ALL TOGETHER NOW
Both sides of our family enjoyed a nice dinner at this restaurant in Guaynabo.
It's rare that my wife's parents and my parents get to share a meal together, as they're usually separated by 2,000 miles. When my folks flew down to Puerto Rico for New Years 2024, they joined us at Típico, a trendy Puerto Rican restaurant southwest of San Juan.
Everyone liked their cocktails, including a lavender martini and Long Island-type drink made with blue Curaçao. I was on flu meds so I had to excuse myself from imbibing, although sticking with water helped keep the bill down (which, considering the previous night's splurge, was probably for the best).
The queso frito & prosciutto ($13) could have been a really tasty appetizer, sadly they were long past overcooked. The paneer-like cheese cubes with drizzle of guava sauce spent too much time in the fryer and came out hard as rocks. We actually got two orders and both were burnt.
On the other hand, my brother-in-law ordered the mofongo de churrasco ($29) and it got rave reviews. I ordered the pechuga empanada ($18), thinking it would be a savory filled pastry, but it was basically a chicken cutlet with tostones. It was delicious in spite of user error (I later found out that what I sought were 'empanadillas', not 'empanadas').
Bread = 4
Circuses = 3.5
The dining room is on the smaller side, perfect for date nights but not ideal for large groups....which our party of 8 adults + 2 kids certainly was. Maybe it was our fault for reserving a bigger table at an intimate venue, but the food took a very long time to come out (upwards of 45-50 minutes). It soon became apparent that we overloaded the kitchen; my brother-in-law's girlfriend received her food 15 minutes after everyone else.
The ambiance inside was fashionable and a bit nicer than I expected. Bathrooms were clean. They have valet outside since parking spaces are limited.
* TL;DR *
While our experience was fine overall, under different circumstances it might've been better. It's possible we caught the kitchen off-guard by slamming them with eight entrees at once, although a decently trained staff should be able to handle a wave of orders like that. Just to be safe I'd suggest booking as a group of 2-4.
Despite the burnt appetizer and long delays in service, I'd still recommend Típico. read more