those drinks, but I would need to sell a couple of non-vital organs before we could afford to go back for a full meal.

    Photos
    La Fonda Gourmet - Beautiful night with great service and food.  AAAA+

    Beautiful night with great service and food. AAAA+

    La Fonda Gourmet - Lobster tacos

    Lobster tacos

    La Fonda Gourmet

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    Carabalí Bar & Grill Restaurant - BBQ pork mofongo

    Carabalí Bar & Grill Restaurant

    4.0(115 reviews)
    2.5 km
    •$$

    My husband wanted to try a steak while on vacation so we decided to try this place…read more Location is beautiful so we were already pleasantly surprised when we arrived. Service was great and with a smile. He ordered the steak and I had the fried pork with arroz mamposteado. Everything was delicious!!! Best mamposteado I've had in any of my trips to PR. We also had the flan which was outstanding. Would definitely return my next time in the area

    We were hungry after touring El Yunque and found this local tourist spot. I am not big on big…read moretourist traps but since it was technically "linner" we decided to give it a try. Restaurant is big with indoor and outdoor seating with a Tiki bar across from the restaurant. We chose to sit inside for the cool air. Our server was very nice but not very attentive. We started off with the pina coladas and some agua and it took her about 15 min to come back with our drinks and she also gave us Perrier water of which we did not order (she looked confused). We ordered the alcapurria with ground beef. They were tasty and crispy. I ordered the mofongo rellenos con pollo and it was tasty as well and a decently sized portion. BFF ordered the mofongo rellenos con carne frita (fried pork) & his plato was bigger and he said it was ok. He also ordered a side of rice (they didn't have arroz con gandules) and it had day old stewed habichuelas so it was nice and moist. Overall, it was ok. I think had it not been for the lack of service I would have rated this place four stars. We also ordered a couple of pina coladas and we had to ask our server if she placed the order correctly as we could not taste the rum at all (she claimed she got that complaint often and it was probably blended in).

    Photos
    Carabalí Bar & Grill Restaurant - Bar area

    Bar area

    Carabalí Bar & Grill Restaurant
    Carabalí Bar & Grill Restaurant - Good old BoB!

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    Good old BoB!

    Restaurante Desperado - seafood - Updated October 2026

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